Charging method and charging device using the same

• US 9,515,505 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2015
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Compal Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Compal Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Yang, Yaun-Ren, Yang, Chia-Ning
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US14/641,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20160190843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/36 Arrangements for testing, measuring or monitoring the electrical condition of accumulators or electric batteries, e.g. capacity or state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00716 in response to integrated charge or discharge current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage

Abstract

A charging method is provided for charging a battery unit. Firstly, a current change amount is set, and a predetermined time interval is determined according to characteristics of the battery unit. When the charging device is enabled, a charging current with a constant current value is provided to charge the battery unit. If a detected parameter of the battery unit reaches the threshold value, a constant charging voltage is provided to the battery unit. Moreover, the current value of the charging current is decreased by the current change amount. The number of times the current change amount is decreased is determined according to a predetermined counting value. That is, the current value of the charging current is stepwise decreased according to a time control mechanism.

Claims

1. A charging method for charging a battery unit by a charging device, the charging method comprising steps of:

(a) setting a current change amount, and determining a predetermined time interval according to characteristics of the battery unit;

(b) providing a charging current to charge the battery unit when the charging device is enabled, wherein a current value of the charging current is constant;

(c) judging whether a detected parameter of the battery unit reaches a threshold value;

(d) if the detected parameter of the battery unit reaches the threshold value in the step (c), providing a constant charging voltage to the battery unit, and decreasing the current value of the charging current by the current change amount;

(e) accumulating a counting value by 1;

(f) starting counting an elapsed time period after the step (e);

(g) judging whether the elapsed time is shorter than the predetermined time interval;

(h) if the elapsed time is not shorter than the predetermined time interval in the step (g), judging whether the accumulated counting value is smaller than a predetermined counting value;

(i) if the accumulated counting value is smaller than the predetermined counting value in the step (h), repeatedly performing the step (d); and

(j) if the accumulated counting value is not smaller than the predetermined counting value in the step (h), maintaining the current value of the charging current, and the step (c) is repeatedly done.

2. The charging method according to claim 1, wherein if the detected parameter of the battery unit does not reach the threshold value in the step (c), the charging method further comprises a step (k) of judging whether the current value of the charging current is larger than a saturation current value.

3. The charging method according to claim 2, wherein if the current value of the charging current is larger than the saturation current value in the step (k), the step (c) is repeatedly done, wherein if the current value of the charging current is not larger than the saturation current value in the step (k), the charging device is disabled and the battery unit is no longer charged by the charging device.

4. The charging method according to claim 1, wherein in the step (j), the counting value is zeroed.

5. The charging method according to claim 1, wherein if the elapsed time is shorter than the predetermined time interval in the step (g), the step (f) is repeatedly done.

6. The charging method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined time interval is calculated by a formula:

T=R×

Δ

I(|1/r1|+↑

1/r2|), wherein T is the predetermined time interval, R is an internal resistance value of the battery unit, Δ

I is the current change amount, r1 is a drop rate of a varying voltage of the battery unit relative to a varying time, and r2 is a rise rate of the varying voltage of the battery unit relative to the varying time.

7. The charging method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined counting value is at least two.

8. The charging method according to claim 1, wherein the detected parameter of the battery unit includes a detected capacity percentage of the battery unit, a detected voltage of the battery unit, a detected temperature of the battery unit and/or a detected charging time period of the battery unit.

9. The charging method according to claim 8, wherein the threshold value includes a threshold capacity percentage, a threshold voltage, a threshold temperature and/or a threshold charging time period.

10. A charging device for implementing the charging method according to claim 1, the charging device comprising:

an electric energy adjusting unit electrically connected with a power supply unit for receiving an input electric energy from the power supply unit and converting the input electric energy into the charging voltage and the charging current;

a detecting unit electrically connected with the battery unit for outputting a detecting signal according to a result of detecting whether the detected parameter of the battery unit reaches the threshold value; and

a controlling unit electrically connected with the detecting unit and the electric energy adjusting unit for receiving the detecting signal and controlling the electric energy adjusting unit, wherein the predetermined counting value is previously stored in the controlling unit, and the predetermined time interval is previously stored in the controlling unit according to the characteristics of the battery unit, wherein the controlling unit has a counter for accumulating the counting value.

11. A charging method for charging a battery unit by a charging device, the charging method comprising steps of:

(a) setting a current change amount, and determining a predetermined time interval according to characteristics of the battery unit;

(b) providing a charging current to charge the battery unit when the charging device is enabled, wherein a current value of the charging current is constant;

(c) judging whether a detected parameter of the battery unit reaches a threshold value;

(d) if the detected parameter of the battery unit reaches the threshold value in the step (c), providing a constant charging voltage to the battery unit, and decreasing the current value of the charging current by the current change amount;

(e) accumulating a counting value by 1;

(f) starting counting an elapsed time period after the step (e);

(g) judging whether the elapsed time is shorter than the predetermined time interval;

(h) if the elapsed time is not shorter than the predetermined time interval in the step (g), judging whether the accumulated counting value is smaller than a predetermined counting value;

(i) if the accumulated counting value is smaller than the predetermined counting value in the step (h), repeatedly performing the step (d);

(j) if the accumulated counting value is not smaller than the predetermined counting value in the step (h), maintaining the current value of the charging current; and

(k) adjusting the predetermined counting value and the predetermined time interval, and the step (c) is repeatedly done.

12. The charging method according to claim 11, wherein if the detected parameter of the battery unit does not reach the threshold value in the step (c), the charging method further comprises a step (l) of judging whether the current value of the charging current is larger than a saturation current value.

13. The charging method according to claim 12, wherein if the current value of the charging current is larger than the saturation current value in the step (l), the step (c) is repeatedly done, wherein if the current value of the charging current is not larger than the saturation current value in the step (l), the charging device is disabled and the battery unit is no longer charged by the charging device.

14. The charging method according to claim 11, wherein if the elapsed time is shorter than the predetermined time interval in the step (g), the step (f) is repeatedly done.

15. The charging method according to claim 11, wherein in the step (k), the current change amount is adjusted according to a set value.