Method and circuitry to adaptively charge a battery/cell
First Claim
1. A method to adaptively charge a battery, wherein the battery includes at least two terminals, the method comprising:
- applying a charge signal to the terminals of the battery, wherein the charge signal includes a plurality of charge packets, wherein each charge packet includes at least one pulse;
measuring a voltage at the terminals of the battery;
determining data which is representative of a relaxation time of the battery, wherein the relaxation time is an amount of time between (i) a time corresponding to (a) an end of the at least one pulse of a charge packet of the charge signal and/or (b) a peak of a change in the voltage at the terminals of the battery due to the at least one pulse of the charge packet and (ii) a time corresponding to when the voltage at the terminals of the battery decays to at least a predetermined voltage;
determining whether the data which is representative of a relaxation time exceeds a predetermined range and/or is greater than a predetermined value; and
adapting one or more characteristics of the charge signal if the data which is representative of a relaxation time exceeds the predetermined range and/or is greater than the predetermined value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present inventions, in one aspect, are directed to techniques and/or circuitry to adaptively charge a battery/cell using data which is representative of a change in terminal voltage of the battery/cell. In another aspect, the present inventions are directed to techniques and/or circuitry to adaptively charge a battery/cell using data which is representative of a partial relaxation time of the battery/cell. In yet another aspect the present inventions are directed to techniques and/or circuitry to adaptively charge a battery/cell using data which is representative of an overpotential or full relaxation time of the battery/cell. In another aspect the present inventions are directed to techniques and/or circuitry to adaptively charge a battery/cell using data which is representative of a state of charge of the battery/cell. In another aspect the present inventions are directed to techniques and/or circuitry to adaptively charge a battery/cell using data which is representative of a state of health of the battery/cell.
150 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A method to adaptively charge a battery, wherein the battery includes at least two terminals, the method comprising:
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applying a charge signal to the terminals of the battery, wherein the charge signal includes a plurality of charge packets, wherein each charge packet includes at least one pulse; measuring a voltage at the terminals of the battery; determining data which is representative of a relaxation time of the battery, wherein the relaxation time is an amount of time between (i) a time corresponding to (a) an end of the at least one pulse of a charge packet of the charge signal and/or (b) a peak of a change in the voltage at the terminals of the battery due to the at least one pulse of the charge packet and (ii) a time corresponding to when the voltage at the terminals of the battery decays to at least a predetermined voltage; determining whether the data which is representative of a relaxation time exceeds a predetermined range and/or is greater than a predetermined value; and adapting one or more characteristics of the charge signal if the data which is representative of a relaxation time exceeds the predetermined range and/or is greater than the predetermined value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method to adaptively charge a battery, wherein the battery includes at least two terminals, the method comprising:
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applying a charge signal to the terminals of the battery, wherein the charge signal includes a plurality of charge packets, wherein each charge packet includes at least one pulse; measuring a voltage at the terminals of the battery; determining data which is representative of a first relaxation time of the battery, wherein the first relaxation time is an amount of time between (i) a time corresponding to (a) an end of the at least one pulse of a first charge packet of the charge signal and/or (b) a peak of a change in the voltage at the terminals of the battery due to the at least one pulse of the first charge packet and (ii) a time corresponding to when the voltage at the terminals of the battery decays to at least a first predetermined voltage; determining data which is representative of a second relaxation time of the battery, wherein the second relaxation time is an amount of time between (i) a time corresponding to (a) an end of the at least one pulse of a second charge packet of the charge signal and/or (b) a time corresponding to a peak of a change in the voltage at the terminals of the battery due to the at least one pulse of the second charge packet and (ii) a time corresponding to the voltage at the terminals of the battery decays to at least a second predetermined voltage, wherein the second predetermined voltage is less than the first predetermined voltage; determining whether the data which is representative of a second relaxation time exceeds a predetermined range and/or is greater than a predetermined value; adapting one or more characteristics of the charge signal based on or using the data which is representative of the first relaxation time; and adapting one or more characteristics of the charge signal if the data which is representative of the second relaxation time exceeds the predetermined range and/or is greater than the predetermined value. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. An apparatus to adaptively charge a battery, wherein the battery includes at least two terminals, the apparatus comprising:
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charging circuitry, coupled to the battery, to generate a charge signal and apply the charge signal to the terminals of the battery, wherein the charge signal includes a plurality of charge packets, wherein each charge packet includes at least one pulse; measuring circuitry, coupled to the battery, to measure a voltage at the terminals of the battery; control circuitry, coupled to the charging circuitry and the measuring circuitry, and configured to (i) receive data which is representative of the voltage at the terminals of the battery from the measuring circuitry and output one or more control signals to the charging circuitry, wherein the control circuitry is configured to; determine data which is representative of a relaxation time of the battery, wherein the relaxation time is an amount of time for the voltage at the terminals of the battery to decay to a predetermined voltage; determine whether the data which is representative of a relaxation time exceeds a predetermined range and/or is greater than a predetermined value; and generate the one or more control signals if the data which is representative of the relaxation time exceeds the predetermined range and/or is greater than the predetermined value to adapt one or more characteristics of the charge signal. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. An apparatus to adaptively charge a battery, wherein the battery includes at least two terminals, the apparatus comprising:
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charging circuitry, coupled to the battery, to generate a charge signal and apply the charge signal to the terminals of the battery, wherein the charge signal includes a plurality of charge packets, wherein each charge packet includes at least one pulse; measuring circuitry, coupled to the battery, to measure a voltage at the terminals of the battery; control circuitry, coupled to the charging circuitry and the measuring circuitry, and configured to (i) receive data which is representative of the voltage at the terminals of the battery from the measuring circuitry and output one or more control signals to the charging circuitry to change one or more characteristics of the charge signal, wherein the control circuitry is configured to; determine data which is representative of a first relaxation time of the battery, wherein the first relaxation time is an amount of time for the voltage at the terminals of the battery to decay, in response to a first charge packet, to a first predetermined voltage; determine whether the first relaxation time exceeds a first predetermined range and/or is greater than a first predetermined value; determine data which is representative of a second relaxation time of the battery, wherein the second relaxation time is an amount of time for the voltage at the terminals of the battery to decay, in response to a second charge packet, to at least a second predetermined voltage, wherein the first relaxation time is substantially less than the second relaxation time; determine whether the second relaxation time exceeds a second predetermined range and/or is greater than a second predetermined value; generate the one or more control signals if; the first relaxation time exceeds the first predetermined range and/or is greater than the first predetermined value, and/or the second relaxation time exceeds the second predetermined range and/or is greater than the second predetermined value. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification