Electronics with multiple charge rate

• US 8,138,726 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2010
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boston-Power Inc.
• Original Assignee: Boston-Power Inc.
• Inventors: Partin, Phillip E., Lampe-Onnerud, Christina M.
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US12/906,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20110115434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 320/160, 320/116, 320/137
• US Class Current: 320/160
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule

Abstract

One or more buttons, located either on a battery pack or on an electronic device powered by the battery pack, that allow the user to charge the battery of a portable device faster than normal. Electronic circuitry is provided for activating the charge mode choices.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a device housing;

a lithium ion charge storage power supply coupled to the device housing;

electronics in the device housing powered by the charge storage power supply; and

a charging circuit having plural modes of operation to charge the charge storage power supply from an external power source at least three different charging rates.

2. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the charge storage power supply is a single storage cell.

3. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the charge storage power supply comprises multiple cells in series with no cells in parallel.

4. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the modes of operation to charge the storage power supply includes a normal charge rate and at least one fast charge rate.

5. The electronic device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the charging circuit transitions to the normal charge rate upon completing the at least one fast charge rate.

6. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein electronics of the electronic device form a computer.

18. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plural modes of operation include a constant current normal mode and at least one constant current fast charge mode.

19. The electronic device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the at least one fast charge mode has a charge rate substantially greater than a charge rate of the normal mode.

20. The electronic device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the normal mode has a charge rate equal to or less than 1C and the at least one fast charge mode has a charge rate greater than 1C.

21. The electronic device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the at least one fast charge mode enables a charge time less than half of a charge time enabled by the normal mode.

22. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microcontroller monitors the charging rate of the battery pack.

23. The electronic device as claimed in claim 22, further comprising a host controller in communication with the microcontroller, and wherein the microcontroller communicates to the host controller the monitored charge rate of the battery pack.

24. The electronic device as claimed in claim 22, wherein the host controller monitors and manages the charge rate of the battery pack.

29. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the modes of operation to charge the storage power supply include at least two fast charge modes.

30. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the modes of operation to charge the storage power supply include a slow charge mode.

7. A method of charging a lithium ion charge storage power supply in an electronic device, the method comprising:

powering electronics in the electronic device by the lithium ion charge storage power supply;

changing a charging rate of a charging circuit among at least three different charging rates; and

charging the charge storage power supply coupled to the electronic device from an external power source at the charging rate.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein charging the charge storage supply includes charging a single storage cell.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein charging the charge storage supply includes charging multiple cells in series with no cells in parallel.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein changing a rate of charging a charging circuit having plural modes of operation includes changing between a constant current normal charge rate and at least one constant current fast charge rate.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising transitioning to the normal charge rate upon completing the at least one fast charge rate.

12. The method as claimed in claim 7, further including housing the charging circuit in a battery pack that houses the charge storage power supply.

13. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the electronic device includes electronics forming a computer.

14. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the charging circuit includes a constant current normal charge mode and at least one constant current fast charge mode.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one fast charge mode has a charge rate substantially greater than a charge rate of the normal charge mode.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the normal mode has a constant current charge rate equal to or less than 1C and the at least one fast charge mode has a constant current charge rate greater than 1C.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one fast charge mode enables a charge time less than half of a charge time enabled by the normal mode.

31. The method as claim in claim 7, wherein changing a rate of charging a charging circuit having plural modes of operation includes changing between a constant current normal charge rate and at least two constant current fast charge rates.

32. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein changing a rate of charging a charging circuit having plural modes of operation includes changing between a constant current normal charge rate, a constant current fast charge rate, and a constant current slow charge rate.

25. A portable computer comprising:

a computer device housing;

a lithium ion battery pack coupled to the device housing;

electronics in the device housing powered by the battery pack; and

a microcontroller that changes the charging rate of the battery pack among at least three different charging rates.

26. The portable computer as claimed in claim 25, wherein the at least three different charge rates include a normal mode having a constant current charge rate equal to or less than 1C and at least one fast charge mode having a constant current charge rate substantially greater than 1C.

27. The portable computer as claimed in claim 26, wherein the at least three different charge rates include at least two fast charge modes.

28. The portable computer as claimed in claim 26, wherein the at least three different charge rates include a slow charging mode.