Battery maintenance device having databus connection

[0001] The present application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. Ser. No. 10/958,812, filed Oct. 5, 2004, which is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. Ser. No. 10/460,749, filed Jun. 12, 2003, which is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. Ser. No. 10/280,186, filed Oct. 25, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,759,849, the present application is also a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/816,768, filed Mar. 23, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,586,941, which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/192,222, filed Mar. 27, 2000, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0002] The present invention relates to battery chargers and/or testers of the type used to test and/or charge storage batteries. More specifically, the present invention relates to such devices capable of interfacing with other types of equipment.

[0003] Various types of battery testers and charging equipment are known in the art. Examples of various battery testers, chargers and monitors are forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,911, issued Mar. 25, 1975, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE; U.S. Pat. No. 3,909,708, issued Sep. 30, 1975, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE; U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,768, issued Mar. 28, 1989, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE; U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,170, issued Apr. 25, 1989, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE WITH AUTOMATIC VOLTAGE SCALING; U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,038, issued Nov. 14, 1989, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE WITH AUTOMATIC VOLTAGE SCALING TO DETERMINE DYNAMIC CONDUCTANCE; U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,416, issued Mar. 27, 1990, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE WITH STATE-OF-CHARGE COMPENSATION; U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,269, issued Aug. 18, 1992, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC TESTER FOR ASSESSING BATTERY/CELL CAPACITY; U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,380, issued Aug. 30, 1994, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPRESSING TIME-VARYING SIGNALS IN BATTERIES UNDERGOING CHARGING OR DISCHARGING; U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,136, issued Nov. 5, 1996, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER DEVICE; U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,355, issued Nov. 12, 1996, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTION AND CONTROL OF THERMAL RUNAWAY IN A BATTERY UNDER CHARGE; U.S. Pat. No. 5,585,416, issued Dec. 10, 1996, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR STEP-CHARGING BATTERIES TO OPTIMIZE CHARGE ACCEPTANCE; U.S. Pat. No. 5,585,728, issued Dec. 17, 1996, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH AUTOMATIC COMPENSATION FOR LOW STATE-OF-CHARGE; U.S. Pat. No. 5,589,757, issued Dec. 31, 1996, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR STEP-CHARGING BATTERIES TO OPTIMIZE CHARGE ACCEPTANCE; U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,093, issued Jan. 7, 1997, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE LOOSE TERMINAL CONNECTION DETECTION VIA A COMPARISON CIRCUIT; U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,098, issued Jan. 28, 1997, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH VERY HIGH NOISE IMMUNITY; U.S. Pat. No. 5,656,920, issued Aug. 12, 1997, entitled METHOD FOR OPTIMIZING THE CHARGING LEAD-ACID BATTERIES AND AN INTERACTIVE CHARGER; U.S. Pat. No. 5,757,192, issued May 26, 1998, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING A BAD CELL IN A STORAGE BATTERY; U.S. Pat. No. 5,821,756, issued Oct. 13, 1998, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH TAILORED COMPENSATION FOR LOW STATE-OF CHARGE; U.S. Pat. No. 5,831,435, issued Nov. 3, 1998, entitled BATTERY TESTER FOR JIS STANDARD; U.S. Pat. No. 5,871,858, issued Feb. 16, 1999, entitled ANTI-THEFT BATTERY; U.S. Pat. No. 5,914,605, issued Jun. 22, 1999, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 5,945,829, issued Aug. 31, 1999, entitled MIDPOINT BATTERY MONITORING; U.S. Pat. No. 6,002,238, issued Dec. 14, 1999, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING COMPLEX IMPEDANCE OF CELLS AND BATTERIES; U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,751, issued Mar. 14, 2000, entitled APPARATUS FOR CHARGING BATTERIES; U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,777, issued Mar. 14, 2000, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING BATTERY PROPERTIES FROM COMPLEX IMPEDANCE/ADMITTANCE; U.S. Pat. No. 6,051,976, issued Apr. 18, 2000, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUDITING A BATTERY TEST; U.S. Pat. No. 6,081,098, issued Jun. 27, 2000, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CHARGING A BATTERY; U.S. Pat. No. 6,091,245, issued Jul. 18, 2000, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUDITING A BATTERY TEST; U.S. Pat. No. 6,104,167, issued Aug. 15, 2000, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CHARGING A BATTERY; U.S. Pat. No. 6,137,269, issued Oct. 24, 2000, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ELECTRONICALLY EVALUATING THE INTERNAL TEMPERATURE OF AN ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL OR BATTERY; U.S. Pat. No. 6,163,156, issued Dec. 19, 2000, entitled ELECTRICAL CONNECTION FOR ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,172,483, issued Jan. 9, 2001, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING COMPLEX IMPEDANCE OF CELLS AND BATTERIES; U.S. Pat. No. 6,172,505, issued Jan. 9, 2001, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,222,369, issued Apr. 24, 2001, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING BATTERY PROPERTIES FROM COMPLEX IMPEDANCE/ADMITTANCE; U.S. Pat. No. 6,225,808, issued May 1, 2001, entitled TEST COUNTER FOR ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,249,124, issued Jun. 19, 2001, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH INTERNAL BATTERY; U.S. Pat. No. 6,259,254, issued Jul. 10, 2001, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CARRYING OUT DIAGNOSTIC TESTS ON BATTERIES AND FOR RAPIDLY CHARGING BATTERIES; U.S. Pat. No. 6,262,563, issued Jul. 17, 2001, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING COMPLEX ADMITTANCE OF CELLS AND BATTERIES; U.S. Pat. No. 6,294,896, issued Sep. 25, 2001; entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING COMPLEX SELF-IMMITANCE OF A GENERAL ELECTRICAL ELEMENT; U.S. Pat. No. 6,294,897, issued Sep. 25, 2001, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ELECTRONICALLY EVALUATING THE INTERNAL TEMPERATURE OF AN ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL OR BATTERY; U.S. Pat. No. 6,304,087, issued Oct. 16, 2001, entitled APPARATUS FOR CALIBRATING ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,310,481, issued Oct. 30, 2001, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,313,607, issued Nov. 6, 2001, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EVALUATING STORED CHARGE IN AN ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL OR BATTERY; U.S. Pat. No. 6,313,608, issued Nov. 6, 2001, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CHARGING A BATTERY; U.S. Pat. No. 6,316,914, issued Nov. 13, 2001, entitled TESTING PARALLEL STRINGS OF STORAGE BATTERIES; U.S. Pat. No. 6,323,650, issued Nov. 27, 2001, entitled, ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,329,793, issued Dec. 11, 2001, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CHARGING A BATTERY; U.S. Pat. No. 6,331,762, issued Dec. 18, 2001, entitled ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE; U.S. Pat. No. 6,332,113, issued Dec. 18, 2001, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,351,102, issued Feb. 26, 2002, entitled AUTOMOTIVE BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,359,441, issued Mar. 19, 2002, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,363,303, issued Mar. 26, 2002, entitled ALTERNATOR DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM; U.S. Pat. No. 6,377,031, issued Apr. 23, 2002, entitled INTELLIGENT SWITCH FOR POWER MANAGEMENT; U.S. Pat. No. 6,392,414, issued May 21, 2002, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,417,669, issued Jul. 9, 2002, entitled SUPPRESSING INTERFERENCE IN AC MEASUREMENTS OF CELLS, BATTERIES AND OTHER ELECTRICAL ELEMENTS; U.S. Pat. No. 6,424,158, issued Jul. 23, 2002, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CARRYING OUT DIAGNOSTIC TESTS ON BATTERIES AND FOR RAPIDLY CHARGING BATTERIES; U.S. Pat. No. 6,441,585, issued Aug. 17, 2002, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TESTING RECHARGEABLE ENERGY STORAGE BATTERIES; U.S. Pat. No. 6,437,957, issued Aug. 20, 2002, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING SURGE, SHORT, AND REVERSE POLARITY CONNECTION PROTECTION; U.S. Pat. No. 6,445,158, issued Sep. 3, 2002, entitled VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TESTER WITH ENCODED OUTPUT; U.S. Pat. No. 6,456,045, issued Sep. 24, 2002, entitled INTEGRATED CONDUCTANCE AND LOAD TEST BASED ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,466,025, issued Oct. 15, 2002, entitled ALTERNATOR TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,465,908, issued Oct. 15, 2002, entitled INTELLIGENT POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM; U.S. Pat. No. 6,466,026, issued Oct. 15, 2002, entitled PROGRAMMABLE CURRENT EXCITER FOR MEASURING AC IMMITTANCE OF CELLS AND BATTERIES; U.S. Pat. No. 6,469,511, issued Nov. 22, 2002, entitled BATTERY CLAMP WITH EMBEDDED ENVIRONMENT SENSOR; U.S. Pat. No. 6,495,990, issued Dec. 17, 2002, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EVALUATING STORED CHARGE IN AN ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL OR BATTERY; U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,209, issued Dec. 24, 2002, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROTECTING A CRANKING SUBSYSTEM; U.S. Pat. No. 6,507,196, issued Jan. 14, 2003; entitled BATTERY HAVING DISCHARGE STATE INDICATION; U.S. Pat. No. 6,534,993, issued Mar. 18, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,544,078, issued Apr. 8, 2003, entitled BATTERY CLAMP WITH INTEGRATED CURRENT SENSOR; U.S. Pat. No. 6,556,019, issued Apr. 29, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,566,883, issued May 20, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,586,941, issued Jul. 1, 2003, entitled BATTERY TESTER WITH DATABUS; U.S. Pat. No. 6,597,150, issued Jul. 22, 2003, entitled METHOD OF DISTRIBUTING JUMP-START BOOSTER PACKS; U.S. Pat. No. 6,621,272, issued Sep. 16, 2003, entitled PROGRAMMABLE CURRENT EXCITER FOR MEASURING AC IMMITTANCE OF CELLS AND BATTERIES; U.S. Pat. No. 6,623,314, issued Sep. 23, 2003, entitled KELVIN CLAMP FOR ELECTRICALLY COUPLING TO A BATTERY CONTACT; U.S. Pat. No. 6,633,165, issued Oct. 14, 2003, entitled IN-VEHICLE BATTERY MONITOR; U.S. Pat. No. 6,635,974, issued Oct. 21, 2003, entitled SELF-LEARNING POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD; U.S. Pat. No. 6,707,303, issued Mar. 16, 2004, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,737,831, issued May 18, 2004, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS USING A CIRCUIT MODEL TO EVALUATE CELL/BATTERY PARAMETERS; U.S. Pat. No. 6,744,149, issued Jun. 1, 2004, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING STEP-DOWN POWER CONVERSION USING AN INTELLIGENT SWITCH; U.S. Pat. No. 6,759,849, issued Jul. 6, 2004, entitled BATTERY TESTER CONFIGURED TO RECEIVE A REMOVABLE DIGITAL MODULE; U.S. Pat. No. 6,781,382, issued Aug. 24, 2004, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,788,025, filed Sep. 7, 2004, entitled BATTERY CHARGER WITH BOOSTER PACK; U.S. Pat. No. 6,795,782, issued Sep. 21, 2004, entitled BATTERY TEST MODULE; U.S. Pat. No. 6,805,090, filed Oct. 19, 2004, entitled CHARGE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE BATTERY; U.S. Pat. No. 6,806,716, filed Oct. 19, 2004, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,850,037, filed Feb. 1, 2005, entitled IN-VEHICLE BATTERY MONITORING; U.S. Ser. No. 09/780,146, filed Feb. 9, 2001, entitled STORAGE BATTERY WITH INTEGRAL BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Ser. No. 09/756,638, filed Jan. 8, 2001, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING BATTERY PROPERTIES FROM COMPLEX IMPEDANCE/ADMITTANCE; U.S. Ser. No. 09/862,783, filed May 21, 2001, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TESTING CELLS AND BATTERIES EMBEDDED IN SERIES/PARALLEL SYSTEMS; U.S. Ser. No. 09/880,473, filed Jun. 13, 2001; entitled BATTERY TEST MODULE; U.S. Ser. No. 60/348,479, filed Oct. 29, 2001, entitled CONCEPT FOR TESTING HIGH POWER VRLA BATTERIES; U.S. Ser. No. 10/046,659, filed Oct. 29, 2001, entitled ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE; U.S. Ser. No. 09/993,468, filed Nov. 14, 2001, entitled KELVIN CONNECTOR FOR A BATTERY POST; U.S. Ser. No. 10/042,451, filed Jan. 8, 2002, entitled BATTERY CHARGE CONTROL. DEVICE; U.S. Ser. No. 10/093,853, filed Mar. 7, 2002, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH NETWORK COMMUNICATION; U.S. Ser. No. 10/098,741, filed Mar. 14, 2002, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUDITING A BATTERY TEST; U.S. Ser. No. 10/112,114, filed Mar. 28, 2002, entitled BOOSTER PACK WITH STORAGE CAPACITOR; U.S. Ser. No. 10/109,734, filed Mar. 28, 2002, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COUNTERACTING SELF DISCHARGE IN A STORAGE BATTERY; U.S. Ser. No. 10/112,998, filed Mar. 29, 2002, entitled BATTERY TESTER WITH BATTERY REPLACEMENT OUTPUT; U.S. Ser. No. 10/119,297, filed Apr. 9, 2002, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TESTING CELLS AND BATTERIES EMBEDDED IN SERIES/PARALLEL SYSTEMS; U.S. Ser. No. 60/387,046, filed Jun. 7, 2002, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INCREASING THE LIFE OF A STORAGE BATTERY; U.S. Ser. No. 10/200,041, filed Jul. 19, 2002, entitled AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DIAGNOSTIC DEVICE; U.S. Ser. No. 10/217,913, filed Aug. 13, 2002, entitled, BATTERY TEST MODULE; U.S. Ser. No. 10/246,439, filed Sep. 18, 2002, entitled BATTERY TESTER UPGRADE USING SOFTWARE KEY; U.S. Ser. No. 10/263,473, filed Oct. 2, 2002, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH RELATIVE TEST OUTPUT; U.S. Ser. No. 10/310,385, filed Dec. 5, 2002, entitled BATTERY TEST MODULE; U.S. Ser. No. 60/437,224, filed Dec. 31, 2002, entitled DISCHARGE VOLTAGE PREDICTIONS; U.S. Ser. No. 10/349,053, filed Jan. 22, 2003, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROTECTING A BATTERY FROM OVERDISCHARGE; U.S. Ser. No. 10/388,855, filed Mar. 14, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH BATTERY FAILURE TEMPERATURE DETERMINATION; U.S. Ser. No. 10/396,550, filed Mar. 25, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Ser. No. 60/467,872, filed May 5, 2003, entitled METHOD FOR DETERMINING BATTERY STATE OF CHARGE; U.S. Ser. No. 60/477,082, filed Jun. 9, 2003, entitled ALTERNATOR TESTER; U.S. Ser. No. 10/460,749, filed Jun. 12, 2003, entitled MODULAR BATTERY TESTER FOR SCAN TOOL; U.S. Ser. No. 10/462,323, filed Jun. 16, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER HAVING A USER INTERFACE TO CONFIGURE A PRINTER; U.S. Ser. No. 10/601,608, filed Jun. 23, 2003, entitled CABLE FOR ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Ser. No. 10/601,432, filed Jun. 23, 2003, entitled BATTERY TESTER CABLE WITH MEMORY; U.S. Ser. No. 60/490,153, filed Jul. 25, 2003, entitled SHUNT CONNECTION TO A PCB FOR AN ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM EMPLOYED IN AN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE; U.S. Ser. No. 10/653,342, filed Sep. 2, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER CONFIGURED TO PREDICT A LOAD TEST RESULT; U.S. Ser. No. 10/654,098, filed Sep. 3, 2003, entitled BATTERY TEST OUTPUTS ADJUSTED BASED UPON BATTERY TEMPERATURE AND THE STATE OF DISCHARGE OF THE BATTERY; U.S. Ser. No. 10/656,526, filed Sep. 5, 2003, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING A PARAMETER OF A VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; U.S. Ser. No. 10/656,538, filed Sep. 5, 2003, entitled ALTERNATOR TESTER WITH ENCODED OUTPUT; U.S. Ser. No. 10/675,933, filed Sep. 30, 2003, entitled QUERY BASED ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Ser. No. 10/678,629, filed Oct. 3, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER/CHARGER WITH INTEGRATED BATTERY CELL TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT DEVICE; U.S. Ser. No. 10/441,271, filed May 19, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Ser. No. 09/653,963, filed Sep. 1, 2000, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING POWER GENERATION AND STORAGE; U.S. Ser. No. 10/174,110, filed Jun. 18, 2002, entitled DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT CONTROL USING AN INTELLIGENT POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM; U.S. Ser. No. 60/488,775, filed Jul. 21, 2003, entitled ULTRASONICALLY ASSISTED CHARGING; U.S. Ser. No. 10/258,441, filed Apr. 9, 2003, entitled CURRENT MEASURING CIRCUIT SUITED FOR BATTERIES; U.S. Ser. No. 10/705,020, filed Nov. 11, 2003, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SIMULATING A BATTERY TESTER WITH A FIXED RESISTANCE LOAD; U.S. Ser. No. 10/681,666, filed Oct. 8, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH PROBE LIGHT; U.S. Ser. No. 10/748,792, filed Dec. 30, 2003, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PREDICTING THE REMAINING DISCHARGE TIME OF A BATTERY; U.S. Ser. No. 10/783,682, filed Feb. 20, 2004, entitled REPLACEABLE CLAMP FOR ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Ser. No. 60/548,513, filed Feb. 27, 2004, entitled WIRELESS BATTERY MONITOR; U.S. Ser. No. 10/791,141, filed Mar. 2, 2004, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUDITING A BATTERY TEST; U.S. Ser. No. 60/557,366, filed Mar. 29, 2004, entitled BATTERY MONITORING SYSTEM WITHOUT CURRENT MEASUREMENT; U.S. Ser. No. 10/823,140, filed Apr. 13, 2004, entitled THEFT PREVENTION DEVICE FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE SERVICE CENTERS; U.S. Ser. No. 60/575,945, filed Jun. 1, 2004, entitled BATTERY TESTER CAPABLE OF IDENTIFYING FAULTY BATTERY POST ADAPTERS; U.S. Ser. No. 60/577,345, filed Jun. 4, 2004, entitled NEW METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY TESTING A BATTERY AND TRANSMITTING DATA TO ANOTHER MODULE IN A VEHICLE; U.S. Ser. No. 10/864,904, filed Jun. 9, 2004, entitled ALTERNATOR TESTER; U.S. Ser. No. 10/867,385, filed Jun. 14, 2004, entitled ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE; U.S. Ser. No. 10/870,680, filed Jun. 17, 2004, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH RELATIVE TEST OUTPUT; U.S. Ser. No. 60/582,925, filed Jun. 25, 2004, entitled BATTERY TESTER WITH BATTERY POTENTIAL FOR RECOVERY OUTPUT; U.S. Ser. No. 10/883,019, filed Jul. 1, 2004, entitled MODULAR ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Ser. No. 60/585,700, filed Jul. 6, 2004, entitled TEST STATION; U.S. Ser. No. 10/896,835, filed Jul. 22, 2004, entitled BROAD-BAND LOW-INDUCTANCE CABLES FOR MAKING KELVIN CONNECTIONS TO ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS AND BATTERIES; U.S. Ser. No. 10/896,834, filed Jul. 22, 2004, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Ser. No. 10/897,801, filed Jul. 23, 2004, entitled SHUNT CONNECTION TO A PCB FOR AN ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM EMPLOYED IN AN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE; U.S. Ser. No. 10/914,304, filed Aug. 9, 2004, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH NETWORK COMMUNICATION U.S. Ser. No. 60/603,078, filed Aug. 20, 2004, entitled SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATICALLY GATHERING BATTERY INFORMATION FOR USE DURING BATTERY TESTING/CHARGING; U.S. Ser. No. 10/958,821, filed Oct. 5, 2004, entitled IN-VEHICLE BATTERY MONITOR; U.S. Ser. No. 10/958,812, filed Oct. 5, 2004, entitled SCAN TOOL FOR ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Ser. No. 11/008,456, filed Dec. 9, 2004, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PREDICTING BATTERY CAPACITY AND FITNESS FOR SERVICE FROM A BATTERY DYNAMIC PARAMETER AND A RECOVERY VOLTAGE DIFFERENTIAL, U.S. Ser. No. 60/587,232, filed Dec. 14, 2004, entitled CELLTRON ULTRA, U.S. Ser. No. 11/018,785, filed Dec. 21, 2004, entitled WIRELESS BATTERY MONITOR; which are incorporated herein in their entirety.

[0004] In general, battery testing and charging techniques have tended to use a single, integrated stand-alone unit.

[0005] An electronic battery tester or battery charger for testing or charging a storage battery including electrical connectors configured to electrically couple to a terminals of the storage battery. Circuitry couples to the electrical connectors and is configured to test or charge the storage battery. OBD communication circuitry provides an OBD output and/or input signal in accordance with an OBD communication standard. The circuitry is configured to couple to the battery test result.

[0010] Typically, battery testers or battery chargers have been stand-alone units. The present invention provides a battery tester or charger 10 such as that illustrated in FIG. 1 which includes a databus 12 for coupling to external circuitry 14. Element 10 can comprise a battery test circuitry, battery charge circuitry, or a combination of both. Circuitry 14 is the internal circuitry of a vehicle 15 coupled together through an OBD (On-Board Diagnostics) databus. Circuitry 10 is configured to couple to storage battery 16 through electrical connectors 18 to perform a battery test on battery 16 or to charge battery 16. Connectors 18 can be, for example, Kelvin type connectors. When configured as a tester, circuitry 10 can obtain a dynamic parameter of the battery using an AC forcing function. Examples include dynamic conductance, resistance, admittance, impedance, their combinations, or others. However, any type of battery test can be performed including battery testing which involves application of large or small loads, or application of large currents or voltages such as through a charger, simple voltage measurements, etc. In one embodiment, the battery tester 10 is permanently mounted in a automotive vehicle such as the type of vehicle that uses a internal combustion engine, electric engine, or a hybrid.

[0011] In another configuration, circuitry 10 comprises a battery charger and is configured to charge battery 16 through electrical connections 18. Further, in some configurations, circuitry 10 includes both testing and charging functionality. These functions can operate independently or, in some configurations, can be configured to operate together.

[0012] Databus 12 is used to exchange information with external circuitry 14 of vehicle 15. Such information includes, for example, raw data measurements and conclusions of battery tester 10, and inputs, such as user inputs, or any information related to vehicle 15 or other information available on bus 12, along with other sensor inputs into battery tester 10. Further, external circuitry 14 can control or communicate battery tester 10 through databus 12 and provide information such as a battery rating to 10 for use in performing a battery test or charging battery 16. Databus 12 can be a proprietary databus or can be in accordance with known standards such as RS232, CAN, ISA, PCI, PCMCIA, etc. In a specific embodiment, databus 12 is in accordance with an OBD communication protocol.

[0013] The circuitry 10 acquires information through bus 12 or monitors the flow of information on a databus of the vehicle. The circuit 10 can obtain information related to battery type, battery rating, charge history, etc. Additionally, if the vehicle contains an internal battery tester, information regarding battery tests or battery measurements can be obtained or monitored through bus 12. In such an embodiment, test circuit 10 does not need to perform a battery test itself, or couple to the battery.

[0014] FIGS. 2A and 2B is a more detailed block diagram of circuitry 10. In FIG. 2A, circuitry 10 is configured to operate as a battery tester and includes a forcing function 40 and an amplifier 42 coupled to connectors 18. Connectors 18 are shown as Kelvin connections. The forcing function 40 can be any type of signal which has a time varying component including a transient signal. The forcing function can be through application of a load or by applying an active signal to battery 16. A response signal is sensed by amplifier 42 and provided to analog to digital converter 44 which couples to microprocessor 46. Microprocessor 46 operates in accordance with instructions stored in memory 48. Input/output (I/O) 52 is provided for coupling to the databus 12. I/O 102 can be in accordance with the desired standard or protocol as described herein. Another input/output block 50 can be used, for example, for communicating with an operator and can comprise a display and an input such as a keypad or the like.

[0015] In the illustrated embodiment, microprocessor 46 is configured to measure a dynamic parameter based upon the forcing function 40. This dynamic parameter can be correlated with battery condition as set forth in the above-mentioned Champlin and Midtronics, Inc. patents. However, other types of battery tests circuitry can be used in the present invention and certain aspects of the invention should not be limited to the specific embodiment illustrated herein. Although a microprocessor 46 is shown, other types of computational or other circuitry can be used to collect and place data into memory 48.

[0016] FIG. 2B is another simplified block diagram showing circuitry 10 configured as a battery charger. In such a configuration, the microprocessor 46 couples to a digital to analog converter 60 which is used to control a power source 62. Power source 62 couples to battery 16 through connections 18. Although a digital to analog converter 60 is illustrated as controlling a power source 62, other types of control can be used, for example, a simple switch, or other control mechanisms. The power source 62 can operate in accordance with any charging technique and may includes an internal power supply for charging the battery, or can be configured to couple to an external power source. One common external power source is simply the standard 120 volt, or 240 volt outlet power available in most settings. The power supply can also be used to power other aspects of circuitry 10. In one configuration the charger is separate from vehicle 15 and is not powered by an engine in the vehicle.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a simplified block diagram showing an example configuration of battery tester/charger 10 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, circuitry 10 is shown coupled to storage battery 16 through connections 18. As discussed above, this may comprise, for example, Kelvin connections. Circuitry 10 includes tester or charge circuitry 100. The circuitry 100 can be in accordance with any battery tester measurement or charging technique including those discussed above. The circuitry 100 may, in some configurations, include a microprocessor or other digital controller.

[0018] Circuitry 100 is configured to couple to battery 16 through electrical connectors 18. The circuitry 100 receives information from OBD communication circuitry 52. OBD communication circuitry 52 communicates through an OBD connector 54. The OBD communication circuitry 52 is configured to operate in accordance with OBD communication standards, such as, for example, J1850 PWM, J1850 VPW and/or ISO9141/14230. OBD communication circuitry 52 communicates in accordance with an OBD communication standard over databus 12 through OBD connector 54. OBD connector 54 is configured to be a standard OBD connection of the type used in automotive vehicles, for example in accordance with the standard J1962 connector. In various embodiments, circuitry within device 10 is powered by power received from battery 16, from an internal power source within device 10, and/or from power received from an external source.

[0019] The connector 54 includes 16 electrical “pins” or connectors and is configured to receive and electrically couple to an OBD plug 64 of vehicle 15. Circuitry 52 operates in accordance with OBD communication protocols for use in querying and communicating with the electrical system of automotive vehicles.

[0020] During operation as a battery tester, circuitry 10 performs a battery test on the storage battery 16. In accordance with the present invention, the battery tester receives information from the databus of the vehicle over the OBD connection. The data can be used as part of the battery test such that the battery test output is a function of the data, or can be used in addition to the battery test itself. In one aspect, any type of data which is available over the on-board databus of a vehicle. Specific examples include obtaining information regarding the age of the vehicle, battery specifications, number of times that the engine of the vehicle has been started, number of times that the battery has been disconnected, the size of the alternator, and the electrical options on a vehicle. Further, diagnostic information can be provided by the on-board databus including information related to the state of charge of the battery, the current draw from the battery, or the current draw of specific components of the electrical system, the starter voltage, etc. The information can be used to diagnose operation of the vehicle electrical system to assist in the battery test, or to assist in charging the battery. Some types of on-board databuses used in vehicles can contain a significant amount of information and data collected and generated based upon operation of the vehicle and subsystems thereof. This information can also be used by the circuitry 10.

[0021] In addition to receiving information from the databus, with the present invention, the on-board databus of the vehicle can be used to control operation of the vehicle. For example, operation of the engine can be controlled (such as engine speed), various loads within the vehicle can be turned on or off, the alternator set point can be controlled, starting of the vehicle can be inhibited, etc. This can also be used in configuration with testing or charging.

[0022] Newer types of vehicles include all electrical vehicles and hybrid vehicles which use a combination of both battery and internal combustion engines. In such vehicles, it can be difficult to directly test individual batteries of the vehicle. However, by using the ability of the present invention to access the on-board databus of the vehicle, additional information can be obtained during testing and/or charging of the batteries within the vehicle. For example, loads within the vehicle can be controlled, various voltages within the vehicle can be monitored, etc. In configurations in which the circuitry of the present invention is used to charge the battery, the on-board databus can be used to monitor the vehicle while the battery is being charged. For example, the databus can be used to obtain voltage (such as individual batteries or groups of batteries), or other information, from the vehicle as the vehicle undergoes charging.

[0023] When the circuitry of the present invention is configured as a charger, all of the information and control discussed above can be used in combination with charging of the vehicle. In some configurations, this can be used to provide feedback to the charging circuitry so that the charging can be controlled or terminated as desired.

[0024] With the present invention, any information which is available from the onboard databus can be used in conjunction with testing and/or charging. For example, information regarding the vehicle such as a vehicle identification number (VIN), battery type, battery voltage during start, vehicle age, engine size, and other information. The connection to the OBD can be used to control idle speed of the engine, turn on loads of the vehicle and to further automate aspects of the testing. Engine speed can also be read from the OBD connection. In some configurations, the circuitry is configured to test other aspects of the vehicle such as the alternator. The onboard OBD connection to the vehicle can be used to control aspects of the vehicle for alternator testing. Trouble codes within the vehicle system can be set using the OBD connection. For example, if a high rate of charging is detected, a trouble code can be set accordingly. In some vehicles, the connection to the OBD of the vehicle can be used to reset trouble codes. For example, the occurrence of a successful charge of the battery can be used to reset a trouble code. In some vehicles, various temperatures can be obtained from the onboard databus. This temperature information can also be used in conjunction with testing or charging. Engine hours, key off statistics, alternator current output and other information can be made available.

[0025] In some types of hybrid vehicles that contain multiple batteries, the on-board databus can be used to access intermediary voltages within a string of batteries. This information can be used by the present invention to, for example, detect imbalances in the voltages which may occur during charging. Such an imbalance can be indicative of a failing battery within the string.

[0026] The present invention provides a battery tester, electrical system tester and/or battery charger for use with vehicles, including hybrid vehicles. The circuitry of the present invention couples to the on-board databus of a vehicle and uses information from the databus, or controls aspects of the vehicle through the databus, in conjunction with the testing or charging. In some aspects, the test or charge is a function of information retrieved from the on-board databus. In other aspects, the test or charge controls operation of components of the vehicle using the connection of the vehicle through the on-board databus.

[0027] Although the various connections between components shown here are illustrated as being wired connections, the invention is also applicable with wireless connections such as using radio frequency (RF), infrared (IR), inductive coupling or though other wireless techniques. By providing the circuitry with access to the on board database of the vehicle, additional information can be garnered regarding operation of the vehicle and, in some configurations, operation of the vehicle can be controlled or otherwise configured.

[0028] Although the present application describes the OBD communication protocol, “OBD” is intended to include OBD II communication protocol as well. Example protocols include ISO and SAE standards. Specific examples include:

• • [0029] ISO 9141
  • [0030] ISO 9141-2
  • [0031] ISO 14230
  • [0032] ISO14230 1/2/3/4 Keyword Protocol 2000
  • [0033] ISO11519 1/2/3 Low speed serial data communication
  • [0034] ISO11898 1/2/3/4 CAN physical layer
  • [0035] ISO11992 1/2/3 Digital information on electrical connections between towing and towed vehicles
  • [0036] ISO15765: 1/2/3/4 Diagnostics on CAN SAE J1850 PWM
  • [0037] SAE J1850 VPW
  • [0038] SAE J1939: Recommended practice for Truck and Bus control and communication network
  • [0039] SAE J2561: Bluetooth wireless protocol for automotive application
  • [0040] SAE J1708: Serial data communication between microcomputer systems in Heavy-Duty Vehicle applications
  • [0041] SAE J1850: Class B Data communication network for vehicle application
  • [0042] SAE J2411: Single wire CAN network for vehicle application
  • [0043] SAE J2610: SCI Communication
  • [0044] SAE J2602: LIN Network for vehicle applications
  • [0045] SAE J2284-1: High speed CAN at 125 kbps
  • [0046] SAE J2284-2: High speed CAN at 250 kbps
  • [0047] SAE J2284-3: High speed CAN at 500 kbps SAE J2366-1 ITS Databus

[0048] Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, any type of battery test or battery charge circuitry can be used by battery tester 10. Further, the databus 12 can be in accordance with any databus technique and should not be limited to the examples set forth herein. In various embodiments, vehicle 15 comprises a vehicle having only an internal combustion engine, an electric vehicle, or a hybrid vehicle using both electric and combustion power. Typically, the circuitry 10 is separate from the vehicle 15. For example, the circuitry 10 can be embodied in a portable battery tester or charger. As used herein “battery maintenance device” refers generally to element 10 or variations thereof, and comprises a battery tester, a battery charger, or a device which is both a battery tester and a battery charger. Thus, circuitry 10 provides a battery maintenance device and includes generally battery maintenance circuitry such as circuitry 100 shown in FIG. 3.