Fast battery charging system and method

The method of charging a battery means having a temperature characteristic when subject to overcharge current which exhibits a rising temperature as a function of overcharge current duration, said method comprising

• (a) insuring that the battery means has a state such that its temperature will not increase at a substantial rate due to a higher ambient temperature, and that the battery means will exhibit a substantially greater increase in battery temperature when subjected to overcharge current than when subjected to charging current when it is not over charged,
• (b) automatically applying current to the battery means of a substantial magnitude, but measuring battery temperature within a time interval after applying the current such as to avoid substantial detriment to the useful life of the battery means prior to such measurement,
• (c) automatically sensing any change of battery temperature which is distinctive of the overcharge condition of the battery means so as to automatically determine whether or not the battery means is in overcharge condition without relying on measured battery voltage, and
• (d) automatically according to the result of step (c), applying a relatively high charge rate as a function of battery temperature to said battery means while the battery means is sensed not to be in the overcharge condition, and applying a relatively lower charge rate to said battery means when the battery means is in the overcharge condition, and in each case selecting the charge rate so as to avoid substantial detriment to the useful life of the battery means, wherein said relatively high charge rate varies dynamically as a function of battery temperature.

The method of charging a battery means which may have a load requiring current during charging operation, said method comprising

• (a) assuring that battery temperature is not substantially outside a given temperature range before applying substantial charge to the battery means,
• (b) reading battery voltage and applying current to the battery means,
• (c) sensing load current by determining whether the applied current has increased battery voltage, and
• (d) so long as the battery temperature is substantially outside the given temperature range, increasing the value of the applied current to the battery means until the applied current increases battery voltage to take into account the load on the battery means.

The method of charging a battery means having a temperature characteristic when subject to overcharge current which exhibits a rising temperature as a function of overcharge current duration, said method comprising:

• (a) insuring that the battery means has a sate such that its temperature will not increase at a substantial rate due to a higher ambient temperature, and that the battery means will exhibit a substantially greater increase in battery temperature when subjected to overcharge current that when subjected to charging current when it is not overcharged, by monitoring both absolute temperature of the battery means and relative temperature between the battery means and ambient temperature, and automatically maintaining temperature of the battery means within absolute and relative limits,
• (b) automatically applying dynamic charging current to the battery means of a substantial magnitude, the substantial magnitude varying dynamically as a function of battery temperature but measuring battery temperature within a time interval after applying the current such as to avoid substantial detriment to the useful life of the battery means prior to such measurement,
• (c) automatically sensing any change of battery temperature which is distinctive of the overcharge condition of the battery means so as to automatically determine whether or not the battery means is in overcharge condition without relying on measured battery voltage, and
• (d) automatically according to the result of step (c), applying a relatively high charge rate varying dynamically as a function of battery temperature to said battery means while the battery means is sensed not to be in the overcharge condition, and applying a relatively lower charge rate varying dynamically at least for a period of time as a function of battery temperature to said battery means when the battery means is in the overcharge condition, and in each case selecting the charge rate so as to avoid substantial detriment to the useful life of the battery means,
• (e) measuring ambient temperature and, after the battery means has reached the overcharge condition, current flow rate is automatically and dynamically adjusted according to the differential between battery temperature and ambient temperature, so as to maintain the battery means substantially in a fully charged condition.

The method of charging a battery means which may have a load requiring current during charging operation, said method comprising

• (a) measuring battery voltage and applying moderate current to the battery means,
• (b) measuring battery temperature at successive times and determining whether battery temperature is substantially outside a given temperature range before applying substantial charge to the battery means, and if it is outside such temperature range,
• (c) sensing whether the applied current has increased battery voltage,
• (d) compensating for current drawn by the load by increasing the value of the current to the battery means by a small increment where battery voltage has not substantially increased within a given time interval, and
• (e) repeating step (d) until the applied current to the battery means increases the battery voltage.

The method of charging a battery means wherein a utilization device containing the battery means may present a varying load requiring load current during charging operation, said method comprising:

• (a) measuring battery voltage and applying moderate current to the battery means;
• (b) measuring battery temperature at successive times and determining whether battery temperature is substantially outside a given temperature range before applying substantial charge to the battery means, and if it is outside such temperature range;
• (c) applying a current value to the utilization device according to the varying current demands thereof, wherein the current value is determined by measuring battery voltage and determining whether the applied moderate current to the battery means has substantially increased the measured battery voltage;
• and
• (d) supplying low current to the battery means where useful to increase the temperature thereof.

The method of charging a battery means wherein a utilization device containing the battery means may present a varying load requiring load current during charging operation, said method comprising:

• (a) measuring battery voltage before applying fast charge current to the battery means;
• (b) measuring battery temperature at successive times and determining whether battery temperature is substantially outside a given temperature range before applying substantial charge to the battery means, and if it is outside such temperature range;
• (c) applying current values to the utilization device according to the varying current demands thereof, wherein the current value is determined by measuring battery voltage and determining whether the applied moderate current to the battery means has substantially increased the measured battery voltage;
• and
• (d) supplying essentially zero current to the battery means where useful to allow the temperature thereof to decrease.

In a battery conditioning system,

• (a) rechargeable battery means for supplying operating current during a number of hours of portable operation so as to become progressively discharged as a result,
• (b) battery conditioning system means for coupling with said rechargeable battery means for supplying current to said rechargeable battery means during a battery conditioning cycle, after a period of portable operation,
• (c) said battery conditioning system means comprising computer means having input means for receiving measures of battery temperature at successive times during such battery conditioning cycle,
• (d) current control means for coupling with said rechargeable battery means for controlling the rate of current flow to the rechargeable battery means during a battery conditioning cycle,
• (e) said computer means having output means coupled with said current control means for dynamically varying the rate of current flow to said rechargeable battery means during a battery conditioning cycle as a function of battery temperature as monitored by said computer means without relying on measured battery voltage;
• and
• (f) wherein a utilization device receives operating current from the current control means according to widely varying current demands of the utilization device, concurrently with the dynamic variation of the rate of current flow to the rechargeable battery means.

The method of charging a battery means wherein a utilization device of portable construction may present a varying load requiring current during charging operation, said method comprising:

• (a) assuring that battery temperature is not substantially outside a given temperature range before applying substantial charge to the battery means;
• (b) reading battery voltage and applying current to the battery means;
• (c) supplying load current according to widely varying current demands of the utilization device while accommodating fast charging of the battery means consistent with maximum safe power availability;
• and
• (d) so long as the battery temperature is substantially outside the given temperature range, applying a current value to the utilization device according to the widely varying current demands thereof while supplying current to the battery means where useful to adjust the temperature thereof, wherein the applied current value is determined by reading battery voltage and determining whether the applied current to the battery means has substantially increased the voltage of the battery means.

A method of charging a battery means which may have a load requiring current during charging operation, said method comprising:

• (a) measuring battery voltage and applying moderate current to the battery means;
• (b) sensing at the battery whether there is a load on the battery means by sensing whether the applied current has increased battery voltage;
• and
• (c) increasing current to the battery means where a load is sensed to be present to accommodate load current in addition to a selected charging current.

A method of charging a battery pack while supplying operating current to a load, said method comprising:

• applying charging current to the battery pack;
• sensing at the battery the current required by the load by sensing whether the applied current has increased battery voltage;
• and
• adjusting the applied charging current based on the sensed current required by the load such that the applied current is sufficient for supplying operating current to the load and is sufficient for supplying charging current to the battery pack.

A method of charging a battery pack for a portable terminal requiring operating current during charging operation, said method comprising:

• applying a current to the battery pack;
• determining the operating current requirements of the portable terminal;
• determining an appropriate amount of current to be supplied to the battery pack so that operating current may be supplied to the portable terminal while the battery pack charges by sensing whether the applied current has increased battery voltage;
• and
• adjusting the current applied to the battery pack to correspond to the determined appropriate amount of current.

The method of charging a battery means wherein a utilization device containing the battery means may present a varying load requiring load current during charging operation, said method comprising:

• (a) measuring battery voltage and applying moderate current to the battery means;
• (b) measuring battery temperature at successive times and determining whether battery temperature is substantially outside a given temperature range before applying substantial charge to the battery means, and if it is outside such temperature range;
• (c) applying a current value to the utilization device according to the varying current demands thereof;
• and
• (d) supplying low current to the battery means where useful to increase the temperature thereof.

The method of charging a battery means wherein a utilization device containing the battery means may present a varying load requiring load current during charging operation, said method comprising:

• (a) measuring battery voltage before applying fast charge current to the battery means;
• (b) measuring battery temperature at successive times and determining whether battery temperature is substantially outside a given temperature range before applying substantial charge to the battery means, and if it is outside such temperature range;
• (c) applying current values to the utilization device according to the varying current demands thereof;
• and
• (d) supplying essentially zero current to the battery means where useful to allow the temperature thereof to decrease.

In a battery conditioning system,

• (a) rechargeable battery means for supplying operating current during a number of hours of portable operation so as to become progressively discharged as a result,
• (b) battery conditioning system means for coupling with said rechargeable battery means for supplying current to said rechargeable battery means during a battery conditioning cycle, after a period of portable operation,
• (c) said battery conditioning system means comprising computer means having input means for receiving measures of battery temperature at successive times during such battery conditioning cycle,
• (d) current control means for coupling with said rechargeable battery means for controlling the rate of current flow to the rechargeable battery means during a battery conditioning cycle,
• (e) said computer means having output means coupled with said current control means for dynamically varying the rate of current flow to said rechargeable battery means during a battery conditioning cycle as a function of battery temperature as monitored by said computer means;
• and
• (f) wherein a utilization device receives operating current from the current control means according to widely varying current demands of the utilization device, concurrently with the dynamic variation of the rate of current flow to the rechargeable battery means.

The method of charging a battery means wherein a utilization device of portable construction may present a varying load requiring current during charging operation, said method comprising:

• (a) assuring that battery temperature is not substantially outside a given temperature range before applying substantial charge to the battery means;
• (b) reading battery voltage and applying current to the battery means;
• (c) supplying load current according to widely varying current demands of the utilization device while accommodating fast charging of the battery means consistent with maximum safe power availability;
• and
• (d) so long as the battery temperature is substantially outside the given temperature range, applying a current value to the utilization device according to the widely varying current demands thereof while supplying current to the battery means where useful to adjust the temperature thereof.

A method of charging a battery means which may have a load requiring current during charging operation, said method comprising:

• (a) measuring battery voltage and applying moderate current to the battery means;
• (b) sensing whether there is a load on the battery means;
• and
• (c) increasing current to the battery means where a load is sensed to be present to accommodate load current in addition to a selected charging current.

A method of charging a battery pack while supplying operating current to a load, said method comprising:

• applying charging current to the battery pack;
• sensing the current required by the load;
• and
• adjusting the applied charging current based on the sensed current required by the load such that the applied current is sufficient for supplying operating current to the load and is sufficient for supplying charging current to the battery pack.

A method of charging a battery pack for a portable terminal requiring operating current during charging operation, said method comprising:

• applying a current to the battery pack;
• determining the operating current requirements of the portable terminal;
• determining an appropriate amount of current to be supplied to the battery pack so that operating current may be supplied to the portable terminal while the battery pack charges;
• and
• adjusting the current applied to the battery pack to correspond to the determined appropriate amount of current.

A method of charging a battery which may have a load requiring current during charging operation, said method comprising:

• (a) providing a current source for supplying charging current to the battery;
• (b) sensing whether there is a load on the battery and when the battery has a load, determining the amount of current required by the load;
• and
• (c) adjusting the current source to supply a current sufficient both to charge the battery and, where a load is present, to supply the required load current.

A method of charging a battery means having a load requiring current during charging operation, said method comprising:

• (a) providing a source of adjustable current for supplying current to the battery means and the load;
• (b) determining the amount of current required by the battery means and the load;
• and
• (c) adjusting the source of current to supply a current sufficient both to charge the battery means and to supply the required load current.

The method of charging a battery pack comprising the steps of:

• (a) applying a charge increment to a rechargeable battery means;
• (b) measuring a parameter sensitive to accumulation of charge by the battery means;
• (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) as necessary to effect a determination of any load current being supplied by the battery means;
• and
• (d) carrying out a battery charging operation by supplying to the battery means a charging current taking account of any load current as determined by step (c).