BATTERY PACK

• US 20150207339A1
• Filed: 01/25/2012
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamburgen, William, Hislop, Frank, Harris, Brandon, Leiba, Aaron, Lakshmikanthan, Srikanth
• Granted Patent: US 9,166,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0445 Multimode batteries, e.g. containing auxiliary cells or electrodes switchable in parallel or series connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/51 Connection only in series
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An apparatus includes a first cell subpack having a plurality of cells arranged in series and a second cell subpack connected in series to the first cell subpack. The second cell subpack includes a plurality of cells arranged in series and at least one cell arranged in parallel with one of the plurality of cells, arranged in series, of the second cell subpack, where the first cell subpack and the second cell subpack use a first voltage rail to provide at least a first voltage level and a second voltage rail to provide a second voltage level, where the first voltage level is different from the second voltage level.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first cell subpack including a plurality of cells arranged in series; and

a second cell subpack connected in series to the first cell subpack, the second cell subpack including a plurality of cells arranged in series and at least one cell arranged in parallel with one of the plurality of cells, arranged in series, of the second cell subpack, wherein the first cell subpack and the second cell subpack use a first voltage rail to provide at least a first voltage level and a second voltage rail to provide a second voltage level, wherein the first voltage level is different from the second voltage level.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second cell subpack includes multiple cells arranged in parallel with one of the plurality of cells, arranged in series, of the second cell subpack and the cells arranged in parallel match each other in battery chemistry and differ from each other in cell capacity.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first voltage level is matched to an expected first load voltage level and the second voltage level is matched to an expected second load voltage level.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a first voltage regulator connected to the first cell subpack and the second cell subpack to regulate the first voltage level to match an expected first load voltage level; and

a second voltage regulator connected to the first cell subpack and the second cell subpack to regulate the second voltage level to match an expected second load voltage level.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein:

the first voltage regulator comprises a boost voltage regulator to regulate the first voltage level to match an expected backlight unit voltage level; and

the second voltage regulator comprises a buck voltage regulator to regulate the second voltage level to match an expected universal serial bus (USB) voltage level.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a balancer connected to the first cell subpack and the second cell subpack, the balancer configured to shuttle charge from the first cell subpack to the second cell subpack.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first cell subpack provides the first voltage level and the second cell subpack provides the second voltage level independent of the first cell subpack.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first cell subpack is configured operate in an operating mode and, at a same time, the second cell subpack is configured to operate in charging mode.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a cell within the first cell subpack charges one or more other cells within the first cell subpack.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a cell within the first cell subpack charges one or more other cells within the second cell subpack.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a third cell subpack having a plurality of cells arranged in series and at least one cell arranged in parallel with one of the plurality of cells, arranged in series, of the third subpack, wherein the third cell subpack is connected in series to the first cell subpack and the second cell subpack and is configured to provide at least a third voltage level, wherein the third voltage level is different from the first voltage level and the second voltage level.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

a first balancer connected to the first cell subpack to transfer charge among the cells within the first cell subpack;

a second balancer connected to the second cell subpack to transfer charge among the cells within the second cell subpack; and

a third balancer connected to the third cell subpack to transfer charge among the cells within the third cell subpack.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a fourth balancer connected to the first cell subpack, the second cell subpack and the third cell subpack, the fourth balancer configured to transfer charge between the first cell subpack, the second cell subpack and the third cell subpack.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

multiple cells arranged in series, the multiple cells configured to provide a first voltage level to a first load through a first voltage rail;

a voltage regulator connected to the first voltage rail, wherein the voltage regulator is charged by the multiple cells in series; and

at least one lithium ion cell connected to an output of the voltage regulator, the lithium ion cell having a battery chemistry different from the multiple cells arranged in series, wherein the voltage regulator is configured to charge the lithium ion cell.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the lithium ion cell is a lithium iron phosphate cell.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the voltage regulator is configured to charge the lithium ion cell only on demand at peak efficiency.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the lithium ion cell is configured to provide a second voltage level to at least a second load through a second voltage rail.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

a first cell subpack comprising multiple matched cells in series to provide a first voltage level; and

a second cell subpack connected in series to the first cell subpack, the second cell subpack comprising multiple unmatched cells in parallel to provide a second voltage level, wherein the first voltage level is different from the second voltage level and the unmatched cells in parallel have a same cell chemistry.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein charge is transferred between the first cell subpack and the second cell subpack to recharge the second cell subpack from the first cell subpack.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the first cell subpack operates independent from the second cell subpack.