Battery life time management

• US 9,472,970 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2014
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V. (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: Stmicroelectronics Tours SAS (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Bouyssou, Emilien, Bimbaud, Igor
• Primary Examiner(s): Diao, M'Baye
• Application Number:
  US14/222,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20140361747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 320/136, 320/128
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0436 Small-sized flat cells or batteries for portable equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0562 Solid materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4242 Regeneration of electrolyte or reactants
• 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 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/00 Structural combinations of different types of electrochemical generators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/40 Printed batteries , e.g. thin film batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5077 Regeneration of reactants or electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A method for managing the lifetime of a battery is disclosed herein. An ambient temperature is measured near a battery. A discharge of the battery is triggered when the ambient temperature exceeds a first temperature threshold. The battery can then be charged when the ambient temperature decreases below a second temperature threshold.

Claims

1. A method for regenerating charge capacity of a battery, the method comprising:

discharging the battery using a discharge circuit;

detecting that a charge level of the battery is below a first and threshold, comprising;

measuring the charge level of the battery; and

comparing the measured charge level to the first threshold; and

after the detecting, applying a bias voltage across the battery using a bias circuit, the bias voltage being smaller than a minimum voltage necessary to charge the battery.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the bias voltage has a value that is 30% to 50% of the minimum voltage necessary to charge the battery.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein discharging the battery reduces the charge level of the battery.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first threshold corresponds to less than 20% of a nominal charge of the battery when new.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first threshold corresponds about 5% of the nominal charge of the battery when new.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the first threshold is programmable.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first threshold corresponds to less than 10% of a nominal charge of the battery when new.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first threshold corresponds about 5% of the nominal charge of the battery when new.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first threshold is programmable.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein discharging the battery comprises discharging the battery when an ambient temperature exceeds a second threshold.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second threshold is programmable.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the battery comprises an all-solid-state thin-film lithium type battery.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of discharging the battery and applying the bias voltage across the battery are implemented during operation of the battery.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of discharging the battery and applying the bias voltage across the battery are implemented during storage of the battery.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the bias voltage is programmable.

16. A method comprising:

using a main battery to provide power to a load;

regenerating a charge capacity of the main battery by causing the main battery to discharge and, after causing the main battery to discharge, applying a bias voltage across the main battery, the bias voltage being smaller than a minimum voltage necessary to charge the main battery; and

using a secondary battery different from the main battery to provide power to the load while regenerating the charge capacity of the main battery.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the main battery and the secondary battery are disposed on a common substrate.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

causing the secondary battery to discharge; and

after causing the secondary battery to discharge, applying a second bias voltage across the secondary battery, the second bias voltage being smaller than a minimum voltage necessary to charge the secondary battery.

19. A device operable with a battery, the device comprising:

a discharge circuit configured to cause the battery to discharge;

a measurement circuit configured to measure a charge level of the battery and to compare the measured charge level with a first threshold; and

a bias circuit configured to apply a bias voltage across the battery such that during application of the bias voltage, a voltage of the battery is the same as the bias voltage, the bias voltage being smaller than a minimum voltage necessary to charge the battery.

20. The device of claim 19, further comprising:

a microcontroller configured to control at least the discharge circuit and the bias circuit;

program memory coupled to the microcontroller;

parameter memory coupled to the microcontroller; and

a clock mechanism coupled to the microcontroller.

21. A device operable with a battery, the device comprising:

a discharge circuit configured to cause the battery to discharge;

a bias circuit configured to apply a bias voltage across the battery, the bias voltage being smaller than a minimum voltage necessary to charge the battery;

a microcontroller configured to control the discharge circuit and the bias circuit;

program memory coupled to the microcontroller;

parameter memory coupled to the microcontroller; and

a clock mechanism coupled to the microcontroller.

22. The device of claim 21, further comprising a sensor or measurement unit coupled to the microcontroller.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the sensor or measurement unit comprises a temperature unit.

24. The device of claim 22, wherein the sensor or measurement unit comprises a voltage unit.

25. The device of claim 22, wherein the microcontroller is configured to control the discharge circuit and the bias circuit based on physical information received from the sensor or measurement unit and threshold information stored in the parameter memory.

26. The device of claim 21, wherein the bias circuit is configured to apply the bias voltage across the battery such that during application of the bias voltage, a voltage of the battery is the same as the bias voltage.