Staggered multi-battery battery charging

• US 8,823,324 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2010
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energizer Brands, LLC (Energizer Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Eveready Battery Company Incorporated (Energizer Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brandon, Michael J. II
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOATENG, ALEXIS ASIEDUA
• Application Number:
  US12/973,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20110121790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: 320/125, 320/160, 320/104, 320/107, 320/108, 320/110, 320/126, 320/127, 320/124, 320/112, 320/113, 320/114, 320/115
• US Class Current: 320/125
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00038 using passive battery identification means, e.g. resistors or capacitors identification by mechanical connections H02J7/0045
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00041 in response to measured battery parameters, e.g. voltage, current or temperature profile
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A battery charging method includes generating a plurality of charge profiles, each for a different one of a plurality of batteries, wherein a charge profile indicates a charge current as a function of charge time, and at least two of the charge profiles have a different charge current at a same charge time, and concurrently charging each of the plurality of batteries based on a corresponding charge profile.

Claims

1. A battery charging method, comprising:

generating a plurality of charge profiles, each for a different one of a plurality of batteries, wherein a charge profile indicates a charge current as a function of charge time, and at least two of the charge profiles have a different non-zero charge current at a same charge time such that the at least two charge profiles form a staggered charge profile; and

concurrently charging each of the plurality of batteries by continually supplying charge current that fluctuates between at least two non-zero current levels based on the staggered charge profile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the staggered charge profile is based on an available power drawn by a charger using the method.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the staggered charge profile is based on an available charge current for charging the plurality of batteries.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the staggered charge profile is based on a state of charge of the corresponding battery.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the staggered charge profile is based on a temperature of the corresponding charging battery.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the staggered charge profile is based on a temperature of at least one adjacent charging battery.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the staggered charge profile is based on a number of battery charging bays being used to charge batteries.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the staggered charge profile is based on a charge time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the staggered charge profile is based on a charging priority.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the batteries includes one or more electrochemical cells.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the batteries includes a capacitor.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of charge profiles include a charging current that fluctuates over a charge interval based on factors.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the factors include one or more of the charge capacity of the batteries, the charge state of the batteries, the charge time for the batteries, a power draw, a number of the batteries, temperature, and user defined charging parameters.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising optimizing each of the plurality of charge profiles.

15. A battery charger, comprising:

a charge profile generator that generates a different charge profile for each of a plurality of batteries to be charged, wherein at least two of the charge profiles are staggered in that they include charge current profiles that differ from each other over time; and

charging circuitry that concurrently charges at least two batteries by continually supplying charge current that fluctuates between at least two non-zero current levels based on respective generated charge profiles.

16. The battery charger of claim 15, further including a state of charge determiner, wherein the charge profile generator generates the charge profiles based on a state of charge of at least one of the batteries.

17. The battery charger of claim 15, further including a battery temperature determiner, wherein the charge profile generator generates the charge profiles based on a temperature of at least one of the batteries.

18. The battery charger of claim 15, further including an algorithm bank that includes at least one algorithm used by the charge profile generator to generate the charge profiles.

19. The battery charger of claim 18, wherein the at least one algorithm is based on one or more of a charge capacity of each battery, a charge state of each battery, a charge time for each battery, a maximum current draw of the charger, a number of batteries being charged, and a temperature of each battery.

20. The battery charger of claim 15, wherein the charge profile generator generates the charge profiles based on a power draw of the battery charger.