Patent · US Expired

Battery charger apparatus and method with multiple range current control

US5554921A · kind A · utility

23Cited by
5References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 23, 1993
Grant dateSep 10, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 23, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH02J7/00712
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An improved battery charger apparatus and method with multiple range current control includes a programmable current source (101) for providing a charge current (105) to charge a battery (107). An amplitude of the charge current (105) is dependent on a charge demand signal (117) supplied to the programmable current source (101). A scaler (109) provides a scaled charge current signal (111), dependent on the charge current (105) and a current range signal (113). A charge current control unit (115) regulates the charge current (105) by providing the charge demand signal (117) to the programmable current source (101) dependent on the scaled charge current signal (111). More than one amplitude of the charge current (105) is provided to the battery (107), dependent on more than one current range signal (113) provided by the charge current control unit (115) to the scaler (109). Moreover, a constant amplitude of the scaled charge current signal (111) is maintained responsive to the more than one current range signal (113).

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.