KR20220161818A - Apparatus and method for controlling auciliary battery charge - Google Patents

Abstract

An auxiliary battery charging control device and a method thereof are disclosed. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the auxiliary battery charging control device comprises: a rechargeable battery unit; a battery charging unit for charging the battery unit; and a control unit for controlling the battery charging unit to charge the battery unit according to a preset charging voltage of the battery unit. The control unit checks a voltage of an external power source to charge the battery unit, compares a preset charging voltage with the voltage of the external power source, and charges the battery unit when the voltage of the external power source is less than or equal to the preset charging voltage.

Description

Auxiliary battery charging control device and method {APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AUCILIARY BATTERY CHARGE}

Embodiments of the present invention relate to auxiliary battery charge control technology.

Along with the development of battery technology, various portable electronic devices or wireless electronic devices have appeared in the market. Furthermore, the auxiliary battery market for charging portable devices such as smart phones is also growing. Accordingly, numerous auxiliary batteries are being used.

Such an auxiliary battery must be charged using a dedicated adapter, and if this is not used, the adapter may be damaged or unable to be charged due to excessive charging current of the auxiliary battery. In addition, since the auxiliary battery has a predetermined charging current, a fire may occur in the input cable when the allowable current of the input cable is insufficient.

Therefore, there is a need for a technology for controlling charging so that the auxiliary battery can be charged with any power source.

Republic of Korea Patent Registration No. 10-1708345 (2017.02.14.)

An embodiment of the present invention is to check the characteristics of a power source, adjust a charging current output to an auxiliary battery, and charge the auxiliary battery with the adjusted charging current.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a rechargeable battery unit, a battery charging unit for charging the battery unit, and a control unit for controlling the battery charging unit to charge the battery unit according to a predetermined charging voltage of the battery unit, wherein the control unit Checks the voltage of the external power source to charge the battery unit, compares the preset charging voltage and the voltage of the external power source, and when the voltage of the external power source is equal to or less than the preset charging voltage, the battery charging unit to charge the battery unit An auxiliary battery charging control device for controlling is provided.

The control unit measures a voltage drop generated according to the adjusted charging current while adjusting the charging current of the battery unit, and sets a maximum current that can be charged in the battery unit to the charging current based on the measured voltage drop, The battery charging unit may be controlled to charge the battery unit by outputting the set charging current.

The control unit may calculate a period in which the measured voltage drop nonlinearly increases, and set a maximum current in a period excluding the calculated nonlinearly increasing period as the charging current.

The control unit controls the battery charging unit to charge the battery unit with the set charging current, calculates a period in which the measured voltage drop nonlinearly increases at each predetermined time, and calculates a period in which the calculated nonlinear increase occurs. If it is determined that the charging current is different from the previous nonlinearly increasing section, the maximum current in the section excluding the calculated nonlinearly increasing section may be reset to the charging current.

The controller may compare the reset charging current with the previous charging current and provide a notification to the user when there is a difference greater than or equal to a preset standard.

According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, checking a predetermined charging voltage from a rechargeable battery unit, checking a voltage of an external power source to charge the battery unit, and measuring a difference between the predetermined charging voltage and the external power source. An auxiliary battery charging control method comprising comparing voltages and charging the battery unit when the voltage of the external power source is less than or equal to the preset charging voltage.

The step of charging the battery unit includes measuring a voltage drop generated according to the adjusted charging current while adjusting the charging current of the battery unit, and calculating a maximum current capable of charging the battery unit based on the measured voltage drop as the charging current. and charging the battery unit with the set charging current.

Setting the charging current as the charging current includes calculating a section in which the measured voltage drop nonlinearly increases and setting the maximum current in a section excluding the calculated nonlinearly increasing section as the charging current. can include more.

According to embodiments of the present invention, by checking the characteristics of the power source, adjusting the charging current output to the auxiliary battery, and charging the auxiliary battery with the adjusted charging current, it can be stably charged in any power source, and the input cable or It can prevent the adapter from fire.

1 is a configuration diagram for explaining an auxiliary battery charging control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a diagram showing the charging voltage measured according to the charging current in the present invention
Figure 3 is a graph showing a non-linear section of the charging voltage in the present invention
4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling charging of an auxiliary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a block diagram illustrating and describing a computing environment including a computing device suitable for use in example embodiments;

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The detailed descriptions that follow are provided to provide a comprehensive understanding of the methods, devices and/or systems described herein. However, this is only an example and the present invention is not limited thereto.

In describing the embodiments of the present invention, if it is determined that the detailed description of the known technology related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted. In addition, terms to be described later are terms defined in consideration of functions in the present invention, which may vary according to the intention or custom of a user or operator. Therefore, the definition should be made based on the contents throughout this specification. Terminology used in the detailed description is only for describing the embodiments of the present invention and should in no way be limiting. Unless expressly used otherwise, singular forms of expression include plural forms. In this description, expressions such as "comprising" or "comprising" are intended to indicate any characteristic, number, step, operation, element, portion or combination thereof, one or more other than those described. It should not be construed to exclude the existence or possibility of any other feature, number, step, operation, element, part or combination thereof.

1 is a configuration diagram illustrating an auxiliary battery charging control device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the auxiliary battery charging control device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a battery unit 110, a battery charging unit 120, an input unit 130, an output unit 140, and a control unit ( 150) may be included. The auxiliary battery charge control device 100 of the present invention may include any type of auxiliary battery including the rechargeable battery unit 110 .

The battery unit 110 may have a predetermined battery capacity capable of charging power. The battery unit 110 may charge power supplied from the input unit 130 . The battery unit 110 may include both a built-in battery that may be included inside the auxiliary battery charging control device 100 and an external battery that may be connected from the outside of the auxiliary battery charging control device 100 . Meanwhile, the battery may have a preset charge capacity indicating a chargeable capacity already set during manufacture, a preset charge voltage or a preset charge current corresponding to the preset charge capacity, and the like. Accordingly, the auxiliary battery charging control device 100 may acquire information (battery information) of the battery.

The battery charger 120 may include a charging circuit capable of charging the battery unit 110 . The battery charging unit 120 may output charging current to the battery unit 110 under the control of the control unit 150 so that the battery unit 110 charges the power.

The input unit 130 may supply power to the battery unit 110 . The input unit 130 may include an input cable (not shown) for supplying power (external power) input from the outside to the battery unit 110 . In addition, the input unit 130 may include an AC/DC converter (not shown) capable of converting commercial AC power input from the outside into DC power.

The output unit 140 can continuously supply voltage and current when the power supplied from the input unit 130 is removed and the charged battery unit 110 is used. The output unit 140 may supply power to a connected electronic device (eg, a laptop computer, a mobile phone, etc.).

The controller 150 may control the battery charger 120 to charge the battery unit 110 according to a preset charging voltage of the battery unit 110 . Specifically, the control unit 150 may check the voltage of power (external power) input from the outside through the input unit 130 and compare the preset charging voltage with the voltage of the external power. In addition, the controller 150 may control the battery charging unit 120 to charge the battery unit 110 when the checked voltage of the external power source is equal to or less than a preset charging voltage as a result of the comparison. In addition, the controller 150 may control the battery charging unit 120 so that the battery unit 110 is not charged when the voltage of the external power source that is checked exceeds a preset charging voltage.

In an exemplary embodiment, the controller 150 adjusts the charging current of the battery unit 110, and the battery charging unit 120 outputs power having the adjusted charging current to charge the battery unit 110. 120) can be controlled. Specifically, the control unit 150 calculates a non-linear section (a section where the non-linear increase occurs) of the voltage drop generated according to the charging current of the battery unit 110, and calculates the maximum current in the section excluding the calculated non-linear section of the battery. The maximum current that can be charged in the unit 110 can be set. The controller 150 may control the battery charging unit 120 to charge the battery unit 110 by adjusting the charging current of the battery unit 110 to the set maximum current and outputting power to have the adjusted charging current.

2 is a diagram showing a charging voltage measured according to a charging current in the present invention.

In FIG. 2 , the charging voltage was measured while adjusting the charging current of the battery unit 110 to 0A to 8A. At this time, the voltage drop generated according to the charging current may be calculated, and the line resistance of the input cable of the input unit 130 according to the charging current may be calculated using the following formula.

[Equation]

Line Resistance = (Supply Voltage - Charge Voltage) / Charge Current

That is, when adjusting the charging current of the battery unit 110, the line resistance of the input cable is constant at 0.1Ω from 1A to 5A, but the line resistance of the input cable increases (nonlinear section) from 6A. At this time, the increase in line resistance of the input cable may be when the allowable current (charging current) of the input cable is exceeded or the allowable power of the external power source (or adapter) is exceeded. 3 is a graph showing a non-linear section of a charging voltage in the present invention. In FIG. 3 , it can be seen that the voltage drop increases nonlinearly in the section A where the line resistance increases. That is, when a current flows through the input cable line, heat is generated according to Joule's law. The resistance value of the line starts to increase, and when the resistance value of this line increases, the Joule heat rises further and a non-linear section of the charging voltage occurs due to the thermal runaway phenomenon.

Therefore, the auxiliary battery charging control device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention calculates a non-linear section of the voltage drop generated according to the charging current of the battery unit 110, and calculates the maximum value in the section excluding the calculated non-linear section. By adjusting the current 5A to the charging current of the battery unit 110, it can be stably charged in any power source, and fire of the input cable or adapter can be prevented.

Referring back to FIG. 1 , the controller 150 may calculate a non-linear section for each preset time while controlling the battery charger 120 to charge the battery unit 110 by setting a maximum chargeable current. When it is confirmed that the calculated nonlinear section is different from the previous nonlinear section, the controller 150 may reset the maximum current in the section excluding the calculated nonlinear section to the maximum current (charging current) that can be charged in the battery unit 110. have. In this case, the control unit 150 may compare the reset maximum current with the previous maximum current and notify the user through a notification unit (not shown) when there is a difference of more than a preset standard. That is, even when the allowable current of the input cable is reduced due to deterioration or poor contact of the input cable line or connector, the charging voltage Non-linear intervals can be checked periodically. In addition, when the allowable current of the input cable is reduced, it is possible to prevent a fire from occurring in advance by notifying the user.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling charging of an auxiliary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the illustrated flowchart, the method is divided into a plurality of steps, but at least some of the steps are performed in reverse order, combined with other steps, performed together, omitted, divided into detailed steps, or not shown. One or more steps may be added and performed.

In step 401, the controller 150 checks a preset charging voltage from the rechargeable battery unit 110.

In step 402 , the controller 150 checks the voltage of power input from the outside to charge the battery unit 110 .

In step 403, the controller 150 compares the preset charging voltage with the voltage of the power source.

In step 404, the controller 150 controls the battery charging unit 120 to charge the battery unit 110 when the voltage of the power source is equal to or less than the preset charging voltage as a result of the comparison. At this time, the control unit 150 calculates a non-linear section (a section where the nonlinear increase occurs) of the voltage drop generated according to the charging current of the battery unit 110, and calculates the maximum current in the section excluding the calculated non-linear section of the battery. The maximum current that can be charged in the unit 110 can be set. The controller 150 may control the battery charging unit 120 to charge the battery unit 110 by adjusting the charging current of the battery unit 110 to the set maximum current and outputting power to have the adjusted charging current.

Therefore, the auxiliary battery charging control device 100 according to embodiments of the present invention checks the characteristics of the power source, adjusts the charging current output to the auxiliary battery, and charges the auxiliary battery with the adjusted charging current, so that any power can be used. It can be recharged stably, and fire of the input cable or adapter can be prevented.

5 is a block diagram illustrating and describing a computing environment 10 including a computing device suitable for use in example embodiments. In the illustrated embodiment, each component may have different functions and capabilities other than those described below, and may include additional components other than those described below.

The illustrated computing environment 10 includes a computing device 12 . In one embodiment, computing device 12 may be controller 150 .

Computing device 12 includes at least one processor 14 , a computer readable storage medium 16 and a communication bus 18 . Processor 14 may cause computing device 12 to operate according to the above-mentioned example embodiments. For example, processor 14 may execute one or more programs stored on computer readable storage medium 16 . The one or more programs may include one or more computer-executable instructions, which when executed by processor 14 are configured to cause computing device 12 to perform operations in accordance with an illustrative embodiment. It can be.

Computer-readable storage medium 16 is configured to store computer-executable instructions or program code, program data, and/or other suitable form of information. Program 20 stored on computer readable storage medium 16 includes a set of instructions executable by processor 14 . In one embodiment, computer readable storage medium 16 includes memory (volatile memory such as random access memory, non-volatile memory, or a suitable combination thereof), one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, other forms of storage media that can be accessed by computing device 12 and store desired information, or any suitable combination thereof.

Communications bus 18 interconnects various other components of computing device 12, including processor 14 and computer-readable storage medium 16.

Computing device 12 may also include one or more input/output interfaces 22 and one or more network communication interfaces 26 that provide interfaces for one or more input/output devices 24 . An input/output interface 22 and a network communication interface 26 are connected to the communication bus 18 . Input/output device 24 may be coupled to other components of computing device 12 via input/output interface 22 . Exemplary input/output devices 24 include a pointing device (such as a mouse or trackpad), a keyboard, a touch input device (such as a touchpad or touchscreen), a voice or sound input device, various types of sensor devices, and/or a photographing device. input devices, and/or output devices such as display devices, printers, speakers, and/or network cards. The exemplary input/output device 24 may be included inside the computing device 12 as a component constituting the computing device 12, or may be connected to the computing device 12 as a separate device distinct from the computing device 12. may be

Although representative embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications are possible to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. . Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments and should not be defined, and should be defined by not only the claims to be described later, but also those equivalent to these claims.

100: auxiliary battery charging control device
110: battery unit
120: battery charging unit
130: input unit
140: output unit
150: control unit

Claims (8)

a rechargeable battery unit;
a battery charging unit for charging the battery unit; and
And a control unit for controlling the battery charging unit to charge the battery unit according to a predetermined charging voltage of the battery unit,
The control unit,
Checking the voltage of the external power supply to charge the battery unit, comparing the preset charging voltage and the voltage of the external power source, and when the voltage of the external power source is equal to or less than the preset charging voltage, the battery charging unit to charge the battery unit A secondary battery charging control device that controls.
The method of claim 1,
The control unit,
While adjusting the charging current of the battery unit, a voltage drop generated according to the adjusted charging current is measured, a maximum current capable of being charged in the battery unit is set as the charging current based on the measured voltage drop, and the set charging current is set. An auxiliary battery charging control device for controlling the battery charging unit to charge the battery unit by outputting current.
The method of claim 2,
The control unit,
An auxiliary battery charging control device for calculating a period in which the measured voltage drop nonlinearly increases, and setting a maximum current in a period excluding the calculated nonlinearly increasing period as the charging current.
The method of claim 2,
The control unit,
Controlling the battery charging unit to charge the battery unit with the set charging current,
A period in which the measured voltage drop nonlinearly increases is calculated for each predetermined time period, and when it is confirmed that the calculated nonlinearly increasing period is different from a previous nonlinearly increasing period, the calculated nonlinearly increasing period An auxiliary battery charging control device for resetting the maximum current in a section other than a section increasing to the charging current.
The method of claim 4,
The control unit,
An auxiliary battery charging control device that compares the reset charging current with the previous charging current and provides a notification to the user when there is a difference of more than a predetermined reference level.
Checking a preset charging voltage from a rechargeable battery unit;
Checking a voltage of an external power supply to charge the battery unit;
comparing the preset charging voltage with the voltage of the external power source; and
and charging the battery unit when the voltage of the external power source is less than or equal to the preset charging voltage.
The method of claim 6,
The step of charging the battery unit,
measuring a voltage drop generated according to the adjusted charging current while adjusting the charging current of the battery unit;
setting a maximum current capable of charging the battery unit as a charging current based on the measured voltage drop; and
The auxiliary battery charging control method further comprising charging the battery unit with the set charging current.
The method of claim 7,
The step of setting the charging current,
calculating a period in which the measured voltage drop nonlinearly increases; and
The auxiliary battery charging control method further comprising setting a maximum current in a section other than the calculated nonlinearly increasing section as the charging current.

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