Charging apparatus, secondary battery apparatus, charging system, and charging method

• US 6,118,255 A
• Filed: 11/13/1998
• Issued: 09/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Kuniharu, Nagai, Tamiji, Takei, Toshitaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TOATLEY, GREGORY J
• Application Number:
  US09/192,138
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 320/112, 320/107, 320/151, 320/152, 320/153, 320/162
• US Class Current: 320/152
• 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

An over-charging voltage is supplied from a voltage detecting circuit 39 to a priority controlling circuit 46 and a switch circuit 43. A voltage detecting circuit 41 detects a terminal voltage of a secondary battery BT (namely, an over-charging voltage) and supplies the voltage to the switching circuit 43. A current that flows in a resistor 42 is supplied to a cumulating circuit 40 and the switch circuit 43. The cumulating circuit 40 adds a voltage received from the voltage detecting circuit 39 through the priority controlling circuit 46 and a current that flows in the resistor 42 and supplies the added result as a control signal to a charging portion PS. A temperature detecting circuit 44 detects the temperature of a battery pack BP. The detected result is supplied to the switch circuit 43 and a detected voltage switching circuit 45. The switch circuit 43 performs on/off operations corresponding to the received voltage, terminal voltage, current, and temperature. The detected voltage switching circuit 45 switches the voltage of the voltage detecting circuit 39 corresponding to the detected result of the temperature.

Claims

1. A secondary battery apparatus, comprising:

a first terminal for receiving one of a charging voltage and a charging current;

a second terminal for outputting a control voltage and a control signal, the control voltage being generated based on the charging voltage and a reference voltage;

a third terminal for receiving a common voltage;

a secondary battery for receiving one of the charging voltage and the charging current;

switching means connected to the third terminal for stopping a supply of one of the charging voltage and the charging current to the secondary battery;

temperature detecting means for detecting a secondary battery temperature, wherein when said temperature detecting means detects a temperature exceeding a chargeable temperature range corresponding to the reference voltage the control signal is generated; and

voltage selecting means for selecting the reference voltage corresponding to the secondary battery temperature detected by the temperature detecting means.

2. The secondary battery apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

current detecting means for detecting the charging current.

3. A charging system having a charging apparatus and a secondary battery apparatus connected to the changing apparatus via a first signal line, a second signal line, and a third signal line, wherein:

the charging apparatus includes;

a circuit portion for outputting one of a constant charging voltage and a constant charging current;

a first terminal for outputting one of the constant charging voltage and the constant charging current to the secondary battery apparatus;

a second terminal for receiving from the secondary battery apparatus a control voltage and a control signal, the control voltage and the control signal being supplied to the circuit portion; and

a third terminal for supplying a common voltage to the secondary battery apparatus;

the secondary battery apparatus includes;

a secondary battery for receiving one of the constant charging voltage and the constant charging current through the first signal line;

voltage detecting means for detecting the constant charging voltage and for supplying the control voltage and the control signal corresponding to the control voltage to the circuit portion through the second signal line, the control voltage being generated based on the constant charging voltage and a reference voltage;

switching means for stopping a supply of one of the constant charging voltage and the constant charging current connected to the third signal line for supplying a common voltage;

temperature detecting means for detecting a secondary battery temperature, wherein when the temperature detecting means detects a temperature exceeding a chargeable temperature range, the switching means stops supplying one of the constant charging voltage and the constant charging current to the secondary battery, changes the reference voltage, and generates the control signal corresponding to the control voltage, and the charging apparatus detects the control signal corresponding to the control voltage, determines that one of the constant charging voltage and the constant charging current is no longer supplied to the charging apparatus, and controls the circuit portion corresponding to the control voltage; and

voltage selecting means for s electing the reference voltage corresponding to the secondary battery temperature detected by the temperature detecting means.

4. The charging system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the charging apparatus further comprises comparing means for comparing the constant charging voltage and the reference voltage.

5. The charging system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the secondary battery apparatus further comprises current detecting means for detecting the constant charging current.

6. The charging system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the control voltage is generated based on the constant voltage and reference voltage.

7. A charging method for a charging apparatus and a secondary battery apparatus connected to the charging apparatus via a first signal line, a second signal line, and a third signal line, comprising the steps of:

outputting from the charging apparatus one of a constant charging voltage and a constant charging current;

supplying to the secondary battery apparatus one of the constant charging voltage and the constant charging current through the first signal line;

detecting by the secondary battery apparatus the constant charging voltage and supplying from the secondary battery apparatus a control voltage and a control signal to a circuit portion in the charging apparatus through the second signal line, the control voltage being generated based on the constant charging voltage and a reference voltage;

terminating a supply to the secondary battery apparatus of one of the constant charging voltage and the constant charging current via the third signal line used for supplying a common voltage to the secondary battery;

detecting by the secondary battery apparatus a secondary battery temperature and, when the detected temperature of the secondary battery apparatus exceeds a chargeable temperature range, selecting the reference voltage corresponding to the secondary battery temperature detected by the temperature detecting means, stopping, the secondary battery apparatus from supplying one of the constant charging voltage and the constant charging current to the secondary battery, and generating a control signal corresponding to the control voltage;

detecting by the charging apparatus the control signal corresponding to the control voltage;

determining by the charging apparatus that one of the constant charging voltage and the constant charging current are no longer supplied to the secondary battery; and

controlling the circuit portion of the charging apparatus corresponding to the control voltage.