External discharging/charging apparatus

• US 6,291,973 B1
• Filed: 02/01/2000
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Lee, Andy
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIBBITS, PIA FLORENCE
• Application Number:
  US09/495,672
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 320/128, 320/132, 320/137, 320/134
• US Class Current: 320/128
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation

Abstract

An external discharging/charging apparatus is disclosed. Users can select the operation for directly charging the battery set, or first discharging and then charging the battery set via the external discharging/charging device. Users can directly carry out power discharging/charging to the battery set, thereby improving the accuracy of the detecting device disposed in the battery set and extending the life of the battery set.

Claims

1. An external discharging/charging apparatus for directly charging a battery set, or first discharging and then charging the battery set, comprising at least:

a DC power-supplying device for supplying power to charge the battery set;

a load;

a first switch, wherein when the first switch is turned on, the battery set is charged by the DC power-supplying device;

a second switch, wherein when the second switch is turned on, the battery set is discharged through the load;

a switch controlling device, wherein when a voltage level sensed from the battery set is higher than a predetermined value, the switch controlling device turns on the second switch, and otherwise turns on the first switch; and

a charge-holding device, wherein when the voltage level sensed from the battery set after discharging is lower than the predetermined value, the switch controlling device turns off the second switch and turns on the first switch, and the charge-holding device outputs a control signal to make the switch controlling device leave the first switch in a turned-on state; and

when the battery set is removed from the external discharging/charging apparatus, the control signal is eliminated such that the switch controlling device can control the first switch in response to the voltage level sensed from the battery set.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switch controlling device is a comparing device for comparing the voltage level sensed from the battery set with the predetermined value, and when the voltage level sensed from the battery set is lower than the predetermined value, the switch controlling device turns on the first switch, and otherwise turns on the second switch.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the comparing device comprises:

a first comparator for comparing the voltage level sensed from the battery set with the predetermined value; and

a second comparator for comparing the voltage level sensed from the battery set with the output of the first comparator; and

when the voltage level sensed from the battery set is lower than the output of the first comparator, the first switch is turned on, otherwise, the second switch is turned on.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switch controlling device comprises:

a first comparator for comparing the voltage level sensed from the battery set with the predetermined value;

a second comparator for comparing the voltage level sensed from the battery set with the output of the first comparator; and

a third comparator for comparing the output of the first comparator with the voltage level sensed from the battery set; and

when the output of the first comparator is higher than the voltage level sensed from the battery set, the second comparator outputs a signal for turning on the first switch, otherwise the third comparator outputs the signal for turning on the third switch.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the charge-holding device comprises:

a voltage pull-down device for outputting the control signal to make the first switch remain in a turned-on state when the voltage level sensed from the battery set is lower than the predetermined value; and

a reset device for eliminating the control signal when the battery set is removed form the external discharging/charging apparatus to make the switch controlling device control the first switch in response to the voltage level sensed from the battery set.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the DC power-supply device is a converting device for receiving an external voltage-source and converting that to a DC constant current source.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a discharge/charge enabling device for selecting the operation of directly charging the battery set, or first discharging and then charging the battery set.

8. An external discharging/charging apparatus for directly charging a battery set, or first discharging and then charging the battery set, comprising at least:

a DC power-supplying device for supplying power to charge the battery set;

a load;

a first switch, wherein when the first switch is turned on, the battery set is charged by the DC power-supplying device;

a second switch, wherein when the second switch is turned on, the battery set is discharged through the load;

a sampling device for providing a sampling level associated with a voltage level sensed from the battery set;

a switch controlling device which comprises;

a first comparator for comparing the sampling level with the predetermined value;

a second comparator for comparing the sampling level with the output of the first comparator; and

a third comparator for comparing the output of the first comparator with the sampling level;

wherein when the sampling level is higher than the predetermined value, the output of the first comparator is lower than the sampling level, thereby the third comparator turns on the second switch, otherwise the second comparator turns on the first switch;

a discharge/charge enabling device for selecting the operation of directly charging the battery set or first discharging and then charging the battery set; and

a charge-holding device, wherein when the sampling level is lower than the predetermined value, the switch controlling device turns off the second switch and turns on the first switch, and the charge-holding device outputs a control signal to make the switch controlling device leave the first switch remain in a turned-on state; and

when the battery set is removed from the external discharging/charging apparatus, the control signal is eliminated such that the switch controlling device can control the first switch in response to the sampling level.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the charge-holding device comprises:

a voltage pull-down device whose output is coupled to the sampling device and input is coupled to the output of the first comparator; and

a reset device for eliminating the control signal when the battery set is removed form the external discharging/charging apparatus to make the switch controlling device can control the first switch in response to the voltage level sensed from the battery set;

wherein when the sampling level is lower than the predetermined value, the first comparator outputs an enable signal to make the voltage pull-down device output the control signal such that the sampling level is pulled down and kept at the level lower than the predetermined value, thereby turning on the first switch through the switch controlling device.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the reset device is a switching device coupled between the voltage pull-down device and a power source;

and when the battery set is put in the external discharging/charging device, the switching device is turned on through the divided voltage level of the battery set, and the power source is fed to the voltage pull-down device via the switch device; and

when the battery set is removed form the external discharging/charging apparatus, the switch device is turned off and the power source is not fed to the voltage pull-down device, thereby eliminating the control signal outputted from the voltage pull-down device.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the voltage pull-down device comprises at least:

a PNP transistor; and

a NPN transistor; and

the collector and emitter of the PNP transistor are coupled to the base of the NPN transistor and the reset device respectively, and the collector of the NPN transistor is coupled to the base of the PNP transistor and the reset device, and the emitter of the NPN is grounded.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the discharge/charge enabling device is a selecting device coupled between the output of the sampling device and a grounded reference;

and when the operation for directly charging the battery set is chosen, the selecting device is turned on and pulls down the sampling level of the sampling device to be lower than the predetermined value, thereby turning on the first switch.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the DC power-supply device is a converting device for receiving an external voltage-source and converting that to a DC constant current source.