Apparatus and method for shortening a charging time of a multi-battery

• US 6,777,913 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2002
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: You, Dong Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): TIBBITS, PIA FLORENCE
• Application Number:
  US10/188,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20030006734A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 320/125, 320/126, 320/148, 320/149, 320/151, 320/152, 320/157, 320/162, 320/164
• US Class Current: 320/125
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters

Abstract

An apparatus and a method reduces charging time of a multi-battery with a plurality of battery units. A charging process and apparatus charges a first battery unit of a multi-battery, keeps checking whether a current charging the first battery unit reaches a prescribed value, selects and charges a selected second battery unit of the multi-battery along with the first battery unit if the preset value is reached, and charges the second battery unit with a limited maximum magnitude current when the first battery unit is completely charged. Dual-charging operations for both first and second battery units conducted in the present charging process can reduce total charging time of the multi-battery.

Claims

1. An apparatus for charging a multi-battery composed of a plurality of battery units, comprising:

a charger that converts supplied electric power to a first power having a current reference value; and

a controller that receives the first power from said charger, wherein the controller charges a first battery unit of the multi-battery, wherein the controller charges a second battery unit along with the first battery unit if a charging state of the first battery unit reaches a first condition, wherein the controller charges the second battery unit with a current substantially equal to the reference value when the first battery unit reaches a second condition, and wherein the first and second battery units have unequal charges when the controller concurrently charges both the first and second battery units.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller conducts a dual-charging operation for the first and the second battery units when a current charging the first battery unit decreases to a first magnitude, which is smaller than the reference value.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said controller charges the second battery unit with a constant current of a second magnitude which is smaller than the reference value while the first and the second battery units are charged together.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second magnitude is equal to or smaller than the reference value subtracted by the first magnitude.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first battery unit is charged in constant current mode until the first condition is satisfied, and wherein the first battery unit is charged in constant voltage mode after the first condition is satisfied.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second battery unit is charged with the reference value current after the second battery unit is charged with a reduced prescribed magnitude current less than the reference value current, and wherein when a charged voltage reaches the first condition the second battery unit is charged as the current decreases.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller comprises:

a selecting means for selecting one battery unit of the multi-battery and supplying the first power from said charger to the selected battery unit; and

a controlling means for supplying a current of a second magnitude to another battery unit other than the selected battery unit if a current charging the selected battery unit becomes below a first magnitude, both of the first and the second magnitude currents being smaller than the reference value current.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein both of the first and the second magnitude currents are approximately equal.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller charges battery units in each of a first pre-constant current mode, a second constant current mode and a third constant voltage mode, and wherein the second battery unit is sequentially charged in the first mode, the second mode and the third mode.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the current reference value indicates that it is a charging current of limited maximum magnitude outputted from the charger.

9. A method of charging a multi-battery having a plurality of battery units, comprising:

(a) selecting a first battery unit of the multi-battery and charging the selected first battery unit;

(b) checking whether a charging state of the first battery unit reaches a preset first prescribed value;

(c) selecting a second battery unit and charging the selected second battery unit along with the selected first battery unit, wherein a charging state of the selected second battery does not equal the charging state of the selected first battery unit when the selected first and second battery units are simultaneously charging; and

(d) charging the second battery unit and not charging the first battery unit when the charging state of the first battery unit is charged.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, in said step (a), the first battery unit is charged with a reference level current until a charged voltage reaches a target voltage, and is charged with a decreasing current after the target voltage is reached.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said step (b) checks whether a current charging the first battery unit decreases to a first magnitude which is below a reference value.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said step (c) supplies the second battery unit with a current of a second magnitude which is below a reference value.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein a current sum of charging currents supplied to both the first and the second battery unit in said step (c) does not exceed a reference value.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein, in said step (d), the second battery unit is charged with a reference current until a charged voltage reaches a target voltage, and is charged with a decreasing current after the target voltage is reached.

21. The method of claim 9, wherein the charging the selected second battery unit comprises charging in each of a first mode with a first level current below a reference level current, a second mode being a constant current mode and a third mode being a constant voltage mode, and wherein the second battery unit is sequentially charged in the first mode, the second mode and the third mode.

15. An apparatus for charging a multi-battery having a plurality of battery units for a personal computer, comprising:

a charger that outputs a battery charging power having an reference level current;

a battery selector that receives the reference level current and is selectively coupled to the plurality of battery units; and

a controller that controls the battery selector to charge a second battery unit in each of a first mode with a first level current below the reference level current, a second mode being a constant current mode and a third mode being a constant voltage mode, wherein a first battery unit is concurrently charged in the third constant voltage mode when the second battery unit is charged in the first mode.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein in the constant current mode the reference level current is provided to a single battery unit, and wherein the controller monitors a status of the battery units.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the reference level current is insufficient to charge two battery units in the second constant current mode.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a charge level of each of the first and second battery units is different when the second battery unit is concurrently charged with the first battery unit.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second battery unit is sequentially charged in the first mode, the second mode and the third mode.

22. An apparatus for charging a multi-battery composed of a plurality of battery units, comprising:

charging means for converting supplied electric power to a first power having a current reference value; and

controlling means for receiving the first power from said charging means and for charging a second battery unit along with a first battery unit if a charging state of the first battery unit reaches a first condition, wherein the controlling means charges the second battery unit with a current substantially equal to the reference value when the first battery unit reaches a second condition, and wherein the first and second battery units have unequal charges when the controlling means concurrently charges both the first and second battery units.