Smart battery

Abstract

Mobile devices and other smart batteries incorporating a more sophisticated charge (discharge) technique that realizes an integrated intelligence that may include processing power and / or memory are related to promoting a more sophisticated and more effective charging technique compared to other charging methods. The advantages of the charging technique include faster charging speed, slower battery degradation, improved capacity, improved capacity retention, improved temperature operation, etc. Further, the integrated intelligence can facilitate the adaptation of new battery configurations for mobile devices. However, conventionally, mobile devices can only operate with batteries designed for themselves, so there has been no option to upgrade battery technology. The smart battery module is provided with some form of integrated intelligence, and the functional unit of the charging circuit is arranged between the mobile device and the battery unit itself.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications This Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 392,398, entitled "Smart Battery," filed on July 26, 2022, and the entire content of the same is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0002] Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to systems and methods for charging or discharging a battery, and more particularly to a mobile system that utilizes a battery module that includes integrated intelligence for operating sophisticated battery charging techniques.

Background Art

[0003] Battery - powered mobile devices ranging from cell phones to power tools typically have some form of conventional charging configuration where the battery within the device is charged by an external power conditioning component. Such charging is typically performed by a constant current, constant voltage (CCCV) method. Under the CCCV method, the battery is charged with a constant direct current, and thus the battery voltage increases towards the end of the charge, and then the voltage is maintained constant by reducing the current until the current lower limit reaches the signaling of the end of the charge. Typically, an external device having a power conditioning circuit configuration within a housing that includes a connection to a wall outlet and a power cord with a suitable power plug for an external device supplies power for the charging current to the battery within the mobile device. The charging method is usually relatively simple and only requires monitoring the voltage and controlling the current.

[0004] Particularly in view of these considerations, aspects of the present disclosure have been devised.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a system including a computing device and a battery module that communicates with the computing device and supplies a power signal to the computing device. The battery module includes a battery and a processing component for charging the battery in accordance with a battery charging control command. The battery charging control command causes a switching circuit of the computing device, which includes at least one switch and at least one inductor operably coupled to the at least one switch, to generate a charge signal for charging the battery. Here, the generated charge signal includes at least one harmonically adjusted aspect.

[0006] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for charging an electrochemical device. The method includes determining, by a processing device of a battery module, a charge signal for charging a battery of the battery module, where the battery module communicates with a computing device separate from the battery module and supplies a power signal for powering the computing device by the battery, and transmitting a battery charging control command to a switching circuit of the computing device, where the switching circuit includes at least one switch and at least one inductor operably coupled to the at least one switch, and the battery charging control command causes the switching circuit to generate a charge signal for charging the battery of the battery module, and the transmitted generated charge signal includes at least one harmonically adjusted aspect.

[0007] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a battery module including a battery housing that includes a battery and a processing component for charging the battery in accordance with a battery charging control command that generates a charge signal through control of a switching circuit, where the switching circuit includes at least one switch and at least one inductor operably coupled to the at least one switch, and the generated charge signal includes at least one harmonically adjusted aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008]

Figure 1

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Figure 4A

Figure 4B

Figure 5A

Figure 5B

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[0009] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to smart batteries for battery-powered devices such as cellular phones, power tools, and countless other battery-powered devices, where more sophisticated charging (and in some cases, discharging) techniques are deployed, and integrated intelligence, which may include processing capabilities and / or memory, is included to benefit from a battery that promotes a more sophisticated and more effective charging technique compared to the CCCV method. The benefits of such charging techniques include faster charging speeds, slower battery degradation, improved capacity, improved capacity retention, improved temperature operation, and / or others. Additionally, the integrated intelligence can facilitate the adaptation of new battery configurations for battery-powered devices, but conventionally, such devices can only operate with batteries designed for themselves, so there has been no option to upgrade the battery technology. These and other advantages will be understood from the following discussion.

[0010] Various possible smart battery configurations are presented. There are various functional units that correspond to each possible configuration. One difference between various embodiments relates to where those functional units are located between a mobile battery-powered device (discussed in some embodiments as a cellular phone, but which may be any number of different forms of devices powered by a rechargeable battery) and the battery unit itself, which may sometimes be referred to herein as a smart battery. As described, aspects of the smart battery module discussed herein relate to batteries having some form of integrated intelligence.

[0011] In the art and in this specification, the term "battery" can be used in various ways and refers not only to individual cells having an anode and a cathode isolated by an electrolyte, but also to assemblies of such cells connected in various configurations. Further, the terms "charge" and "recharge" are used herein with the same meaning. A battery or battery cell is in the form of an electrochemical device. A battery generally includes a repeating unit of a source of opposing charges and a first electrode layer separated by an ion-conductive barrier, which is often a liquid or polymer membrane saturated with an electrolyte that can also be a solid electrolyte. These layers are made thin so that multiple units occupy the volume of the battery, thereby increasing the available power of the battery including each stacked unit. Although many examples are discussed herein as applicable to batteries, it should be understood that the described systems and methods can be applied to many different types of batteries ranging from individual cells to batteries involving interconnections of different realizable cells such as cells connected in parallel, in series, and in parallel and series combinations. For example, the systems and methods discussed herein can be applied to battery packs comprising a vast number of cells configured to supply a defined pack voltage, output current, and / or capacity. Further, the implementations discussed herein are applicable to various different types of electrochemical devices including, but not limited to, lithium-metal and lithium-ion batteries, lead-acid batteries, various types of nickel batteries, and solid-state batteries, to name a few. The various implementations discussed herein can further be applied to battery configurations of different structures such as cylindrical cells, pouch cells, and prismatic cells.

[0012] Referring initially to FIG. 1, a device 100 powered by a smart battery module 102 is shown in a charging / recharging configuration. In one example, the device is a mobile phone or a tablet, although other devices powered by a rechargeable battery are also contemplated. The device 100 includes a power supply unit 104 (e.g., a USB-C power delivery unit) for supplying power to the device, a buck switching unit 106, a system and power management unit 108, and an overcharge / overdischarge protection unit 110. The battery module 102 may include a battery 112 and a processing device and / or battery measurement unit 114 provided on an integrated circuit including a microcontroller and voltage and current sensors in some implementations. The battery module may be a stand-alone device that may include some form of housing having the battery 112 and the processing device 114. As described below, the processing device 114 may include some form of processing apparatus and / or computer memory.

[0013] As will be appreciated from the following discussion, various operating units are consistent with various configurations. In one example, the power supply 104 of the device 100 is operatively coupled to the buck switching circuit 106. Conventional mobile devices may typically include a power supply that can be any form of a standard power supply, such as one compliant with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard such as USB-C and USB-C PD, as well as any other realizable form of power supply. Other forms of power supply, such as a wireless Qi-type charger, are also realizable. In some realizable implementations, such as where the voltage / current from the power supply is regulated, the power supply 104 may be coupled to the buck converter 106 to reduce the voltage from the power supply and, optionally, further regulate the current available for charging.

[0014] Although a buck converter is discussed herein, there may also be boost or buck / boost, or other forms of power conversion. Referring to an example of the buck converter 106, this system may include a dedicated buck converter, or may utilize a conventional buck converter of the device 100 that can be further used for other purposes and for charging according to the considerations herein.

[0015] While various realizable power conversion structures are possible, in one example with reference to FIG. 4A, the buck switching unit 106 comprises a switch operably coupled between the power supply 418 and the inductor 416. In the illustrated example, the buck configuration includes a first upper transistor 412 and a second lower transistor 414. Generally, the transistors 412, 414 may be any type of transistor, e.g., FET, or more specifically, MOSFET, GaN FET, silicon carbide-based FET, or any type of controllable switching element. The first switching element 412 is connected to the power rail, thereby being connected to the power supply 418 (e.g., power supply 104) during charging. The drain of the first transistor 412 is coupled to the source of the second transistor at node 436. The gates of each of the transistors 412, 414 include control lines 430 and 432. In an alternative configuration, the second lower transistor 414 may be replaced by a diode or a capacitor or other element. As such, in some implementations, only the upper first transistor 412 is included in the buck circuit. In yet another configuration, the upper first transistor 412 may be replaced by another element such that only the lower transistor 414 is included in a boost converter circuit or the like. Through the control lines 430 and 432 to the gate or each gate with a controlled pulse width modulation (PWM) signal (e.g., the PWM signal generated by the charger IC / MCU 114 of FIG. 1), the system can define a series of pulses at node 436 applied to the inductor 416, and the inductor 416 can form a charge signal applied to the battery (e.g., battery 112 of FIG. 1) alone or in combination with other elements.

[0016] In the examples of FIGS. 1-3, the battery modules (102, 202, 302) include a battery 112 and a processor 114. The processor may be a microcontroller unit (MCU). In one example, the MCU 114 is provided within an integrated circuit (IC). Since it is integrated with the battery module, a battery-specific charging algorithm is pre-installed or pre-set in the MCU. The IC 114 may further include battery sensing to obtain the battery voltage and / or current to the battery. The charging algorithm of the MCU 114 can be present within computer-executable instructions or, alternatively, be configured to generate a charging signal shaped for a particular battery type module based on the measured battery voltage and current. The charging algorithm can further take into account temperature and battery age.

[0017] In various aspects, and referring now to FIG. 5A, a charge signal 500 defined by a charging algorithm running on an MCU 114 can include a shaped leading edge 510, a body portion 520, and a rest portion 530. In one implementation, the shape of the leading edge 510 can be based on battery characteristics such as relatively low impedance harmonic frequencies, minimal plating, combinations thereof, or the shape of a sine curve (a portion of it) at a frequency selected in another way. Further, for various reasons, the frequency components of the charge signal may not correspond to the lowest frequency. For example, when shaping the leading edge 510, such a shaped leading edge may not correspond to the target frequency due to timing, the shaping circuit utilized, etc. In some cases, other factors such as energy transfer, temperature, and other issues can play a role in selecting the harmonics to be included or excluded from the charge signal, and can be directed to utilize harmonics other than those associated with the lowest impedance. Further, depending on the implementation, the frequency components of the charge signal may be set to be at, above, below, or both above and below, the minimum impedance, or near the minimum impedance. Thus, it is not necessarily the case that the frequency is strictly set to the minimum impedance.

[0018] In other implementations, the leading edge 510 can include a piecewise linear approximation for a relatively low impedance harmonic frequency, minimal plating, battery characteristics such as combinations thereof, or alternatively selected frequencies. After the shaped leading edge 510, a relatively stable charging current (e.g., body portion 520) follows and terminates at the falling edge 540. Although not shown, in some embodiments, after the falling edge 540, a heating portion that may be part of or incorporated into the rest period 530 may follow. In some examples, the heating portion is a sine curve or an approximation thereof. The sine curve or other non-square pulse portion can include a negative portion (negative reverse polarity voltage) and a positive portion (positive voltage). The sine curve can further ride on a non-zero DC offset so that there is no negative going portion. However, in the examples of FIGS. 5A and 5B, a rest period 530 follows the body portion 520. The rest period 530 can be zero current or some non-zero DC current that is less than the substantial DC current of the body portion 520. The peak current of the body portion 520 can be in the range from the maximum rated current of the battery specification to a multiple of that maximum rated current, depending on the type of cell where the rest current is in the range from 0 A to the maximum rated current. In a particular example, the peak current of the body portion 520 can be in the range from 10 A to 60 A, depending on the type of cell where the rest current is in the range from 0 A to 10 A. The values of the peak current, the rest current, and other values can vary depending on temperature, cell type, circuit capabilities, state of charge, and other battery-related factors, as described elsewhere herein. In this example, when non-zero, referring to conventional CCCV charging parameters, the rest current can be less than a particular charging current.

[0019] It should be noted that the charge signal may or may not include a pause period. The leading edge may be approximately in the form of the first 90 degrees of a sine curve, or, in another situation, may be shaped approximately like the shape of such a sine curve portion. Further, as described and illustrated in FIG. 5B, the shaped leading edge may be formed in a straight line section where the leading edge 510 approximates a sine curve in its aggregate. In such a configuration, the first straight line section 510A increases the voltage relatively slowly compared to, for example, a square pulse with an immediate sharp increase in voltage of about 90 degrees. The following straight line sections 510B - 510E are straight line approximations of the shaped leading edge, and the shaped leading edge is included / held in the first charge signal period for comparison and not in the second charge signal period. For comparison purposes, the pause period 530 in FIG. 5B is relatively shorter than the pause period in FIG. 5A. Again for comparison, the total charge periods of the two charge signals including both the period of the leading edge 510 and the period of the body 520 are still relatively longer in FIG. 5B compared to FIG. 5A. A buck or boost circuit can generate such a straight line approximation.

[0020] Referring to the original FIGS. 1 - 4A, the charge algorithm of the charger IC / MCU 114 can transmit a control signal to the buck - switching unit 106 to generate a series of pulses at node 236 to generate such a charge signal. As can be understood, the system can create a charge signal that appears to be like a constant current, constant voltage type of signal, but the system is specifically arranged to generate a shaped charge signal, an example of which is shown and discussed with reference to FIG. 5, and the signal is not such a CCCV type of signal.

[0021] In one example, the charging signal output of the back unit 106, e.g., the signal in the inductor 416, is routed through the OCP / ODP protection circuit 110. OCP is over-charge protection, and ODP is over-discharge protection. In many cases, over-charge and over-discharge protection may be provided that essentially prevents the battery from being overcharged or over-discharged. Over-charge is typically defined based on a battery voltage that cannot be exceeded during charging, and over-discharge is typically defined as a lower battery voltage below which the battery is prevented from discharging. As long as the battery voltage is between the upper and lower threshold values, the battery can be charged or discharged (e.g., supply power to the mobile device).

[0022] FIG. 4B is an example of an OCP / ODP circuit 110 that includes two FETs 450, 452 connected "back-to-back", where one FET is controlled to block a charge current higher than the upper voltage threshold, and the other FET is controlled to block a discharge current lower than the lower voltage threshold. During operation, since both the OCP and ODP transistors 450, 452 are on, current can flow in either direction with respect to the battery 454. When the OCP transistor 450 is off and the ODP 452 transistor is on, the charge current is blocked by the diode 456 connected in parallel with the OCP transistor to prevent charging. In a situation where the OCP transistor 450 is on and the ODP transistor 452 is off, the discharge current is blocked by the diode 458 connected in parallel with the ODP transistor to prevent discharging. Finally, when both transistors 450, 452 are off, current will not flow into or out of the battery.

[0023] Mobile device 100 further includes various conventional system 108 components. The various conventional system 108 components can include, in the case of a mobile phone or a tablet, a wireless communication unit, a WiFi communication unit, a central processing unit, an image processing unit, various forms of memory, a system bus, and a host for other related or distinct functional blocks depending on any given implementation form. Mobile device 100 may further include a power management IC (PMIC), and the power management IC (PMIC) can include a DC / DC converter and other components for supplying power to various system components.

[0024] System unit 108, and particularly the PMIC, can communicate with the charger MCU / IC 114 of the battery module 102. In some cases, the charger MCU 114 may be directed so that, by enabling signals from the system / PMIC 108 or other system components, the mobile device 100 can be plugged in, receive a charge, or indicate or initiate some other operation.

[0025] For comparison, the embodiment of FIG. 1 has a charger MCU 114 and a battery 112 within the battery module 102, and other functional units are provided within the mobile device. In FIG. 2, the OCP / ODP protection unit 110 is disposed within the battery module 202 rather than within the mobile device 200. In FIG. 3, the battery module 302 further includes a buck converter unit 106. Generally, the OCP / ODP protection unit 110 may be incorporated or included in either the mobile device 100 or the battery module 102. For example, the OCP / ODP protection unit 110 or circuit may be included on the printed circuit board of the mobile device 100, within the charger IC / MCU 114 of the battery module 102, and / or integrated into any of the modules or units discussed herein. Similarly, all or a portion of the buck switching circuit 106 may be incorporated into either the mobile device 100 or the battery module 102, or integrated into any of the functional units discussed herein. In one example, the charger IC / MCU 114 can utilize existing circuits or components of the mobile device 100 as all or a portion of the buck switching circuit 106. In this example, the battery module 102 can include the other portion of the buck switching circuit 106 such that the circuit is split between the mobile device 100 and the battery module. Other modules described herein may also be shared between the mobile device 100 and the battery module 102. For example, the OCP / ODP protection unit 110 may further be incorporated or included in both devices, and / or included in other modules described.

[0026] Often, the back converter 106 receives power from the power supply 104, and that power is converted into a charge signal. The charge signal may be routed via the OCP / ODP 110, which may or may not pass the charge signal depending on the voltage conditions of the battery 112. The charger MCU 114 supplies the back converter 106 with instructions to generate a PWM signal, or directly supplies a PWM signal to generate a charge signal. In some cases, the charger MCU 114 can directly supply a control signal to the back converter 106, such as by supplying the PWM signal to the gate or respective gates via control lines 430 and 432 of the circuit illustrated in FIG. 4A, to generate a shaped charge signal. In other cases, the charger MCU 114 can supply the arithmetic device system controller 108 with instructions to direct the system controller to generate a PWM signal for controlling the back converter 106. Thus, the charger MCU 114 can control the shaped output of the back converter 106 itself to charge the battery cell 112, or can supply instructions to the system controller of the arithmetic device to control the shaped output of the back converter. Generally, either the arithmetic device or the battery module can receive instructions from the charger MCU 114 to generate a PWM control signal for the back converter 106 to generate a shaped charge signal.

[0027] To determine the instructions for generating the PWM control signal for the buck converter 106, the charger IC measures the battery parameters or receives the measurement results of the battery parameters. The battery parameters may be voltage and / or current. In some cases, the charging algorithm of the charger processing device can adapt the charging signal to the real-time battery conditions including, among other things, a voltage that can be a separate measurement result or a series of measurement results, a current that can be a separate measurement result or a series of measurement results, and temperature. From the various measurement results, other parameters can be determined or derived and can further be used by the charging algorithm. For example, impedance may be generated and the system can select the charging signal based at least in part on the impedance.

[0028] Figures 6 and 7 show alternative smart battery configurations 602, 702 coupled to mobile devices 600, 700 powered by battery 112 of respective smart batteries. In Figures 6 and 7, a charging brain 114 (e.g., an MCU) is present on the mobile device. The charging IC 114 may be a dedicated unit or may include battery charging control instructions as well as other conventional functions. The battery modules 602, 702 include memory elements 604, 704 that contain one or more of a battery type identifier and / or charging control information. The battery identifier contains information regarding the battery type. The charging control information can include battery voltage upper and lower threshold values, battery charging parameters, and / or a battery charging algorithm for the battery that can be uploaded to or referenced by the MCU to control charging and can be referenced by the ODP / OCP protection unit 110. The memories 604, 704 can be relatively small, e.g., 2K programmable read-only memory or other types of memory.

[0029] In some examples, the battery charging algorithm can be specific to a particular battery type. In one example, the MCU 114 has a battery charging algorithm pre - installed, and the battery type identifiers stored in the memories 604, 704 function to authenticate the battery type and enable charging by the charging algorithm. In another example, the charging algorithm can include one or more variables set by information stored in the battery module memories 604, 704. Thus, the variable elements are set using information about a particular battery type, and in this way charging can proceed. In another example, the mobile devices 600, 700 can request an update, typically during a software update or application update, to upload a charging algorithm based on the battery type authentication of the battery modules 602, 702.

[0030] The systems shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 include various other functional units discussed above, with the difference being that in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the OCP / ODP protection unit 110 is disposed within the battery module 602, and in FIG. 7, it is disposed within the mobile device 700.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 8, computer system 800 includes various processing components that may be involved with a battery module or a mobile device. System 800 may be an arithmetic system capable of executing a computer program product that executes computer processes. Data and program files are input into computer system 800, and computer system 800 can read the files and execute the programs therein. Some of the elements of computer system 800 are shown in FIG. 8, including one or more hardware processors 802, one or more data storage devices 804, one or more memory devices 806, and / or one or more ports 808-812. Further, other elements that will be recognized by those skilled in the art may be included in arithmetic system 800, but are not explicitly shown in FIG. 8 or further discussed herein. The various elements of computer system 800 can communicate with each other via one or more communication buses, communication paths between locations, or other communication means not explicitly shown in FIG. 8. Similarly, in various implementations, the various elements disclosed in this system may or may not be included in any given implementation.

[0032] Processor 802 can include, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), and / or one or more internal-level caches. There may be one processor 802 where processor 802 includes a single central processing unit, or there may be one or more processors 802 that include multiple processing devices capable of executing instructions and, typically operating in parallel with each other in what is commonly referred to as a parallel processing environment.

[0033] The techniques currently described in various possible combinations are implemented at least partially within software stored on data storage device 804, stored on memory device 806, and / or communicated via one or more of ports 808 - 812, thereby transforming computer system 800 in FIG. 8 into a special-purpose machine to perform the operations described herein.

[0034] One or more data storage devices 804 can include any non-volatile data storage device capable of storing data such as computer-executable instructions for executing a computer process generated or utilized within computing system 800. One or more memory devices 806 can include volatile memory (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), etc.) and / or non-volatile memory (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, etc.).

[0035] A computer program product including mechanisms for realizing the systems and methods according to the currently described techniques can reside in data storage device 804 and / or memory device 806, which can be referred to as a machine-readable medium. It will be understood that a machine-readable medium can include any tangible non-volatile medium capable of storing or encoding instructions for executing any one or more of the operations of the present disclosure for machine execution, or capable of storing or encoding data structures and / or modules utilized by or associated with such instructions. A machine-readable medium can include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., centralized or distributed, and / or associated caches and servers) storing one or more executable instructions or data structures.

[0036] In some implementations, computer system 800 includes one or more ports, such as input / output (I / O) port 808, communication port 810, and subsystem port 812, for communicating with other computing devices, network devices, or vehicle devices. It will be understood that ports 808-812 can be combined or independent, and that any number of ports may be included in computer system 800. I / O port 808 may be connected to an I / O device, or other device, through which information is input into computing system 800 thereby, or through which information is output from computing system 800 thereby. Such I / O devices can include, without limitation, one or more input devices, output devices, and / or environmental transducer devices.

[0037] In one implementation, the input device converts human-generated signals, such as human voice, body movement, body contact or pressure, and / or the like, into electrical signals as input data to computing system 800 via I / O port 808. In some examples, such input may be different from the various systems and methods discussed with respect to the foregoing figures. Similarly, the output device can convert electrical signals received from computing system 800 via I / O port 808 into signals that can be sensed or used by the various methods and systems discussed herein. The input device can be an alphanumeric input device that includes alphanumeric and other keys for communicating information and / or command selections to processor 802 via I / O port 808.

[0038] The environmental transducer device converts one form of energy or signal into another form of energy or signal for input to or output from the computing system 800 via the I / O port 808. For example, an electrical signal generated within the computing system 800 may be converted into another type of signal, and / or vice versa. In one implementation, the environmental transducer device senses characteristics or aspects of the environment, such as battery voltage, open-circuit battery voltage, charge current, battery temperature, light, sound, temperature, pressure, magnetic field, electric field, and / or chemical properties, that are local to or remote from the computing device 800.

[0039] In one implementation, the communication port 810 may be connected to a network through which the computer system 800 can receive network data useful for the computer system 800 to execute the methods and systems detailed herein and to transmit information and network configuration changes determined thereby. For example, the charging protocol may be updated and battery measurement results or calculated data may be shared with an external system, etc. The communication port 810 connects the computer system 800 to one or more communication interface devices configured to transmit and / or receive information between the computing system 800 and other devices via one or more wired or wireless communication networks or connections. Examples of such networks or connections include, but are not limited to, Universal Serial Bus (USB), Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth®, Near Field Communication (NFC), and Long Term Evolution (LTE). One or more such communication interface devices may be utilized via the communication port 810 to communicate with one or more other machines directly on a wide area network (WAN) (e.g., the Internet), on a local area network (LAN), on a cellular (e.g., 3rd generation (3G), 4th generation (4G), 5th generation (5G)) network, or on another communication means.

[0040] The computer system 800 can include a subsystem port 812 for communicating with one or more systems associated with a device charged by the methods and systems described herein to control its own operation and / or to exchange information between the computer system 800 and one or more subsystems of the device. Examples of such subsystems of a vehicle include, but are not limited to, motor controllers and systems, battery control systems, and others.

[0041] However, the system described in FIG. 8 is one possible example of a computer system that can utilize or be configured in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. It will be understood that other non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions for implementing the presently disclosed techniques with respect to the computing system can be utilized.

[0042] Embodiments of the present disclosure include various steps. The steps may be performed by hardware components or may be incorporated into machine-executable instructions that can be used to cause a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor programmed with the instructions to perform the steps. Alternatively, the steps may be performed by a combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware.

[0043] Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, while the above-described implementations or embodiments, also referred to as examples, relate to specific features, the scope of the invention further includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the invention encompasses all such alternative forms, modifications, and variations, together with all of their equivalents.

[0044] Specific implementations are discussed, but it should be understood that this is done for illustrative purposes only. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other components and configurations may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the following description and drawings are illustrative and should not be construed as limiting. A vast number of specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, in certain instances, well-known or conventional details are not described in order to avoid obscuring the description. References to an embodiment or embodiments of the present disclosure can refer to the same embodiment or any embodiment, and such references mean at least one of the embodiments.

[0045] References to "an embodiment" or "embodiments" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. The appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment," or equivalently "in an example" or "in an instance," in various places in this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor do they necessarily refer to separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Further, various features are described that may be presented by some embodiments and not by others.

[0046] The terms used in this specification generally have their ordinary meaning within the context of the present disclosure and in the particular context in which each term is used, in the art. Alternative phrasings and synonyms may be used for any one or more of the terms discussed in this specification, and no special significance should be attached to whether a term is elaborated or discussed herein. In some cases, synonyms are provided for a particular term. The recitation of one or more synonyms does not exclude the use of other synonyms. At any place in this specification that includes examples of any of the terms discussed herein, the use of the examples is illustrative only and is not intended to further limit the scope or meaning of the present disclosure or of any of the exemplary terms. Further, the present disclosure is not limited to the various embodiments given herein.

[0047] It is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, and examples of apparatuses, devices, methods, and their related results according to embodiments of the present disclosure are given below. Note that titles or subtitles may be used in examples for the convenience of the reader, but they should in no way limit the scope of the present disclosure. Unless otherwise defined, the technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this specification pertains. In case of conflict, including definitions, this document will control.

[0048] Further features and advantages of the present disclosure will be described in the following description, will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practice of the principles disclosed herein. The features and advantages of the present disclosure may be realized and obtained using the apparatuses and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. These and other features of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by practice of the principles described herein.

Claims

1. An arithmetic device, A battery module that communicates with the arithmetic device and supplies a power signal to the arithmetic device, A battery, A processing structure for charging the battery in accordance with a battery charging control command, wherein the switching circuit of the arithmetic device comprising at least one switch and at least one inductor operably coupled to the at least one switch generates a charge signal for charging the battery in accordance with the battery charging control command, and the generated charge signal includes at least one harmonically adjusted aspect, Including a processing structure A system comprising a battery module.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing structure comprises a controller configured to execute the battery charging control command.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the controller is a microcontroller.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing structure includes memory storage information regarding the battery charging control command for generating the charge signal for the battery.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the battery module further comprises an overcharge / overdischarge protection circuit including a first switching device and a second switching device connected in series to control a charge signal for the battery.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the first switching device and the second switching device further control a discharge signal from the battery.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the overcharge / overdischarge protection circuit is included in an arithmetic device powered by the battery.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the switching circuit is included in a battery housing.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the battery supplies power to an arithmetic device, and at least a portion of the switching circuit is included in an arithmetic device powered by the battery.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one harmonically adjusted aspect of the charge signal includes harmonics associated with an impedance value of an arithmetic device powered by the battery.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one harmonically adjusted aspect of the charge signal includes a non-linear leading edge.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the non-linear leading edge includes one or more linear approximations of a portion of a sine curve.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the charge signal further comprises a body portion including a first non-sinusoidal charge current following the non-linear leading edge.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the charge signal further comprises a rest portion including a second non-sinusoidal charge current following the body portion, and the second non-sinusoidal charge current is smaller than the first non-sinusoidal charge current.

15. A method of charging an electrochemical device, comprising: determining, by a processing device of a battery module, a charge signal for charging a battery of the battery module, wherein the battery module communicates with an arithmetic device separate from the battery module, and the battery supplies a power signal for supplying power to the arithmetic device; transmitting a battery charging control command to a switching circuit of the arithmetic device, wherein the switching circuit comprises at least one switch and at least one inductor operably coupled to the at least one switch, and the battery charging control command causes the switching circuit to generate the charge signal for charging the battery of the battery module, and the generated charge signal includes at least one harmonically adjusted aspect.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising controlling a charge signal for the battery by an overcharge / overdischarge protection circuit including a first switching device and a second switching device connected in series.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the first switching device and the second switching device further control a discharge signal from the battery.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein at least a part of the overcharge / overdischarge protection circuit is included in the arithmetic device powered by the battery.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein at least a part of the switching circuit is included in the battery module.

20. A battery module comprising a battery housing including a battery and a processing structure for charging the battery in accordance with a battery charge control command by generating a charge signal through control of a switching circuit, wherein the switching circuit comprises at least one switch and at least one inductor operably coupled to the at least one switch, and the generated charge signal includes at least one harmonically adjusted aspect.

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