External universal battery charging apparatus and method

• US 6,337,557 B1
• Filed: 07/07/2000
• Issued: 01/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Barry K. Kates, Greg R. Fiebrich
• Original Assignee: Barry K. Kates, Greg R. Fiebrich
• Inventors: Fiebrich, Greg R., Kates, Barry K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Toatley, Jr., Gregory J.
• Application Number:
  US09/612,604
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 320/134, 320/112, 320/DIG.12
• US Class Current: 320/112
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits

Abstract

An external universal battery charging apparatus which can include external universal battery charger circuitry having at least one universal battery charger circuitry input and at least one universal battery charger circuitry output. The universal battery charger circuitry output can include at least one battery charger output, which itself can include at least one universal battery connector and at least one universal battery charger cable. The at least one universal battery charger circuitry output can include at least one adapter pass through output, which itself can include at least one connector adapted to operably connect to an electronic device. The external universal battery charger circuitry can include at least one battery recognition and parameter adjustment circuit, battery current parameter adjustment circuit, charged voltage parameter adjustment circuit, and maximum power draw parameter adjustment circuit. The external universal battery charging apparatus can include a maximum rated power supply determination unit. The method can include detecting a battery, identifying characteristics of the battery, and adjusting at least one parameter in universal battery charger circuitry in response to the characteristics of the battery such that optimum battery charging is achieved.

Claims

1. A battery charging method comprising:

coupling a DC power supply to a universal battery charger;

coupling the universal battery charger to a battery;

reading a value of a DC power supply rating factor;

reading a value of a first charging factor that is specifically associated with the battery;

sensing an operating parameter that is related to the DC power supply rating factor;

sensing an operating parameter that is related to the first charging factor; and

controlling the operation of the universal battery charger in a manner that is simultaneously responsive, throughout the operation of the universal battery charger, to the operating parameter that is related to the DC power supply rating factor and to the operating parameter that is related to the first charging factor.

2. A battery charging method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first charging factor is the maximum charge current of the battery.

3. A battery charging method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first charging factor is the maximum rated charged voltage of the battery.

4. A battery charging method as defined in claim 1, wherein the DC power supply rating factor is the maximum rated output power.

5. A battery charging method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

reading the value of a second charging factor that is specifically associated with the battery;

sensing an operating a parameter that is related to the second charging factor; and

controlling the operation of the universal battery charger in a manner that is simultaneously responsive, throughout the operation of the universal battery charger, to the operating parameter related to the first charging factor, the operating parameter related to the second charging factor, and the operating parameter related to the DC power supply rating factor.

6. A battery charging method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the value of the first charging factor to the operating parameter related to the first charging factor;

comparing the value of the DC power supply rating factor to the operating parameter related to the DC power supply rating factor; and

controlling the power delivered by the universal battery charger to the battery.

7. A battery charging method as defined in claim 6, further comprising:

reading the value of a second charging factor that is specifically associated with battery;

sensing an operating parameter derived from the second charging factor; and

controlling the operation of the universal battery charger in response to the operating parameter derived from the second charging factor.

8. A battery charging method as defined in claim 7 wherein the first charging factor is the maximum charge current of the battery.

9. A battery charging method as defined in claim 7, wherein the first charging factor is the maximum rated charged voltage of the battery.

10. A battery charging method as defined in claim 7, wherein the DC power supply rating factor is the maximum rated output power.

11. A battery charging method as defined in claim 1, wherein the DC supply is coupled to the universal battery charger through an element that provides an indication of the operating parameter that is derived from the DC power supply rating factor.

12. A battery charging method as defined in claim 11, wherein the power delivered by the universal battery charger to the battery is controlled in response to the indication of the operating parameter derived from the DC power supply rating factor.

13. A battery charging method as defined in claim 1, wherein the universal battery charger is coupled to a battery through an element that provides an indication of the parameter that is derived from the first charging factor.

14. A battery charging method as defined in claim 13, wherein the power delivered by the universal battery charger to the battery is controlled in response to the indication of the operating parameter that is derived from the first charging factor.

15. A battery charging method as defined in claim 1, wherein:

(a) the DC power supply is coupled to the battery by a gated semiconductor device;

(b) the value of the DC power supply rating factor and the value of the first charging factor are stored in and are read from battery recognition and parameter adjustment circuitry; and

(c) the operation of the universal battery charger is controlled by modulating the pulse width of a control signal applied to the gated semiconductor device.

16. A battery charging method as defined in claim 15, further comprising:

reading the value of a second charging factor that is specifically associated with the battery;

sensing an operating a parameter that is related to the second charging factor; and

controlling the operation of the universal battery charger in a manner that is simultaneously responsive, throughout the operation of the universal battery charger, to the operating parameter related to the first charging factor, the operating parameter related to the second charging factor, and the operating parameter related to the DC power supply rating factor.

17. A battery charging method as defined in claim 15, further comprising:

comparing the value of the first charging factor to the operating parameter related to the first charging factor; and

comparing the value of the DC power supply rating factor to the operating parameter related to the DC power supply rating factor.

18. A battery charging method as defined in claim 17, further comprising:

reading the value of a second charging factor that is specifically associated with battery; and

sensing an operating parameter derived from the second charging factor.

19. A battery charging method comprising:

coupling an AC adapter to a source of AC power;

coupling an output of the AC adapter to a first external battery charger;

coupling the first external battery charger through a first pass-through cable to a portable electronic device; and

coupling the first external battery charger through a first universal battery charger cable to a first battery.

20. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein:

the output of the AC adapter is coupled to the first external battery charger through a second external battery charger and a second pass-through cable; and

the second external battery charger is coupled to a second battery through a second external battery charger cable.

21. A battery charging method as defined in claim 20, wherein:

the first external battery charger cable is connected to the first battery by a first universal battery connector; and

the second external battery charger is connected to the first battery by a second universal battery connector.

22. A battery charging method as defined in claim 21, wherein the first universal battery connector is of a type different from the type of the second universal battery connector.