Digitally controlled switch mode power supply for charging rechargeable batteries
First Claim
1. A charging circuit for charging a battery, the circuit comprising:
- a. a measurement circuit that determines a parametric battery value while the battery is coupled to the charging circuit; and
b. a control circuit that provides a control signal, the control signal comprising a sequence of consecutive pulses, each pulse comprising a respective duty cycle selected from a set of predetermined duty cycles, the set having a duty cycle resolution, wherein the control circuit selects a plurality of duty cycles for the sequence from the set in response to the battery value; and
c. a supply circuit that receives the control signal and provides a power signal for charging the battery, the power signal having a magnitude and a resolution, the magnitude being responsive to an average of the respective duty cycles, thereby power provided for battery charging is controlled with a power signal resolution of greater precision than the duty cycle resolution.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of charging rechargeable batteries with a switch mode power supply, the method comprising determining one or more battery charging parameters, and controlling the power output of the switch mode power supply by digitally generating a gate signal for controlling opening periods and closing periods of a switching means of the switch mode power supply, each of the durations of the opening periods and the closing periods of the switching means, respectively, being determined in response to the determined one or more battery charging parameters and one or more charging process reference values. In particular, a method is proposed of controlling the duty cycle of a switch in the switch mode power supply during charging of the battery based on determinations of one or more characteristic charging parameters of the charging process and comparisons of determined parameter values with desired parameter values.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A charging circuit for charging a battery, the circuit comprising:
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a. a measurement circuit that determines a parametric battery value while the battery is coupled to the charging circuit; and b. a control circuit that provides a control signal, the control signal comprising a sequence of consecutive pulses, each pulse comprising a respective duty cycle selected from a set of predetermined duty cycles, the set having a duty cycle resolution, wherein the control circuit selects a plurality of duty cycles for the sequence from the set in response to the battery value; and c. a supply circuit that receives the control signal and provides a power signal for charging the battery, the power signal having a magnitude and a resolution, the magnitude being responsive to an average of the respective duty cycles, thereby power provided for battery charging is controlled with a power signal resolution of greater precision than the duty cycle resolution. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for charging a battery, the method comprising:
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providing a switch mode power supply comprising a switching element for developing an output signal for charging the battery, the switching element operative in response to a control signal; comparing a reference course and a measured parameter of the battery; determining a desired pulse width in response to the comparison; and providing the control signal to comprise a plurality of pulses, each pulse having a pulse width generated with fixed resolution, the plurality having a moving average pulse width responsive to the desired pulse width, thereby charging the battery in response to the reference course. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for charging a battery, the method comprising:
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providing a switch mode power supply comprising a switching element for developing an output signal for charging the battery, the switching element operative in response to a control signal; comparing a reference course and a measured parameter of the battery; determining a desired duty cycle in response to the comparison; and providing the control signal to comprise a plurality of pulses, each pulse having a duty cycle generated with fixed resolution, the plurality having a moving average duty cycle responsive to the desired duty cycle, thereby charging the battery in response to the reference course. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for controlling charging of a battery, the method comprising:
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providing a memory having a plurality of stored reference courses; measuring a parameter of the battery at each of a plurality of times during charging; developing a parameter course from the plurality of measurements; selecting a reference course from the plurality of reference courses by comparing the parameter course to at least one stored reference course; governing further charging in response to the selected reference course; and repeating the steps of measuring, developing, selecting, and governing.
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29. A method for controlling charging of a battery, the method comprising:
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providing a memory having a plurality of stored reference courses, each course comprising a multiplicity of values, each value being a rate of change; measuring a rate of change of a parameter of the battery at each of a plurality of times during charging; developing a parameter course from the plurality of measurements; selecting a reference course from the plurality of reference courses by comparing the parameter course to at least one stored reference course; governing further charging in response to the selected reference course; and repeating the steps of measuring, developing, selecting, and governing.
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Specification