System for controlling charging of secondary battery

• US 20040232890A1
• Filed: 01/15/2003
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Sone, Takashi, Ariga, Kyoichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,391,183 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/150
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery

Abstract

To provide a system for controlling the charging of a secondary battery (battery), which is capable of keeping an initial charging/discharging characteristic of the battery in consideration of a change in environmental temperature and deterioration of the battery with elapsed time. An ordinary charging portion for performing a first charging control specified to stop the charging at a charge level less than a full-charge level is used in combination with a refresh charging portion for performing a second charging control specified to stop the charging at a charge level more than the full charge level. After the charging by the ordinary charging portion is continuously repeated by a specific number of times, for example, ten times, the next charging is performed by the refresh charging portion. The cut-off voltage used for the ordinary charging portion and refresh charging portion is determined by correcting a reference voltage VO on the basis of an environmental temperature TAO detected by an environmental temperature detecting portion. The deterioration of the battery is corrected on the basis of a reference full-charge voltage, an initial full-charge voltage Vmax(1), a present full-charge voltage Vmax(n), an initial maximum battery temperature Tmax(1), and a present maximum battery temperature Tmax(n).

Claims

1. A system for controlling the charging of a secondary battery, comprising:

charging control means for stopping the charging when a charging voltage reaches a specific cut-off voltage corresponding to a charge capacity less than a full-charge level; and

temperature correcting means for correcting said cut-off voltage on the basis of a deviation between a present environmental, temperature and a reference environmental temperature.

2. The system for controlling the charging of a secondary battery according to claim 1, and further comprising:

second charging control means for stopping the charging at a charge level more than a full-charge level;

charging voltage storing means for storing a charging voltage at the time of termination of a plurality of times of the charging by said second charging control means; and

deterioration correcting means for correcting said cut-off voltage on the basis of the value of the charging voltage stored in said charging voltage storing means.

3. The system for controlling the charging of a secondary battery according to claim 2, and further comprising:

battery temperature storing means for storing a temperature of said secondary battery at the time of termination of a plurality of times of the charging by said second charging control means;

wherein said deterioration correcting means further corrects said cut-off voltage on the basis of the value of the battery temperature stored in said battery temperature storing means.

4. The system for controlling the charging of a secondary battery according to claim 1, wherein the charging control means stops the charging of the secondary battery at a charge capacity corresponding to 97%.

5. The system for controlling the charging of a secondary battery according to claim 2, wherein the second charging control means stops the charging of the secondary battery at a charge capacity corresponding to more than 100% by a predetermined amount.

6. The system for controlling the charging of a secondary battery according to claim 3, and further comprising:

environmental temperature detecting means for detecting an environmental temperature and comparing means for comparing the environmental temperature to the temperature of the secondary battery wherein if the battery temperature is equal to or less than the environmental temperature the number of times of repeating the ordinary charging is determined for determining the charge to administered to the secondary battery.

8. The method for controlling the charging of a secondary battery according to claim 1, and further comprising the steps of:

stopping the charging by means of a second charging control member at a charge level more than a full-charge level;

storing a charging voltage at the time of termination of a plurality of times of the charging second charging control member for; and

correcting said cut-off voltage on the basis of the value of the stored charging voltage.

9. The method for controlling the charging of a secondary battery according to claim 8, and further comprising the steps of:

storing a temperature of said secondary battery at the time of termination of a plurality of times of the charging by said second charging control member;

wherein said deterioration correcting step further corrects said cut-off voltage on the basis of the stored value of the battery temperature.

11. The method for controlling the charging of a secondary battery according to claim 8, wherein the second charging control means stops the charging of the secondary battery at a charge capacity corresponding to more than 100% by a predetermined amount.

12. The method for controlling the charging of a secondary battery according to claim 9, and further comprising the steps of:

detecting an environmental temperature; and

comparing the environmental temperature to the temperature of the secondary battery wherein if the battery temperature is equal to or less than the environmental temperature the number of times of repeating the ordinary charging is determined for determining the charge to administered to the secondary battery.

7. A method for controlling the charging of a secondary battery, comprising the following steps:

stopping the charging when a charging voltage reaches a specific cut-off voltage corresponding to a charge capacity less than a full-charge level; and

correcting said cut-off voltage on the basis of a deviation between a present environmental temperature and a reference environmental temperature.

10. The method for controlling the charging of a secondary battery according to claim 7, wherein the charging control member stops the charging of the secondary battery at a charge capacity corresponding to 97%.