Charge circuit

• US 9,166,432 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2013
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Daisuke, Sakamoto, Toshiki, Kurokawa, Gentaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Rossoshek, Helen
• Application Number:
  US13/756,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20130207597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/133, 320/134, 320/136, 320/139
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A charge circuit includes a current limiting circuit configured to limit a current input from an input terminal; a first transistor connected between an output terminal of the current limiting circuit and a secondary battery; a charge control circuit configured to turn the first transistor on and off to start and stop supply of a charge current to the secondary battery; a second transistor configured to output a current proportional to the charge current flowing through the first transistor; and a charge timer configured to generate clock pulses according to the current output from the second transistor. The charge control circuit is configured to turn off the first transistor to stop the supply of the charge current to the secondary battery when the number of the clock pulses reaches a predetermined number.

Claims

1. A charge circuit, comprising:

a current limiting circuit configured to limit a current input from an input terminal;

a first transistor connected between an output terminal of the current limiting circuit and a secondary battery;

a charge control circuit configured to turn the first transistor on and off to start and stop supply of a charge current to the secondary battery;

a second transistor configured to output a current proportional to the charge current flowing through the first transistor; and

a charge timer configured to generate clock pulses according to the current output from the second transistor,

wherein the charge control circuit is configured to turn off the first transistor to stop the supply of the charge current to the secondary battery when a number of the clock pulses reaches a predetermined number, and

wherein the charge circuit further comprises;

a switch configured to control connection between the second transistor and the charge timer;

a determining circuit configured to determine whether constant-current charging or constant-voltage charging is employed as a charging method for charging the secondary battery and control the switch based on a result of the determination, and

a third transistor having a drain connected to a constant current source at a connection point,

wherein each of the first, second and third transistors has a source connected to the current limiting circuit and a gate connected to the charge control circuit,

wherein current of the connection point is provided to the charge control circuit and the determining circuit, and

wherein the determining circuit is configured to control the switch to connect the second transistor and the charge timer when the constant-current charging is employed as the charging method.

2. The charge circuit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a constant-current amplifier configured to determine whether the charge current has reached a reference current; and

a constant-voltage amplifier configured to determine whether a voltage of the secondary battery has reached a reference voltage,

wherein the determining circuit is configured to determine whether the constant-current charging or the constant-voltage charging is employed as the charging method based on outputs from the constant-current amplifier and the constant-voltage amplifier.

3. The charge circuit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a battery terminal connected to the secondary battery charged by the charge current; and

an output terminal configured to output the current input from the input terminal to a device including the secondary battery.