Method and circuitry to recover energy from discharge signals of a charging operation of a battery/cell

• US 8,901,886 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qnovo, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qnovo, Inc.
• Inventors: Berkowitz, Fred, Maluf, Nadim, Ghantous, Dania
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRANT, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US13/171,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20120001594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 320/118
• US Class Current: 320/118
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process

Abstract

The present inventions, in certain aspects, are directed to techniques and/or circuitry to charge a battery the method comprises (i) charging the battery via a charging sequence, wherein charging the battery includes: (a) applying a plurality of charge signals, and (b) applying one or more discharge signals wherein, in response thereto, the battery outputs electrical energy. In certain embodiments, the electrical energy output by the battery in response to the discharge signals is stored (for example, in a capacitor and/or second battery). The present inventions are also directed to, among other things, an apparatus to charge a battery comprising charging circuitry including: (i) a current source to generate a plurality of charge signals, and (ii) a current sink to generate one or more discharge signals, wherein, in response thereto, the battery outputs electrical energy. The apparatus may also include control circuitry, a storage device (for example, in a capacitor and/or second battery), to store the energy output by the battery in response to the one or more discharge signals, and/or an ambient environmental device to adjust the ambient environment or conditions of the battery using the energy output by the battery in response to the one or more discharge signals.

Claims

1. An apparatus to charge a first battery, wherein the first battery includes at least two terminals, the apparatus comprising:

charging circuitry, coupled to the first battery, to;

generate a plurality of charge signals and apply the plurality of charge signals to the terminals of the first battery, wherein in response to the plurality of charge signals, electrical energy is input into the first battery, and

generate one or more discharge signals and apply the one or more discharge signals to the terminals of the first battery, wherein, in response to the one or more discharge signals, the first battery outputs electrical energy, and

wherein the charging circuitry includes a current sink;

a storage device, selectively coupled to the first battery, to receive and store the electrical energy output by the first battery in response to the one or more discharge signals;

a first switch, disposed between the storage device and the current sink, to responsively and electrically couple the storage device to the current sink when the charging circuitry applies the one or more discharge signals to the first battery; and

control circuitry, coupled to the charging circuitry, to electrically couple the storage device to the first battery via the first switch.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry electrically de-couples the storage device from the first battery when the charging circuitry applies the plurality of charge signals.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a second switch circuit and wherein the second switch circuit is disposed between the storage device and an output terminal to responsively and electrically couple the storage device to the output terminal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further including cell balancing circuitry and wherein the storage device outputs stored electrical energy to the cell balancing circuitry when the control circuitry initiates a cell balancing operation.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further including ambient environmental adjustment device and wherein, in response to control signals from the control circuitry, the storage device outputs stored electrical energy to the ambient environmental adjustment device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein ambient environmental adjustment device includes a heating device to generate heat in response to electrical energy output by the storage device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a second switch circuit and a second battery, and wherein the second switch circuit is disposed between the storage device and the second battery to responsively and electrically couple the storage device to the second battery, and wherein, in response, the electrical energy stored in the storage device is output to the second battery.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a second switch circuit and wherein the second switch circuit is disposed between the storage device and the charging circuitry to responsively and electrically couple the storage device to the charging circuitry.

9. An apparatus to charge a first battery, wherein the first battery includes at least two terminals, the apparatus comprising:

charging circuitry, coupled to the first battery, to;

generate a plurality of charge signals and apply the plurality of charge signals to the terminals of the first battery, wherein in response to the plurality of charge signals, electrical energy is input into the first battery, and

generate one or more discharge signals and apply the one or more discharge signals to the terminals of the first battery, wherein, in response to the one or more discharge signals, the first battery outputs electrical energy, and wherein charging circuitry includes;

a programmable current source to generate the plurality of charge signals and apply the plurality of charge signals to the terminals of the first battery, wherein in response to the plurality of charge signals, electrical energy is input into the first battery, and

a programmable current sink to generate the one or more discharge signals and the apply the one or more discharge signals to the terminals of the first battery, wherein, in response to the one or more discharge signals, the first battery outputs electrical energy; and

a storage device, selectively coupled to the first battery, to receive and store the electrical energy output by the first battery in response to the one or more discharge signals; and

control circuitry, coupled to the charging circuitry, to control the programmable current source and programmable current sink.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further including a first switch circuit, disposed between the storage device and the programmable current sink, to responsively and electrically couple the storage device to the programmable current sink when the one or more discharge signals are applied to the first battery.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 further including a first switch circuit, disposed between the storage device and the programmable current sink, to responsively and electrically de-couple the storage device from the first battery when the programmable current source applies the plurality of charge signals to the first battery.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 further including a second switch circuit, disposed between the storage device and external circuitry, to responsively and electrically couple the storage device to the external circuitry.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 further including monitoring circuitry to generate data which is representative of a terminal voltage of the first battery, wherein the control circuitry adaptively controls the programmable current source and programmable current sink based on the terminal voltage of the first battery.

14. An apparatus to charge a first battery, wherein the first battery includes at least two terminals, the apparatus comprising:

charging circuitry, coupled to the first battery, including;

a current source to generate a plurality of charge signals and apply the plurality of charge signals to the terminals of the first battery, wherein in response to the plurality of charge signals, electrical energy is input into the first battery, and a current sink to generate one or more discharge signals and apply the one or more discharge signals to the terminals of the first battery, wherein, in response to the one or more discharge signals, the first battery outputs electrical energy, and a device, selectively coupled to the first battery, to receive the electrical energy output by the first battery in response to the one or more discharge signals; and

a switch circuit to responsively and electrically couple the current sink to the device when the one or more discharge signals are applied to the first battery.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 further including control circuitry, coupled to the charging circuitry, to couple the first battery to the device when the charging circuitry applies the one or more discharge signals to the first battery.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the control circuitry de-couples the first battery from the device when the charging circuitry applies the plurality of charge signals.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the switch circuit is disposed between the current sink and the device.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the switch circuit responsively and electrically de-couples the current sink from the device when the current source applies the plurality of charge signals to the first battery.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the device is a second battery.

20. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the device is a capacitor.

21. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the current source is programmable.

22. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the current sink is programmable.