Method and apparatus for charging a battery powered electronic device

• US 5,325,040 A
• Filed: 09/21/1992
• Issued: 06/28/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Christenson, Allen L., Patino, Joseph, Bogut, Henry A.
• Primary Examiner(s): KINCAID, KRISTINE LYNN
• Application Number:
  US07/947,694
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 320/22, 320/23, 320/24, 320/31, 320/32, 320/35, 320/36, 320/39, 320/40, 320/43, 320/44
• US Class Current: 320/150
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0036 using connection detecting circuits H02J7/0034 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence

Abstract

A battery charger (102) includes an input terminal (124) for receiving control signals from radio (104). The control signals are received by a charge controller (112) which provides a charge rate to radio battery pack (106) which is a function of the control signal. Radio (104) includes a controller (126) which can sense the state of the radio battery pack (106), as well as changes in the state of radio (104). Controller (126) can then modify the control signal sent to charger (102) and therefor the battery charge rate proved by charger (102) based on certain changes in the state of battery pack (106) or radio (104).

Claims

1. A method for charging using a controller-less battery charger an electronic device having a battery, the battery having a battery parameter, the method comprising the steps of:

at the electronic device;

sending a first control signal from the electronic device to the battery charger;

monitoring the battery parameter;

sending a second control signal to the battery charger if the battery parameter has reached a predetermined level;

monitoring the electronic device for any changes in the state of the electronic device while the battery is being charged;

sending a third control signal to the battery charger if the electronic device has changed state; and

at the controller-less battery charger;

receiving the first control signal;

providing the first control signal to a variable current source;

charging the battery using the variable current source at a first charge rate corresponding to the control signal;

charging the battery at a second charge rate corresponding to the second control signal when the second control signal is provided to the variable current source;

receiving the third control signal if it is sent by the electronic device; and

modifying the charge rate at which the battery is being charged as a function of the third control signal.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of monitoring the battery parameter of the battery comprises the step of:

determining the change in temperature of the battery over a predetermined period of time.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of monitoring the electronic device for any changes in state comprises determining if the electronic device is about to require a different amount of current to operate then it had been currently using.

4. An electronic device having a rechargeable battery which can be recharged using a controller-less battery charger, the rechargeable battery having at least one battery parameter, the electronic device comprising:

control means for determining the at least one battery parameter from the rechargeable battery;

output means for providing a control signal which is a function of the at least one battery parameter to the controller-less battery charger, the control signal sets the rate at which the rechargeable battery is charged; and

the control means also determines if the amount of current which is being consumed by the electronic device has changed by a predetermined amount and if so, the control means informs the output means to send a new control signal to the battery charger in order to modify the rate at which the rechargeable battery is being charged.

5. An electronic device as defined in claim 4, wherein the control signal is a voltage level which is a function of the at least one battery parameter.