Battery pulse charging method and apparatus

• US 9,502,918 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2014
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Peter T., Nguyen, Don J.
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US14/579,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20150180262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 320/139, 320/141
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00714 in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage

Abstract

Disclosed herein are some embodiments for safely charging a mobile system battery pack, even when the power source (e.g., adapter) voltage is at a relatively high level that would otherwise result in excessive charge current.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising circuitry to:

couple a power source to a battery of a system to pulse charge the battery;

monitor the power source to decrease charge current to the battery if an input current is exceeded; and

variably control a pulse duty cycle to charge the battery based on a level of the output voltage of the power source and information received from the battery, wherein the pulse duty cycle dynamically adjusts the average charge current to inhibit excessive charge current to the battery.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power source is powered via an adapter.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising circuitry to couple the power source to the battery and monitor a charge current going into the battery.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein monitoring the charge current includes receiving information from the battery.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power source is to power a portable computer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein coupling the power source to the battery includes switching a transistor between the power source and the battery with a pulse signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an excessive charge current level is determined based on information received from the battery.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a current sensor coupled between the power source and the battery to measure a charge current.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the charge current is measured using a resistor.