# US 2008/0185996 A1 · High frequency battery charger and method of operating same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2008/0185996 A1 - Document ID: US20080185996A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 10/963,783 - Filed: 2004-10-14 - Published: 2008-08-07 - Earliest claimed: 2002-01-25 - Assignees: Vector Products, Inc. - Inventors: Michael Krieger; Bruce Randolph; Rov Scott Vetitoe - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080185996A1 ## CPC - H02J 7/00: Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries - H02J 7/342: {The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging (with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/68)} - H02J 7/90: Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY ## Abstract A high frequency charger includes a charge circuit for charging a depleted battery and a boost circuit for jump-starting a vehicle. Two separate high frequency transformers are provided for the charge and boost circuits. A selector switch selectively activates at least one of the charging circuit and the boost circuit. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-77. (canceled) ### Claim 78 A high frequency charger comprising: a high frequency transformer; a switching configuration to switch the high frequency transformer to produce a charging current of about 2-20 amps for charging a battery and to switch the high frequency transformer to produce a boost current of about 30-300 amps; and a controller providing a high frequency driving signal to the switching configuration. ### Claim 79 (depends on 78) The high frequency charger of claim 78 wherein the boost current from the high frequency transformer has a current of about 60-300 amps. ### Claim 80 (depends on 78) The high frequency charger of claim 78 wherein the charging current from the high frequency transformer has a current of about 2-15 amps. ### Claim 81 (depends on 78) The high frequency charger of claim 78 wherein the charging current has a current of about 2-15 amps and the boost current has a current of about 30-300 amps. ### Claim 82 (depends on 78) The high frequency charger of claim 78 wherein the boost current from the high frequency transformer has a duration of about 3-35 seconds. ### Claim 83 A battery charger, comprising: a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, the primary winding comprising a first winding portion and a second winding portion; a switching arrangement coupled to the primary winding for switching a DC current through at least one of the first winding portion and the second winding portion at a frequency of at least 20,000 Hz to produce a charging current for charging a battery and for switching a DC current through at least one of the first winding portion and the second winding portion at a frequency of at least 20,000 Hz to produce a boost current relatively high compared to the charging current and sufficient to jump start a vehicle containing the battery; an output circuit coupled to the secondary side of the transformer to provide the charging current and the boost current as a DC output; and connectors adapted to be connected to the battery and electrically coupled to the output circuit. ### Claim 84 (depends on 83) The high frequency charger of claim 83 further comprising a polarity protection circuit to allow current to flow through the connectors and to the battery only when the connectors are coupled to the battery with a correct polarity. ### Claim 85 (depends on 83) The high frequency charger of claim 83 further comprising an alternator tester coupled to the connectors and producing an alternator fault signal as a function of voltage. ### Claim 86 (depends on 83) The high frequency charger of claim 83 wherein the boost current from the high frequency transformer has a current of about 30-300 amps. ### Claim 87 (depends on 83) The high frequency charger of claim 83 wherein the boost current from the high frequency transformer has a current of about 60-300 amps. ### Claim 88 (depends on 83) The high frequency charger of claim 83 wherein the charging current from the high frequency transformer has a current of about 2-20 amps. ### Claim 89 (depends on 83) The high frequency charger of claim 83 wherein the charging current from the high frequency transformer has a current of about 2-15 amps. ### Claim 90 (depends on 83) The high frequency charger of claim 83 wherein the charging current has a current of about 2-15 amps and the boost current has a current of about 60-300 amps. ### Claim 91 (depends on 83) The high frequency charger of claim 83 wherein the charging current has a current of about 2-20 amps and the boost current has a current of about 60-300 amps. ### Claim 92 (depends on 83) The high frequency charger of claim 83 wherein the charging current has a current of about 2-15 amps and the boost current has a current of about 30-300 amps. ### Claim 93 (depends on 89) The high frequency charger of claim 89 wherein the charging current has a current of about 2-20 amps and the boost current has a current of about 30-300 amps. ### Claim 94 A high frequency batter charger, comprising: a switch circuit having an input for being coupled to a DC input and an output; a management circuit coupled to the switch circuit to drive the switch circuit at a high frequency; a high frequency transformer having a primary winding comprising a first and second winding portions and a secondary winding, the output of the switch circuit being coupled to at least one of the first or second primary winding portions to produce a charging current for charging a battery and coupled to at least one of the first or second winding portions to produce a boost current higher than the charging current and sufficient to jump start a vehicle including the battery; a filter coupled to the secondary winding to produce the charging current and the boost current as DC outputs; and battery connectors electrically coupled for supplying the DC output charging current or boost current to a battery in a vehicle. ### Claim 95 (depends on 94) The high frequency charger of claim 94 wherein the switch circuit switches the DC input through the first winding portion to produce the charging current ### Claim 96 (depends on 94) The high frequency charger of claim 94 wherein the switch circuit switches the DC input through the second winding portion to produce the boost current. ### Claim 97 (depends on 94) The high frequency charger of claim 94 wherein the first wind portion and second winding portion are separate windings. ### Claim 98 (depends on 94) The high frequency charger of claim 94 wherein the management circuit comprises a microprocessor and a pulse width modulator. ### Claim 99 (depends on 94) The high frequency charger of claim 94 wherein the boost current from the high frequency transformer has a current of about 30-300 amps. ### Claim 100 (depends on 94) The high frequency charger of claim 94 wherein the boost current from the high frequency transformer has a current of about 60-300 amps. ### Claim 101 (depends on 94) The high frequency charger of claim 94 wherein the charging current from the high frequency transformer has a current of about 2-20 amps. ### Claim 102 (depends on 94) The high frequency charger of claim 94 wherein the charging current from the high frequency transformer has a current of about 2-15 amps. ### Claim 103 (depends on 94) The high frequency charger of claim 94 wherein the charging current has a current of about 2-15 amps and the boost current has a current of about 60-300 amps. ### Claim 104 (depends on 94) The high frequency charger of claim 94 wherein the charging current has a current of about 2-20 amps and the boost current has a current of about 60-300 amps. ### Claim 105 (depends on 94) The high frequency charger of claim 94 wherein the charging current has a current of about 2-15 amps and the boost current has a current of about 30-300 amps. ### Claim 106 (depends on 94) The high frequency charger of claim 94 wherein the charging current has a current of about 2-20 amps and the boost current has a current of about 30-300 amps. ### Claim 107 (depends on 94) The high frequency charger of claim 94 further comprising measuring circuitry coupled to the battery connectors to determine at least a voltage at the battery after the vehicle is started.