Battery charger and system method
First Claim
1. A battery charger system for increasing a charge of a rechargeable battery, the battery charger system 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 digital interface-based 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 digital interface-based 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;
whereinthe 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.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A battery charger and system and method for use of the same 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.
-
Citations
10 Claims
-
1. A battery charger system for increasing a charge of a rechargeable battery, the battery charger system 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 digital interface-based 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 digital interface-based 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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
-
-
5. A battery charger system for increasing a charge of rechargeable a battery, the battery charger system 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 the change in the sensing voltage is directly proportional to the internal impedance of the rechargeable battery; (c) a digital interface-based control logic circuit portion configured to select between; (1) a constant current, variable voltage operational mode; and (2) a constant current, scalable voltage operational mode; and (d) a compensation circuit portion disposed between the digital interface-based 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 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. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A system for charging a rechargeable battery with a battery charger, the system comprising:
-
(1) means for 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) means for 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) means for 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) means for increasing the value of the variable resistor after the stopping in a scalable manner relative to the change in the sensing voltage; (5) means for comparing, via the comparator, a comparison voltage to the sensing voltage; and (6) means for 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. - View Dependent Claims (10)
-
Specification