Method and Apparatus for Charging a Battery to an Enhanced Capacity

• US 20110018503A1
• Filed: 10/01/2010
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Burton, Andrew F., Patino, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US12/896,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20110018503A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/162
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage

Abstract

A lithium-ion battery (126) is normally charged using a constant current/constant voltage charge regime (206, 210), where the battery is charged to a preselected normal voltage level (210) whereupon the voltage is maintained at the limit while the charging current diminishes. The battery charge capacity can be selectively increased by charging the battery to an enhanced voltage level (212) and it can recorded that the battery voltage passed the normal voltage limit. The enhanced charging mode is selected by a user via a device user interface (112), or alternatively by a broadcast command (304) transmitted to the device.

Claims

1. A method of charging a battery to provide enhanced capacity, comprising:

selecting an enhanced capacity charge mode for the battery coupled to a portable device,

wherein the enhanced capacity charge mode comprises;

charging the battery with a constant charging current until a battery voltage reaches an enhanced voltage limit that is higher than a normal voltage limit, and then charging the battery at a constant voltage substantially equal to the enhanced voltage limit; and

recording that the battery voltage passes the normal voltage limit in a memory associated with the battery.

2. The method of charging a battery as defined in claim 1, wherein the selecting is performed via a user interface of the portable device.

3. The method of charging a battery as defined in claim 2, wherein the selecting is performed via a graphical user interface of the portable device.

4. The method of charging a battery as defined in claim 1, wherein the selecting is performed in response to the portable device receiving a control command.

5. The method of charging the battery as defined in claim 4, wherein the control command comprises an emergency notification.

6. The method of charging the battery as defined in claim 4, wherein the portable device is a mobile communication device, and wherein the control command is received from a fixed equipment network with which the mobile communication device is communicatively connected.

7. The method of charging the battery as defined in claim 4, further comprising:

alerting a user of the portable device upon receipt of the control command.

8. The method of charging the battery as defined in claim 4, wherein the control command includes a broadcast command received from a base station.

9. The method of charging the battery as defined in claim 4, wherein the control command includes a wireless control command.

10. The method of charging the battery as defined in claim 1, wherein the constant charging current is a substantially constant charging current.

11. The method of charging the battery as defined in claim 1, wherein the recording is used to modify a warranty of the battery.

12. A portable device system, comprising:

a portable device;

a battery, coupled to the portable device, and having a battery voltage; and

a charge controller, coupled to the battery, which charges the battery according to either a normal charge regime or an enhanced charge regime based on a control command;

wherein the normal charge regime comprises;

charging the battery with a constant charging current until the battery voltage reaches a normal voltage limit and then charging the battery at a constant voltage substantially equal to the normal voltage limit;

wherein the enhanced charge regime comprises;

charging the battery with a constant charging current until the battery voltage reaches an enhanced voltage limit that is higher than the normal voltage limit, and then charging the battery at a constant voltage substantially equal to the enhanced voltage limit; and

wherein the battery includes a writeable memory in which each instance of the battery voltage exceeding the normal voltage limit is recorded.

13. The portable device system as defined in claim 12, wherein the battery is removeably coupled to the portable device.

14. The portable device system as defined in claim 12, wherein one of the normal charge regime and the enhanced charge regime is selected using a user interface of the portable device.

15. The portable device system as defined in claim 14, wherein the user interface comprises:

a graphical user interface.

16. The portable device system as defined in claim 12 further comprises:

a receiver, of the portable device, for receiving the control command including an emergency notification, from a base station, to use at least one of the normal charge regime and the enhanced charge regime.

17. The portable device system as defined in claim 16, wherein a user of the portable device system is alerted upon receiving the control command.

18. The portable device system of claim 12 further comprising:

a power supply, coupled to the charge controller, for providing the constant charging current and voltage to the battery, wherein the battery is a lithium ion battery.

19. The portable device system as defined in claim 18, wherein:

the power supply is external to the portable device and coupled to the portable device.