Batteries and battery systems
First Claim
1. A battery pack comprising:
- at least one electrical energy-providing cell forming a battery;
positive and negative terminals connected to said at least one cell and adapted to receive electrical current from a battery charging current source in providing charging of said at least one cell;
a memory in which predetermined battery parameters definitive of a battery pack characteristic are storable, one of said battery parameters in said memory being a battery pack characteristic indicative of full charge in said at least one cell;
means for sensing at least the onset of said one battery parameter indicative of full charge in said at least one cell;
a selective current shunting circuit operably connected to said positive and negative terminals connected to said at least one cell;
said means for sensing at least the onset of said battery parameter indicative of full charge in said at least one cell including a temperature coefficient resistor in said selective current shunting circuit, said temperature coefficient resistor being connected to said positive and negative terminals and extending across said at least one cell;
said selective current shunting current further includinga voltage-controlled switch connected to said temperature coefficient resistor, said voltage-controlled switch being in an open state to render said current shunting circuit inoperable during normal usage of the battery pack, anda first resistor connected in series with said voltage-controlled switch and to said positive and negative terminals such that said first resistor and said voltage-controlled switch extend across said at least one cell in electrically parallel relationship with respect to said temperature coefficient resistor;
said temperature coefficient resistor being responsive to an increase in the temperature of said at least one cell indicative of the onset of full charge in said at least one cell and decreasing the resistance of said temperature coefficient resistor to adapt the battery pack to provide charge current shunting; and
said selective current shunting circuit being rendered operable in response to an increased voltage applied to said voltage-controlled switch closing said switch by virtue of the resistance decreasing in said temperature coefficient resistor in response to an increase in the cell temperature to provide charge current shunting of electrical current provided from the battery charging current source to said positive and negative terminals in a direction through said current shunting circuit and bypassing said at least one cell in providing protection against overcharge.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Battery pack which includes rechargeable battery cells in conjunction with a charge protection circuit to prevent damage to the battery pack. The battery pack further includes a component in which predetermined battery parameters definitive of a battery pack characteristic may be stored, together with a battery parameter sensor, and a micro-controller responsive to the sensing of a battery parameter for controlling the battery pack characteristic based upon the sensed parameter. In one aspect, the sensed parameter may be the onset of substantially full charge as provided by a current source operably connected to the battery pack and subject to being disconnected when a predetermined cell temperature is reached which is indicative of full charge.
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Citations
5 Claims
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1. A battery pack comprising:
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at least one electrical energy-providing cell forming a battery; positive and negative terminals connected to said at least one cell and adapted to receive electrical current from a battery charging current source in providing charging of said at least one cell; a memory in which predetermined battery parameters definitive of a battery pack characteristic are storable, one of said battery parameters in said memory being a battery pack characteristic indicative of full charge in said at least one cell; means for sensing at least the onset of said one battery parameter indicative of full charge in said at least one cell; a selective current shunting circuit operably connected to said positive and negative terminals connected to said at least one cell; said means for sensing at least the onset of said battery parameter indicative of full charge in said at least one cell including a temperature coefficient resistor in said selective current shunting circuit, said temperature coefficient resistor being connected to said positive and negative terminals and extending across said at least one cell; said selective current shunting current further including a voltage-controlled switch connected to said temperature coefficient resistor, said voltage-controlled switch being in an open state to render said current shunting circuit inoperable during normal usage of the battery pack, and a first resistor connected in series with said voltage-controlled switch and to said positive and negative terminals such that said first resistor and said voltage-controlled switch extend across said at least one cell in electrically parallel relationship with respect to said temperature coefficient resistor; said temperature coefficient resistor being responsive to an increase in the temperature of said at least one cell indicative of the onset of full charge in said at least one cell and decreasing the resistance of said temperature coefficient resistor to adapt the battery pack to provide charge current shunting; and said selective current shunting circuit being rendered operable in response to an increased voltage applied to said voltage-controlled switch closing said switch by virtue of the resistance decreasing in said temperature coefficient resistor in response to an increase in the cell temperature to provide charge current shunting of electrical current provided from the battery charging current source to said positive and negative terminals in a direction through said current shunting circuit and bypassing said at least one cell in providing protection against overcharge. - View Dependent Claims (2, 4)
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3. A battery pack comprising:
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at least one electrical-energy providing cell forming a battery; positive and negative terminals connected to said at least one cell and adapted to receive electrical current from a battery charging current source in providing charging of said at least one cell; a memory in which predetermined battery parameters definitive of a battery pack characteristic are storable, one of said battery parameters in said memory being a battery cell temperature threshold attained when substantially full charge has been restored to said at least one cell; a temperature detector for sensing the onset of the temperature threshold attained when substantially full charge has been restored to said at least one cell; a selective current shunting circuit operably connected to said positive and negative terminals connected to said at least one cell; a micro-controller for monitoring and regulating a battery characteristic as defined by a predetermined battery parameter including the battery cell temperature threshold as a battery pack characteristic indicative of full charge in said at least one cell, said micro-controller being operably connected to said temperature detector and being responsive to said temperature detector detecting a temperature at or exceeding the battery cell temperature threshold indicative of full charge in said at least one cell to adapt the battery pack to provide charge current shunting; said micro-controller being responsive to the detection of a temperature rise by said temperature detector to a magnitude reaching the battery cell temperature threshold indicative of the onset of full charge in said at least one cell for rendering said current shunting circuit operable to provide charge current shunting of electrical current provided from the battery charging current source to said positive and negative terminals in a direction bypassing said at least one cell; said selective current shunting circuit including a shunting transistor having a control gate, said shunting transistor being connected across said positive and negative terminals so as to extend across said at least one cell; said micro-controller being operably connected to the control gate of said shunting transistor; and said shunting transistor being rendered conductive in response to an increased voltage applied to the control gate thereof by said micro-controller in response to an increase in the cell temperature as detected by said temperature detector such that electrical current is transmitted through said shunting transistor when conductive of said selective current shunting circuit so as to bypass said at least one cell in providing protection against overcharge.
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5. A battery pack comprising:
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at least one electrical energy-providing cell forming a battery; positive and negative terminals connected to said at least one cell and adaptive to receive electrical current from a battery charging current source in providing charging of said at least one cell; a memory in which predetermined battery parameters definitive of a battery pack characteristic are storable, one of said battery parameters in said memory being a battery pack characteristic indicative of full charge in said at least one cell; means for sensing at least the onset of said one battery parameter indicative of full charge in said at least one cell; and a selective current shunting circuit operably connected to said positive and negative terminals connected to said at least one cell; said sensing means being responsive to the detection of the onset of full charge in said at least cell to adapt the battery pack to provide charge current shunting by rendering said current shunting circuit operable to provide charge current shunting of electrical current provided from the battery charging current source to said positive and negative terminals in a direction bypassing said at least one cell in providing protection against overcharge; said means for sensing at least the onset of said one battery parameter indicative of full charge in said at least one cell including a temperature coefficient resistor in said selective current shunting circuit, said temperature coefficient resistor being connected to said positive and negative terminals and extending across said at least one cell; and said current shunting circuit including a voltage-controlled switch connected to said temperature coefficient resistor, said voltage-controlled switch being in an open state to render said current shunting circuit inoperable during normal usage of the battery pack; said current shunting circuit being rendered operable in response to an increased voltage applied to said voltage-controlled switch closing said switch by virtue of the resistance decreasing in said temperature coefficient resistor in response to an increase in the cell temperature to provide charge current shunting of electrical current in a direction through said current shunting circuit and bypassing said at least one cell.
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Specification