Apparatus and method to charge a battery

• US 8,970,181 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2011
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Jeong-gyu, Choi, Hyung-wook, Lee, Chang-hum
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US13/097,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20120019197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/128, 320/130, 320/134, 320/160, 320/162
• US Class Current: 320/160
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An apparatus and a method to charge a battery, the battery charging apparatus including: a battery unit which is chargeable; a battery charging unit which charges the battery unit; and a controller which adjusts a preset charge voltage of the battery unit based on a charge allowance capacity of the battery unit to have a predetermined value, and controls the battery charging unit to output the adjusted charge voltage and to charge the battery unit. Accordingly, the apparatus and method are capable of charging a battery based on a charge allowance capacity decreased owing to deterioration of the battery to safely use the battery and to extend a life of the battery.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a battery unit which is chargeable;

a battery charging unit which charges the battery unit; and

a controller which adjusts a preset charge voltage of the battery unit based on a charge allowance capacity of the battery unit to have a predetermined value, and controls the battery charging unit to output the adjusted charge voltage and to charge the battery unit,

wherein the controller drops the preset charge voltage of the battery unit based on the charge allowance capacity of the battery unit.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the battery charging unit to drop the preset charge voltage of the battery unit to the predetermined value based on the charge allowance capacity of the battery unit so that the adjusted charge voltage is output.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the controller drops the preset charge voltage of the battery unit by a difference between the preset charge capacity and the charge allowance capacity of the battery unit to adjust the charge voltage.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller adjusts a preset charge current of the battery unit to be decreased by a half of a difference between the preset charge capacity and the charge allowance capacity of the battery unit.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller adjusts the preset charge voltage of the battery unit based on the charge allowance capacity to have the predetermined value when the charge allowance capacity is less than or equal to a predetermined value of the preset charge capacity.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the charge allowance capacity is distinguished in a plurality of steps, and the predetermined value of the preset charge voltage is adjusted corresponding to the steps.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit, wherein the controller controls the display unit to display that the battery unit needs charging when the charge allowance capacity is a preset value or less.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the controller controls the battery charging unit to prevent the battery unit from being charged when the charge allowance capacity is the preset value or less.

9. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power supply which provides power to the battery charging unit.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the battery unit comprises a smart battery.

11. A battery charging method of a system, the battery charging method comprising:

receiving information about a chargeable battery unit, wherein the information comprises at least one of a preset charge voltage, a preset charge capacity, and a charge allowance capacity;

adjusting, by a controller, the preset charge voltage based on the received charge allowance capacity to have a predetermined value, wherein the controller drops the preset charge voltage of the battery unit based on the charge allowance capacity of the battery unit; and

controlling a battery charging unit to output the adjusted charge voltage and to charge the battery unit.

12. The battery charging method according to claim 11, wherein the adjusting the charge voltage drops the preset charge voltage to the predetermined value based on the charge allowance capacity to adjust the charge voltage.

13. The battery charging method according to claim 12, wherein the adjusting the charge voltage drops the preset charge voltage of the battery unit by a difference between the preset charge capacity and the charge allowance capacity of the battery unit to adjust the charge voltage.

14. The battery charging method according to claim 11, further comprising:

adjusting a charge current by adjusting a preset charge current to be decreased by a half of a difference between the preset charge capacity and the charge allowance capacity of the battery unit.

15. The battery charging method according to claim 11, wherein the adjusting adjusts the preset charge voltage based on the charge allowance capacity to have the predetermined value when the charge allowance capacity is less than or equal to a predetermined value for the preset charge capacity.

16. The battery charging method according to claim 15, wherein the charge allowance capacity is distinguished in a plurality of steps, and the predetermined value of the preset charge voltage is adjusted corresponding to the steps.

17. The battery charging method according to claim 11, further comprising:

displaying, on a display unit, that the battery unit needs charging when the charge allowance capacity received from the battery unit is a preset value or less.

18. The battery charging method according to claim 17, further comprising:

controlling, by the controller, the battery charging unit to prevent the battery unit from being charged when the charge allowance capacity received from the battery unit is the preset value or less.

19. The battery charging method according to claim 11, wherein the battery unit comprises a smart battery.

20. A system, comprising:

a battery charging unit which charges a battery unit; and

a controller which adjusts a preset charge voltage of the battery unit to be in a predetermined range based on a charge allowance capacity of the battery unit and controls the battery charging unit to output the adjusted charge voltage and to charge the battery unit,

wherein the controller drops the preset charge voltage of the battery unit based on the charge allowance capacity of the battery unit.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the battery unit is one of a portable computer system, a laptop, a smart book, a mobile internet device (MID), a net book, a portable media player (PMP), a navigator, a smart battery or a personal digital assistant (PDA).

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the battery charging unit outputs a charge current to the battery unit under the control of the controller.

23. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a power supply to provide power to a component of the battery charging apparatus.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the power supply includes an alternating current-direct current (AC-DC) converter to convert common AC power input thereto to DC power.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the charge allowance capacity of the battery unit is distinguished in a plurality of steps such that the preset charge voltage of the battery unit is adjusted to have a predetermined value in each step.