# US 12,191,658 B2 · Determining battery depletion for coordinating battery replacement > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,191,658 B2 - Document ID: US12191658B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/074,902 - Filed: 2022-12-05 - Published: 2023-03-30 - Granted: 2025-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 2017-02-06 - Assignees: Itron Networked Solutions, Inc. - Applicants: Itron Networked Solutions, Inc. - Inventors: Bruce Edwards - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12191658B2 ## CPC - H02J 13/1323: {using optical fibres} - G01R 31/367: Software therefor, e.g. for battery testing using modelling or look-up tables - G01R 31/3835: involving only voltage measurements - H01M 6/14: Cells with non-aqueous electrolyte - H01M 10/0525: Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries - H01M 10/44: Methods for charging or discharging (circuits for charging H02J7/00) - H01M 10/48: Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte (constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569) - H01M 10/482: {for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially} - H01M 16/00: Structural combinations of different types of electrochemical generators - H02J 7/342: {The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging (with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/68)} - H02J 7/63: against overdischarge - H02J 7/64: against overvoltage - H02J 13/1331: {using wireless data transmission} - H02J 13/1333: {by means of mobile telephony} - Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks - Y02E 60/00: Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y04S 40/124: using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses - Y04S 40/126: using wireless data transmission - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS ## Abstract A battery-powered node includes a primary cell, a secondary cell, and a battery controller. The battery controller includes a current source that draws power from the primary cell to charge the secondary cell. The battery-powered node draws power from the secondary cell across a wide range of current levels. When the voltage of the secondary cell drops beneath a minimum voltage level, the current source charges the secondary cell at a constant current level and a charging signal is sent to the battery-powered node. When the voltage of the second cell exceeds a maximum voltage level, the current source stops charging the secondary cell and the charging signal is terminated. The battery-powered node records the amount of time the charging signal is active, which can be used to determine a battery depletion level for the primary cell. Battery replacement may then be efficiently scheduled based on the depletion level. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A battery-powered node of a mesh network, the battery-powered node comprising: a first battery; a second battery; and a battery controller; wherein the battery controller is configured to: conduct first electrical energy from the first battery to the second battery at a current level that is independent of a load resistance of the second battery; and determining, by the battery controller based on an amount of time during which the first electrical energy is conducted from the first battery to the second battery, an amount of battery power stored in the first battery. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The battery-powered node of claim 1, wherein the current level is a constant current level. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The battery-powered node of claim 1, wherein: the battery controller comprises a voltage monitor; and in response to the voltage monitor determining that a voltage level associated with the second battery is below a first voltage threshold, the battery controller is configured to conduct the first electrical energy from the first battery to the second battery at the current level. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The battery-powered node of claim 3, wherein: the battery-powered node is configured to draw second electrical energy from the second battery during operation; and the first voltage threshold is associated with an operating voltage of the battery-powered node. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The battery-powered node of claim 3, wherein in response to the voltage monitor determining that the voltage level associated with the second battery is greater than a voltage level threshold, the battery controller is further configured to stop conducting the first electrical energy from the second battery to the first battery. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The battery-powered node of claim 3, wherein in response to the voltage monitor determining that the second battery should not be provided with further electrical energy, the battery controller is configured to electrically isolate the first battery from the second battery. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The battery-powered node of claim 1, wherein the battery controller is further configured to determine, based on the amount of time, a battery-depletion level for the first battery. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The battery-powered node of claim 1, wherein the battery controller is further configured to report, to a server, at least one of the amount of time or information associated with the amount of battery power stored in the first battery. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The battery-powered node of claim 1, wherein the battery controller is further configured to compute, based on the amount of time, an estimated time when the first battery will be depleted. ### Claim 10 A method comprising: conducting, by a battery controller of a battery-powered node in a mesh network, electrical energy from a primary cell to a secondary cell at a current level that is independent of a load resistance of the secondary cell; and transmitting, by the battery controller to a server, an amount of time during which the electrical energy is conducted from the primary cell to the secondary cell, wherein the amount of time is usable by the server to determine an amount of battery power stored in the primary cell. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising conducting, by the battery controller in response to determining that a voltage level associated with the secondary cell is less than a voltage level threshold, the electrical energy from the primary cell to the secondary cell. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein: the battery-powered node draws second electrical energy from the secondary cell, and the voltage level threshold is associated with an operating voltage of the battery-powered node. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: activating, by the battery controller in response to determining that the secondary cell should be provided with electrical energy, a charging signal; and conducting, by the battery controller when the charging signal is activated, the electrical energy from the primary cell to the secondary cell. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising stopping, by the battery controller in response to determining that a voltage level associated with the secondary cell is greater than a voltage level threshold, conducting of further electrical energy from the primary cell to the secondary cell. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: electrically isolating, by the battery controller in response to determining that a first voltage level associated with the secondary cell is greater than a voltage level threshold, the primary cell from the secondary cell, wherein the amount of time includes an amount of time during which the electrical energy is conducted from the primary cell to the secondary cell and does not include an amount of time during which the primary cell is electrically isolated from the secondary cell. ### Claim 16 One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of: recording an amount of time during which electrical energy is conducted from a primary cell to a secondary cell at a current level that is independent of a load resistance of the secondary cell, wherein the amount of time is usable to determine an amount of energy stored in the primary cell. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the steps further comprise determining, based on the amount of time, the amount of energy stored in the primary cell. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the steps further comprise transmitting, to a server, at least one of the amount of time or information associated with the amount of energy stored in the primary cell. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the steps further comprise determining, based on the amount of time, an estimated time when the primary cell will be depleted. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, where the steps further comprise: outputting a charging signal in response to determining that the secondary cell should be charged by the primary cell; wherein a current source is configured to conduct, in response to the charging signal, the electrical energy from the primary cell to the secondary cell.