System and method of charging a battery using a switching regulator
First Claim
1. A method of charging a battery comprising:
- receiving a first input voltage and a first input current at the input of a switching regulator;
coupling an output of the switching regulator to a terminal of a battery;
generating a first output voltage and a first output current at the terminal of the battery, wherein the switching regulator controls the first output current, and wherein the first output current to the battery is greater than the first input current and the first input voltage is greater than the first output voltage; and
reducing the first output current as the first output voltage on the battery increases.
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Abstract
In one embodiment the present invention includes a system and method of charging a battery using a switching regulator. In one embodiment, a switching regulator receives an input voltage and input current. The output of the switching regulator is coupled to a battery to be charged. The switching regulator provides a current into the battery that is larger than the current into the switching regulator. As the voltage on the battery increases, the current provided by the switching regulator is reduced. The present invention may be implemented using either analog or digital techniques for reducing the current into the battery as the battery voltage increases.
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Citations
73 Claims
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1. A method of charging a battery comprising:
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receiving a first input voltage and a first input current at the input of a switching regulator;
coupling an output of the switching regulator to a terminal of a battery;
generating a first output voltage and a first output current at the terminal of the battery, wherein the switching regulator controls the first output current, and wherein the first output current to the battery is greater than the first input current and the first input voltage is greater than the first output voltage; and
reducing the first output current as the first output voltage on the battery increases. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of charging a battery comprising:
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receiving a first input voltage and a first input current at the input of a switching regulator;
generating a first controlled output current from the switching regulator into the battery that is greater than the first input current to the switching regulator;
sensing a voltage on the battery or the first input current to the switching regulator; and
reducing the first controlled output current as the voltage on the battery increases. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A battery charger comprising:
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a switching regulator having a first input, a first output, and a control input, wherein the first input receives a first input voltage and a first input current, and the first output is coupled to a battery to provide a first output voltage and a first output current;
an adjustable current controller having at least one input coupled to sense the first output current, at least one output coupled to a control input of the switching regulator, and a second input coupled to the first input of the switching regulator for detecting changes in the input current or to the battery for detecting changes in the first output voltage, wherein the second input changes the first output current to the battery in response to changes in the first input current or first output voltage, wherein the switching regulator provides a first output current to the battery that is greater than the first input current, and wherein the first output current is reduced as the voltage on the battery increases. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method of charging a battery comprising:
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receiving a first voltage and a first current at a first terminal of a switching transistor, wherein the first voltage and first current are coupled to the first terminal of the switching transistor from a power source;
receiving a switching signal at a control input of the switching transistor, and in accordance therewith, generating a second voltage and a second current at a second terminal of the switching transistor;
filtering the second voltage and second current to produce a filtered voltage and filtered current;
coupling the filtered voltage and filtered current to a terminal of a battery, wherein the filtered voltage at the terminal of the battery is less than the first voltage at the first terminal of the switching transistor, and wherein the filtered current into the terminal of the battery is greater than the first current into the first terminal of the switching transistor; and
reducing the filtered current across a range of current values that are greater than a value of the first current as the voltage on the battery increases across a corresponding range of values that are less than the first voltage. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A battery charger comprising:
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a switching regulator including at least one switching transistor, the switching transistor having a first input to receive a first input voltage and a first input current, and a first output coupled to a battery to provide a first output voltage and a first output current;
a current controller for controlling the first output current to the battery, the current controller having at least one input for sensing the first output current to the battery, a second input for adjusting the first output current in response to a control signal, and a first output coupled to the switching regulator; and
a controller having a first input coupled to the first input of the switching regulator or the battery, and at least one output coupled to the second input of the current controller, wherein the controller is responsive to increases in the first input current or first output voltage, and wherein the controller changes the control signal at the second input of the current controller to reduce the first output current if the first input current or first output voltage increase, wherein the switching regulator provides a first output current to the battery that is greater than the first input current, and wherein the first output current is reduced as the first output voltage on the battery increases. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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66. A battery charger comprising:
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a switching regulator including at least one switching transistor, the switching transistor having a first input to receive a first input voltage and a first input current, and a first output coupled to a battery to provide a first output voltage and a first output current;
current controller means, coupled to the switching regulator, for sensing and controlling the output current to the battery and for changing the first output current to the battery in response to a control signal, and controller means for generating the control signal to the current controller means in response to the first input current or first output voltage;
wherein the switching regulator provides a first output current to the battery that is greater than the first input current, and wherein the first output current is adjusted as the voltage on the battery increases. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73)
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Specification