Multi-battery management for a portable device
A method includes determining a first voltage level of a first battery and a second voltage level of a second battery. Based on a difference between the first voltage level and the second voltage level satisfying a first threshold and a magnitude of a current failing to satisfy a second threshold, one of the first battery or the second battery is disconnected from the one or more components, and the one or more components of the portable device are powered using the other of the first battery or the second battery. Based on one or more of the difference between the first voltage level and the second voltage level failing to satisfy the first threshold or the magnitude of the current failing to satisfy the second threshold, the one or more components of the portable device are powered using the first battery and the second battery.
1 . A method of battery management, the method comprising:
detecting a battery management trigger event at a portable device that includes one or more components and a multi-battery power source to provide a current to the one or more components, wherein the multi-battery power source includes a first battery and at least a second battery that is coupled in parallel to the first battery;
in response to detecting the battery management trigger event, determining a first voltage level of the first battery and a second voltage level of the second battery;
based on a difference between the first voltage level of the first battery and the second voltage level of the second battery being greater than or equal to a first threshold and a magnitude of the current failing to be greater than or equal to a second threshold, disconnecting one of the first battery or the second battery from the one or more components and powering the one or more components of the portable device using the other of the first battery or the second battery; and
based on the magnitude of the current being greater than or equal to the second threshold, powering the one or more components of the portable device using the first battery and the second battery.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the portable device includes an electric mower or an electric blower, and wherein the one or more components include an electric motor.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, from one or more battery sensors of the portable device, a first indication of the first voltage level, a second indication of the second voltage level, and a third indication of the current.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the first battery for disconnection based on the first voltage level being less than the second voltage level.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein detecting the battery management trigger event includes detecting a power-up event at the portable device.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first battery is coupled to the one or more components via a first switch device, wherein the second battery is coupled to the one or more components via a second switch device.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein disconnecting the first battery or the second battery from the one or more components includes providing a control signal having a particular value to the first switch device or to the second switch device.
8 . A multi-battery management device comprising:
a comparison circuit configured to determine whether a difference between a first voltage level of a first battery and a second voltage level of a second battery is greater than or equal to a first threshold and to determine whether a magnitude of a current is greater than or equal to a second threshold, wherein the first battery and the second battery are included in a multi-battery power source of a portable device, and wherein the multi-battery power source is configured to provide the current to one or more components of the portable device; and
a control circuit coupled to the comparison circuit,
wherein the control circuit is configured, based on the difference between the first voltage level of the first battery and the second voltage level of the second battery being greater than or equal to the first threshold and the magnitude of the current failing to be greater than or equal to the second threshold, to disconnect one of the first battery or the second battery from the one or more components and to connect the other of the first battery or the second battery to the one or more components, and
wherein the control circuit is further configured, based on the magnitude of the current being greater than or equal to the second threshold, to couple the first battery and the second battery to the one or more components.
9 . The multi-battery management device of claim 8 , further comprising a sensor interface coupled to the comparison circuit and configured to receive, from one sensor of the portable device, a first indication of the first voltage level of the first battery, a second indication of the second voltage level of the second battery, and a third indication of the current.
10 . The multi-battery management device of claim 8 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to disconnect the first battery from the one or more components based on the first voltage level being less than the second voltage level.
11 . The multi-battery management device of claim 8 , wherein the control circuit includes:
a first switch device coupled to the first battery and configured to selectively couple the first battery to the one or more components; and
a second switch device coupled to the second battery and configured to selectively couple the second battery to the one or more components.
12 . The multi-battery management device of claim 8 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to detect a battery management trigger event and to selectively couple the first battery and the second battery to the one or more components in response to the battery management trigger event.
13 . The multi-battery management device of claim 12 , wherein the battery management trigger event corresponds to a power-up event of the portable device, and further comprising a power-up switch device configured to provide an indication of the power-up event to the control circuit.
14 . A system comprising:
one or more sensors configured to generate a first indication of a first voltage level of a first battery of a portable device, a second indication of a second voltage level of a second battery of the portable device, and a third indication of a magnitude of a current supplied to one or more components of the portable device by the first battery and the second battery; and
a multi-battery management device configured to:
detect a battery management trigger event at the portable device;
in response to detecting the battery management trigger event, determine the first voltage level of the first battery, the second voltage level of the second battery, and the magnitude of the current;
based on a difference between the first voltage level of the first battery and the second voltage level of the second battery satisfyingbeing greater than or equal to a first threshold and the magnitude of the current failing to satisfybe greater than or equal to a second threshold, disconnect one of the first battery or the second battery from the one or more components and initiate powering of the one or more components using the other of the first battery or the second battery; and
based on the magnitude of the current being greater than or equal to the second threshold, initiate powering of the one or more components of the portable device using the first battery and the second battery.
15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the multi-battery management device is further configured to select the first battery for disconnection based on the first voltage level being less than the second voltage level.
16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more components include an electric motor of the portable device.
17 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a first switch device coupled to the first battery and configured to selectively couple the first battery to the one or more components; and
a second switch device coupled to the second battery and configured to selectively coupled the second battery to the one or more components,
wherein the first switch device and the second switch device are both part of the multi- battery management device.
18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the multi-battery management device is further configured to provide a control signal having a particular value to the first switch device or to the second switch device to disconnect the first battery or the second battery from the one or more components.
19 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the multi-battery management device is further configured to detect a battery management trigger event and to selectively couple the first battery and the second battery to the one or more components in response to the battery management trigger event.
20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the battery management trigger event corresponds to a power-up event of the portable device, and further comprising a power-up switch device configured to generate an indication of the power-up event, and wherein the battery management trigger event further comprises expiration of a counter.