Control and termination of a battery charging process
US5694023A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 10, 1996 |
| Grant date | Dec 2, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 10, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S320/21
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and an apparatus for adjusting the process of charging a battery so as to charge the battery as rapidly as possible while avoiding overheating of or damage to the battery. The method provides for applying a charging pulse (C1) which provides an average charging current, applying a first depolarizing pulse (D1), waiting for a first rest period (DW1), measuring the voltage (V1) at a predetermined point within the first rest period, applying a second depolarizing pulse (D2), waiting for a second rest period (DW2), measuring the voltage (V2) at the predetermined point within the second rest period, determining a difference between the voltage (V1) and the voltage (V2), and decreasing the average charging current if the difference is greater than a predetermined amount. The present invention also provides for determining whether the battery is low on water.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.