Battery pack charging system and method

• US 8,054,047 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2006
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Qijun, Sawyers, Thomas P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIGGUSH, AARON C
• Application Number:
  US11/583,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20080094026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,847 Days
• Field of Search: 320/162, 320/110, 320/119, 320/107
• US Class Current: 320/162
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00038 using passive battery identification means, e.g. resistors or capacitors identification by mechanical connections H02J7/0045
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00041 in response to measured battery parameters, e.g. voltage, current or temperature profile
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries

Abstract

A battery pack charging system comprises a charger configured to be removably coupled to at least two different battery packs each having a different regulation charge voltage associated therewith, and a charger controller configured to cause the charger to charge the at least two different battery packs to the respective regulation charge voltages based on a signal received from each of the respective battery packs.

Claims

1. A battery pack charging system, comprising:

a charger configured to be removably coupled to at least two different battery packs each having a different regulation charge voltage associated therewith;

a charger controller configured to cause the charger to charge the at least two different battery packs to the respective regulation charge voltages based on a signal received from each of the respective battery packs; and

a battery pack from the at least two different battery packs comprising;

one or more battery cells having a positive terminal and a negative terminal;

at least one switch connected at one end to the positive terminal and directly connected at another end to a first terminal of the battery pack for electrical connection to the charger; and

a sensing element directly connected at one end to the positive terminal and directly connected at another end to a second terminal of the battery pack, the sensing element configured to provide the signal to the charger controller via the second terminal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the charger controller is configured to compare the signal to a predetermined reference voltage value.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the charger regulates charging one of the at least two different battery packs coupled to the charger in response to the signal from the one battery pack reaching a predetermined reference voltage.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensing element coupled to the charger controller and configured to cooperate with a sensing element disposed on each of the at least two different battery packs to indicate the respective regulation charge voltages.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a differential amplifier disposed in a feedback path of the signal.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a voltage divider sensing circuit formed in response to coupling of the battery pack to the charger.

7. The system of claim 1, where the sensing element is connected in close proximity to the positive terminal of the one or more battery cells to reduce an effect of impedances from the at least one switch connected between the sensing element and the charger.

8. A battery pack charging system, comprising:

a charger configured to charge a battery pack removably coupled thereto;

a voltage divider sensing circuit comprising a plurality of sensing elements, at least a first sensing element of the plurality of sensing elements disposed in the charger and at least a second sensing element of the plurality of sensing elements disposed in the battery pack, wherein when the battery pack is coupled to the charger, the voltage divider sensing circuit indicates a regulation charge voltage for the battery pack; and

the battery pack comprising;

one or more battery cells having a positive terminal and a negative terminal;

at least one switch connected at one end to the positive terminal and directly connected at another end to a first terminal of the battery pack for electrical connection to the charger; and

the second sensing element directly connected at one end to the positive terminal and directly connected at another end to a second terminal of the battery pack for electrically connecting to the first sensing element, the second sensing element configured to provide a signal to the second terminal used for determining the regulation charge voltage.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one sensing element disposed in the battery pack comprises a value selected based on the regulation charge voltage.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising a charger controller configured to compare a signal from the voltage divider sensing circuit with a predetermined reference voltage.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the charger controller is configured to cause the charger to regulate charging the battery pack coupled thereto in response to the signal reaching the predetermined reference voltage.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the voltage divider sensing circuit comprises a differential amplifier disposed in a feedback path of a signal indicative of the regulation charge voltage.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the second sensing element disposed in the battery pack is coupled at the one end between the at least one switch of the battery pack and the positive terminal of the one or more battery cells of the battery pack.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one sensing element disposed in the battery pack is coupled between a fuse of the battery pack and a battery cell of the battery pack.

15. The system of claim 8, further comprising a charger controller configured to cause the charger to clamp the battery pack to the regulation charge voltage based on a signal received from the voltage divider sensing circuit.

16. A battery pack charging system, comprising:

means for removably coupling a charging means to a battery means; and

a voltage divider means comprising a plurality of sensing element means, at least a first sensing element of the plurality of sensing element means disposed in the charging means and at least a second sensing element of the plurality of sensing element means disposed in the battery means, wherein when the battery means is coupled to the charging means, the voltage divider means indicates a regulation charge voltage for the battery means; and

the battery means comprising;

one or more battery cells having a positive terminal and a negative terminal;

at least one switch connected at one end to the positive terminal and directly connected at another end to a first terminal of the battery means for electrical connection to the charger; and

the second sensing element directly connected at one end to the positive terminal and directly connected at another end to a second terminal of the battery means for electrically connecting to the first sensing element, the second sensing element configured to provide a signal to the second terminal used for determining the regulation charge voltage.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one sensing means disposed in the battery means comprises a value selected based on the regulation charge voltage.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising means for comparing a signal received from the voltage divider means with a predetermined reference voltage.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising means for causing the charging means to regulate charging the battery means coupled thereto in response to a signal of the voltage divider means reaching a predetermined reference voltage.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the second sensing element disposed in the battery means is connected at the one end between the at least one switch of the battery means and the positive terminal of the one or more battery cells connected in series.