Battery pack having boosting charge function and method thereof

• US 8,698,458 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2011
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Kim, Youngu
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US12/986,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20120007547A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 320/143, 320150-151, 320161-164, 320/134
• US Class Current: 320/134
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/443 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A method of charging a battery pack, the battery pack including at least one battery cell. The method includes comparing a battery cell voltage to a first voltage; comparing the battery cell voltage to a second voltage that is greater than the first voltage; and controlling a current amplifying unit coupled to the at least one battery cell to amplify a current from a charger to the at least one battery cell if the battery cell voltage is between the first voltage and the second voltage.

Claims

1. A method of charging a battery pack, the battery pack comprising at least one battery cell, the method comprising:

comparing a battery cell voltage to a first voltage;

comparing the battery cell voltage to a second voltage that is greater than the first voltage; and

controlling a current amplifying unit coupled to the at least one battery cell to amplify a current from a charger to the at least one battery cell if the battery cell voltage is between the first voltage and the second voltage, wherein the current amplifying unit comprises;

a first transistor and a second transistor each comprising a control electrode, a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the first electrode of the first transistor is coupled to a ground reference, the first electrode of the second transistor is coupled to the charger, and the second electrode of the second transistor is coupled to the at least one battery cell; and

a capacitor coupled between the control electrode of the first transistor and the second electrode of the first transistor, wherein controlling the current amplifying unit coupled to the at least one battery cell to amplify the current from the charger to the at least one battery cell if the battery cell voltage is between the first voltage and the second voltage comprises applying a control signal to the control electrode of the first transistor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in comparing the battery cell voltage, the first voltage is between about 3.0 V and about 4.2 V and wherein the second voltage is between about 4.1 V and about 4.25 V.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein increasing the current comprises increasing the current by between about 110% and about 130%.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the current amplifying unit comprises providing the control signal from a control unit to the current amplifying unit.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether a temperature of the at least one battery cell exceeds a reference temperature and terminating charging of the at least one battery cell if the temperature of the at least one battery cell exceeds the reference temperature.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising pulse-charging the at least one battery cell if the battery cell voltage is greater than the second voltage.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein pulse-charging the at least one battery cell comprises converting a voltage from the charger to a pulse-type voltage and supplying the pulse-type voltage to the at least one battery cell.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising pre-charging the at least one battery cell if the voltage of the at least one battery cell is less than the first voltage.

9. A battery pack comprising:

at least one battery cell;

a current amplifying unit coupled to the at least one battery cell and configured to amplify a current from a charger to the at least one battery cell, wherein the current amplifying unit comprises;

a first transistor and a second transistor each comprising a control electrode, a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the first electrode of the first transistor is coupled to a ground reference, the first electrode of the second transistor is coupled to the charger, and the second electrode of the second transistor is coupled to the at least one battery cell, and

a capacitor coupled between the control electrode of the first transistor and the second electrode of the first transistor; and

a control unit configured to apply a control signal to the control electrode of the first transistor in accordance with a voltage of the at least one battery cell for the current amplifying unit to amplify the current from the charger to the at least one battery cell if the voltage of the at least one battery cell is between a first voltage and a second voltage greater than the first voltage.

10. The battery back of claim 9, further comprising a pulse charge unit coupled to the at least one battery cell and configured to convert a voltage from the charger into a pulse-type voltage.

11. The battery pack of claim 9, further comprising a pre-charge unit for pre-charging the at least one battery cell.

12. The battery pack of claim 9, further comprising a voltage sensing unit for sensing the voltage of the at least one battery cell and a temperature sensing unit for sensing a temperature of the at least one battery cell.

13. The battery pack of claim 9, wherein the current amplifying unit is configured to amplify the current supplied to the at least one battery cell by between about 110% and about 130%.

14. The battery pack of claim 9, wherein the current amplifying unit is configured to operate when the voltage of the at least one battery cell is at a first voltage and wherein the pulse charge unit is configured to operate when the voltage of the at least one battery cell is at a second voltage that is higher than the first voltage.

15. The battery pack of claim 14, wherein the first voltage is between about 3.0 V and about 4.2 V and wherein the second voltage is between about 4.1 V and about 4.25 V.

16. The battery pack of claim 9, wherein the current amplifying unit further comprises a noise filter.

17. A battery pack comprising:

at least one battery cell; and

a current amplifying unit coupled to the at least one battery cell and configured to amplify a current from a charger to the at least one battery cell, wherein the current amplifying unit comprises;

a first transistor and a second transistor each comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and a control electrode, wherein the first transistor and the second transistor are coupled in series between the charger and the at least one battery cell; and

a voltage regulator comprising an input terminal coupled to the second electrode of the first transistor and an output terminal coupled to the control electrode of the second transistor.

18. A battery pack comprising:

at least one battery cell; and

a current amplifying unit coupled to the at least one battery cell and configured to amplify a current from a charger to the at least one battery cell, wherein the current amplifying unit comprises;

a first transistor and a second transistor each comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and a control electrode, wherein the first transistor and the second transistor are coupled in series between and the at least one battery cell; and

a voltage regulator comprising an input terminal coupled to the control electrode of the second transistor and an output terminal coupled to the second electrode of the second transistor.