Method and apparatus for charging a battery

• US 6,369,561 B1
• Filed: 04/27/2000
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Pulvirenti, Francesco, Marino, Filippo, Pappalardo, Salvatore
• Primary Examiner(s): RILEY, SHAWN
• Application Number:
  US09/560,763
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 320/159, 320/160, 320/145, 320/152, 323/282, 323/284, 323/285, 323/901, 323/908
• US Class Current: 323/285
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 323/901 Starting circuits

Abstract

A DC-DC converter having a current error amplifier and a voltage error amplifier connected in parallel to control the charging of the battery and a gradual turning off circuit for turning off gradually the current error amplifier in a battery charging end phase. In this way, the DC-DC converter is able to supply to the battery a battery charging current that remains constant until the battery full charge voltage is reached.

Claims

1. A DC-DC converter usable as a battery charger, comprising:

current error amplifier means and voltage error amplifier means connected in parallel to control the charging phase of a battery, and a gradual turning off means gradually turning off said current error amplifier means in a battery charging end phase.

2. The DC-DC converter of claim 1, wherein said gradual turning off means comprise first current generating means supplying a first bias current for said current error amplifier means having decreasing amplitude in said battery charging end phase.

3. The DC-DC converter of claim 2, wherein said first bias current presents a substantially constant amplitude during the battery charging phase preceding said end phase.

4. The DC-DC converter of claim 2, wherein said gradual turning off means further comprise measuring means measuring the voltage of said battery and supplying a turning off start control signal for said first current generating means when the battery voltage is higher than a threshold value.

5. The DC-DC converter of claim 2, wherein said voltage error amplifier means comprise an input stage including first and second transistor means connected in differential configuration and said first bias current is a function of the difference between the currents flowing, in use, in said first and second transistor means.

6. The DC-DC converter of claim 5, wherein said first bias current is substantially equal to twice the difference of said currents flowing, in use, in said first and second transistor means.

7. The DC-DC converter of claim 1, further comprising second current generating means supplying a second constant bias current for said voltage error amplifier means.

8. The DC-DC converter of claim 1, wherein said current error amplifier means and voltage error amplifier means share the same output stage.

9. A method for charging a battery, comprising:

supplying a current to said battery using a DC-DC converter comprising current error amplifier means and voltage error amplifier means connected in parallel to control charging of said battery, and gradually turning off said current error amplifier means in a battery charging end phase.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said gradual turning off step comprises supplying to said current error amplifier means a first bias current having a decreasing amplitude in said battery charging end phase.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said first bias current presents a substantially constant amplitude during a battery charging phase preceding said end phase.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said gradual turning off step further comprises measuring the battery voltage and generating a turning off start control signal for said first current generating means when the battery voltage is higher than a threshold voltage.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the voltage error amplifier means comprises an input stage including first and second transistor means connected in differential configuration, and supplying to said current error amplifier means a first bias current comprises generating said first bias current as a function of the difference between the currents flowing, in use, in said first and second transistor means.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said first bias current is substantially equal to twice the difference between said currents flowing, in use, in said first and second transistor means.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising supplying to said voltage error amplifier means a second constant bias current.

16. A DC-DC converter usable as a battery charger, comprising:

current error amplifier means and a voltage error amplifier means connected in parallel to control the charging phase of a battery and a gradual turning off means gradually turning off the current error amplifier means in a battery charging end phase, the gradual turning off means comprising first current generating means supplying a first bias current for the current error amplifier means having decreasing amplitude in the battery charging end phase.

17. A DC-DC converter usable as a battery charger, comprising:

current error amplifier means and a voltage error amplifier means connected in parallel to control the charging phase of a battery, the voltage error amplifier means comprising an input stage including first and second transistor means connected in differential configuration; and

a gradual turning off means gradually turning off the current error amplifier means in a battery charging end phase, the gradual turning off means comprising first current generating means supplying a first bias current for the current error amplifier means having decreasing amplitude in the battery charging end phase, the first bias current comprising a function of the difference between the current flowing, in use, and the first and second transistor means.

18. A DC-DC converter usable as a battery charger, comprising:

current error amplifier means and a voltage error amplifier means connected in parallel to control the charging phase of a battery, the current error amplifier means and the voltage error amplifier means sharing the same output stage, and a gradual turning off means gradually turning off the current error amplifier means in a battery charging end phase.

19. A method for charging a battery comprising:

supplying a current to the battery using a DC-DC converter comprising current error amplifier means and voltage error amplifier means connected in parallel to control charging of the battery; and

gradually turning off the current error amplifier means in a battery charging end phase by supplying to the current error amplifier means a first bias current having a decreasing amplitude in the battery charging end phase.

20. A method for charging a battery, comprising:

supplying a current to the battery using a DC-DC converter comprising current error amplifier means and a voltage error amplifier means connected in parallel to control charging of the battery, the voltage error amplifier means having an input stage including first and second transistor means connected in differential configuration;

generating a first bias current as a function of the difference between currents flowing, in use, in the first and second transistor means; and

gradually turning off the current error amplifier means in a battery charging end phase by supplying to the current error amplifier means the first bias current having a decreasing amplitude in the battery charging end phase.

21. A battery charging regulation circuit, comprising:

a voltage error amplifier having first and second differential inputs, the first differential input coupled to a reference voltage source, the second differential input adapted to be coupled to the battery, and an output stage having an output terminal;

an amplifier adapted to detect charging current delivered to the battery, the amplifier coupled to an adjustable bias current source and configured to deliver an output current to the output stage of the voltage error amplifier; and

a measuring stage coupled to the first and second differential inputs of the voltage error amplifier, and an output coupled to a control terminal of the adjustable bias current source, the measuring phase configured to generate a start-turning-off signal to the adjustable bias current source when the differential input to the voltage error amplifier is below a threshold value, the adjustable bias current source configured to provide a constant bias current to the amplifier during a charging phase and to provide a gradually reducing bias current to the amplifier in response to the start-turning-off signal.

22. The circuit of claim 21, wherein the amplifier is configured to provide an output current that maintains the output stage of the voltage error amplifier in equilibrium during the charging phase.