Electrical apparatus and verification method for battery module thereof

• US 8,912,749 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2011
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Kuo, Yung-Hsien, Chen, Tai-Chuan, Li, Chih-Hung
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US13/150,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20120306505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 320/106, 324/433
• US Class Current: 320/106
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• 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 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electrical apparatus including a battery module and a battery verification module is disclosed. The battery module has a verification circuit and an identification resistor. When the battery module is connected to the battery verification module, the battery verification module obtains a type information of the battery module according to the voltage level on a coupled point between a reference resistor and the identification resistor. The battery verification module transmits a verification request to the verification circuit to allow the verification circuit to transmit a verification signal to the battery verification module through a coupled path between the reference resistor and the identification resistor. The reference resistor is built in the battery verification module.

Claims

1. An electrical apparatus, comprising:

a battery module, having a verification circuit and an identification resistor, wherein the identification resistor is coupled to a first reference voltage; and

a battery verification module, having a reference resistor coupled to a second reference voltage and further comprising;

a main processor, coupled to an end of the reference resistor that is not coupled to the second reference voltage;

a first auxiliary processing module, coupled to the main processor; and

a first voltage dividing resistor, coupled on a coupled path between the first auxiliary processing module and the main processor, wherein a resistance of the first voltage dividing resistor is smaller than a resistance of the reference resistor,

wherein when the battery module is connected to the battery verification module, the reference resistor and the identification resistor are serially connected between the first reference voltage and the second reference voltage, the battery verification module obtains a type information of the battery module according to a voltage on a coupled point between the reference resistor and the identification resistor, the battery verification module transmits a verification request to the verification circuit to allow the verification circuit to transmit a verification signal to the battery verification module through a coupled path between the reference resistor and the identification resistor.

2. The electrical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the verification circuit transmits the verification signal to the battery verification module according to a one-wire protocol.

3. The electrical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the battery module, one end of the identification resistor is coupled to the first reference voltage, and another end of the identification resistor is coupled to the verification circuit.

4. The electrical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first auxiliary processing module obtains the type information of the battery module by reading the voltage on the coupled point between the reference resistor and the identification resistor.

5. The electrical apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first auxiliary processing module comprises:

an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), receiving and converting the voltage on the coupled point between the reference resistor and the identification resistor from an analog format into a digital format, and obtaining the type information according to the voltage on the coupled point between the reference resistor and the identification resistor in the digital format.

6. The electrical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first auxiliary processing module supplies a pull-up voltage to the first voltage dividing resistor, and the main processor transmits a low-level voltage to the coupled point between the reference resistor and the identification resistor to activate the verification request.

7. The electrical apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the low-level voltage is lower than the pull-up voltage.

8. The electrical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after the verification request is completed, the first auxiliary processing module reads and records a voltage variation on the coupled point between the reference resistor and the identification resistor, and a terminal of the main processor coupled to the reference resistor is set as an input terminal.

9. The electrical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first auxiliary processing module is built in the main processor and is coupled to the first voltage dividing resistor through a pin of a general purpose input output (GPIO) port of the main processor.

10. The electrical apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second auxiliary processing module; and

a second voltage dividing resistor, wherein one end of the second voltage dividing resistor is coupled to the end of the reference resistor that is not coupled to the second reference voltage, and another end of the second voltage dividing resistor is coupled to the second auxiliary processing module.

11. The electrical apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first auxiliary processing module obtains the type information of the battery module by reading the voltage on the coupled point between the reference resistor and the identification resistor.

12. The electrical apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the first auxiliary processing module is an ADC, the first auxiliary processing module receives and converts the voltage on the coupled point between the reference resistor and the identification resistor from an analog format into a digital format and obtains the type information according to the voltage on the coupled point between the reference resistor and the identification resistor in the digital format.

13. The electrical apparatus according to claim 10, wherein when the battery verification module transmits the verification request to the verification circuit, the second auxiliary processing module supplies a pull-up voltage to the second voltage dividing resistor, and the main processor transmits a low-level voltage to the coupled point between the reference resistor and the identification resistor to activate the verification request.

14. The electrical apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the low-level voltage is lower than the pull-up voltage.

15. The electrical apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first auxiliary processing module is built in the main processor and is coupled to the first voltage dividing resistor through a pin of a GPIO port of the main processor.

16. A method for verifying a battery module of an electrical apparatus, wherein the electrical apparatus has a battery verification module, the method comprising:

reading a voltage on a coupled terminal of the battery verification module and the battery module, and obtaining a type information of the battery module according to the voltage level;

transmitting a verification request to the verification circuit by using the battery verification module;

transmitting a verification signal to the battery verification module according to the verification request through the coupled terminal of the battery verification module and the battery module by using the verification circuit

supplying a pull-up voltage to the coupled terminal of the battery verification module and the battery module by using an auxiliary processing module of the battery verification module; and

transmitting a low-level voltage to a coupled point between a reference resistor and an identification resistor by using a main processor of the battery verification module, so as to activate the verification request,

wherein the low-level voltage is lower than the pull-up voltage.

17. The battery module verification method according to claim 16, wherein the verification circuit transmits the verification signal to the battery verification module according to a one-wire protocol.

18. The battery module verification method according to claim 16 further comprising:

after the verification request is completed, reading and recording a voltage variation on the coupled terminal of the battery verification module and the battery module by using the auxiliary processing module.