Method for the adaptive rapid charging of a battery pack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12322992-B2
Application number	US-202017442268-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2020
Priority date	Mar 28, 2019
Publication date	Jun 3, 2025
Grant date	Jun 3, 2025

Abstract

The disclosure is based on a method for the adaptive rapid charging of a battery pack, in particular of an interchangeable battery pack for electric machine tools, by way of a battery charger, wherein, in at least one method step, at least one charging parameter of the battery charger is adjusted depending on at least one parameter of the battery pack. It is proposed, in at least one method step, for the at least one charging parameter to be adjusted depending on at least one charging characteristic diagram that is typical for the battery, is stored in a storage unit of the battery pack and contains at least predefined values of a voltage, temperature and/or current suitable for a charging procedure for the battery pack.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for adaptive rapid-charging of a battery pack using a battery charger, the battery pack being a replaceable battery pack configured for use with electric power tools, the method comprising:
causing at least one charging break to take place during which a value of a voltage of the battery pack is detected using a detection unit;
selecting at least one battery-typical charging map from a plurality of battery-typical charging maps stored in a memory unit of the battery pack depending on the value of the voltage of the battery pack; and
adjusting at least one charging parameter of the battery charger depending on (i) the value of the voltage of the battery pack and (ii) the at least one battery-typical charging map,
wherein the each of the plurality of battery-typical charging maps include a plurality of predefined reference values for the at least one charging parameter, the at least one charging parameter including at least one of (i) a voltage, (ii) a temperature, and (iii) a current, which are suitable for a process of charging the battery pack, each of the plurality of battery-typical charging maps being associated with a different respective predefined value range for the voltage of the battery pack,
wherein the at least one battery-typical charging map is selected depending on the value of the voltage being within the respective predefined value range, and
wherein the at least one charging break takes place between a changeover of two different battery-typical charging maps used to adjust the at least one charging parameter.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , the selecting further comprising:
selecting at least two battery-typical charging maps stored in the memory unit of the battery pack from the plurality of battery-typical charging maps stored in the memory unit of the battery pack, depending on the value of the voltage of the battery pack; and
storing, at least temporarily, the at least two battery-typical charging maps in a memory unit of the battery charger.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the at least two battery-typical charging maps are selected before the process of charging the battery pack has started.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the at least two battery-typical charging maps are selected using wireless communication unit.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting the at least one battery-typical charging map from the plurality of battery-typical charging maps stored in the memory unit of the battery pack depending on the value of the voltage of the battery pack, the selected at least one battery-typical charging map specifying a highest value of the at least one charging parameter and including the value of the at least one detected parameter.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the charging map is selected at regular time intervals.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
ending the process of charging the battery pack depending on a divergence of the detected value of the voltage from value ranges from all of a plurality of battery-typical charging maps stored in the memory unit.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
depending on a divergence of the detected value of the voltage from value ranges from all of a plurality of battery-typical charging maps stored in the memory unit, at least one of:
outputting, with an output unit, at least one of (i) an audible signal, (ii) a visual signal and (iii) a haptic signal; and
transferring, with a communication unit, at least one signal to at least one of an external unit and the battery pack.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the communication unit is a wireless communication unit.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one battery-typical charging map is selected using a wireless communication unit.

11. A battery charger for adaptive rapid-charging of a battery pack, the battery charger comprising:
at least one communication unit; and
at least one controller, the controller being at least one of an open-loop control unit and a closed-loop control unit, the at least one controller being configured to:
cause at least one charging break to take place during which a value of a voltage of the battery pack using a detection unit;
select at least one battery-typical charging map from a plurality of battery-typical charging maps stored in a memory unit of the battery pack depending on the value of the voltage of the battery pack; and
adjust at least one charging parameter of the battery charger depending on (i) the value of the voltage of the battery pack and (ii) the at least one battery-typical charging map,
wherein the each of the plurality of battery-typical charging maps include a plurality of predefined reference values for the at least one charging parameter, the at least one charging parameter including at least one of (i) a voltage, (ii) a temperature, and (iii) a current, which are suitable for a process of charging the battery pack, each of the plurality of battery-typical charging maps being associated with a different respective predefined value range for the voltage of the battery pack,
wherein the at least one battery-typical charging map is selected depending on the value of the voltage being within the respective predefined value range, and
wherein the at least one charging break takes place between a changeover of two different battery-typical charging maps used to adjust the at least one charging parameter.

12. The battery charger as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the battery pack is a replaceable battery pack configured for use with electric power tools.

13. The battery charger as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the communication unit is a wireless communication unit.

14. A method for adaptive rapid-charging of a battery pack using a battery charger, the battery pack being a replaceable battery pack configured for use with electric power tools, the method comprising:
causing at least one charging break to take place during which a value of a voltage of the battery pack using a detection unit;
transmitting a plurality of battery type-specific charging maps to the battery charger using a communication unit of the battery pack and storing the plurality of battery type-specific charging maps at least temporarily in a memory unit of the battery charger; and
adjusting at least one charging characteristic of the battery charger depending on the value of the voltage of the battery pack and further depending on the plurality of battery type-specific charging maps stored in the memory unit of the battery pack, which have at least predetermined values for a suitable voltage, temperature, and current for a charging process of the battery pack, one of the plurality of battery type-specific charging maps being selected by the battery charger depending on the voltage of the battery pack, the at least one charging characteristic being selected based on the selected battery type-specific charging map,
wherein the at least one charging break takes place between a changeover of two different battery-typical charging maps used to adjust the at least one charging characteristic.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Klee Christoph
• Gonser Andreas
• Seibert Marc-Alexandre

Classifications

• H02J7/44 Primary

  between battery management systems and power sources · CPC title

• H02J7/96 Primary

  in response to battery voltage · CPC title

• H02J7/933

  the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H02J7/00036

  Electricity · mapped topic