US 9,793,570 B2 · Shared electrode battery

Abstract

A shared electrode battery includes multiple electrodes of one type (e.g., two or more cathodes) that share an electrode of another type (e.g., a shared anode). The multiple electrodes of the same type (e.g., the multiple cathodes) can have different characteristics, such as different chemistries, particle sizes and distributions, capacities, and so forth that are designed to provide particular features such as high energy density, high power density, high cycle life, fast charge, safety, and so forth. Multiple cathode-anode pairings of one of the multiple electrodes of the same type with the shared electrode are possible. Switching hardware is operable to select one of the multiple pairings at any given time, allowing the battery to provide power using the cathode having the desired characteristics at that given time. A single battery is thus able to provide these multiple different features.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a battery including a shared anode, a first cathode, and a second cathode;
switching hardware operable to selectively activate one of multiple cathode-anode pairings, a first of the multiple cathode-anode pairings including the shared anode and the first cathode, and a second of the multiple cathode-anode pairings including the shared anode and the second cathode;
and
a power manager configured to analyze one or more factors regarding the system and/or the battery to determine an operational context of the system, and to select one of the multiple cathode-anode pairings to activate at a particular time based on the determined operational context.

1 more element

A device comprising:

a shared electrode battery including:
a first electrode of a first type;
a second electrode of the first type;
a third electrode of a second type, the third electrode comprising a shared electrode;
a first separator between the first electrode and the third electrode to prevent mixing of electrode material of the first electrode with electrode material of the third electrode, but to allow ions to flow between the first electrode and the third electrode in response to activation of a cathode-anode pairing including the first electrode and the third electrode;
and
a second separator between the second electrode and the third electrode to prevent mixing of electrode material of the second electrode with electrode material of the third electrode, but to allow ions to flow between the second electrode and the third electrode in response to activation of a cathode-anode pairing including the second electrode and the third electrode;
and
a power manager configured to analyze one or more factors regarding the device and/or the shared electrode battery to determine an operational context of the device, and to select to activate, at a particular time based on the determined operational context, either the cathode-anode pairing including the first electrode and the third electrode or the cathode-anode pairing including the second electrode and the third electrode.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Shared electrode battery

Life of this patent

Shared electrode battery

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20