Charging method for a battery assembly including a plurality of secondary batteries
First Claim
1. A method of charging a battery assembly including a plurality of secondary batteries, comprising:
- charging the battery assembly;
stopping charging, when the battery assembly is charged to a full charge level;
resuming charging, when the charge level of the battery assembly falls below a predetermined charge level substantially above a full discharge level;
monitoring the charging after the resumption of charging to determine if the resumption of charging is abnormal; and
modifying the charging if the resumption of charging is determined to be abnormal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A charging apparatus charges a battery assembly including a plurality of secondary batteries. After the charging apparatus detects a full charge level, the apparatus stops charging. Then, when the charge level of the battery assembly falls below a predetermined charge level, the charging apparatus resumes charging in order to maintain the secondary battery assembly at a full charge level. The charging apparatus monitors the charging after charging is resumed. When the charging apparatus detects that the charging process after resumption of charging is abnormal, the apparatus modifies the charging. For example, when the battery assembly includes a malfunctioning secondary battery causing an abnormal charge resumption, the apparatus modifies the charging to prevent the other normal secondary batteries in the secondary battery assembly from being overcharged to avoid deterioration.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of charging a battery assembly including a plurality of secondary batteries, comprising:
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charging the battery assembly; stopping charging, when the battery assembly is charged to a full charge level; resuming charging, when the charge level of the battery assembly falls below a predetermined charge level substantially above a full discharge level; monitoring the charging after the resumption of charging to determine if the resumption of charging is abnormal; and modifying the charging if the resumption of charging is determined to be abnormal. - View Dependent Claims (3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16)
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2. A method of charging a battery assembly including a plurality of secondary batteries, comprising:
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charging the battery assembly; stopping charging, when the battery assembly is charged to a full charge level; resuming charging, when the charge level of the battery assembly falls below a predetermined charge level; monitoring the charging after the resumption of charging to determine if the resumption of charging is abnormal, wherein monitoring the charging after the resumption of charging comprises; stopping charging when the battery assembly is charged to the full charge level after charging is resumed; and measuring the time period from the resumption of charging until the charging is stopped; and modifying the charging if the resumption of charging is determined to be abnormal. - View Dependent Claims (4, 12)
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5. A method of charging a battery assembly including a plurality of secondary batteries, comprising:
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charging the battery assembly; stopping charging, when the battery assembly is charged to a full charge level; resuming charging, when the charge level of the battery assembly falls below a predetermined charge level; monitoring the charging after the resumption of charging to determine if the resumption of charging is abnormal, wherein monitoring the charging after the resumption of charging comprises; stopping charging; sampling a first temperature of the battery assembly; resuming charging; stopping charging when the battery assembly is charged to the full charge level; and sampling a second temperature; and
modifying the charging if the resumption of charging is determined to be abnormal. - View Dependent Claims (6, 13)
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17. An apparatus for charging a battery assembly including a plurality of secondary batteries, comprising:
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charging means for charging the battery assembly; stopping means for stopping charging, when the battery assembly is charged to a full charge level; resuming means for resuming charging, when the charge level of the battery assembly falls below a predetermined charge level substantially above a full discharge level; monitoring means for monitoring the charging after the resumption of charging to determine if the resumption of charging is abnormal; and modifying means for modifying the charging if the resumption of charging is determined to be abnormal.
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18. A method of charging a battery assembly including a plurality of secondary batteries, comprising:
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charging the battery assembly; stopping charging when a terminal voltage of the battery assembly has reached first peak and thereafter has decreased by a predetermined voltage Δ
V;resuming charging when the terminal voltage of the battery assembly falls below a predetermined voltage value; stopping charging when the terminal voltage of the battery assembly has reached second peak and thereafter has decreased by the predetermined voltage Δ
V after charging is resumed;measuring a time period from the resumption of charging until the charging is stopped; and stopping the charging if the measured time period is less than a predetermined time period.
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19. An apparatus for charging a battery assembly including a plurality of secondary batteries, comprising:
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a charging circuit that charges the battery assembly; a stopping circuit that stops charging, when the battery assembly is charged to a full charge level; a resuming circuit that resumes charging, when the charge level of the battery assembly falls below a predetermined charge level substantially above a full discharge level; a monitoring circuit that monitors the charging after the resumption of charging to determine if the resumption of charging is abnormal; a modifying circuit that modifies the charging if the resumption of charging is determined to be abnormal.
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20. A method of charging a battery assembly including a plurality of secondary batteries, comprising:
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charging the battery assembly; stopping charging, when the battery assembly is charged to a full charge level; resuming charging, when the charge level of the battery assembly falls below a predetermined charge level after the stopping charging; monitoring the charging after the resumption of charging to determine if the resumption of charging is abnormal; and modifying the charging if the resumption of charging is determined to be abnormal, wherein the resuming charging is done each time the charge level of the battery assembly falls below the predetermined charge level, so that the battery assembly is maintained at the full charge level.
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21. An apparatus for charging a battery assembly including a plurality of secondary batteries, comprising:
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charging means for charging the battery assembly; stopping means for stopping charging when a terminal voltage of the battery assembly has reached first peak and thereafter has decreased by a predetermined voltage Δ
V;resuming means for resuming charging when the terminal voltage of the battery assembly falls below a predetermined voltage value; stopping means for stopping charging when the terminal voltage of the battery assembly has reached second peak and thereafter has decreased by the predetermined voltage Δ
V after charging is resumed;measuring means for measuring a time period from the resumption of charging until the charging is stopped; and stopping means for stopping the charging if the measured time period is less than a predetermined time period.
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22. An apparatus for charging a battery assembly including a plurality of secondary batteries, comprising:
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a charging circuit that charges the battery assembly; a stopping circuit that stops charging when a terminal voltage of the battery assembly has reached first peak and thereafter has decreased by a predetermined voltage Δ
V;a resuming circuit that resumes charging when the terminal voltage of the battery assembly falls below a predetermined voltage value; a stopping circuit that stops charging when the terminal voltage of the battery assembly has reached second peak and thereafter has decreased by the predetermined voltage Δ
V after charging is resumed;a measuring circuit that measures a time period from the resumption of charging until the charging is stopped; and a stopping circuit that stops the charging if the measured time period is less than a predetermined time period.
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Specification