Fast charging of batteries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9685810-B1
Application number	US-201414280184-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 16, 2014
Priority date	May 16, 2014
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed are methods for intelligently charging a battery faster. In some embodiments, the method includes determining, by a computing device, a target state of charge (SOC) from a set of predefined SOCs, where at least one of the predefined SOCs is less than a 100% SOC. Further, the method includes determining, by the computing device, a state of a battery, where the state of the battery is indicative of one or more characteristics of the battery. Further, the method includes, based at least on the state of the battery, the computing device determining a pulse time and a rest time of a current for charging the battery to the target SOC. Yet further, the method may include the computing device charging the battery to the target SOC with the pulse time and the rest time of the current.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
selecting, by a computing device, a target state of charge (SOC) from a set of predefined SOCs, wherein at least one of the predefined SOCs is less than a 100% SOC;
determining, by the computing device, a state of a battery, wherein the state of the battery is indicative of one or more characteristics of the battery;
based at least on the state of the battery, the computing device determining a pulse time and a rest time of a current for charging the battery to the target SOC; and
the computing device charging the battery to the target SOC with the pulse time and the rest time of the current.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target SOC is greater than or equal to a 50% SOC and less than or equal to a 80% SOC of the battery, wherein based at least on the state of the battery, the computing device determining the pulse time and the rest time of the current for charging the battery to the target SOC comprises:
determining the pulse time from a time range of 1 to 60 seconds; and
determining the rest time from the time range of 1 to 60 seconds.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting, by the computing device, the target SOC from the set of predefined SOCs comprises:
receiving input data indicative of a time period available to charge the battery; and
based at least on the available time period, selecting the target SOC from the set of predefined SOCs.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein based at least on the state of the battery, the computing device determining the pulse time and the rest time of the current for charging the battery to the target SOC comprises:
determining a first pulse time and a first rest time of a first current for charging the battery to the target SOC;
determining a second pulse time and a second rest time of a second current for charging the battery to the target SOC;
determining the battery is capable of being charged by the first current for a greater number of charging cycles than the second current; and
selecting the first pulse time and the first rest time of the first current for charging the battery to the target SOC.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining, by the computing device, the state of the battery comprises determining a number of charging cycles completed by the battery, wherein based at least on the state of the battery, determining the pulse time and the rest time of the current for charging the battery to the target SOC comprises:
determining, based at least on the number of charging cycles completed by the battery, a first pulse time and a first rest time of a first current for charging the battery to the target SOC, wherein the battery is capable of being charged by the first current for at least 300 additional charging cycles.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the battery comprises a number of charging cycles completed by the battery, and wherein the number of charging cycles completed by the battery comprises at least one of the following charging cycle ranges: 0 to 100 charging cycles, 101 to 300 charging cycles, and 301 to 500 charging cycles.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the battery comprises a capacity of the battery, and wherein the capacity of the battery ranges from less than 85% to greater than or equal to 95%.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the battery comprises an impedance of the battery, and wherein the impedance of the battery ranges from 105% to 200%.

9. A computing device comprising:
a processor;
a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to perform a set of functions, the set of functions comprising:
selecting a target state of charge (SOC) from a set of predefined SOCs, wherein at least one of the predefined SOCs is less than a 100% SOC;
determining a state of a battery, wherein the state of the battery is indicative of one or more characteristics of the battery;
based at least on the state of the battery, determining a pulse time and a rest time of a current for charging the battery to the target SOC; and
charging the battery to the target SOC with the pulse time and the rest time of the current.

10. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the target SOC is greater than or equal to a 50% SOC and less than or equal to a 80% SOC of the battery, wherein based at least on the state of the battery, determining the pulse time and the rest time of the current for charging the battery to the target SOC comprises:
determining the pulse time from a time range of 1 to 60 seconds; and
determining the rest time from the time range of 1 to 60 seconds.

11. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein selecting the target SOC from the set of predefined SOCs comprises:
receiving input data indicative of a time period available to charge the battery; and
based at least on the available time period, selecting the target SOC from the set of predefined SOCs.

12. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein based at least on the state of the battery, determining the pulse time and the rest time of the current for charging the battery to the target SOC comprises:
determining a first pulse time and a first rest time of a first current for charging the battery to the target SOC;
determining a second pulse time and a second rest time of a second current for charging the battery to the target SOC;
determining the battery is capable of being charged by the first current for a greater number of charging cycles than the second current; and
selecting the first pulse time and the first rest time of the first current for charging the battery to the target SOC.

13. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein determining the state of the battery comprises determining a number of charging cycles completed by the battery, wherein based at least on the state of the battery, determining the pulse time and the rest time of the current for charging the battery to the target SOC comprises:
determining, based at least on the number of charging cycles completed by the battery, a first pulse time and a first rest time of a first current for charging the battery to the target SOC, wherein the battery is configured to be charged by the first current for at least 300 additional charging cycles.

14. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the battery comprises a number of charging cycles completed by the battery, and wherein the number of charging cycles completed by the battery comprises at least one of the following charging cycle ranges: 0 to 100 charging cycles, 101 to 300 charging cycles, and 301 to 500 charging cycles.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions that when executed by a processor cause performance of a set of functions in connection with an electric vehicle battery, the set of functions comprising:
selecting a target state of charge (SOC) from a set of predefined SOCs, wherein at least one of the predefined SOCs is less than a 100% SOC;
determining a state of the electric vehicle battery, wherein the state of the electric vehicle battery is indicative of one or more characteristics of the electric vehicle battery;
based at least on the state of the electric vehicle battery, determining a pulse time and a rest time of a current for charging the electric vehicle battery to the target SOC; and
charging the electric vehicle battery to the target SOC with the pulse time and the rest time of the current

Assignees

• X Dev Llc

Inventors

• Bhardwaj Ramesh C
• Hwang Taisup

Classifications

• H02J2105/37

  exchanging power with electric vehicles [EV] or with hybrid electric vehicles [HEV] · CPC title

• H02J7/933

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

• H02J7/927

  with introduction of pulses during the charging process · CPC title

• H02J7/84

  Control of state of health [SOH] · CPC title

• H02J7/82

  Control of state of charge [SOC] · CPC title