Rechargeable batteries have become a universal feature of modern life, powering everything from mobile phones and toothbrushes to lawnmowers and cars. They also have an increasingly important role to play in green technologies, by storing excess energy from turbines and solar panels to use later when the wind is not blowing and the sun is not shining.
That is a key focus for Moroccan inventor Dr. Soukaina Boudoudouh. With her expertise in electrical engineering and control systems, she was involved in a feasibility study for a photovoltaic power supply project integrated with a large-scale energy storage solution, conducted as a post-doctoral R&D consultant. She was asked to estimate investment costs, incorporating the lifespan of the batteries.
This is important, as a renewable energy project’s price and profitability are calculated based on its entire lifespan, not just the initial cost of parts. Project financiers rely heavily on manufacturer data for the battery’s lifespan; however, often this does not reflect how the battery will perform in real-world conditions, as Dr. Boudoudouh soon discovered. If the battery degrades faster than the manufacturer’s estimate, the project will face a large, unbudgeted replacement cost years earlier than planned, which could make the entire project unprofitable.
Battery health testing in three steps
That gave Dr. Boudoudouh the idea of monitoring residual battery capacity in real time – essentially checking how fast the battery is aging and its overall health at any given moment.
Her innovation, a digital system, incorporates three key elements. Firstly, sensors measure the battery’s current, voltage and temperature in real time. Secondly, a microcontroller processes this data using specific algorithms to calculate the battery’s state variables. Thirdly, a dashboard enables real-time visualization of consumed battery cycles, remaining cycles, and the main battery state indicators.
This system can be integrated into existing or newly designed installations and applications without altering the overall controls. Crucially, it could help operators manage projects better. For example, if a battery is aging too quickly, they might adjust how it is used to extend its life, delaying the replacement cost. It also improves financial forecasting by updating financial models with real data, giving investors a much more accurate picture of future costs.
Monitoring electric cars’ battery health accurately
Beyond renewable energy installations, Dr. Boudoudouh also notes that her technology could positively impact the consumer electric vehicle sector. By incorporating precise calculation of the battery's remaining lifespan and consumed cycles, this innovation could transform the used electric vehicle market.
Where today only partial mechanical information is available, it will clearly display how many cycles have been used and how many remain, thus providing a true picture of battery health – the vehicle's most expensive component. A major asset for building buyer confidence and enhancing the value of well-maintained vehicles.
Taking battery status checker innovation to market
Given the obvious industrial market potential of her invention, Dr. Boudoudouh’s priority shifted to matters of intellectual property and commercialization. “My patented invention can compete with existing solutions on the market in terms of technological added value and economic impact,” she says. “This is crucial for securing funding and positioning my invention as a highly promising project.”
Dr. Boudoudouh learned about WIPO’s Inventor Assistance Program (IAP) – a partnership between WIPO and national patent offices that connects individual inventors and small businesses with qualified professionals who help them navigate the patent system at no cost, increasing their chances of turning innovative ideas into commercial assets. With its global network of volunteers, the IAP helps inventors in ten participating countries (Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore and South Africa) patent and commercialize their innovations both at home and internationally.
The IAP team at the Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property (OMPIC) paired Dr. Boudoudouh with volunteer patent specialist Abdelhaq Ammani, Director of Intellectual Property and Valorization at the Moroccan Foundation for Advanced Science, Innovation and Research (MAScIR) under Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P). With his expert advice and highly valuable assistance, Dr. Boudoudouh has now been granted a patent by the OMPIC.
IAP drafting assistance for battery health checker invention
Through the IAP, Dr. Boudoudouh received assistance with patent drafting – support to which independent inventors generally do not have access to. This experience helped her develop advanced patent drafting skills.
Reflecting on the support received through the IAP, Dr. Boudoudouh comments: “Were it not for this program, it would have been very difficult to enhance the value of my innovation, structure it, and protect it with a patent. Patent drafting requires expert knowledge that not all inventors possess. The assistance provided by Abdelhaq Ammani was invaluable, particularly in drafting the patent application and, more specifically, in formulating the claims, which is a technical and strategic step that is key to protecting the invention effectively.”
In terms of next stages for her invention, Dr. Boudoudouh is exploring the possibility of establishing collaborations to bring her product to market. Staying true to her inventive roots, she is also engaged in further research and development.
