CHARGING CURRENT CALIBRATION

• US 20140055082A1
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Published: 02/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kun, Cheong, Zeisel, Eric B., Mikuteit, Eric I., Dharmapurikar, Abhijeet V., Sutton, Todd R., Keitel, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,190,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• 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 7/00716 in response to integrated charge or discharge current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments are directed to systems, devices, methods, and computer-readable media for calibrating a charging current. A device may include a charger for conveying an output voltage to a chargeable device. The device may also include a monitoring system including an analog-to-digital converter for measuring a current received by the chargeable device. Further, the device may include a control device configured to receive a charging current value from the monitoring system and convey a signal to the charger in response to a comparison of the charging current value to a target current value.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a charger for conveying an output signal to a battery;

a monitoring system including coulomb-counting analog-to-digital converter for measuring a current received by the battery; and

a control device configured to receive a sampled battery current value from the monitoring system and calibrate a signal conveyed to the charger in response to a comparison of the sampled battery current value to a target current value.

2. The device of claim 1, the control device comprising at least one of electronic hardware and computer software.

3. The device of claim 1, the control device further configured to receive an average current value received by the battery from the monitoring system.

4. The device of claim 3, the control device configured to compare the sampled battery current value to the average current value.

5. The device of claim 4, the control device configured to calibrate the signal to the charger if a difference between the sampled battery current value and the average current value is less than a threshold.

6. The device of claim 1, the control device configured to compare the sampled battery current value to the target current value.

7. The device of claim 1, the control device configured to receive a signal from the charger indicating that the charger is in a constant current charging mode.

8. The device of claim 1, the control device configured to:

increase a current of the signal conveyed to the charger if the sampled battery current value is less than the target current value; and

decrease the current of the signal conveyed to the charger if the sampled battery current value is greater than the target current value.

9. A device, comprising:

a charger for conveying an output signal to a chargeable device;

a monitoring device for measuring a current received by the chargeable device; and

a charger control for receiving a sampled current value from the monitoring system, comparing the sampled current value to a target window and adjusting the charger if the sampled current value is outside the target window.

10. The device of claim 9, the monitoring device comprising a coulomb-counting analog-to-digital converter.

11. The device of claim 9, the monitoring device configured to convey an average current value received by the chargeable device and the sampled current value received by the chargeable device to the charger control.

12. The device of claim 11, the charger control configured to compare the average current value to the target window if the sampled current value is within a specified range of the average current value.

13. The device of claim 9, the charger comprising one of a switch-mode charger and a linear charger.

14. The device of claim 9, the charger control for comparing the average current value to the target window and adjusting the charger if the average current value is outside the target window and the charger is operating in a constant current charger mode.

15. The device of claim 9, the charger control for increasing an input voltage of the charger if the average current value is less than the target window and decreasing the input voltage of the charger if the average current value is greater than the target window.

16. The device of claim 9, the charger comprising a buck converter.

17. A method, comprising:

sampling a charging current value;

comparing the charging current value to a target current value; and

modifying a signal conveyed to a power converter in response to a comparison of the charging current value to the target current value.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising measuring an average charging current value.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising comparing the charging current value to the average charging current value.

20. The method of claim 19, the comparing the charging current value to the target current value comprising comparing the charging current value to the target current value if the difference between the average charging current value and the charging current value is less than a threshold.

21. The method of claim 17, the measuring the charging current value comprising measuring the charging current value with a coulomb-counting analog-to-digital converter.

22. The method of claim 17, the measuring a charging current value comprising measuring a charging current value if the power converter is in a constant charging mode.

23. A method, comprising:

measuring a charging current value with an analog-to-digital converter;

comparing the charging current value to a target window; and

modifying the charging current value if the charging current value is not within the target window.

24. The method of claim 23, the comparing the charging current value to a target window comprises comparing the charging current value to a target window specified by a battery manufacturer.

25. A method, comprising:

receiving a sampled battery charging current value and an average battery charging current value;

comparing the average battery charging current value to a target window if the sampled battery charging current value is within a specified range of the average battery charging current value; and

adjusting an output signal if the average battery charging current value is not within the target window.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform instructions for calibrating a battery charging current, the instructions comprising:

receiving a sampled battery charging current value and an average battery charging current value;

comparing the average battery charging current value to a target window if the sampled battery charging current value is within a specified range of the average battery charging current value; and

adjusting an output signal if the average battery charging current value is not within the target window.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, the instructions further comprising determining if a charger is in a constant charging mode.

28. A device, comprising:

means for measuring a charging current value;

means for comparing the charging current value to a target current value; and

means for modifying a signal conveyed to a power converter in response to a comparison of the charging current value to the target current value.

29. A device, comprising:

means for measuring a charging current value with a coulomb-counting analog-to-digital converter;

means for comparing the charging current value to a target window; and

means for modifying the charging current value if the charging current value is not within the target window.

30. A device, comprising:

means for receiving a sampled battery charging current value and an average battery charging current value;

means for comparing the average battery charging current value to a target window if the sampled battery charging current value is within a specified range of the average battery charging current value; and

means for modifying an output signal if the average battery charging current value is not within the target window.