Battery charging control system

• US 5,432,427 A
• Filed: 11/29/1993
• Issued: 07/11/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chih-Cheng Chiang
• Original Assignee: Chih-Cheng Chiang
• Inventors: Chiang, Chih-Cheng
• Primary Examiner(s): KINCAID, KRISTINE LYNN
• Application Number:
  US08/158,302
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 320/31, 320/32, 320/35, 320/36, 320/39, 320/40
• US Class Current: 320/136
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells

Abstract

A battery charging control system includes an external power supply charging sub-system consisting of a power input automatic regulator, a current input control gate circuit, a first high-frequency full-wave rectifier, and a master control IC, and operated to charge a battery set according to the voltage of the battery set. Also, a light energy charging sub-system consisted of a light energy/electric power converter, an overvoltage protection control circuit, a second high-frequency full-wave rectifier, a current inductor, a temperature control gate circuit and the aforesaid master control IC, and controlled to charge the battery set according to the power level and temperature of the battery set.

Claims

1. A battery charging control system for charging a battery with a charging power from a power source and comprised of

means for connecting said battery charging control system to an external power supply;

a short-circuit protection circuit which protects the battery in case of a short circuit in the external power supply during the charging of the battery;

an instant overvoltage protection circuit which prohibits an electrical surge from damaging the battery when the external power supply is used to charge the battery;

a power input automatic regulator;

a master control IC which monitors the power state of the battery and controls said power input automatic regulator in forming a charging circuit to charge the battery;

a current input control gate circuit, said power input automatic regulator cooperating with said master control IC to monitor the charging power, and to automatically regulate the volume of charging power according to the power state of the battery and then to provide a corresponding control signal to said current input control gate circuit;

said current input control gate circuit responding to said control signal to let a proper volume of charging power pass to the battery or to stop the charging power from passing to the battery;

a high-frequency full-wave rectifier means for fully rectifying the charging power into a DC power supply for charging the battery;

a converter which converts the radiant energy of light collectable from a light source into electrical power for charging the battery;

an overvoltage protection control circuit which monitors the voltage of said converter so as to provide a signal used to provide suitable charging voltage for charging the battery;

a current indicator detects the change of the power at the battery and then sends a signal to said master control IC causing it to give an instruction to charge or stop from charging the battery;

a temperature control gate circuit;

detects the temperature for permitting charging power to be regulated according to the condition of the temperature, so as to minimize the influence of temperature on the battery during the battery charging; and

a first, second and third lamp indicator means for indicating the working status of the battery charging control system, said first and third lamp indicator means being turned on during a rapid charging mode, said first lamp indicator means being turned on during a slow charging mode, and said second lamp indicator means being turned on when the radiant energy of the light source is being converted into electrical power and employed to charge the battery.

2. The battery charging control system of claim 1 wherein when the light source is employed to charge the battery, said overvoltage protection control circuit and said second high-frequency full-wave rectifier and said current indicator and said temperature control gate circuit and said master control IC are combined into a charging circuit to charge the battery.

3. The battery charging control system of claim 1 wherein when the external power supply is employed to charge the battery, said power input automatic regulator and said current input control gate circuit and said first high-frequency full-wave rectifier and said master control IC are combined into a charging circuit to charge the battery.

4. The battery charging control system of claim 1 wherein the input charging power is rectified by said first or second high-frequency full-wave rectifier into pure direct current power for charging the battery.

5. The battery charging control system of claim 1 wherein during the charging from the external power supply, the voltage of the input charging power is controlled by said power input automatic regulator and said current input control gate circuit and said master control IC to charge the battery, and said current indicator detects the power state of the battery for permitting the input charging power to charge the battery according to the detected power state of the battery.

6. The battery charging control system of claim 1 wherein when battery temperature is below 5°

C. or over 50°

C. during charging, said current indicator and said temperature control gate circuit and said master control IC control the voltage and current level of the charging power so as to charge the battery under a low current level of 0.1 mA at a slow speed without damaging the battery.

7. A battery charging control system for charging a battery with a charging power from a power source and comprised of

means for connecting said battery charging control system to an external power supply;

a power input automatic regulator which can receive power from the external power supply;

a master control IC which monitors the power state of the battery and controls said power input automatic regulator to control the charging of the battery;

a current input control gate circuit, said power input automatic regulator cooperating with said master control IC to monitor the charging power and to automatically regulate the volume of charging power according to the power state of the battery and to provide a corresponding control signal to said current input control gate circuit, said current input control gate circuit responding to said control signal to let a proper volume of charging power pass to the battery or to stop the charging power from going to the battery;

a converter which converts the radiant energy of light collectable from a light source into electrical power for charging the battery;

a current indicator detects the change of the power at the battery and then sends a signal to said master control IC causing it to give an instruction to charge or stop from charging the battery; and

a temperature control gate circuit detects the temperature of the battery for permitting charging power to be regulated according to the temperature, so as to minimize the influence of temperature on the battery during the battery charging.

8. The battery charging control system of claim 7 and further including a short-circuit protection circuit which protects the battery in case of a short circuit in the external power supply during the charging of the battery.

9. The battery charging control system of claim 8 and further including an instant overvoltage protection circuit which prohibits an electrical surge from damaging the battery when the external power supply is used to charge the battery.

10. The battery charging control system of claim 9 and further including a high-frequency full-wave rectifier means for fully rectifying the charging power into a DC power supply for charging the battery.

11. The battery charging control system of claim 10 and further including an overvoltage protection control circuit which monitors the voltage of said converter so as to provide a signal used to provide suitable charging voltage for charging the battery.

12. The battery charging control system of claim 11 and further including a first, second and third lamp indicator means for indicating the working status of the battery charging control system, said first and third lamp indicator means being turned on during a rapid charging mode, said first lamp indicator means being turned on during a slow charging mode, and said second lamp indicator means being turned on when the radiant energy of the light source is being converted into electrical power and employed to charge the battery.

13. The battery charging control system of claim 7 and further including an instant overvoltage protection circuit which prohibits an electrical surge from damaging the battery when the external power supply is used to charge the battery.

14. The battery charging control system of claim 7 and further including a high-frequency full-wave rectifier means for fully rectifying the charging power into a DC power supply for charging the battery.

15. The battery charging control system of claim 7 and further including an overvoltage protection control circuit which monitors the voltage of said converter so as to provide a signal used to provide suitable charging voltage for charging the battery.

16. The battery charging control system of claim 7 and further including a first, second and third lamp indicator means for indicating the working status of the battery charging control system, said first and third lamp indicator means being turned on during a rapid charging mode, said first lamp indicator means being turned on during a slow charging mode, and said second lamp indicator means being turned on when the radiant energy of the light source is being converted into electrical power and employed to charge the battery.

17. The battery charging control system of claim 7 wherein when battery temperature is below 5°

C. or over 50°

C. during charging, said current indicator and said temperature control gate circuit and said master control IC control the voltage and current level of the charging power so as to charge the battery at a low current and at a slow speed.