Device and a method allowing multiple batteries to share a common load
First Claim
1. A battery system, functionally connectable to a main battery and for augmenting the battery current supplied by the main battery to a load, comprising:
- a supplemental battery, having a battery unit and an output control circuit, the battery unit having a different capacity or capability than the main battery the output control circuit having an output control input and being operative to adjust the level of the voltage supplied to the load in response to signals received on the output control input; and
a current adapter, functionally connected to the main battery and the output control input of the supplemental battery, and operative to detect the battery current supplied to the load, generate an output adjust signal as a function of the current, and provide the output adjust signal to the output control input of the supplemental battery.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a battery system, a device, and a method to allow multiple batteries with varying capacities and power capabilities to drive a common load. Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for adjusting the output current of one or more of the batteries driving a common load to maximize the operational time of the load. The level of the current being supplied by the battery unit is monitored and compared to a desired current level. Upon detecting a change in the level of the current, the output voltage of one or more of the battery systems is modified to return the level of the battery current to the desired current level. This is accomplished by detecting the battery current (31) with a detector (66) and transforming the change in the battery current into an error signal (76) by comparing a voltage, representative of the battery current (31) with a reference value (72). The error signal (76) is then converted into an output adjust signal (62) by an adjuster (78). The output adjust signal (62) indicates whether the level of the battery current (31) needs to be adjusted and whether the adjustment should result in increasing or decreasing the battery current (31).
74 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A battery system, functionally connectable to a main battery and for augmenting the battery current supplied by the main battery to a load, comprising:
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a supplemental battery, having a battery unit and an output control circuit, the battery unit having a different capacity or capability than the main battery the output control circuit having an output control input and being operative to adjust the level of the voltage supplied to the load in response to signals received on the output control input; and a current adapter, functionally connected to the main battery and the output control input of the supplemental battery, and operative to detect the battery current supplied to the load, generate an output adjust signal as a function of the current, and provide the output adjust signal to the output control input of the supplemental battery. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method for regulating the combined power output of a battery unit having a main battery and a supplemental battery, the supplemental battery having a different capacity or capability than the main battery, comprising the steps of:
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monitoring the current of the supplemental battery; detecting when the level of the current in the supplemental battery drops below a first threshold value; and increasing the output voltage of the supplemental battery to at least the first threshold value. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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6. A device for providing an output adjust signal for regulating the combined output current of a plurality of battery units sharing a common load, comprising:
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a detector, operative to detect the level of the output current from at least one of the plurality of battery units and in response, generate a load signal representative of the level of the output current; a comparator, operative to compare the load signal to at least one reference signal, and in response, generate an error signal representative of the results of the comparison; and an adjuster, operative to receive the error signal and adjust the output voltage of at least one of the plurality of battery units to reduce the value of the error signal. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for providing an output adjust control signal to adjust automatically the output power of at least one of a plurality of battery units connected across a common load, wherein the at least one of the plurality of battery units has a different capacity or capability than the remaining plurality of battery units, comprising the steps of:
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detecting the current being supplied by the battery unit, converting the battery current into a detected voltage, and comparing the detected voltage to a reference voltage; generating an upward output adjust signal for increasing the output power of the at least one of the plurality of battery units when the detected voltage is more negative than the reference signal; and generating a downward adjustment signal for decreasing the output power of the at least one of the plurality of battery units when the detected voltage is more positive than the reference signal.
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Specification