A monitor circuit for use in a management system with modular subsystems includes: a sensor configured to measure parameter values of a monitored electrical component as a function of time; and storage coupled to the sensor and configured to store the parameter values. The monitor circuit also includes frame preparation circuitry coupled to the storage and configured to prepare frames that include the parameter values, wherein the prepared frames vary in length as a function of time.

A monitor circuit for use in a management system with modular subsystems includes: a sensor configured to measure parameter values of a monitored electrical component as a function of time; and storage coupled to the sensor and configured to store the parameter values. The monitor circuit also includes frame preparation circuitry coupled to the storage and configured to prepare frames that include the parameter values, wherein the prepared frames vary in length as a function of time.

Sensors and methods for determining the state of charge of a battery are described. The state of charge is determined in some instances by applying a current perturbation having a frequency to the battery terminals, monitoring the response signal, and determining the phase of the response signal. The phase may be correlated to the state of charge of the battery, so that once the phase is determined, a determination of the state of charge of the battery may be made. In some situations, the state of charge may be used to determine the operating condition of a load connected to the battery. In some embodiments, the state of charge may be used to determine whether the battery is defective.

Sensors and methods for determining the state of charge of a battery are described. The state of charge is determined in some instances by applying a current perturbation having a frequency to the battery terminals, monitoring the response signal, and determining the phase of the response signal. The phase may be correlated to the state of charge of the battery, so that once the phase is determined, a determination of the state of charge of the battery may be made. In some situations, the state of charge may be used to determine the operating condition of a load connected to the battery. In some embodiments, the state of charge may be used to determine whether the battery is defective.

A used secondary battery module management system server manages a manufacture of a battery assembly. The server stores, in a memory, a correspondence relationship of each of secondary battery modules among identification information, ranks, and status information. The server extracts an available rank from the ranks in response to a rebuilding request for the battery assembly. The available rank is a rank in which the number of the secondary battery modules having the status information indicating that the secondary battery modules are available is equal to or larger than the number of the secondary battery modules required to constitute the battery assembly. The server receives, from an external terminal, the identification information on each of selection secondary battery modules having an identical rank.

A used secondary battery module management system server manages a manufacture of a battery assembly. The server stores, in a memory, a correspondence relationship of each of secondary battery modules among identification information, ranks, and status information. The server extracts an available rank from the ranks in response to a rebuilding request for the battery assembly. The available rank is a rank in which the number of the secondary battery modules having the status information indicating that the secondary battery modules are available is equal to or larger than the number of the secondary battery modules required to constitute the battery assembly. The server receives, from an external terminal, the identification information on each of selection secondary battery modules having an identical rank.

The present invention concerns a method for estimating the state of charge (SoC) of an electrochemical element. The method comprises the initiation of an operation charging or discharging the electrochemical element that is traversed by a current and, while the charging or discharging operation is taking place: an operation charging or discharging a power storage element that is traversed by the same current as the electrochemical element, the power storage element having a voltage/charge level relationship that is bijective for at least two values of the voltage at the terminals of the storage element, the capacity CES of the storage element representing a portion of the total capacity of the electrochemical element; detection that the storage element is charged or discharged; calculation of a new value of the capacity CN of the electrochemical element by means of the formula CN=CN-I+CES for a charging operation and CN=CN-1−CES for a discharging operation, in which CN-1 is a previous known value of the capacity of the electrochemical element.

A method for charging a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a first charging step of charging a first capacity Q.sub.1st at a first constant current value I.sub.1st, the first capacity Q.sub.1st including a capacity range in which dQ.sub.Si/dQ is more than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, a second charging step of charging a second capacity at a second constant current value more than the first constant current value, a detection step of acquiring at least one of dV/dQ and dQ.sub.Si/dQ, and a changing step of changing at least one of the timing of switching between the first charging step and the second charging step and the first constant current value I.sub.1st on the basis of a change in time of dV/dQ or dQ.sub.Si/dQ.

A method for charging a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a first charging step of charging a first capacity Q.sub.1st at a first constant current value I.sub.1st, the first capacity Q.sub.1st including a capacity range in which dQ.sub.Si/dQ is more than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, a second charging step of charging a second capacity at a second constant current value more than the first constant current value, a detection step of acquiring at least one of dV/dQ and dQ.sub.Si/dQ, and a changing step of changing at least one of the timing of switching between the first charging step and the second charging step and the first constant current value I.sub.1st on the basis of a change in time of dV/dQ or dQ.sub.Si/dQ.

A battery diagnosis apparatus and a battery diagnosis method for accurately diagnosing a secondary battery are proposed. A pulse current generator, a voltage measuring instrument that measures a voltage response to application of a current pulse, a first data processing device that obtains a chronopotentiogram (CP) indicating a change in the voltage response over time and normalizes the CP, a database that saves normalized data, and a second data processing device that uses a correlation between the saved data and a battery state expressing factor prepared in advance to make a battery diagnosis are used. Desirably, the current pulse is a current in the same direction at the time of data obtainment and at the time of a diagnosis. Further, a noise filter for an input signal of the CP and resampling means for reducing the number of pieces of data input to the first data processing device are provided.