Adaptable Battery Charging via Impedance-Based Cutoff Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Battery charging technologies fail to adapt to changes in battery impedance due to charging cycles, leading to premature cutoffs and reduced capacity in high-cycle count batteries.

Innovation Solution

Adapting charging profiles by modifying cutoff voltage and current thresholds based on battery impedance and open circuit voltage (OCV) measurements, allowing for dynamic adjustment of charging parameters to optimize capacity and speed for high-cycle count batteries.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If fixed cutoff voltage and current thresholds are used for battery charging, then charging control is simple, but battery capacity is reduced and charge time increases for high-cycle count batteries due to premature cutoffs caused by increased impedance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecharging control complexityVSAvoidbattery charge time
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic charging profiles that adapt cutoff voltage and current thresholds based on the battery's cycle count and impedance characteristics. Instead of using fixed thresholds, the system modifies charging parameters in real-time according to battery condition, allowing high-cycle count batteries to receive higher cutoff values that compensate for increased impedance, thereby reducing charge time while maintaining safety

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes charging parameters (cutoff voltage and current thresholds) based on battery cycle count and impedance measurements. By adjusting these parameters dynamically - increasing cutoff values for high-cycle batteries and decreasing them for low-cycle batteries - the system optimizes charging efficiency for different battery states without requiring complex hardware modifications

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Device complexity

If fixed cutoff voltage and current thresholds are used for battery charging, then charging control is simple, but battery capacity is reduced due to premature cutoffs in high-cycle count batteries

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecharging control complexityVSAvoidbattery capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic charging profiles that adapt cutoff voltage and current thresholds based on the battery's cycle count and impedance characteristics. Instead of using fixed thresholds, the system modifies charging parameters in real-time according to battery condition, allowing high-cycle count batteries to receive higher cutoff values that compensate for increased impedance, thereby reducing charge time while maintaining safety

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes charging parameters (cutoff voltage and current thresholds) based on battery cycle count and impedance measurements. By adjusting these parameters dynamically - increasing cutoff values for high-cycle batteries and decreasing them for low-cycle batteries - the system optimizes charging efficiency for different battery states without requiring complex hardware modifications

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3281274B1Systems, methods and devices for adaptable battery charging
Publication Date: 2023.05.17 INTEL CORP
  • EP3281274B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3281274B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3281274B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Because a rechargeable battery has an increased number of uses (e.g., cycles), the battery's internal impedance can increase and the efficiency of the battery can become degraded. This internal resistance can cause cutoff voltage thresholds and cutoff current thresholds to prematurely stop a phase of battery charging, as these cutoff values can be based on low-cycle count batteries. New cutoff values can, instead, be based on battery impedance. Use of an adjusted cutoff current threshold during a constant voltage cycle can increase the capacity of high-cycle count batteries. Use of an adjusted cutoff voltage threshold in step charging can increase the charging speed of high-cycle count batteries. These increases in efficiency by using adjusted cutoff values can increase as the battery is further high-cycle count, in comparison with low-cycle count cutoff values used with high-cycle count batteries.