Patent · US Expired

Detecting a microcurrent and a microcurrent detecting circuit

US6407534B1 · kind B1 · utility

36Cited by
1References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 6, 2001
Grant dateJun 18, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 6, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R31/3648
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Current flows from the secondary battery via the current mirror circuit to the regenerative capacitor. The current mirror circuit multiplies by a numerical constant the current flowing from the secondary battery and supplies the amplified current through the regenerative capacitor. When a voltage value of the regenerative capacitor reaches a predetermined maximum value, the current flows from the regenerative capacitor to the external load. The current flow from the regenerative capacitor continues until the voltage decreases to a predetermined minimum value. Immediately before the voltage of the regenerative capacitor reaches the predetermined minimum value, a terminal voltage of the secondary battery in an open state is measured. This structure enables a charging-and-discharging microcurrent from the secondary battery to be easily monitored, while simultaneously detecting a remaining capacity of the secondary battery.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.