IP Library Granted Patent US 11,063,448
Granted Patent B2
US 11,063,448 · App. 16/572,076 · Granted Jul 13, 2021

Methods and system for dynamically modifying charging settings for a battery assembly

Inventors: Christopher P. Klicpera (Westbury, NY); Michael Robustelli (Smithtown, NY)
Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
H02J7/0021H01M10/0525H01M10/441H01M10/443H01M10/446H02J7/007192H02J7/045
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,063,448
App. No.
16/572,076
Granted
Jul 13, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and a system for dynamically modifying charging settings for a battery assembly are described. A first usage value and a second usage value for the battery assembly are received. A usage difference value for the battery assembly is determined by comparing the first usage value to the second usage value. The usage difference value is compared to a plurality of battery usage ranges. Each battery usage range is associated with a bin count, a different voltage offset, and a different current offset. The bin count of one of the plurality of battery usage ranges is updated based on the comparison. The bin counts of the plurality of battery usage ranges are analyzed to determine a largest bin count and a respective battery usage range. The battery assembly is charged with a voltage offset and a current offset corresponding to the respective battery usage range with the largest bin count.

Claims (86)

1. A method for dynamically modifying charging settings for a battery assembly, comprising:

receiving a first usage value for the battery assembly associated with a beginning time point of a usage cycle;

receiving a second usage value for the battery assembly associated with an ending time point of the usage cycle;

determining a usage difference value for the battery assembly by comparing the first usage value to the second usage value;

comparing the usage difference value to a plurality of battery usage ranges, each of the battery usage ranges being associated with a bin count and each of the battery usage ranges being associated with a different voltage offset and current offset;

updating the bin count of one of the plurality of battery usage ranges based on the comparison;

analyzing the bin counts of the plurality of battery usage ranges to determine a largest bin count and a respective battery usage range; and

prior to a next usage cycle of the battery assembly, charging the battery assembly with a voltage offset and a current offset corresponding to the respective battery usage range with the largest bin count.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

applying a respective weighting factor to each bin count of the plurality of battery usage ranges; and

wherein the largest bin count corresponds to a largest weighted bin count.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving an operating temperature of the battery assembly; and

wherein charging the battery assembly with the voltage offset and the current offset further comprises:

determining that the respective battery usage range is different from a prior respective battery usage range; and

at least one of:

decreasing a charging voltage if (i) the respective battery usage range is below a prior respective battery usage range or (ii) the operating temperature of the battery assembly is above a threshold value;

decreasing a charging current if (i) the respective battery usage range is below the prior respective battery usage range or (ii) the operating temperature of the battery assembly is above the threshold value;

increasing the charging voltage if the respective battery usage range is above a prior respective battery usage range; and

increasing the charging current if the respective battery usage range is above the prior respective battery usage range.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first usage value is at least one of (i) a first time and (ii) a first number of scans, the second usage value is at least one of (i) a second time and (ii) a second number of scans, the usage difference value is at least one of (i) a time between charges and (ii) a scan number difference, the plurality of battery usage ranges is at least one of (i) a plurality of time between charges ranges and (ii) a plurality of scan number difference ranges, the largest bin count is a largest number of insertion cycles, and the respective battery usage range is at least one of (i) a respective time between charges range and (ii) a respective scan number difference range.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first usage value is a first battery charge status value, the second usage value is a second battery charge status value, the usage difference value is a depth of battery discharge, the plurality of battery usage ranges is a plurality of depth of battery discharge ranges, the largest bin count is a largest number of insertion cycles, and the respective battery usage range is a respective depth of battery discharge range.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein charging the battery assembly with the voltage offset and the current offset further comprises:

determining that the respective depth of battery discharge range is different from a prior respective depth of battery discharge range; and

at least one of:

decreasing a charging voltage if (i) the respective depth of battery discharge range is below a prior respective depth of battery discharge range or (ii) an operating temperature of the battery assembly is above a threshold value;

decreasing a charging current if (i) the respective depth of battery discharge range is below the prior respective depth of battery discharge range or (ii) the operating temperature of the battery assembly is above the threshold value;

increasing the charging voltage if the respective depth of battery discharge range is above a prior respective depth of battery discharge range; and

increasing the charging current if the respective depth of battery discharge range is above the prior respective depth of battery discharge range.

7. A method for dynamically modifying charging settings for a battery assembly, comprising:

receiving a first battery charge status value associated with a first time point during a usage cycle of the battery assembly;

receiving a second battery charge status value associated with a second time point during the usage cycle;

determining a depth of battery discharge between the first time point and the second time point by comparing the first battery charge status value to the second battery charge status value;

comparing the depth of battery discharge to a plurality of depth of discharge ranges, each of the plurality of depth of discharge ranges being associated with a bin count and each of the plurality of depth of discharge ranges being associated with a different voltage offset and current offset;

updating the bin count of one of the plurality of depth of discharge ranges based on the comparison;

analyzing the bin counts of the plurality of depth of discharge ranges to determine a largest bin count and respective depth of discharge range; and

prior to a next usage cycle of the battery assembly, charging the battery assembly with a voltage offset and a current offset corresponding to the respective depth of discharge range with the largest bin count.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

applying a respective weighting factor to each bin count of the plurality of depth of discharge ranges; and

wherein the largest bin count corresponds to a largest weighted bin count.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein charging the battery assembly with the voltage offset and the current offset further comprises:

receiving an operating temperature of the battery assembly;

determining that the respective depth of discharge range is different from a prior respective depth of discharge range; and

at least one of:

decreasing a charging voltage if (i) the respective depth of discharge range is below the prior respective depth of discharge range or (ii) an operating temperature of the battery assembly is above a threshold value;

decreasing a charging current if (i) the respective depth of discharge range is below the prior respective depth of discharge range or (ii) the operating temperature of the battery assembly is above the threshold value;

increasing the charging voltage if the respective depth of discharge range is above a prior respective depth of discharge range; and

increasing the charging current if the respective depth of discharge range is above the prior respective depth of discharge range.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first battery charge status value is at least one of (i) a first time and (ii) a first number of scans, the second battery charge status value is at least one of (i) a second time and (ii) a second number of scans, the depth of battery discharge is at least one of (i) a time between charges and (ii) a scan number difference, the plurality of depth of discharge ranges is at least one of (i) a plurality of time between charges ranges and (ii) a plurality of scan number difference ranges, the largest bin count is a largest number of insertion cycles, and the respective depth of discharge range is at least one of (i) a respective time between charges range and (ii) a respective scan number difference range.

11. A system for dynamically modifying charging settings, comprising:

a charging station; and

a scanning device comprising a battery assembly, wherein the scanning device is configured to be communicatively coupled with the charging station, and wherein the scanning device is further configured to:

receive a first usage value for the battery assembly associated with a beginning time point of a usage cycle;

receive a second usage value for the battery assembly associated with an ending time point of the usage cycle;

determine a usage difference value for the battery assembly by comparing the first usage value to the second usage value;

compare the usage difference value to a plurality of battery usage ranges, each of the battery usage ranges being associated with a bin count and each of the battery usage ranges being associated with a different voltage offset and current offset;

update the bin count of one of the plurality of battery usage ranges based on the comparison;

analyze the bin counts of the plurality of battery usage ranges to determine a largest bin count and a respective battery usage range; and

prior to a next usage cycle of the battery assembly, transmit a charging signal to the charging station to cause the charging station to charge the battery assembly with a voltage offset and a current offset corresponding to the respective battery usage range with the largest bin count.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the beginning time point is associated with decoupling the scanning device from the charging station, and wherein the ending time point is associated with coupling the scanning device with the charging station.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the battery assembly includes one or more of (i) lithium ion batteries, (ii) lithium ion super capacitors, and (iii) electrical double layer capacitor super capacitors.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the scanning device is further configured to:

apply a respective weighting factor to each bin count of the plurality of battery usage ranges; and

wherein the largest bin count corresponds to a largest weighted bin count.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the scanning device is further configured to:

receive an operating temperature of the battery assembly;

determine that the respective battery usage range is different from a prior respective battery usage range; and

at least one of:

decrease a charging voltage if (i) the respective battery usage range is below a prior respective battery usage range or (ii) the operating temperature of the battery assembly is above a threshold value, the decrease being included in the charging signal;

decrease a charging current if (i) the respective battery usage range is below the prior respective battery usage range or (ii) the operating temperature of the battery assembly is above the threshold value, the decrease being included in the charging signal;

increase the charging voltage if the respective battery usage range is above a prior respective battery usage range, the increase being included in the charging signal; and

increase the charging current if the respective battery usage range is above the prior respective battery usage range, the increase being included in the charging signal.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first usage value is at least one of (i) a first time and (ii) a first number of scans, the second usage value is at least one of (i) a second time and (ii) a second number of scans, the usage difference value is at least one of (i) a time between charges and (ii) a scan number difference, the plurality of battery usage ranges is at least one of (i) a plurality of time between charges ranges and (ii) a plurality of scan number difference ranges, the largest bin count is a largest number of insertion cycles, and the respective battery usage range is at least one of (i) a respective time between charges range and (ii) a respective scan number difference range.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the charging station includes a default optimization, and wherein the default optimization provides an extended runtime of the battery assembly.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the charging station includes:

one or more memories;

one or more processors; and

a controller operatively coupled to the one or more memories and the one or more processors.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first usage value is a first battery charge status value, the second usage value is a second battery charge status value, the usage difference value is a depth of battery discharge, the plurality of battery usage ranges is a plurality of depth of battery discharge ranges, the largest bin count is a largest number of insertion cycles, and the respective battery usage range is a respective depth of battery discharge range.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the scanning device is further configured to:

determine that the respective depth of battery discharge range is different from a prior respective depth of battery discharge range; and

at least one of:

decrease a charging voltage if (i) the respective depth of battery discharge range is below the prior respective depth of battery discharge range or (ii) an operating temperature of the battery assembly is above a threshold value, the decrease being included in the charging signal;

decrease a charging current if (i) the respective depth of battery discharge range is below the prior respective depth of battery discharge range or (ii) the operating temperature of the battery assembly is above the threshold value, the decrease being included in the charging signal;

increase the charging voltage if the respective depth of battery discharge range is above a prior respective depth of battery discharge range, the increase being included in the charging signal; and

increase the charging current if the respective depth of battery discharge range is above the prior respective depth of battery discharge range, the increase being included in the charging signal.

Assignments (3)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST - 364 - DAY Recorded Mar 5, 2021
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; LASER BAND, LLC; TEMPTIME CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 056036/0590 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 1, 2020
From: ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; LASER BAND, LLC; TEMPTIME CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053841/0212 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 8, 2020
From: KLICPERA, CHRISTOPHER P.; ROBUSTELLI, MICHAEL
To: ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053150/0331 →