BATTERY PACK, BATTERY CHARGER AND CHARGING METHOD

• US 20080315846A1
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nagashima, Osamu, Sato, Masanao, Umetsu, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 8,264,198 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/164
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack, a battery charger, a method for charging a battery pack are provided. The battery pack includes a secondary battery, a switch element for controlling charging and discharging the secondary battery, a controller for controlling the switch element, and a communication unit for performing with a battery charger. During charging, an initial charging is switched to a quick charging when a voltage of the secondary battery reaches a predetermined voltage, and the battery charger judges the battery pack as abnormal when the voltage does not reach the predetermined voltage within a timeout period after the initial charging is started. At least one of the timeout period and the predetermined is stored. At least one of the timeout period and the predetermined voltage to be read out is transmitted through the communication unit to the battery charger.

Claims

1. A battery pack comprising:

a secondary battery;

a switch element for controlling charging and discharging of the secondary battery;

a controller for controlling the switch element; and

a communication unit for performing communication with a battery charger,

wherein, during charging,

an initial charging is switched to a quick charging if a voltage of the secondary battery reaches a predetermined voltage, and

the battery charger judges the battery pack as abnormal if the voltage does not reach the predetermined voltage within a timeout period after the initial charging is started, and

wherein at least one of the timeout period and the predetermined voltage is stored, and

at least one of the timeout period and the predetermined voltage, which is read out, is transmitted through the communication unit to the battery charger.

2. A battery charger for a battery pack, comprising:

a communication unit for performing communication with the battery pack and receiving information on a timeout period from the battery pack; and

a charging controller which performs an initial charge during charging, performs a quick charging if a voltage of the battery pack reaches a predetermined voltage, and judges the battery pack as abnormal if the voltage does not reach the predetermined voltage within the timeout period after the initial charging is started.

4. The battery charger according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the charging controller uses an initial value preset as the timeout period when starting charging.

5. The battery charger according to claim 2 or 3, wherein

the charging controller:

uses an initial value preset as the timeout period when starting charging,

judges whether a battery voltage of the secondary battery is increased, based on a previously obtained battery voltage and a currently obtained battery voltage, and

sets the timeout period instead of the initial value when the secondary battery is a high capacity battery and the battery voltage is judged as being increased.

3. A battery charger for a battery pack, the battery charger including a secondary battery, the battery charger comprising:

a communication unit for performing communication with the battery pack and receiving information on a full charge capacity value of the secondary battery from the battery pack; and

a charging controller which calculates a timeout period based on the full charge capacity value, and

during charging,

performs an initial charging of the battery pack, performs a quick charging if a voltage of the battery pack reaches a predetermined voltage, and

judges the battery pack as abnormal if the voltage does not reach the predetermined voltage within the timeout period after the initial charging is started.

6. A battery charger for a battery pack, comprising:

a communication unit for performing communication with the battery pack and receiving information on a predetermined voltage from the battery pack; and

a charging controller which, during charging, performs an initial charging of the battery pack and performs a quick charging if a voltage of the battery pack reaches a predetermined voltage, and judges the battery pack as abnormal if the voltage does not reach the predetermined voltage within a timeout period after the initial charging is started.

7. The battery charger according to claim 6, wherein:

the communication unit further receives information on the timeout period from the battery pack, and

the charging controller judges the battery pack as abnormal by using the timeout period.

8. The battery charger according to claim 6, wherein:

the communication unit further receives information on a full charge capacity value of the secondary battery from the battery pack, and

a timeout period is calculated based on the full charge capacity value, and

the charging controller judges the battery pack as abnormal by using the calculated timeout period.

9. A method for charging a battery pack, the method comprising:

a communication step of performing communication with the battery pack and receiving information on a timeout period from the battery pack; and

a charge control step of, during charging,

performing an initial charging of the battery pack and performing a quick charging if the voltage of the battery pack reaches a predetermined voltage, and judging the battery pack as abnormal if the voltage does not reach the predetermined voltage within a timeout period after the initial charging is started.

10. A method for charging a battery pack which includes a secondary battery, the method comprising:

a communication step of performing communication with the battery pack and receiving information on a full charge capacity value of the secondary battery from the battery pack; and

a charge control step of

(a) calculating a timeout period based on the full charge capacity value, and

during charging,

(b) performing an initial charging of the battery pack, performing a quick charging if the voltage of the battery pack reaches a predetermined voltage, and

(c) judging the battery pack as abnormal if the voltage does not reach the predetermined voltage within the timeout period after the initial charging is started.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein, in the charging control step, a preset initial value is used as the timeout period when charging is started.

12. The method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein:

the charge control step uses an initial value preset as the timeout period when charging is started, judges whether the battery voltage of the secondary battery is increased, based on a previously obtained battery voltage and a currently obtained battery voltage, and sets the timeout period instead of the initial value when the secondary battery is a high capacity battery and the battery voltage is judged as being increased.

13. A method for charging a battery pack, the method comprising:

a communication step of performing communication with the battery pack and receiving information on a predetermined voltage from the battery pack; and

a charge control step of, during charging,

(a) performing initial charging of the battery pack and performing quick charging if the voltage of the battery pack reaches a predetermined voltage, and

(b) judging the battery pack as abnormal if the voltage does not reach the predetermined voltage within a timeout period after the initial charging is started.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein:

in the communication step, information on a timeout period is received from the battery pack, and

in the charge control step, the battery pack is judged as abnormal by using the timeout period.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein:

in the communication step, information on a full charge capacity value is received from the battery pack, and a timeout period is calculated based on the full charge capacity value, and

in the charge control step, the battery pack is judged as abnormal by using the timeout period.