Battery management and equalization system for batteries using power line carrier communications

Abstract

A battery charging system uses power line carrier communications, for communicating battery state information associated with charging batteries, between a battery charger and a battery management system (BMS) located on the battery or battery pack. The power line carrier includes transmitters and receivers transmitting and receiving battery state information, such as current, voltage and temperature, as digital signals on existing cable conductors located between the battery/battery pack and the battery charger. The battery management system (BMS), which is physically located on the battery pack, receives the information from the power line carrier, in order to measure a variety of parameters relating to charging the battery, which may be a motor vehicle battery or a battery for operating machinery, such as fork lifts, bulldozers and other earth moving and product transportation vehicles.

1 . A battery charging system comprising:
 at least one battery having positive and negative terminals;   at least one battery charger having a pair of DC charging wires for electrical connection to said positive and negative terminals for delivering charging current to said at least one battery, said battery charger having a power line carrier modem;   an AC or DC power source for said battery charger;   a battery management system connected directly to said battery for controlling said at least one battery charger connected to said positive and negative terminals, said battery management system having means for monitoring relevant state conditions of said battery; and   a power line carrier modem in said battery management system:   wherein said power line carrier modems in said battery charger and said battery management system communicating with each other over said DC charging wires to provide digital information signals to said battery charger about said relevant state conditions of said battery provided by said battery monitoring system when said DC charging wires are electrically connected to said Positive and negative terminals.   
   
   
       2 . The battery charging system of  claim 1  in which said battery comprises a battery pack. 
   
   
       3 . The battery charging system of  claim 1  in which said relevant state conditions of said battery includes current flow in or out of said battery, voltages of said battery, and temperature of cells within said battery. 
   
   
       4 . A battery charging system comprising:
 a battery pack of multiple batteries having positive and negative terminals;   a battery charger having a pair of DC charging wires for electrical connection to said positive and negative terminals and delivering charging current to said batteries;   an AC or DC power source for said battery charger;   a battery management system connected directly to batteries in said battery pack for controlling said battery charger through an isolated communication network;   said battery charger sending charger information including charger temperature, communications protocol or errors, and stop signals through said isolated communications network to said battery management system;   an individual measurement and equalization node in each said battery for measuring battery temperature current flow in or out of each said battery, voltages of each said battery, and temperatures of cells within said batteries; and   means providing digital communication between said battery charger and said battery management system over said DC charging wires upon electrical connection of said DC charging wires to said positive and negative terminals.   
   
   
       5 . The battery charging system of  claim 4  in which said means providing digital communication comprises a PLC communications chip embedded within both the battery management system and the bulk charger for providing bi-directional digital communication over said DC charging wires, said chip acting as a transceiver either injecting communications signals onto or extracting signals from said charging cables. 
   
   
       6 - 27 . (canceled) 
   
   
       28 . A battery charging system comprising:
 a battery pack having positive and negative terminals;   a battery charger having a pair of DC charging wires for electrical connection to said positive and negative terminals for delivering charging current to said battery pack;   an AC power source for said battery charger;   a battery management system within said battery pack for controlling said battery charger connected to said positive and negative terminals having means for monitoring relevant state conditions of said battery pack; and, said battery management system including a power line carrier having electronic transceivers using said DC charging wires to provide digital information signals to said battery charger about said relevant state conditions of said battery pack provided by said monitoring system upon electrical connection of said DC charging wires to said positive and negative terminals.   
   
   
       29 . (canceled) 
   
   
       30 . The battery charging system of  claim 28  in which said relevant state conditions of said battery pack includes current flow in or out of said battery pack, voltages of each said battery, and temperature of cells of each said battery. 
   
   
       31 . The battery charging system of  claim 28  wherein said power line carrier comprises a computer communications chip interfacing with said DC charging wires, said computer communications chip having at least one transceiver associated therewith for communicating said relevant state conditions of said battery to said battery management system. 
   
   
       32 - 33 . (canceled)