Portable power supply

Abstract

A portable power supply includes a housing, a battery cell disposed within the housing, and a battery pack charger electrically connected to the battery cell and configured to charge a battery pack. The battery pack charger is electrically isolated from the cells.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 492,885 filed on March 29, 2023, and the entire contents of that prior application are hereby incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to a portable power source, and more particularly to a portable power source for drawing electric energy from a battery cell to charge one or more battery packs. Background Art

[0004] The portable power supply includes a high-voltage signal line and a low-voltage signal line. The low-voltage signal line can carry various types of low-voltage signals, and the high-voltage signal line can carry various types of high-voltage signals. A conventional portable power supply can transmit all high-voltage signals and low-voltage signals through the high-voltage signal line and the low-voltage signal line, but cannot effectively transmit information transmitted through the high-voltage signal in the low-voltage signal line, or cannot effectively transmit information transmitted through the low-voltage signal in the high-voltage signal line. The portable power supply of the present application promotes the electrical isolation transmission of signals between the low-voltage side (e.g., a battery pack charger) and the high-voltage side (e.g., a battery management system) of the power supply by using an isolation device and / or an isolated DC / DC power converter, and can effectively transmit information contained in the high-voltage signal through the low-voltage signal line, and effectively transmit information contained in the low-voltage signal through the high-voltage signal line. Utility Model Content

[0005] The portable power supply may be configured to draw power from the battery cells to charge one or more battery packs. The portable power supply may include a low voltage signal line that is electrically isolated from the high voltage signal line. The low voltage signal line may carry various types of low voltage signals, such as a charging status signal, a battery pack presence signal, a latch signal, a voltage fault signal, a current fault signal, a temperature fault signal, a charging fault signal, or a charging current signal. The high voltage signal line may carry various types of high voltage signals, such as a housekeeping undervoltage signal, a high voltage electronics temperature fault signal, or an input undervoltage signal.

[0006] The embodiments described herein provide a portable power source, including a housing, a battery cell disposed in the housing, and a battery charger electrically connected to the battery cell and configured to charge a battery pack. The battery charger is electrically isolated from the battery cell.

[0007] The embodiments described herein provide a portable power source, including a housing, a battery cell disposed in the housing, and a battery pack charger disposed in the housing, wherein the battery pack charger is electrically connected to the battery cell and configured to charge a battery pack. The battery pack and the battery cell are electrically isolated.

[0008] Embodiments described herein provide a portable power source, including a housing, a battery cell disposed in the housing, and a battery charger electrically connected to the battery cell and configured to charge a battery pack. The battery charger includes a sensor configured to detect a state of the battery pack and generate an analog signal indicating the state of the battery pack. A battery management system is disposed in the housing and configured to receive a state signal from the battery charger through an electrical isolator. The battery management system is configured to transmit the analog signal from the sensor to the battery management system. The sensor is configured to change the voltage of the analog signal according to the state of the battery pack.

[0009] Before any embodiment is explained in detail, it should be understood that the application of the present embodiment is not limited to the component configuration and arrangement details described below or shown in the accompanying drawings. The present embodiment can be implemented or executed in various ways. In addition, it should be understood that the words and terms used herein are for descriptive purposes only and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "including", "containing" or "having..." and their variations means including the items listed below and their equivalents as well as other items. Unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "mounted", "connected", "supported" and "coupled" and their variations are used widely, including direct and indirect mounting, connection, support and coupling.

[0010] In addition, it should be understood that the embodiments of the present invention may include hardware, software, and electronic components or modules, and for ease of discussion, most of these components may be illustrated and described only by hardware implementation. However, those skilled in the art will recognize, based on reading this detailed description, that in at least one embodiment, the electronic-based aspects may be implemented by software (e.g., stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium) executed by one or more processing units (e.g., microprocessors and / or application-specific integrated circuits (“ASICs”). Therefore, it should be noted that the present embodiment may be implemented using multiple hardware- and software-based devices and multiple different structural components. For example, the “server” and “computing device” described in the specification may include one or more processing units, one or more computer-readable medium modules, one or more input / output interfaces, and various connections (e.g., a system bus) connecting the components. In other embodiments, the “control unit” and “controller” described in the specification may include one or more electronic processors, one or more memories (including non-transitory computer-readable media), one or more input / output interfaces, and various connections (e.g., a system bus) connecting the components.

[0011] Relative terms, such as "substantially", "approximately", "substantially", and the like, used in relation to quantities or conditions, will be understood by those of ordinary skill to include the value and have the meaning dictated by the context (e.g., the term includes at least the degree of error associated with measurement precision, the tolerance associated with a particular value [e.g., manufacturing, assembly, use, etc.], etc.). These terms should also be considered to disclose ranges defined by the absolute values ​​of the two endpoints. For example, the expression "from about 2 to about 4" also discloses a range of "from 2 to 4". Relative terms may refer to a percentage (e.g., 1%, 5%, 10% or more) around the indicated value.

[0012] It should be understood that although some of the drawings illustrate hardware and software in a particular device, these descriptions are for illustrative purposes only. The functions performed by one component described herein may be performed by multiple components in a distributed manner. Similarly, the functions performed by multiple components may also be combined into one component for execution. In some embodiments, the illustrated components may be combined or divided into separate software, firmware, and / or hardware. For example, logic and processing may be distributed among multiple electronic processors rather than being located in and executed by a single electronic processor. Regardless of how they are combined or divided, hardware and software components may be located on the same computing device or distributed between different computing devices connected by one or more networks or other suitable transmission links. Similarly, components described as performing specific functions may also perform other functions not described herein. For example, a device or structure that is "configured" in a certain manner is configured in at least this manner, but may also be configured in other ways that are not explicitly listed.

[0013] Thus, in the claims, if a claimed device or system includes an electronic processor or other element configured in a certain manner, e.g., to make multiple decisions, then the claim or claim element should be interpreted as referring to one or more electronic processors (or other elements), any of which is configured as defined in the claim, e.g., to jointly make some or all of the multiple decisions. To reiterate, these electronic processors and processing may be distributed.

[0014] It should be noted that persons of ordinary skill in the art will recognize upon reading this detailed description that, at least in one embodiment, the electronic aspects of the present invention may be implemented via software executable by one or more processors (eg, stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium).

[0015] Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the articles "a" and "the" should not be construed as meaning "one" or "only one". Instead, these articles should be construed as meaning "at least one" or "one or more". Similarly, when the terms "the" or "the" are used to refer to a noun previously introduced by the indefinite article "a", "the" and "the" mean "at least one" or "one or more" unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0016] As used herein, "or" may refer to including. As a non-limiting example, if it is stated herein that "item Z may include element A or B", it may be interpreted as disclosing item Z that includes only element A, item Z that includes only element B, and item Z that includes both elements A and B.

[0017] Other aspects of the present embodiments will become apparent by consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1A A perspective view of a portable power source device according to embodiments described herein is shown.

[0019] Figure 1B A portable power supply configured to receive multiple charging modules in multiple charging ports according to embodiments described herein is shown.

[0020] Figure 1C Shows Figure 1B The portable power source according to the embodiments described herein includes a plurality of charging modules connected to a charging port.

[0021] Figure 2A is a block diagram of a portable power supply according to an embodiment described herein, including a battery cell charger, a battery cell, a battery management system, and a battery pack charger.

[0022] Figure 2B Shows Figure 2A Detailed schematic diagram of a battery cell of a portable power source connected to a battery management system according to an embodiment described herein.

[0023] Figure 2C Shows Figure 2A A battery pack charger for a portable power source according to embodiments described herein includes an electrical isolation barrier configured to electrically isolate a communication circuit from a high voltage side of the power source.

[0024] Figure 3 A hardware schematic diagram of a portable power supply according to an embodiment described herein is shown, the power supply including a battery cell, a battery management system (BMS), a battery pack charger subsystem including a galvanic isolator, and a battery pack detection circuit.

[0025] Figure 4A plurality of low side signals on one side of an electrical isolation barrier and a plurality of high side signals on the other side of the electrical isolation barrier are shown according to embodiments described herein.

[0026] Figure 5 Configurations of electrical isolation barriers including optical isolators are shown in accordance with certain embodiments.

[0027] Figure 6 Configurations of electrical isolation barriers including capacitive isolators are shown in accordance with certain embodiments.

[0028] Figure 7 Configurations of electrical isolation barriers including magnetic isolators are shown in accordance with certain embodiments.

[0029] Figure 8 A flow chart is shown for transmitting an analog signal from a low voltage side to a high voltage side of a portable power supply according to embodiments described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Embodiments described herein relate to a portable power supply including an electrically isolated bus configured to transmit data between system modules. The portable power supply also includes an electrically isolated barrier configured to electrically isolate a high voltage side (e.g., operating voltage greater than 60V) of the portable power supply from a low voltage side (e.g., operating voltage less than 60V) of the power supply. A controller on the low voltage side of the electrically isolated barrier is used to generate an analog signal indicating a status of the portable power supply or a battery pack connected thereto, and transmit the analog signal from the low voltage side to the high voltage side across the electrically isolated barrier (e.g., an electrically isolated barrier).

[0031] Figure 1A A portable power device or power supply 100 is shown. The power supply 100 includes, among other things, a housing 102. In some embodiments, the housing 102 includes one or more wheels 104 and a handle assembly 106. In the illustrated embodiment, the handle assembly 106 is a telescopic handle that can be moved between an extended position and a folded position. The handle assembly 106 includes an inner tube 108 and an outer tube 110. The inner tube 108 is sleeved within the outer tube 110 and can slide relative to the outer tube 110. The inner tube 108 is connected to a horizontal fixing member 112. In some embodiments, the handle assembly 106 also includes a locking mechanism to prevent the inner tube 108 from accidentally moving relative to the outer tube 110. The locking mechanism may include a groove, a sliding latch, or other suitable locking mechanism to prevent the inner tube 108 from sliding relative to the outer tube 110 when the handle assembly 106 is in the extended position and / or the folded position. In actual operation, the user grasps the fixing member 112 and pulls upward to extend the handle assembly 106. The inner tube 108 slides relative to the outer tube 110 until the handle assembly 106 is locked in the extended position. The user can then pull the power supply 100 to a desired location by the handle assembly 106. The wheels 104 of the power supply 100 facilitate this movement.

[0032] The housing 102 of the power supply 100 also includes a power input unit 114, a power output unit 116, and a display screen 118. In the illustrated embodiment, the power input unit 114 includes a plurality of electrical connection interfaces for receiving power from an external power source. In some embodiments, the external power source is a DC power source. For example, the DC power source may be one or more photovoltaic cells (such as solar panels), an electric vehicle ("EV") charging station, or any other DC power source. In some embodiments, the external power source is an AC power source. For example, the AC power source may be a conventional wall outlet, such as a 120V outlet or a 240V outlet commonly found in North America. In another embodiment, the AC power source may be a conventional wall outlet, such as a 220V outlet or a 230V outlet outside of North America. In some embodiments, the power input unit 114 is replaced or additionally includes a cable configured to be plugged into a conventional wall outlet. In some embodiments, the power input unit 114 also includes one or more devices, such as an antenna or an induction coil, configured to wirelessly receive power from an external power source. The power received by the power input unit 114 may be used to charge a battery cell or battery cell 120 disposed in the housing 102 of the power supply 100.

[0033] The power received by the power input unit 114 can also be used to power one or more devices connected to the power output unit 116. The power output unit 116 includes one or more power sockets. In the illustrated embodiment, the power output unit 116 includes a plurality of AC power sockets 116A and DC power sockets 116B. It should be understood that the number of power sockets included in the power output unit 116 is not limited to Figure 1A For example, in some embodiments of power supply 100 , power output unit 116 may include more or fewer power outlets than the power outlets included in the illustrated embodiment of power supply 100 .

[0034] In some embodiments, the power output unit 116 is configured to provide the power output by the battery cell 120 to one or more peripheral devices. In some embodiments, the power output unit 116 is configured to directly provide the power provided by the external power source to one or more peripheral devices. The one or more peripheral devices may be a smart phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a portable music player, a power tool, a power tool battery pack, a power tool battery pack charger, etc. The peripheral device may be configured to receive DC and / or AC power from the power output unit 116.

[0035] In some embodiments, the DC power socket 116B also includes one or more sockets for receiving and charging a power tool battery pack. In these embodiments, the power tool battery pack received by or connected to the DC power socket 116B is charged by the power output of the battery cell 120 and / or the power received directly from the external power source. In some embodiments, the power tool battery pack connected to the DC power socket 116B is used to power the battery cell 120 and / or one or more peripheral devices connected to the socket of the power output unit 116. The DC power socket 116B may include a guide rail for receiving a slide-in battery pack and a latch mechanism for fixing the battery pack to the DC power socket 116B. In these embodiments, the power supply 100 includes a plurality of charging modules or charging blocks for charging various battery packs. The charging modules may have different power ratings and may be interchangeable in different charging slots of the power supply 100. Therefore, the power supply 100 may be configured with different combinations of battery pack chargers for charging battery packs of different voltages at different charging rates, etc.

[0036] In some embodiments, the power output unit 116 includes a power socket for a specific tool. For example, the power output unit may include a DC power socket for powering a welding tool. In some embodiments, the DC power socket 116B is configured to support charging of battery packs with various nominal rated voltages (e.g., 12V, 18V, 36V, 72V, etc.).

[0037] The display screen 118 is configured to indicate the status of the power supply 100 to the user, such as the charging status and / or fault condition of the battery cell 120. In some embodiments, the display screen 118 includes one or more light emitting diode ("LED") indicators configured to light up and display the current charging status of the battery cell 120. In some embodiments, the display screen 118 is, for example, a liquid crystal display ("LCD"), a light emitting diode ("LED") display, an organic LED ("OLED") display, an electroluminescent display ("ELD"), a surface conduction electron emitter display ("SED"), a field emission display ("FED"), a thin film transistor ("TFT") LCD, an electronic ink display, an electrochromic display, a flip dot matrix screen / flip disk display, etc. In some embodiments, the display screen 118 is a touch screen used as a human-machine interface. The display screen 118 can be configured to display a graphical user interface. The power supply 100 may include a user input component, such as a button, a touch pad, a dial, a knob, a touch screen, etc., for accepting user input and updating the display screen 118. In other embodiments, the power supply 100 is not provided with a display screen.

[0038] Figure 1B and 1CAnother embodiment of a power supply 141 is shown, which is similar to the power supply 100 and may include similar features. The power supply 141 may further include a compartment 143 configured to receive one or more charging modules 145. For example, the power supplies 100, 141 can be configured with any combination of charging modules (such as a 12V charging module, an 18V charging module, etc.). The power supply 141 distributes, for example, a 24V bus to the charging modules. In certain embodiments, one or more charging modules may accommodate one or more valve stem battery packs or sliding battery packs, or a combination of one or more valve stem battery packs and one or more sliding battery packs, with a nominal rated voltage between 3V and 120V (e.g., 12V, 18V, 72V, 84V, etc.). When the battery pack is received by at least one charging module, the charging module may be configured to provide a charging current to the battery pack. The one or more charging modules may be electrically connected to one or more charging ports. The charging port may include at least one USB-C charging port that provides a voltage of 3.3V to 21V to a device connected to the USB-C charging port, and / or at least one USB-A charging port that provides a voltage of 5V, 2.4 amps to a device connected to the USB-A charging port. In some embodiments, the device may be electrically connected to the charging port via a charging cable. One or more charging modules may include a fan for cooling the battery pack. The fan may be controlled by a controller of the power supply 100, and the fan may be automatically turned on when the battery pack is inserted into one or more charging modules, when a sensor coupled to the controller senses that the temperature of the battery pack has reached a certain threshold, or when data indicating that the temperature of the battery pack has reached a certain threshold is transmitted to the controller (for example, via a digital or analog transmission interface).

[0039] Figure 2AA block diagram 200 of a portable power source 201 (e.g., power source 100, 141) is shown, which includes a battery cell 204, a battery management system ("BMS") 206, and a battery charger 208. The battery management system 206 and the battery charger 208 are connected to the cell charger 214 via a communication bus 210. A power input 212 (e.g., a plug configured to draw current from a wall outlet) is connected to the cell charger 214 configured to provide charging current to the battery cell 204. The cell charger 214 can communicate with the battery management system 206 and the battery charger 208 via the bus 210 to monitor the health of the battery cell and manage the charging process of the battery cell and the battery pack. The power disconnect switch 216 can be configured to disconnect the battery cell 204, the battery management system 206, and the battery charger 208 from the current provided by the cell charger 214 through the power input 212. The power conductor 217 is configured to provide current from the battery cell 204 or the cell charger 214 to the battery management system 206 and the battery charger 208. The power conductors 218 and 220 are configured to provide current from the battery management system 206 to the battery charger 208. For example, the power conductor 218 can be configured to provide current provided by the battery cells 204 or, in some cases, the battery charger 214 directly to the battery charger 208, while the power conductor 220 can be configured to provide current provided by, for example, a low voltage power supply ("LVPS") 228 (see Figure 2B ) generates a 12V signal which is provided to the battery pack charger 208.

[0040] Figure 2B A detailed schematic diagram of the connection between the battery cell 204 of the portable power supply 100 and the battery management system 206 is shown. The battery cell 204 includes a positive electrode 224 and a negative electrode 222. The battery cell 204 also includes a plurality of battery cells 226 connected in series and in parallel, and is configured to be charged by the battery cell charger 214. Although shown as connected in series and in parallel, the battery cells 226 can be electrically connected in series, in parallel, and / or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the battery cells 226 can be used as a rechargeable 24V group or group. In some embodiments, the rechargeable group or group can be a relatively high voltage (e.g., 72V, 100V, 120V, 240V, etc.). In addition, the battery cell 204 can include any number of battery cells 226 as needed. For example, the battery cell 204 can include two, three, four, ten, twenty, twenty-three, twenty-eight, forty-six, seventy or more battery cells electrically connected in series.

[0041] The battery cells 226 in the battery cell 204 can be rechargeable batteries with lithium ion chemistry, such as lithium phosphate or lithium manganese. In some embodiments, the battery cells 226 can have lead acid, nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride and / or other chemistry. In some embodiments, the battery cells 226 are pouch battery cells (e.g., lithium-based pouch battery cells). Each battery cell 226 in the battery cell 204 has its own nominal voltage. For example, the nominal voltage of a single battery cell 226 in the battery cell 204 can be 4.2V, 4V, 3.9V, 3.6V, 2.4V or other voltage values. Of course, the nominal voltages of the single battery cells 226 in each group or group can be superimposed. For example, if a group or group of battery cells 226 includes two battery cells 226 with a nominal voltage of 4V, and the two battery cells 226 are connected in series, the voltage of the group or group of battery cells 226 is equal to 8.0V. In addition, the ampere-hour capacity or capacity of the battery cell 204 can be increased by adding a battery cell 226 connected in parallel or in series with the battery cell 204. In some embodiments, the battery cell 204 includes a removable battery pack that can be inserted and removed from the housing 102. In these embodiments, the removable battery pack can be connected in series or in parallel with other battery packs as described above to provide the desired voltage or ampere-hour capacity. In addition, in such embodiments, the battery cell may include non-removable battery cells and removable battery cells (e.g., a single removable battery cell or a removable battery pack including multiple battery cells) connected to each other.

[0042] The battery management system 206 is configured to provide current and voltage to the battery pack charger 208 from the cell charger 214, the cells 204, or the low voltage power supply 228 as needed. For example, the low voltage power supply 228 can be configured to provide a 12V power output to an electrically isolated circuit (generally referred to herein as a "galvanic isolation barrier"), such as an electrically isolated transceiver (see Figure 3 ) or for the continuation of the galvanic isolation circuits of the communication bus itself (see Figure 3 ). The battery management system 206 may also include a controller or microcontroller ("MCU") 230 and a transceiver 230 configured to communicate with the cell charger 214 and the battery pack charger 208 to manage the supply of current from the cell charger 214 to the cells 204 and from the cells 204 and the cell charger 214 to the battery pack charger 208. The microcontroller and transceiver 230 are also configured to measure the current of the battery pack charger 208 and manipulate the battery management system disconnect switch 232 based on the current measurement results. For example, if the current of the battery pack charger 208 suddenly increases to an unsafe level, the microcontroller and transceiver 230 may open the battery management system disconnect switch 232, which may cause the battery pack charger disconnect switch 246 (such as Figure 2C ) opens, thus preventing charging current from flowing to the charging port (see Figure 2C). The current of the battery charger 208 relative to the battery cell 204 may also be measured and used by the battery management system 206 to determine the state of charge of the battery cell 204. In addition, in some embodiments, to prevent the battery charger 208 from draining the battery cell 204 when not in operation, the battery management system 206 opens the battery management system disconnect switch 232, thereby disconnecting the battery charger disconnect switch 246 from the battery cell 204.

[0043] Figure 2C One embodiment of a battery charger 208 of a portable power source 100 is shown, which includes an electrical isolation barrier 233 configured to electrically isolate a communication circuit 234 (e.g., a transceiver) from a bus 210 and other voltages in the battery cells 204 and the battery management system 206. The communication circuit 234 is configured to communicate with a battery charger microcontroller 236 connected to a plurality of battery charging ports 238, 240. The charging ports 238, 240 are configured to charge devices connected to one or more charging modules 241 at a specified voltage (e.g., 12V, 18V, etc.) with an appropriate charging current. In certain embodiments, charging modules 241 can be added to or removed from the battery charger 208 as needed. The battery charger microcontroller 236 (sometimes referred to herein as a charging controller) is configured to control the charging ports 238, 240 (e.g., start charging, stop charging, pause charging, restart charging, etc.). The battery charger microcontroller 236 is configured to accept and execute commands received from the battery management system 206 via the communication circuit 234. Thus, the battery management system 206 can manage the operation of the charging ports 238, 240 through the battery pack charger microcontroller 236. The DC / DC power converter 244 is configured to regulate the current received from the battery management system 206 to ensure that the charging signal of the appropriate voltage is provided to the charging ports 238, 240. The battery pack charger microcontroller ("MCU") 236 can be configured to selectively interrupt the current flowing to the charging ports 238, 240 in response to the regulated current signal to protect one or more devices connected to the charging ports 238, 240. As described above, the battery pack charger disconnect switch 246 is configured to open according to the state (e.g., open, closed) of the battery management system disconnect switch 232, thereby preventing the charging current from flowing to the charging ports 238, 240.

[0044] Figure 3Another hardware schematic diagram 300 of a power supply is shown, which includes a battery cell 304 (e.g., power supply 100), a battery management system ("BMS") 306, an electrically isolated battery pack charger 308, and a system controller 346. The electrically isolated battery pack charger 308 includes an electrical isolation barrier 332 determined by the operation of an isolation device 334 and an isolated DC / DC (direct current-to-direct current) power converter 344. In some embodiments, the isolation device 334 includes a plurality of isolation devices, which may be analog, digital, or a combination of analog and digital isolation devices. For example, one discrete isolation device corresponds to each piece of information to be transmitted across the electrical isolation barrier. In some embodiments, a plurality of discrete isolation devices may be used to transmit a single state information (e.g., state information related to the state of a connected battery or the state of a power source) across the electrical isolation barrier. For example, a plurality of optical isolators may be used to collectively transmit the state of a connected battery pack. The battery pack charger 308 also includes a battery pack charger controller 336, a voltage regulator 350, and charging ports 338, 340, and a sensor 342. When a battery pack is connected to one of the charging ports 338, 340, an initial current pulse from the battery pack may drive the voltage regulator 350, which is configured to drive the battery pack charger controller 336 accordingly. The battery pack charger controller 336 is configured to receive data from the sensor 342 to generate (e.g., form) a signal, and transmit the signal to and from the battery management system 306 through the isolation device 334 across the electrical isolation barrier 332, or to and from the system controller 346 through the isolated DC / DC power converter 344. Specifically, the isolation device 334 is configured to facilitate the electrically isolated transmission of signals between the low voltage side 301 of the power supply 100 (e.g., the battery pack charger 308) and the high voltage side 302 of the power supply 100 (e.g., the battery management system 306), and the isolated DC / DC power converter 344 is configured to facilitate the electrically isolated transmission of signals between the low voltage side 301 of the power supply 100 (e.g., the battery pack charger 308) and the high voltage side 302 of the power supply 100 (e.g., the battery management system 306).

[0045] The sensor 342 is connected to the charging ports 338, 340 and can be configured to determine whether a battery pack is connected to at least one of the charging ports 338, 340 (e.g., Figure 4), measuring electrical characteristics of a connected battery pack, such as the state of charge (SOC) (e.g., charge state determination 406), monitoring the charging current conducted to the connected battery pack, or sensing charging faults (e.g., overheating, undertemperature, overvoltage, undervoltage, overcurrent, undercurrent, etc.). Although no specific connections are shown, the sensor 342 can also be configured to determine the voltage, current, and temperature of various circuits in the battery charger 308 (e.g., the voltage regulator 350, the battery charger controller 336, the isolation device 334, the isolated DC / DC power converter 344, and the charging ports 338, 340). In addition, the sensor 342 can also be configured to monitor the position and other hardware states of switches of the power supply 100 (e.g., the power disconnect switch 216, the battery management system disconnect switch 232, and the battery charger disconnect switch 246). Any condition sensed by the sensor 342 can be transmitted to the battery pack charger controller 336, and then transmitted to the battery management system 306 as a digital signal through the electrical isolation barrier 332 through the isolation device 334, or transmitted to the battery management system 306 as an analog signal through the isolated DC / DC power converter 344 and the system controller 346.

[0046] Figure 4 A plurality of low-side signals on the low-voltage side 401 of the electrical isolation barrier and a plurality of high-side signals on the high-voltage side 402 of the electrical isolation barrier are shown. Analog signals representing faults, measurements, determinations, etc. related to the battery pack charger 408 (or 208, 308) or the connected battery pack are generated by the battery pack charger controller 336 on the low-voltage side 401 of the electrical isolation barrier 432 (e.g., at the battery pack charger 408) and transmitted to the system controller 346 through the electrical isolation barrier 432 via the high-voltage signal line 418 on the high-voltage side 402. On the low-voltage side 401 of the electrical isolation barrier 432, the battery pack charger controller 336 may be configured to generate a fault based on data received from the sensor 342. For example, when a latching switch (not shown) is designed to shut down a component (such as a power transistor) in response to an overcurrent (e.g., based on the charging current 410) or overvoltage event and keep the component shut down after the fault is cleared, the battery pack charger controller 336 may generate a latching shutdown fault 414. The sensor 342 may be configured to determine that the disabled component is unnecessary, and the battery charger controller 336 may generate a latched shutdown fault accordingly. The battery charger controller 336 may also generate a fault 416 based on a measured voltage, current, or temperature of any circuit of the connected battery pack or battery charger 408, a charging fault 412, etc.

[0047] Analog signals representing faults, measurements, determinations, etc., related to the battery management system 306 and the system controller 346 (e.g., input undervoltage 420, high voltage electronics temperature fault 424, and housekeeping undervoltage 424) are generated by the microcontroller and transceiver 230 on the high voltage side 402 of the electrical isolation barrier 432 (e.g., at the battery management system 306) and transmitted to the system controller 346 via the high voltage signal line 418 on the high voltage side 402 of the electrical isolation barrier 432. On the high voltage side 402 of the electrical isolation barrier 432, the microcontroller and transceiver 230 may generate the input undervoltage fault 420, the housekeeping undervoltage fault 422, and the high voltage electronics temperature fault 424 in response to the fault indication data from the sensor 342. This list of signals (e.g., faults, measurements, determinations, etc.) is not exhaustive, but is representative of signals for a robust control system.

[0048] Figure 5 One embodiment of an isolation device 334 is shown that includes a discrete optical isolator 500 in the form of an optocoupler 544. The isolation device 334 includes an optocoupler 544 that is configured to pull the high voltage signal line 518 high when stimulated by a signal on the low voltage signal line 503 on the low voltage side 501 of the electrical isolation barrier 532. In the illustrated embodiment, an analog signal on the low voltage power rail 535 is provided to a transistor 548 and is accordingly transferred to the high voltage side 502 of the electrical isolation barrier 532. For example, if a fault occurs, the low voltage signal can cause transistor 548 to turn on, and current flows through resistor 550 to the low voltage side 501 and illuminates the light source 552. This turns on transistor 554 in the optoisolator 500, pulling the voltage on the high voltage signal to ground, thereby causing the analog high voltage signal to be conducted through the high voltage signal line 518.

[0049] Figure 6One embodiment of an isolation device 334 is shown, which includes a discrete capacitive isolator 600 in the form of a capacitor 653. The isolation device 334 includes a capacitor 653 configured to pull the high voltage signal line 618 high when stimulated by a signal on the low voltage signal line 503 on the low voltage side 601 of the isolation barrier 632. In the illustrated embodiment, the signal on the low voltage signal line 603 (fault status, battery pack status, etc.) is provided to the battery pack charger controller 636. The battery pack charger controller 636 generates a pulse width modulated (PWM) pulse train 656 indicating the received analog signal. The pulse train 656 is transmitted to the transistor 648, causing the transistor 648 to conduct current in response to the positive voltage in the pulse train 656. Next, when the transistor 648 is turned on, the transistor 649 conducts current on the low voltage power rail 635. When transistor 649 alternates between the on and off configurations, the current conducted on low voltage power rail 635 intermittently charges capacitor 653 and accordingly intermittently conducts current on low voltage power rail 635. In response to this intermittent conduction of current, capacitor 653 intermittently increases the voltage of high voltage signal line 618. On the high voltage side 602, the intermittent voltage signal on high voltage signal line 618 is filtered by pulse train filter 659 into a stable DC value (e.g., an analog signal), and the signal is transmitted to system controller 346.

[0050] Figure 7 One embodiment of an isolation device 334 including a discrete magnetic isolator 700 in the form of a transformer 755 is shown. The isolation device 334 includes a transformer 755 that pulls the high voltage signal line 718 high when stimulated by a signal on the low voltage signal line 703 of the low voltage side 701 of the electrical isolator 732. In the illustrated embodiment, the signal on the low voltage signal line 703 (fault status, battery pack status, etc.) is provided to the battery pack charger controller 736. The battery pack charger controller 736 generates a pulse width modulated (PWM) pulse train 756 indicative of the received analog signal. The pulse train 756 is transmitted to the transistor 748, causing the transistor 748 to conduct current in response to the positive voltage in the pulse train 756. Next, when the transistor 748 is turned on, the transistor 749 conducts current on the low voltage power rail 735. When the transistor 749 alternates between the on and off configurations, the current conducted on the low voltage power line 735 intermittently excites the transformer 755 and accordingly intermittently conducts current on the low voltage power line 735. Under the action of the intermittently conducted current, the transformer 755 intermittently increases the voltage of the high voltage signal line 718. On the high voltage side 702, the intermittent voltage signal on the high voltage signal line 718 is rectified by the rectifying diodes 760 and 761, and filtered by the pulse train filter 759 into a stable DC value (e.g., an analog signal), and then transmitted to the system controller.

[0051] In response to receiving the signal on the high voltage signal line, the system controller 346 can interpret the analog signal and cause the display screen 118 to display the information contained in the interpreted signal. For example, using the capacitive isolator or magnetic isolator configuration of the isolated DC / DC power converter 344, a variable voltage signal can be provided, and its different voltage levels represent different charging states of the connected battery pack. After receiving such a signal, the system controller 346 can cause the display screen 118 to display in a graphical manner according to the signal, for example, the state of the connected battery pack, etc.

[0052] Figure 8 8 is a flow chart illustrating a process 800 for transmitting an analog signal from a low voltage side 301 of an electrical isolation barrier to a high voltage side 302 of an electrical isolation barrier in a power supply 100 including one or more electrical isolation barriers.

[0053] At block 805 , the power supply 100 generates an analog signal on the low voltage side 301 of the electrical isolation barrier (e.g., the isolated DC / DC power converter 344 ) having a voltage indicative of a status of the power supply 100 or a battery pack connected thereto (e.g., power supply fan disabled, power supply overheated, battery pack present or absent, battery pack charge status, etc.).

[0054] At block 810, the power supply 100 transmits the analog signal across an electrical isolation barrier (e.g., an isolated DC / DC power converter 344) from the low voltage side 301 of the power supply 100 to the high voltage side 302 using one or more of an optical isolator 500, a capacitive isolator 600, or a magnetic isolator 700. In some embodiments, all three types of isolation devices may be used. For example, for slower signals, an optical isolator 500 may be used, but for higher speed signals, a capacitive isolator 600 or a magnetic isolator 700 may be used. 700 isolators may be used. The power supply may include any number of discrete isolators to transmit the desired amount of information across the isolation barrier.

[0055] Thus, embodiments described herein provide, among other things, systems and methods for transmitting analog signals across an isolation barrier within a power supply.

[0056] Various embodiments, examples, features and advantages are set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A portable power source, characterized in that: include: case; A battery cell disposed in the housing; as well as a battery charger electrically connected to the battery cell and configured to charge the battery pack, Wherein, the battery pack charger is electrically isolated from the battery cell.

2. The portable power source according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also included is a battery management system disposed in the housing and configured to receive a status signal from the battery pack charger.

3. The portable power source according to claim 2, characterized in that: Also included is a galvanic isolator connected between the battery management system and the battery pack charger and configured to provide galvanic isolation.

4. The portable power source according to claim 3, characterized in that: The electrical isolator is selected from the group consisting of an optical isolator, a magnetic isolator, and a capacitive isolator.

5. The portable power source according to claim 3, characterized in that: The battery charger further comprises: a sensor configured to detect an electrical characteristic of the battery pack and generate an analog signal indicating a state of the battery pack based on the detected electrical characteristic; Wherein, the sensor is further configured to transmit the analog signal received from the sensor to the battery management system through the electrical isolator.

6. The portable power source according to claim 5, characterized in that: The sensor is configured to change a voltage of the analog signal according to a state of the battery pack.

7. The portable power source according to claim 3, characterized in that: The electrical isolator includes a plurality of optical isolators, wherein the plurality of optical isolators are configured to collectively transmit the status of the battery pack to the battery management system through the electrical isolator, wherein each of the plurality of optical isolators corresponds to a single piece of status information related to the status of the battery pack to be transmitted through the electrical isolator.

8. A portable power source, characterized in that: include: case; A battery cell disposed in the housing; as well as A battery charger is disposed in the housing and is electrically connected to the battery cell and configured to charge the battery pack. Wherein, the battery pack and the battery cells are electrically isolated.

9. The portable power source according to claim 8, characterized in that: Also included is a battery management system disposed in the housing and configured to receive a status signal from the battery pack charger.

10. The portable power source according to claim 9, characterized in that: Also included is a galvanic isolator connected between the battery management system and the battery pack charger and configured to provide galvanic isolation.

11. The portable power source according to claim 10, characterized in that: The electrical isolator is selected from the group consisting of an optical isolator, a magnetic isolator, and a capacitive isolator.

12. The portable power source according to claim 10, wherein: The electrical isolator includes a plurality of optical isolators, wherein the plurality of optical isolators are configured to collectively transmit the status of the battery pack to the battery management system through the electrical isolator, wherein each of the plurality of optical isolators corresponds to a single piece of status information related to the status of the battery pack to be transmitted through the electrical isolator.

13. The portable power source according to claim 10, wherein: The battery charger further comprises: a sensor configured to detect an electrical characteristic of the battery pack and generate an analog signal indicating a state of the battery pack based on the detected electrical characteristic; Wherein, the sensor is further configured to transmit the analog signal received from the sensor to the battery management system through the electrical isolator.

14. The portable power source according to claim 13, wherein: The sensor is configured to change a voltage of the analog signal according to a state of the battery pack.

15. A portable power source, characterized in that: include: case; A battery cell disposed in the housing; a battery charger electrically connected to the battery cell and configured to charge the battery pack, the battery charger comprising a sensor for detecting a state of the battery pack and generating an analog signal indicating the state of the battery pack; The battery management system disposed in the housing is configured as follows: receiving a status signal from the battery pack charger via a galvanic isolator; and, transmitting the analog signal from the sensor to the battery management system, Wherein, the sensor is configured to change the voltage of the analog signal according to the state of the battery pack.

16. The portable power source according to claim 15, characterized in that Further included are a plurality of electrical isolators within the housing, wherein each of the electrical isolators is configured to transmit a status of the battery pack to the battery management system.

17. The portable power source according to claim 15, wherein: Further included is an electrical isolator within the housing, wherein the electrical isolator is selected from the group consisting of an optical isolator, a magnetic isolator, and a capacitive isolator.

18. The portable power source according to claim 17, wherein: The state of the battery pack includes at least one of the following states: battery pack charging state, battery pack presence, latch signal, voltage fault, current fault, temperature fault, charging fault and charging current.

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