Automobile charger

• US 10,328,806 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2018
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pilot Inc. (Sysmex Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pilot Inc. (Sysmex Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Calvin Shiening, Wang, Chung-Hsin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Sun J
• Application Number:
  US15/923,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20180201141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/53 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0034 using reverse polarity correcting or protecting circuits mechanical means of polarity protection H02J7/0045
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0036 using connection detecting circuits H02J7/0034 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/005 using a power saving mode for copiers G03G15/5004
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A novel automobile charger comprises a direct current (DC) voltage supply, wherein a positive pole of the (DC) voltage supply is connected with a first end or a first lead of a DC-to-DC module, a first end of a battery voltage detection module and a first end of a load module simultaneously while a negative pole of the DC voltage supply is connected with a second end of the DC-to-DC module, a first end of a microcontroller, a first end of an automobile start control module and a second end of the battery voltage detection module simultaneously. A third end of the DC-to-DC module is connected with a second end of the microcontroller. Third, fourth, and fifth ends of the microcontroller are connected with a third end of the battery voltage detection module, a second end of the automobile start control module and a first end of a load detection module respectively. A second end of the load detection module is connected with a third end of the automobile start control module and a second end of the load module simultaneously.

Claims

1. A charging device, comprising:

a battery connected to a voltage regulator, the battery supplying a charging current;

a battery voltage detector, connected to a microcontroller, to detect a voltage of an automobile battery when the charging device is connected to an automobile;

a load detector, connected to the microcontroller, to detect when the charging device is connected to the automobile battery;

the microcontroller generating, when the charging device is connected to the automobile battery, an output signal based on a detected voltage of the automotive battery;

switching circuitry including a plurality of MOSFETs to selectively connect a negative terminal of the battery to the automobile battery when the microcontroller generates the output signal; and

a boost device for boosting a gate voltage of the plurality of MOSFETs.

2. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the voltage regulator comprises a voltage stabilizer connected to a resistor, a capacitor and the microcontroller, the voltage regulator providing a DC power to the microcontroller.

3. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the load detector comprises a resistor in parallel with a capacitor, the resistor and the capacitor connected to the microcontroller.

4. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller comprises a plurality of ports, the plurality of ports including a power supply port, a ground port, an output signal port, and an automobile start control module.

5. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the switching circuitry is connected to the microcontroller via the boost device, and the plurality of MOSFETs are connected in parallel.

6. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller:

generates the output signal to cause the switching circuitry to connect the battery to the automobile battery when the automobile battery is properly connected and a voltage level of the battery is above a threshold; and

generates the output signal to cause the switching circuitry to disconnect the battery from the automobile battery when i) the voltage level of the battery is below the threshold, or ii) the automobile battery is improperly connected.

7. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the battery voltage detector detects a recharging voltage level of the battery.

8. The charging device of claim 7, wherein the microcontroller generates the output signal to cause the switching circuitry to disconnect the battery from the automobile battery when the recharging voltage level of the battery is greater than a threshold.

9. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the voltage regulator is a direct-current to direct-current (DC-DC) converter.

10. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the load detector prevents improper user operation of the charging device.

11. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the load detector detects a reversed polarity condition.

12. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the load detector is connected to a negative terminal of the plurality of MOSFETs.

13. The charging device of claim 1, further comprising one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) controlled by the microcontroller.

14. The charging device of claim 1, wherein a portion of the load detector is connected in parallel with the plurality of MOSFETs.

15. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller causes the charging device to enter a standby mode when a voltage of the battery is less than 9V and allows operation when the voltage of the battery is greater than 10V.

16. A method for a device to charge an automobile battery, the method comprising:

detecting a voltage level of a battery;

detecting a connection and a type of connection between the battery and the automobile battery;

generating, by a microcontroller, an output signal based on the voltage level of the battery, the connection to the automobile battery and the type of connection of the automobile battery;

selectively connecting the battery to the automobile battery using the output signal; and

providing a low voltage protection to prevent damages caused by over discharging of the battery.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising activating a plurality of MOSFETs to connect the battery and the automobile battery, wherein a boost device boosts a gate voltage of the plurality of MOSFETs.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

a proper type of connection of the automobile battery is a correct polarity, and

an improper type of connection of the automobile battery is an incorrect polarity.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the generating comprises:

generating the output signal to cause switching circuitry to connect the battery to the automobile battery when the automobile battery is properly connected and a voltage level of the battery is above a threshold; and

generating the output signal to cause the switching circuitry to disconnect the battery from the automobile battery when i) the voltage level of the battery is below the threshold, or ii) the automobile battery is improperly connected.

20. A system for charging an automobile battery, the system comprising:

means for detecting a voltage level of a battery;

means for detecting a type of connection between the battery and the automobile battery;

means for generating, by a microcontroller, an output signal based on the voltage level of the battery and the type of connection of the automobile battery; and

means for selectively connecting the battery to the automobile battery based on the output signal; and

a boost device for boosting a voltage associated with the means for selectively connecting the battery to the automobile battery based on the output signal.