Patents by Inventor Helmut Laig-Hörstebrock

Helmut Laig-Hörstebrock has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7609032
    Abstract: A method for ascertaining the temperature in an electrical battery includes determining at least one temperature value at a temperature measuring point outside the battery in the vicinity of the battery; determining at least one electrical power value in dependence on a characteristic power variable associated with the operation of the battery; weighting the power values and the temperature values with an assigned weighting factor; and ascertaining the temperature in the electrical battery from an energy balance in dependence on the at least one weighted temperature value and the weighted electrical power values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: VB Autobatterie GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Helmut Laig-Hoerstebrock, Sepher Shirazi
  • Patent number: 7423408
    Abstract: A method for determining at least one characteristic variable for the state of a battery includes: (a) determining the charge throughput of the battery per time step; having, (b) determining a first characteristic figure in order to describe the stratification of the electrolyte concentration in the battery on the basis of a defined initial state for an as-new battery, and of a second characteristic figure in order to describe the stratification of the state of charge in the battery on the basis of a defined initial value for an as-new battery during operation of the battery, in which (c) in each time step, the first characteristic figure and the second characteristic figure are adapted as a function of the charge throughput from the instantaneous state of the battery, and at least one characteristic variable is determined from the first and the second characteristic figure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: VB Autobatterie GmbH
    Inventors: Ingo Koch, Helmut Laig-Hoerstebrock, Eberhard Meissner, Ursula Teutsch
  • Patent number: 7218079
    Abstract: A method for determining the wear to an electrochemical energy store and an electrochemical energy store allows for continuously determining the amounts of charge (qL) converted during charging cycles of the energy store and calculating a wear variable (Qv) which characterizes the wear as a function of the determined converted amount of charge (qL).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: V8 Autobatterie GmbH
    Inventors: Eberhard Meissner, Helmut Laig-Hoerstebrock
  • Publication number: 20060202666
    Abstract: A method for ascertaining the temperature in an electrical battery includes determining at least one temperature value at a temperature measuring point outside the battery in the vicinity of the battery; determining at least one electrical power value in dependence on a characteristic power variable associated with the operation of the battery; weighting the power values and the temperature values with an assigned weighting factor; and ascertaining the temperature in the electrical battery from an energy balance in dependence on the at least one weighted temperature value and the weighted electrical power values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Publication date: September 14, 2006
    Inventors: Helmut Laig-Hoerstebrock, Sepher Shirazi
  • Patent number: 7098665
    Abstract: A method for predicting the internal resistance of an energy storage battery in assumed environmental and battery state conditions includes subdividing the internal resistance into a first resistance component which represents the electrical resistance of the energy storage battery for the region of electron conduction and a second resistance component which represents the electrical resistance of the energy storage battery for the region of ion conduction. The method also includes determining the first and second resistance components to be expected for the assumed environmental and battery state conditions. Each of the first and second resistance components are determined as a function of parameters of the assumed environmental and battery state conditions. Monitoring devices or computer programs may be utilized to carry out the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: VB Autobatterie GmbH
    Inventor: Helmut Laig-Hoerstebrock
  • Patent number: 7042226
    Abstract: A method for determining the wear to a storage battery by monitoring the state of charge of the storage battery includes identifying a plurality of deep discharge events when a state of charge value for the storage battery is less than a minimum state of charge value specified for the storage battery. The method also includes determining the duration of the plurality of deep discharge events and determining a wear variable which characterizes the wear as a function of the total number and the total duration of the plurality of deep discharge events. The wear variable increases as the total number and the total duration of the deep discharge events increases. A monitoring device comprising a measurement unit and an evaluation unit that is configured to use the method may be provided. A computer program having computer program means designed to carry out the method may also be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: VB Autobatterie GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Laig-Hoerstebrock, Eberhard Meissner, Wilfried Tautenhahn
  • Patent number: 6949911
    Abstract: A method for determining the amount of charge which can be drawn from a storage battery includes determining a response signal profile within a time interval to an electrical stimulus to the storage battery. The method also includes linearizing the response signal profile and determining the amount of charge which can be drawn as a function of a degree of change of the linearized response signal profile in the time interval. A monitoring device for a storage battery is provided that includes measurement means for measuring at least one of voltage and current of the storage battery over time intervals. The monitoring device also includes evaluations means that are designed for carrying out the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: VB Autobatterie GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Laig-Hoerstebrock, Eberhard Meissner
  • Publication number: 20050189920
    Abstract: A method for determining at least one characteristic variable for the state of a battery includes: (a) determining the charge throughput of the battery per time step; comprising, (b) determining a first characteristic figure in order to describe the stratification of the electrolyte concentration in the battery on the basis of a defined initial state for an as-new battery, and of a second characteristic figure in order to describe the stratification of the state of charge in the battery on the basis of a defined initial value for an as-new battery during operation of the battery, in which (c) in each time step, the first characteristic figure and the second characteristic figure are adapted as a function of the charge throughput from the instantaneous state of the battery, and at least one characteristic variable is determined from the first and the second characteristic figure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2005
    Publication date: September 1, 2005
    Inventors: Ingo Koch, Helmut Laig-Hoerstebrock, Eberhard Meissner, Ursula Teutsch
  • Publication number: 20040150406
    Abstract: A method for predicting the internal resistance of an energy storage battery in assumed environmental and battery state conditions includes subdividing the internal resistance into a first resistance component which represents the electrical resistance of the energy storage battery for the region of electron conduction and a second resistance component which represents the electrical resistance of the energy storage battery for the region of ion conduction. The method also includes determining the first and second resistance components to be expected for the assumed environmental and battery state conditions. Each of the first and second resistance components are determined as a function of parameters of the assumed environmental and battery state conditions. Monitoring devices or computer programs may be utilized to carry out the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2003
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Applicant: VB Autobatterie GmbH
    Inventor: Helmut Laig-Hoerstebrock
  • Publication number: 20040135582
    Abstract: A method for determining the wear to a storage battery by monitoring the state of charge of the storage battery includes identifying a plurality of deep discharge events when a state of charge value for the storage battery is less than a minimum state of charge value specified for the storage battery. The method also includes determining the duration of the plurality of deep discharge events and determining a wear variable which characterizes the wear as a function of the total number and the total duration of the plurality of deep discharge events. The wear variable increases as the total number and the total duration of the deep discharge events increases. A monitoring device comprising a measurement unit and an evaluation unit that is configured to use the method may be provided. A computer program having computer program means designed to carry out the method may also be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Applicant: VB Autobatterie GMbH
    Inventors: Helmut Laig-Hoerstebrock, Eberhard Meissner, Wilfried Tautenhahn
  • Publication number: 20040113629
    Abstract: A method for determining the wear to an electrochemical energy store includes determining the temperature of a battery and determining a wear variable over time as a function of the battery temperature. The wear variable is determined as a sum of temperature-dependent wear contributions over time, with the values of the wear contributions rising more than proportionally as the battery temperature rises. An energy store such as a battery or a system provided with an energy store includes a temperature measurement device or means and a computation device or means configured to calculate a wear variable in accordance with the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2003
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Inventors: Helmut Laig-Hoerstebrock, Eberhard Meissner
  • Publication number: 20040095143
    Abstract: A method for determining the amount of charge which can be drawn from a storage battery includes determining a response signal profile within a time interval to an electrical stimulus to the storage battery. The method also includes linearizing the response signal profile and determining the amount of charge which can be drawn as a function of a degree of change of the linearized response signal profile in the time interval. A monitoring device for a storage battery is provided that includes measurement means for measuring at least one of voltage and current of the storage battery over time intervals. The monitoring device also includes evaluations means that are designed for carrying out the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2003
    Publication date: May 20, 2004
    Applicant: VB Autobatterie GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Laig-Hoerstebrock, Eberhard Meissner
  • Publication number: 20030215699
    Abstract: A method for determining the wear to an electrochemical energy store and an electrochemical energy store allows for continuously determining the amounts of charge (qL) converted during charging cycles of the energy store and calculating a wear variable (Qv) which characterizes the wear as a function of the determined converted amount of charge (qL).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2003
    Publication date: November 20, 2003
    Inventors: Eberhard Meissner, Helmut Laig-Hoerstebrock
  • Patent number: 6392415
    Abstract: A method for determining the state of charge of lead-acid rechargeable batteries comprising a) substantially simultaneously measuring measured-value pairs (Ui, Ii) of the rechargeable battery voltage and current flowing at time ti over time interval dt, b) selecting a group of said measured-value pairs (Ui, Ii) for which only a discharge current flowed in the last time interval dt, c) varying parameters Uo, R and C such that a residual sum of squares between values Ui given by formula (1) Ui=Uo−R*Ii+1/C∫Idt  (1) and measured values U(ti) is minimized, wherein Uo represents no-load voltage, R represents resistance and C represents capacitance, and d) calculating the state of charge of the rechargeable battery from the no load voltage obtained from formula (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: VB Autobatterie GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Laig-Hörstebrock, Eberhard Meissner, Detief Brunn, Karl-Heinz Leiblein, Dieter Übermeier
  • Patent number: 6362598
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining the state of charge and loading capacity of an electrical storage battery by measuring current, voltage and temperature and comparing the measured values with the corresponding values for the response of an equivalent circuit diagram of the storage battery, the parameters of the components in the equivalent circuit diagram and the state variables being varied such that the measured values are matched and that the state of charge and loading capacity are determined from the adjusted parameters and state variables determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: VB Autobatterie GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Laig-Hörstebrock, Eberhard Meissner, Gerolf Richter
  • Patent number: 6268712
    Abstract: A method for determining the starting ability of the starter battery in a motor vehicle. The current and voltage of the storage battery are measured before starting is begun, shortly after starting is begun and at short intervals of time during the starting procedure. The current/voltage value pairs for each instant are used to calculate a resistance value and the quantity of charge drawn from the storage battery, and the rate of rise in the resistance values as a function of the quantity of charge drawn is used to derive a measure of the availability of the storage battery during the starting procedure. In particular, the gradient &Dgr;RQ of the internal resistance as a function of the quantity of charge drawn and the turn-on internal resistance RE are stored in an arithmetical memory as a field as a function of the charge state or of the equivalent no-load voltage (UR) and the battery temperature and are compared with already recorded values or typical normal values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: VB Autobatterie GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Laig-Hörstebrock, Eberhard Meissner