CHARGING CIRCUIT AND CHARGING CONTROL METHOD

• US 20130026974A1
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Futaihua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Futaihua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: HUANG, REN-WEN
• Application Number:
  US13/249,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20130026974A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/18 for batteries; for accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage

Abstract

A charging circuit for a battery includes an input terminal configured for providing a charging voltage, a switching unit connected between the input terminal and the battery, and a protection unit. The protection unit is configured for detecting a voltage of the battery and determining whether the voltage of the battery less than a predetermined voltage and controlling the switching unit to activate or terminate charging of the battery.

Claims

1. A charging circuit for a battery, comprising

an input terminal configured for providing a charging voltage,

a switching unit connected between the input terminal and the battery, and

a protection unit configured for detecting a voltage of the battery and determining whether the voltage of the battery is less than a predetermined voltage,

wherein when the voltage of the battery is less than a predetermined voltage, the protection unit outputs a first control signal to switch on the switching unit to charge the battery by use of the charging voltage;

and

when the voltage of the battery is equal to or greater than the predetermined voltage, the protection unit outputs a second control signal to switch off the switching unit after a predetermined delay time period to terminate charging of the battery.

2. The charging circuit of claim 1, wherein the protection unit comprises a detection circuit and a control circuit, the detection circuit is configured for detecting the voltage of the battery and outputting a corresponding signal to the control circuit, the control circuit is configured for comparing a voltage value of the corresponding signal with a reference voltage, and outputting the second control signal to switch off the switching unit after the predetermined delay time period when the voltage value of the corresponding signal is equal to or greater than the reference voltage.

3. The charging circuit of claim 2, wherein the switching unit comprises a switch element, the switching element comprises a control terminal, a first connection terminal, and a second connection terminal, the first connection terminal is connected to the input terminal for receiving the charging voltage, the second connection terminal is connected to a positive terminal of the battery for providing the charging voltage to charge the battery, a negative terminal of the battery is grounded, and the control terminal is connected to the control circuit for receiving the first control signal or the second control signal.

4. The charging circuit of claim 3, wherein the switch element is a p-channel field-effect transistor.

5. The charging circuit of claim 3, wherein the detection circuit comprises a first resistor and a second resistor, the positive terminal of the battery is grounded via the first resistor and a second resistor in series, and a voltage of the node between the first resistor and a second resistor serves as the corresponding signal and is provided to the control circuit.

6. The charging circuit of claim 5, wherein the control circuit comprises an operational amplifier and a third resistor, the operational amplifier comprises a first input terminal, a second input terminal, and an output terminal, the first input terminal is configured for receiving the corresponding signal of the detection circuit, the second input terminal is provided with the reference voltage, the output terminal is configured for outputting the first control signal or the second control signal to the control terminal of the switching element, and the third resistor is connected between the first input terminal and the output terminal.

7. The charging circuit of claim 6, wherein the reference voltage is a DC voltage, and a value of the reference voltage is related to the predetermined voltage and resistances of the first resistor and the second resistor.

8. The charging circuit of claim 7, wherein the reference voltage follows the formula:

Vr>

Vs*R2/(R1+R2), where Vr represents the reference voltage, Vs represents the predetermined voltage, R1 represents a resistance value of the first resistor, and R2 represents a resistance value of the second resistor.

9. The charging circuit of claim 8, wherein the predetermined voltage is 24V, a ratio between resistances of the first resistor and the second resistor is 1/9, and the reference voltage is 2.5V.

10. The charging circuit of claim 1, wherein the predetermined voltage is a rated voltage value of the battery.

11. A charging circuit for a battery, the charging circuit comprising

an input terminal configured for providing a charging voltage,

a switching unit connected between the input terminal and the battery,

a detection circuit configured for detecting a voltage of the battery and outputting a corresponding signal, and

a control circuit configured for switching on or switching off the switching unit according to the corresponding signal,

wherein when the voltage of the battery is less than a predetermined voltage, the protection unit outputs a first control signal to switch on the switching unit causing the battery to be charged by the charging voltage;

and

when the voltage of the battery is not less than the predetermined voltage, the protection unit outputs a second control signal to switch off the switching unit after a predetermined delay time period causing termination of the charging of the battery.

12. The charging circuit of claim 11, wherein the predetermined voltage is a rated voltage value of the battery.

13. The charging circuit of claim 11, wherein the switching unit comprises a switch element, the switching element comprises a control terminal, a first connection terminal, and a second connection terminal, the first connection terminal is connected to the input terminal for receiving the charging voltage, the second connection terminal is connected to a positive terminal of the battery for providing the charging voltage to charge the battery, a negative terminal of the battery is grounded, and the control terminal is connected to the control circuit for receiving the first control signal or the second control signal.

14. The charging circuit of claim 13, wherein the switch element is a p-channel field-effect transistor.

15. The charging circuit of claim 14, wherein the detection circuit comprises a first resistor and a second resistor, the positive terminal of the battery is grounded via the first resistor and a second resistor in series, and a voltage of the node between the first resistor and a second resistor serves as the corresponding signal and is provided to the control circuit.

16. The charging circuit of claim 15, wherein the control circuit comprises an operational amplifier and a third resistor, the operational amplifier comprises a first input terminal, a second input terminal, and an output terminal, the first input terminal is configured for receiving the corresponding signal of the detection circuit, the second input terminal is provided with a reference voltage, the output terminal is configured for outputting the first control signal or the second control signal to the control terminal of the switching element, and the third resistor is connected between the first input terminal and the output terminal.

17. The charging circuit of claim 16, wherein the reference voltage is a DC voltage, and a value of the reference voltage is related to the predetermined voltage and resistances of the first resistor and the second resistor.

18. The charging circuit of claim 17, wherein the reference voltage follows the formula:

Vr>

Vs*R2/(R1+R2), where Vr represents the reference voltage, Vs represents the predetermined voltage, R1 represents a resistance value of the first resistor, and R2 represents a resistance value of the second resistor.

19. The charging circuit of claim 18, wherein the predetermined voltage is 24V, a ratio of resistances between the first resistor and the second resistor is 1/9, and the reference voltage is 2.5V.

20. A charging control method for a battery, comprising:

detecting a voltage of the battery and outputting a corresponding signal according to the voltage of the battery,

determining whether a voltage value of the corresponding signal is less than a reference voltage,

in response to determining that the voltage value is less than the reference voltage, providing a first control signal to activate or maintain charging of the battery; and

in response to determining that the voltage value is not less than the reference voltage, providing a second control signal after a predetermined delay time period to terminate the charging of the battery.