# US 10,374,447 B2 · Power converter circuit including at least one battery > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,374,447 B2 - Document ID: US10374447B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/830,528 - Filed: 2013-03-14 - Published: 2014-09-18 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-03-14 - Assignees: Infineon Technologies Austria AG - Applicants: Infineon Technologies Austria AG - Inventors: Gerald Deboy - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10374447B2 ## CPC - H02J 7/02: for charging batteries from AC mains by converters - H02J 7/00: Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries - H02J 7/933: {the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters} - H02J 7/61: against overcharge - H02J 2207/20: Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter - H02M 3/1582: {Buck-boost converters (H02M3/1584 takes precedence)} - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) ## Abstract A circuit includes a first power converter circuit and a second power converter circuit. The input of the second power converter circuit is coupled to the output of the first power converter circuit and is configured to receive an input signal. A rechargeable battery is coupled to the output of the first power converter circuit. A charge control circuit is configured to control charging the rechargeable battery by controlling the second power converter circuit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A circuit comprising: a first power converter circuit comprising an output; a second power converter circuit comprising an input, an output, and a first control circuit, wherein the input of the second power converter circuit is coupled to the output of the first power converter circuit and is configured to receive an input signal from the first power converter circuit, the output of the second power converter circuit is configured to be coupled to a load, and the second power converter circuit is configured to deliver at the output of the second power converter circuit a first power; a rechargeable battery coupled to the output of the first power converter circuit and to the input of the second power converter circuit; and a second control circuit coupled to the first control circuit, the second control circuit configured to control charging the rechargeable battery during a charging mode by detecting a charge state of the rechargeable battery, and providing a reference signal based on the detected charge state to the first control circuit, wherein the reference signal represents a desired signal level of the input signal, and wherein the first control circuit is configured to limit the input signal based on the reference signal while the first power is positive. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The circuit of claim 1, wherein the input signal comprises an input current or an input voltage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The circuit of claim 2, wherein the second control circuit is configured to measure a voltage at the rechargeable battery and to control the input current when a rechargeable battery voltage is below a voltage threshold. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The circuit of claim 3, wherein the second control circuit is configured to control the rechargeable battery voltage when the rechargeable battery voltage is above the voltage threshold. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The circuit of claim 1, further comprising an electronic switch coupled between the rechargeable battery and the output of the first power converter circuit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The circuit of claim 1, wherein the first control circuit comprises a power converter unit configured to receive the input signal and to control the input signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The circuit of claim 6, wherein the power converter unit comprises a Maximum Power Point Tracker configured to generate a reference signal representing a desired signal level of the input signal received by the power converter unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The circuit of claim 6, wherein the first power converter circuit comprises a plurality of power converter units each comprising an output connected to the output of the first power converter circuit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The circuit of claim 1, wherein the first control circuit controls switching of one or more transistors of the second power converter circuit based on the reference signal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The circuit of claim 1, wherein the charging mode comprises a constant current charging mode and a constant voltage charging mode. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The circuit of claim 10, wherein the input signal comprises an input current, and wherein, during the constant current charging mode, the first control circuit is configured to control a charging current flowing through the rechargeable battery to be substantially constant by: when the charging current is higher than a reference current, increasing the input current; and when the charging current is lower than the reference current, decreasing the input current. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The circuit of claim 10, wherein the input signal comprises an input voltage, and wherein, during the constant voltage charging mode, the first control circuit is configured to control a charging voltage across the rechargeable battery to be substantially equal a predefined voltage. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The circuit of claim 10, the first control circuit operates in the constant current charging mode when a voltage across the rechargeable battery is below a first threshold, and in the constant voltage charging mode when the voltage across the rechargeable battery is above the first threshold. ### Claim 14 (depends on 5) The circuit of claim 5, wherein the second control circuit is configured to turn off the electronic switch when the rechargeable battery is fully charged. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The circuit of claim 1, wherein, in a discharging mode, the second control circuit measures a discharging current flowing through the rechargeable battery and limit the discharging current to a predefined maximum current by controlling the reference signal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The circuit of claim 1, wherein the second power converter circuit comprises a buck converter or a boost converter. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The circuit of claim 1, wherein the second power converter circuit is configured to supply the first power to a DC voltage grid. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The circuit of claim 1, wherein the first control circuit comprises a PWM controller. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The circuit of claim 1, wherein the second power converter circuit comprises a bidirectional converter. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The circuit of claim 1, wherein the second power converter circuit is configured to supply the first power to an AC voltage grid, and wherein the first control circuit is configured to receive a synchronization signal that is in phase with the AC voltage grid. ### Claim 21 A method comprising: supplying a first output power at an output of a first power converter circuit; supplying a second output power at an output of a second power converter, the second power converter having an input coupled to the output of the first power converter circuit to receive an input signal; and controlling, during a charging mode, a charging of a rechargeable battery coupled to the output of the first power converter circuit by detecting a charge state of the rechargeable battery, and providing a reference signal based on the detected charge state to the second power converter, wherein the reference signal represents a desired signal level of the input signal, and wherein the second power converter limits the input signal based on the reference signal while the second output power is positive. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the input signal comprises an input current or an input voltage. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22 further comprising: measuring a voltage at the rechargeable battery, and controlling the input current when a rechargeable battery voltage is below a voltage threshold. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the rechargeable battery voltage is controlled when the rechargeable battery voltage is above the voltage threshold. ### Claim 25 A circuit comprising: a first power converter circuit comprising an output; a second power converter circuit comprising an input, an output, and a first control circuit, wherein the input of the second power converter circuit is coupled to the output of the first power converter circuit and is configured to receive an input signal, the output of the second power converter circuit is configured to be coupled to a load, and the second power converter circuit is configured to deliver at the output of the second power converter circuit a first power; a rechargeable battery node coupled to the output of the first power converter circuit, the rechargeable battery node configured to be coupled to a rechargeable battery; and a second control circuit coupled to the first control circuit, the second control circuit configured to control charging the rechargeable battery during a charging mode by detecting a charge state of the rechargeable battery, and providing a reference signal based on the detected charge state to the first control circuit, wherein the reference signal represents a desired signal level of the input signal, and wherein the first control circuit is configured to limit the input signal based on the reference signal while the first power is positive. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The circuit of claim 25, wherein the second control circuit is configured to measure a voltage at the rechargeable battery node and to control an input current when a rechargeable battery voltage is below a voltage threshold and wherein the second control circuit is configured to control the rechargeable battery voltage when the rechargeable battery voltage is above the voltage threshold. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The circuit of claim 25, further comprising the rechargeable battery.