Battery-charge control device, battery charger and battery pack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016359345-A1
Application number	US-201615170367-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 1, 2016
Priority date	Jun 8, 2015
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A battery-charge control device comprises an attachment-detecting unit, a temperature-obtaining unit, a voltage-obtaining unit, a threshold-value-determining unit, a determination unit, and a completion-processing unit. The threshold-value-determining unit determines, based on a battery temperature obtained by the temperature-obtaining unit, a completion-threshold-value corresponding to the battery temperature for determining necessity of charging when the attachment-detecting unit detects that the battery pack is attached to the battery charger. The determination unit performs a determination of whether a voltage obtained by the voltage-obtaining unit is equal to or greater than the completion-threshold-value determined by the threshold-value-determining unit when the attachment-detecting unit detects that the battery pack is attached to the battery charger. The completion-processing unit performs a specified battery-charge completion processing indicating unnecessity of charging of the battery by the battery charger when the determination unit determines that the obtained voltage is equal to or greater than the completion-threshold-value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A battery-charge control device comprising:
an attachment-detecting unit configured to detect that a battery pack having a battery is attached to a battery charger; a temperature-obtaining unit configured to obtain a battery temperature, which is a temperature of the battery; a voltage-obtaining unit configured to obtain at least one of a voltage of the entire battery or a voltage of a part of the battery; a threshold-value-determining unit configured to determine, based on the battery temperature obtained by the temperature-obtaining unit, a completion-threshold-value that corresponds to the battery temperature for determining necessity of charging of the battery in a case where the attachment-detecting unit detects that the battery pack is attached to the battery charger; a determination unit configured to perform a determination of whether an obtained voltage, which is a voltage obtained by the voltage-obtaining unit, is equal to or greater than the completion-threshold-value determined by the threshold-value-determining unit in a case where the attachment-detecting unit detects that the battery pack is attached to the battery charger; and, a completion-processing unit configured to perform a specified battery-charge completion processing that indicates unnecessity of charging of the battery by the battery charger in a case where the determination unit determines that the obtained voltage is equal to or greater than the completion-threshold-value.

2 . The battery-charge control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the battery charger is configured to start charge control for charging the battery in a case where a specified condition for starting battery charge is satisfied in condition that the battery pack is attached to the battery charger; and, wherein the determination unit is configured to repeatedly perform the determination during a period until the condition for starting battery charge is satisfied until the determination unit determines that the obtained voltage is equal to or greater than the completion-threshold-value, in a case where the attachment-detecting unit detects that the battery pack is attached to the battery charger.

3 . The battery-charge control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the threshold-value-determining unit is configured to determine the completion-threshold-value by means of a threshold value determining method that corresponds to the battery temperature obtained by the temperature-obtaining unit among at least two types of prepared threshold value determining methods that differ depending on the battery temperature.

4 . The battery-charge control device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the battery charger is configured to be allowed to charge the battery in a case where the battery temperature is in a preset chargeable temperature range; and, wherein the threshold-value-determining unit is configured to determine the completion-threshold-value in the chargeable temperature range by means of the threshold value determining method that corresponds to the battery temperature obtained by the temperature-obtaining unit among at least two types of threshold value determining methods that differ depending on the battery temperature within the chargeable temperature range.

5 . The battery-charge control device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the battery charger is configured to charge the battery so that the obtained voltage is equal to the charging voltage that corresponds to the battery temperature obtained by the temperature-obtaining unit, among at least two types of charging voltages that are preset within the chargeable temperature range and differ depending on the battery temperature; and, wherein the threshold-value-determining unit is configured to determine that a value, which is smaller than the charging voltage corresponding to the battery temperature by a given value corresponding to the charging voltage, is the completion-threshold-value, in a case where the battery temperature obtained by the temperature-obtaining unit is within the chargeable temperature range.

6 . The battery-charge control device according to claim 5 ,
wherein the charging voltage is set within the chargeable temperature range separately in each of;
a first range for battery charge that is below a given first boundary temperature for battery charge;
a second range for battery charge that is equal to or above the first boundary temperature for battery charge and is below a given second boundary temperature for battery charge; and,
a third range for battery charge that is equal to or above the second boundary temperature for battery charge, such that at least the charging voltage in the second range for battery charge is greater than the charging voltage in each of the first range for battery charge and the third range for battery charge; and,
wherein, for each range, the threshold-value-determining unit is configured to separately determine that a value, which is smaller than the charging voltage corresponding to each range by a given value corresponding to the charging voltage, is the completion-threshold-value.

7 . The battery-charge control device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the charging voltage is set within the chargeable temperature range separately in each of;
a first range for battery charge that is below a given first boundary temperature for battery charge;
a second range for battery charge that is equal to or above the first boundary temperature for battery charge and is below a given second boundary temperature for battery charge; and,
a third range for battery charge that is equal to or above the second boundary temperature for battery charge, such that at least the charging voltage in the second range for battery charge is greater than the charging voltage in each of the first range for battery charge and the third range for battery charge; and,
wherein the threshold-value-determining unit is configured to determine that;
a value, which is smaller than the charging voltage corresponding to the first range for battery charge by a given value corresponding to the charging voltage, is the completion-threshold-value in a first range for threshold value that is below a given first boundary temperature for threshold value;
a value, which is smaller than the charging voltage corresponding to the second range for battery charge by a given value corresponding to the charging voltage, is the completion-threshold-value in a second range for threshold value that is equal to or above the first boundary temperature for threshold value and is below a given second boundary temperature for threshold value; and,
a value, which is smaller than the charging voltage corresponding to the third range for battery charge by a given value corresponding to the charging voltage, is the completion-threshold-value in a third range for threshold value that is equal to or above the second boundary temperature for threshold value,
within the chargeable temperature range, and, wherein at least one of;
setting a value for the first boundary temperature for threshold value smaller than a value for the first boundary temperature for battery charge; or,
setting a value for the second boundary temperature for threshold value greater than a value for the second boundary temperature for battery charge,
is adopted in the threshold-value-determining unit.

8 . The battery-charge control device according to claim 4 ,
wherein, in a case where the battery temperature obtained by the temperature-obtaining unit is not within the chargeable temperature range, the threshold-value-determining unit is configured to determine the completion-threshold-value to be the completion-threshold-value at a tempe

Assignees

• Makita Corp

Inventors

• Uesugi Hiroki

Classifications

• H02J7/50 Primary

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H02J7/977

  of the battery · CPC title

• H02J7/485

  with provisions for charging different types of batteries · CPC title

• H02J7/96

  in response to battery voltage · CPC title

• H02J7/64

  against overvoltage · CPC title