WO2013184695A1 - Système et procédé de gestion de chargeur de batterie - Google Patents

Système et procédé de gestion de chargeur de batterie Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2013184695A1
WO2013184695A1 PCT/US2013/044133 US2013044133W WO2013184695A1 WO 2013184695 A1 WO2013184695 A1 WO 2013184695A1 US 2013044133 W US2013044133 W US 2013044133W WO 2013184695 A1 WO2013184695 A1 WO 2013184695A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
battery
battery charger
pscu
buc
current
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2013/044133
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Jin Lu
Todd Scott KELLY
Lee CHEUNG
Original Assignee
Advanergy, Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US13/644,995 external-priority patent/US8583955B2/en
Priority claimed from US13/840,022 external-priority patent/US8769327B2/en
Application filed by Advanergy, Inc. filed Critical Advanergy, Inc.
Publication of WO2013184695A1 publication Critical patent/WO2013184695A1/fr

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J7/00—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
    • H02J7/00032—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries characterised by data exchange
    • H02J7/00038—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries characterised by data exchange using passive battery identification means, e.g. resistors or capacitors
    • H02J7/00041—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries characterised by data exchange using passive battery identification means, e.g. resistors or capacitors in response to measured battery parameters, e.g. voltage, current or temperature profile
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J7/00—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
    • H02J7/00047—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries with provisions for charging different types of batteries
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J7/00—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
    • H02J7/007—Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
    • H02J7/007188—Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage the charge cycle being controlled or terminated in response to non-electric parameters
    • H02J7/007192—Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage the charge cycle being controlled or terminated in response to non-electric parameters in response to temperature
    • H02J7/007194—Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage the charge cycle being controlled or terminated in response to non-electric parameters in response to temperature of the battery
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J7/00—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
    • H02J7/02—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
    • H02J7/04—Regulation of charging current or voltage
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
    • Y02B40/00—Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Definitions

  • the present invention generally relates to systems and methods for the controlled charging and discharging of batteries. Specifically, the present invention
  • Rechargeable batteries are generally considered the future of mobile PC, cell phones, and many other portable consumer devices. Their sales are anticipated to grow
  • a rechargeable battery can become unusable well before the designed life span (typically half the designed life span of 5 years) due to improper charging and discharging. This means users must spend more to buy the rechargeable batteries. Additionally, when a battery ages fast due to charging and discharging improperly, significant energy is wasted. Here are a few reasons why energy is wasted when aging batteries are used:
  • a typical battery has 300m ohm to 1 ohm internal resistance. Considering the wasted energy resulting from internal resistance and aging, when the internal resistance increases to 2 ohm, the power wasted on the internal resistance is about 2W. If more current is drawn, the wasted energy is even more. As an example, considering a self -discharging rate of 10% this equates to another 2W (10.8V x 2A / 10). Charging the battery will require about 11W (10.8V x 1A) .
  • the charging energy is wasted. Assuming that half of the charging energy is wasted, it is not producing the expected energy charge for the battery. Without considering all the energy wasting factors, the wasted energy (in this case for an aging battery) is 4W during discharge and 5W during charging. In reality, the wasted energy is actually higher. Considering the number of hours people use battery-driven devices and the number of such devices, the overall energy waste associated with battery charging factored in a global scale is quite large. To address the issues, many discussions can be found within the prior art about how to prolong the life of rechargeable batteries .
  • a portable computing device typically comprises the computing device (0101) running software read from a computer readable medium (0102), a battery (0103) , battery charger (0104) , and wall transformer (0105) having an AC plug (0106) for connection to a power source (0107) .
  • the computing device (0101) running under software control (0102) may incorporate a graphical user interface (GUI) (0109) to support operator (0109) interaction.
  • GUI graphical user interface
  • This configuration may integrate the wall outlet power adapter (0105) and AC power connection (0106) in a single "wall transformer” module and typically integrates the battery (0103) and battery charger (0104) electronics within the computing device enclosure (0110) .
  • some configurations place the battery charging circuitry (0104) within the wall outlet power adapter (0105) housing and simply supply charging current to the battery (0103) contained within the computing device enclosure (0110) .
  • Software (0102) operating on the computing device hardware (0101) may modulate the computing device performance based on detected battery capacity, charge level, and other operator (0109) defined parameters.
  • step (4) Determining if the battery voltage is less than nominal, and if so, proceeding to step (4) (0202) ;
  • step (1) Initiating a trickle charge or “top off charging” of the battery and proceeding to step (1) (0203);
  • step (1) If the battery charge cycle is complete, proceeding to step (1), otherwise proceeding to step (5) (0205) .
  • This prior art method generally is directed dependent on the current battery voltage when determining what charging actions to take with respect to the battery. This method lacks integration of historical battery information in the battery charge cycle.
  • Prior art battery charging systems/methods have as their goal the "full charging” of the battery in portable computer equipment, even though this goal results in reduced overall battery life. • Prior art battery charging systems/methods generally do not compensate for environmental battery conditions .
  • the objectives of the present invention are (among others) to circumvent the deficiencies in the prior art and affect the following objectives:
  • the present invention in various embodiments addresses one or more of the above objectives in the following manner.
  • the present invention works in conjunction with traditional standalone and integrated battery charging systems to automate the optimization of battery charging and battery longevity.
  • a traditional battery charging system monitors the current (power) supplied to the battery under charge and modulates the charge current/voltage based on observed battery behavior. This generally requires some form of monitoring of the actual battery voltage/current as it undergoes charge.
  • the present BCMD invention ( 0310 ) differs from this approach in that it controls ( 0311 ) and monitors ( 0312 ) the current profile of the BATTERY CHARGER ( 033 0 ) , and indirectly deduces the battery ( 0340 ) type, characteristics, and charge state by normalizing the current profile measured in terms of the BATTERY CHARGER ( 0330 ) and not the battery ( 0340 ) . Since the current consumed by the battery under charge will be indirectly impacting the battery charger current profile, measured battery charger current draw will be impacted by the battery charge state and other characteristics.
  • the present invention has deduced the battery ( 0340 ) type, characteristics, and charge state indirectly from the battery charger ( 033 0 ) current profile (by matching the normalized battery charger current profile to known battery types and characteristics) , it can then select from a set of known battery charge profiles to execute. These battery charge profiles are then executed by modulating the state of an electrical switch (within the PSCU (0311)) supplying power to the battery charger. Thus, the battery charger (0330) is turned ON/OFF for durations which correspond to the battery charge profile optimally selected for the detected battery type, characteristics, and charge type.
  • the present invention system may be utilized in the context of an overall battery charger management method, wherein the battery charger management system described previously is controlled by a method having the following steps :
  • NCP normalized current profile
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a system diagram describing a prior art system context for battery powered computing devices
  • FIG. 2 illustrates a method flowchart describing how prior art systems approach battery charging for battery powered computing devices
  • FIG. 3 illustrates a system block overview diagram describing a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary overview flowchart describing a presently preferred method embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 5 illustrates an alternate system block diagram describing a presently preferred alternate embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary detail flowchart describing a presently preferred method embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary system block diagram of a preferred exemplary standalone system embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary system block diagram of a preferred exemplary integrated system embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary schematic block diagram of a preferred exemplary BCMS embodiment
  • FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary schematic of a preferred exemplary PSCU Line Power Interface embodiment
  • FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary schematic of a preferred exemplary PSCU Voltage Regulator embodiment
  • FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary schematic of a preferred exemplary PSCU Wireless Communication Interface embodiment
  • FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplary schematic of a preferred exemplary PSCU Electrical Power Switch (EPS) embodiment
  • FIG. 14 illustrates an exemplary schematic of a preferred exemplary PSCU Optional Power Monitor/Diagnostics embodiment
  • FIG. 16 illustrates a graph of exemplary Lithium Ion battery charging characteristics depicting charge current, charge voltage, and charge capacity
  • FIG. 17 illustrates a detailed flowchart of a preferred exemplary battery charger management method used in some preferred exemplary invention embodiments
  • FIG. 18 illustrates a detailed flowchart of a preferred exemplary display battery charging status method used in some preferred exemplary invention embodiments ;
  • FIG. 19 illustrates a detailed flowchart of a preferred exemplary process battery charging method used in some preferred exemplary invention embodiments
  • FIG. 20 illustrates page 1/2 of a detailed flowchart of a preferred exemplary battery charge profile learning method used in some preferred exemplary invention embodiments ;
  • FIG. 21 illustrates page 2/2 of a detailed flowchart of a preferred exemplary battery charge profile learning method used in some preferred exemplary invention embodiments ;
  • FIG. 22 illustrates a detailed flowchart of a preferred exemplary start battery charging method used in some preferred exemplary invention embodiments
  • FIG. 25 illustrates a battery current histogram useful in understanding battery charging profile algorithms used in some preferred invention embodiments
  • FIG. 26 illustrates an exemplary screenshot of remote web-based battery management software useful in some preferred invention embodiments
  • FIG. 27 illustrates an exemplary mechanical enclosure useful in some preferred invention embodiments
  • FIG. 28 illustrates an exemplary mechanical enclosure useful in some preferred invention embodiments incorporating a side panel supporting the incorporation of different wireless communication interface modules
  • FIG. 29 illustrates an exemplary primary printed circuit board (PCB) silkscreen layout for an exemplary invention embodiment
  • FIG. 30 illustrates an exemplary primary printed circuit board (PCB) top/bottom layout for an exemplary invention embodiment
  • FIG. 31 illustrates an exemplary secondary printed 5 circuit board (PCB) silkscreen layout for an exemplary invention embodiment
  • FIG. 32 illustrates an exemplary secondary printed circuit board (PCB) top/bottom layout for an exemplary invention embodiment.
  • PCB printed circuit board
  • the present invention anticipates a wide variety of batteries and battery chemistries may be managed by the battery charger management described herein. Within this context, many preferred system embodiments will utilize lithium-ion batteries. However, the present invention makes no limitation on the specific type of battery and/or battery chemistry that may be adapted using the present invention teachings.
  • the present invention anticipates that current and/or power monitoring of BCPS devices may be used to profile the current consumption of the battery under charge (BUC) . While the discussion herein will focus on current detection (as it is deemed optimal in many preferred embodiments) , the invention scope covers both current and/or power monitoring of the BCPS.
  • the present invention incorporates a control system that automates the best practices in prolonging the lifespan of rechargeable batteries in the context of application to conventional battery chargers.
  • This control system is generally termed a “Battery Charger Management Device (BCMD) " and may be embodied using a variety of battery charger management systems and/or methods as described herein.
  • BCMD Battery Charger Management Device
  • SGPC Smart Gateway Power Controller
  • the BCMD device is an extension to the battery management system described in DOCUMENT BMSM.
  • the system described in the DOCUMENT BMSM reference assumes that the battery charger such as the laptop charger and cell phone charger have a way to notify the battery charger controller of battery capacity so that the battery management system can control the battery charger.
  • the notification can be accomplished in the BMSM reference through wireless communications, for example, the WiFi communication between the battery management system and the device (e.g. laptop, smart phone, etc.) that hosts the battery charger.
  • the BCMD described in the present invention removes that assumption, and can be applied to any battery charger, including those mentioned in this previous application.
  • the present invention teaches the following:
  • the BCMD controls the battery charger based on the monitored information.
  • the BCMD shares the same user interface and some of the control methods as those of the BMSM, however the method by which the BCMD determines the battery characteristics and charging state differ from that used by the BMSM.
  • a BCMD is not a replacement for a battery charger but rather it is a cost-effective enhancement to most commercial battery chargers.
  • a BCMD provides complementary management functions many users will find convenient and valuable.
  • a BCMD may generally be embodied in one of two forms :
  • a typical BCMD embodiment incorporates a 3-prong or 2-prong plug (0718, 0818) that goes into a wall power outlet, and contains a 3-prong or 2-prong socket (0719) for a battery charger to plug into (0738) .
  • a typical BCMD embodiment contains a circuit switch (0715, 0815) that can turn off the power supply to the battery charger (0730, 0830) , and a power measurement unit (0720, 0820) that measures the current or the power drawn by the battery charger (0730, 0830) . It also contains a microcontroller (0711, 0811) and a wireless module (0712, 0812) (e.g. a WiFi module) that communicates with a wireless base station (e.g., WiFi access point (AP) ) .
  • a wireless base station e.g., WiFi access point (AP)
  • the microcontroller (0711, 0811) controls the switch (0715, 0815) , reads the current or power measurement (0720, 0820) , and interacts with users through the wireless module (0712, 0812) . Through the wireless communication (0712, 0812) , the microcontroller (0711, 0811) receives from users the charger management commands and executes them. The microcontroller (0711, 0811) also sends information about the battery charger status and the battery capacity back to a user device the microcontroller (0760, 0860) (e.g., smart phone or other computing device) .
  • FIG. 7 (0700) generally illustrates how an exemplary BCMD is used in standalone mode.
  • BCMD BCMD
  • the BCMD can then turn on and off (0715) the battery charger (0730) and monitor the charging process from a remote device (0760) .
  • Connect to a BCMD connect to the WiFi module of a BCMD with a smart phone (just like connecting to any WiFi device) , open the web page hosted on the BCMD or connect to a known URL where a central web server interacts with multiple BCMDs .
  • a BCMD fulfills the following functions:
  • the present invention may be seen in an overview system context as generally illustrated in FIG. 3 (0300) , wherein the present invention battery charger management system (BCMS) (0310) incorporating a power source control unit (PSCU) (0311) and a Power Monitor Control Unit (PMCU) (0312) is interfaced to a battery charger (0330) responsible for supplying current to a battery under charge (BUC) (0340) .
  • the battery charger (0330) may take many forms, from a conventional wall plug power adapter to an integrated power supply within a computing device such as a laptop, tablet computer, personal computer, smartphone, cellphone, or other mobile device.
  • the BCMS (0310) as illustrated may incorporate software (0313) read from a computer readable medium and executed on a variety of computing devices incorporated into either the PSCU (0311) and/or PMCU (0312) .
  • the PSCU (0311) is responsible for switching power from the power source (typically AC line current) (0301) to the battery charger (0330) .
  • the PMCU (0312) is responsible for measuring current (or power) supplied to the battery charger (0330) (typically with a current sensor (0314)) and reporting this measured current (or power) (0315) back to the PSCU (0311) .
  • the BCMS (0310) can control activation/deactivation of the battery- charger (0330) based on measured power consumption of the battery charger (0330) (and indirectly the current consumed by the battery (0340) under charge) . Since the current (power) consumed by the battery charger (0330) is in part determined by the charge current supplied to the battery (0340) (and determined in part by the charge state of the battery) , the PSCU (0311) can monitor the PMCU (0312) measured current consumed by the battery charger (0330) and deduce the battery (0340) type, charge state, and optimal charging profile for the battery (0340) under charge.
  • the present invention system may be utilized in the context of an overall battery charger management method, wherein the battery charger management system described previously is controlled by a method having the following steps :
  • NCP normalized current profile
  • the calculation of the normalize current profile may take many forms, from simple scaling of the measured current (with corresponding attempts to match the scaled values to curves associated with various battery chemistries) to more advanced normalization that attempts to discern the operational state of the battery charger and then subtract this impact from the measured current values to leave a residual value associated with the battery alone.
  • the system in some variation is capable of discerning conventional battery charging behavior as well as behavior dictating battery replacement or other operator intervention.
  • FIG. 5 An alternate embodiment of the present invention may be seen in an overview system context as generally illustrated in FIG. 5 ( 0500 ) , wherein the present invention battery charger management system (BCMS) ( 0510 ) incorporating a power source control unit (PSCU) ( 0511 ) and a Power Monitor Control Unit (PMCU) (0512) is interfaced to a battery charger (0530) responsible for supplying current to a battery under charge (BUC) (0540) .
  • the battery charger (0530) may take many forms, from a conventional wall plug power adapter to an integrated power supply within a electronic device such as a laptop, tablet computer, personal computer, smartphone, cellphone, or an electric vehicle.
  • the BCMS (0510) as illustrated may incorporate software (0513) read from a computer readable medium and executed on a variety of computing devices incorporated into either the PSCU (0511) and/or PMCU (0512) .
  • the PSCU (0511) is responsible for switching power from the power source (typically AC line current) (0501) to the battery charger (0530) .
  • the PMCU (0512) is responsible for measuring current (or power) supplied to the battery charger (0530) (typically with a current sensor (0514)) and reporting this measured current (or power) (0515) back to the PSCU (0511) .
  • the BCMS (0510) can control activation/deactivation of the battery charger (0530) based on measured power consumption of the battery charger (0530) (and indirectly the current consumed by the battery (0540) under charge) . Since the current (power) consumed by the battery charger (0530) is in part determined by the charge current supplied to the battery (0540) (and determined in part by the charge state of the battery) , the PSCU (0511) can monitor the PMCU (0512) measured current consumed by the battery charger (0530) and deduce the battery (0540) type, charge state, and optimal charging profile for the battery (0540) under charge.
  • This configuration of the BCMD (0510) differs from that of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 (0300) in that the BCPS (0530) is incorporated within the overall enclosure of the BCMD (0510) and therefore no external plug/socket is required for their interconnection.
  • standardized battery chargers (0530) may be retrofitted with "smart" networked battery charger management without the need for redesign of the battery charger (0530) circuitry.
  • the present invention method may be generally described in terms of the following steps:
  • step (1) (1) determining if the PMCU has detected BCPS current consumption, and if not, proceeding to step (1) (0601) ;
  • step (1) determining battery charging parameters based on the BCPM (0607) ; (8) determining if the BUC has been removed or disconnected from the BCPS, and if so, proceeding to step (1) (0608); and
  • this battery charging methodology need not directly measure the power (or current) consumed by the battery in order to modulate the charge profile for the battery. Rather, the current consumed by the CHARGER is measured and then used to generate a normalized current profile match (NCPM) against a database of known battery types / characteristics.
  • NCPM normalized current profile match
  • This normalization of charger current draw may have a significantly different characteristic as compared to that of the actual battery under charge, as the characteristics of each individual charger may vary (series regulators, current limited regulators, switching regulators, etc.).
  • FIG. 7 A preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention showing interaction between the PSCU and the PMCU may be seen in more detail as generally illustrated in FIG. 7 (0700), wherein the PSCU (0710) and PMCU (0720) act in concert to support the battery charger management battery charger power supply (BCPS) (0730).
  • the PSCU (0710) incorporates microprocessor control (0711) in conjunction with a wireless transceiver (0712) and associated antenna (0713) .
  • Power to support these internal subsystems is obtained from an AC/DC converter / DC regulator / surge protection module (0714) .
  • This preferred configuration switches power from the AC power source using a relay (0715) or other switching means. This power switching (0715) results in enablement/disablement of power to the
  • BCPS (0730) that supports charging of the battery (0740) in the portable device (not shown) .
  • Modulation of the power switch (0715) state is accomplished by battery charger software read from a computer readable medium (0716) executing on the microprocessor (0711) that utilizes current measurement data obtained from the PMCU (0720) that monitors the charge profile of the BCPS (0730) and thus indirectly the current charge profile of the battery (0740) .
  • the PSCU (0710) internal microprocessor (0711), wireless transceiver (0712), and associated antenna (0713) may be configured to communicate via a wireless communication link (0750) with a remote mobile communication device (MCD) (0750) (laptop, smartphone, cellular phone, tablet computer, personal computer, etc.) having its own antenna (0763) .
  • MCD remote mobile communication device
  • the MCD (0760) may be configured to execute software read from a computer readable medium (0766) and/or retrieve software (applications) from the Internet (0770) via a computer server (0780) and/or execute web content (0717) resident on the PSCU (0710) .
  • the PSCU (0710) microprocessor (0711) may support web page content (0717) directly within the context of the PSCU (0710) and permit wireless access (0750) to this content via a wireless router (0790) connected to the Internet (0770) .
  • This network connectivity also permits the computer server (0780) access to web content (0717) and monitoring/control functions within the PSCU (0710) .
  • the PSCU (0710) is implemented in a standalone fashion and supports a simplex/duplex wall outlet (0719) into which the plug (0738) for the BCPS (0730) receives power switched (0715) under control of the PSCU (0710) microprocessor (0711).
  • FIG. 8 An alternate preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention showing interaction between the PSCU and the PMCU may be seen in more detail as generally illustrated in FIG. 8 (0800), wherein the PSCU (0810) and PMCU (0820) act in concert to support the battery charger management battery charger power supply (BCPS) (0830) .
  • the PSCU (0810) incorporates microprocessor control (0811) in conjunction with a wireless transceiver (0812) and associated antenna (0813) .
  • Power to support these internal subsystems is obtained from an AC/DC converter / DC regulator / surge protection module (0814) .
  • This preferred configuration switches power from the AC power source using a relay (0815) or other switching means. This power switching (0815) results in enablement/disablement of power to the BCPS (0830) that supports charging of the battery (0840) in the portable device (not shown) .
  • Modulation of the power switch (0815) state is accomplished by battery charger software read from a computer readable medium (0816) executing on the microprocessor (0811) that utilizes current measurement data obtained from the PMCU (0820) that monitors the charge profile of the BCPS (0830) and thus indirectly the current charge profile of the battery (0840) .
  • the PSCU (0810) internal microprocessor (0811), wireless transceiver (0812), and associated antenna (0813) may be configured to communicate via a wireless communication link (0850) with a remote mobile communication device (MCD) (0850) (laptop, smartphone, cellular phone, tablet computer, personal computer, etc.) having its own antenna (0863) .
  • MCD remote mobile communication device
  • the MCD (0860) may be configured to execute software read from a computer readable medium (0866) and/or retrieve software (applications) from the Internet (0870) via a computer server (0880) and/or execute web content (0817) resident on the PSCU (0810) .
  • the PSCU (0810) microprocessor (0811) may support web page content (0817) directly within the context of the PSCU (0810) and permit wireless access (0850) to this content via a wireless router (0890) connected to the Internet (0870) .
  • This network connectivity also permits the computer server (0880) access to web content (0817) and monitoring/control functions within the PSCU (0810) .
  • the PSCU (0810) is combined with the BCPS (0830) in an integrated unitary enclosure (0801) .
  • This diagram illustrates the fact that any existing BCPS (0830) may be augmented with a "front-end" PSCU/PMCU combination to automate battery charging and permit remote access to the battery charger from mobile communication devices (MCDs) (0860) and/or the Internet (0870) .
  • MCDs mobile communication devices
  • the ability to support native web hosting (0817) within the context of the PSCU (0810) allows many existing BCPS (0830) designs that are not web-enabled to become so simply by "bolting- on" the PSCU (0810) front -end.
  • Line Power Interface (0901) - As detailed in FIG. 10 (1000) , the input outlet brings 110V AC in through the fuse and split into two paths.
  • the first path converts the AC voltage to a DC voltage by 4 -diode bridge rectifier.
  • a transformer steps down the voltage to the level for further regulation.
  • DC regulator (U3) provides +5VDC supply for the remaining circuits of the unit.
  • the second path brings 110V AC voltage forward to the output socket via a power relay in the power switch (0904) by the output voltage is controlled as detailed in FIG. 13 (1300) .
  • a wireless transceiver 1201 receives the commands from the computer or/and other WiFi or wireless device. The received command via the wireless receiver interface (1201) provides a logic signal (SWITCH) to turn on/off the transistor switch (Ql) . Ql controls the on/off position of the power relay in the power switch circuitry (0904) based on commands from the PMCU and may optimally be implemented using bipolar or MOS fabrication technologies.
  • SWITCH logic signal
  • Ql controls the on/off position of the power relay in the power switch circuitry (0904) based on commands from the PMCU and may optimally be implemented using bipolar or MOS fabrication technologies.
  • Power Switch (0904) As detailed in FIG. 13 (1300), a power relay is a gate between the line power interface power input and the output power outlet and is controlled by the transistor switch in the wireless communications interface (0903) . The power relay may be protected from over-current surges by a Zener or Schottky diode.
  • RMS root mean square
  • the disclosed system/method uses measurements of the current into a battery charger in our discussion, but these discussions and disclosures are equally applicable to a situation in which power is the monitored quantity.
  • batteries such as Lithium Ion batteries can last longer if they are not over-charged with trickle current. This is because overcharging causes a damaging chemical reaction and heat to the batteries. In fact, experts suggest that the batteries should be charged only to 80-90% of their full capacity to have the longest life span. As a result, it is desired to know the battery capacity and stop the charging completely when a desired percentage point is reached. Unfortunately, few battery chargers in the market provide the flexibility to shut the charging completely at a point between 80% and 100% of battery capacity.
  • a BCMD measures the input current to the connected charger in a charging process with its measurement unit. The measurements are used for two purposes: learning and monitoring. Learning
  • the profile data can be represented as a table of data or a histogram as depicted in FIG. 25 ( 2500 ) .
  • the measurements can be sampled in a configurable interval ⁇ (e.g., 5 seconds ) .
  • the critical and defining attributes of a charging profile are the following:
  • Is 1A
  • I E 10mA
  • T A 1.5 Hr .
  • T s T P (the time associated with I s ) .
  • the algorithm searches for a point after which the trajectory drops significantly and it becomes curvy (i.e., 2 nd order derivative has larger magnitude) over three or more consecutive samples.
  • I E I Q (the current associated with sample Q )
  • the algorithm searches for a point after which the trajectory becomes flat and it becomes less curvy (a trickle current has a constant value) over three consecutive samples.
  • the Absorption Stage is then determined by the formula:
  • T A T E - T s .
  • This algorithm may fail if the battery is already close to full before charging, so that it does not go through the three stages. It is a fair assumption, however, that sooner or later a low capacity battery will be charged. It is possible the tolerance values (£ v £ and
  • a battery database may be constructed that contains charging profiles obtained as in CASE 2 for all types of batteries available.
  • the battery database may in some preferred embodiments be hosted on a web server. Users may specify via a user interface the brand name of the battery.
  • the microcontroller (or other PSCU computing device) in the BCDM can go to the database to look for the charging profile for the given brand name. If the BCMD finds it, it may download the information, and use that battery characteristic profile as the initial charging profile.
  • its charging profile may change. From time to time (say, for every 10 charges) its profile is updated (or relearned) with the sampled current data.
  • the BCMD may keep charging profiles for different batteries. Consumers can specify the brand name and assign an ID to a battery to be charged, so that the BCMD can make the correct association. Based on the profile, the next time a battery is charged, it is possible to detect:
  • the following empirical formula may be used for calculating the battery capacity over 80%:
  • I is the measured current between [I s , I E ] ⁇
  • this formula only addresses battery capacity above 80%. This information may be used in turning off the charger if users want to stop the charging between 80-100% of its capacity.
  • the remaining charging time may be estimated as follows:
  • T 2 * T A - T where it is assumed that the Bulk Stage duration is about the same as Absorption Stage.
  • a BCMD allows users to monitor the charging status in terms of the following:
  • the present invention anticipates that the BCMD may communicate through the Internet with an external server or a user device.
  • the BCMD may also host a web server in its microcontroller (or other PSCU computing device) .
  • a person skilled in software can implement a user interface for users to remotely monitor the changing status of the battery charger using this web server.
  • the present invention anticipates that remote user control of the BCMD may permit remote users to turn on and off the switch of the BCMD at any time to start and stop the battery charger.
  • users can schedule the tuning on and off of the switch in the future based on time or based on the battery capacity.
  • the scheduling capability may be disabled to make a BCMD a pure battery monitoring system.
  • Timer mode at a time in the future, e.g., at 8:00
  • the BCMD will turn on the switch if the current is zero, meaning the battery is removed from the charger or the charger itself is turned off or not connected to the BCMD. This is done by first switching on to measure the current. If the current is zero, the switch remains enabled; otherwise the BCPS power switch is turned off.
  • DOCUMENT BMSM presents a method for turning off a charger. This disclosure used the battery capacity measurement and the charging history to make the decision on when to turn off the charger. The methods disclosed in DOCUMENT BMSM also apply to implementations of the BCMD with the battery capacity being estimated as discussed above.
  • Timer mode at a time in the future, e.g., 2 hours after the start;
  • the BCMD may be configured to communicate through the Internet with an external server or a user device.
  • the BCMD may also host a web server in its microcontroller (or internal PSCU computing device) .
  • a person skilled in software development can implement a user interface that allows users to configure the BCMD to and stop the battery charger in the ways described above .
  • a BCMD must turn on the charger from time to time to check if the battery capacity (between 80- 100%) has dropped by checking the capacity. If the battery capacity has dropped beyond a threshold, keep the switch on for a while until the target battery capacity is reached; otherwise, turn off the switch. Since the battery discharging is low, this maintenance can be done at a low frequency, for example, every 10 minutes.
  • FIG. 24 an exemplary algorithm for maintaining the battery capacity is given in FIG. 24 (2400) . Note that in this exemplary procedure battery maintenance is started as an asynchronous background procedure and exited when the battery is detected as removed from the battery charger.
  • the current and past battery charging data may be saved in a database for an arbitrary time (i.e., 6 months) .
  • the saved data may include, but is not limited to:
  • a BCMD may be configured to communicate with the
  • the Internet through a wireless communication module.
  • the communication with the Internet serves three purposes:
  • Some preferred embodiments of the present invention may use a WiFi communication module as one instantiation of the wireless module, but any wireless modules that can reach the Internet may be used in this context.
  • the microcontroller of the BCMD may host an embedded web server for users to interact with a web page to monitor and control the battery charger.
  • a user can access a BCMD in the following ways:
  • FIG. 17 (1700) - FIG. 19 (1900) summarize the functionality of a BCMD discussed so far.
  • the BCMD as described herein and taught by the present invention:
  • ⁇ keeps the charging history including time of each charge, the duration of each charge, the energy consumed for each charge, among other things.
  • MCDs remote mobile communication devices
  • some embodiments of the present invention may incorporate an integrated web hosting capability that permits remote access to the BCMD via the Internet using a standard web browser.
  • An exemplary battery charger monitoring/control interface is depicted in FIG. 26 (2600) .
  • FIG. 27 ( 2700 ) depicts a typical two-piece enclosure
  • FIG. 28 ( 2800 ) depicts an enclosure incorporating a side cover that may be used to install a variety of custom wireless communication interface modules, thus permitting the system to be adapted to support a wide variety of wireless communication protocols and networks.
  • PCB printed circuit board
  • An example of a preferred PCB configuration for an exemplary invention embodiment utilizing two separate circuit boards (primary and secondary) is provided in the primary circuit board layout views (silkscreen FIG. 29 ( 2900 ) , top/bottom layers FIG. 30 ( 30 00 ) ) and the secondary circuit board layout views (silkscreen FIG. 31 ( 3100 ) , top/bottom layers FIG. 32 ( 32 00 ) ) .
  • These layouts in conjunction with the schematics provided in FIG. 9 ( 090 0 ) - FIG. 14 ( 1400 ) and the exemplary enclosures of FIG. 27 ( 270 0 ) and FIG. 28 ( 2800 ) should provide one of ordinary skill in the art sufficient information to construct and operate the invention.
  • the present invention preferred exemplary system embodiment anticipates a wide variety of variations in the basic theme of construction, but can be generalized as a battery charger management system comprising:
  • PSCU Power Source Control Unit
  • PSCU Power Monitor Control Unit
  • EPS electrical power switch
  • BCPS battery charging power supply
  • BUC battery under charge
  • the PMCU is configured to measure the current consumed by the BCPS ;
  • the PSCU is configured to determine the characteristics of the BUC based on an analysis of the measured current
  • the PSCU is configured to determine the charge state of the BUC based on an analysis of the measured current ;
  • the PSCU is configured to activate the EPS in response to the measured current, the characteristics, and the charge state.
  • the present invention preferred exemplary method embodiment anticipates a wide variety of variations in the basic theme of implementation, but can be generalized as a battery charger management method, the method operating in conjunction with a battery charger management system comprising:
  • PSCU Power Source Control Unit
  • PSCU Power Monitor Control Unit
  • EPS electrical power switch
  • BCPS battery charging power supply
  • BUC battery under charge
  • the PMCU is configured to measure the current consumed by the BCPS ;
  • the PSCU is configured to determine the characteristics of the BUC based on an analysis of the measured current
  • the PSCU is configured to determine the charge state of the BUC based on an analysis of the measured current ;
  • the PSCU is configured to activate the EPS in response to the measured current, the characteristics, and the charge state; wherein the method comprises the steps of:
  • NCP normalized current profile
  • a present invention alternate preferred exemplary- method embodiment anticipates a wide variety of variations in the basic theme of implementation, but can be generalized as a battery charger management method, the method operating in conjunction with a battery charger management system comprising:
  • PSCU Power Source Control Unit
  • PSCU Power Monitor Control Unit
  • EPS electrical power switch
  • BCPS battery charging power supply
  • BUC battery under charge
  • the PMCU is configured to measure the current consumed by the BCPS ;
  • the PSCU is configured to determine the characteristics of the BUC based on an analysis of the measured current
  • the PSCU is configured to determine the charge state of the BUC based on an analysis of the measured current ;
  • the PSCU is configured to activate the EPS in response to the measured current, the characteristics, and the charge state; wherein the method comprises the steps of:
  • step (1) determining if the PMCU has detected BCPS current consumption, and if not, proceeding to step (1) ;
  • step (1) reporting an unknown or bad battery configuration then proceeding to step (1) ;
  • step (9) executing a battery charging procedure based on the BCPM by modulating the activation of the EPS and proceeding to step (8) .
  • the present invention anticipates a wide variety of variations in the basic theme of construction.
  • the examples presented previously do not represent the entire scope of possible usages. They are meant to cite a few of the almost limitless possibilities.
  • This basic system and method may be augmented with a variety of ancillary embodiments, including but not limited to:
  • the PSCU further comprises a communication interface configured to permit control of the PSCU via a remote mobile communication device (MCD) , the communication interface selected from a group consisting of: USB hardware interface; UART hardware interface; serial hardware interface; parallel hardware interface; and Ethernet hardware interface .
  • MCD remote mobile communication device
  • the PSCU further comprises a communication interface configured to permit control of the PSCU via a remote mobile communication device (MCD) , the communication interface selected from a group consisting of: wireless hardware interface; BLUETOOTH ® wireless hardware interface; and wireless Ethernet hardware interface.
  • MCD remote mobile communication device
  • MCD is selected from a group consisting of: laptop computer; tablet computer; personal computer; cellular phone; and smartphone .
  • the battery database comprises information retrieved from an Internet -based web server .
  • the present invention may be implemented as a computer program product for use with a computerized computing system.
  • programs defining the functions defined by the present invention can be written in any appropriate programming language and delivered to a computer in many forms, including but not limited to: (a) information permanently stored on non-writeable storage media (e.g., read-only memory devices such as ROMs or CD-ROM disks) ; (b) information alterably stored on writeable storage media (e.g., floppy disks and hard drives); and/or (c) information conveyed to a computer through communication media, such as a local area network, a telephone network, or a public network such as the Internet.
  • non-writeable storage media e.g., read-only memory devices such as ROMs or CD-ROM disks
  • writeable storage media e.g., floppy disks and hard drives
  • information conveyed to a computer through communication media such as a local area network, a telephone network, or a public network such as the Internet.
  • the present invention system embodiments can incorporate a variety of computer readable media that comprise computer usable medium having computer readable code means embodied therein.
  • One skilled in the art will recognize that the software associated with the various processes described herein can be embodied in a wide variety of computer accessible media from which the software is loaded and activated.
  • the software associated with the various processes described herein can be embodied in a wide variety of computer accessible media from which the software is loaded and activated.
  • the present invention anticipates and includes this type of computer readable media within the scope of the invention.
  • Pursuant to In re Nuijten, 500 F.3d 1346 (Fed. Cir. 2007) U.S. Patent Application S/N 09/211,928)
  • the present invention scope is limited to computer readable media wherein the media is both tangible and non-transitory. CONCLUSION
  • a battery charger management system/method implementing indirect execution of battery charging profiles has been disclosed.
  • the system utilizes a power source control unit (PSCU) to selectively switch a power supply source to a battery charging power supply (BCPS) that charges a battery.
  • a power monitor control unit (PMCU) monitors the current consumed by the BCPS and reports this to the PSCU.
  • the BCPS current consumption provides the PSCU a profile of the charging characteristics of the battery attached to the BCPS, allowing identification of the battery type and a determination of the optimal charging profile for the battery in its current charge state.
  • the power source to the BCPS is switched by the PCCU in accordance with the determined optimal charging profile to optimally charge the battery.
  • the PSCU may operate independently or in conjunction with wireless commands received from a mobile communication device (MCD) .
  • MCD mobile communication device

Abstract

L'invention concerne un système et un procédé de gestion de chargeur de batterie mettant en oeuvre l'exécution indirecte de profils de chargement de batteries. Le système utilise une unité de commande de source d'alimentation (PSCU) pour commuter sélectivement une source d'alimentation électrique vers une alimentation électrique de chargement de batterie (BCPS) qui charge une batterie. Une unité de commande et de contrôle électrique (PMCU) contrôle le courant consommé par la BCPS et rapporte cela à la PSCU. La consommation de courant de la BCPS donne à la PSCU un profil des caractéristiques de chargement de la batterie rattachée à la BCPS, ce qui permet d'identifier le type de batterie et de déterminer le profil de chargement optimal de la batterie dans son état de charge courant. La source d'alimentation vers la BCPS est commutée par la PCCU en fonction du profil de chargement optimal déterminé afin de charger la batterie de manière optimale. La PSCU peut fonctionner indépendamment ou en conjonction avec des instructions sans fil reçues d'un dispositif de communication mobile (MCD).
PCT/US2013/044133 2012-06-04 2013-06-04 Système et procédé de gestion de chargeur de batterie WO2013184695A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (26)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US201261655099P 2012-06-04 2012-06-04
US61/655,099 2012-06-04
US201261661100P 2012-06-18 2012-06-18
US61/661,100 2012-06-18
US201261667477P 2012-07-03 2012-07-03
US61/667,477 2012-07-03
US201261698288P 2012-09-07 2012-09-07
US61/698,288 2012-09-07
USPCT/US2012/058788 2012-10-04
US13/644,995 US8583955B2 (en) 2011-10-04 2012-10-04 Battery management system and method
PCT/US2012/058771 WO2013052678A2 (fr) 2011-10-04 2012-10-04 Système et procédé de gestion de batterie
USPCT/US2012/058771 2012-10-04
PCT/US2012/058761 WO2013052671A2 (fr) 2011-10-04 2012-10-04 Système et procédé de régulation de puissance
PCT/US2012/058781 WO2013052685A2 (fr) 2011-10-04 2012-10-04 Procédé et système d'intégration de réseau
US13/645,080 2012-10-04
US13/645,080 US8443071B2 (en) 2011-10-04 2012-10-04 Data server system and method
US13/644,995 2012-10-04
US13/644,795 2012-10-04
US13/645,044 2012-10-04
USPCT/US2012/058781 2012-10-04
US13/645,044 US8761050B2 (en) 2011-10-04 2012-10-04 Network integration system and method
USPCT/US2012/058761 2012-10-04
US13/644,795 US8478450B2 (en) 2011-10-04 2012-10-04 Power control system and method
PCT/US2012/058788 WO2013052692A2 (fr) 2011-10-04 2012-10-04 Système serveur de données et procédé
US13/840,022 US8769327B2 (en) 2011-10-04 2013-03-15 Battery charger management system and method for controlling a charge current by indirectly determining the type and characteristics of a battery via a current consumed by a charger
US13/840,022 2013-03-15

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