Secondary battery pack discharge system

1. A discharge system for discharging a secondary battery pack having terminals for outputting signals, the secondary battery pack including secondary cells, a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature in the pack, and an over-discharge detection circuit for detecting an over-discharge of the secondary cells, the discharge system comprising:

a discharge device, connected to the secondary battery pack through the terminals, for controlling discharge of the secondary battery pack; and

an application software running on a computer connected to the discharge device,

wherein the discharge device includes a discharge circuit which controls the secondary cells to discharge, a current detection circuit which detects a discharge current, and a discharge control circuit which controls an operation of the discharge circuit,

wherein the application software receives total battery voltage information, temperature information, and over-discharge information of the secondary battery pack through the discharge device, determines deterioration of the secondary battery pack based on the informations, and displays results of the determination, and

wherein the application software instructs the discharge device to terminate the discharge performed by the discharge circuit thereof when the temperature in the pack exceeds a predetermined value and/or an over-discharge is detected.

2. The discharge system of claim 1 , wherein, when the discharge device is not instructed to terminate the discharge performed by the discharge circuit from the application software during a predetermined period of time after the temperature in the pack exceeds the predetermined value and/or the over-discharge is detected, the discharge device independently terminates the discharge of the secondary battery pack.

3. The discharge system of claim 1 , wherein the secondary battery pack further includes a memory in which rating information including a rated voltage and a rated capacity thereof is stored, and

wherein the application software receives the rating information of the secondary battery pack through the discharge device, and determines a life span of the secondary battery pack based on the received rating information.

4. The discharge system of claim 2 , wherein the secondary battery pack further includes a memory in which rating information including a rated voltage and a rated capacity thereof is stored, and

wherein the application software receives the rating information of the secondary battery pack through the discharge device, and determines a life span of the secondary battery pack based on the received rating information.

5. The discharge system of claim 1 , wherein the computer is provided with rating information sets corresponding to secondary battery packs of various types, each rating information set including a rated voltage and a rated capacity of one of the secondary battery packs of the various types, and

wherein the application software selects the rating information set corresponding to the secondary battery pack among the rating information sets, and determines a life span of the secondary battery pack based on the selected rating information set.

6. The discharge system of claim 2 , wherein the computer is provided with rating information sets corresponding to secondary battery packs of various types, each rating information set including a rated voltage and a rated capacity of one of the secondary battery packs of the various types, and

wherein the application software selects the rating information set corresponding to the secondary battery pack among the rating information sets, and determines a life span of the secondary battery pack based on the selected rating information set.

7. The discharge system of claim 3 , wherein the application software sends a discharge start instruction and target current set information to the discharge device based on the rating information.

8. The discharge system of claim 4 , wherein the application software sends a discharge start instruction and target current set information to the discharge device based on the rating information.

9. The discharge system of claim 5 , wherein the application software sends a discharge start instruction and target current set information to the discharge device based on the rating information.

10. The discharge system of claim 6 , wherein the application software sends a discharge start instruction and target current set information to the discharge device based on the rating information.