Battery charger system and method

• US 8,963,485 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2012
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Norman L. Culp
• Original Assignee: Norman L. Culp
• Inventors: Culp, Norman L.
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US13/653,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20140042959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters

Abstract

A battery charger system and method are disclosed for increasing a charge of a battery. In one embodiment of the battery charger, an input for an electric charging power source is configured to supply electrical charging power to a rechargeable battery via an output circuit portion interposed therebetween. A transfer function circuit portion is configured to sense the voltage of the rechargeable battery as a sensing voltage such that the change in the sensing voltage is directly proportional to the internal impedance of the rechargeable battery. A control logic circuit portion is configured to select between: a constant current, variable voltage operational mode; a constant current, scalable voltage operational mode; and a variable current, constant voltage operational mode to furnish rapid recharging of the rechargeable battery.

Claims

1. A battery charger for increasing a charge of a rechargeable battery, the battery charger comprising:

(a) an input for an electric charging power source configured to supply electrical charging power to the rechargeable battery via an output circuit portion interposed therebetween, the output circuit portion having a predetermined reference voltage associated therewith;

(b) a transfer function circuit portion configured to sense the voltage of the rechargeable battery as a sensing voltage, wherein a change in the sensing voltage is directly proportional to the internal impedance of the rechargeable battery;

(c) a control logic circuit portion configured to select between;

(1) a constant current, variable voltage operational mode in which the charging power is defined by a variable resistor set to an initial value;

(2) a constant current, scalable voltage operational mode in which the charging power is defined by an increase in the value of the variable resistor; and

(3) a variable current, constant voltage operational mode; and

(d) a compensation circuit portion disposed between the control logic circuit portion and the output circuit portion, the compensation circuit portion configured to generate the change in the sensing voltage thereacross in the constant current, scalable voltage operational mode;

wherein

the constant current, variable voltage operational mode is configured to drive the output circuit portion to provide a constant current, variable voltage electrical charging power to the rechargeable battery by setting the variable resistor to an initial value until the sensing voltage is equal to the predetermined reference voltage;

the constant current, scalable voltage operational mode is configured to drive the output circuit portion to provide a constant current, scalable electric charging power to the rechargeable battery in response to the sensing voltage exceeding the predetermined reference voltage, the scalable voltage being scaled to the change in the sensing voltage by increasing the value of the variable resistor; and

the variable current, constant voltage operational mode is configured to drive the output circuit portion to provide a variable current, constant voltage electric charging power to the rechargeable battery in response to the sensing voltage exceeding a comparison voltage by stopping the increase of the variable resistor.

2. The battery charger of claim 1 wherein the initial value of the variable resistor is 0Ω

.

3. The battery charger of claim 1 wherein the compensation circuit portion further comprises a variable resistor.

4. The battery charger of claim 1 wherein the control logic circuit portion further comprises first and second amplifier circuit portions defining respective current loop circuits and voltage loop circuits.

5. A battery charger for increasing a charge of rechargeable a battery, the battery charger comprising:

(a) an input for an electric charging power source configured to supply electrical charging power to the rechargeable battery via an output circuit portion interposed therebetween, the output circuit portion having a predetermined reference voltage associated therewith;

(b) a transfer function circuit portion configured to sense the voltage of the rechargeable battery as a sensing voltage, wherein a change in the sensing voltage is directly proportional to the internal impedance of the rechargeable battery;

(c) a control logic circuit portion configured to select between;

(1) a constant current, variable voltage operational mode in which the charging power is defined by a variable resistor set to an initial value; and

(2) a constant current, scalable voltage operational mode in which the charging power is defined by an increase in the value of the variable resistor; and

(d) a compensation circuit portion disposed between the control logic circuit portion and the output circuit portion, the compensation circuit portion configured to generate the change in the sensing voltage thereacross in the constant current, scalable voltage operational mode;

wherein

the constant current, variable voltage operational mode is configured to drive the output circuit portion to provide a constant current, variable voltage electrical charging power to the rechargeable battery by setting the variable resistor to an initial value until the sensing voltage is equal to the predetermined reference voltage; and

the constant current, scalable voltage operational mode is configured to drive the output circuit portion to provide a constant current, scalable electric charging power to the rechargeable battery in response to the sensing voltage exceeding the predetermined reference voltage, the scalable voltage being scaled to the change in the sensing voltage by increasing the value of the variable resistor.

6. The battery charger of claim 5 wherein the compensation circuit portion is initially set to 0Ω

.

7. The battery charger of claim 5 wherein the compensation circuit portion further comprises the variable resistor.

8. The battery charger of claim 5 wherein the control logic circuit portion further comprises first and second amplifier circuit portions defining respective current loop circuits and voltage loop circuits.

9. A method for charging a rechargeable battery with a battery charger, the method comprising:

(1) providing a constant current to the rechargeable battery to initiate a charge cycle in a constant current mode with a variable resister set to an initial value;

(2) comparing, via a comparator, a sensing voltage to a reference voltage, the sensing voltage measuring the voltage of the rechargeable battery, wherein a change in the sensing voltage is directly proportional to the internal impedance of the rechargeable battery;

(3) stopping the constant current to the rechargeable battery when the sensing voltage is greater than or equal to the reference voltage, the stopping causing the sensing voltage to drop proportionally to the internal impedance of the rechargeable battery, the stopping being the first stopping of the current after the initiation of the charge cycle;

(4) increasing the value of the variable resistor after the stopping in a scalable manner relative to the change in the sensing voltage;

(5) comparing, via the comparator, a comparison voltage to the sensing voltage; and

(6) providing the constant current to the rechargeable battery upon the comparison voltage being less than or equal to the sensing voltage, thereby stopping the increase in value of the variable resistor.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

(7) comparing, via the comparator, the sensing voltage to the reference voltage, the sensing voltage including a second voltage drop across the variable resister, the second drop being proportional to the internal impedance of the rechargeable battery; and

(8) switching to a constant voltage mode when the sensing voltage is greater than or equal to the reference voltage.