BATTERY PACK, ELECTRONIC APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING CHARGE

• US 20150188326A1
• Filed: 06/20/2014
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: CHOI, Hyung-wook, HWANG, In-sung
• Granted Patent: US 9,455,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery

Abstract

A battery pack includes a battery cell, a charger configured to receive power from an external source, and charge the battery cell by using the supplied power, and a charge controller configured to, when a voltage of the battery cell is lower than a predetermined first voltage even though the battery cell has a problem, control the charger to charge the battery cell.

Claims

1. A battery pack to supply power to an electronic apparatus, comprising:

a battery cell;

a charger configured to receive power from an external source and to charge the battery cell by using the supplied power; and

a charge controller configured to control the charger to charge the battery cell when a voltage of the battery cell is lower than a predetermined first voltage even though the battery cell has a problem.

2. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein when the voltage of the battery cell is lower than the predetermined first voltage, the charge controller controls the charger to charge the battery cell only until the voltage of the battery cell reaches a predetermined second voltage which is higher than the first voltage.

3. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein when the voltage of the battery cell is lower than the predetermined first voltage, the charge controller controls the charger to charge the battery cell only for a predetermined time.

4. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein only when the voltage of the battery cell is lower than the predetermined first voltage, and a temperature of the battery cell is in a predetermined temperature range, the charge controller controls the charger to charge the battery cell.

5. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the charge controller determines whether the battery cell has the problem based on the voltage and the temperature of the battery cell.

6. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein:

the battery pack comprises a plurality of battery cells connected to each other in series; and

even when a voltage of at least one of the plurality of battery cells is lower than the first voltage, and when a voltage of at least one of the other battery cells is higher than a predetermined third voltage, the battery pack controls the charger not to charge the plurality of battery cells.

7. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein:

the charger comprises;

a first charging unit configured to supply a current to the battery cell by a predetermined first current level by using the power from the external source,

a second charging unit configured to supply a current to the battery cell by a second current level which is lower than the first current level, by using the power from the external source, and

a fuse configured to, when the battery cell has the problem, cut off power supply to the first charging unit;

when the battery cell has the problem, the charge controller controls the fuse not to supply external power to the first charging unit; and

when the voltage of the battery cell is lower than the predetermined first voltage even though the battery cell has the problem, the charge controller controls the second charging unit to charge the battery cell.

8. The battery pack of claim 7, wherein the second charging unit outputs a current in a range of 10 mA to 999 mA.

9. The battery pack of claim 7, further comprising:

a second charge controller configured to control the fuse not to supply external power to the first charging unit when the battery cell satisfies a predetermined condition.

10. The battery pack of claim 7, further comprising:

a plurality of terminals configured to receive power from the external source,

wherein the first charging unit comprises one end which is connected to one end of the fuse and the other end which is connected to one end of the battery cell,

wherein the second charging unit comprises one end which is connected to one of the plurality of terminals and the other end which is connected to the one end of the battery cell, and

wherein the battery cell comprises the other end which is connected to another one of the plurality of terminals.

11. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the battery cell is a lithium ion cell.

12. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a user interface configured to receive a user command;

a controller configured to control the user interface to perform a calculation according to the received user command, and to display a screen according to the calculation; and

a power supply configured to supply power to the user interface and the controller by using power provided from an external source and power charged in the battery pack,

wherein when a voltage of the battery cell is lower than a predetermined first voltage even though the battery cell has a problem, the battery pack charges the battery cell.

13. The electronic apparatus of claim 12, wherein the battery pack comprises:

a battery cell;

a first charging unit configured to supply a current to the battery cell by a predetermined first current level by using the power from the external source;

a second charging unit configured to supply a current to the battery cell by a second current level which is lower than the first current level, by using the power from the external source;

a fuse configured to, when the battery cell has a problem, cut off power supply to the first charging unit; and

a charge controller configured to, when the battery cell has a problem, control the fuse not to supply external power to the first charging unit, and when the voltage of the battery cell is lower than the predetermined first voltage even though the battery cell has a problem, control the second charging unit to charge the battery cell.

14. The electronic apparatus of claim 13, wherein when the voltage of the battery cell is lower than the predetermined first voltage, the charge controller controls the charger to charge the battery cell only until the voltage of the battery cell reaches a predetermined second voltage which is higher than the first voltage.

15. The electronic apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

the battery pack comprises a plurality of battery cells connected to each other in series; and

even when a voltage of at least one of the plurality of battery cells is lower than the first voltage, and when a voltage of at least one of the other battery cells is higher than a predetermined third voltage, the charge controller controls the charger not to charge the plurality of battery cells.

16. The electronic apparatus of claim 13, wherein when the battery cell malfunctions, the charge controller notifies a malfunction problem of the battery cell to the controller.

17. A method of controlling charging a battery pack to supply power to an electronic apparatus, the method comprising:

sensing a voltage and a temperature of a battery cell;

determining whether the battery cell has a problem based on the sensed voltage and temperature; and

selectively charging the battery cell according to whether the battery cell has a problem,

wherein when the voltage of the battery cell is lower than a predetermined first voltage even though the battery cell has the problem, the selectively charging comprises charging the battery cell.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein when the voltage of the battery cell is lower than the predetermined first voltage, the selectively charging comprises charging the battery cell only until the voltage of the battery cell reaches a predetermined second voltage which is higher than the first voltage.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein when the voltage of the battery cell is lower than the predetermined first voltage, the selectively charging comprises charging the battery cell only for a predetermined time.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the battery pack comprises a plurality of battery cells connected to each other in series; and

when a voltage of at least one of the plurality of battery cells is lower than the first voltage, and a voltage of at least one of the other battery cells is higher than a predetermined third voltage, the selectively charging comprises not charging the plurality of battery cells.