Systems and methods for charging a battery

• US 20050057215A1
• Filed: 09/15/2003
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Stefan Matan
• Original Assignee: Stefan Matan
• Inventors: Matan, Stefan
• Application Number:
  US10/662,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20050057215A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/101
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers

Abstract

A charger includes an alternating current (AC) voltage booster coupled to an input voltage; and a DC regulator coupled to the AC voltage booster to charge a battery. An energy supply system includes a solar panel to generate an input voltage from solar energy; a battery; an alternating current (AC) voltage booster coupled to the solar panel to receive the input voltage; and a DC regulator coupled to the AC voltage booster to charge the battery.

Claims

1. A charger, comprising:

an alternating current (AC) voltage booster coupled to an input voltage; and

a DC regulator coupled to the AC voltage booster to charge a battery.

2. The charger of claim 1, wherein the AC voltage booster is a pulse-width-modulation (PWM) voltage booster.

3. The charger of claim 1, wherein the input voltage is generated by a renewable energy source.

4. The charger of claim 1, wherein the input voltage comes from a solar cell.

5. The charger of claim 1, wherein the voltage booster doubles the input voltage.

6. The charger of claim 1, further comprising in one or more capacitors for storing the stepped-up voltage before applying the stepped-up voltage to the battery.

7. The charger of claim 1, further comprising a circuit to convert the stepped-up voltage to a stepped-up DC voltage.

8. The charger of claim 1, further comprising a frequency shifter to change a frequency of the AC voltage to avoid radio frequency interference.

9. The charger of claim 1, wherein the voltage booster is a charge pump.

10. The charger of claim 1, further comprising a DC regulator coupled between the voltage booster and the battery.

11. A method for charging a battery, comprising:

receiving a direct current (DC) input voltage;

converting the direct current input voltage into an alternating current (AC) voltage;

stepping-up the AC input voltage; and

applying the stepped-up voltage to the battery.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising stepping-up the input voltage using pulse-width-modulation (PWM).

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the input voltage is generated by a renewable energy source.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the input voltage comes from a solar cell.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the stepping up the input voltage further comprises proximally doubling the input voltage.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising storing the stepped-up voltage in one or more capacitors before applying the stepped-up voltage to the battery.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the applying the stepped-up voltage further comprises converting the stepped-up voltage to a stepped-up DC voltage.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising changing a frequency of the AC voltage to avoid radio frequency interference.

19. A system for charging a battery, comprising:

means for converting a direct current (DC) input voltage into an alternating current (AC) voltage;

means for stepping-up the input voltage and applying the stepped-up voltage to the battery.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising means to convert the stepped-up voltage to a stepped up DC voltage.