IP Library Granted Patent US 7,592,779
Granted Patent B2
US 7,592,779 · App. 11/387,914 · Granted Sep 22, 2009

Charging device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,592,779
App. No.
11/387,914
Granted
Sep 22, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

A charging device includes a charging unit; a detection unit for detecting a temperature and a temperature increasing rate of a rechargeable battery; a controller for controlling the charging unit to supply a charging current to the rechargeable battery; and a compensating unit for setting a value of the first threshold to be greater if the temperature of the rechargeable battery at the time of mounting the rechargeable battery on the charging device is equal to or smaller than a second threshold and smaller if otherwise. The charging unit stops supplying the charging current to the rechargeable battery if the temperature increasing rate is equal to or greater than a first threshold.

Claims (15)

1. A charging device comprising:

a charging unit;

a detection unit for detecting a temperature and a temperature increasing rate of a rechargeable battery;

a controller for controlling the charging unit to supply a charging current to the rechargeable battery, wherein the charging unit stops supplying the charging current to the rechargeable battery if the temperature increasing rate is equal to or greater than a threshold rate for judging of a full capacity charge of the rechargeable battery; and

a compensating unit for setting the threshold rate to have a first value if the temperature of the rechargeable battery when mounting the rechargeable battery on the charging device is equal to or smaller than a threshold temperature and setting the threshold rate to have a second value if the temperature of the rechargeable battery when mounting the rechargeable battery on the charging device is greater than the threshold temperature, wherein the first value is greater than the second value.

2. The charging device of claim 1 , wherein the detection unit is further adapted to sense a type of the rechargeable battery, and

wherein the compensating unit also changes the first and second values of the threshold rate according to the type of the rechargeable battery.

3. The charging device of claim 1 , further comprising an ambient temperature detecting unit for detecting an ambient temperature,

wherein the compensating unit changes the first value of the threshold rate according to the difference between the ambient temperature detected by the ambient temperature detecting unit and the temperature of the rechargeable battery detected by the detection unit.

4. The charging device of claim 2 , further comprising an ambient temperature detecting unit for detecting an ambient temperature,

wherein the compensating unit changes the first value of the threshold rate according to the difference between the ambient temperature detected by the ambient temperature detecting unit and the temperature of the rechargeable battery detected by the detection unit.

5. The charging device of claim 3 , wherein the compensating unit changes the first value of the threshold rate according to the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the rechargeable battery respectively detected by the ambient temperature detecting unit and the detection unit while the rechargeable battery is being charged.

6. The charging device of claim 4 , wherein the compensating unit changes the first value of the threshold rate according to the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the rechargeable battery respectively detected by the ambient temperature detecting unit and the detection unit while the rechargeable battery is being charged.

7. The charging device of claim 1 , wherein, if the temperature of the rechargeable battery when mounting the rechargeable battery on the charging device is equal to or smaller than the threshold temperature, the controller controls the charging unit to supply no current or a current smaller than the charging current until a temperature of the rechargeable battery becomes equal to or smaller than another threshold temperature,

wherein said another threshold temperature is greater than the threshold temperature.

Assignments (3)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Aug 6, 2026
From: PANASONIC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
To: NEXRA FIELD WORKS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 075549/0031 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 28, 2009
From: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC WORKS, LTD.
To: PANASONIC ELECTRIC WORKS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 022206/0574 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 24, 2006
From: MIWA, TATSUYA; KUBOTA, ATSUMASA; SHIMIZU, NAOKI; IKEDA, MASAKI
To: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC WORKS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 017726/0696 →