Multi-Battery Charging Control via Temperature-Adaptive Current Limiting

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electronic devices with multiple batteries face issues such as overcharging, temperature discrepancies, and power loss due to uncontrolled charging and balancing operations, which can lead to battery damage and inefficiency.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device equipped with temperature sensors, current limiting integrated circuits, and a power management module that adjusts charging currents based on battery temperature, preventing overcharging and optimizing charging speeds to maintain battery health and efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If continuous charging is applied to all batteries until fully charged, then charging completeness is improved, but battery damage and overheating occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecharging completenessVSAvoidbattery damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The charging current is dynamically adjusted based on real-time temperature monitoring. When battery temperature exceeds the threshold, the charging current is automatically reduced or stopped, preventing overheating and damage while allowing continuous charging operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Temperature sensors continuously monitor battery temperature and provide feedback to the control system. This feedback mechanism enables the system to detect temperature changes and adjust charging parameters accordingly, preventing battery damage while maintaining charging efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Speed

If charging current is increased to improve charging speed, then charging time is reduced, but temperature control becomes difficult and battery damage risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecharging speedVSAvoidtemperature control

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The charging current is dynamically adjusted based on real-time temperature monitoring. When battery temperature exceeds the threshold, the charging current is automatically reduced or stopped, preventing overheating and damage while allowing continuous charging operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Temperature sensors continuously monitor battery temperature and provide feedback to the control system. This feedback mechanism enables the system to detect temperature changes and adjust charging parameters accordingly, preventing battery damage while maintaining charging efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Stability of the object's composition

If balancing operation is performed between batteries, then battery level equilibrium is improved, but power loss increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebattery level equilibriumVSAvoidpower loss

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs balancing operations in advance during charging phases, transferring energy from batteries with higher charge levels to those with lower levels before discharge begins. This preliminary balancing reduces the need for energy-intensive balancing during discharge operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The balancing operation is performed periodically at specific intervals during the charging cycle rather than continuously. This periodic approach allows the system to achieve battery level equilibrium while minimizing energy loss by performing balancing only when necessary

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS11437839B2Method of controlling charging of plurality of batteries and electronic device to which the method is applied

Publication Date: 2022.09.06 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a housing, a first battery and a second battery arranged in the housing, a power management module, a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, a first current limiting integrated circuit (IC) configured to limit a maximum intensity of a first current flowing into the first battery, a second current limiting IC configured to limit a maximum intensity of a second current flowing into the second battery, and a processor. The processor may determine whether the first temperature or the second temperature is outside a specified temperature range and, when the first temperature is outside of the specified temperature range, control the first current limiting IC to reduce a magnitude of the first current.