Battery pack

Abstract

A battery pack having a housing and a secondary battery inside the housing, and including a communicator that receives an instruction related to the secondary battery from an external communication terminal device via short-distance wireless communication and a controller that executes an operation in accordance with the instruction by using a status of the secondary battery. The external communication terminal device, by transmitting to the battery pack the instruction, which is related to the status of the secondary battery, acquires a response that is in accordance with the status of the secondary battery from the battery pack, thereby facilitating checking of secondary battery state.

1 . A battery power system comprising:
 a first battery pack including a first housing, a first secondary(rechargeable) battery inside the first housing, a first communicator and a first sensor sensing a status of the first secondary battery,   a second battery pack including a second housing, a second secondary(rechargeable) battery inside the second housing, a second communicator and a second sensor sensing a status of the second secondary battery,   a third battery pack including a third housing, a third secondary(rechargeable) battery inside the third housing, a third communicator and a third sensor sensing a status of the third secondary battery,   a terminal including a processor, a memory, display and a fourth communicator to communicate with a plurality of battery packs, and   wherein:   the first communicator is configured to perform short-distance wireless communication with the terminal and the third battery pack,   the second communicator is configured to perform short-distance wireless communication with the terminal and the third battery pack,   the third communicator configure to perform short-distance wireless communication with either one of or both of the first battery pack and the second battery pack,   the forth communicator configure to perform short-distance wireless communication with the first battery pack and the second battery pack,   when the first communicator transmits the status of the first secondary battery with first identification identifying the first battery pack, the fourth communicator receives the status of the first secondary battery,   when the second communicator transmits the status of the second secondary battery with second identification identifying the second battery pack, the fourth communicator receives the status of the second secondary battery,   when the third communicator being able to communicate with the first communicator, the third communicator transmits the status of the third secondary battery with third identification identifying the third battery pack and the fourth communicator receives the status of the third secondary battery via the first communicator,   when the third communicator being able to communicate with the second communicator, the third communicator transmits the status of the third secondary battery with the third identification identifying the third battery pack and the fourth communicator receives the status of the third secondary battery via the second communicator,   the processor configured to cause, a status of charge (SOC) of the battery packs and a status of health (SOH) of the battery packs are displayed on the display of the terminal based on the received status of the first secondary battery, the status of second secondary battery and the status of the third secondary battery.   
     
     
         2 . A battery pack having a housing and a secondary(rechargeable) battery inside the housing, comprising:
 a communicator configured to perform short-distance wireless communication with a plurality of battery packs with a same structure as the battery pack;   a calculator which calculates a first battery status of the secondary battery,   an memory storing an entity information for identifying one or more second entities which are battery packs connected with the battery pack via the short-distance wireless communication,   a control circuitry configured to cause, when the communicator receives a first request signal from a first entity, which is one of a controller(mobile terminal) and another battery pack, the communicator transmits a second request signal to a second entity, which is one of the one or more second entities, based on the entity information,   the control circuitry being configured to:   when the communicator receives, from the second entity, a second response information indicating a second battery status which is a battery status of a secondary battery of a third entity other than the one or more second entities, (i) generate, a first response information based on the second battery status, and (ii) cause the communicator to transmit the first response information to the first entity.   
     
     
         3 . According to the  claim 2 , wherein,
 the control circuitry being configured to:
 cause the communicator to transmit an inquiry signal via the short-distance wireless communication; 
 cause the communicator to receive acknowledge signals, in response to the inquiry signal, from the one or more second entities; 
 generate the entity information including information related to the one or more second entities based on the response signals. 
   
     
     
         4 . According to the  claim 3 , wherein,
 the control circuitry being configured to:
 when the communicator receives an inquiry signal from a third entity, 
 cause the communicator to transmit an acknowledge signal via the short-distance wireless communication to the first entity, and 
 cause the communicator to transmit an loop signal via the short-distance wireless communication to the third entity, and 
 cause the communicator to transmit the first response information to the first entity. 
   
     
     
         5 . According to the  claim 4 , wherein,
 the control circuitry being configured to:
 when the communicator receives a second response information from the third entity, 
 cause communicator to generate the first response information not to include the second battery status from the third entity. 
   
     
     
         6 . According to the  claim 2 , wherein,
 each of the second battery status includes a status of charge (SOC) of the respective battery pack.