Patent ID: 8638070
Filing Date: 2014-01-28
Classification: G01R,H02J,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A method to adaptively charge a battery, wherein the battery includes at least two terminals, the method comprising: applying a charge signal to the terminals of the battery, wherein the charge signal includes a plurality of charge packets, wherein each charge packet includes at least one pulse; measuring a voltage at the terminals of the battery; determining data which is representative of a relaxation time of the battery, wherein the relaxation time is an amount of time between (i) a time corresponding to (a) an end of the at least one pulse of a charge packet of the charge signal and/or (b) a peak of a change in the voltage at the terminals of the battery due to the at least one pulse of the charge packet and (ii) a time corresponding to when the voltage at the terminals of the battery decays to at least a predetermined voltage; determining whether the data which is representative of a relaxation time exceeds a predetermined range and/or is greater than a predetermined value; and adapting one or more characteristics of the charge signal if the data which is representative of a relaxation time exceeds the predetermined range and/or is greater than the predetermined value.