Intraoral Scanner Battery Charger With Prioritized Multi-Slot Charging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing intraoral scanner battery chargers charge batteries simultaneously at equal power, resulting in a long and inconvenient charging period for a battery ready to be used for a complete scan session, and users may forget to recharge batteries, leading to a lack of power during scanning sessions.
Innovation Solution
A prioritized charging algorithm for intraoral scanner batteries that allocates a higher charging current to one battery while capping the current for another, ensuring one battery is ready for a scan session while optimizing the total charger output, with features like authentication, temperature monitoring, and communication protocols.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If batteries are charged simultaneously at equal power, then both batteries receive equal charging attention, but the charging period becomes long and inconvenient for obtaining a battery ready for a complete scan session
Solution Approach 1:
The charging system applies different charging qualities to different batteries based on their individual states. The processor unit determines which battery needs charging most urgently and allocates higher charging current to that specific battery while reducing current to others, ensuring optimal charging distribution rather than uniform treatment of all batteries
Solution Approach 2:
The charging current allocation is dynamic rather than static. The processor unit continuously monitors battery states and adjusts charging current distribution in real-time, allowing the system to adapt to changing battery levels and user needs, switching between different charging priorities as batteries are charged or removed
2Speed
If higher charging current is allocated to one battery, then charging speed for that battery increases, but the charger must intelligently manage current distribution to avoid overheating and ensure safe operation
Solution Approach 1:
The charging system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the processor unit continuously monitors battery parameters including temperature, charge level, and current intake. Based on this feedback, the system dynamically adjusts charging current to maximize speed while preventing overheating and ensuring safe operation conditions are maintained throughout the charging process
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes charging parameters (current, voltage, power distribution) based on real-time battery conditions. The processor unit modifies these parameters dynamically during charging to optimize both speed and safety, adjusting the charging profile to match the specific needs of each battery at different charging stages
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Faster charging of at least one battery to a usable state for a complete scan session while preventing overheating and ensuring reliable power for intraoral scanning, with efficient use of charger capacity and reduced user inconvenience.
Implementation Method 1
The intraoral scanner battery charger may comprise two or more battery slots that may be configured to receive an intraoral scanner battery... The intraoral scanner battery charger may further comprise a processor unit configured to control the charging current based on a prioritized charging algorithm
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to an intraoral scanner battery charger that includes two or more battery slots configured to receive an intraoral scanner battery, wherein each of the two or more battery slots includes a charging interface that is configured to an intraoral scanner battery interface of an intraoral scanner. The charging interface is configured to transfer a charging current to the intraoral scanner battery. The charger further includes a processor unit configured to control the charging current based on a prioritized charging algorithm. The prioritized charging algorithm includes transferring a first charging current to a first intraoral scanner battery and a second charging current to a second intraoral scanner battery, and wherein the first charging current is higher than the second charging current during a charging period, and during a subsequent charging period, the first charging current is lower than the second charging current.