Method for adaptively fast-charging a battery pack using stored limit values

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12126208-B2
Application number	US-202017442959-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2020
Priority date	Mar 28, 2019
Publication date	Oct 22, 2024
Grant date	Oct 22, 2024

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a method for adaptively fast-charging a battery pack using a battery charging device. At least one voltage and the temperature of the battery pack are continuously or periodically detected by means of a detection unit. A charging current of the battery charging device is adapted by means of a control and/or regulating unit of the battery charging device on the basis of the detected voltage and/or the detected temperature of the battery pack. At least one battery-specific threshold of the voltage and/or the temperature is taken into consideration in order to adapt the charging current by means of the control and/or regulating unit. Prior to starting the charging process, the battery-specific threshold of the voltage and/or the temperature is transmitted from a memory unit of the battery pack and/or the battery charging device to the control and/or regulating unit by means of a communication unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for adaptive fast charging of a battery pack using a battery charger, the method comprising:
acquiring at least one voltage and at least one temperature of the battery pack, one of continuously and periodically using an acquisition device;
adapting a charging current of the battery charger using a controller of the battery charger based on at least one of the at least one voltage and the at least one temperature of the battery pack, and based on at least one limit value of at least one of (i) the at least one voltage and (ii) the at least one temperature; and
transmitting the at least one limit value of the at least one of (i) the at least one voltage and (ii) the at least one temperature from a storage device of at least one of the battery pack and the battery charger to the controller using a communication device.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
adapting the at least one limit value of the at least one voltage using the controller based on at least one internal resistance of the battery pack, which is transmitted from the battery pack via the communication device.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
ascertaining an internal resistance of the battery pack using the battery charger, the at least one limit value of the voltage being adapted based on the internal resistance of the battery pack;
transmitting the internal resistance of the battery pack to the battery pack using the communication device; and
storing the internal resistance of the battery pack in the storage device of the battery pack.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting a number of charging cycles of the battery pack to the controller using the communication device, the charging current being adapted based on the number of charging cycles using the controller.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
acquiring at least one number of charging cycles the using the battery charger, the charging current being adapted based on the at least one number of charging cycles;
transmitting the at least one number of charging cycles to the battery pack using the communication device; and
storing the at least one number of charging cycles in the storage device of the battery pack.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
adapting the charging current, at a charging current of at least 14 A, based on the at least one limit value, which is transmitted from the storage device using the communication device, the at least one limit value being at least one of (i) a limit value of the at least one temperature of at least 40° C. and (ii) a limit value of the at least one voltage between 3.8 V and 4.05 V.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
adapting the charging current, at a charging current of at least 10 A, based on the at least one limit value, which is transmitted from the storage device using the communication device, the at least one limit value being at least one of (i) a limit value of the at least one temperature of at least 42° C. and (ii) a limit value of the at least one voltage between 3.9 V and 4.15 V.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
adapting the charging current, at a charging current of at least 6 A, based on the at least one limit value, which is transmitted from the storage device using the communication device, the at least one limit value being at least one of (i) a limit value of the at least one temperature of at least 45° C. and (ii) a limit value of the at least one voltage between 4 V and 4.2 V.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to the at least one limit value of the at least one of (i) the at least one voltage and (ii) the at least one temperature being one of exceeded and fallen below, at least one of:
outputting at least one of an optical signal, an acoustic signal, and a haptic signal using an output device of the battery charger and/or
transmitting a signal to at least one of an external device and the battery pack using the communication device of the battery charger.

10. A battery charger for adaptive fast charging of a battery pack, the battery charger comprising:
at least one communication unit; and
at least one controller configured to:
acquiring at least one voltage and at least one temperature of the battery pack, one of continuously and periodically using an acquisition device;
adapting a charging current of the battery charger using a controller of the battery charger based on at least one of the at least one voltage and the at least one temperature of the battery pack, and based on at least one limit value of at least one of (i) the at least one voltage and (ii) the at least one temperature; and
transmitting the at least one limit value of the at least one of (i) the at least one voltage and (ii) the at least one temperature from a storage device of at least one of the battery pack and the battery charger to the controller using the at least one communication device.

11. The battery charger as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the battery pack is an interchangeable battery pack configured for use with electric machine tools.

12. The battery charger as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the at least one communication device is at least one wireless communication device.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the battery pack is an interchangeable battery pack configured for use with electric machine tools.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one voltage and at least one temperature of the battery pack are at least one voltage and at least one temperature of a battery cell of the battery pack.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one limit value of the at least one of (i) the at least one voltage and (ii) the at least one temperature is typical for the battery.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transmitting the at least one limit value of the at least one of (i) the at least one voltage and (ii) the at least one temperature is performed before a charging process is started.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the communication device is a wireless communication device.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Klee Christoph
• Gonser Andreas
• Seibert Marc-Alexandre

Classifications

• H02J7/977

  of the battery · CPC title

• H02J7/751

  concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries · CPC title

• H02J7/80

  including monitoring or indicating arrangements · CPC title

• H02J7/40

  characterised by the exchange of charge or discharge related data · CPC title

• H02J7/96 Primary

  in response to battery voltage · CPC title