Discharge circuit

• US 7,710,072 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2006
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ICC-Nexergy, Inc
• Original Assignee: Nexergy, Inc. (ICC-Nexergy, Inc)
• Inventors: Ibrahim, Randolph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Bao Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang; Jue
• Application Number:
  US11/326,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20060176020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 324/426, 324/427, 320/127, 320/131, 307/64, 307/66
• US Class Current: 320/127
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage

Abstract

According to the invention, an apparatus for robust battery discharge which provides uninterrupted power to a discharge circuit used in a discharge cycle is disclosed. The apparatus may have a discharge circuit for discharging a battery. The discharge circuit may be adapted to be coupled with a discharge load and configured to discharge the battery using the discharge load during a discharging cycle. The apparatus may have a first power input and a second power input, which may configured to receive power from a first power source and a second power source, respectively. The power inputs may be further configured to supply power to the discharge circuit. The apparatus may have a power switching circuit for switching power from the first power source to the second power source when the first power source is interrupted. The second power source may be the battery.

Claims

1. A battery conditioning apparatus for robust battery discharge which provides uninterrupted power to a battery conditioning control circuit used in a discharge cycle, the apparatus comprising:

a battery conditioning control circuit that controls the discharging of a battery through a discharge load for discharging the battery, wherein;

the battery conditioning control circuit is adapted to be coupled with the discharge load; and

the battery conditioning control circuit is configured to substantially discharge the battery using the discharge load during a discharging cycle controlled by the battery conditioning control circuit;

a first power input, wherein;

the first power input is configured to receive power from a first power source; and

the first power input is further configured to supply power to operate the battery conditioning control circuit;

a second power input, wherein;

the second power input is configured to receive power from a second power source; and

the second power input is further configured to supply power to operate the battery conditioning control circuit; and

a power switching circuit for switching power from the first power source to the second power source, wherein;

when the first power source is interrupted, the power switching circuit switches power from the first power source to the second power source; and

the second power source comprises the battery.

2. The battery conditioning apparatus for robust battery discharge which provides uninterrupted power to a battery conditioning control circuit used in a discharge cycle as recited in claim 1, wherein the discharge load comprises at least one resistive element.

3. The battery conditioning apparatus for robust battery discharge which provides uninterrupted power to a battery conditioning control circuit used in a discharge cycle as recited in claim 1, wherein a load value of the discharge load is reduced when the power is switched to the second power source.

4. The battery conditioning apparatus for robust battery discharge which provides uninterrupted power to a battery conditioning control circuit used in a discharge cycle as recited in claim 1, wherein the first power source is powered by alternating-current.

5. The battery conditioning apparatus for robust battery discharge which provides uninterrupted power to a battery conditioning control circuit used in a discharge cycle as recited in claim 1, wherein the power switching circuit switches power from the second power source to the first power source when the first power source is no longer interrupted.

6. The battery conditioning apparatus for robust battery discharge which provides uninterrupted power to a batter2£

conditioning control circuit used in a discharge cycle as recited in claim 1, wherein;

at least a portion of an operating load is also the discharge load; and

the operating load is powered by the battery during normal operation outside of the discharge cycle.

7. The battery conditioning apparatus for robust battery discharge which provides uninterrupted power to a battery conditioning control circuit used in a discharge cycle as recited in claim 1, further comprising a shut-down circuit configured to shut down the battery conditioning control circuit based, at least in part, on a discharge level of the battery.

8. The battery conditioning apparatus for robust battery discharge which provides uninterrupted power to a battery conditioning control circuit used in a discharge cycle as recited in claim 1, further comprising a shut-down circuit configured to shut down the battery conditioning control circuit based, at least in part, on the length of time the power is switched to the second power source.

9. The battery conditioning apparatus for robust battery discharge which provides uninterrupted power to a battery conditioning control circuit used in a discharge cycle as recited in claim 1, further comprising a data storage circuit configured to store data related to the discharge cycle.

21. The battery conditioning apparatus for robust battery discharge which provides uninterrupted power to a battery conditioning control circuit used in a discharge cycle as recited in claim 1, wherein the second power input comprises a connector for removably connecting the battery conditioning apparatus to the battery.

10. A method for robust battery conditioning which provides uninterrupted power to a battery conditioning control circuit used in a discharge cycle, the method comprising:

discharging a battery using a battery conditioning control circuit, wherein;

the battery conditioning control circuit is adapted to be coupled with a discharge load and to control the discharging of the battery through the discharge load; and

the battery conditioning control circuit is configured to substantially completely discharge the battery using the discharge load during a discharge cycle controlled by the battery conditioning control circuit;

powering the battery conditioning control circuit from a first power source at a first instance in time, wherein the first power source which is different from a second power source;

reacting to an interruption of power in the first power source, wherein reacting to the interruption of power in the first power source comprises a step of;

configuring the battery conditioning control circuit to use power from the second power source; and

powering the battery conditioning control circuit from the second power source at a second instance in time, wherein the second power source comprises the battery.

11. The method for robust battery conditioning which provides uninterrupted power to a battery conditioning control circuit used in a discharge cycle as recited in claim 10, wherein the first instance in time is before the second instance in time.

12. The method for robust battery discharging conditioning which provides uninterrupted power to a battery discharge control, circuit used in a discharge cycle as recited in claim 10, the method further comprising reducing a load value of the discharge load when the battery conditioning control circuit is powered from the second power source.

13. The method for robust battery discharging conditioning which provides uninterrupted power to a battery conditioning control circuit used in a discharge cycle as recited in claim 10, file method further comprising:

reacting to the interruption of power in the first power source no longer existing, wherein reacting to the interruption of power in the first power source no longer existing comprises;

configuring the battery conditioning control circuit to use power from the first power source; and

powering the battery conditioning control circuit from the first power source at a third instance in time.

14. The method for robust battery conditioning which provides uninterrupted power to a battery conditioning control circuit used in a discharge cycle as recited in claim 13, wherein the second instance in time is before the third instance in time.

15. The method for robust battery conditioning which provides uninterrupted power to a battery conditioning control circuit used in a discharge cycle as recited in claim 10, the method further comprising shutting down the battery conditioning control circuit based, at least in part, on the discharge level of the battery.

16. The method for robust battery conditioning which provides uninterrupted power to a battery conditioning control circuit used in a discharge cycle as recited in claim 10, the method further comprising shutting down the battery conditioning control circuit based, at least in part, on the length of time the battery conditioning control circuit is powered by the second power source.

17. The method for robust battery conditioning which provides uninterrupted power to a battery conditioning control circuit used in a discharge cycle as recited in claim 10, the method further comprising storing data related to the discharge cycle.

22. The method for robust battery conditioning which provides uninterrupted power to a battery conditioning control circuit used in a discharge cycle as recited in claim 10, further comprising removably connecting the battery to a battery conditioning apparatus that comprises the battery conditioning control circuit.

18. A machine-readable medium having machine-executable instructions for robust battery discharging conditioning which provides uninterrupted power to a battery conditioning control circuit used in a discharge cycle, wherein the machine-readable medium comprising machine-executable instructions for:

discharging a battery using a battery conditioning control circuit, wherein;

the battery conditioning control circuit is adapted to be coupled with a discharge load; and

the battery conditioning control circuit is configured to discharge the battery using the discharge load during a discharge cycle, controlled by the battery conditioning control circuit, that substantially discharges the battery;

powering the circuit from a first power source at a first instance in time, wherein the first power source which is different from a second power source;

reacting to an interruption of power in the first power source, wherein reacting to the interruption of power in the first power source comprises a step of;

configuring the battery conditioning control circuit to use power from the second power source; and

powering the battery conditioning control circuit from the second power source at a second instance in time, wherein the second power source comprises the battery.

19. A machine-readable medium having machine-executable instructions for robust battery conditioning which provides uninterrupted power to a battery conditioning control circuit used in a discharge cycle, as recited in claim 18, wherein the machine-readable medium further comprise machine-executable instructions for:

reacting to the interruption of power in the first power source no longer existing, wherein reacting to the interruption of power in the first power source no longer existing comprises;

configuring the battery conditioning control circuit to use power from the first power source; and

powering the battery conditioning control circuit from the first power source at a third instance in time.

20. A machine-readable medium having machine-executable instructions for robust battery-conditioning which provides uninterrupted power to a battery conditioning control circuit used in a discharge cycle, as recited in claim 18, wherein the machine-readable medium further comprises machine-executable instructions for:

storing data related to the discharge cycle.