Apparatus and method for protecting a battery from overdischarge
AssigneeMidtronics, Inc.
InventorKevin I. Bertness
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A battery discharge indicator for protecting a storage battery is provided. The battery discharge indicator includes a positive connector that can couple to a positive terminal of the battery and a negative connector that can couple to a negative terminal of the battery. Also included, is a voltage sensor that couples to the battery via the positive connector and the negative connector and senses a battery terminal voltage. A microprocessor, coupled to the voltage sensor, provides a first alarm signal if a magnitude of the battery terminal voltage is below a first threshold for a first interval of time and if the magnitude of the battery terminal voltage is below a second threshold for a second interval of time.
Claims20
A battery discharge indicator, comprising:
- a positive connector configured to couple to a positive terminal of the battery;
- a negative connector configured to couple to a negative terminal of the battery;
- a voltage sensor configured to couple to the battery via the positive connector and the negative connector and to sense a battery terminal voltage;
- and
- a microprocessor, coupled to the voltage sensor, configured to provide, substantially independently of a load being applied to the battery, a first alarm signal if a magnitude of the battery terminal voltage is below a first threshold voltage level for a first time interval and if the magnitude of the battery terminal voltage is below a second threshold voltage level for a second time interval.
A method of protecting a vehicle battery from overdischarge, comprising:
- (a) sensing a battery voltage;
- (b) providing a first alarm signal if a magnitude of the battery voltage is below a first threshold voltage level for a first interval of time;
- and
- (c) providing the first alarm signal if the magnitude of the battery voltage is below a second threshold voltage level for a second interval of time,
- wherein steps (b) and (c) are carried out substantially independently of a load being applied to the battery.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.