Fast charging battery pack and fast charging method thereof

Abstract

A fast-charging battery system and charging method thereof, the system being applicable to the types of batteries used in most electric vehicles, electronic devices, and wireless devices. The system can use industry-recognized battery charging device systems and readily available electrical components (such as contactors, relay switches, semiconductor parts, and DC-DC converters, etc.) to keep costs and complexity low. The system provides two or more charging ports for electronic devices such as electric vehicles, which can receive and detect charging types, such as charging voltage, current, etc., and provide directional charging to multiple battery subgroups that make up the entire battery. By charging multiple battery subgroups in parallel, charging time can be greatly shortened.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to battery charging systems and related methods. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to fast-charging battery packs and methods for fast charging battery packs. The battery packs can be used in, for example, electric vehicles, electronic devices, and wireless radios. Background Art

[0002] The following background information describes examples of specific aspects of the prior art (such as, but not limited to, methods, facts or common knowledge), and while it is intended to help further educate the reader about more aspects of the prior art, anything stated, implied or inferred therefrom should not be construed as limiting the present invention or any embodiment thereof.

[0003] Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in electrical / mechanical systems such as electric vehicles (EVs), mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones, and cordless appliances such as handheld drills and lawn mowers due to their high power density and long service life. For example, a Tesla S85D car is equipped with a battery pack consisting of 7104 lithium-ion cells. Fast charging of batteries has always been a goal to improve the effectiveness of system operation. Various fast charging technologies that have been implemented have greatly shortened the charging time of batteries. However, compared with standard charging technologies (such as 120V and 240V AC charging) that take several hours to complete charging, the cost and complexity of current state-of-the-art fast charging battery systems (such as electric vehicle fast DC charging) are still relatively high.

[0004] Please refer to Figures 1A and 1B, which are schematic diagrams of an exemplary electric vehicle battery pack 100, which includes sixteen modules 112 and is equipped with a charging port 102. The modules 112 are divided into four subgroups 110, each of which includes four modules 112. As known in the art, it can be connected to a power management device 104 and a battery management system (BMS) 106. As shown in Figure 1A, the modules 112 can be connected in series, while in Figure 1B, the subgroups 110 are connected in parallel, and the modules 112 within each subgroup 110 are connected in series. In some embodiments, a DC-DC converter 108 can be used to ensure that each subgroup 110 outputs the same voltage.

[0005] It can be seen that there is a need for a fast charging battery system and charging method that is less costly and less complex than the current state-of-the-art fast charging technology. Such a system can be suitable for most battery types used in electric vehicles, electronic devices, and wireless appliances. The system can use industry-recognized battery charging device systems and off-the-shelf electrical components (such as contactors, relay switches, semiconductor parts, and DC-DC converters, etc.) to keep costs and complexity low. Summary of the invention

[0006] In one embodiment, the electric vehicle is equipped with multiple charging ports, and when two or more of the equipped ports are selected to charge the battery of the electric vehicle at the same time, the time required for full charging can be reduced. The power management (PM) system has different options, for example, if only one charging plug is plugged in, the system will identify the input and provide appropriate charging current for the entire battery pack; if more than two ports are connected, the charging current can flow in parallel to each module to charge them at the same time, thereby reducing the total charging time.

[0007] In another embodiment, the electric vehicle is equipped with multiple charging ports that are compatible with various charging plugs (e.g., Level 1, Level 2, DC fast charging, etc.), and the same type or different types of charging plugs can be selected to charge the battery pack of the electric vehicle at the same time. The power management system can detect the type of plug inserted, and if one port is connected, the appropriate charging current is provided to the entire battery pack (including individual modules), and if more than two ports are connected, the appropriate charging current can flow in parallel to each module to charge them simultaneously, thereby reducing the total charging time.

[0008] In some embodiments, each individual battery subgroup used may start or stop their respective charging cycles simultaneously with one another; or any combination of battery subgroups used may start or stop their respective charging cycles at different times relative to one another.

[0009] In another embodiment, during normal discharge use of the battery pack, any of its modules can be reset by the power management system to be electrically disconnected from the battery pack, as this can improve the performance of the battery pack and / or the vehicle or device equipped with the battery pack.

[0010] In another embodiment, the charging station is equipped with multiple types of charging sockets (e.g., the same type and / or different types of wires and plugs - Level 1, Level 2, DC fast charging, etc.; pantograph charging system; wireless charging system) to facilitate service for electric vehicles equipped with more than two charging ports. The charging piles of existing public electric vehicle charging stations can be equipped with multiple types of charging plugs (e.g., one Level 2 and one DC fast charging), but only one plug can be used at a time. An independent charging station is usually equipped with more than two charging piles, so a charging plug on multiple charging piles can be used simultaneously to charge electric vehicles with multiple charging ports. However, this will cause another electric vehicle to find that its charging plug is occupied when it arrives at the vacant charging pile. An embodiment of the present invention provides a solution to this problem, and each charging pile of the charging station can simultaneously power multiple charging ports of each electric vehicle.

[0011] In some embodiments, multiple charging cords / plugs for Level 1, Level 2, and DC fast charging types may be combined into one unit or separated into separate units.

[0012] In some embodiments, multiple charging cables can be combined into a single unit, one end of which can include multiple male plugs, such as multiple 120V plugs, multiple 240V plugs, etc. The other end of the single unit can include a dedicated plug or a standard electric vehicle plug, and power can be delivered to multiple on-board charging devices through each charging cable, thereby allowing each battery subgroup of the electric vehicle battery to be charged in parallel. This can provide multiple charging cables in an orderly bundle, thereby minimizing the confusion and safety hazards of such specialized applications.

[0013] In another embodiment, the electric vehicle may be equipped with more than two on-board AC charging devices, so that multiple AC charging plugs (e.g., Level 1 and / or Level 2) can be used simultaneously. Alternatively, given that the charging device will take up additional space in the electric vehicle and increase the total weight, the electric vehicle is equipped with only one on-board AC charging device, and any additional AC charging plugs are used by an off-board AC charging device.

[0014] In another embodiment, when more than two charging devices are plugged in, the electric vehicle can be user-inputted with a predetermined charging time and use a specific plug type (e.g., two Level 2 plugs and one Level 1 plug) to deliver the maximum amount of power to the battery pack within a given time, while ensuring that each module has the same voltage at the end of charging to maintain the long-term life of the battery pack.

[0015] In another embodiment, multiple charging ports are used for charging, and if the charging process ends while the state of charge of an individual battery module is not full and its voltage is lower than the voltage of the main battery pack, the individual battery module may not be electrically connected to the main battery pack until the voltage of the individual battery module and the main battery pack are the same.

[0016] In some embodiments, each independent battery module may have its negative electrode directly connected to ground, or may be connected to ground via a switch, wherein the switch may be selectively configured to disconnect the negative electrode of each independent battery module from ground.

[0017] In another embodiment, a user can set a lower fast charging speed for an electric vehicle (equipped with multiple charging plugs for fast charging) to avoid paying more for electricity during specific times of the day due to high power consumption.

[0018] In practice, because the power grid may not be able to provide a large amount of power to quickly charge multiple electric vehicles at the same time, homeowners or public charging stations may need to obtain power from an energy storage system (e.g., a Tesla Powerwall battery, a Tesla Powerpack battery, etc.). The power wall / power pack battery will be used to provide local backup power and grid buffering to meet peak power demand when multiple electric vehicles are charging at the same time. The energy wall / power pack battery can be recharged through the power grid at an appropriate power consumption rate when the electric vehicle is charging and / or when there is no electric vehicle charging. Therefore, in some embodiments, the battery of the electric vehicle can be charged by the energy storage system. In some embodiments, the energy storage system can be recharged via the power grid at an appropriate power consumption rate when one or more electric vehicles are charging or when there is no electric vehicle charging.

[0019] Embodiments of the present invention may include the above-described steps. The steps may be expressed as machine executable instructions that use a general or special purpose processor to perform certain steps. Various components that are not related to the basic principles of the present invention, such as computer memory, hard disk drive, input device, have been omitted from the figure to avoid unclear and accurate description of various aspects of the present invention.

[0020] Alternatively, in one embodiment, the various functional modules and related steps shown herein may be performed by specific hardware components that include hard-wired logic circuits for performing the steps, such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or any combination of programmed computer components and custom hardware components.

[0021] The elements of the present invention may also be machine-readable media for storing machine-executable instructions. The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, flash memory, optical disk, CD-ROM, DVD ROM, random access memory (RAM), electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic or optical card, propagation medium or other machine-readable medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. For example, the present invention can be downloaded as a computer program, which can be transmitted from a remote computer (e.g., a server, a cloud service) to a requesting computer (e.g., a client) via a data signal contained in a carrier, or via a communication connection of other propagation media (e.g., a modem or network connection, a wireless network (Wi-Fi) or other wireless means). The computer program can allow a user to control and / or monitor the battery and its charging process.

[0022] An embodiment of the present invention provides a battery charging system, which includes at least two ports for charging; at least two battery sub-groups; a power manager, which is used to detect that at least one of the at least two ports is being charged; and a plurality of switches, which are configured to transmit electrical energy from at least one detected port to each of the at least two battery sub-groups; wherein, when the at least one detected port is a first detection port and a second detection port, at least two of the at least two battery sub-groups are charged in parallel from the first detection port and the second detection port.

[0023] In some embodiments, the detected at least one charging port includes at least a first detection port and a second detection port.

[0024] In some embodiments, the multiple switches are used to switch the system between a first stage and at least a second stage, wherein the first stage selects a port from among the first detection port and the second detection port and connects to a first option of the at least two battery subgroups, and the second stage selects a port from among the first detection port and the second detection port and connects to a second option of the at least two battery subgroups, and the first option is different from the second option.

[0025] In some embodiments, switching between the first phase and the at least second phase causes the at least two battery subgroups to be charged substantially evenly.

[0026] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a battery charging system, which includes at least four ports for charging; at least four battery sub-groups; a power manager, which is used to detect that at least one of the at least four ports is being charged; and a plurality of switches, which are configured to transmit power from at least one of the detected ports to each of the at least four battery sub-groups, wherein when the at least one detected port is a first detection port and a second detection port, at least two of the at least four battery sub-groups are charged in parallel from the first detection port and the second detection port.

[0027] An embodiment of the present invention also provides a battery charging method with a rechargeable battery system, the charging method comprising dividing the battery into at least two battery sub-groups; detecting whether each of at least two charging ports is being charged; opening and closing one or more of a plurality of switches to transfer power received from one or more of the at least two ports for charging to the at least two battery sub-groups; and when more than one of the at least two charging ports is being charged, charging a first battery sub-group and a second battery sub-group of the at least two battery sub-groups in parallel through each of the at least two ports for charging.

[0028] The various features, aspects and advantages of the present invention may be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Some embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by way of example only and are not limited to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals represent the same components throughout the drawings.

[0030] FIG. 1A is a simplified schematic diagram of an exemplary electric vehicle battery pack including 16 modules connected in series and equipped with a charging port;

[0031] FIG. 1B is a conventional simplified schematic diagram of an exemplary electric vehicle battery pack including 16 modules connected in series and parallel and equipped with a charging port;

[0032] Figure 2A is a simplified schematic diagram of an exemplary electric vehicle battery pack, the battery pack comprising 16 modules connected in series and parallel, and equipped with 2 charging ports, as shown, which can be selectively connected to a charging device;

[0033] Figure 2B for Figure 2A A simplified schematic diagram of a battery pack, as shown, optionally connected to two charging devices of the same type (level 2);

[0034] Figure 2C for Figure 2A A simplified schematic diagram of a charging cycle, as shown, in which two charging devices can be selectively connected during phase A of the charging cycle, wherein each charging device is of a different type (level 2 and level 1);

[0035] Figure 2D for Figure 2A A simplified schematic diagram of a charging cycle, as shown, in which two charging devices can be selectively connected during phase B of the charging cycle, wherein each charging device is of a different type (level 2 and level 1);

[0036] Figure 3 is a simplified schematic diagram of an exemplary electric vehicle battery pack, the battery pack comprising 16 modules connected in series and parallel and equipped with 4 charging ports, as shown, which can be selectively connected to a charging device;

[0037] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A simplified schematic diagram of a battery pack, as shown, optionally connected to two charging devices of the same type (level 2);

[0038] Figure 5A for Figure 3A simplified schematic diagram of a charging cycle, as shown, can be selectively connected to two charging devices during phase A of the charging cycle, wherein each charging device is of a different type (level 2 and level 1);

[0039] Figure 5B for Figure 5A A simplified schematic diagram of the present invention, as shown in the figure, can be selectively connected to two charging devices in phase B of the charging cycle;

[0040] Fig. 6A for Figure 3 A simplified schematic diagram of the invention, as shown in the figure, can be selectively connected to three charging devices of the same type (2 levels) during phase A of the charging cycle;

[0041] Figure 6B for Fig. 6A A simplified schematic diagram of the present invention, as shown in the figure, can be selectively connected to three charging devices in phase B of the charging cycle;

[0042] Fig. 7A for Figure 3 A simplified schematic diagram of the invention, as shown in the figure, in phase A of the charging cycle, three charging devices can be selectively connected, two of which are level 2 charging devices and one is a level 1 charging device;

[0043] Figure 7B for Fig. 7A A simplified schematic diagram of the present invention, as shown in the figure, can be selectively connected to three charging devices in phase B of the charging cycle;

[0044] Figure 7C for Fig. 7A A simplified schematic diagram of the present invention, as shown in the figure, can be selectively connected to three charging ports during the stage C of the charging cycle;

[0045] Fig. 8A for Figure 3 A simplified schematic diagram of the invention, as shown in the figure, in phase A of the charging cycle, three charging devices can be selectively connected, one of which is a level 2 charging device and the other two are level 1 charging devices;

[0046] Figure 8B for Fig. 8A A simplified schematic diagram of the present invention, as shown in the figure, can be selectively connected to three charging devices in phase B of the charging cycle;

[0047] Figure 8C for Fig. 8A A simplified schematic diagram of the present invention, as shown in the figure, can be selectively connected to three charging devices during stage C of the charging cycle;

[0048] Fig. 9 for Figure 3 A simplified schematic diagram, as shown, four charging devices of the same type (level 2) can be optionally connected;

[0049] Fig. 10A for Figure 3 A simplified schematic diagram of the invention, as shown in the figure, in phase A of the charging cycle, four charging devices can be selectively connected, three of which are level 2 charging devices and the other is a level 1 charging device;

[0050] Fig. 10B for Fig. 10A A simplified schematic diagram of the invention, as shown in the figure, can be selectively connected to four charging devices in phase B of the charging cycle;

[0051] Fig.11A for Figure 3 A simplified schematic diagram of the invention, as shown in the figure, in phase A of the charging cycle, four charging devices can be selectively connected, two of which are level 2 charging devices and the other two are level 1 charging devices;

[0052] Fig. 11B for Fig.11A A simplified schematic diagram of the invention, as shown in the figure, can be selectively connected to four charging devices in phase B of the charging cycle;

[0053] Fig. 12A for Figure 3 A simplified schematic diagram of the invention, as shown in the figure, in phase A of the charging cycle, four charging devices can be selectively connected, one of which is a level 2 charging device and the other three are level 1 charging devices;

[0054] Fig. 12B for Fig. 12A A simplified schematic diagram of the invention, as shown in the figure, can be selectively connected to four charging devices in phase B of the charging cycle;

[0055] Fig. 12C for Fig. 12A A simplified schematic diagram of the invention, as shown, selectively connectable to four charging devices during phase C of the charging cycle; and

[0056] Fig.12D for Fig. 12A A simplified schematic diagram is shown in which four charging devices can be selectively connected during stage D of the charging cycle.

[0057] Unless otherwise indicated, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0058] The present invention and its various embodiments may be better understood through the following detailed description of the illustrated embodiments. It should be clearly understood that the illustrated embodiments are only illustrative and not limiting of the present invention as defined by the claims and their equivalents. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] The terms used herein are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. For example, the term "and / or" used herein is intended to include all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items; the singular forms "one", "an", and "the" used herein are intended to include singular forms as well as plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms "including" or "having" used herein refer to the presence of the features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or components.

[0060] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention belongs. Further, unless explicitly defined herein, the meaning of terms such as those in commonly used dictionaries should be consistent with their meanings in the relevant field and the context of this article, rather than idealized or overly formalized meanings.

[0061] Many techniques and steps are disclosed in describing the present invention, and it should be understood that each of these techniques and steps has its own benefits, and each can also be used in combination with one or more, or in some cases, all other disclosed techniques. Therefore, for the sake of clarity, unnecessary repetition of various possible combinations of various steps will be avoided herein. Of course, it should be clear that these combinations are fully within the scope of the present invention and claims.

[0062] In the following description, for the convenience of explanation, many specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it is apparent that those skilled in the art can also practice the present invention without providing these specific details.

[0063] The present disclosure is intended only to describe embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention to the specific embodiments illustrated in the following figures or descriptions.

[0064] It is well known to those skilled in the art that many careful considerations and compromises must be made when designing the optimal configuration for commercial implementation of any system, especially the embodiments of the present invention. According to the spirit and teachings of the present invention, those skilled in the art can configure their commercial implementations as required by specific applications, using their average skills and known techniques, appropriately omitting, including, modifying, mixing and matching, or improving and / or optimizing any one or more aspects, features, functions, results, components, methods or steps related to any embodiment described in the present invention to obtain the commercial implementation of the desired specific application.

[0065] In general, embodiments of the present invention provide a fast charging battery system and charging method thereof that are less costly and less complex than the current state-of-the-art fast charging technologies. The system can be adapted to the types of batteries used in most electric vehicles (EVs), electronic devices, and wireless appliances. The system can employ industry-recognized battery charging device systems and readily available electrical components (e.g., contactors, relay switches, semiconductor parts, and DC-DC converters, etc.) to maintain low cost and low complexity. The system provides more than two charging ports that can accept and detect the type of charge and provide power to multiple battery subgroups that make up the entire battery. By charging multiple battery subgroups in parallel, charging time can be greatly reduced.

[0066] The embodiments discussed below include, for example, an electric vehicle equipped with two charging ports ( FIG. 2A to FIG. 2D ) devices, and a device with four charging ports ( Figures 3 to 12D ) device. The system of the present invention can be used for level 1 charging (120V charging, typically 12-20 amps) and level 2 charging (240V charging, typically 12-80 amps). When the system detects multiple charging connections at its multiple ports, the system can detect the input voltage to determine the level of the charging connection. When providing the same level of charging, the system can charge each subgroup in parallel as described below to reduce the charging time. When providing different levels of charging, the system can provide one level of charging to at least one battery subgroup and another level of charging to at least one other battery subgroup. As charging progresses, the system can ensure uniform charging between each of the battery subgroups by switching the charging levels corresponding to the battery subgroups.

[0067] Figures 2A to 12D Each of the figures shows four battery subgroups, each battery subgroup containing four modules. It should be understood that the use of batteries of different sizes, different numbers of battery subgroups, and different numbers of modules per battery subgroup are all within the scope of the present invention. Of course, for a device with two charging ports, such as an electric vehicle, at least two charging ports and at least two battery subgroups are required to effectively utilize the present invention. Similarly, for a device with four charging ports, at least two battery subgroups, and typically at least four battery subgroups, are required to effectively utilize the present invention.

[0068] See also Figures 2A to 2D When a device such as an electric vehicle is equipped with two charging ports 12A, 12B, the system 10 may be configured to receive power from one or both of the ports 12A, 12B. Figures 2A to 2DThe illustrated embodiment includes a first switch S1 for connecting the positive terminal of the port 12A, a second switch S2 for connecting the positive terminal of the port 12B, a third switch S3 for connecting the outputs of S1 and S2, and a fourth switch S4 for disconnecting or connecting the respective negative terminals of the ports 12A and 12B.

[0069] like Figure 2A As shown, a Level 2 charging connection is connected to the port 12A for conventional charging, and the power from the port 12A is delivered to each subgroup 20A-20D in parallel, while the modules 22 in the battery subgroups 20A-20D are charged in series. When power is supplied to the port 12A, S1 is closed to provide power to the first and second battery subgroups 20A, 20B, and S3 is closed to provide power to the third and fourth battery subgroups 20C, 20D. Opening switch S2 can prevent reverse charging of the charging port 12B.

[0070] See also Figure 2B , both port 12A and port 12B are connected to the Level 2 charging connection for charging. Figure 2A The difference of the embodiment is that switch S3 is open, so that the power from ports 12A and 12B can charge battery subgroups 20A and 20B and battery subgroups 20C and 20D respectively. In this way, since the battery halves are split and charged in parallel, Figure 2B The charging time of the embodiment may be approximately Figure 2A Example charging time in half.

[0071] See also Figure 2C and 2D , which shows how the system 10 controls the charging of the battery subgroups 20A-20D when different levels of charging connections are provided to the two ports 12A, 12B. In this embodiment, a Level 2 charging connection is connected to the port 12A and a Level 1 charging connection is connected to the port 12B. Figure 2C In the first charging stage, the battery subgroups 20A and 20B are provided with a second-level charge, and the battery subgroups 20C and 20D are provided with a first-level charge, which is referred to as stage A. When the preset charge amount is reached, or after a predetermined time, the switch S1, S2, S3 and S4 can be changed to provide the following Figure 2D The charging shown in FIG. 1 is referred to as stage B. At this time, the battery subgroups 20C and 20D are charged at level 2 to "replenish" their charge levels to reach or exceed the charge levels already charged in the battery subgroups 20A and 20B. Figure 2DAs shown, in phase B, the connection to port 12B is disconnected. However, in some embodiments, switches S1 and S2 may have two optional connection modes, so that in phase B, power (level 1) may be supplied from port 12B to battery subgroups 20A and 20B in a manner similar to the way power is supplied from port 12A to battery subgroups 20C and 20D.

[0072] In this embodiment, the power manager 14, the battery management system 16 and the DC-DC converter 18 are used to ensure that the charge levels of the various battery subgroups are the same. If a charging interruption causes one or more battery subgroups to be undercharged, the DC-DC converter 18 can be used to ensure that the outputs of the various battery subgroups 20A-20D are the same.

[0073] like Figures 3 to 12D The illustrated embodiment, such as a device such as an electric vehicle, includes four ports 12A-12D. Figure 3 One port of the illustrated embodiment is connected to a power source, Figures 4 to 5B The two ports of the illustrated embodiment are connected to a power source, Figures 6A to 8C The three ports of the illustrated embodiment are connected to a power source, while Figures 9 to 12D The four ports of the illustrated embodiment are all connected to a power source. Figures 3 to 12D The system of the embodiment shown is substantially similar to Figure 3 The system architecture is the same as the other two, the only difference is the port connected to the power supply. Therefore, for the sake of simplicity, Figure 3 The reference numerals shown in Figures 4 to 12D may be omitted, but for clarity, Figures 3 to 12D The same structures in the drawings represent the same components.

[0074] See now Figure 3 When a single power source, such as a Class 2 power connection, is connected to port 12A, power manager 14 can control switches S1-S16 so that the positive terminal of port 12A is connected to each battery subgroup 20A-20D and the negative terminal of port 12A is connected to each battery subgroup 20A-20D. Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, each module 22 in the battery subgroups 20A-20D is charged in series, while the individual subgroups in the battery subgroups 20A-20D are charged in parallel. Of course, the individual modules 22 in each subgroup of the battery subgroups 20A-20D can be connected in various ways, such as all in series, all in parallel, or a combination of series and parallel, as shown. Typically, the rated power (ampere-hours) of each battery subgroup 20A-20D is the same. However, if a single module 22 fails, the battery management system 16 can cooperate with the DC-DC converter 18 to optimize the output of each battery subgroup 20A-20D.

[0075] Figure 3 The system is similar to a conventional charging system, but by properly selecting switches S1-S16 and providing additional power input to other ports 12B, 12C, and 12D, a higher power supply can be provided. Figure 3 A charging method that is up to four times faster than conventional charging solutions.

[0076] like Figure 4 As shown, ports 12A, 12B are connected to two identical power connections, such as two 2-level power connections. In this embodiment, port 12A can deliver power to one half of the battery, such as battery subgroups 20A, 20B; while port 12B can deliver power to the other half of the battery, such as battery subgroups 20C, 20D. Each half of the battery can be charged in parallel from each port 12A, 12B. Thus, the charging time can be Figure 3 Half the charging time shown.

[0077] like Figure 5A and 5B As shown, when ports 12A and 12B are connected to different charging power sources, for example, port 12A is connected to a Class 2 power source and port 12B is connected to a Class 1 power source, as shown in FIG. Figure 2C and 2D A switching mechanism is shown so that the charging system 30 can be in phase A ( Figure 5A ) and Phase B( Figure 5B ), in which the system can switch between phases A and B so that each battery subgroup 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D can be charged to substantially the same degree. In this embodiment, phase A can provide 2-level charging to battery subgroups 20A and 20B, and 1-level charging to battery subgroups 20C and 20D. In phase B, 2-level charging can be provided to battery subgroups 20C and 20D. Switching between the two phases is used to keep the charging degree between each half of the battery (i.e., between battery subgroups 20A, 20B and battery subgroups 20C, 20D) approximately the same.

[0078] Figures 6A to 8C An embodiment in which three charging devices are connected to ports 12A, 12B, and 12C.

[0079] like Fig. 6A and 6B As shown, ports 12A, 12B, and 12C are connected to three charging devices respectively. Figure 4 Similarly, each port 12A, 12B, 12C can be connected to the same type of charging device, such as a Level 2 charging connection. In this embodiment, since the number of ports connected to the power source is not a multiple of the number of battery subgroups (this embodiment has 3 ports connected to the power source and 4 battery subgroups), it is necessary to use a similar method as described above. Figure 5A and 5BThe switching mechanism ensures that each subgroup is charged evenly. Fig. 6A and 6B In the embodiment of the present invention, in stage A ( Fig. 6A ), port 12A is used to charge battery subgroup 20A, port 12B is used to charge battery subgroup 20B, and port 12C is used to charge battery subgroups 20C and 20D. Because the charging speed of battery subgroups 20C and 20D is about half that of battery subgroups 20A and 20B, in phase B, port 12A is used to provide "catch-up" charging to battery subgroup 20D, and port 12C can be used to provide "catch-up" charging to battery subgroup 20C. The system 30 can switch between phases A and B to provide substantially uniform charging to battery subgroups 20A-20D.

[0080] like Figures 7A to 7C As shown, when the three ports 12A, 12B, and 12C are connected to power sources of different charging levels (for example, ports 12A and 12B are both connected to a Level 2 charging connection, while port 12C is connected to a Level 1 charging connection), in order to provide substantially uniform charging to the battery subgroups 20A-20D, a switching mechanism including three stages, Stage A, Stage B, and Stage C, may be used. In Stage A, port 12A is used to charge the battery subgroups 20A and 20B, port 12B is used to charge the battery subgroup 20C, and port 12C is used to charge the battery subgroup 20D. In Stage B, port 12A is used to charge the battery subgroup 20A, port 12B is used to charge the battery subgroup 20B, and port 12C is used to charge the battery subgroup 20D. In Stage C, port 12A is used to charge the battery subgroup 20D. Each stage may be switched to provide substantially uniform charging to the battery subgroups 20A-20D.

[0081] Figures 8A to 8C Another embodiment of providing charging to three ports 12A, 12B, 12C, wherein 2-level charging is provided at port 12A, and 1-level charging is provided at ports 12B and 12C. In phase A, port 12A can be used to charge battery subgroups 20A and 20B, port 12B can be used to charge battery subgroup 20C, and port 12C can be used to charge battery subgroup 20D. In phase B, port 12A can be used to charge battery subgroup 20C, and port 12C can be used to charge battery subgroup 20D. In phase C, port 12A can be used to charge battery subgroup 20D. The phases can be switched to provide a substantially uniform charge to battery subgroups 20A-20D.

[0082] Figures 9 to 12D An embodiment provides charging to all four ports 12A to 12D.

[0083] like Fig. 9As shown, the same level of charging connection, such as level 2 charging, can be provided to each of the ports 12A to 12D. In this embodiment, each port 12A to 12D can be used to charge the battery subgroups 20A to 20D, respectively. In this embodiment, the battery charging speed can be faster than Figure 3 The embodiment shown is approximately four times faster.

[0084] like Fig. 10A and 10B In the illustrated embodiment, ports 12A to 12D are connected to three charging power sources of the same level and one charging power source of another level. In this embodiment, port 12A can be connected to a Level 2 charging connection, port 12B can be connected to a Level 2 charging connection, port 12C can be connected to a Level 2 charging connection, and port 12D can be connected to a Level 1 charging connection. In order to provide a generally uniform charge to the battery subgroups 20A to 20D, a switching mechanism of phase A and phase B can be used. In phase A, port 12A can be connected to battery subgroup 20A, port 12B can be connected to battery subgroup 20B, port 12C can be connected to battery subgroup 20C, and port 12D can be connected to battery subgroup 20D. In phase B, port 12A can be connected to battery subgroup 20D to provide a "catch-up" charge thereto. The phases can be switched to provide a generally uniform charge to the battery subgroups 20A-20D.

[0085] like Fig.11A and 11B In the illustrated embodiment, ports 12A to 12D are connected to two charging power sources of the same level and two charging power sources of another level. In this embodiment, port 12A can be connected to a Level 2 charging connection, port 12B can be connected to a Level 2 charging connection, port 12C can be connected to a Level 1 charging connection, and port 12D can be connected to a Level 1 charging connection. In order to provide a generally uniform charge to the battery subgroups 20A to 20D, a switching mechanism of phase A and phase B can be used. In phase A, port 12A can be connected to battery subgroup 20A, port 12B can be connected to battery subgroup 20B, port 12C can be connected to battery subgroup 20C, and port 12D can be connected to battery subgroup 20D. In phase B, port 12A can be connected to battery subgroup 20C, and port 12B can be connected to battery subgroup 20D to provide a "catch-up" charge thereto. The phases can be switched to provide a generally uniform charge to the battery subgroups 20A-20D.

[0086] like Figures 12A to 12DIn the illustrated embodiment, ports 12A to 12D are connected to three charging power sources of the same level and one charging power source of another level. In this embodiment, port 12A can be connected to a Level 2 charging connection, port 12B can be connected to a Level 1 charging connection, port 12C can be connected to a Level 1 charging connection, and port 12D can be connected to a Level 1 charging connection. In order to provide a substantially uniform charge to the battery subgroups 20A to 20D, a switching mechanism including phase A, phase B, phase C, and phase D can be used. In phase A, port 12A can be connected to battery subgroup 20A, port 12B can be connected to battery subgroup 20B, port 12C can be connected to battery subgroup 20C, and port 12D can be connected to battery subgroup 20D. In phase B, port 12A can be connected to battery subgroup 20B, port 12C can be connected to battery subgroup 20C, and port 12D can be connected to battery subgroup 20D. In phase C, port 12A can be connected to battery subgroup 20C, and port 12D can be connected to battery subgroup 20D. Port 12A may be connected to battery sub-pack 20D during phase D. The phases may be switched to provide a generally uniform charge to battery sub-packs 20A through 20D.

[0087] The above specific embodiments describe a switching mechanism for providing uniform charging to multiple battery subgroups of a battery. Other mechanisms are also contemplated within the scope of the present invention. When fully charged, the charge level of each of the battery subgroups 20A to 20D is approximately the same, which is also considered to be within the scope of the present invention. When the voltage variation between two battery subgroups is between zero and approximately + / -0.5V DC, typically zero to approximately + / -0.2V DC, the charge levels of the two battery subgroups can be judged to be approximately the same as referred to above.

[0088] Unless otherwise stated, all features disclosed in this specification, including the abstract and the drawings, may be replaced by alternative features having the same, equivalent or similar purpose. Therefore, each feature disclosed is only an example of a series of equivalent or similar features, unless otherwise stated.

[0089] The elements and steps of the claims herein may have been numbered and / or lettered to aid reading and understanding only. Any numbering and lettering is not intended and should not be used to indicate the order of the claims and / or steps.

[0090] Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, those skilled in the art may make many changes and modifications. Therefore, it must be understood that the embodiments described are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the present invention as defined in the claims. For example, although the elements of the claims are combined in some form in the following description, it must be understood that the present invention includes other combinations of fewer, more, or different disclosed elements.

[0091] The words used in this specification to describe the present invention and its various embodiments shall include not only their generally defined meanings but also their exclusive meanings in this specification to represent generic structures, materials or acts of a single object.

[0092] Therefore, the definitions of words or elements of the attached claims in this specification include not only the combinations of elements literally set forth. In this sense, it is also contemplated that any one element in a claim may be replaced by an equivalent of two or more elements, or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim. Although elements may be described above as functioning in certain combinations, and even initially claimed as such, it should be clearly understood that in some cases, one or more elements in a claimed combination may be deleted, and that the claimed combination may vary.

[0093] Insubstantial changes from the present invention that would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, whether now known or later devised, are expressly considered to fall within the scope of the claims. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or in the future known to one of ordinary skill in the art fall within the defined scope.

[0094] Therefore, the claims should be understood to include the above detailed explanations and descriptions, conceptually equivalent contents, contents that can be obviously substituted, and contents that contain the basic idea of ​​the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery charging system comprising: at least two ports for charging, at least two of the ports being capable of connecting to different external power sources; at least two battery subgroups; a power manager, the power manager being configured to detect that at least one of the at least two ports is being charged; and A plurality of switches configured to transfer power from at least one detected port to each of the at least two battery subgroups, characterized in that: When the at least one detected port is a first detection port and a second detection port, at least two of the at least two battery subgroups are charged in parallel from the first detection port and the second detection port, and one of the first detection port or the second detection port can charge one of the at least two battery subgroups but not charge the remaining battery subgroups of the at least two battery subgroups, so that each of the at least two battery subgroups is charged evenly; and The plurality of switches disconnects a ground connection of each of the at least two battery subgroups such that the ground connection corresponds to a positive connection made by each of the at least two battery subgroups.

2. The battery charging system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The at least one detected port for charging includes at least the first detection port and the second detection port.

3. The battery charging system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The plurality of switches are used to switch the system between a first stage and at least a second stage, wherein the first stage selects a port among the first detection port and the second detection port and connects to a first option of the at least two battery subgroups; The second stage selects a port from among the first detection port and the second detection port and connects to a second option of the at least two battery subgroups, the first option being different from the second option.

4. The battery charging system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The at least two battery subgroups are charged evenly by switching between the first stage and the at least second stage.

5. A battery charging system comprising: at least four ports for charging, at least four of the ports being capable of connecting to different external power sources; at least four battery subgroups; a power manager, the power manager being configured to detect that at least one of the at least four ports is being charged; and A plurality of switches configured to transfer power from at least one detected port to each of the at least four battery subgroups, characterized in that: At least two of the at least four battery subgroups are charged in parallel from a first detection port and a second detection port, and one of the first detection port or the second detection port is capable of charging one of the at least four battery subgroups but not charging the remaining battery subgroups of the at least four battery subgroups, so that each of the at least four battery subgroups is charged evenly; The plurality of switches are used to switch the system between a first stage and at least a second stage; the first stage selects a port from the first detection port and the second detection port and connects to a first option of the at least four battery subgroups; the second stage selects a port from the first detection port and the second detection port and connects to a second option of the at least four battery subgroups, the first option being different from the second option; The at least four battery subgroups are charged evenly by switching between the first stage and the at least second stage.

6. The battery charging system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The at least one detected port for charging includes at least the first detection port, the second detection port, and a third detection port.

7. The battery charging system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The at least one detected port for charging includes at least the first detection port, the second detection port, a third detection port, and a fourth detection port.

8. A battery charging method with a battery charging system, comprising: dividing the battery into at least two battery subgroups; detecting whether each of at least two charging ports capable of connecting to different external power sources is charging; opening and closing one or more switches of a plurality of switches to transfer power received at one or more of at least two of the charging ports to the at least two battery subgroups; and When more than one of the at least two charging ports is charging, the at least two charging ports include a first detection port and a second detection port; charging a first battery subgroup and a second battery subgroup of the at least two battery subgroups in parallel through each of the at least two charging ports, wherein one of the at least two charging ports is capable of charging one of the at least two battery subgroups but not charging the remaining battery subgroups of the at least two battery subgroups, so that each battery subgroup of the at least two battery subgroups is charged evenly; and A switching mechanism for switching the battery charging system to the first stage or at least the second stage, characterized in that: in the first stage, a port among the first detection port and the second detection port is selected and connected to a first option of the at least two battery subgroups; In the second stage, a port among the first detection port and the second detection port is selected and connected to a second option of the at least two battery subgroups, the first option being different from the second option.

9. The charging method according to claim 8, characterized in that: Power is provided to at least the first detection port and the second detection port.

10. The charging method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The method also includes accepting a predetermined charging time input by a user and optimizing the charging process so that each of the at least two battery subgroups is charged to the maximum.

11. The charging method according to claim 8, characterized in that: Different levels of power are provided to at least two of the at least two charging ports.

12. The charging method according to claim 8, characterized in that: Also includes: When the voltage of at least one of the at least two battery subgroups is lower than the voltage of a selected battery subgroup among the at least two battery subgroups at the end of charging, obtaining power from the selected battery subgroup; and When the voltages of both are the same, at least one battery subgroup among the at least two battery subgroups having a voltage lower than the voltage of a selected battery subgroup among the at least two battery subgroups is connected to the selected battery subgroup.

13. The charging method according to claim 8, characterized in that: Also included is charging from multiple charging lines at a charging station, where the charging station provides multiple charging lines for the same electric vehicle.

14. The charging method according to claim 8, characterized in that: It also includes charging via a charging cable consisting of multiple charging wires.

15. The charging method according to claim 8, characterized in that: It also includes allowing electric vehicles equipped with such batteries to slow down their charging speed, thereby avoiding being charged more electricity by power suppliers for consuming a lot of electricity for charging during certain times of the day.

16. The charging method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The power of the battery is provided by an electrical energy storage system.

17. The charging method according to claim 16, characterized in that: The electrical energy storage system is recharged through the grid at appropriate power when the battery is charged or not charged.

18. A battery charging system comprising: at least two ports for charging, at least two of the ports being capable of connecting to different external power sources; at least two battery subgroups; a power manager, the power manager being configured to detect that at least one of the at least two ports is being charged; and A plurality of switches configured to transfer power from at least one detected port to each of the at least two battery subgroups, characterized in that: When the detected at least one port is a first detection port and a second detection port: At least two of the at least two battery subgroups are charged in parallel from the first detection port and the second detection port, and one of the first detection port or the second detection port is capable of charging one of the at least two battery subgroups without charging the remaining battery subgroups of the at least two battery subgroups, so that each of the at least two battery subgroups is charged evenly; and The multiple switches are used to switch the system between a first stage and at least a second stage, wherein the first stage selects a port from the first detection port and the second detection port and connects to a first option of the at least two battery subgroups; the second stage selects a port from the first detection port and the second detection port and connects to a second option of the at least two battery subgroups, and the first option is different from the second option.

19. The battery charging system according to claim 18, characterized in that: The at least two battery subgroups are charged evenly by switching between the first stage and the at least second stage.

20. The battery charging system according to claim 18, characterized in that: The plurality of switches disconnects a ground connection of each of the at least two battery subgroups such that the ground connection corresponds to a positive connection made by each of the at least two battery subgroups.

21. A battery charging method with a battery charging system, comprising: dividing the battery into at least two battery subgroups; detecting whether each of at least two charging ports capable of connecting to different external power sources is charging; opening and closing one or more switches of a plurality of switches to transfer power received at one or more of at least two of the charging ports to the at least two battery subgroups; and When more than one of the at least two charging ports is charging, the at least two charging ports include a first detection port and a second detection port: The first battery subgroup and the second battery subgroup of the at least two battery subgroups are charged in parallel through each of the at least two charging ports, and one of the first detection port or the second detection port is capable of charging one of the at least two battery subgroups without charging the remaining battery subgroups of the at least two battery subgroups, so that each battery subgroup of the at least two battery subgroups is charged evenly; and The charging station is used to charge multiple charging lines, each charging pile of the charging station provides multiple charging lines for the same electric vehicle or device.

22. The charging method according to claim 21, characterized in that: When more than one of the at least two charging ports is charging, the at least two charging ports include the first detection port and the second detection port: Switch the battery charging system to a first stage and at least a second stage, wherein the first stage selects a port from among the first detection port and the second detection port and connects to a first option of the at least two battery subgroups; and the second stage selects a port from among the first detection port and the second detection port and connects to a second option of the at least two battery subgroups, and the first option is different from the second option.

23. The charging method according to claim 21, characterized in that: Power is provided to a first detection port and a second detection port of at least two of the charging ports.

24. The charging method of claim 21, further comprising accepting a predetermined charging time input by a user, and optimizing the charging process so that each of the at least two battery subgroups is charged to the maximum.

25. The charging method according to claim 21, characterized in that: Different levels of power are provided to at least two of the at least two charging ports.

26. The charging method according to claim 21, characterized in that: Also includes: When the voltage of at least one of the at least two battery subgroups is lower than the voltage of a selected battery subgroup among the at least two battery subgroups at the end of charging, obtaining power from the selected battery subgroup; and When the voltages of both are the same, at least one battery subgroup among the at least two battery subgroups having a voltage lower than the voltage of a selected battery subgroup among the at least two battery subgroups is connected to the selected battery subgroup.

27. The charging method according to claim 21, further comprising charging via a charging cable consisting of a plurality of charging wires.

28. The charging method according to claim 21, further comprising allowing the electric vehicle or device equipped with the battery to reduce the charging speed, thereby avoiding being charged more electricity fees by the power supplier due to consuming a large amount of electricity for charging during a specific time of the day.

29. The charging method according to claim 21, characterized in that: The electrical energy of the battery is provided by an electrical energy storage system.

30. The charging method according to claim 29, characterized in that: The electrical energy storage system may be recharged from the electrical grid at an appropriate power consumption rate while the battery is being charged or not being charged.

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