Control circuit for multiple battery systems with capacity gauge on end equipment
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsDavid Freeman, Jose Antonio Vieira Formenti
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A capacity gauge is provided that measures a selected battery capacity of a plurality of batteries in a multiple battery system. A capacity gauge and a battery current sense resistor reside on the end equipment, while the battery pack contains minimal information associated with the battery pack. Control circuits provide for proper pack selection and pack connection timing, as well as capacity gauge synchronization. Power up/down circuits provide power to control logic, the selection circuits and capacity gauge at power up, power down and battery pack removal. The system is powered by a selected battery pack after the battery pack selection is executed, and the selected battery pack monitored by the capacity gauge.
Claims20
A portable electronic unit comprising:
- a control system that selects a battery between a plurality of battery packs to provide a system supply voltage to power at least one portable electronic unit device;
- a capacity gauge that measures one of current drawn and current provided to the selected battery pack of the plurality of battery packs, the control system and capacity gauge communicate to determine that the selected battery pack is a desired battery pack, the control system selects a new battery pack to be measured by the capacity gauge and power the at least one portable electronic device if it is determined that the battery pack is no longer the desired battery pack;
- and
- a power sequencer component that provides a regulated supply voltage to power the control system and the capacity gauge during one of power up, power down and battery pack removal, the regulated supply voltage being provided by one of a highest pack voltage of the plurality of battery packs and a DC supply voltage.
A portable electronic unit comprising:
- a control system that selects a battery between a plurality of battery packs to provide a system supply voltage to power at least one portable electronic unit device;
- a capacity gauge that measures one of current drawn and current provided to the selected battery pack of the plurality of battery packs, the control system and capacity gauge communicate to determine that the selected battery pack is a desired battery pack, the control system selects a new battery pack to be measured by the capacity gauge and power the at least one portable electronic device if it is determined that the battery pack is no longer the desired battery pack;
- and
- a precision resistor coupled to negative terminals of the plurality of battery packs and a ground, the capacity gauge measures a voltage across the precision resistor to associate a charge count with the selected battery pack.
A capacity gauge for a multiple battery system comprising:
- a coulomb counter that measures voltage through a precision resistor associated with current drawn and current provided to a selected battery pack of a plurality of battery packs;
- and
- a control system that measures at least one parameter associated with each of the plurality of selected battery packs and determines a selected battery pack to monitor by the coulomb counter, the control system provides selection lines operative to switch between selection of a selected battery pack to a battery bus to one of provide a system supply voltage and be charged by a charger, the control system communicates with the coulomb counter to monitor a charge count associated with the selected battery pack.
A method for providing power to an electronic device employing a multiple battery pack system with a single capacity gauge, the method comprising:
- powering up the multiple battery system;
- providing power to the single capacity gauge by one of a highest battery pack voltage and a DC voltage supply;
- executing a power up configuration procedure;
- selecting a desired battery pack based on at least one parameter associated with each battery pack;
- providing power to the single capacity gauge and the electronic device by one of the selected battery pack voltage and a DC voltage supply;
- monitoring a charge count associated with the selected battery pack employing the single capacity gauge;
- and
- monitoring whether a selected supply voltage is one of removed and no longer desired, and providing power to the single capacity gauge by one of a highest battery pack voltage and a DC voltage supply, selecting a new desired battery pack based on at least one parameter associated with each battery pack, providing power to the single capacity gauge and the electronic device by one of the newly selected battery pack voltage and a DC voltage supply and monitoring a charge count associated with the newly selected battery pack employing the single capacity gauge.
A system for providing power to an electronic device employing a multiple battery pack system with a single capacity gauge, the system comprising:
- means for providing power to the single capacity gauge by one of a highest battery pack voltage and a DC voltage supply during a power up sequence;
- means for selecting a desired battery pack based on at least one parameter associated with a plurality of battery packs;
- means for switching to providing power to the single capacity gauge and the electronic device by one of the selected battery pack voltage and a DC voltage supply;
- means for monitoring a charge count measured by the single capacity gauge;
- and
- means for monitoring whether a selected supply voltage is one of removed and no longer desired, and providing power to the single capacity gauge by the means for providing power to the single capacity gauge by one of a highest battery pack voltage and a DC voltage supply during a power up sequence.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.