Patent ID: 11955821
Assignee: O2MICRO INC.
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  Y | IPC H

Claim 18:
19. A battery management circuit, comprising:
a first switch comprising a first terminal coupled to a positive terminal of a first battery, comprising a second terminal coupled to a connection interface and coupled to a positive terminal of a second battery, and configured to control a connection between said first and second terminals;
a second switch comprising a third terminal coupled to a negative terminal of said second battery, comprising a fourth terminal coupled to a negative terminal of said first battery and coupled to a reference terminal, and configured to control a connection between said third and fourth terminals;
a control terminal configured to control a third switch coupled between said positive terminal of said first battery and said negative terminal of said second battery; and
switch control circuitry, coupled to said first and second switches and said control terminal, and configured to control said first, second and third switches such that said first and second batteries selectively operate in a mode of a plurality of modes comprising at least a balancing mode that is operable for balancing voltages of said first and second batteries when there is a difference between said voltages,
wherein in said balancing mode, said switch control circuitry turns off said third switch and turns on said first and second switches, and controls a switch of said first and second switches to operate in a linear mode,
wherein said linear mode comprises adjusting a charging current from one of said first and second batteries to the other one of said first and second batteries based on a target reference,
wherein said target reference is adjustable according to said difference, and
wherein said adjusting comprises said switch control circuitry controlling said switch of said first and second switches to increase said charging current if said difference decreases.