FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a battery cell equalizer system for detecting problems and acting upon those individual battery cell problems.
BACKGROUND & PRIOR ART OF THE INVENTION
The traditional operation of chargeable batteries and accumulators is based on the assumption that, all single cells of the battery are identical and respond in a similar manner to every excitation and load. This assumption should be fulfilled in order that, recharging and discharging of the battery with a current is necessarily the same, which shall result in an equal load for every single cell.
However, the assumption that the cells are identical is not correct. Incase one cell fails, the complete battery fails. It turns out that, the batteries exhibit both predictable and apparently random characteristics. As previously mentioned, a battery is a long chain of single cells. The complete battery will never have a longer lifetime or available discharge capacity, than the lifetime or discharge capacity of the poorest cell. The present invention deals with both of these possibilities.
The previously known methods deal with measurement of some primary parameters like voltage, temperature and acid level. Secondary parameters or derived parameters are also measured. It may be mentioned for example internal resistance, "voltage sack", symmetry measurements between 4 part blocks of the battery, etc. A problem with lead-acid batteries is caused by an increase in chemical

reactivity as the temperature of the battery increases. The reactivity doubles approximately every 10 degrees Celsius. As the temperature of the battery increases, the internal resistance decreases so that the battery accepts a larger charging current at a given charging voltage.
The increased current flow generates additional heating of the battery, further reducing its internal resistance. This cycle of battery heating followed by an increase in battery charging current and results in a run-away condition which can damage the battery and cause it to fail. Therefore, to avoid this problem, it is necessary to provide temperature compensation in a lead-acid battery for avoiding overcharging and thermal run-away of the battery.
Now, reference may be made to the following known arts.
US patent no 7,186,473 relates to an integrated battery by incorporating battery elements, super capacitors elements, and miniaturized electronic controllers within a single housing is devised. The super capacitor provides a load leveling for the battery elements at both charging and discharging. The super capacitor can be a built-in actuator to provide powers to in-cell air management systems for generating air draft inside metal-air batteries and fuel cells to increase their shelf life and power density. There is no detection of poor battery cell to take corrective action before the whole battery gets damaged.
US patent no 5,982,142 is directed to a Storage battery equalizer with improved, constant current output filter, overload protection, temperature compensation and error signal feedback. The invention is a three terminal battery equalizer which includes a DC—DC converter has a first filter inductor in the switched, current conducting path

connected to the battery ground and a second filter inductor in the switched, current path connected to the non-grounded, non-interconnected terminal of a second battery, and has a capacitor connected between the filter inductors for maintaining the same magnitude of current in the battery equalizer during the time interval when the switching transistors of the DC—DC converter are turned off, as when the transistor switches are turned on. The losses increase as the DC-DC converter is used and also does not provide poor cell detection.
Publication no WO/2009/017009 discloses a voltage equalizer of an assembled battery detects a voltage Vb(k) of each single cell (S100) and charges or discharges a single cell having voltage difference of a threshold Vr or larger from a reference voltage (Vbst) among detected voltages to equalize the voltage. It does not provide the poor cell detection.
Publication no JP2008054416 relates to an equalization circuit detects battery characteristics in the battery pack, formed by assembling a plurality of battery cells and equalizes the battery characteristics among the battery cells or among battery cell groups according to the detection result. The auxiliary battery feeds power to the equalization circuit via a relay-type switch and makes the equalization circuit 40 operate. It deals with reducing the power loss in equalizer. It does not provide the poor cell detection.
Publication no WO2009015960 pertains to a current equalizer for equalizing charge currents in a battery group. The current equalizer comprises: a comparator, a current diverting element, which is connected to and controlled by the comparator, a buffer memory for electric energy and a first current path and a second current path.

The equalizer is equipped to compare the actual battery charge level to the required battery charge level and if the actual battery charge level exceeds the required battery charge level, it actuates the current diverting element such that the current diverting element connect the buffer memory to the first battery connection, and then connects the buffer memory to the second battery connection.
US patent no 5,459,671 is directed to a programmable battery controller is provided for controlling and monitoring charge level, temperature, discharge and recharge of a rechargeable battery. The controller utilizes a host system microprocessor, a microcontroller, a charge gauge integrated circuit, and a display to provide continually updated battery status information. It does not provide the poor cell detection.
Publication no WO2009085658 discloses a battery pack management system comprises a power supply adapted to be connected to a battery pack. The battery pack includes a plurality of cells, where each cell is interconnected in a series arrangement to other cells in the battery pack. Each cell has a cell charge characteristic and a voltage potential characteristic. An electronic control unit (ECU) measures the voltage potential characteristic of each cell. An equalizing circuit (EQU) equalizes the voltage of each cell individually relative to the other cell voltages in the battery pack. The present invention does not provide the poor cell detection.
Publication no JP2009142071 is related to a charge controller this efficiently equalizes a remaining capacity of each storage cell in a capacitor.

Publication no WO2009051415 relates to the battery management system with integration of voltage sensor and charge equalizer. It does not provide the poor cell detection.
US patent no 6,150,795 pertains a battery charge equalization and control. Battery charge equalization is carried out utilizing modules connectable in staggered relation between pairs of batteries in a series connected string of batteries. Each module is standardized and has the same construction as the other modules. It does not provide the poor cell detection.
US patent no 6,452,363 relates to a charge equalizer for a string of series-connected batteries includes a shunt path for each of the batteries. The equalizer measures the voltage of each of the batteries of the string and then closes a switch in the shunt path associated with the highest voltage battery for a predetermined time. Then the switches of all of the shunt paths are opened and the cycle repeats. It does not provide the poor cell detection.
Reference may be made to an article entitled "Distributed VRLA battery management organization with provision for embedded Internet interface'' by Anbuky, A.H. et.al, IEEE Telecommunications Energy Conference, 2000. The paper suggests an organization for a VRLA battery management environment that allows for integration with the rest of a telecommunication power system.
Reference may be made to an article entitled "A round robin algorithm for an embedded electronic battery equalizer" by A. Hande, T.A. Stuart, Electro/ Information Technology Conference, IEEE, 26- 27 Aug 2004. The article talks about a special round robin (RR) algorithm that has been developed to equalize nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery packs

using a new selective equalizer. This algorithm detects batteries either at a very low state of charge (SOC) or at an extremely high SOC. This article talks about a specific type of batter nickel metal hydrid (NiMH).
Reference may be made to an article entitled "Failure accommodating battery management system with individual cell equalizers and state of charge observers" by Annavajjula, Vamsi Krishna, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Akron, 2007. The article proposes a novel dissipative equalization scheme to achieve cell equalization among the series-connected cells in terms of both voltage and charge. In contrast to the already published equalization schemes, the proposed scheme achieves equalization among cells in the battery pack in terms of both voltage and stored charge during charging and discharge. This article talks about a specific type of battery Lithium Ion battery.
None of the above known methods talks about inbuilt battery equalizer which can identify the poor/ weak cell so that the removal of whole battery can be stopped. The methods known in the art as mentioned above are a little too crude in their approach. It is not necessarily so that a single cell is in a state in which corrective measures are needed, even if the cell in an instantaneous test will exhibit a deviating value that does not look good. Single cells may have oscillating parameter values, and it is therefore necessary to refine the prior art method further.
In order to overcome drawbacks with above listed prior arts, the present invention provides battery-mountable equalizing and monitoring device. The device is an inbuilt battery equalizer to equalize the battery or cell connected in series. The invention identifies the poor/ weak cells and

sends a message/ alarm to the user at the remote location. Thus the present invention eliminates the need of the removal of whole battery in place of a single cell.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Primary object of the present invention is to provide a battery cell equalizer system for equalizing battery or cell connected in series.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved equalizing and monitoring mechanism that provides the possibility for more correct evaluation of the condition of single/multiple cells and the need of corrective measures.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an equalizer which can enhance the life cycle of the battery.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an equalizer which can avoid overcharging and thermal run-away of the cell/ battery.
Yet another object is to provide an equalizer with temperature measurement of cells/battery.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a compact, accurate, real time and flexible low power battery equalizing system that allows user input.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide battery cell equalizer which resists deterioration in the event that, battery acid is inadvertently spilled on the battery monitor.
Another object of the present invention is to provide method and apparatus capable of detecting problems and thereafter acting upon those individual battery cell problems.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus which can measure primary as well as secondary parameters.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an audible alarm in case the battery's status exceeds any set limits.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an equalizer which can be mounted in or out side of the battery.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an equalizer which stores the battery or cell parameters and history and displays it on any of the display devices.
Another object of the present invention is to provide equalizer, which can be monitored & controlled through a remote location.
SUMMARY
The present invention provides a system and method to obtain an improved equalizing and monitoring routine that enables more correct evaluation of the condition of single or multiple cells

and the need of corrective measures. The method and apparatus is capable of detecting problems and then acting upon those individual battery cell problems. The invention provides methods and apparatus for battery cell management, namely a battery cells equalizer, capable of first detecting problems and then acting upon those individual battery cell problems by communicating the status through the communication port. If "poor" cells are detected early, there are several possibilities for "saving" the battery as single cells can be replaced by new ones.
In multi-cell battery chains, small differences between cells due to production tolerances or operating conditions tend to be magnified with each charge/ discharge cycle. Weaker cells become overstressed during charging causing them to become even weaker, until they eventually fail causing premature failure of the battery. Cell equalization is a way of compensating for weaker cells by equalizing the charge on all the cells in the chain and thus extending battery life.
The objectives of this invention are accomplished by providing controlling and monitoring parameters such as but not limited to battery health, charge level, temperature, discharge and recharge of a rechargeable battery, battery type, capacity, battery voltage, battery current, charging systems or other environmental conditions. The system is a small, accurate, real time and flexible low power battery

monitoring system that allows user input. The present device automatically monitors and controls the battery or cell charge based on the type of battery used, the temperature of the battery or cells, the age of the battery or cells and the battery charge capacity.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the equalizer can equalize the series of battery or cell.
In still other embodiment of the present invention, the equalizer communicates with the user or other equalizer inside batteries through wired/ wireless media.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the equalizer forwards the information related to the cells of the battery to the user at remote location through wireless media.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the control unit can be microcontroller/DSC/FPGA/ASIC or any other programmable device based PWM generator cum controller.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the equalizer has web connectivity for remote monitoring and control.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the battery status is displayed on the present and future display devices such as but not limited to on computer monitor cathode ray tubes (CRTs), icon displays (e.g., liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and light emitting diode (LED).

It is to be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative of only a few of the many possible specific embodiments, which can represent applications of the principles of the invention. However, numerous and varied other arrangements can be readily devised in accordance with these principles by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
STATEMENT OF INVENTION
According to this invention, there is provided a battery cell equalizer system for detecting problems and acting thereupon by indicating the condition through various means comprises inbuilt battery equalizer in the battery wherein the cells of the batteries are connected to the equalizer to measure various parameters which is connected to the battery terminals wherein the battery comprising of two sections on the opposite sides for various interfaces in which an inbuilt equalizer for battery cells comprising of a control unit connected to a PWM driver driving multiple gate output, which is in connection with a power transfer section attached to a current protection unit to protect unit from high current, and a voltage, temperature, current sense unit is monitored by the controller attached to a cell, which senses the voltage, temperature rise and string current of battery.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
Further objects and advantages of this invention will be more apparent from the ensuing description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and wherein:
Fig 1A shows the inbuilt battery equalizer connected to the multiple cells of the battery according to the present invention.

Fig IB shows the inbuilt equalizer connected to the multiple batteries
for equalization according to the present invention.
Fig 2 shows the block diagram of inbuilt battery equalizer.
DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS;
Reference may be made to fig 1A and IB which shows the inbuilt battery equalizer connected with multiple cells and batteries respectively. The Fig 1A shows the typical structure of the complete system according to the present invention. The inbuilt battery equalizer (lAi) is placed in side the battery and the individual cells (1) are connected to the battery equalizer (lAi) to measure the voltage and temperature and other parameters through sensors. A battery is provided with an equalizer (lAi) which is connected to the battery terminals (lAii). The battery (1) has two interface sections (lAiii) on the opposite sides for communication and to connect multiple batteries as well.
The battery terminals are used as shunt to measure the series charging and discharging current.
The multiple battery are connected through terminals provided at the sides which include the communication port (lAiii) and the terminals of the last and the first cell of one battery, and the cells from two adjacent batteries are connected so that all the cells of two battery come in series for the battery equalizer (lAi).

The present invention provides battery-mountable equalizing and monitoring device. Thus, equalizer monitor remains with a single battery to provide battery characteristic information. The voltage, temperature and charge discharge cycle time of all the individual cells are monitored continuously so that a weak cell (1) can be detected early. Usually the week cells (1) charge and discharge very quickly, by keeping a close track of charging/discharging time of cells over a period of time help's in pointing out weak cell (1).
The invention provides full cell protection under all eventualities, charge control depending on the operating conditions, which determines state of health. Thus, it measures battery's capability to deliver its specified output. This is vital for assessing the readiness of emergency power equipment and is an indicator of whether maintenance actions are needed. The present system monitors and also stores the battery's history. This is required to estimate whether the battery has been subjected to abuse. Parameters such as the number of charge /discharge cycles, maximum and minimum voltages, temperatures and maximum charging and discharging currents are recorded for subsequent evaluation. The controller allows the presentation of battery data and status through communication port. The various indications would specify the health of the battery

(whether the battery is in good condition or not), state of charge of the battery (whether the battery is charging or dis-charging or IDLE condition), whether the temperature inside the battery is high or not and related parameters. The invention allows to record information about the cell such as the manufacturer's type, designation and the cell chemistry which can facilitate automatic testing, the batch or serial number and the date of manufacture which enables traceability in case of cell failures.
This inbuilt equalizer communicates between the multiple batteries and external world through wired or wireless media. Communication interface provides user access to the battery for modifying the control parameters or for diagnostics and test.
Fig 2 represents the system block diagram of the inbuilt battery equalizer (lAi). The equalizer (1Ai) includes components such as but not limited to the sensors for measuring at least one cell (1) and/or ambient variable parameters within the group and a local processor (2). The voltage, current, temperature and other sensors are connected to an analog-to-digital converter on controller (2), which converts the analog voltage level sensed by the voltage sensor into digital values. The controller (2) determines the various battery/cell conditions. The controller is also coupled to a non-volatile memory, storing battery/ cell (1) history in the memory over time.
In a representative embodiment, the control unit 2 is a processor, a current protection unit 3 is also attached to the battery/ cell 1, which provides high current protection to the power supply section of the system 4. A PWM driver 5 controlled by main controller 2 drives multiple gate output 6, which is connected to the power transfer section 7 which consist of capacitor switch matrix. This section is

also attached to the current protection unit 3 to protect unit from high current. A voltage, temperature, current sense unit 8 monitored by controller 2, is attached to the cell which senses the voltage, temperature rise and the string current of battery in order to protect connected battery/cell 1 from abnormal condition. In-circuit program section 9 is to program the controller 2 in circuit from PC/Programmer. A communication interface section 10 having connectors is provided to receive and transmit the data messages from one equalizer unit to another or to an external system for monitoring and control of a numbers of battery cell equalizer units connected to N number of batteries or cell connected serially. The controller 2 also monitors the charging/ discharging current of the cell string with current sensor 11.
The section 12 is the address selection switch combination for the address configuration of an individual unit for communication with each other and master unit. The controller 2 reads the address configured to the device for identification of device during communication. This addressing can also be done through the communication port.
Driver power supply circuit comprises of input voltage which is fed from battery/ Cell bank connected with the system and a regulator. Further, this supply is utilized to power-up all control section including main controller 2, in-circuit programmer 9, communication interface section 10 and voltage/temperature sense circuit 8,. Generation of the PWM signal is carried out by controller and fed to driver section (6) to drive the power switches (Mosfets/IGBT/Transistor) at desired frequency.

Numerous modifications and adaptations of the system of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and thus it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and adaptations which fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

WE CLAIM:
1. A battery cell equalizer system for detecting problems and acting thereupon by indicating the condition through various means comprises inbuilt battery equalizer in the battery wherein the cells of the batteries are connected to the equalizer to measure various parameters which is connected to the battery terminals wherein the battery comprising of two sections on the opposite sides for various interfaces in which an inbuilt equalizer for battery cells comprising of a control unit connected to a PWM driver driving multiple gate output, which is in connection with a power transfer section attached to a current protection unit to protect unit from high current, and a voltage, temperature, current sense unit is monitored by the controller attached to a cell, which senses the voltage, temperature rise and string current of battery.
2. A battery cell equalizer system as claimed in claim 1 comprising of a communication interface section having connectors to receive and transmit the data messages from one equalizer unit to another to an external system.
3. A battery cell equalizer system as claimed in any of the preceding claims comprising of address selection switch combination for the address configuration of an individual unit for communication with each other and master unit.
4. A battery cell equalizer system as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the control unit may be a microcontroller/DSC/FPGA/ASIC or any other programmable device based PWM generator cum controller.
5. A battery cell equalizer system as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the battery cell equalizer is provided with web connectivity for remote monitoring and control.
6. A battery cell equalizer system as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the battery terminals are used as shunt to measure the series charging and discharging current.
7. A battery cell equalizer system as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein a communication port is provided at the external connector along with the connections from the cells for connecting to the multiple batteries in series.
8. A battery cell equalizer system as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the battery cell equalizer measures and monitors the voltage, temperature and charge/discharge characteristics of the individual cells continuously so as to detect a weak cell.
9. A battery cell equalizer system substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.