Battery power delivery module

• US 10,673,253 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2019
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solaredge Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Solaredge Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Adest, Meir, Handelsman, Lior, Galin, Yoav, Fishelov, Amir, Sella, Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US16/254,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20190326759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 320128
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage

Abstract

A system and method for digital management and control of power conversion from battery cells. The system utilizes a power management and conversion module that uses a CPU to maintain a high power conversion efficiency over a wide range of loads and to manage charge and discharge operation of the battery cells. The power management and conversion module includes the CPU, a current sense unit, a charge/discharge unit, a DC-to-DC conversion unit, a battery protection unit, a fuel gauge and an internal DC regulation unit. Through intelligent power conversion and charge/discharge operations, a given battery type is given the ability to emulate other battery types by conversion of the output voltage of the battery and adaptation of the charging scheme to suit the battery.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

input terminals configured to connect to a battery module;

output terminals configured to provide power from the battery module to a load;

one or more telemetry terminals configured to receive operational data from the battery module, wherein the operational data comprises at least one of an internal temperature of the battery module or a state of charge of the battery module; and

a power converter configured to;

output power at the output terminals;

draw power at the input terminals;

charge the battery module; and

communicate the operational data to a host device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operational data further comprises at least one of a state of health of the battery module, a date of production of the battery module, a number of charge cycles of the battery module, a capacity of the battery module, or a chemistry of the battery module.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the battery module comprises a plurality of battery cells, and wherein the operational data is associated with one of the plurality of battery cells.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power converter further comprises:

a battery protection circuit configured to determine whether a hazardous condition of the battery module exists; and

a current sensor connected to the battery protection circuit,

wherein the battery protection circuit is configured to determine whether the hazardous condition exists using a current value identified by the current sensor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power converter comprises:

a current sensor; and

a fuel gauging circuit connected to the current sensor, wherein the fuel gauging circuit uses the current sensor to monitor the state of charge of the battery module.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power converter comprises a current sensor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power converter uses the one or more telemetry terminals to receive, from the host device, a request for a desired output voltage of the battery module.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more telemetry terminals comprise a host telemetry terminal and a battery telemetry terminal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output terminals receive power for charging the battery module.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one battery cell;

output terminals configured to provide power from the at least one battery cell to a load;

one or more telemetry terminals configured to send operational data to a host device, wherein the operational data comprises at least one of an internal temperature of the at least one battery cell or a state of charge of the at least one battery cell; and

a power converter configured to;

provide output power at the output terminals, control power draw by the at least one battery cell, and provide charging power to the at least one battery cell.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the operational data further comprises at least one of a state of health of the at least one battery cell, a date of production of the at least one battery cell, a number of charge cycles of the at least one battery cell, a capacity of the at least one battery cell, or a chemistry of the at least one battery cell.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one battery cell is incorporated into a battery module, and wherein the operational data is associated with the battery module.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the power converter further comprises:

a battery protection circuit configured to determine, based on a current, whether a hazardous condition of the at least one battery cell exists; and

a current sensor connected to the battery protection circuit and configured to identify the current.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the power converter comprises:

a current sensor; and

a fuel gauging circuit connected to the current sensor, wherein the fuel gauging circuit uses the current sensor to monitor the state of charge of the at least one battery cell.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the power converter comprises a current sensor.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the power converter uses the one or more telemetry terminals to receive, from the host device, a request for a desired output voltage of the at least one battery cell.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the power converter comprises at least one of a buck converter, a boost converter, a buck/boost converter, or a Cuk converter.

18. A method, comprising the steps of:

receiving battery power, at input terminals of a power converter, wherein the battery power comprises a first voltage;

converting, using the power converter, the battery power at the first voltage to converted power at a second voltage;

providing the converted power at the second voltage to a load using output terminals of the power converter;

sending, using one or more telemetry terminals of the power converter, operational data to a host device, wherein the operational data comprises at least one of an internal temperature of at least one battery cell or a state of charge of the at least one battery cell; and

charging, using the power converter, the at least one battery cell.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving, using the one or more telemetry terminals, the operational data from a battery module, wherein the battery module comprises the at least one battery cell.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the power converter comprises at least one battery cell sensor and at least one hardware processor connected to the at least one battery cell sensor, wherein the at least one hardware processor is configured to:

receive one or more electrical parameters from the at least one battery cell sensor, and compute the operational data based on the one or more electrical parameters.