Battery Charger Wireless Telemetry Without Added Battery Complexity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery monitoring systems for electric tools, such as chain saws and lawn mowers, increase complexity, cost, and susceptibility to malfunctions due to the number of components, making them difficult to design and maintain effectively.
Innovation Solution
A recharging apparatus with a simplified design that integrates an electronic control and command unit and wireless transmitter within the charger device, allowing for monitoring of battery parameters like temperature and charge percentage without consuming battery energy, and sending alerts to a remote device for user notification and maintenance optimization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a monitoring device with electronic control unit and wireless transmitter is integrated into the battery, then battery operating parameters can be monitored and transmitted, but the battery becomes more complex, expensive, and prone to malfunctioning
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is segmented into two parts: a simple sensor in the battery and a complex electronic control unit with wireless transmitter in the charger. This separates the monitoring function from the power storage function, reducing battery complexity while maintaining monitoring capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The charger acts as an intermediary device that receives data from the battery through a simple connection and performs the complex processing and wireless transmission functions. This mediator approach allows the battery to remain simple while achieving advanced monitoring.
2Extent of automation
If monitoring components are added to the battery, then remote notification of battery status is possible, but production costs and difficulty of design increase
Solution Approach 1:
The complex electronic control unit and wireless transmitter are extracted from the battery and placed in the charger. This extraction simplifies battery manufacturing while the charger handles the automated monitoring and communication functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The charger is designed to serve multiple functions: power recharging, electronic control, data processing, wireless communication, and user interface. This multi-functionality consolidates complexity into a single device rather than distributing it across multiple components.
3Loss of information
If battery energy is used for monitoring and transmission, then real-time data can be sent, but battery durability and useful life are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Monitoring data is transmitted periodically when the battery is connected to the charger during recharging cycles, rather than continuously during battery operation. This periodic transmission achieves monitoring goals without consuming battery energy during its useful life.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system uses the charger's power supply to operate the electronic control unit and wireless transmitter during battery recharging. The system serves itself by utilizing the necessary power from the external source rather than depleting the battery's stored energy.
Data Source
AI summary
A recharging apparatus (30) for electrically recharging an electric battery (10) is described comprising: a battery charger device (35), a control and command electronic unit (60) galvanically connected to the battery charger device, and a wireless transmitter (65) operatively connected to the control and command electronic unit. Wherein the electronic control and command unit (60) is configured to monitor a value indicative of an operating parameter of the battery when said battery is connected to the battery charger device and to send said value via the wireless transmitter (65).