Portable drone battery charging system

• US 10,461,547 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Coonix Inc.
• Original Assignee: Coonix Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Omar, Ahmed H
• Application Number:
  US15/529,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20180294659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 320103
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• 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: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A portable drone battery charger that charges a variety of batteries of different capacities as well as voltage levels is provided. The drone battery charger operates from an internal battery and may charge a drone battery multiple times because the capacity of the drone battery charger internal battery is many times larger than the done battery.

Claims

1. A portable charging system for charging a multi-cell drone battery, comprising:

a) a system battery configured to power the portable charging system during a portable operation to charge the multi-cell drone battery;

b) a recharging circuit for providing, in a system battery recharge operation, the system battery with sufficient charge for powering the portable operation to charge the multi-cell drone battery, the recharging circuit comprising;

a power input for receiving power during the system battery recharge operation of the system battery; and

a protector coupled between the power input and the system battery, the protector configured to protect the system battery during the system battery recharge operation;

c) a charging module coupled to the system battery and configured to receive power from the system battery to charge the multi-cell drone battery in a drone battery charge operation as part of the portable operation, the charging module comprising;

a drone battery charge control circuit configured to provide charging control of the multi-cell drone battery during the drone battery charge operation; and

a drone battery charging status monitor coupled to the drone battery charge control circuit, the drone battery charging status monitor being configured to control operation of the drone battery charge control circuit based on a multi-cell drone battery status; and

d) a drone battery connector configured to connect the multi-cell drone battery to the charging module;

wherein the charging module further comprises a power switch coupled to the drone battery charge control circuit, the power switch configured to initiate the drone battery charge operation, and wherein the charging module further comprises a timer configured to disable the drone battery charge control circuit after the drone battery charge operation has been initiated by the power switch when the multi-cell drone battery has not been detected to be connected to the drone battery connector within a certain amount of time.