Battery charger system and method for providing detailed battery status and charging method information about multiple batteries

• US 20040036445A1
• Filed: 08/20/2002
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Energy Solution Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Trembley, Matthew Glen
• Granted Patent: US 6,768,286 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/116
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]

Abstract

A battery charger method and apparatus are disclosed for providing detailed battery status and charging method information for a selected one of multiple batteries that are simultaneously coupled to the battery charger. The battery charger includes a controller. The controller selects one of the batteries to monitor and charge. The controller then starts a measurement cycle for the selected battery. During the measurement cycle, the controller determines current battery characteristics of the selected battery. The controller determines whether the selected battery is ready for charging by determining whether the battery characteristics of the selected battery are within a specified range. If the controller determines that the selected battery is ready for charging, the controller causes the battery charger to start charging the battery. If the controller determines that the selected battery is not ready for charging, the controller selects another battery to monitor and charge. Detailed information about the selected battery may be provided from the controller to a processor that is external to the controller.

Claims

1. A method in a battery charger for charging one of a plurality of batteries, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a controller within said battery charger, said controller being simultaneously coupled to said plurality of batteries;

selecting one of said plurality of batteries;

starting, utilizing said controller, a measurement cycle of said one of said plurality of batteries;

during said measurement cycle, determining current battery characteristics of said one of said plurality of batteries utilizing said controller; and

determining, utilizing said controller, whether said one of said plurality of batteries is ready for charging by determining whether said current battery characteristics of said one of said plurality of batteries are within a specified range.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

in response to a determination that said one of said plurality of batteries is ready for charging, causing, utilizing said controller, said battery charger to charge said one of said plurality of batteries.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

in response to a determination that said one of said plurality of batteries is not ready for charging, selecting, utilizing said controller, a different one of said plurality of batteries; and

starting, utilizing said controller, a measurement cycle of said different one of said plurality of batteries.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

during said measurement cycle, determining current battery characteristics of said different one of said plurality of batteries utilizing said controller; and

determining, utilizing said controller, whether said different one of said plurality of batteries is ready for charging by determining whether said current battery characteristics of said different one of said plurality of batteries are within a specified range.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

coupling said controller to a processor that is external to said battery charger; and

providing battery information to said processor from said controller, said battery information including said battery characteristics and charging method information.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining a current charging state of said one of said plurality of batteries utilizing said controller;

utilizing, by said controller, said battery characteristics and said current charging state to determine an appropriate charging method for said one of said plurality of batteries; and

causing, utilizing said controller, said battery charger to charge said one of said plurality of batteries utilizing said appropriate charging method.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of determining a current charging state of said one of said plurality of batteries utilizing said controller further comprises the step of determining, utilizing said controller, whether said one of said plurality of batteries is currently being discharged.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

in response to a determination that said one of said plurality of batteries is currently being discharged, determining, utilizing said controller, whether said one of said plurality of batteries is fully discharged; and

in response to a determination that said one of said plurality of batteries is fully discharged, setting a flag within said controller that said one of said plurality of batteries is fully discharged.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of determining a current charging state of said one of said plurality of batteries utilizing said controller further comprises the step of determining, utilizing said controller, whether said one of said plurality of batteries is currently not being charged.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

determining, by said controller, whether a second flag in said controller is set, said second flag being set when said one of said plurality of batteries is to be discharged; and

in response to a determination that said second flag is set, causing, utilizing said controller, said battery charger to discharge said one of said plurality of batteries.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of:

setting, by a processor that is external to said battery charger, said second flag when said one of said plurality of batteries is to be discharged.

12. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of determining a current charging state of said one of said plurality of batteries utilizing said controller further comprises the step of determining, utilizing said controller, whether said one of said plurality of batteries is in a state that is other than a discharging state or a not charging state.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether said current battery characteristics of said one of said plurality of batteries are within a specified range further comprises the steps of:

determining whether a temperature of said one of said plurality of batteries is within a particular range;

determining whether said one of said plurality of batteries is overcharged;

determining whether a temperature of said one of said plurality of batteries is within a particular range;

determining whether said one of said plurality of batteries is over discharged; and

determining whether said one of said plurality of batteries is already being charged utilizing a first charging phase, wherein said one of said plurality of batteries should be first charged using a first charging phase and is then charged using a second charging phase.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of:

in response to a determination that said one of said plurality of batteries is over discharged, causing, utilizing said controller, said battery charger to begin slow charging said one of said plurality of batteries.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of:

starting a sub-timer within said controller to time a length of time said one of said plurality of batteries is slow charged.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

in response to a determination that said one of said plurality of batteries is not already being charged utilizing a first charging phase, causing, utilizing said controller, said battery charger to start charging said one of said plurality of batteries utilizing a first charging phase;

charging said one of said plurality of batteries utilizing a constant current until a second voltage threshold is reached during said first charging phase;

in response to said second voltage threshold being reached during said first charging phase, causing, utilizing said controller, said battery charger to start charging said one of said plurality of batteries utilizing a second charging phase; and

charging said one of said plurality of batteries by holding a voltage of said one of said plurality of batteries constant until a current of said one of said plurality of batteries drops to a current threshold during said second charging phase.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

starting a sub-timer within said controller to time a length of time said one of said plurality of batteries is charged utilizing said second charging phase.

18. A battery charger for charging one of a plurality of batteries, comprising:

a controller within said battery charger, said controller being simultaneously coupled to said plurality of batteries;

a switch for selecting one of said plurality of batteries;

said controller for starting a measurement cycle of said one of said plurality of batteries;

said controller for determining current battery characteristics of said one of said plurality of batteries during said measurement cycle; and

said controller for determining whether said one of said plurality of batteries is ready for charging by determining whether said current battery characteristics of said one of said plurality of batteries are within a specified range.

19. The charger according to claim 18, further comprising:

in response to a determination that said one of said plurality of batteries is ready for charging, said controller for causing said battery charger to charge said one of said plurality of batteries.

20. The charger according to claim 18, further comprising:

in response to a determination that said one of said plurality of batteries is not ready for charging, said controller for selecting a different one of said plurality of batteries; and

said controller for starting a measurement cycle of said different one of said plurality of batteries.

21. The charger according to claim 20, further comprising:

said controller for determining current battery characteristics of said different one of said plurality of batteries during said measurement cycle; and

said controller for determining whether said different one of said plurality of batteries is ready for charging by determining whether said current battery characteristics of said different one of said plurality of batteries are within a specified range.

22. The charger according to claim 18 further comprising:

controller being coupled to a processor that is external to said battery charger; and

said controller for providing battery information to said processor, said battery information including said battery characteristics and charging method information.

23. The charger according to claim 18, further comprising:

said controller for determining a current charging state of said one of said plurality of batteries;

said controller for utilizing said battery characteristics and said current charging state to determine an appropriate charging method for said one of said plurality of batteries; and

said controller for causing said battery charger to charge said one of said plurality of batteries utilizing said appropriate charging method.

24. The charger according to claim 23, further comprising:

said controller for determining whether said one of said plurality of batteries is currently being discharged.

25. The charger according to claim 24, further comprising:

in response to a determination that said one of said plurality of batteries is currently being discharged, said controller for determining whether said one of said plurality of batteries is fully discharged; and

in response to a determination that said one of said plurality of batteries is fully discharged, a flag within said controller that indicates that said one of said plurality of batteries is fully discharged when said flag is set.

26. The charger according to claim 24, further comprising:

said controller for determining whether said one of said plurality of batteries is currently not being charged.

27. The charger according to claim 26, further comprising:

said controller for determining whether a second flag in said controller is set, said second flag being set when said one of said plurality of batteries is to be discharged; and

in response to a determination that said second flag is set, said controller for causing said battery charger to discharge said one of said plurality of batteries.

28. The charger according to claim 27, further comprising:

a processor that is external to said battery charger for setting said second flag when said one of said plurality of batteries is to be discharged.

29. The charger according to claim 24, further comprising:

said controller for determining whether said one of said plurality of batteries is in a state that is other than a discharging state or a not charging state.

30. The charger according to claim 18, further comprising:

said controller for determining whether a temperature of said one of said plurality of batteries is within a particular range;

said controller for determining whether said one of said plurality of batteries is overcharged;

said controller for determining whether a temperature of said one of said plurality of batteries is within a particular range;

said controller for determining whether said one of said plurality of batteries is over discharged; and

said controller for determining whether said one of said plurality of batteries is already being charged utilizing a first charging phase, wherein said one of said plurality of batteries should be first charged using a first charging phase and is then charged using a second charging phase.

31. The charger according to claim 30, further comprising:

in response to a determination that said one of said plurality of batteries is over discharged, said controller for causing said battery charger to begin slow charging said one of said plurality of batteries.

32. The charger according to claim 31, further comprising:

a sub-timer being started within said controller to time a length of time said one of said plurality of batteries is slow charged.

33. The charger according to claim 30, further comprising:

in response to a determination that said one of said plurality of batteries is not already being charged utilizing a first charging phase, said controller for causing said battery charger to start charging said one of said plurality of batteries utilizing a first charging phase;

said charger for charging said one of said plurality of batteries utilizing a constant current until a second voltage threshold is reached during said first charging phase;

in response to said second voltage threshold being reached during said first charging phase, said controller for causing said battery charger to start charging said one of said plurality of batteries utilizing a second charging phase; and

said charger for charging said one of said plurality of batteries by holding a voltage of said one of said plurality of batteries constant until a current of said one of said plurality of batteries drops to a current threshold during said second charging phase.

34. The charger according to claim 33, further comprising:

a sub-timer being started within said controller to time a length of time said one of said plurality of batteries is charged utilizing said second charging phase.