Charger and charging method

• US 10,122,199 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2016
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chervon (HK) Limited (Chervon Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Chervon (HK) Limited (Chervon Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: Wang, Zhuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Paul
• Application Number:
  US15/278,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20170093180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 320137, 320149
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/446 Initial charging measures
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A method for charging a battery includes charging the battery with a constant charging power until a battery voltage reaches a predetermined voltage. After the battery voltage reaches the predetermined voltage, charging the battery with a first charging current at least once to a voltage threshold that exceeds the predetermined voltage. A charging time in the charging process with the first charging current for the first time is a predetermined value. Subsequent charges provided in the charging process with the first charging current is a changing value according to a battery capacity. The voltage threshold exceeding the predetermined voltage is changed according to voltage variations in the charging process with the first charging current.

Claims

1. A method for charging a battery, comprising:

(a) charging the battery with a constant charging power until a battery voltage reaches a predetermined voltage; and

(b) when the battery voltage reaches the predetermined voltage, charging the battery with a charging current for a predetermined charging time, wherein the charging current is less than a charging current during the charging with the constant charging power, wherein the charging time for the first time is a predetermined first value and the charging time is a changing value dependent upon a determined battery capacity, ending charging if the charging time is less than a predetermined second value; and

(c) determining if the battery voltage is less than the predetermined voltage;

if yes returning to step (b);

if no, charging the battery until the battery voltage reaches an actual voltage threshold, exceeding the predetermined voltage, and returning to step (b).

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the battery voltage is less than the predetermined voltage, further charging the battery with another constant charging power, a constant current, or pulses with a fixed pulse width.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the battery is fully charged.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, when the battery is fully charged, stopping the charging and, when the battery is not fully charged, charging the battery until the battery voltage reaches the actual voltage threshold.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining whether the battery is fully charged comprises determining whether the battery voltage is greater than or equal to the predetermined voltage and determining whether a duration that the battery voltage is greater than or equal to the predetermined voltage is greater than a predetermined time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a difference between a voltage of the battery when the charging process with the charging current is ended and the predetermined voltage is equal to a difference between the actual voltage threshold and the predetermined voltage.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the voltage threshold that exceeds the predetermined voltage is changed according to voltage variations in the charging process with the charging current.

8. A charger for charging a battery, comprising:

a charging module for charging the battery with a constant charging power;

a detecting module for detecting a battery voltage; and

a control module for receiving signals from the detecting module and controlling the charging module, the control module comprising;

a timing unit for timing; and

a computing unit for computing data,

wherein the control module is operable to control the charging module to charge the battery with the constant charging power until the battery voltage reaches a predetermined voltage, to charge the battery with a charging current for a predetermined charging time, wherein the charging current is less than a charging current used during the charging with the constant charging power, wherein the charging time for the first time is a predetermined first value, and the charging time after the first time is a changing value determined by a battery capacity, and wherein the charging is ended if the charging time is less than a predetermined second value; and

wherein the control module is operable to control the charging module to determine if the battery voltage of less than the predetermined voltage;

if yes, returning to the previous step;

if no, charging the battery until the battery voltage reaches an actual voltage threshold that exceeds the predetermined voltage, and returning to the previous step.

9. The charger of claim 8, wherein the control module is operable to control the timing unit so as to set a first charging time of the charging process with the first charging current for the first time as a predetermined value, the control module is operable to control time variations in the charging process with the charging current after the first time according to the data of the detecting module and the timing unit, and the control module is operable to set the voltage threshold greater than the predetermined voltage through the detecting module and the computing unit according to voltage variation of the battery in the charging process with the first charging current.