WO2017171671A1

WO2017171671A1 - Battery tracking system

Info

Publication number: WO2017171671A1
Application number: PCT/TR2016/050439
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ayşe KAYHAN
Original assignee: Still Arser İş Maki̇nalari̇ Servi̇s Ve Ti̇caret Anoni̇m Şi̇rketi̇
Priority date: 2016-03-31
Filing date: 2016-11-14
Publication date: 2017-10-05

Abstract

The invention relates to a battery tracking system (100) enabling users (6) to access the information gathered from batteries (1) about battery (1) tracking during charging, by means of a mobile/web application access device having internet (5) access.

Description

DESCRIPTION

BATTERY TRACKING SYSTEM The Related Art

The invention relates to a battery tracking system tracking more than one battery at the same time, enabling battery information access and process monitoring on mobile and other internet media.

The invention particularly relates to a battery tracking system having the characteristics such as instant access to live data needed about battery tracking, providing monitoring and control of business processes, retrieval of all information through the system with minimum use of manpower, extending battery life, and tracking of more than one battery with a battery tracking device connected to a charger.

The Prior Art

Nowadays, there are companies that answer mass vehicle demands of enterprises for certain time periods according to service agreements. Said companies undertake maintenance and repair works, and tracking etc. activities of the vehicles they rent. Battery maintenance of the vehicles rented by rental companies is required to be made regularly.

In the prior art battery tracking systems;

- difficulty in tracking of which batteries had maintenance and which ones had not,

- not being able to determine if the batteries are charged correctly or not,

- problems encountered in matching batteries and forklifts,

- serious financial losses as a result of incorrect charging of batteries,

- additional costs for rental companies, since the batteries are not charged correctly and thus left out of warranty,

- battery lives getting shorter and causing harm on the environment as a result of incorrect charging of batteries,

- not being able to prove that the failures occurring in the batteries or revision requirements are due to user errors, - presence of numerous cable harnesses between the battery and the charger in order to receive the above given data, and the management of this control being made by person(s), which leads to loss of efficiency,

- the data not reaching the system or not being transmitted in desired standard periods as a result of the person(s) not being able to perform the control, and various other similar problems are encountered.

In the application with No. 2012/07349, entitled "Remote tracking system for batteries", encountered during technical research, the data received through the battery, based on a device that is only connected on the battery, are transferred. However, information about the battery regarding its use with which forklift, vehicle, or other equipment, or being charged with which charger cannot be obtained. Therefore, information about incorrect charging is not provided to the user. Battery life gets shorter and the number of waste batteries that would harm the environment increases as a result of incorrect charging. In other words, in the application, no study was conducted with the purpose of extending the battery life, which is the main purpose of the battery tracking system, and obtaining financial gain as a result of this.

In another application encountered as a result of technical research, with No. 2009/05660, entitled "Battery voltage indicator with warning lamp" relates to a system, which displays battery voltage information by means of LEDs found on the battery, reading the electronic card battery information found on the battery. In the batteries according to the invention, there is no electronic component or LED integrated to the battery for use in the remote tracking system. Therefore, the system according to the invention can be connected to the battery later on. As a result, said application does not have a novelty aiming to provide solution for the above said drawbacks.

The other prior art applications used nowadays also transmit the measured variable information about the battery in a certain and limited area. Moreover, in the prior art systems, the battery is evaluated alone, it was not emphasized that the battery would not work without equipment, and no study was conducted about the equipment to be operated by the battery.

Moreover, nowadays, all of these kinds of trackings are made by means of connecting different cables between the charger and the battery, to measure temperature, battery voltage, battery liquid parameters outside the charge socket, and they provide a data measurement based on manpower. And this shows that the data are not sound. Purpose of the Invention

The invention is formed with the inspiration from the prior art situations and aims to solve the above said problems.

The primary purpose of the invention is to provide a device and a method related to device, which enables users to access the situation information and report data of the battery from anywhere on earth through internet connection, according to his/her authorizations provided with a user name and password.

Another purpose of the invention is to inform the user if predetermined standard values are exceeded, by means of predetermined criteria, and solve problems in systems fed by batteries, by enabling the users to take action if a problem is encountered in batteries. If there is a problem, work safety is ensured by automatically cutting the battery charge.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a battery tracking device that is suitable for all systems (independent from brand), considering that batteries will also be used in forklifts in addition to other service sectors. Another purpose of the invention is to provide a battery tracking device mounted on the battery charger and an accumulator unit that can be installed on the unlimited battery to be charged by this charger. In this way, each charged battery information is transmitted to the center and thus reporting can be made. This reporting is ensured by means of online transfer of all the desired data to the system only by connecting the charger and the socket of the battery for charging, and thus minimizing the manpower needed. In this way, unlimited number of batteries can be tracked with the battery tracking device. If a battery is not compatible with the device, the system does not charge automatically and this is an important system for work safety. This situation also brings economical benefits. The purposes of the invention can be listed as follows:

- reduce the number of waste batteries that would do harm on the environment, by extending battery life,

- ensure recording of all operational data in a single system,

- enable users to access the system anywhere and anytime through the internet within their authorizations and without the need for any local installation, - eliminate communication costs and loss of time, since data are collected in a single source and are accessible,

- enable making smarter decisions for the future with the interpretation of the data collected in the system,

- ensure live monitoring of work processes and instant determination of difficult/bottleneck situations,

- ensure live monitoring of the battery situations of the vehicles operating on site,

- ensure fast and safe automatic data exchange with other systems,

- ensure reduction of work process costs and improve their efficiencies in 25-30% rate,

- obtain a system that is more technological, has lower margin of error, higher efficiency, and saves from time, by minimizing errors due to human factor,

- minimize battery revision costs via control of battery charges/discharges, which form the biggest cost for forklift producers, extend the battery life with correct charging,

- keep the standard 1500 cycle battery life in batteries between 2000-2500 cycle with improved battery tracking system.

The structural and characteristic features of the invention and all of its advantages shall be understood better with the figures and the detailed description given below in reference to the figures, and therefore, the assessment should be made by taking into account the said figures and detailed explanations.

Figures for Better Understanding of the Invention

Figure 1 shows the whole battery tracking system according to the present invention.

Drawings do not have to be scaled and details not necessary for understanding the present invention may be neglected. Moreover, components which are at least widely equal or which have at least widely equal functions are shown with the same number. Description of Parts References

100. Battery tracking system

1 - Battery 2- Rectifier (Charger)

3- GPRS

4- Server

5- Internet

6- Users 7- Battery tracking device - 1

8- Battery tracking device - 2

9- Battery Socket (Female plug)

10- Rectifier Socket (Male plug) 1 1 - Temperature Sensor - 1 12- Temperature Sensor - 2

13- Battery Water Level Measurement Sensor

14- Screen

15- Unique ID

16- Battery Voltage Value 17- Positive terminal

18- Negative terminal

19- Accumulator unit Detailed Description of the Invention

In this detailed description, the preferred embodiments of the invention are only disclosed for better understanding of the subject without forming any limiting effect.

The invention is a battery tracking system (100) enabling users (6) to instantly access up-to- date information about battery (1 ) tracking, and perform monitoring and control of business processes by means of a mobile/web application access device (preferably a mobile device/phone or computer) with internet (5) access, and it is characterized in that; it comprises:

• a server (4) enabling users (6) to get mobile/web application service through the internet (5), collecting information needed about the battery (1 ) and converting this information into a form that can be perceived by the users (6), and providing the users (6) all the information about the batteries (1 ) that they have authority on, through the internet (5),

• an accumulator unit (19) comprising a battery tracking device-1 (7) comprising a rectifier (2) connected to batteries (1 ) so as to charge the batteries (1 ), a control unit connected onto said rectifier (2) and performing all communication, supervision, control, and management operations so as to transmit the data coming from battery tracking device-2 (8) to said server (4) during charging, and communication unit (5) enabling data exchange with the server (4),

• a battery tracking device-2 (8), which is mounted on the battery (1 ) by being connected to the positive and negative terminals (17, 18) of the battery (1 ) so as to measure the voltage of the battery (1 ) continuously and obtain the energy it needs to operate from the battery (1 ); comprising a processor having a memory where the records of the battery (1 ) are stored independent from the battery tracking device-1 (7), when the accumulator unit (19) formed of the rectifier (2) and the battery tracking device-1 (7) is not connected to the batteries (1 ); containing a unique ID (15) thereon enabling which battery (1 ) is mounted on said accumulator unit (19); and communicating with the battery tracking device-1 (7) through the battery (1 ) feed line, and transmitting the information it obtains via said processor to said battery tracking device-1 (7),

• a temperature sensor-1 (1 1 ) connected to said battery tracking device-2 (8) so as to measure the temperature of the battery (1 ) during charging,

· a battery water level measurement sensor (13) reading the water level situation information of the battery (1 ) when the battery (1 ) is charging and/or in use. The invention relates to a battery tracking system (100) enabling instant access to information about batteries (1 ) or battery (1 ) cells related to their currents, voltages, number of charges, charge durations, temperatures, electrolyte/liquid level information for liquid batteries (1 ), battery (1 ) serial numbers, volt-ampere, location etc. up-to-date information through the internet (5), when needed, and comprising two battery tracking devices and a relevant mobile/web application.

The unique ID (15) (serial number) of batteries are found through said battery tracking device-2 (8). This unique ID (15) enables understanding which battery (1 ) is mounted to the rectifier (2). Moreover, the inventory stock code of the battery (1 ) can be entered on the battery tracking device-2 (8). The battery tracking device-2 (8) is mounted on the battery (1 ). 2 cables found thereon are connected to the positive terminal (17) and the negative terminal (18). From this connection, it both receives its own feed and also measures the voltage of the battery (1 ).

The battery tracking device-2 (8) measures the voltage of the battery (1 ). 2 temperature sensors (1 standard and 1 optional) can be connected to the battery tracking device-2 (8). Temperature sensor-1 (1 1 ) measures the temperature of the battery (1 ) during charging. Temperature sensor-2 (12) is intended for measuring medium temperature or continuously monitoring the temperatures of the batteries (1 ) while they are in use on forklifts or measuring the temperature of another cell of the battery (1 ).

1 battery water level measurement sensor (13) can optionally be connected to battery tracking device-2 (8) so as to read the water level situation information while the battery (1 ) is charging and in use, to be transmitted to the user (6) through the server (4) via GPRS (3). In this way, the battery (1 ) water levels can be monitored at all times. Optionally, a screen (14) can be connected so as to read the information on the battery (1 ). This screen (14) continuously displays the battery (1 ) serial number information, voltage, temperature, and battery tracking device-2 (8) unique ID (15) information.

Battery tracking device-2 (8) and battery tracking device-1 (7) communicate through the battery (1 ) feed line (+ and - line) (Power Line Communication). The information determined by the battery tracking device-2 (8) is transmitted to the battery tracking device-1 (7) connected on the rectifier (2) without the need for an additional data cable between the battery (1 ) and the rectifier (2). In this way, battery (1 ) situation information can be instantaneously monitored and reported. The battery tracking device-1 (7) transmits this information to the server (4) via GPRS (3).

The battery tracking device-2 (8) (PT-ACU device) is fixedly mounted on forklift batteries (1 ). In this way, while information is gathered from the battery (1 ), there would be no need for any extra data transfer cable except own feed cables of the battery (1 ).

The battery tracking device-2 (8) will be fed by the battery (1 ). Since it draws a minuscule amount of current even compared to the smallest batteries (1 ) used on forklifts, the additional consumption from the battery (1 ) caused by the tracking device corresponds to a negligible value. If we assume that it draws a maximum of 2 mA at 80 V according to theoretical calculation, a battery (1 ) of 120 Ah can operate the battery tracking device-2 (8) for about 7 years. And this is a practically negligible value for a battery (1 ) of this size. The battery tracking device-2 (8) measures the voltage of the battery (1 ) through the feeding terminals, where it is connected to the battery (1 ). 2 cables coming out of the battery tracking device-2 (8) are connected to the + and - terminals of the battery (1 ). In this way, the battery tracking device-2 (8) both receives its own feed and also measures the voltage of the battery (1 ) through this connection. It does not require an additional connection. Battery (1 ) voltage is continuously measured and recorded during charging, stand by, or use. By means of the processor (32 bit Arm-based) and the memory chip storing the records, found on the battery tracking device-2 (8), the information on the battery (1 ) can be continuously recorded offline, independent from the battery tracking device-1 (7). When the battery (1 ) is connected to the rectifier (2) and starts charging, the battery tracking device-2 (8) communicates with the battery tracking device-1 (7) through the feed line and transmits the records found in its memory via the processor, and keeps sending the battery (1 ) data online to the battery tracking device-1 (7) in desired periods during charging. The battery tracking device-1 (7) sends the records coming from the battery tracking device- 2 (8) to the server (4) through GPRS (3). The processor of the battery tracking device-2 (8) sends its unique ID (15) within each record that it sends to the battery tracking device-1 (7). In this way, when the battery tracking device-1 (7) sends the data coming from the battery tracking device-2 (8) to the server (4), the information regarding which battery (1 ) these records belong to is recorded by means of this unique ID (15). Authorized users (6) who can access the server (4) through the internet (5) can access all the data about the batteries (1 ) on which they have authorization.

By means of the rectifier (2) and the battery tracking device-1 (7) mounted on the rectifier (2), an accumulator unit (19) is obtained, which can perform both charging and data collection operations by being connected to the unlimited battery (1 ). In this way, each charged battery (1 ) information is transmitted to the server (4) and thus reporting can be made. This reporting is ensured by means of online transfer of all the desired data to the server (4) only by connecting the rectifier socket (10) and the battery socket (9) with each other for charging, and thus minimizing the manpower needed. In this way, unlimited number of batteries (1 ) can be tracked.

As a result, the battery tracking system (100) according to the invention enables the user (6) to reach and track all of the below given information. These are:

- the information of how many hours and where the battery (1 ) is charged,

- the location information of the battery (1 ) (if the system has GPS),

- the information of how many cycles the battery (1 ) is charged,

- the battery voltage value (16) during charging,

- ampere information during charging, - temperature information during charging,

- the charger - battery (1 ) serial number information while the battery (1 ) is charging,

- the vehicle - battery (1 ) serial number while the battery (1 ) is being used on a vehicle,

- vehicle active information in short intervals, and - malfunction information in case of a communication problem or malfunction.

Increasing battery (1 ) efficiency in 25-30% ratio (may vary according to usage area conditions) and extension of the battery (1 ) life are the most significant advantages of the invention. Moreover, minimizing human errors and eliminating use of cable harnesses, reducing loss of time and margin of error, improving efficiency, and protecting the environment by ensuring long life battery (1 ) use are other significant advantages. It provides a significant step for national wealth and environmental protection activities.

Claims

A battery tracking system (100) enabling users (6) to access the information gathered from batteries (1 ) about battery (1 ) tracking during charging, by means of a mobile/web application access device having internet (5) access, and it is characterized in that; it comprises:

• a temperature sensor-1 (1 1 ) connected to said battery tracking device-2 (8) so as to measure the temperature of the battery (1 ),

• a battery water level measurement sensor (13) reading the water level situation information of the battery (1 ) when the battery (1 ) is charging and/or in use.

The battery tracking system (100) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that; said application access device with internet (5) access is a mobile device/phone, computer, or tablet.

3. The battery tracking system (100) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that; the communication between the battery tracking device-1 (7) and the server (4) is made through GPRS (3).

4. The battery tracking system (100) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that; the required information about said battery (1 ) includes the current, voltage, number of charges, charging time, temperature, electrolyte/liquid level information for liquid batteries (1 ), unique ID (15) information, and volt-ampere.

5. The battery tracking system (100) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that; it comprises a temperature sensor-2 (12) intended for measuring medium temperature or continuously measuring the temperatures of the batteries (1 ) while they are in use on forklifts or measuring the temperature of another cell of the battery (1 ).

6. The battery tracking system (100) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that; it comprises a screen (14) enabling reading information on the battery (1 ) and connected to the battery tracking device-2 (8).

7. The battery tracking system (100) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that; it comprises a unique ID (15) placed by the processor of the battery tracking device-2 (8) in each data sent from the battery tracking device-2 (8) to battery tracking device-1 (7) so as to show which data sent to the server (4) belong to which battery (1 ).