Method and apparatus for charging a battery to an enhanced capacity

• US 7,932,702 B1
• Filed: 10/27/2006
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Burton, Andrew F., Patino, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIGGUSH, AARON C
• Application Number:
  US11/553,559
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 Days
• Field of Search: 320/130, 320/134, 320/145, 320/157, 320/160, 320/162
• US Class Current: 320/160
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage

Abstract

A lithium-ion battery (126) is normally charged using a constant current/constant voltage charge regime (206, 210), where the battery is charged to a preselected normal voltage level (210) whereupon the voltage is maintained at the limit while the charging current diminishes. The battery charge capacity can be selectively increased by charging the battery to an enhanced voltage level (212). The enhanced charging mode is selected by a user via a device user interface (112), or alternatively by a broadcast command (304) transmitted to the device.

Claims

1. A method of charging a battery to provide enhanced capacity, comprising:

receiving, at a portable device, a wireless control command, from a base station, to use an enhanced capacity charge mode;

selecting, in response to the receiving, the enhanced capacity charge mode for a battery coupled to the portable device,

wherein the enhanced capacity charge mode comprises charging the battery with a constant charging current until a battery voltage reaches an enhanced voltage limit that is higher than a normal voltage limit, and then charging the battery at a constant voltage substantially equal to the enhanced voltage limit; and

recording when the battery voltage passes the normal voltage limit in a memory associated with the battery.

2. The method of charging the battery as defined in claim 1, wherein the wireless control command comprises an emergency notification.

3. The method of charging the battery as defined in claim 1, wherein the portable device is a mobile communication device, and wherein the wireless control command is received from a fixed equipment network with which the mobile communication device is wirelessly connected.

4. The method of charging the battery as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

alerting a user of the portable device upon receipt of the wireless control command.

5. The method of charging the battery as defined in claim 1, wherein the constant charging current is a substantially constant charging current.

6. The method of charging the battery as defined in claim 1, wherein the recording is used to modify a warranty of the battery.

7. The method of charging the battery as defined in claim 1, wherein the wireless control command includes a broadcast command received from the base station.

8. A portable device system, comprising:

a portable device;

a battery, coupled to the portable device, and having a battery voltage;

a receiver, of the portable device, for receiving a wireless control command including an emergency notification, from a base station, to use at least one of a normal charge regime and an enhanced charge regime; and

a charge controller, coupled to the battery, which charges the battery according to either the normal charge regime or the enhanced charge regime based on the received wireless control command;

wherein the normal charge regime comprises charging the battery with a constant charging current until the battery voltage reaches a normal voltage limit and then charging the battery at a constant voltage substantially equal to the normal voltage limit;

wherein the enhanced charge regime comprises charging the battery with a constant charging current until the battery voltage reaches an enhanced voltage limit that is higher than the normal voltage limit, and then charging the battery at a constant voltage substantially equal to the enhanced voltage limit; and

wherein the battery includes a writeable memory in which each instance of the battery voltage exceeding the normal voltage limit is recorded.

9. The portable device system as defined in claim 8, wherein the battery is removeably coupled to the portable device.

10. The portable device system of claim 8 further comprising:

a power supply, coupled to the charge controller, for providing constant charging current and voltage to the battery, wherein the battery is a lithium ion battery.

11. The portable device system as defined in claim 10, wherein:

the power supply is external to the portable device and coupled to the portable device.

12. The portable device system as defined in claim 10, wherein the power supply and charge controller are collocated in a stand-alone battery charger.

13. The portable device system as defined in claim 8, wherein the wireless control command includes a broadcast command received from the base station.