Multi-Port Battery Charger Power Distribution and Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multi-port battery chargers are cumbersome due to separate power supplies for each port, inefficient, and prone to malfunctions like short circuits, with inadequate battery detection methods leading to energy wastage and safety concerns.
Innovation Solution
A multi-port battery charger design featuring a power supply module, controller, power switching module, and power control safety modules, with battery pack detection devices that minimize standby power consumption and prevent damage from malfunctions, allowing for efficient charging of various battery types and sizes while maintaining safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a separate power supply is used for each charging port, then each port can independently charge battery packs, but the battery charger becomes physically cumbersome and less efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple power supply functions into a single shared power supply unit that serves all charging ports. This single power supply includes a controller that intelligently distributes power to multiple ports simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate power supplies for each port while maintaining independent charging capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The single power supply unit is designed with multi-functional capability to handle multiple charging ports. It includes a controller that can dynamically allocate power resources, detect battery pack presence, and manage charging parameters for different ports, making one power supply serve multiple functions that previously required separate units.
2Measurement precision
If continuous voltage monitoring is used to detect battery pack insertion, then detection is immediate, but energy is wasted during extended idle periods
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous monitoring, the system uses periodic voltage sampling at predetermined intervals to detect battery pack insertion. The controller switches between active monitoring and low-power states, performing detection at scheduled intervals rather than continuously, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system dynamically adjusts its operation between active detection mode and low-power standby mode. When a battery pack is detected, the system transitions to active monitoring; when no battery is present, it enters low-power mode with reduced monitoring frequency, optimizing the balance between detection responsiveness and energy consumption.
3Device complexity
If snap switches are used for battery pack detection, then detection is simple, but the switches are susceptible to inadvertent depression and require multiple wires
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical snap switches with an electrical detection system based on voltage monitoring. The controller detects battery pack insertion by monitoring voltage changes at the charging port terminals, eliminating the need for mechanical switches and their associated wires, while improving reliability by removing the susceptibility to inadvertent mechanical depression.
4Loss of energy
If a single power supply is used for multiple ports, then the charger becomes more efficient and compact, but power distribution control becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback control where the controller continuously monitors the status of each charging port, battery pack characteristics, and power consumption levels. Based on this feedback, the controller dynamically adjusts power distribution to optimize efficiency while managing the complexity of controlling a single power supply across multiple ports.
Data Source
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AI summary
There is a battery charger, comprising a housing including a plurality of charging ports, each of the plurality of charging ports configured to receive a battery pack. The battery charger further comprises a power supply module configured to be electrically connected to a power source and configured to supply power to the battery charger. The battery charger further comprises a controller configured to select one of the plurality of charging ports that is to receive a charging current, and generate a charging signal to enable the selected one of the plurality of charging ports to receive the charging current. The battery charger further comprises at least one protection circuit configured to receive the charging signal from the controller when the at least one protection circuit is in a normal operational mode, the at least one protection circuit including a first semiconductor switch and a second semiconductor switch. The first semiconductor switch allows the charging current to be supplied to the at least one of the plurality of charging ports when the at least one protection circuit is receiving the charging signal from the controller. The second semiconductor switch prevents the charging current from being supplied to the at least one of the plurality of charging ports when the at least one protection circuit is not receiving the charging signal from the controller.