WO2014013314A2

WO2014013314A2 - Equipment and method for remote monitoring, diagnostics and maintenance of batteries

Info

Publication number: WO2014013314A2
Application number: PCT/IB2013/001542
Authority: WO
Inventors: Angelo Matteo PERTOSA
Original assignee: Sitael S.P.A.
Priority date: 2012-07-17
Filing date: 2013-07-16
Publication date: 2014-01-23
Also published as: ITFI20120149A1; WO2014013314A3

Abstract

The present invention concerns an equipment and a method to monitor, diagnose and maintain batteries, in particular it concerns an equipment and a method to monitor, diagnose and maintain batteries used to supply power to electric motors used for vehicles' drive.

Description

EQUIPMENT AND METHOD FOR REMOTE MONITORING, DIAGNOSTICS AND MAINTENANCE OF BATTERIES

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to the technical field of the methods and equipment used to monitor and control batteries.

PRIOR STATE OF THE ART

The systems used to monitor, diagnose and maintain batteries according to the present state of the art are not capable of operating from a remote position. As a matter of fact, with the systems available so far the user shall go to the battery supplier or to an assistance center, where an operator will diagnose the misoperating battering by using an appropriate set of instruments. Add to this that, in most cases, the battery status monitoring means that are offered to the user are just the presence of a visual indicator, through which any abnormalities are reported.

Therefore, the need clearly arises for realizing a system that allows to monitor and diagnose a battery from a remote position, without obliging the user to physically go to an assistance center.

The remote battery monitoring and diagnostic system according to the present invention takes advantage of the Internet network arid the so-called cloud computing to make it possible a continuous and constant monitoring of the battery, by supplying the user with information on the status of the battery and instructions or tips on how to extend its life time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Figure l shows a flowchart of the first control cycle of the method, according to the present invention, suitable for monitoring and controlling the battery of the means of transport. Figure 2 shows the flowchart of the second control cycle of the method, according to the present invention, suitable for monitoring and controlling the battery of the means of transport.

Figure 3 shows the flowchart of the third control cycle of the method, according to the present invention, suitable for monitoring and controlling the battery of the means of transport.

Figure 4 shows a flowchart of the first control cycle of the method, according to the present invention, suitable for providing an assisted support to the user of the means of transport.

Figure 5 shows a flowchart of the second control cycle of the method, according to the present invention, suitable for providing assisted support to the user of the means of transport.

Figure 6 shows a block diagram of the remote battery monitoring, diagnostic, and maintenance equipment according to the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns an equipment and a method to monitor, diagnose, and maintain batteries. In particular, the present invention can be advantageously used to monitor, diagnose, and maintain batteries used to supply power to electric motors used for vehicles' drive.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns the remote assistance of battery users. In particular, the present invention can be advantageously used for the remote assistance of means of transport, for instance bicycles and motorcycles, that use electric motors receiving power from a battery. Said power supply batteries usually represent a critical component of the system and possibly need frequent diagnostic and maintenance activities by expert technicians.

The main objective of the present invention is to realize an equipment and a method to remotely monitor, diagnose, and maintain batteries, capable of supplying the user with information on the status of the battery and tips on operations that might be performed by the user, so as to prevent or postpone a direct assistance operation by technicians expert on batteries.

Figure 6 attached hereto shows a functional block diagram of the equipment according to the present invention.

The present invention comprises the use of a first electronic device 6o, associated with a battery which supplies power, for instance, to the electric motor of the means of transport, said first electronic device 60 being suitable for measuring the operating parameters of said battery and computing at least its residual charge.

Said first electronic device 6o preferably comprises a microprocessor-based control and processing module and at least one parametric sensor suitable for determining at least one operating parameter of the battery. Said first electronic device 6o also comprises means to measure environmental parameters - for instance temperature sensors, humidity sensors, accelerometers, etc. -, a non volatile memory where to store the battery-related parameters measured at given intervals of time, and appropriate communication means capable of connecting said first electronic device 6o, in a wired or wireless manner, to a second remote electronic device 6i, suitable for interacting with said first electronic device 6o. Said second electronic device 6i, associated with the battery, also comprises a microprocessor-based control and processing module associated with means for establishing a mobile connection to the Internet network, with geo-positioning means 64 (for instance, a Global Positioning System (GPS) module) and with user interface means, including at least one display suitable for displaying the computed data and tips processed for the user of the means of transport, and an input device, for instance a keyboard or a touch screen.

The equipment according to the present invention also comprises an application server 62 connected to the Internet network and associated with a remote database 63, where the data relevant to the parameters of the battery controlled by the equipment according to the present invention, is stored.

Said application server 62 communicates with said second electronic device 61 in such a way as to read the battery-related data and the environmental parameters measured - in turn communicated to said second electronic device 61 by said first electronic device 60 - and to send information and data usable by the user.

In more detail, said application server 62 runs a software application specifically developed for this purpose to perform the following activities, which will be described in detail later in the present patent application:

e logging the data relevant to the functional parameters of the battery

• optimizing the battery consumption diagram

• analyzing the route

• computing the impact of the environmental parameters

· comparing the warning messages sent to the user with historical data

• refining the rules followed to produce tips for the user

• managing the assistance tickets

The following data is stored in the remote database 63:

• battery's functional parameters

· environmental parameters

• warnings • assistance tickets

The equipment according to the present invention is suitable for supplying the user of the battery that said equipment is associated with, with a number of tips suitable for guiding said user in the solution of minor problems and is also suitable for managing a remote assistance process, through which the battery supplier can support the user of the means of transport.

Said tips, whose production will be dealt with in details later, are generated as follows:

The status of the battery is periodically read out through the electronic device 6o. If warning messages not jeopardizing the normal use of the battery are found, then the electronic device 6i asks the application server 62 to compare the present warning with a historical file and, depending on the outcome of this comparison, a tip is selected and given to the user to optimize the life time of the battery. This tip is sent by the server to the electronic device 61, which outputs it on the user's display. A typical tip, relevant to the context of electric vehicles, might be that of reducing the vehicle's speed, should the system detect a non- critical increase of the temperature in the batteries set.

Said remote assistance process, which will be dealt with in detail later, takes place as follows:

The status of the battery is periodically read out through the first electronic device 60. If there are warnings that jeopardize the use of the battery or cannot be solved by the user because of their nature, then the second electronic device 61 asks the first device 60 to switch off the battery, to prevent further damages, then it saves the functional parameters thereof on a log and gets in contacts with the application server 62 to open an assistance ticket. The information necessary to identify the battery (serial number, manufacturer, etc.) and the functional parameters log are attached to this ticket. Assistance tips, drawn starting from data taken from a knowledge base trained on the basis of the tickets historical database, are added to this information. The tickets so opened are taken over by the assistance staff, who has the battery's functional parameters log as well as the system tips at his disposal. From this moment on, ticket management is committed to a remote operator. Once the problem is corrected, a remote assistance operator can update the ticket status from open to solved, and this status modification is displayed on the second electronic device 6i. Should a user's feedback be required, this one can also be requested via the second electronic device 6i.

The system according to the present invention operates in such a way as to read the information relevant to the route one plans to follow with his own battery- powered vehicle and to provide an estimate of the consumptions and residual autonomy of the battery accordingly, by reading the data stored in a remote server associated with a database containing the consumption-related data according to the trend of the environmental parameters and of the statistical average values. Said route-related information being communicated to the system by the user, who shall enter it on said second electronic device 6l.

The system also informs the user about the battery status, and provides operating tips to optimize the battery's duration and to update the diagram and data contained in the database associated with the remote server. Finally, the system according to the present invention provides a remote assistance to the user in emergency statuses in which the battery becomes faulty or experiences an operation that is a sign of a fault situation. The actions performed in emergency statuses will also be decided on the basis of the data stored in said database and the contents of said database will in turn be updated on the basis of the outcomes of the actions carried out in the emergency situation. The system according to the present invention is also capable of supplying the technical assistance supplier with a historical database relevant to the specific model involved in the assistance and the log of the life cycle of the battery under examination, so as to make the assistance operations easier and the service rendered faster and more effective.

The first part of the method according to the present invention, suitable for monitoring and controlling the battery of the means of transport and determining, among the other parameters, its residual autonomy, is based on a triple control cycle:

The first cycle, as shown in Figure l, deals with the detection, at constant intervals, of the statuses of the battery and of the sensors associated therewith, the information thus obtained being stored in the memory of the second electronic device 6i associated with said battery 65.

More specifically, at the start of the cycle a check 10 is made for the availability of a link between said first electronic device 60 and said second electronic device 61 and, should this check be unsuccessful, the availability of a connection is waited for through a waiting cycle, then a read out 11 is made of said at least one parametric sensor and an update 12 is made in the register (or log) stored in said second electronic device 61. Following said log update, the cycle is set to a "sleep" mode 13, i.e. waiting for the following read out cycle.

The second cycle, as shown in Figure 2, analyzes, at time intervals longer than those of the previous control cycle, the data accumulated and, after comparing it with the environmental data relevant to the route being followed by the means, with the historical data and with an experimentally estimated consumption diagram (one each for every type of battery and/or vehicle), and calculates the residual autonomy of the battery in real time. A connection to Internet is necessary to access the historical database. More specifically, a check 20 is made to see whether an active data connection is there and, if this check is successful, the system determines 21 the route the user is going to follow or is already following, by reading the data entered by the user in said second electronic device 61 (if no data has been entered by the user, then the system automatically assumes a 300 mt long section in the currently followed direction), a measurement 22 is made of the environmental parameters and an estimate 23 is made of the expected consumptions by reading the environmental diagram and the sensors' measurements log.

Said environmental diagram is a diagram that relates the energy consumption with the parameters of the surrounding environment, for instance the slope, the traffic, the asphalt's status, and so on. Said environmental diagram is processed by a software specifically developed for this purpose and running on said application server 62 on the basis of the log of the parameters coming from the first electronic device 60.

An estimate of the residual autonomy of the battery, hence of the distance that can be covered, can be made in two different ways:

If a data link is available, then the environmental diagram received from said application server 62 is used. The first step consists of identifying that point of the diagram which corresponds to the current values of the environmental parameters read, to which a given energy consumption will correspond. The distance that it is still possible to cover is determined by computing the residual charge 24 and the consumption.

If no data link is available, use is made of a diagram that provides the consumptions on the basis of the average values in the middle term. That point of the diagram which corresponds to the current speed of the vehicle is identified, which the estimate 25 of a given energy consumption will correspond to. The residual distance that is possible to cover is determined on the basis of the residual charge.

The third cycle, shown in Figure 3, is suitable for synchronizing 31 - after checking 30 the presence of a data link - the log file present in said second electronic device 61 to said remote application server 62, where a timed-out data mining process updates said remote database 63, associated with said application server 62, which stores the historical data on the use of the battery made by the user.

This way, thanks to the new received data, the application is in a position to compute a new and optimized version of the consumptions diagram 32, a diagram that, after being received, is transmitted 33 to said second electronic device 61.

The second part of the method according to the present invention, suitable for providing an assisted support to the user of the means of transport, is based on a double control cycle:

The first cycle, shown in the Figure 4 attached hereto, reads the data put at disposal by the first electronic device 60 at regular intervals of time, analyzes it, and checks whether an alarm or warning signal is set, reports it, if any, to the user, and starts an automatic tipping or remote assistance process as a function of the severity of the problem found.

In details, this first cycle of said second part of the method according to the present invention consists of a cyclic read-out of the status registers of the battery 40. Said status registers are binary registers, physically installed in said first electronic device 60, which contain a set of status flags. A battery operation status is associated with each flag. For instance, if there is an internal short-circuit, its corresponding flag is set. If warning messages are detected, the system displays 41 said warning message on said second electronic device 61 and updates 42 the log of the sensors status stored in said first electronic device 60. Subsequently, a check is made to see whether the warning signal detected is "blocking" or not. If it is not, a check is made to see whether a data link is present and, if so, a comparison 43 is made between said warning and the contents of said remote database 63, and the system generates 44 a tip for the user, which will be displayed on said second electronic device. Conversely, if said warning is a blocking one, then the system switches the battery off 45, reads the sensors log 46, and checks 47 whether a data link is set and, if so, the system opens 48 an intervention ticket on an assistance portal specifically dedicated to this purpose.

The assistance portal makes it possible to process the assistance requests (or "tickets"). The latter are automatically opened by the application which runs in the second electronic device, whenever a warning preventing the further use of the battery is detected.

A log of the data detected by the sensors and a tip for assistance, deriving from a comparison 49 between said locking-type warning and the contents of said remote database 63, are attached to the ticket.

Finally, said intervention ticket is processed 51 according to the following procedure:

The tickets in the open status are sent to remote assistance operators and go to the "in progress" status as soon as they are taken over by one of said operators. The operator analyzes the problem by using the logs and tip automatically put at his disposal by the system. At this point, the operator possibly identifies a solution, writes it in an appropriate message, and sets the ticket to the "solved" status. The system will show the status of the ticket to the user by displaying it on said electronic device 61. At this point, if the user is satisfied with the answer given to the opened ticket, then he can close it, otherwise he can re-open it by writing a message for the operator, via the input device of the electronic device 61.

The second cycle, shown in Figure 5 attached hereto, after checking 52 the presence of an active data link, synchronizes 53 the sensor logs file stored in said second electronic device to said remote server, where a timed-out data mining process updates the remote database, by refining 54 both the rules on the basis of the automatic tips provided to the user of the means of transport and those suitable for supporting the assistance provider.

Said remote database update takes place by training the knowledge base: both the input data and the expected output value are provided. The prediction warranted by the knowledge base improves as this training data grows.

Claims

l. A remote battery monitoring, diagnostics, and maintenance equipment comprising at least one battery (65); a first electronic device (60), associated with said at least one battery and suitable for measuring the operating parameters of said battery (65); a second remote electronic device (61) comprising a microprocessor-based control and processing module, associated with means for establishing a mobile connection to the Internet network, with geo-positioning means (64), and with user interface means, said second remote electronic device (61) being associated with said first electronic device (60) and being suitable for receiving information related to the operating parameters of said battery (65) from said first electronic device (60) and for sending to said user interface means messages for the user concerning the status of said battery (65); an application server (62) connected to the Internet network, associated with said second remote electronic device (61), preferably a smartphone, tablet, computer and portable personal computer, suitable for receiving data and information from said second remote electronic device (61) and suitable for processing the data relevant to said battery (65) and to the route followed by said user; a remote database (63), associated with said application server (62), characterized in that said first electronic device (60) comprises a microprocessor-based control and processing module; at least one parametric sensor suitable for determining at least one operating parameter of said at least one battery; means for measuring environmental parameters; a non-volatile memory where to store said at least one operating parameter, and appropriate means of communications suitable for connecting said first electronic device (60) to said second remote electronic device (61) and said second remote electronic device (61) comprises means to monitor the status of said battery (65), in particular by performing a remote diagnosis of said battery (65) without taking it out of its seat and means for providing assistance to the user of said battery (65) by sending tips on said user interface means.

2. An equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that said means to diagnose said battery (65) comprise means to determine and store the operating parameters of said battery (65), means to compute the autonomy of said battery (65) in real time, means to update the data stored in said remote database (63) via said remote server (62) with the operating parameters of said battery (65), and means to analyze the operating parameters of said battery (65) in order to determine any abnormal conditions and provide tips to the user either via messages sent to the user interface of said second remote electronic device (61) or through the initialization of a remote assistance procedure via the creation of an intervention ticket on a remote assistance web portal; means to update the data stored in said remote database (63) via said remote server (62) with the parameters relevant to said abnormal conditions, if any, and said tips for the user.

3. An equipment according to claims 1 and 2, in which said application server (62) comprises means to record and store in said remote database (63) the data relevant to the functional parameters of said battery (65); means to compute and optimize the diagram of the consumptions of said battery (65); means to analyze the route set by the user on said user interface and to analyze its impact on the performances of said battery (65); means to analyze the impact of the environmental parameters on the performances of said battery (65); means suitable for comparing the tips provided to the user with the tips stored in said remote database (63) and to modify said tips; means to manage said intervention tickets on a remote assistance web portal;

4. An equipment according to claims 2 and 3, in which the remote database (63) is suitable for storing data selected in a group comprising: data relevant to the functional parameters of said at least one battery (65), data relevant to the environmental parameters measured, data relevant to said tips provided to the user, data relevant to said intervention tickets.

5. A remote battery monitoring, diagnostic, and maintenance method comprising the following steps: a) associating with a battery (65) means to read its operating parameters; b) providing user with means suitable for communicating with said means to read the operating parameters of said battery (65), communicating with said user via an appropriate user interface, communicating with a remote application server (62) associated with a database (63) and comprising an expert system based on the data stored in said database (63); c) reading and processing said operating parameters so as to evaluate the status of said battery (65) and to determine emergency conditions, if any, providing assistance to the user of said battery (65) by sending appropriate tips on said user interface, characterized in that said step c) comprises the following steps: e) detecting the status of said battery (65) and of the sensors associated therewith and storing the data thus obtained; f) analyzing said obtained data by comparing it with data relevant to the environmental parameters measured, with historical data stored in said database (63) and with an experimentally estimated consumptions diagram relevant to said battery (65); g) computing the residual autonomy of said battery (65) in real time; h) updating the data stored in said database (63) with the data computed in step g) above; i) analyzing the status of said battery (65) and of the sensors associated therewith so as to check whether abnormal conditions are present; j) if an abnormal condition is detected that can be directly solved by the user, displaying tips and instructions aiming at solving said abnormality on said user interface; k) should the abnormal condition detected not be solvable directly by the user, creating an intervention ticket on a remote assistance web portal; 1) updating the data stored in said database (63) and said expert system with said tips and instructions and with the results achieved by said intervention ticket.

6. A method according to claim 5, characterized in that said step 1) is implemented by training the knowledge base of said expert system.