BATTERY CHARGER WITH USER INTERFACE

• US 20160099580A1
• Filed: 10/01/2014
• Published: 04/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Traxxas LP (Traxxas)
• Original Assignee: Traxxas LP (Traxxas)
• Inventors: Kawamura, Tom, Poteet, Kent
• Granted Patent: US 10,396,568 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery single charger may accommodate Li-type and Ni-type batteries, having default charge settings and user-adjustable charge parameters in an ‘advanced mode’. Lithium Polymer (LiPo) batteries equipped with RFID technology and integrated balance taps may communicate with a device such as a battery charger equipped with similar technology providing information such as chemistry type, cell count, recommended charge rates, number of charges on the battery, among other types of information. Several safety features may be included.

Claims

1. A battery charger, comprising:

an electrical connector for electrically coupling to a battery and delivering a configurable electrical charge for charging a battery;

a sensor for receiving information from a battery to be charged, the sensor positioned to receive information from a battery to be charged when the battery is electrically coupled to the electrical connector; and

a memory for storing a plurality of predefined charging parameter settings, with the predefined charging parameter settings configured to correspond to information receivable from a battery to be charged;

wherein the charger at least partially configures the electrical charge delivered in accordance with predefined charging parameter settings corresponding to information received from a battery to be charged.

2. The battery charger of claim 1, wherein the sensor receives information from an RFID device connected to a battery to be charged, when the battery is electrically coupled to the electrical connector.

3. The battery charger of claim 1, wherein the electrical connector comprises an electrical socket for receiving an electrical plug coupled to a battery to be charged.

4. The battery charger of claim 1, further comprising a battery information receipt indicator, wherein the battery information receipt indicator comprises a light emitting device configured to illuminate upon receipt of information from a battery to be charged.

5. The battery charger of claim 1, further comprising a first switch, wherein the first switch comprises a first button for initiating delivery of a charge to a battery to be charged when the first button is depressed following the sensor receiving information from the battery to be charged.

6. The battery charger of claim 5, wherein depressing the first button while the charger is delivering an electrical charge to a battery terminates delivery of the electrical charge.

7. The battery charger of claim 1, further comprising a charge progress indicator, wherein the charge progress indicator comprises a plurality of light emitting devices configured to illuminate in succession for indicating the amount of electrical charge delivered to a battery to be charged.

8. The battery charger of claim 1, further comprising a charge status indicator, wherein the charge status indicator comprises a light emitting device configured to illuminate in a first mode during at least a portion of the charging mode and in a second mode when charging is completed.

9. The battery charger of claim 7, wherein the plurality of light emitting devices illuminate in a first mode when the electrical connector is coupled to a battery to be charged and information is received by the sensor from the battery to be charged, and in a second mode when the electrical connector is coupled to a battery to be charged and no information is received by the sensor from the battery to be charged.

10. The battery charger of claim 1, wherein the charging parameter settings comprise at least a charge rate setting.

11. The battery charger of claim 1, wherein the user may configure the charge delivered by manually adjusting one or more of the charging parameter settings, whereby the user may alter the one or more charging parameter settings from the predefined charging parameter settings corresponding to information receivable from a battery to be charged.

12. The battery charger of claim 11, further comprising:

a switch comprising a charge rate selection button;

wherein the charging parameter settings comprise at least a charge rate setting; and

wherein depressing the charge rate selection button varies the charge rate setting in relation to the number of times the second button is depressed.

13. The battery charger of claim 1, wherein the plurality of predefined charging parameter settings stored in the memory may not be altered by the user.

14. The battery charger of claim 1, further comprising a charge rate indicator, wherein the charge rate indicator comprises a plurality of light emitting devices configured to illuminate in succession for indicating the amperage of the electrical charge delivered to a battery to be charged, when a battery to be charged is coupled to the charger and when the charger is not delivering an electrical charge for charging the battery.

15. The battery charger of claim 1, wherein the charger is configured to be compatible with at least lithium-polymer and nickel-metal hydride batteries, and wherein the charging parameter settings comprise at least a charge rate setting, a charge mode setting, and a battery type setting.

16. The battery charger of claim 15, further comprising:

one or more balance connector ports for receiving a balance connector of a lithium-polymer type battery;

wherein the charger is configured to automatically select the battery type charge parameter setting corresponding to lithium-polymer batteries when a balance connector is inserted in one of the one or more balance connector ports.

17. The battery charger of claim 15, wherein the charge mode parameter setting comprises at least a storage charge setting, a fast charge setting, and a balance charge setting.

18. The battery charger of claim 15, further comprising:

a first switch, wherein the first switch comprises a first button for initiating delivery of a charge to a battery to be charged when the first button is depressed;

a second switch comprising a charge rate selection button, wherein depressing the charge rate selection button varies the charge rate setting in relation to the number of times the second button is depressed; and

a third switch comprising a battery type selection button, wherein depressing the battery type selection button toggles the battery type parameter setting between at least two settings.

19. The battery charger of claim 18, further comprising:

a fourth switch, wherein the fourth switch comprises a charge mode selection button, wherein depressing the charge mode selection toggles the charge mode parameter setting between at least three charge mode parameter settings when the battery to be charged is a lithium-polymer type battery.

20. The battery charger of claim 1, further comprising an audible enunciator providing a sound following completion of charging a battery to be charged.

21. A method of configuring the charge delivered by a battery charger, comprising:

electrically coupling the battery charger to a battery to be charged;

receiving information from a battery to be charged;

storing a plurality of predefined charging parameter settings within the memory of the battery charger, with the predefined charging parameter settings configured to correspond to information receivable from a battery to be charged;

selecting one or more charging parameters in accordance with predefined charging parameter settings corresponding to information received from a battery to be charged;

initiating delivery of the configured charge in response to depression of a first button by a user.