Battery pack charging system and method

• US 20080094026A1
• Filed: 10/18/2006
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Sawyers, Thomas P., Chen, Qijun
• Granted Patent: US 8,054,047 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/106
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00038 using passive battery identification means, e.g. resistors or capacitors identification by mechanical connections H02J7/0045
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00041 in response to measured battery parameters, e.g. voltage, current or temperature profile
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries

Abstract

A battery pack charging system comprises a charger configured to be removably coupled to at least two different battery packs each having a different regulation charge voltage associated therewith, and a charger controller configured to cause the charger to charge the at least two different battery packs to the respective regulation charge voltages based on a signal received from each of the respective battery packs.

Claims

1. A battery pack charging system, comprising:

a charger configured to be removably coupled to at least two different battery packs each having a different regulation charge voltage associated therewith; and

a charger controller configured to cause the charger to charge the at least two different battery packs to the respective regulation charge voltages based on a signal received from each of the respective battery packs.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the charger controller is configured to compare the signal to a predetermined reference voltage value.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the charger regulates charging one of the at least two different battery packs coupled to the charger in response to the signal from the one battery pack reaching a predetermined reference voltage.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensing element coupled to the charger controller and configured to cooperate with a sensing element disposed on each of the at least two different battery packs to indicate the respective regulation charge voltages.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a differential amplifier disposed in a feedback path of the signal.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a voltage divider sensing circuit formed in response to coupling of one of the at least two different battery packs to the charger.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the voltage divider sensing circuit is configured to indicate to the charger controller the regulation charge voltage for the respectively coupled battery pack.

8. A battery pack charging system, comprising:

a charger configured to charge a battery pack removably coupled thereto; and

a voltage divider sensing circuit comprising a plurality of sensing elements, at least one of the plurality of sensing elements disposed in the charger and at least one of the plurality of sensing elements disposed in the battery pack, wherein when the battery pack is coupled to the charger, the voltage divider sensing circuit indicates a regulation charge voltage for the battery pack.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one sensing element disposed in the battery pack comprises a value selected based on the regulation charge voltage.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising a charger controller configured to compare a signal from the voltage divider sensing circuit with a predetermined reference voltage.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the charger controller is configured to cause the charger to regulate charging the battery pack coupled thereto in response to the signal reaching the predetermined reference voltage.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the voltage divider sensing circuit comprises a differential amplifier disposed in a feedback path of a signal indicative of the regulation charge voltage.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one sensing element disposed in the battery pack is coupled between a switch of the battery pack and a battery cell of the battery pack.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one sensing element disposed in the battery pack is coupled between a fuse of the battery pack and a battery cell of the battery pack.

15. The system of claim 8, further comprising a charger controller configured to cause the charger to clamp the battery pack to the regulation charge voltage based on a signal received from the voltage divider sensing circuit.

16. A battery pack charging system, comprising:

means for removably coupling a charging means to a battery means; and

a voltage divider means comprising a plurality of sensing element means, at least one of the plurality of sensing element means disposed in the charging means and at least another one of the plurality of sensing element means disposed in the battery means, wherein when the battery means is coupled to the charging means, the voltage divider means indicates a regulation charge voltage for the battery means.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one sensing means disposed in the battery means comprises a value selected based on the regulation charge voltage.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising means for comparing a signal received from the voltage divider means with a predetermined reference voltage.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising means for causing the charging means to regulate charging the battery means coupled thereto in response to a signal of the voltage divider means reaching a predetermined reference voltage.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one sensing means disposed in the battery means is disposed between a switch means of the battery means and a cell means of the battery means.