Method for charging and discharging a smart battery of an electronic equipment

• US 6,097,175 A
• Filed: 08/25/1998
• Issued: 08/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoon, Ji-Seob
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUK, LAWRENCE W
• Application Number:
  US09/139,755
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 320/130, 320/132, 320/136, 320/134, 320/135
• US Class Current: 320/132
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A system and process of properly controlling the charging and discharging a smart battery of an electronic equipment even if data information of the smart battery is not exact. The process is comprised of receiving data information from the smart battery and then detecting a charged level of the smart battery; checking, through analog/digital converting terminals a power terminal of the smart battery and directly detecting a battery voltage of the smart battery; determining whether the charged level is at a low-charged level; determining whether the battery voltage is lower than a first predetermined voltage; outputting the low battery state to the system if the charged level is at the low-charged level and the battery voltage is lower than the first predetermined voltage; determining whether the charged level is at a shut-down level; and determining whether the battery voltage is lower than a second predetermined voltage, and turning off the system, if the battery voltage is lower than the second predetermined voltage.

Claims

1. A method for charging a smart battery having an embedded microprocessor for intelligent battery management in an electronic equipment, comprises the steps of:

receiving data information from the microprocessor of the smart battery and detecting a charged level of the smart battery from the data information;

checking a power terminal and a temperature terminal of the smart battery and directly detecting a battery voltage of the smart battery;

determining whether the charged level of the smart battery is at a fully-charged level, and whether the battery voltage is higher than a predetermined voltage; and

completing the charging, when the charged level of the smart battery is at the fully-charged level and the battery voltage is higher than said predetermined voltage.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprised of rechecking whether the data information received from the microprocessor to ensure for accuracy after the charged level of the smart battery is determined at the fully-charged level.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprised of said predetermined voltage corresponding to 14.5 Volts.

4. A method for charging a smart battery having an embedded microprocessor implemented for intelligent battery management, comprises the steps of:

receiving data information from the smart battery and detecting a charged level of the smart battery from the data information;

determining whether the charged level of the smart battery is at a fully-charged level;

when the charged level of the smart battery is at the fully-charged level, checking a power terminal of the smart battery and directly detecting a battery voltage of the smart battery;

determining whether the battery voltage of the smart battery is greater than a predetermined voltage; and

completing the charging, when the battery voltage of the smart battery is greater than said predetermined voltage.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprised of rechecking whether the data information received from the microprocessor to ensure for accuracy after the charged level of the smart battery is determined at the fully-charged level.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprised of said predetermined voltage corresponding to 14.5 Volts.

7. A method for charging and discharging a smart battery having an embedded microprocessor for intelligent battery management in an electronic system, comprising the steps of:

receiving data information from the microprocessor of the smart battery and determining a charged level of the smart battery;

detecting a battery voltage of the smart battery from a power terminal of the smart battery; and

determining whether the smart battery is in a charged or discharged state by comparing a charged level, determined from data information received from the microprocessor, and a voltage, directly received from a voltage terminal of the smart battery.

8. A method for discharging a smart battery having an embedded microprocessor for intelligent battery management in an electronic system, comprises the steps of:

receiving data information from the microprocessor of the smart battery and detecting a charged level of the smart battery from the data information;

checking a power terminal and a temperature terminal of the smart battery and directly detecting a battery voltage of the smart battery;

determining whether the charged level of the smart battery is at a low-charged level;

when the charged level of the smart battery is at the low-charged level, determining whether the battery voltage of the smart battery is less than a first predetermined voltage;

when the battery voltage of the smart battery is less than said first predetermined voltage, outputting a low battery indication of the low-charged level to the electronic system;

after the low battery indication of the low-charged level is output to the electronic system, determining whether the charged level of the smart battery is at a shut-down level;

when the charged level of the smart battery is at the shut-down level, determining whether the battery voltage of the smart battery is less than a second predetermined voltage; and

when the battery voltage of the smart battery is less than said second predetermined voltage, shutting down the electronic system.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprised of said first predetermined voltage corresponding to 11.9 Volts.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprised of said second predetermined voltage corresponding to 10.9 Volts.

11. A method for discharging a smart battery having an embedded microprocessor implemented for intelligent battery management, comprises the steps of:

receiving data information from the smart battery and detecting a charged level of the smart battery from the data information;

checking a power terminal and a temperature terminal of the smart battery and directly detecting a battery voltage of the smart battery;

determining whether the charged level of the smart battery is at a low-charged level;

when the charged level of the smart battery is at the low-charged level, determining whether the data information received from the microprocessor of the smart battery is checked twice;

after the data information received from the microprocessor of the smart battery is checked twice, determining whether the battery voltage of the smart battery is less than a first predetermined voltage;

when the battery voltage of the smart battery is less than said first predetermined voltage, outputting a low battery indication of the low-charged level to the electronic system;

after the low battery indication of the low-charged level is output to the electronic system, determining whether the charged level of the smart battery is at a shut-down level;

when the charged level of the smart battery is at the shut-down level, again determining whether the data information received from the microprocessor of the smart battery is checked twice;

after the data information received from the microprocessor of the smart battery is again checked twice, determining whether the battery voltage of the smart battery is less than a second predetermined voltage; and

when the battery voltage of the smart battery is less than said second predetermined voltage, shutting down the electronic system.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprised of said first predetermined voltage corresponding to 11.9 Volts.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprised of said second predetermined voltage corresponding to 10.9 Volts.

14. A method for discharging a smart battery having an embedded microprocessor implemented for intelligent battery management, comprises the steps of:

receiving data information from the smart battery and detecting a charged level of the smart battery from the data information;

determining whether the charged level of the smart battery is at a low-charged level;

when the charged level of the smart battery is at the low-charged level, determining whether the data information received from the microprocessor of the smart battery is checked twice;

after the data information received from the microprocessor of the smart battery is checked twice, checking a power terminal of the smart battery and directly detecting a battery voltage of the smart battery;

determining whether the battery voltage of the smart battery is less than a first predetermined voltage;

when the battery voltage of the smart battery is less than said first predetermined voltage, outputting a low battery indication of the low-charged level to the electronic system;

after the low battery indication of the low-charged level is output to the electronic system, determining whether the charged level of the smart battery is at a shut-down level;

when the charged level of the smart battery is at the shut-down level, again determining whether the data information received from the microprocessor of the smart battery is checked twice;

after the data information received from the microprocessor of the smart battery is again checked twice, checking again the power terminal of the smart battery and directly detecting the battery voltage of the smart battery;

determining whether the battery voltage of the smart battery is less than a second predetermined voltage; and

when the battery voltage of the smart battery is less than said second predetermined voltage, shutting down the electronic system.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprised of said first predetermined voltage corresponding to 11.9 Volts.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprised of said second predetermined voltage corresponding to 10.9 Volts.