Variable pulse recharging battery pack

• US 5,694,022 A
• Filed: 12/18/1995
• Issued: 12/02/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SelfCHARGE, Inc. (Electrochem Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SelfCHARGE, Inc. (Electrochem Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Swedenburg, Steven M., Ranta, Craig S., Nierescher, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US08/574,602
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 320/5, 320/20, 320/21, 320/23, 320/24, 320/30, 320/31, 320/44, 320/49
• US Class Current: 320/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/23 Capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/27 Transformerless

Abstract

A battery pack for an electrical device contains rechargeable batteries for supplying power to the electrical device and a transformerless pulse charging circuit. The pulse charging circuit generates a pulse charging current from received AC current, and charges the rechargeable batteries with the generated pulse charging current. A semiconductor switch (12) generates the pulse charging current from the received AC current and supplies the pulse charging current to the batteries. A ramp generator circuit (14) generates a linearly rising waveform beginning at each zero crossing of the rectified AC current. A current sense amplifier circuit (15) measures the average value of current pulses through the battery and generates a signal proportional to an average charging current. A triggering circuit (18) generates the gate firing pulses for the semiconductor switch (12) according to the linearly rising waveform and the average charging current amplifier waveform.

Claims

1. An electrically powered device, including a removable rechargeable battery pack for powering said electrically powered device, said battery pack comprising:

at least one rechargeable battery; and

a transformerless pulse charging circuit for receiving an input AC current and a current value from said at least one battery, generating a pulse charging current proportional to said received AC current and current value, and charging said at least one rechargeable battery by applying said pulse charging current to said at least one battery.

2. The electrically powered device of claim 1, wherein said charging circuit further comprises:

a rectifier circuit means for fully rectifying the received AC current;

a semiconductor switching means coupled to the rectifier circuit means for generating said pulse charging current from said rectified AC current and supplying said pulse charging current to said at least one battery;

a ramp generator circuit, coupled to said rectifier circuit means, for generating a linearly rising waveform beginning at each zero crossing of the rectified AC current;

a current sense amplifier circuit, coupled to the output terminal of said at least one battery, for measuring the average value of current through said at least one battery and generating a first DC level value proportional to said average charging value; and

a triggering circuit for generating gate firing pulses for the semiconductor switching means according to said linearly rising waveform and said generated DC level value.

3. The electrically powered device of claim 2, wherein said charging circuit further comprises a number of capacitors in parallel between the semiconductor switch and said at least one battery for stabilizing said at least one battery impedance.

4. The electrically powered device of claim 2, further comprising a softstart circuit, between said at least one battery and said current sense amplifier circuit, for sending a decreasing current to said current sense amplifier circuit at initial reception of said input AC current thereby slowly increasing the pulse charge current to said at least one battery.

5. The electrically powered device of claim 2, further comprising an absolute temperature circuit, coupled to said current sense amplifier circuit, for sending current to said current sense amplifier circuit when a preset charging temperature is reached, forcing the current sense amplifier circuit to generate a second DC level greater than said first DC level, thereby pulse charging said at least one battery at a lower pulse charging level.

6. The electrically powered device of claim 2, further comprising an absolute time circuit, coupled to said current sense amplifier circuit, for sending current to said current sense amplifier circuit when a preset charging time is reached, forcing the current sense amplifier circuit to generate a second DC level greater than said first DC level, thereby pulse charging said at least one battery at a lower pulse charging level.

7. The electrically powered device of claim 1, wherein said at least one battery is a NiCd battery.

8. The electrically powered device of claim 1, wherein said at least one battery is a Nickel Metal Hydride battery.

9. A cellular phone, including a removable rechargeable battery pack, said battery pack comprising:

at least one rechargeable battery; and

a transformerless pulse charging circuit for receiving an input AC current and a current value from said at least one battery, generating a pulse charging current proportional to said received AC current and current value, and charging said at least one rechargeable battery by applying said pulse charging current to said at least one battery.

10. The cellular phone of claim 9, wherein said recharging circuit comprises:

a rectifier circuit means for fully rectifying the received AC current;

a semiconductor switching means coupled to the rectifier circuit means for generating said pulse charging current from said rectified AC current and supplying said pulse charging current to said at least one battery;

a ramp generator circuit, coupled to said rectifier circuit means, for generating a linearly rising waveform beginning at each zero crossing of the rectified AC current;

a current sense amplifier circuit, coupled to the output terminal of said at least one battery, for measuring the average value of current through said at least one battery and generating a first DC level value proportional to said average charging value; and

a triggering circuit for generating gate firing pulses for the semiconductor switching means according to said linearly rising waveform and said generated DC level value.

11. The cellular phone of claim 10, wherein said charging circuit further comprises a number of capacitors in parallel between the semiconductor switch and said at least one battery for stabilizing said at least one battery impedance.

12. The cellular phone of claim 10, further comprising a soft-start circuit, coupled between said output of said at least one battery and said current sense amplifier circuit, for sending a decreasing current to said current sense amplifier circuit at initial reception of said input AC current thereby slowly increasing the pulse charge current to said at least one battery.

13. The cellular phone of claim 10, further comprising an absolute temperature circuit, coupled to said current sense amplifier circuit, for sending current to said current sense amplifier circuit when a preset charging temperature is reached, forcing the current sense amplifier circuit to generate a second DC level greater than said first DC level, thereby pulse charging said at least one battery at a lower pulse charging level.

14. The cellular phone of claim 11, further comprising an absolute time circuit, coupled to said current sense amplifier circuit, for sending current to said current sense amplifier circuit when a preset charging time is reached, forcing the current sense amplifier circuit to generate a second DC level greater than said first DC level, thereby pulse charging said at least one battery at a lower pulse charging level.

15. The cellular phone of claim 9, wherein said at least one battery is a NiCd battery.

16. The cellular phone of claim 9, wherein said at least one battery is a Nickel Metal Hydride battery.

17. A cellular phone removable battery pack, comprising:

at least one rechargeable battery; and

a transformerless pulse charging circuit for receiving an input AC current and a current value from said at least one battery, generating a pulse charging current proportional to said received AC current and current value, and charging said at least one rechargeable battery by applying said pulse charging current to said at least one battery.

18. The cellular phone removable battery pack of claim 17, wherein said charging circuit further comprises:

a rectifier circuit means for fully rectifying the received AC current;

a semiconductor switching means coupled to the rectifier circuit means for generating said pulse charging current from said rectified AC current and supplying said pulse charging current to said at least one battery;

a ramp generator circuit, coupled to said rectifier circuit means, for generating a linearly rising waveform beginning at each zero crossing of the rectified AC current;

a current sense amplifier circuit, coupled to the output terminal of said at least one battery, for measuring the average value of current through said at least one battery and generating a first DC level value proportional to said average charging value; and

a triggering circuit for generating gate firing pulses for the semiconductor switching means according to said linearly rising waveform and said generated DC level value.

19. The battery pack of claim 18, wherein said charging circuit further comprises a number of capacitors in parallel between the semiconductor switch and said at least one battery for stabilizing said at least one battery impedance.

20. The battery pack of claim 18, further comprising a soft-start circuit, coupled between said output of said at least one battery and said current sense amplifier circuit, for sending a decreasing current to said current sense amplifier circuit at initial reception of said input AC current thereby slowly increasing the pulse charge current to said at least one battery.

21. The battery pack of claim 18, further comprising an absolute temperature circuit, coupled to said current sense amplifier circuit, for sending current to said current sense amplifier circuit when a preset charging temperature is reached, forcing the current sense amplifier circuit to generate a second DC level greater than said first DC level, thereby pulse charging said at least one battery at a lower pulse charging level.

22. The battery pack of claim 18, further comprising an absolute time circuit, coupled to said current sense amplifier circuit, for sending current to said current sense amplifier circuit when a preset charging time is reached, forcing the current sense amplifier circuit to generate a second DC level greater than said first DC level, thereby pulse charging said at least one battery at a lower pulse charging level.

23. The battery pack of claim 17, wherein said at least one battery is a NiCd battery.

24. The battery pack of claim 17, wherein said at least one battery is a Nickel Metal Hydride battery.

25. An electrically powered device, including a removable rechargeable battery pack for powering said electrically powered device, said battery pack comprising:

at least one rechargeable battery; and

a transformerless pulse charging circuit for receiving an input AC current and a current value from said at least one battery, generating a pulse charging current proportional to said received AC current and current value, and charging said at least one rechargeable battery by applying said pulse charging current to said at least one battery, said pulse charging circuit further comprising;

a rectifier circuit means for fully rectifying the received AC current;

a semiconductor switching means coupled to the rectified circuit means for generating said pulse charging current from said rectified AC current and supplying said pulse charging current to said at least one battery;

a ramp generator circuit, coupled to said rectified circuit means, for generating a linearly rising waveform beginning at each zero crossing of the rectified AC current;

a current sense amplifier circuit, coupled to the output terminal of said at least one battery, for measuring the average value of current through said at least one battery and generating a first DC level value proportional to said average charging value; and

a triggering circuit for generating gate firing pulses for the semiconductor switching means according to said linearly rising waveform and said generated DC level value.

26. A cellular phone, including a removable rechargeable battery pack, said battery pack comprising:

at least one rechargeable battery; and

a transformerless pulse charging circuit for receiving an input AC current and a current value from said at least one battery, generating a pulse charging current proportional to said received AC current and current value, and charging said at least one rechargeable battery by applying said pulse charging current to said at least one battery, said pulse charging circuit comprising;

a rectifier circuit means for fully rectifying the received AC current;

a semiconductor switching means coupled to the rectifier circuit means for generating said pulse charging current from said rectified AC current and supplying said pulse charging current to said at least one battery;

a ramp generator circuit, coupled to said rectifier circuit means, for generating a linearly rising waveform beginning at each zero crossing of the rectified AC current;

a current sense amplifier circuit, coupled to the output terminal of said at least one battery, for measuring the average value of current through said at least one battery and generating a first DC level value proportional to said average charging value; and

a triggering circuit for generating gate firing pulses for the semiconductor switching means according to said linearly rising waveform and said generated DC level value.

27. A cellular phone removable battery pack, comprising:

at least one rechargeable battery; and

a transformerless pulse charging circuit for receiving an input AC current and a current value from said at least one battery, generating a pulse charging current proportional to said received AC current and current value, and charging said at least one rechargeable battery by applying said pulse charging current to said at least one battery, said pulse charging circuit further comprising;

a rectifier circuit means for fully rectifying the received AC current;

a semiconductor switching means coupled to the rectifier circuit means for generating said pulse charging current from said rectified AC current and supplying said pulse charging current to said at least one battery;

a ramp generator circuit, coupled to said rectifier circuit means, for generating a linearly rising waveform beginning at each zero crossing of the rectified AC current;

a current sense amplifier circuit, coupled to the output terminal of said at least one battery, for measuring the average value of current through said at least one battery and generating a first DC level value proportional to said average charging value; and

a triggering circuit for generating gate firing pulses for the semiconductor switching means according to said linearly rising waveform and said generated DC level value.