Battery charging apparatus, electronic apparatus, and charging method

• US 8,854,014 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2011
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Client Solutions CO., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Horie, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRANT, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US13/095,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20110267000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 320/162
• US Class Current: 320/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a charging method of a charging apparatus includes a protector for stopping charging of a battery when a first voltage value of the battery exceeds a threshold value, the method includes, measuring a second voltage value of the battery, before the battery is charged, calculating an impedance value of the battery, before the battery is charged, calculating, based on the second voltage value, the impedance value, and the threshold value, an overvoltage protection current value when charging of the battery is stopped by the protector, supplying charging power having the first charging current value based on a maximum allowable current value which is set for the battery when the charging is not stopped by the protector, and supplying charging power having a second charging current value based on the overvoltage protection current value when the charging is stopped by the protector.

Claims

1. A battery charging apparatus comprising:

a charging module configured to charge a battery, the battery associated with a maximum allowable current value;

a voltage measurement module configured to measure a first voltage value associated with the battery;

an impedance measurement module configured to measure an impedance value associated with the battery;

a protector configured to send a charge stop command to the charging module, in response to the first voltage value of the battery exceeding a threshold value;

a current value calculator configured to calculate, based on the first voltage value, the impedance value, and the threshold value, an overvoltage protection current value; and

a charging current value setting module configured to determine a first charging current value based on the maximum allowable current value, and to determine a second charging current value based on the overvoltage protection current value,

wherein the charging current value setting module is configured to set the second charging current value to the charging module when the maximum allowable current value is higher than the overvoltage protection current value and to set the first charging current value when the maximum allowable current value is not higher than the overvoltage protection current value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the charging current value setting module is further configured to set the first charging current value to the charging module and the charging current value setting module is further configured to set the second charging current value to the charging module.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a charge start command sending module configured to send, to the charging module, a command to start the charging.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the start command is sent after the charging current value setting module determines the first charging current value or determines the second charging current value.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the charging current value setting module is configured to determine the first charging current value before the battery has been charged a predetermined number of times.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, the charging current value setting module is configured to compare the maximum allowable current value with the overvoltage protection current value.

6. An electronic apparatus comprising;

a charging module configured to charge a battery, the battery associated with a maximum allowable current value;

a voltage measurement module configured to determine a first voltage value of the battery;

an impedance value measurement module configured to determine an impedance value of the battery;

a protector configured to send, to the charging module, a charge stop command;

a current value calculator configured to calculate, based on the first voltage value, impedance value, and threshold value, an overvoltage protection current value associated with the battery;

a charging current value setting module configured to determine a first charging current value based on the maximum allowable current value and to determine a second charging current value based on the overvoltage protection current value; and

a charge start command sending module configured to send a command to start the charging after the charging current value setting module determines the first charging current value or the second charging current value,

wherein the current value calculator calculates the overvoltage protection current value when the charge was stop command was sent.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the charging current value setting module is further configured to set the first charging current value to the charging module and the charging current value setting module is further configured to set the second charging current value to the charging module.

9. A battery charging apparatus comprising:

a charging module configured to charge a battery, the battery associated with a maximum allowable current value;

a voltage measurement module configured to measure a first voltage value associated with the battery;

an impedance measurement module configured to measure an impedance value associated with the battery;

a protector configured to send a charge stop command to the charging module, in response to the first voltage value of the battery exceeding a threshold value;

a current value calculator configured to calculate, based on the first voltage value, the impedance value, and the threshold value, an overvoltage protection current value; and

a charging current value setting module configured to determine a first charging current value based on the maximum allowable current value, and to determine a second charging current value based on the overvoltage protection current value,

wherein the charging current value setting module is configured to determine the first charging current value and to determine the second charging current value when, or after, the protector sends the charge stop command to the charging module.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the charging current value setting module is further configured to set the first charging current value to the charging module and the charging current value setting module is further configured to set the second charging current value to the charging module.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a charge start command sending module configured to send, to the charging module, a command to start the charging.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the start command is sent after the charging current value setting module determines the first charging current value or determines the second charging current value.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the charging current value setting module is configured to determine the first charging current value before the battery has been charged a predetermined number of times.