Method and circuitry to adaptively charge a battery/cell
First Claim
1. A method to adaptively charge a battery, wherein the battery includes at least two terminals, the method comprising:
- applying a charge signal to the terminals of the battery, wherein the charge signal includes a plurality of charge packets, wherein a first charge packet includes a first charge pulse;
measuring a plurality of terminal voltages which are in response to the first charge pulse, wherein each terminal voltage is a voltage between the terminals of the battery;
determining a first charge pulse voltage (first CPV) of the battery, wherein the first CPV is a peak voltage which is in response to the first charge pulse;
determining whether the first CPV of the battery is within a predetermined range or greater than a predetermined upper limit value, wherein the predetermined range and/or the predetermined upper limit value changes during charging of the battery in accordance with changes in a state of charge of the battery; and
adapting one or more characteristics of a second charge packet of the charge signal which temporally follows the first charge packet if the first CPV of the battery is outside the predetermined range or is greater than a predetermined upper limit value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present inventions, in one aspect, are directed to techniques and/or circuitry to applying a charge pulse to the terminals of the battery during a charging operation, measure a plurality of voltages of the battery which are in response to the first charge pulse, determine a charge pulse voltage (CPV) of the battery, wherein the charge pulse voltage is a peak voltage which is in response to the first charge pulse, determine whether the CPV of the battery is within a predetermined range or greater than a predetermined upper limit value and adapt one or more characteristics of a charge packet if the CPV is outside the predetermined range or is greater than a predetermined upper limit value.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method to adaptively charge a battery, wherein the battery includes at least two terminals, the method comprising:
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applying a charge signal to the terminals of the battery, wherein the charge signal includes a plurality of charge packets, wherein a first charge packet includes a first charge pulse; measuring a plurality of terminal voltages which are in response to the first charge pulse, wherein each terminal voltage is a voltage between the terminals of the battery; determining a first charge pulse voltage (first CPV) of the battery, wherein the first CPV is a peak voltage which is in response to the first charge pulse; determining whether the first CPV of the battery is within a predetermined range or greater than a predetermined upper limit value, wherein the predetermined range and/or the predetermined upper limit value changes during charging of the battery in accordance with changes in a state of charge of the battery; and adapting one or more characteristics of a second charge packet of the charge signal which temporally follows the first charge packet if the first CPV of the battery is outside the predetermined range or is greater than a predetermined upper limit value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method to adaptively charge a battery, wherein the battery includes at least two terminals, the method comprising:
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applying a charge signal to the terminals of the battery, wherein the charge signal includes a plurality of charge pulses including a first charge pulse and a second charge pulse; measuring a plurality of terminal voltages which are in response to the first and second charge pulses, wherein each terminal voltage is a voltage between the terminals of the battery; determining a first charge pulse voltage (first CPV) of the battery, wherein the first CPV is a peak voltage which is in response to the first charge pulse; determining a second charge pulse voltage (second CPV) of the battery, wherein the second CPV is a peak voltage which is in response to the second charge pulse; determining a change between the first CPV and the second CPV; and adapting one or more characteristics of a third charge pulse if the change between the first CPV and the second CPV is outside a predetermined range or is greater than a predetermined upper limit value, wherein the third charge pulse temporally follows the first and second charge pulses. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An apparatus to adaptively charge a battery, wherein the battery includes at least two terminals, the apparatus comprising:
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charging circuitry, responsive to control signals, to generate a charge signal which is applied to the terminals of the battery, including a first charge pulse and a second charge pulse, wherein the first charge pulse temporally precedes the second charge pulse; measurement circuitry, coupled to the battery, to measure a plurality of voltages which are in response to the first charge pulse at the terminals of the battery; and control circuitry, coupled to the charging circuitry and the measuring circuitry, the control circuitry is configured to; determine a first charge pulse voltage (first CPV) of the battery, wherein the first CPV is a peak voltage which is responsive to the first charge pulse; determine whether the first CPV of the battery is within a first predetermined range or greater than a first predetermined upper limit value; generate the one or more control signals to adapt one or more characteristics of the charge signal if the first CPV is outside the first predetermined range or is greater than the first predetermined upper limit value; determine a second charge pulse voltage (second CPV) of the battery, wherein the second CPV is a peak voltage which is in response to a second charge pulse; determine whether the second CPV of the battery is within a second predetermined range or greater than a second predetermined upper limit value; and generate one or more additional control signals to adapt one or more characteristics of the charge signal if the second CPV is outside the second predetermined range or is greater than the second predetermined upper limit value, wherein the first predetermined range and the first predetermined upper limit value correspond to a first state of charge (SOC) of the battery and the second predetermined range and the second predetermined upper limit value correspond to a second SOC of the battery. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An apparatus to adaptively charge a battery, wherein the battery includes at least two terminals, the apparatus comprising:
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charging circuitry, responsive to control signals, to generate a charge signal which is applied to the terminals of the battery to charge the battery, wherein the charge signal includes a plurality of charge pulses including a first charge pulse and a second charge pulse, wherein the first charge pulse temporally follows the second charge pulse; measurement circuitry, coupled to the battery, to measure a plurality of voltages at the terminals of the battery, including voltages which are in response to the first and second charge pulses; and control circuitry, coupled to the charging circuitry and the measuring circuitry, the control circuitry is configured to; determine a first charge pulse voltage (first CPV) of the battery, wherein the first CPV is a peak voltage which is responsive to the first charge pulse; determine a second charge pulse voltage (second CPV) of the battery, wherein the second CPV is a peak voltage which is responsive to the second charge pulse; determine a change between the first CPV and the second CPV; and generate the one or more control signals to adapt one or more characteristics of a third charge pulse if the change between the first CPV and the second CPV is outside a predetermined range or is greater than a predetermined upper limit value, wherein the third charge pulse temporally follows the first and second charge pulses. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification