GB1562717A - Electronic charge indicator for a battery - Google Patents

Electronic charge indicator for a battery Download PDF

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Publication number
GB1562717A
GB1562717A GB50898/76A GB5089876A GB1562717A GB 1562717 A GB1562717 A GB 1562717A GB 50898/76 A GB50898/76 A GB 50898/76A GB 5089876 A GB5089876 A GB 5089876A GB 1562717 A GB1562717 A GB 1562717A
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United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
voltage
state
battery
comparator
output
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
GB50898/76A
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Automobiles Citroen SA
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Automobiles Citroen SA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Automobiles Citroen SA filed Critical Automobiles Citroen SA
Publication of GB1562717A publication Critical patent/GB1562717A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01RMEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
    • G01R19/00Arrangements for measuring currents or voltages or for indicating presence or sign thereof
    • G01R19/165Indicating that current or voltage is either above or below a predetermined value or within or outside a predetermined range of values
    • G01R19/16533Indicating that current or voltage is either above or below a predetermined value or within or outside a predetermined range of values characterised by the application
    • G01R19/16538Indicating that current or voltage is either above or below a predetermined value or within or outside a predetermined range of values characterised by the application in AC or DC supplies
    • G01R19/16542Indicating that current or voltage is either above or below a predetermined value or within or outside a predetermined range of values characterised by the application in AC or DC supplies for batteries
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01MPROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M10/00Secondary cells; Manufacture thereof
    • H01M10/42Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells
    • H01M10/48Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte
    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01RMEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
    • G01R31/00Arrangements for testing electric properties; Arrangements for locating electric faults; Arrangements for electrical testing characterised by what is being tested not provided for elsewhere
    • G01R31/36Arrangements for testing, measuring or monitoring the electrical condition of accumulators or electric batteries, e.g. capacity or state of charge [SoC]
    • G01R31/3644Constructional arrangements
    • G01R31/3646Constructional arrangements for indicating electrical conditions or variables, e.g. visual or audible indicators
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02EREDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E60/00Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
    • Y02E60/10Energy storage using batteries

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Electrochemistry (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Measurement Of Current Or Voltage (AREA)
  • Lighting Device Outwards From Vehicle And Optical Signal (AREA)
  • Charge And Discharge Circuits For Batteries Or The Like (AREA)
  • Secondary Cells (AREA)

Description

(54) AN ELECTRONIC CHARGE INDICATOR FOR A BATTERY (71) We, SOCIETE ANONYME AUTOMOBILES CITROEN, a French Body Corporate of 117-167, Quai André Citroin 75747 Paris Cedex 15, France, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to electronic charge indicators for batteries.
Automotive vehicles are generally provided with a thermal voltmeter of which the scale is divided into three zones, of different colours, and which indicate the voltage at the terminal of the battery, each of the zones corresponding respectively to a state of inadequate charge, a normal charge state and an excessive charge state.
However, the displacement of the needle over the scale does not sufficiently attract attention of the driver and it often occurs that the latter does not take into account an anomalous charge of the battery, which gives rise to a deterioration of the latter.
In order to overcome this difficulty, electronic threshold devices have been proposed which provide for lighting up or the extinction of one or more luminous signals, in the case of an anomalous charge of the battery; those that have been proposed up to the present time, comprise two thresholds, namely a low threshold corresponding to an insufficient charge and a high threshold corresponding to an excess charge. But as the low threshold must have a value sufficiently high to protect effectively the battery against an insufficient charge, It sometimes happens that this threshold is reached at slow speed when the number of electrical consuming devices is high. An alarm signal is then given to the driver and this alarm signal is inopportune since the voltage at the terminals of the battery will immediately reassume a normal value when the driver accelerates.
According to the present invention there is provided an electronic charge indicator for a battery, the indicator comprising signal light means having a first state indicative of a normal state of charge of the battery and a second stage indicative of an abnormal battery charge state, and circuit means responsive to the voltage across said battery to set said signal light means into its second state when the battery voltage is lower than a predetermined low threshold or in excess of a predetermined high threshold and into its first state when the battery voltage is intermediate said thresholds, said circuit means being so arranged that the value of the low threshold is lower when the battery voltage approaches this threshold from above than when the battery voltage approaches from below.
For increasing battery voltage, the low threshold has, for example, a value V,. The fact that this value is reached causes for example the extinction of a signal lamp forming the signal light means and, at the same time, the reduction of the threshold to a value V2. As a result, if the battery voltage ultimately falls, the signal lamp will only light again when the value of this voltage becomes lower than V2, itself lower than V, In this case when the battery of the vehicle is being charged, inopportune illumination of the signal lamp is thus avoided when the engine turns at slow speed and when the driver, for example, flashes headlights.
The indicator preferably comprises a comparator connected to the battery and a reference voltage source, and means controlled by the voltage at the output of the comparator in order to modify the value of the voltage compared to the voltage of the battery. This comparator is, for example, a logic comparator.
The said means controlled by the voltage at the output of the comparator can advantageously be constituted by a feed back resistance which supplies a current which opposes that produced by the reference voltage source.
The reference voltage can be supplied by a Zener diode the firing voltage of which is equal to the value of the low threshold for rising battery voltage.
An electronic charge indicator embodying the invention will now be particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a circuit diagram of the charge indicator; Figure 2 is a diagram indicating the output state of a comparator la of the indicator according to the value of the battery charge voltage; and Figure 3 shows the state of a signal lamp of the indicator depending upon the value of the voltage of the battery.
As is illustrated in Figure 1, the electronic charge indicator comprises a logic comparator la one input of which is connected to the positive pole of the battery 2 of a vehicle through a resistance 3a whilst its other input is connected to earth through a resistance 4a and a Zener diode Sa; the resistance 3a and 4a have substantially the same value, of the order of several tens of thousands of ohms. The two inputs of the comparator la are, moreover, connected to one another through a resistance 6a of which the value is low, of several ohms. The output of the comparator la is connected back to its second input through a feed-back resistance 7, of high value, of the order of one hundred million ohms.
When the alternator of the vehicle commences to charge the battery 2 and the voltage of this battery is lower than the striking voltage of the Zener diode 5a, the two applied voltages at the inputs of the comparator la are equal, assuming the low value of the resistance 6a of which the role is simply to limit the current in the Zener diode 5a when the latter is conducting. The output of the comparator is in the 0 state (Figure 2).
When the voltage of the battery 2, which increases with time, reaches the value V, corresponding to the striking voltage of the Zener diode 5a, the latter becomes conducting. Starting from this instant, if the voltage of the battery 2 continues to increase, the voltage at the first input of the comparator continues to rise whereas the voltage at the second input is limited due to the fact that the voltage at the junction of resistances 4a and 6a maintains the value V,; as a result, the comparator output changes to state 1.
The comparator 1 a being in the state 1, its output supplies to its second input, through the intermediary of the. resistance 7, a current which is taken away from that which is supplied through the resistance 4a. The voltage at this second input reduces sharply, which locks the comparator in the state 1.
A subsequent decrease in the voltage of the battery 2 will result in the comparator returning to the state 0 at a voltage V2 which is lower than V,, because of the feed-back effect of the resistance 7. The difference between the voltages V, and V2 becomes the greater, the lower the ratio of the resistances 7 and 4a.
The charge indicator further comprises a second logic comparator lb the inputs of which are connected to the battery through resistances 3b, 4b and 6b connected as resistances 3a, 4a and Sa, and to ground through a Zener diode Sb which has a striking voltage V3 greater than V,. The output of the comparator ib is 0 when the battery voltage is lower or equal to V3 and passes to the state I when this voltage becomes higher than V3.
The output of the comparator ib is connected to an inverter 8. The output of this inverter and that of the comparator la are connected to inputs of an AND circuit 9 whose output controls a signal lamp 10 which serves as a two-state signal light means. The signal lamp 10 is arranged to be in an extinguished state when the output of the circuit 9 is in the state 1 and in an illuminated state when the output of the circuit 9 is in the state 0.
The operation of the charge indicator will now be described with reference to Figure 3.
When the voltage at the terminals of the battery 2 is less than V,, the outputs of the comparator la and ib are both in the state e so that the one input of the circuit 9 is in the 0 state while the other input is in the state 1; the output of this circuit is thus at the 0 state and the signal lamp 10 is illuminated.
When the voltage of the battery becomes greater than V,, the two inputs of the circuit 9 are both in the state 1 and the signal lamp 10 is extinguished.
When the voltage of the battery, continuing to increase, reaches the value V3, the output of the inverter 8 passes to the 0 state; as a result the output of the circuit 9 also charges to the 0 state and the signal lamp 10 is illuminated.
Upon the voltage of the battery 2 decreasing below V3, the signal lamp 10 is again extinguished. When the battery decreases to the value V1, the output of the comparator la will remain in the 1 state, as was indicated hereinbefore, and the signal lamp 10 remains extinguished.
Finally, when the battery voltage 2, continuing to decrease, reaches the value V2, the output of the comparator la returns to the 0 state; the two inputs of the circuit 9 are again one in the 0 state and the other in the 1 state so that its output passes to the 0 state and the signal lamp 10 is again illuminated.
WHAT WE CLAIM IS: l. An electronic charge indicator for a battery, the indicator comprising signal light
**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (6)

  1. **WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.
    An electronic charge indicator embodying the invention will now be particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a circuit diagram of the charge indicator; Figure 2 is a diagram indicating the output state of a comparator la of the indicator according to the value of the battery charge voltage; and Figure 3 shows the state of a signal lamp of the indicator depending upon the value of the voltage of the battery.
    As is illustrated in Figure 1, the electronic charge indicator comprises a logic comparator la one input of which is connected to the positive pole of the battery 2 of a vehicle through a resistance 3a whilst its other input is connected to earth through a resistance 4a and a Zener diode Sa; the resistance 3a and 4a have substantially the same value, of the order of several tens of thousands of ohms. The two inputs of the comparator la are, moreover, connected to one another through a resistance 6a of which the value is low, of several ohms. The output of the comparator la is connected back to its second input through a feed-back resistance 7, of high value, of the order of one hundred million ohms.
    When the alternator of the vehicle commences to charge the battery 2 and the voltage of this battery is lower than the striking voltage of the Zener diode 5a, the two applied voltages at the inputs of the comparator la are equal, assuming the low value of the resistance 6a of which the role is simply to limit the current in the Zener diode 5a when the latter is conducting. The output of the comparator is in the 0 state (Figure 2).
    When the voltage of the battery 2, which increases with time, reaches the value V, corresponding to the striking voltage of the Zener diode 5a, the latter becomes conducting. Starting from this instant, if the voltage of the battery 2 continues to increase, the voltage at the first input of the comparator continues to rise whereas the voltage at the second input is limited due to the fact that the voltage at the junction of resistances 4a and 6a maintains the value V,; as a result, the comparator output changes to state 1.
    The comparator 1 a being in the state 1, its output supplies to its second input, through the intermediary of the. resistance 7, a current which is taken away from that which is supplied through the resistance 4a. The voltage at this second input reduces sharply, which locks the comparator in the state 1.
    A subsequent decrease in the voltage of the battery 2 will result in the comparator returning to the state 0 at a voltage V2 which is lower than V,, because of the feed-back effect of the resistance 7. The difference between the voltages V, and V2 becomes the greater, the lower the ratio of the resistances 7 and 4a.
    The charge indicator further comprises a second logic comparator lb the inputs of which are connected to the battery through resistances 3b, 4b and 6b connected as resistances 3a, 4a and Sa, and to ground through a Zener diode Sb which has a striking voltage V3 greater than V,. The output of the comparator ib is 0 when the battery voltage is lower or equal to V3 and passes to the state I when this voltage becomes higher than V3.
    The output of the comparator ib is connected to an inverter 8. The output of this inverter and that of the comparator la are connected to inputs of an AND circuit 9 whose output controls a signal lamp 10 which serves as a two-state signal light means. The signal lamp 10 is arranged to be in an extinguished state when the output of the circuit 9 is in the state 1 and in an illuminated state when the output of the circuit 9 is in the state 0.
    The operation of the charge indicator will now be described with reference to Figure 3.
    When the voltage at the terminals of the battery 2 is less than V,, the outputs of the comparator la and ib are both in the state e so that the one input of the circuit 9 is in the 0 state while the other input is in the state 1; the output of this circuit is thus at the 0 state and the signal lamp 10 is illuminated.
    When the voltage of the battery becomes greater than V,, the two inputs of the circuit 9 are both in the state 1 and the signal lamp
    10 is extinguished.
    When the voltage of the battery, continuing to increase, reaches the value V3, the output of the inverter 8 passes to the 0 state; as a result the output of the circuit 9 also charges to the 0 state and the signal lamp 10 is illuminated.
    Upon the voltage of the battery 2 decreasing below V3, the signal lamp 10 is again extinguished. When the battery decreases to the value V1, the output of the comparator la will remain in the 1 state, as was indicated hereinbefore, and the signal lamp 10 remains extinguished.
    Finally, when the battery voltage 2, continuing to decrease, reaches the value V2, the output of the comparator la returns to the 0 state; the two inputs of the circuit 9 are again one in the 0 state and the other in the 1 state so that its output passes to the 0 state and the signal lamp 10 is again illuminated.
    WHAT WE CLAIM IS: l. An electronic charge indicator for a battery, the indicator comprising signal light
    means having a first state indicative of a normal state of charge of the battery and a second state indicative of an abnormal battery charge state, and circuit means responsive to the voltage across said battery to set said signal light means into its second state when the battery voltage is lower than a predetermined low threshold or in excess of a predetermined high threshold and into its first state when the battery voltage is intermediate said thresholds, said circuit means being so arranged that the value of the low threshold is lower when the battery voltage approaches this threshold from above than when the battery voltage approaches from below.
  2. 2. An indicator according to claim 1, in which said circuit means comprises a comparator connected to the battery and a reference voltage source, and means controlled by the voltage at the output of the comparator to modify the value of the compared voltage to the voltage of the battery.
  3. 3. An indicator according to claim 2, in which the comparator is a logic comparator.
  4. 4. An indicator according to claim 2, in which the said means controlled by the voltage at the output of the comparator is constituted by a feed back resistance which supplies a current which just balances that produced by the reference voltage source.
  5. 5. An indicator according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the reference voltage is provided by a Zener diode the striking voltage of which is that of the low threshold when the battery voltage approaches from below.
  6. 6. An electronic charge indicator for a battery substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
GB50898/76A 1975-12-12 1976-12-07 Electronic charge indicator for a battery Expired GB1562717A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR7538768A FR2335063A1 (en) 1975-12-12 1975-12-12 THREE-LEVEL ELECTRONIC CHARGE INDICATOR, ESPECIALLY FOR MOTOR VEHICLE BATTERY

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB1562717A true GB1562717A (en) 1980-03-12

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ID=9163880

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB50898/76A Expired GB1562717A (en) 1975-12-12 1976-12-07 Electronic charge indicator for a battery

Country Status (5)

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DE (1) DE2656148A1 (en)
ES (1) ES453250A1 (en)
FR (1) FR2335063A1 (en)
GB (1) GB1562717A (en)
IT (1) IT1072212B (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2296777A (en) * 1994-11-19 1996-07-10 Raymond Ian Hart Battery charge condition monitor
US10340558B2 (en) 2015-02-18 2019-07-02 Audi Ag Battery cell with monitoring device, and corresponding operating method

Families Citing this family (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS54175528U (en) * 1978-05-31 1979-12-11
CH628148A5 (en) * 1979-01-03 1982-02-15 Gilardoni Angelo CONTROL CIRCUIT OF THE CHARGE STATE OF A BATTERY IN A LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR BICYCLES AND MOTOR VEHICLES.
DE3235349A1 (en) * 1982-09-24 1984-03-29 Manfred 8950 Kaufbeuren Trautmann Circuit arrangement in a car battery connected to a dynamo
US4607227A (en) * 1984-01-20 1986-08-19 Ford Motor Company Open circuit voltage test device
KR100238529B1 (en) 1997-12-16 2000-01-15 윤종용 Method for displaying battery voltage in tdma cordless telephone
DE10319157A1 (en) * 2003-04-29 2004-11-25 Infineon Technologies Ag Monitoring method for the burn-in voltage during an integrated circuit burn-in process, whereby a voltage representative of the internal burn-in voltage is compared with a reference value and a corresponding signal output

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2296777A (en) * 1994-11-19 1996-07-10 Raymond Ian Hart Battery charge condition monitor
US10340558B2 (en) 2015-02-18 2019-07-02 Audi Ag Battery cell with monitoring device, and corresponding operating method

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2335063A1 (en) 1977-07-08
FR2335063B1 (en) 1981-03-06
ES453250A1 (en) 1977-11-16
DE2656148A1 (en) 1977-06-23
IT1072212B (en) 1985-04-10

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PS Patent sealed [section 19, patents act 1949]
746 Register noted 'licences of right' (sect. 46/1977)
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee