Method and circuit for charging battery of portable apparatus

• US 5,350,996 A
• Filed: 11/09/1992
• Issued: 09/27/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Personal Computers, Ltd. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Tauchi, Takaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hickey, R. J.
• Application Number:
  US07/973,695
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 320/22-24, 320/21, 320/20, 320/39
• US Class Current: 320/160
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007184 in response to battery voltage gradient

Abstract

A battery-power portable apparatus includes a first constant current source supplies a low current to a battery when the battery voltage is initially lower than a reference level, and when the reference level is reached a second constant current source takes over to supply a high charging current. The battery voltage is constantly monitored to detect a peak voltage and a subsequent voltage drop. When the battery voltage drops a predetermined amount from the peak voltage, the second constant current source is disabled, and the first constant current source is rendered active to charge the battery with a low current on an intermittent mode.

Claims

1. A circuit arrangement for charging a rechargeable battery using a DC voltage source, comprising:

a first constant current source connected between said DC voltage source and said battery for producing a current of low value;

a second constant current source connected between said DC voltage source and said battery for producing a current of high value;

means for detecting battery voltage; and

control means responsive to the detected battery voltage for causing said first constant current source to supply the current of low value to said battery when the voltage of said battery is lower than a reference level, causing said second constant current source to supply said current of high value to said battery for a period of time after the voltage of the battery becomes higher than said reference level, and causing said first constant current source to intermittently supply said current of low value upon termination of said period.

2. A circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said battery voltage detecting means comprises means for detecting a peak voltage developed by said battery, and means for detecting when the voltage of the battery drops by a predetermined amount from said peak voltage to terminate said period.

3. A circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means comprises means for causing said first constant current source to intermittently supply the current of low value to said battery when the voltage of said battery is lower than said reference level.

4. A portable apparatus having a battery, said apparatus being powered by an AC-DC adapter, the apparatus comprising:

a first constant current source connected between said AC-DC adapter and said battery for producing a current of low value;

a second constant current source connected between said AC-DC adapter and said battery for producing a current of high value;

first detector means for detecting when the voltage of said battery drops below a reference level to produce a first detector output;

second, peak detector means detecting a peak voltage developed by said battery;

third detector means for detecting when said battery drops by a predetermined amount from said peak voltage to produce a third detector output;

first charge control means responsive to said first detector output for causing said first constant current source to supply said current of low value to said battery, and responsive to said third detector output for causing said first constant current source to intermittently supply said current of low value to said battery; and

second charge control means responsive to the absence of said first detector output for causing said second constant current source to supply said current of high value to said battery and responsive to said third detector output for disabling said second constant current source.

5. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said first charge control means includes means for causing said first constant current source to intermittently supply said current of low value to said battery in response to said first detector output.

6. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said first charge control means includes a timer for detecting when said second constant current source supplies the current of high value to said battery for a period exceeding a predetermined amount of time and generating a timer output as said first detector output.