Method and circuitry to adaptively charge a battery/cell using a charge-time parameter

• US 9,461,492 B1
• Filed: 04/14/2014
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qnovo, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qnovo, Inc.
• Inventors: Berkowitz, Fred, Ghantous, Dania, Peabody, Christina
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhou, Zixuan
• Application Number:
  US14/252,422
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 320/139, 320/155
• 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 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters

Abstract

A system and method to charge a battery during a charging cycle having a plurality of portions. The method comprises generating a first charge signal during the first portion of the charging cycle, wherein the first charge signal is based on a charge-time parameter. The charge-time parameter correlates a charge time period of the charging cycle to (i) a state of charge of the battery and/or (ii) a charge storage level corresponding to an amount of usage time of the battery. The method further includes applying the first charge signal to the battery during the first portion of the charging cycle, and, in response thereto, charging the battery to provide a state of charge and/or (ii) a charge storage level corresponding to an amount of usage in or within the charge time period of the charge-time parameter.

Claims

1. A method to charge a battery during a charging cycle having a plurality of portions, the method comprising:

setting a first charge-time parameter for a first portion of the charging cycle, wherein a charge-time parameter of a portion of the charging cycle comprises a time to reach (i) a state of charge of the battery or (ii) a charge storage level corresponding to usage time of the battery;

generating a first charge signal during the first portion of the charging cycle, wherein one or more characteristics of the first charge signal are calculated to charge the battery as required by the first charge-time parameter during the first portion of the charging cycle;

applying the first charge signal to the battery during the first portion of the charging cycle;

setting a second charge-time parameter for a second portion of the charging cycle;

generating a second charge signal during the second portion of the charging cycle, wherein one or more characteristics of the second charge signal are calculated to charge the battery as required by the second charge-time parameter during the second portion of the charging cycle;

applying the second charge signal to the battery during the second portion of the charging cycle;

calculating feedback data including one or more of;

an overpotential of the battery,

a charge pulse voltage or a change therein, and

a partial relaxation time of the battery; and

adapting one or more characteristics of the first and/or second charge signals based on the feedback data by changing the first and/or second charge signals during the first and/or second portions of the charging cycle.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein changing the first and/or second charge signals does not cause the first and/or second portions of the charging cycle to deviate from the charge-time parameter set for the first and/or second portions of the charging cycle.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein adapting the one or more characteristics of the first and/or second charge signals based on the feedback data comprises changing the first and/or second charge signals during the first and/or second portions of the charging cycle when the feedback data indicates that:

the overpotential of the battery exceeds a first predetermined range,

the charge pulse voltage or a change therein exceeds a second predetermined range, or

the partial relaxation time of the battery exceeds a third predetermined range.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the first predetermined range, second predetermined range or the third predetermined range depend, in part, on the charge-time parameter.

6. The method of claim 1 further including:

measuring a temperature of the battery during the first and/or second portions of the charging cycle or a temperature of a charging circuitry during the first and/or second portions of the charging cycle;

determining whether the temperature of the battery is out-of-specification or the temperature of the charging circuitry is out-of-specification;

adapting one or more characteristics of the first and/or second charge signals during the first and/or second portions of the charging cycle if the temperature of the battery is out-of-specification or the temperature of the charging circuitry is out-of-specification.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first or second portion of the charging cycle is a pulse charging cycle or a step charging cycle.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and/or second charge signals includes a plurality of charge pulses and the method further includes:

measuring a plurality of voltages at least two terminals of the battery which are in response to charge pulses of the first and/or second charge signals;

determining a plurality of charge pulse voltages of the battery, wherein a charge pulse voltage is a change in voltage at the terminals of the battery which is in response to one or more associated charge pulses of the first and/or second charge signals; and

adapting one or more characteristics of the first and/or second charge signals based on one or more charge pulse voltages of the battery.

9. The method of claim 1 further including:

determining, during the first and/or second portions of the charging cycle, the first and/or second charge signals will not charge the battery as required by the first and/or second charge-time parameters.

10. The method of claim 9 further including:

in response to determining that the first and/or second charge signals will not charge the battery as required by the first and/or second charge-time parameters, changing one or more characteristics of the first and/or second charge signals during the first and/or second portions of the charging cycle to values or conditions that are calculated to charge the battery as required by the first and/or second charge-time parameters.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein setting the charge-time parameter includes reading, from memory, one or more characteristics of the first charging signal which provides the state of charge of the battery associated with the charge-time parameter or charge storage level corresponding to the amount of usage time of the battery associated with the charge-time parameter in or within the charge time period corresponding to the charge-time parameter.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein setting the charge-time parameter includes reading, from memory, data which is representative boundary conditions of one or more measures of the battery response during the portion of the charging cycle.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein setting the charge-time parameter includes reading, from memory, data of predetermined values or ranges of a plurality of operating conditions or feedback data.

5. The method of claim wherein the state of charge of the battery or the charge storage level comprises a non-linear increase in the first portion and/or the second portions of the charging cycle.

14. A method of charging a battery during a charging cycle which includes a plurality of portions, wherein the battery includes at least two terminals, the method comprising:

setting a first charge-time parameter for a first portion of the charging cycle, wherein a charge-time parameter of a portion of the charging cycle comprises a time to reach (i) a state of charge of the battery or (ii) a charge storage level corresponding to usage time of the battery;

generating a first control signal based on the first charge-time parameter;

generating a first charge signal, in response to the first control signal, during the first portion of the charging cycle, wherein one or more characteristics of the first charge signal are calculated to charge the battery as required by the first charge-time parameter during the first portion of the charging cycle; and

applying the first charge signal to the battery during the first portion of the charging cycle;

setting a second charge-time parameter for a second portion of the charging cycle;

generating a second control signal based on the second charge-time parameter;

generating a second charge signal, in response to the second control signal, during the second portion of the charging cycle, wherein one or more characteristics of the second charge signal are calculated to charge the battery as required by the second charge-time parameter during the second portion of the charging cycle;

applying the second charge signal to the battery during the second portion of the charging cycle;

measuring a plurality of voltages between at least two terminals of the battery during the first and/or second portions of the charging cycle;

calculating feedback data including one or more of;

an overpotential of the battery,

a charge pulse voltage or a change therein, and

a partial relaxation time of the battery; and

adapting one or more characteristics of the first and/or second charge signals based on the feedback data by changing the first and/or second charge signals during the first and/or second portions of the charging cycle.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein

the charge pulse voltage comprises a plurality of charge pulse voltages of the battery.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the first and/or second portions comprise an adaptive charging process based on one or more of the following during the first and/or second portions:

an overpotential of the battery, a charge pulse voltage or a change therein, a partial relaxation time of the battery, a temperature of the battery, a temperature of a charging circuitry, a maximum current applied to the battery, or a maximum terminal voltage.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the first and/or second portions of the charging cycle comprise a pulse charging cycle or a step charging cycle.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the state of charge of the battery or the charge storage level comprises a non-linear increase in the first portion and/or the second portions of the charging cycle.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the state of charge of the battery or the charge storage level comprises a linear increase in the first portion and/or the second portions of the charging cycle.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the first and/or second portions comprise an adaptive charging process based on two or more of the following during the first and/or second portions:

an overpotential of the battery, a charge pulse voltage or a change therein, a partial relaxation time of the battery, a temperature of the battery, a temperature of a charging circuitry, a maximum current applied to the battery, or a maximum terminal voltage.

21. The method of claim 14 further including:

determining, during the first and/or second portions of the charging cycle, that the first and/or second charge signals will not charge the battery as required by the first and/or second charge-time parameters; and

in response to determining that the first and/or second charge signals will not charge the battery as required by the first and/or second charge-time parameters, change the first and/or second control signals during the first and/or second portions of the charging cycle to provide charge signals calculated to charge the battery as required by the first and/or second charge time parameters.

22. The method of claim 14 wherein setting the first charge-time parameter includes reading, from memory, one or more characteristics of the first charging signal which provides the first state of charge of the battery associated with the first charge-time parameter or charge storage level corresponding to the amount of usage time of the battery associated with the first charge-time parameter in or within the first charge time period.

23. The method of claim 14 wherein setting the first charge-time parameter includes reading, from memory, data which is representative boundary conditions of one or more measures of the battery response during the portion of the charging cycle.

24. The method of claim 14 wherein setting the first charge-time parameter includes reading, from memory, data of predetermined values or ranges of a plurality of operating conditions or feedback data.

26. The method of claim 17 further including:

determining, during the first and/or second portions of the charging cycle that the first and/or second charge signals will not charge the battery as required by the first and/or second charge-time parameters; and

in response to determining that the first and/or second charge signals will not charge the battery as required by the first and/or second charge-time parameters, adapting one or more characteristics of the first and/or second charge signals during the first and/or second portions of the charging cycle to assume values or conditions that are calculated to charge the battery as required by the first and/or second charge-time parameters.

25. A method to charge a battery during a charging cycle having a plurality of portions including a first portion which is less than the entire charging cycle, the method comprising:

setting a first charge-time parameter for a first portion of the charging cycle, wherein a charge-time parameter of a portion of the charging cycle comprises a time to reach (i) a state of charge of the battery or (ii) charge storage level corresponding to usage time of the battery

generating a first charge signal during the first portion of the charging cycle, wherein one or more characteristics of the first charge signal is/are based on a state of charge of the battery at a start of the first portion of the charging cycle and calculated to charge the battery as required by the first charge-time parameter during the first portion of the charging cycle;

applying the first charge signal to the battery during the first portion of the charging cycle;

setting a second charge-time parameter for a second portion of the charging cycle;

generating a second charge signal during the second portion of the charging cycle, wherein one or more characteristics of the second charge signal is/are calculated to charge the battery as required by the second charge-time parameter during the second portion of the charging cycle; and

applying the second charge signal to the battery during the second portion of the charging cycle;

measuring a plurality of voltages between at least two terminals of the battery during the first portion of the charging cycle;

calculating feedback data including one or more of;

an overpotential of the battery,

a change in charge pulse voltage, and

a partial relaxation time of the battery; and

adapting one or more characteristics of the first and/or second charge signals based on the feedback data by changing the first and/or charge signals during the first and/or second portions of the charging cycle.

27. The method of claim 25 further including:

adapting one or more characteristics of the first and/or second charge signals during the first and/or second portions of the charging cycle if;

the overpotential of the battery exceeds a first predetermined range,

the charge pulse voltage or a change therein exceeds a second predetermined range, or

the partial relaxation time of the battery exceeds a third predetermined range.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the first and/or second portions of the charging cycle is comprise a pulse charging cycle or a step charging cycle.