Battery set structure and charge/discharge control apparatus for lithium-ion battery

• US 5,903,131 A
• Filed: 01/20/1998
• Issued: 05/11/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Harashima, Masaru, Uchida, Akihiko, Motomiya, Hirohito, Morioka, Shizuo, Tanaka, Masayasu, Tsukazawa, Hisao, Morita, Masanori, Sekine, Shigeru, Kasashima, Masahiko, Hosoya, Nobuyuki, Ukiya, Yoshiaki, Mitsui, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIN, KYUNG E
• Application Number:
  US09/009,422
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 320/106, 320/107, 320/112, 320/114
• US Class Current: 320/106
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/396 Acquisition or processing of data for testing or for monitoring individual cells or groups of cells within a battery
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/569 Constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements G01R31/364
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

In a battery-driven portable computer, a battery pack is constituted by m battery sets connected in series each including n lithium-ion secondary battery cells connected in parallel. A voltage monitor for monitoring the voltage of the terminal electrode of each battery set and a charger for independently appropriately charging each battery set in accordance with a monitor result are arranged, thereby realizing battery driving by a lithium-ion secondary battery pack having a large capacity.

Claims

1. A battery pack for a portable electronic equipment, comprising:

a secondary battery;

a programmable nonvolatile memory for storing state information of the secondary battery;

an interface circuit for externally access-controlling the memory;

a microcomputer, arranged through the interface circuit, for performing information exchange between the memory and an external apparatus;

a power supply terminal for externally applying an operating power supply voltage to the nonvolatile memory and the microcomputer; and

a volatile memory in which the nonvolatile memory is partially copied;

wherein, when a read request for the state information of the secondary battery is output from the electronic equipment having the battery pack, and read-requested data is present in the volatile memory, the microcomputer outputs the data stored in the volatile memory to the electronic equipment instead of reading the data from the nonvolatile memory, when a write request for the state information of the secondary battery is output from the electronic equipment, the microcomputer writes write data in the volatile memory, and only when the battery pack is detached from the electronic equipment, the microcomputer writes the write data in the nonvolatile memory.

2. In a charge control system for a battery pack incorporating a secondary battery, a charge control apparatus for the battery pack, characterized by comprising a battery pack having a storage unit for storing identification information for identifying battery packs, means for reading the identification information from the storage unit of the battery pack at a predetermined period, storing the identification information upon each read operation, and comparing the currently read identification information with the previously read identification information to detect a presence/absence of exchange of the battery pack during a charge operation, and charge control means for stopping the charge operation and starting the charge operation of the exchanged battery pack upon detection of exchange of the battery pack during the charge operation.

3. In a system for charging a second battery having characteristics representing that an open battery voltage is substantially proportional to a battery residual capacity,

a battery residual capacity detecting apparatus comprising means for changing a charge current, means detecting the charge current, means for detecting a battery voltage, means for temporarily changing the charge current to obtain a battery voltage at a charge current of zero ampere from the detected battery voltages at different charge currents, and means for comparing the battery voltage at the charge current of zero ampere with a predetermined battery voltage according to a specified battery capacity, wherein the battery voltage at the charge current of zero ampere is obtained from the measured battery voltages at the different charge currents obtained upon changing the charge current, and the battery voltage is compared with the predetermined known battery voltage to obtain a battery capacity at the charge current of zero ampere, thereby detecting the battery residual capacity during a charge operation;

and

a charge control apparatus for a battery pack, wherein the battery pack has a storage section for storing charge state information of the battery pack, and upon detection of exchange of the battery pack during charge operation, the charge operation of the exchanged battery pack is started in accordance with the charge state information stored in the storage section of the exchanged battery pack.

4. In a system for charging a second battery having characteristics representing that an open battery voltage is substantially proportional to a battery residual capacity,

a battery residual capacity detecting apparatus comprising means for changing a charge current, means for detecting the charge current, means for detecting a battery voltage, means for temporarily changing the charge current to obtain a battery voltage at a charge current of zero ampere from the detected battery voltages at different charge currents, and means for comparing the battery voltage at the charge current of zero ampere with a predetermined battery voltage according to a specified battery capacity, wherein the battery voltage at the charge current of zero ampere is obtained from the measured battery voltages at the different charge currents obtained upon changing the charge current, and the battery voltage is compared with the predetermined known battery voltage to obtain a battery capacity at the charge current of zero ampere, thereby detecting the battery residual capacity during a charge operation;

and

a charge control apparatus for a battery pack, wherein the battery pack has a storage section for storing charge state information of the battery pack, and upon detection of exchange of the battery pack during charge operation, the storage section is initialized, the charge operation of the exchanged battery back is started, and the charge state information according to the charge operation is stored in the storage section.