IP Library Granted Patent US 10,777,855
Granted Patent B2
US 10,777,855 · App. 16/559,029 · Granted Sep 15, 2020

Embedded fiber optic cables for battery management

Inventors: Ajay Raghavan (Mountian View, CA); Peter Kiesel (Palo Alto, CA); Lars Wilko Sommer (Bretten, DE); Bhaskar Saha (Redwood City, CA); Saroj Sahu (Fremont, CA); Alexander Lochbaum (Landau, DE); Tobias Staudt (Neurnberg, DE); Chang-Jun Bae (Mountain View, CA); Mohamed Alamgir (Rochester Hills, MI); Hoe Jin Hah (Daejeon, KR); Bokkyu Choi (Tokyo, JP); Gyu-Ok Hwang (Daejeon, KR); Geun-Chang Chung (Daejeon, KR)
Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
H01M10/482G01K11/32G01L1/242H01M2/08H01M2/1061H01M10/0431H01M10/0459H01M10/4257H01M10/486H01M2/06H01M10/052
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,777,855
App. No.
16/559,029
Granted
Sep 15, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A battery includes a folded bicell battery stack with an embedded fiber optic cable and sensor. A cell casing encloses the bicell stack with at least one fiber optic cable is embedded within the battery. The fiber optic cable includes an internal portion disposed within the cell casing and having at least one optical sensor disposed thereon. An external portion of the fiber optic cable protrudes from the casing. A sealing gasket is disposed at least partially around the fiber optic cable and between the cell sealing edges at a point of entry of the fiber optic cable into the battery.

Claims (33)

1. A battery, comprising:

a folded bicell battery stack;

a cell casing enclosing the bicell stack, the cell casing comprising cell sealing edges;

at least one fiber optic cable having at least one optical sensor disposed thereon, the at least one fiber optic cable bonded to active material of at least one fold layer of the bicell battery stack and comprising an external portion protruding from the casing; and

a gasket disposed around the fiber optic cable and between the cell sealing edges at an entry point of the battery.

2. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the gasket comprises a heat seal film.

3. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the gasket comprises a polypropylene or polyethylene material.

4. The battery of claim 1 , further comprising an additional heat seal film disposed along each of the cell sealing edges.

5. The battery of claim 1 , further comprising a first internal portion disposed between fold layers of the bicell stack.

6. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fiber optic cable includes a bend having an angle less than 90 degrees.

7. The battery of claim 6 , wherein:

the cell casing comprises a first layer having first sealing edges and a second layer having second sealing edges, the first layer and the second layer sealed together at the first and second sealing edges;

the fiber optic cable comprises:

a first internal portion disposed between fold layers of the bicell stack.

a second internal portion that includes the bend, the second internal portion extending between the fold layers and the sealing edges;

a third internal portion that extends between the sealing edges, wherein the first internal portion is offset from the third internal portion by less than about 1 mm to less than about 50 mm.

8. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic cable is disposed substantially parallel to a fold line of the folded bicell battery stack.

9. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic cable is disposed substantially perpendicular to a fold line of the folded bicell battery stack.

10. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic cable is disposed at an angle with respect to a fold line of the folded bicell battery stack.

11. A battery, comprising:

a folded bicell battery stack comprising an anode, a cathode, and a separator layer;

a cell casing enclosing the bicell battery stack between cell casing layers;

a cell casing seal; and

at least one fiber optic cable having at least one optical sensor disposed thereon and bonded to active material of one or more of the anode and the cathode such that an internal portion of the fiber optic cable is disposed between fold layers of the bicell battery stack, and an external portion of the fiber optic cable extends externally from the cell casing layers.

12. The battery of claim 11 , wherein the fiber optic cable is bonded using styrene-butadiene-rubber.

13. The battery of claim 11 , wherein the fiber optic cable is bonded to the anode.

14. The battery of claim 11 , wherein the fiber optic cable is bonded to the cathode.

15. The battery of claim 11 , wherein the fiber optic cable is disposed along a length of the anode, cathode, or separator layer and a length of the bond is less than a majority of the length of the anode, cathode, or separator layer.

16. The battery of claim 11 , wherein the fiber optic cable is disposed along a length of the anode, cathode, or separator layer and the fiber optic cable is bonded at multiple locations along the length.

17. The battery of claim 11 , wherein the fiber optic cable is disposed along a length of the anode, cathode, or separator layer and a length of the bond is greater than a majority of the length of the anode, cathode or separator.

18. The battery of claim 11 , comprising a plurality of the fiber optic cables and the plurality of fiber optic cables enter the battery through a common entry point in the cell casing.

19. The battery of claim 11 , wherein the fiber optic cable is bonded at two or more locations and includes at least one optical sensor configured to detect strain.

20. The battery of claim 11 , wherein the at least one fiber optic cable includes a bend having an angle less than 90 degrees within the cell casing and proximate an entry point of the fiber optic cable to the cell casing.

Assignments (9)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 6, 2025
From: XEROX CORPORATION
To: GENESEE VALLEY INNOVATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 073842/0479 →
SECOND LIEN NOTES PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 2, 2025
From: XEROX CORPORATION
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 071785/0550 →
FIRST LIEN NOTES PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 11, 2025
From: XEROX CORPORATION
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 070824/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 13, 2024
From: XEROX CORPORATION
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 066741/0001 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT RF 064760/0389 Recorded Feb 13, 2024
From: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: XEROX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 068261/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 20, 2023
From: XEROX CORPORATION
To: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 065628/0019 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVAL OF US PATENTS 9356603, 10026651, 10626048 AND INCLUSION OF US PATENT 7167871 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 064038 FRAME 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Jun 28, 2023
From: PALO ALTO RESEARCH CENTER INCORPORATED
To: XEROX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064161/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 22, 2023
From: XEROX CORPORATION
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 064760/0389 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 20, 2023
From: PALO ALTO RESEARCH CENTER INCORPORATED
To: XEROX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064038/0001 →