Battery management system

A battery management system comprising:

• a computing device with an output data request port, an input data port and an analog-to-digital convertor that measures a voltage across a first and a second battery unit;
• a first battery unit monitoring module coupled with a first battery unit and comprising:
• a first input data request port connected to said output data request port of said computing device,
• a first output data port connected to the input data port of said computing device, and
• a second output data request port;
• and
• as second battery unit monitoring module coupled with as second battery unit and comprising:
• a single input data request port consisting of a second input data request port connected to the second output data request port of the first battery unit monitoring module therein defining a module connection between said first battery unit monitoring module and said second battery unit monitoring module;
• and
• a second data port connect to the input data port of said computing device;
• wherein the first battery unit monitoring is a master to said second battery unit monitoring module and the second battery unit monitoring module is a slave to the first battery unit monitoring module,
• wherein the first battery unit monitoring module responds to a data request signal from the output data request port of the computing device by transmitting data of the first battery unit to the input data port of the computing device and subsequently transmit a data request signal to the second battery unit monitoring module through said second output data request port;
• wherein the second battery unit monitoring module responds to the data request from the second output data request port of the first battery unit monitoring module by transmitting data of the second battery unit to the input data port of the computing device;
• wherein the computing device receives data from the first and second battery unit monitoring modules sequentially after sending a single data request signal to only the first battery unit monitoring module;
• and
• wherein the computing device receives data from the second battery unit monitoring module automatically after receiving data from the first battery unit monitoring module;
• and
• whereby the computing device is configured to shut off a battery charger when the computing device detects a high voltage condition from the first battery unit or the second battery unit.

A method of managing a battery comprising the steps of:

• providing a battery management system comprising:
• a computing device comprising:
• an output data request port;
• and
• an input data port;
• a first battery unit monitoring module coupled with a first battery unit and comprising:
• an input data request port connected to the output data request port of the computing device;
• and
• an output data request port;
• an output data port connected to the input data port of the computing device;
• and
• a second battery unit monitoring module coupled with a second battery unit and comprising:
• a single input data request port connected only to the output data request port of the first battery unit monitoring module, therein defining a module connection between said first battery unit monitoring module and said second battery unit monitoring module;
• an output data port connected to the input data port of the computing device;
• wherein the first battery unit monitoring is a master to said second battery unit monitoring module and the second battery unit monitoring module is a slave to the first battery unit monitoring module,
• wherein the first battery unit monitoring module responds to a data request signal from the output data request port of the computing device by transmitting data of the first battery unit to the input data port of the computing device and subsequently transmits a data request to the second battery unit monitoring module through said module connection;
• and
• wherein the second battery unit monitoring module responds to the data request from the output data request port the first battery unit monitoring module by transmitting data of the second battery unit to the input data port of the computing device;
• transmitting, by the computing device, a first data request signal to the first battery unit monitoring module;
• transmitting, by the first battery unit monitoring module, data of the first battery unit to the input data poet of the computing device in response to the first data request signal;
• transmitting, by the first battery unit monitoring module, a second data request signal to the second battery unit monitoring module through the module connection between said first battery unit monitoring module and said second battery unit monitoring module, and
• transmitting, by the second battery unit monitoring module, data of the second battery unit to the input data port of the computing device in response to the second data request signal;
• wherein the computing device receives data from the first and second battery unit monitoring modules sequentially after sending a single data request signal to only the first battery unit monitoring module.