Dallas Semiconductor Corporation

Richard E Downs

Richard William Ezell

James M Douglass

Robert W Mounger

A rechargeable battery pack with low powered, gas gauge circuitry for monitoring and accumulating various operating parameters of the rechargeable battery pack, includes a current monitor for measuring the current flow into and out of a battery cell in the rechargeable battery pack. An integrated current accumulator connected to the current monitor is used to maintain a measure of the net charge having flowed into and out of the battery cell. A charging current accumulator, which is also coupled to the current monitor, is used to maintain a measure of the total charge having flowed into the battery cell, while a discharging current accumulator is used to maintain a measure of the total charge having flowed out of the battery cell. A highly accurate oscillator is used to drive the accumulators to greatly increase the accuracy of the gas gauge functions derived therefrom.

Battery pack

A method for monitoring various parameters and conditions of a rechargeable battery to accurately determine the remaining charge level of the rechargeable battery, and includes using a temperature sensor to monitor the temperature of the rechargeable battery. The potential level of the rechargeable battery is monitored with a voltage meter coupled to the rechargeable battery. The current flow into and out of the rechargeable battery is monitored with current meter coupled to the rechargeable battery. A current accumulator coupled to the current meter is used to accumulate the net total of current flow, an oscillatory circuit is used to generate a timing signal to time selected functions, and a timestamp will be generated indicative of a time when the battery ceases to be charged such that a self discharge correction is capable of being calculated.

Method for monitoring operating parameters of a rechargeable power supply

An electronic device for monitoring the operating conditions of a rechargeable battery, and includes a temperature monitor for monitoring the operating temperature of the rechargeable battery; a voltage determiner coupled to the rechargeable battery for measuring the potential level of the rechargeable battery; a one wire interface for outputting the information corresponding to the potential level of the rechargeable battery and the information corresponding to the temperature monitored by the temperature monitor; and a power regulator coupled to the rechargeable battery for supplying regulated power from the rechargeable battery to the temperature monitor and the voltage determiner. The voltage determiner includes an analog to digital converter and utilizes a successive approximation technique to determine and output a digital value corresponding to the potential level of the rechargeable battery.

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Dallas, TX, United States of America

Richard E Downs