Patent ID: 8421421
Filing Date: 2013-04-16
Classification: H01M,H02J,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A storage system, comprising: a power source; a plurality of battery modules each having a battery configured to be charged with power supplied by the power source, each battery module being provided with a charge controller that controls charging of the battery of the battery module via a power supply from the power source, the plurality of battery modules being configured in one or more sets of battery modules, the charge controller of each battery module of each set of battery modules is connected to the charge controller of each other battery module of the set of battery modules for the battery module by a respective signal line for the charge controller over which a signal flows from the charge controller of the battery module to the charge controller of each other battery module of the set of battery modules of the battery module, the signal of the respective signal line for the charge controller of each battery module indicating whether the battery module is undergoing charging; and a plurality of controller components that control access to a plurality of physical storage devices, each controller component being provided with a volatile memory that receives a power supply from the power source if any, and if not, receives a power supply from the battery of at least any one of the plurality of battery modules, each controller component being connected with the respective signal line for the charge controller of each battery module based on a configuration of the battery modules in the one or more sets of battery modules, and wherein upon any of the plurality of controller components that are in a state of first power consumption making a detection of a predetermined number of the plurality of controller components being in a state of second power consumption that is lower in power consumption than a state of first power consumption, the detecting controller component cancels the signal flowing over the respective signal line for the charge controller of each battery module of each of a predetermined number of the one or more sets of battery modules so that an indication that the battery module is undergoing charging is not received by the charge controller of any of the other battery modules to which the charge controller of the battery module is connected, the charge controller of each battery module, upon receiving a charging command for any of the battery modules, detects a quantity of the battery modules that are undergoing charging based on the signals flowing over the respective signal lines for the charge controllers of the other battery modules to which the charge controller of the battery module is connected and, if the quantity of the battery modules that are undergoing charging that is detected by the charge controller of the battery module is less than a predetermined number of the battery modules, initiates charging of the battery in any battery module for which a charging command is received, and the charge controller of each battery module, upon a count of the battery modules that are detected by the charge controller to be undergoing charging reaching the predetermined number of the plurality of battery modules, stops charging of the battery in any remaining battery modules that are also detected to be undergoing charging by the charge controller of the battery module.