System and method for charging a rechargeable battery
First Claim
1. A method for charging a rechargeable battery through one of a high power source or a low power source, the method comprising:
- causing a high power charger to charge the battery in response to a corresponding high power input voltage from the high power source comprising a sufficient high power input voltage;
causing a low power charger to charge the battery in response to an insufficient high power input voltage and a corresponding low power input voltage from the low power source comprising a sufficient low power input voltage;
accumulating the amp-hours-out of the battery for more than one time period in which the battery is in a discharge state, including a previous amp-hours-out corresponding to a first time period and a new amp-hours-out corresponding to a second time period;
calculating the aggregate of the amp-hours-out of the battery as a sum of the previous amp-hours-out and the new amp-hours-out;
determining a battery capacity based on the aggregate of an amp-hours-out from the battery;
determining a fast charge required based on the battery capacity, wherein the fast charge is at a higher voltage relative to a normal charge; and
wherein causing the low power charger to charge the battery further comprises setting the low power charger to a fast charge state to provide the fast charge required.
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Abstract
The present invention includes a system and method of charging a rechargeable battery. The system can further include a processor that is adapted to control one of the high power charger or the low power charger to charge the battery in response to the high power input voltage relative to a predetermined high power voltage value and the low power input voltage relative to a predetermined low power voltage value. The method can include the steps of determining a high power input voltage of the high power source, determining a low power input voltage of the low power source, causing a high power charger to charge the battery in response to a sufficient high power input voltage, and causing a low power charger to charge the battery in response to an insufficient high power input voltage and a sufficient low power input voltage.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method for charging a rechargeable battery through one of a high power source or a low power source, the method comprising:
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causing a high power charger to charge the battery in response to a corresponding high power input voltage from the high power source comprising a sufficient high power input voltage; causing a low power charger to charge the battery in response to an insufficient high power input voltage and a corresponding low power input voltage from the low power source comprising a sufficient low power input voltage; accumulating the amp-hours-out of the battery for more than one time period in which the battery is in a discharge state, including a previous amp-hours-out corresponding to a first time period and a new amp-hours-out corresponding to a second time period; calculating the aggregate of the amp-hours-out of the battery as a sum of the previous amp-hours-out and the new amp-hours-out; determining a battery capacity based on the aggregate of an amp-hours-out from the battery; determining a fast charge required based on the battery capacity, wherein the fast charge is at a higher voltage relative to a normal charge; and wherein causing the low power charger to charge the battery further comprises setting the low power charger to a fast charge state to provide the fast charge required. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for charging a battery, comprising:
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a high power charger connected to a high power source defining a high power input voltage for charging a battery; a low power charger connected to a low power source defining a low power input voltage for charging the battery; and a processor connected to the high power charger and the low power charger, the processor adapted to accumulate the amp-hours-out of the battery for more than one time period in which the battery is in a discharge state, including a previous amp-hours-out corresponding to a first time period and a new amp-hours-out corresponding to a second time period, calculate the aggregate of the amp-hours-out of the battery as a sum of the previous amp-hours-out and the new amp-hours-out, control the high power charger to charge the battery in response to the high power input voltage comprising a sufficient high power input voltage, wherein the processor is adapted to control the low power charger to charge the battery in response to the high power input voltage comprising an insufficient high power input voltage and the low power input voltage comprising a sufficient low power input voltage; wherein the processor is further adapted to determine a battery capacity based on the aggregate of an amp-hours-out from the battery, and to determine a fast charge required based on the battery capacity, wherein the fast charge is at a higher voltage relative to a normal charge; and wherein the processor is further adapted to set the low power charger to a fast charge state to provide the fast charge required when selecting the low power charger to charge the battery. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A computer program product, comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising; code for causing a processor to control a high power charger to charge a battery in response to a corresponding high power input voltage comprising a sufficient high power input voltage; code for causing the processor to control a low power charger to charge the battery in response to the high power input voltage comprising an insufficient high power input voltage and a corresponding low power input voltage comprising a sufficient low power input voltage; code for causing the processor to accumulate the amp-hours-out of the battery for more than one time period in which the battery is in a discharge state, including a previous amp-hours-out corresponding to a first time period and a new amp-hours-out corresponding to a second time period; code for causing the processor to calculate the aggregate of the amp-hours-out of the battery as a sum of the previous amp-hours-out and the new amp-hours-out; code for causing the processor to determine a battery capacity based on an aggregate of the amp-hours-out from the battery; code for causing the processor to determine a fast charge required based on the battery capacity, wherein the fast charge is at a higher voltage relative to a normal charge; and code for causing the processor to set the low power charger to a fast charge state to provide the fast charge required when selecting the low power charger to charge the battery. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An apparatus for charging a rechargeable battery through one of a high power source or a low power source, comprising:
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means for causing a high power charger to charge the battery in response to a sufficient high power input voltage from the high power source; means for causing a low power charger to charge the battery in response to an insufficient high power input voltage from the high power source and a sufficient low power input voltage from the low power source; means for accumulating the amp-hours-out of the battery for more than one time period in which the battery is in a discharge state, including a previous amp-hours-out corresponding to a first time period and a new amp-hours-out corresponding to a second time period; means for calculating the aggregate of the amp-hours-out of the battery as a sum of the previous amp-hours-out and the new amp-hours-out; means for determining a battery capacity based on an aggregate of an amp-hours-out from the battery; means for determining a fast charge required based on the battery capacity, wherein the fast charge is at a higher voltage relative to a normal charge; and wherein the means for causing the low power charger to charge the battery further comprises means for setting the low power charger to a fast charge state to provide the fast charge required.
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Specification