Battery Pack Warranty Tracking via Partitioned Database
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large multi-cell battery packs are expensive to replace when defective, and consumers expect proper function, necessitating effective warranty management to ensure timely and cost-effective resolution of defects.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for monitoring battery usage data, including battery identification, sensor measurements, and cumulative warranty values, which determines project affiliation and stores data in a partitioned warranty database, allowing authorized access and alerting for potential warranty expiration based on predefined thresholds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If battery usage data is monitored and stored in a centralized database, then warranty management effectiveness is improved, but system complexity and data security requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized warranty management system into distributed components: battery packs with embedded controllers that independently collect and process usage data, calculate warranty metrics locally, and only communicate essential results to external systems. This segmentation reduces central system complexity while maintaining reliable warranty tracking across multiple battery units.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer in the form of a communication interface and data protocol that bridges the battery controller and external warranty management systems. This intermediary standardizes data exchange, simplifies integration complexity, and enables reliable warranty tracking without requiring direct complex connections between all system components.
2Measurement precision
If detailed battery usage data is collected and stored, then defect detection accuracy is improved, but data storage requirements and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and stores only the critical warranty-relevant parameters from complete battery usage data, such as cumulative charge-discharge cycles, temperature extremes, and voltage deviations. By taking out only the essential metrics needed for defect detection and warranty validation, the system achieves accurate defect detection while minimizing data storage requirements and processing overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by processing and filtering data at the battery controller level before transmission. Each battery unit independently identifies and reports only anomalous or warranty-critical events rather than transmitting all raw data. This approach maintains high defect detection accuracy for relevant parameters while significantly reducing overall data storage and processing requirements.
3Reliability
If real-time monitoring is implemented, then warranty expiration detection is improved, but energy consumption and computational load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic monitoring instead of continuous real-time monitoring, where the battery controller checks usage data and updates warranty status at predetermined intervals (e.g., daily, weekly, or after specific usage thresholds). This periodic approach maintains reliable warranty expiration detection while significantly reducing energy consumption and computational load compared to continuous monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery controller performs self-service by autonomously calculating warranty metrics, comparing usage data against warranty thresholds, and determining warranty status without requiring constant external system intervention. This self-service capability ensures reliable warranty expiration detection while minimizing the energy and computational resources needed for external processing and communication.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are disclosed for monitoring battery usage information. In an embodiment, battery usage data is received from a battery energy storage system comprising a battery pack. The battery usage data may include battery identification information, one or more battery sensor measurements for a period of time, and a cumulative warranty value for the battery pack. A project to which the battery pack belongs may then be determined based on the received battery identification information. Finally, the battery usage data may be stored in a warranty database. The warranty database may store battery usage data for a plurality of battery packs. The warranty database may further be partitioned by project, and the battery usage data for is stored in a partition of the warranty database for the determined project.