Charge circuit, and battery-charger assemblage with the charge circuit

• US 9,142,993 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2012
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawai, Akira, Ikeda, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): OMAR, AHMED H
• Application Number:
  US13/705,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20130154578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 320/132
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00714 in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A charge circuit is composed of a first circuit and a second circuit. Said second circuit is provided at a battery pack in which a secondary battery is comprised. Said first circuit is provided at a charger for charging said secondary battery. Said charge circuit comprises: an output power supply section; a control section configured to control said output power supply section to perform a charging operation; a memory provided at said second circuit and storing a number of charging; and a threshold current setting section. Said control section is configured to, in said charging operation, perform firstly a constant current charging operation, and then perform a constant voltage charging operation, and finish the charging operation when a charging current reaches a charge stop current value. Said threshold current setting section is configured to decrease said charge stop current value along with the increase of said number of charging.

Claims

1. A battery-charger assemblage comprising:

at least one battery packs each of which is provided with a secondary battery;

at least one charger for charging said secondary battery of each battery pack; and

a charge circuit composed of a first circuit provided to each charger and a second circuit provided to each battery pack,

wherein said first circuit comprises;

an output power supply section which is configured to output an electric power to said secondary battery;

a control section which is configured to control said output power supply section to perform a charging operation, wherein said control section is configured to, in said charging operation, perform first a constant current charging operation, perform a constant voltage charging operation after finishing the constant current charging operation, and finish the charging operation when a charging current reaches a charge stop current value; and

a threshold current setting section that has a plurality of data tables each of which includes a relationship between a number of charging defined as the number of times of performing said charging operation and a charge stop current value, and is configured to determine said charge stop current value,

wherein said second circuit comprises a memory which stores a number of charging of the corresponding second battery,

wherein said threshold current setting section is configured to decrease said charge stop current value along with the increase of said number of charging,

wherein, when performing said charging operation, said threshold current setting section is configured to obtain identification information and the number of charging from said memory of said battery pack attached to said charger, determine a data table to be used based on the obtained identification information, and determine said charge stop current value based on obtained the number of charging.

2. A battery-charger assemblage comprising:

at least one battery packs each of which is provided with a secondary battery;

at least one charger for charging said secondary battery of each battery pack; and

a charge circuit composed of a first circuit provided to each charger and a second circuit provided to each battery pack,

wherein said first circuit comprises;

an output power supply section which is configured to output an electric power to said secondary battery; and

a control section which is configured to control said output power supply section to perform a charging operation, wherein said control section is configured to, in said charging operation, perform first a constant current charging operation, perform a constant voltage charging operation after finishing the constant current charging operation, and finish the charging operation when a charging current reaches a charge stop current value,

wherein said second circuit comprises;

a memory which stores a number of charging defined as the number of times of performing said charging operation; and

a threshold current setting section configured to determine said charge stop current value,

wherein said threshold current setting section is configured to decrease said charge stop current value along with the increase of said number of charging,

wherein said memory of each second circuit is configured to store a data table which includes a relationship between a number of charging of the corresponding secondary battery and a charge stop current value,

wherein said threshold current setting section is configured to read said data table and obtain said number of charging from said memory and to determine said charge stop current value according to obtained the number of charging, and

wherein said control section uses said charge stop current value supplied from said battery pack, for the present charging operation.

3. A battery-charger assemblage comprising:

at least one battery packs each of which is provided with a secondary battery;

at least one charger for charging said secondary battery of each battery pack; and

a charge circuit composed of a first circuit provided to each charger and a second circuit provided to each battery pack,

wherein said first circuit comprises;

an output power supply section which is configured to output an electric power to said secondary battery;

a current measurement section configured to measure a current flowing from said output power supply section to said secondary battery; and

a charger side control section which is configured to control said output power supply section to perform a charging operation, wherein said control section is configured to, in said charging operation, perform first a constant current charging operation, perform a constant voltage charging operation after finishing the constant current charging operation, and finish the charging operation when a charging current reaches a charge stop current value,

wherein said second circuit comprises;

a voltage measurement section configured to measure a voltage of the corresponding secondary battery;

a memory which stores a number of charging defined as the number of times of performing said charging operation;

a threshold current setting section configured to determine said charge stop current value;

a battery side current measurement section configured to measure a current flowing from said charger to said secondary battery; and

a battery side control section,

wherein said threshold current setting section is configured to decrease said charge stop current value along with the increase of said number of charging,

wherein, in said constant current charging operation, said battery side control section sends a target current value of a constant value to said charger side control section, and said charger side control section controls said output power supply section so as to keep the measured current value by said current measurement section at said target current value;

in said constant voltage charging operation, said battery side control section gradually decreases said target current value sent to said charger side control section, so as to keep the voltage of said secondary battery at constant, and said charger side control section controls said output power supply section so that the measured value by said current measurement section corresponds to said gradually decreasing target current value; and

upon the charge current measured by said battery side measurement section becomes small to reach said charge stop current value, said battery side control section finishes said charging operation.