# US 10,122,188 B2 · Battery pack > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,122,188 B2 - Document ID: US10122188B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/419,438 - Filed: 2017-01-30 - Published: 2017-08-31 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-25 - Assignees: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Yoon Phil Eo; Yong Heui Song - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10122188B2 ## CPC - H01M 10/441: {for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially} - G01R 31/392: Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health - H01M 10/482: {for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially} - H01M 10/486: {for measuring temperature} - H02J 7/60: including safety or protection arrangements - H02J 7/865: {Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply (H02J7/50 takes precedence)} - H02J 7/927: {with introduction of pulses during the charging process} - H02J 7/94: in response to battery current - H02J 7/96: in response to battery voltage - H02J 7/977: {of the battery} - H01M 2010/4271: {Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing} - H02J 7/61: against overcharge - H02J 7/65: against overtemperature - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A battery pack includes a battery including at least one battery cell, a switching element including a charging switch and a discharging switch arranged on a high current path via which a charging current and a discharging current flow, a battery manager configured to monitor a voltage and a current of the battery, and to controlling charging and discharging of the battery based on the voltage of the battery, and a switch driver configured to output a second driving signal for driving the charging switch according to a control signal from the battery manager, wherein the battery manager is further configured to set a charging current limit based on a deterioration degree of the battery, and to control the charging switch by using the switch driver so that a magnitude of the charging current applied to the battery is equal to or less than the charging current limit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A battery pack comprising: a battery comprising at least one battery cell; a switching element comprising a charging switch and a discharging switch arranged on a high current path via which a charging current and a discharging current flow; a battery manager configured to monitor a voltage and a current of the battery, and to output a first driving signal to the charging switch and the discharging switch to control charging and discharging of the battery based on the voltage of the battery; and a switch driver configured to output a second driving signal for driving the charging switch according to a control signal from the battery manager, wherein the battery manager is further configured to set a charging current limit based on a deterioration degree of the battery, to compare a magnitude of the charging current applied to the battery with the charging current limit, and to output the first driving signal directly to the charging switch or to control the switch driver to output the second driving signal, based on the result of the comparison, so that a magnitude of the charging current applied to the battery is equal to or less than the charging current limit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the battery manager is further configured to decrease the charging current limit of the battery as the battery degrades. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the battery manager is further configured to output a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal having a duty ratio, which is variable based on the magnitude of the charging current applied to the battery, to the switch driver as the control signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The battery pack of claim 3, wherein the battery manager is further configured to decrease the duty ratio of the PWM signal when the magnitude of the charging current applied to the battery exceeds the charging current limit, and to increase the duty ratio of the PWM signal when the magnitude of the charging current applied to the battery is less than the charging current limit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the battery manager comprises: an analog front end (AFE) configured to sense a voltage and a current of the battery and to output the first driving signal to the charging switch and the discharging switch; and a micro-processor configured to control the AFE and the switch driver based on the voltage and current of the battery. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the battery manager is further configured to set a charging current limit of the battery so that a charging rate (C-rate) of the battery does not exceed a reference charging rate even when the battery degrades. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The battery pack of claim 6, wherein the charging current limit of the battery is in proportion to a full charge capacity (FCC) of the battery. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the battery manager is further configured to determine the deterioration degree of the battery based on a full charge capacity (FCC) of the battery. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the battery manager is further configured to determine the deterioration degree of the battery based on a number of charging/discharging cycles of the battery. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The battery pack of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the battery. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The battery pack of claim 10, wherein the battery manager is further configured to set the charging current limit based on the deterioration degree of the battery and the temperature of the battery. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The battery pack of claim 11, wherein the battery manager is further configured to set the charging current limit as a first reference value when the temperature of the battery is room temperature, and to set the charging current limit as a second reference value when the temperature of the battery is between a first critical temperature and a second critical temperature, wherein the second reference value is dependent upon the first reference value that is set based on the deterioration degree of the battery. ### Claim 13 A battery pack comprising: a battery comprising at least one battery cell; a switching element comprising a charging switch and a discharging switch arranged on a high current path via which a charging current and a discharging current flow: a battery manager configured to monitor a voltage and a current of the battery, and to output a first driving signal to the charging switch and the discharging switch to control charging and discharging of the battery based on the voltage of the battery; and a switch driver configured to output a second driving signal for driving the charging switch according to a control signal from the battery manager, wherein the battery manager is further configured to set a charging current limit based on a deterioration degree of the battery, and to control the charging switch by using the switch driver so that a magnitude of the charging current applied to the battery is equal to or less than the charging current limit, wherein the battery manager is further configured to output a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal having a duty ratio, which is variable based on the magnitude of the charging current applied to the battery, to the switch driver as the control signal, and wherein, when the duty ratio of the PWM signal reaches about 100%, the battery manager is further configured to output a turning-on signal for turning on the charging switch as the first driving signal and to control the switch driver to output the second driving signal in a high impedance (Hi-Z) state. ### Claim 14 A battery pack comprising: a battery comprising at least one battery cell; a switching element comprising a charging switch and a discharging switch arranged on a high current path via which a charging current and a discharging current flow: a battery manager configured to monitor a voltage and a current of the battery, and to output a first driving signal to the charging switch and the discharging switch to control charging and discharging of the battery based on the voltage of the battery; and a switch driver configured to output a second driving signal for driving the charging switch according to a control signal from the battery manager, wherein the battery manager is further configured to set a charging current limit based on a deterioration degree of the battery, and to control the charging switch by using the switch driver so that a magnitude of the charging current applied to the battery is equal to or less than the charging current limit, wherein the battery manager is further configured to output a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal having a duty ratio, which is variable based on the magnitude of the charging current applied to the battery, to the switch driver as the control signal, and wherein, when the duty ratio of the PWM signal is less than 100%, the battery manager is further configured to output the first driving signal in a Hi-Z state, and to control the switch driver to output the second driving signal having a duty ratio corresponding to the duty ratio of the PWM signal.