Method and apparatus for controlling battery recharging
First Claim
1. A method of controlling the charging of a rechargeable battery (17) during the charging thereof by a ferroresonant charging apparatus (16) and the like which provides cyclical periods of substantially zero current flow to the battery during the charging operation, said method comprising the steps of:
- digitizing information representative of a portion of the charging voltage waveform (W) during said period of zero current flow; and
determining the duty cycle content of the digitized information as an indication of the state of charge of the battery.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of and apparatus (10) for controlling the charging of a battery (17) wherein determination of a preselected point in the battery charging operation is determined by a circuit portion (22) determining the duty cycle of digitized waveform information provided by a digitizing circuit portion (21). The digitizing circuit portion provides an output having opposite states depending on the voltage appearing across the battery (17) being charged and a reference voltage provided by the control apparatus (10). The apparatus includes a capacitor (61) having a voltage corresponding to the duty cycle of the digitized information. An output transducer (23) is controlled by the capacitor voltage and additional circuitry of the apparatus (10) including a detecting zener diode (17) so as to cause the transducer to provide an output signal when the effective voltage on the capacitor rises to the zener diode nominal voltage so as to provide current therethrough for effecting the desired control of the transducer (23). The control apparatus (10) includes structure for permitting facilitated calibration thereof when desired.
36 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of controlling the charging of a rechargeable battery (17) during the charging thereof by a ferroresonant charging apparatus (16) and the like which provides cyclical periods of substantially zero current flow to the battery during the charging operation, said method comprising the steps of:
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digitizing information representative of a portion of the charging voltage waveform (W) during said period of zero current flow; and determining the duty cycle content of the digitized information as an indication of the state of charge of the battery. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. Control apparatus (10) for controlling the charging of a rechargeable battery (17), such as a lead acid battery, by means of a ferroresonant battery charger (16) and the like providing alternating periods of current delivery to the battery and periods of substantially no current delivery to the battery and during which a transient voltage (T) having a peak-to-peak voltage in the order of 1% of the fully charged battery voltage appears in the charging voltage waveform (W), said control apparatus comprising:
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digitizing means (21) for digitizing information representative of said transient voltage; determining means (22) for determining the duty cycle content of the digitized information; and control means (23) responsive to said determining means for controlling charging of the battery by said battery charger. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification