Electricity: measuring and testing – Electrolyte properties – Using a battery testing device
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-25
2001-05-01
Wong, Peter S. (Department: 2838)
Electricity: measuring and testing
Electrolyte properties
Using a battery testing device
C324S430000, C320S133000, C702S063000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06225808
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to testing storage batteries. More specifically, the present invention relates to maintaining a count in an electronic battery tester.
Storage batteries, such as lead acid storage batteries of the type used in the automotive industry, have existed for many years. However, understanding the nature of such storage batteries, how such storage batteries operate and how to accurately test such batteries has been an ongoing endeavor and has proved quite difficult. Storage batteries consist of a plurality of individual storage cells electrically connected in series. Typically each cell has a voltage potential of about 2.1 volts. By connecting the cells in series, the voltages of the individual cells are added in a cumulative manner. For example, in a typical automotive storage battery, six storage cells are used to provide a total voltage when the battery is fully charged of 12.6 volts.
There has been a long history of attempts to accurately test the condition of storage batteries. A simple test is to measure the voltage of the battery If the voltage is below a certain threshold, the battery is determined to be bad. However, this test is inconvenient because it requires the battery to be charged prior to performing the test. If the battery is discharged, the voltage will be low and a good battery may be incorrectly tested as bad. Furthermore, such a test does not give any indication of how much energy is stored in the battery. Another technique for testing a battery is referred as a load test. In a load test the battery is discharged using a known load. As the battery is discharged, the voltage across the battery is monitored and used to determine the condition of the battery. This technique requires that the battery be sufficiently charged in order that it can supply current to the load.
More recently, a technique has been pioneered by Dr. Keith S. Champlin and Midtronics, Inc. of Burr Ridge, Illinois for testing storage batteries by measuring the conductance of the batteries. This technique is described in a number of United States patents, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,911, issued Mar. 25, 1975, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE; U.S. Pat. No. 3,909,708, issued Sep. 30, 1975. to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE; U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,768, issued Mar. 28, 1989, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE; U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,170, issued Apr. 25, 1989, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE WITH AUTOMATIC VOLTAGE SCALING; U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,038, issued Nov. 14, 1989, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE WITH AUTOMATIC VOLTAGE SCALING TO DETERMINE DYNAMIC CONDUCTANCE; U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,416, issued Mar. 27, 1990, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE WITH STATE-OF-CHARGE COMPENSATION; U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,269, issued Aug. 1, 1992, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC TESTER FOR ASSESSING BATTERY/CELL CAPACITY; U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,380, issued Aug. 30, 1994, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPRESSING TIME VARYING SIGNALS IN BATTERIES UNDERGOING CHARGING OR DISCHARGING; U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,136, issued Nov. 5, 1996, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH AUTOMATIC COMPENSATION FOR LOW STATE-OF-CHARGE; U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,355, issued Nov. 12, 1996, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTION AND CONTROL OF THERMAL RUNAWAY IN A BATTERY UNDER CHARGE; U.S. Pat. No. 5,585,728, issued Dec. 17, 1996, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH AUTOMATIC COMPENSATION FOR LOW STATE-OF-CHARGE; U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,093, issued Jan. 7, 1997, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE LOOSE TERMINAL CONNECTION DETECTION VIA A COMPARISON CIRCUIT; U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,098, issued Jan. 28, 1997, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH VERY HIGH NOISE IMMUNITY; U.S. Pat. No. 5,757,192, issued May. 26, 1998, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING A BAD CELL IN A STORAGE BATTERY; U.S. Pat. No. 5,821,756, issued Oct. 13, 1998, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH TAILORED COMPENSATION FOR LOW STATE-OF-CHARGE; U.S. Pat. No. 5,831,435, issued Nov. 3, 1998, entitled BATTERY TESTER FOR JIS STANDARD; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,914,605, issued Jun. 22, 1999, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER.
As battery test results have become more accurate, and the repeatability of those results has increased, a new problem has arisen in certain testing situations. In some testing facilities, service personnel are failing to use battery testers when appropriate. For example, if a customer brings a bad battery to a service department, a service personnel may simply replace the battery without actually performing a battery test to determine that the failure is with the battery and not with the battery charging system. This can be particularly problematic for battery manufacturers, battery distributors, and automobile companies who offer warranties with their batteries.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An apparatus for testing a storage battery includes battery test circuitry configured to perform a battery test on the storage battery. The battery test circuitry responsively provides a test result output related to a condition of the storage battery. A test count memory is configured to store a test count. Test counter circuitry is coupled to the battery test circuitry and test count memory and is to increment the test count in response to an occurrence of a battery test performed by the battery test circuitry. A test count display is configured to display the test count stored in the test count memory. In another aspect, a count is maintained for “good” or “replace” outputs. This allows the total number of batteries tested, and the total number of tests in which a battery was “good” or “bad” to be maintained.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2514745 (1950-07-01), Dalzell
patent: 3356936 (1967-12-01), Smith
patent: 3562634 (1971-02-01), Latner
patent: 3593099 (1971-07-01), Scholl
patent: 3607673 (1971-09-01), Seyl
patent: 3676770 (1972-07-01), Sharaf et al.
patent: 3729989 (1973-05-01), Little
patent: 3753094 (1973-08-01), Furuishi et al.
patent: 3808522 (1974-04-01), Sharaf
patent: 3811089 (1974-05-01), Strezelewicz
patent: 3873911 (1975-03-01), Champlin
patent: 3886443 (1975-05-01), Miyakawa et al.
patent: 3889248 (1975-06-01), Ritter
patent: 3906329 (1975-09-01), Bader
patent: 3909708 (1975-09-01), Champlin
patent: 3936744 (1976-02-01), Perlmutter
patent: 3946299 (1976-03-01), Christianson et al.
patent: 3947757 (1976-03-01), Grube et al.
patent: 3969667 (1976-07-01), McWilliams
patent: 3979664 (1976-09-01), Harris
patent: 3984762 (1976-10-01), Dowgiallo, Jr.
patent: 3984768 (1976-10-01), Staples
patent: 3989544 (1976-11-01), Santo
patent: 4008619 (1977-02-01), Alcaide et al.
patent: 4053824 (1977-10-01), Dupuis et al.
patent: 4070624 (1978-01-01), Taylor
patent: 4086531 (1978-04-01), Bernier
patent: 4112351 (1978-09-01), Back et al.
patent: 4114083 (1978-09-01), Benham et al.
patent: 4126874 (1978-11-01), Suzuki et al.
patent: 4178546 (1979-12-01), Hulls et al.
patent: 4193025 (1980-03-01), Frailing et al.
patent: 4207611 (1980-06-01), Gordon
patent: 4315204 (1982-02-01), Sievers et al.
patent: 4316185 (1982-02-01), Watrous et al.
patent: 4322685 (1982-03-01), Frailing et al.
patent: 4363407 (1982-12-01), Barkler et al.
patent: 4369407 (1983-01-01), Korbell
patent: 4379990 (1983-04-01), Sievers et al.
patent: 4390828 (1983-06-01), Converse et al.
patent: 4392101 (1983-07-01), Saar et al.
patent: 4396880 (1983-08-01), Windebank
patent: 4408157 (1983-10-01), Beaubien
patent: 4412169 (1983-10-01), Dell'Orto
patent: 4423378 (1983-12-01), Marino et al.
patent: 4423379 (1983-12-01), Jacobs et al.
patent: 4424491 (1984-01-01), Bobbett et al.
patent: 4459548 (1984-07-01), Lentz et al.
patent: 4514694 (1985-04-01), Finger
patent: 4520353 (1985-05-01), McAuliffe
patent: 4667279 (1987-05-01), Maier
patent: 4678998 (1987-07-01), Muramatsu
patent: 4679000 (1987-07-01), Clark
patent: 4697134 (1987-09-01), Burkum et al.
patent: 4707795 (1987-11-01), Alber et al.
patent: 4709202 (1987-11-01), K
Cable Michael R.
Lewis David J.
Troy Michael E.
Varghese Philip
Midtronics Inc.
Toatley , Jr. Gregory J.
Westman Champlin & Kelly P.A.
Wong Peter S.
LandOfFree
Test counter for electronic battery tester does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Test counter for electronic battery tester, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Test counter for electronic battery tester will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2486772