PORTABLE ENERGY STORAGE AND CHARGING DEVICE

• US 20080238356A1
• Filed: 07/11/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duracell U.S. Operations, Inc. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Gillette Company (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Batson, David C., Pinnell, Leslie J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,368,346 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/103
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/06 using discharge tubes or semiconductor devices
• 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

Disclosed is a portable charger device that includes a chamber to hold at least one rechargeable charging battery, and at least one controller. The controller is configured to determine a first charging current level to apply to the at least one rechargeable charging battery such that the at least one rechargeable charging battery achieves a first predetermined charge that is reached within a first period of time of 15 minutes or less, apply to the at least one rechargeable charging battery a first charging current substantially equal to the determined first charging current level, determine a second charging current to apply to the one or more external rechargeable batteries, and apply to the one or more external rechargeable batteries a second charging current substantially equal to the determined second charging current level, the second charging current being drawn from the at least one rechargeable charging battery.

Claims

1. A portable charger device to charge one or more external rechargeable batteries, the device comprising:

a chamber to hold at least one rechargeable charging battery; and

at least one controller configured to;

determine a first charging current level to apply to the at least one rechargeable charging battery such that the at least one rechargeable charging battery achieves a first pre-determined charge that is reached within a first period of time of 15 minutes or less;

apply to the at least one rechargeable charging battery a first charging current substantially equal to the determined first charging current level;

determine a second charging current to apply to the one or more external rechargeable batteries; and

apply to the one or more external rechargeable batteries a second charging current substantially equal to the determined second charging current level, the second charging current being drawn from the at least one rechargeable charging battery.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to periodically adjust the first charging current after a first pre-determined voltage level of the at least one rechargeable charging battery is reached to maintain the voltage at the terminals of the at least one rechargeable charging battery at the first pre-determined voltage level.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to periodically adjust the second charging current after a second pre-determined voltage level of the at the one or more external rechargeable batteries is reached to maintain the voltage at the terminals of the one or more external rechargeable batteries at the second pre-determined voltage level.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is configured to determine the second charging current to apply to the one or more external rechargeable batteries such that the one or more external rechargeable batteries achieves a second pre-determined charge level that is reached within a second period of time of 15 minutes or less.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a power conversion module configured to convert an external power supply voltage level to a charging voltage level to be applied to the at least one rechargeable charging battery.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the power conversion module includes at least one of an AC-DC power conversion module and a DC input DC-DC power conversion module.

7. The device of claim 6, further comprising:

a first housing containing the power conversion module; and

an attachable second housing containing the at least one controller and the at least one rechargeable charging battery, the attachable second housing configured to be mechanically attached to the first housing.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one rechargeable charging battery includes at least two rechargeable charging batteries, wherein the at least two rechargeable charging batteries are connected in a series configuration.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one rechargeable charging battery includes an Li-Ion batteries.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the at least one rechargeable battery includes Lithium-Iron-Phosphate batteries.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the first pre-determined charge level of the at least one rechargeable charging battery is at least 90% of the charge capacity of the at least one rechargeable charging battery, and wherein the first period of time is approximately between 5-15 minutes.

12. The device of claim 4, wherein the second pre-determined charge level of the one or more external rechargeable batteries is at least 90% of the charge capacity of the one or more external rechargeable batteries, and wherein the second period of time is approximately between 5-15 minutes.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising a charging compartment configured to receive the one or more external rechargeable batteries.

14. The device of claim 13, further comprising the one or more external rechargeable batteries.

15. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller includes a processor-based micro-controller.

16. The device of claim 1, further comprising the at least one rechargeable charging battery.

17. A method comprising:

determining a first charging current level to apply to at least one rechargeable charging battery such that the at least one rechargeable charging battery achieves a first pre-determined charge that is reached within a first period of time of 15 minutes or less;

applying to the at least one rechargeable charging battery a first charging current substantially equal to the determined first charging current level;

determining a second charging current to apply to one or more external rechargeable batteries; and

applying to the one or more external rechargeable batteries a second charging current substantially equal to the determined second charging current level the second charging current being drawn from the at least one rechargeable charging battery.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

periodically adjusting the first charging current after a first pre-determined voltage level of the at least one rechargeable charging battery is reached to maintain the voltage at the terminals of the at least one rechargeable charging battery at the first pre-determined voltage level.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

periodically adjusting the second charging current after a second pre-determined voltage level of the at the one or more external rechargeable batteries is reached to maintain the voltage at the terminals of the one or more external rechargeable batteries at the second pre-determined voltage level.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the second charging current comprises determining the second charging current such that the one or more external rechargeable batteries achieves a second pre-determined charge level that is reached within a second period of time of 15 minutes or less.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the second pre-determined charge level of the at least one or more external rechargeable batteries is at least 90% of the charge capacity of the one or more external rechargeable batteries, and wherein the second period of time is approximately between 5-15 minutes.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the first pre-determined charge level of the at least one rechargeable charging battery is at least 90% of the charge capacity of the at least one rechargeable charging battery, and wherein the first period of time is approximately between 5-15 minutes.

23. A portable charger device to charge one or more external rechargeable batteries, the device comprising:

a first housing having a chamber to hold at least one rechargeable charging battery;

a second housing containing a first DC-DC conversion module that receives charge from the at least one rechargeable charging battery in the chamber and delivers charge to one or more external rechargeable batteries; and

a third housing having a mechanism to attach and detach the third housing from the first housing, the third housing containing a second DC-DC conversion module that provides power to charge the at least one rechargeable charging battery and which receives charge from a power conversion module.

24. The portable charger device of claim 23 wherein the first housing comprises:

a mechanism to attach and detach the first housing from the second housing.

25. The portable charger device of claim 23 wherein the second housing comprises:

a mechanism to attach and detach the second housing from the first housing.

26. The portable charger device of claim 23 further comprising:

a fourth housing having a mechanism to attach and detach the fourth housing from the third housing, the fourth housing containing a power conversion module.

27. The portable charger device of claim 23, further comprising the one or more external rechargeable batteries.

28. The portable charger device of claim 23, wherein the first DC-DC conversion module comprises at least one controller configured to:

determine a charging current level to apply to the one or more external rechargeable batteries; and

apply to the one or more external rechargeable batteries a charging current substantially equal to the determined second charging current level, the second charging current being drawn from the at least one rechargeable charging batteries.

29. The portable charger device of claim 28, wherein the at least one controller is configured to determine the charging current to apply to the one or more external rechargeable batteries such that the one or more external rechargeable batteries achieves a charge level of at least 90% of the charge capacity of the one or more external rechargeable batteries within a period of time of 15 minutes or less.

30. The portable charger device of claim 28, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to:

determine a second charging current level to apply to the at least one rechargeable charging battery such that the at least one rechargeable charging battery achieves a second charge level of at least 90% of the charge capacity of the at least one rechargeable charging battery within a second period of time of 15 minutes or less; and

apply to the at least one rechargeable charging battery a second charging current substantially equal to the determined second charging current level.

31. The portable charger device of claim 23 wherein the first housing and the second housing are the same housing.

32. The portable charger device of claim 23 wherein the second housing further includes an interface to couple to the one or more external batteries.

33. The portable charger device of claim 32 wherein the interface is a harness interface.

34. The portable charger device of claim 23, further comprising the at least one rechargeable charging battery.