Electrical energy systems, power supply apparatuses, and electrical energy supply methods

• US 20040217739A1
• Filed: 04/29/2003
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lithion Battery Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Valence Technology Incorporated (Lithium Werks B.V.)
• Inventors: Cummings, John
• Granted Patent: US 6,914,417 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/137
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• 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 7/007184 in response to battery voltage gradient
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007192 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 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

Abstract

An electrical energy system comprising a power supply apparatus having an electrical energy storage device for storing electrical energy, an external load having one or more batteries, the load adapted to receive electrical energy from the electrical energy storage device, and wherein the power supply apparatus comprises control circuitry for monitoring a condition of the power supply apparatus and controlling an operation of the load responsive to the monitored condition.

Claims

1. An electrical energy system comprising:

a power supply apparatus having an electrical energy storage device for storing electrical energy;

an external load having one or more batteries, the load adapted to receive electrical energy from the electrical energy storage device; and

wherein the power supply apparatus comprises control circuitry for monitoring a condition of the power supply apparatus and controlling an operation of the load responsive to the monitored condition.

2. The electrical energy system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the operation comprising controlling internal charging circuitry of the load, the internal charging circuitry configured to charge the one or more batteries of the load.

3. The electrical energy system of claim 1, wherein the load is configured to have plural rates of consumption, and the control circuitry is configured to control the operation comprising controlling the rates of consumption.

4. The electrical energy system of claim 3, wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the operation comprising controlling the load to operate at a rate of consumption sustainable by the power supply apparatus.

5. The electrical energy system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to monitor the condition comprising temperature.

6. The electrical energy system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry communicates a control signal via a removable coupling to control the load.

7. The electrical energy system of claim 1, wherein the power supply apparatus comprises:

a boost converter configured to increase a voltage of electrical energy received from the storage device prior to supplying the electrical energy of increased voltage to the load, and the control circuitry is configured to monitor a temperature of the boost converter to monitor the condition.

8. The electrical energy system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry comprises:

at least one transistor; and

at least one diode, wherein a rise in temperature of the boost converter causes a leakage of current through the at least one diode, thereby controlling the at least one transistor.

9. The electrical energy system of claim 1, wherein the load and the power supply apparatus are provided in respective separate housings and are coupled via a removable coupling.

10. A power supply apparatus comprising:

an interface adapted to couple to an external load;

an electrical energy storage device coupled with the interface and configured to supply electrical energy to the external load via the interface; and

control circuitry configured to monitor an internal condition of the power supply apparatus and to control an operation of the external load responsive to the monitored condition.

11. The power supply apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is configured to control an operation of internal charging circuitry of the load.

12. The power supply apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a boost converter configured to increase a voltage of electrical energy received from the electrical energy storage device; and

the control circuitry is configured to monitor the internal condition comprising a temperature of the boost converter.

13. The power supply apparatus of claim 12, wherein the control circuitry comprises:

at least one transistor; and

at least one diode, wherein a rise in temperature of the boost converter causes a leakage of current through the at least one diode, thereby controlling the at least one transistor.

14. An electrical energy system comprising:

a power supply apparatus;

an external load removably coupled to the power supply apparatus;

the power supply apparatus including;

an electrical energy storage device;

a boost converter configured to increase a voltage of electrical energy received from the storage device, and to provide the electrical energy of increased voltage to the external load; and

control circuitry for controlling internal charging circuitry of the external load responsive to monitoring a temperature of the boost converter.

15. The electrical energy system of claim 14, wherein the control circuitry is configured to disable the internal charging circuitry of the external load if the temperature of the boost converter triggers a predetermined threshold.

16. The electrical energy system of claim 14, wherein the external load is configured to have plural rates of consumption, and the control circuitry is configured to control the rates of consumption.

17. The electrical energy system of claim 14, wherein the control circuitry includes:

at least one transistor; and

at least one diode, wherein a rise in temperature of the boost converter causes a leakage of current through the at least one diode, thereby controlling the at least one transistor.

18. The electrical energy system of claim 14, wherein the control circuitry is configured to disable the internal charging circuitry to reduce rate of consumption of electrical energy by the external load.

19. An electrical energy supply method comprising:

providing a power supply apparatus and a load disposed external to the power supply apparatus;

supplying electrical energy from the power supply apparatus the load;

monitoring an internal condition of the power supply apparatus using circuitry of the power supply apparatus; and

controlling an operation of the load responsive to the monitored condition.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the controlling comprises controlling charging one or more batteries of the load.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the monitoring includes detecting leakage current across at least one diode of the circuitry, and the controlling includes controlling at least one transistor of the circuitry in response to the detecting.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the monitoring includes monitoring a temperature of a boost converter of the power supply apparatus, the boost converter configured to increase a voltage of electrical energy of the one or more batteries from a first level to a higher second level.

23. An electrical energy supply method comprising:

providing a power supply apparatus configured to store electrical energy;

removably coupling an external load to the power supply apparatus, the load operating at a first rate of electrical energy consumption;

supplying electrical energy from the power supply apparatus to the external load;

monitoring an internal condition of the power supply apparatus; and

using the power supply apparatus, controlling the external load to operate in a reduced second rate of electrical energy consumption responsive to the monitoring.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the controlling is initiated if the internal condition triggers a predetermined threshold value.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the controlling comprises disabling internal charging circuitry of the external load.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the monitoring includes monitoring a temperature of a boost converter disposed within the power supply apparatus, and the controlling includes disabling internal charging circuitry of the external load if the temperature of the boost converter is greater than a predetermined threshold.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the monitoring the temperature includes:

detecting a leakage current across at least a diode of control circuitry of the power supply apparatus; and

controlling at least a transistor of the control circuitry responsive to the leakage current.

28. A load charge control method comprising:

providing a power supply apparatus having control circuitry, the power supply apparatus configured to supply electrical energy to the load;

providing the load external of the power supply apparatus, the load having internal charging circuitry to control charging thereof;

coupling the power supply apparatus to the load;

monitoring an internal condition of the power supply apparatus; and

controlling charging of the load using the power supply apparatus responsive to the monitoring.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the monitoring includes monitoring a temperature of the power supply apparatus.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the monitoring includes monitoring a temperature of a boost converter disposed within the power supply apparatus.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the controlling includes disabling the internal charging circuitry of the load.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the disabling is performed if the temperature of the boost converter is greater than a predetermined threshold.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein the monitoring includes:

detecting a leakage current across at least a diode of the control circuitry; and

controlling at least a transistor of the control circuitry responsive to the detecting.