Context aware battery charging

• US 9,300,157 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2010
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Bergqvist, Rene Stig, Valo, Kimmo Samuel, Troberg, Mikael Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Siek, Vuthe
• Application Number:
  US13/989,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20130314054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,951 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/134, 320/150, 320/160, 320/162
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/006 to power outlets
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/443 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007188 the charge cycle being controlled or terminated in response to non-electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus including monitoring unit and a charging control unit. The monitoring unit is configured to monitor at least one data acquisition source of a device operated by a rechargeable battery and to estimate a context of the device based on data acquired from the at least one data acquisition source. The charging control unit is configured to dynamically adjust charging voltage and charging current applied to the rechargeable battery based on the estimated context of the device acquired from the monitoring unit. The battery includes at least one battery cell.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a monitoring unit configured to monitor at least one data acquisition source of a device operated by a rechargeable battery and estimate a context of the device based on data acquired from the at least one data acquisition source, wherein the context of the device comprises a user'"'"'s activity predictive of when the user may be actively using the device;

a charging control unit configured to dynamically adjust charging voltage and charging current applied to the rechargeable battery based on the estimated context of the device acquired from the monitoring unit,

wherein the rechargeable battery comprises at least one battery cell.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the charging control unit is further configured to determine the end of expected charging period.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the rechargeable battery is fully charged at the end of expected charging period.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the context of the device comprises temperature and remaining voltage of the rechargeable battery.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the context of the device comprises a charging environment of the rechargeable battery.

6. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rechargeable battery is charged by a charging process comprising a constant current (CC) charging process and a constant voltage (CV) charging process.

7. An apparatus of claim 6, wherein the CC charging process comprises a maximum charging voltage, and the charging control unit is further configured to determine the maximum charging voltage based at least on the internal impedance of the battery and the constant charging current.

8. An apparatus of claim 7, wherein the maximum charging voltage is such that the battery is partially charged based on a predefined factor.

9. An apparatus of claim 6, wherein the charging process further comprising a pause when the expected charging period is longer than the charging period by a normal CC-CV charging process, wherein the constant current of the normal CC charging process is substantially equal to a predetermined highest allowable charging current, and the constant charging voltage of the normal CV charging process is substantially equal to a predetermined upper limit voltage of the at least one rechargeable battery cell.

10. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one data acquisition source comprising partially at least an alarm, a clock, a sensor, a user calendar, a user interface, or a connection activity.

11. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the battery is a lithium-based battery.

12. An apparatus of claim 1 comprising a mobile device.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code;

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

monitoring by a monitoring unit at least one data acquisition source of a device operated by a rechargeable battery and estimate a context of the device based on data acquired from the at least one data acquisition source, wherein the context of the device comprises a user'"'"'s activity predictive of when the user may be actively using the device;

dynamically adjusting by a control unit charging voltage and charging current applied to the rechargeable battery based on the estimated context of the device acquired from the monitoring unit, wherein the rechargeable battery comprises at least one battery cell.

14. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer memory and comprising instructions the execution of which by a processor results in performing operations that comprise:

monitoring by a monitoring unit at least one data acquisition source of a device operated by a rechargeable battery and estimate a context of the device based on the data acquired from the at least one data acquisition source, wherein the context of the device comprises a user'"'"'s activity predictive of when the user may be actively using the device; and

dynamically adjusting by a control unit charging voltage and charging current applied to the rechargeable battery based on the estimated context of the device acquired from the monitoring unit,

wherein the rechargeable battery comprises at least one battery cell.

15. A computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the charge control unit is further configured to determine an end of expected charging period and the rechargeable battery is fully charged at the end of expected charging period.

16. A computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the context of the device comprises partially at least one of temperature, remaining voltage, the charging environment of the rechargeable battery, and the user'"'"'s activity.