Abstract:
An intelligent charging system includes a charging device, a battery pack, an electric tool powered by the battery pack, and a terminal device capable of communicating with the charging device and having a network communication function on its own. The charging system provides effective information chains between the integral parts, achieves remote operation or setting, improves utilization rate of the charging system, and facilitates the user to use an apparatus obtaining electrical energy from the charging system in a planned manner. The charging assembly helps the user to use the terminal device to control the charging procedure.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION INFORMATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of CN 201310335974.0, filed Aug. 2, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
       FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    The subject disclosure generally relates to charging systems, and more particularly to an intelligent charging system and a charging assembly for charging battery packs intelligently. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0003]    Electric tools using battery packs for supplying power are generally known. When a battery pack is lacking power, a user should charge it by using a charging device. With known battery pack systems, users cannot manage the charging process of the charging devices if the users are not in the vicinity of the charging devices. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    Described hereinafter is an intelligent charging system and a charging assembly for charging battery packs intelligently. 
         [0005]    More particularly, an exemplary intelligent charging system comprises a charging device which is capable of communicating with the other members of an intelligent charging system wirelessly and receiving electrical energy from a power grid, a battery pack for storing electrical energy from the charging device and supplying electrical energy to other members of the intelligent charging system, an electric tool which is powered by the battery pack, and a terminal device for communicating with the charging device and internet, wherein the charging device is capable of connecting to the terminal device. 
         [0006]    Further, the charging device may comprise a first interface module for connecting with the battery pack, an electrical energy adjusting module for adjusting the electrical energy received from a power grid, a first communication module for communicating with the other members of the intelligent charging system, and a first control module for controlling the charging device intelligently. 
         [0007]    Further, the electrical energy adjusting module may be electrically connected to the first interface module, and the first control module may be electrically connected to the first interface module, and the first interface module may be controlled by the first control module and be capable of sending a signal to the first control module. 
         [0008]    Further, the first communication module may comprise a first wireless communication module for communicating with the other members of the intelligent charging system wirelessly. 
         [0009]    Further, the battery pack may comprise a second interface module for connecting to the first interface module; a battery module for storing electrical energy; a second communication module for communicating with the charging device, the electric tool and the terminal device; and a second control module for controlling the battery pack. 
         [0010]    Further, the second control module may be electrically connected to the second interface module, and the second interface module may be controlled by the second control module and be capable of sending a signal to the second control module. 
         [0011]    Further, the first control module may comprise a connection control unit which is capable of recognizing the battery pack which is connected to the first interface module by the second interface module and controlling signal transmission with the second control module of the battery pack; a terminal control unit which is capable of recognizing the terminal device and controlling the signal transmission with the terminal device; a tool control unit which is capable of recognizing the electric tool and controlling the signal transmission with electric tool; and a main control unit which is capable of controlling the connection control unit, the terminal control unit and the tool control unit. 
         [0012]    Further, the main control unit may be capable of performing bi-directional signal transmission with the connection control unit, the terminal control unit and the tool control unit. 
         [0013]    Further, electric tool may comprise a third interface module for connecting to the second interface module; a third communication module for communicating with the charging device, the battery pack and the terminal device; and a third control module for controlling the electric tool. 
         [0014]    Further, the third control module may be electrically connected to the third interface module, and the third interface module may be controlled by the third control module and be capable of sending a signal to the third control module. 
         [0015]    Further, the third control module may comprise an battery pack control unit which is capable of controlling the battery pack and signal transmission with the battery pack; and a standby mode control unit which is capable of performing signal transmission with the charging device and controlling the electrical connection between the electric tool and battery pack. 
         [0016]    Further, the electric tool further may comprise a built-in battery which is capable of storing the electrical energy which is from the battery pack so as to supply the electrical energy of the third control module when the battery pack being removed. 
         [0017]    Further, wherein terminal device may comprise a terminal communication module for communicating with the first wireless communication module; a central processing unit for controlling the charging device, the battery pack and the electric tool; and a human-machine interaction interface for performing and controlling human-machine interaction. 
         [0018]    Further, the charging device may be capable of communicating with the terminal device by Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. 
         [0019]    Further, the charging assembly may comprise a charging device which is capable of communicating with the other members of the charging assembly wirelessly and receiving electrical energy from a power grid and a battery pack for storing electrical energy from the charging device and supplying electrical energy to an electric tool wherein the charging device comprises a first communication module for communicating with the other members of the intelligent charging system. 
         [0020]    Further, the first communication module may comprise a first wireless communication module which is capable of communicating with other devices wirelessly. 
         [0021]    Further, the charging device may comprise a first interface module for connecting with the battery pack; an electrical energy adjusting module for adjusting the electrical energy received from a power grid; and a first control module for controlling the charging device intelligently. 
         [0022]    Further, the electrical energy adjusting module is electrically connected to the first interface module, and the first control module is electrically connected to the first interface module, and the first interface module is controlled by the first control module and is capable of sending a signal to the first control module. 
         [0023]    Further, the battery pack may comprise a second interface module for connecting to the first interface module; a battery module for storing electrical energy; a second communication module for communicating with the charging device, the electric tool and the terminal device; and a second control module for controlling the battery pack, wherein the second control module is electrically connected to the second interface module, and the second interface module is controlled by the second control module and is capable of sending a signal to the second control module. 
         [0024]    Further, the first control module may comprise a connection control unit which is capable of recognizing the battery pack which is connected to the first interface module by the second interface module and controlling signal transmission with the second control module of the battery pack; a terminal control unit which is capable of recognizing the terminal device and controlling the signal transmission with the terminal device; a tool control unit which is capable of recognizing the electric tool and controlling the signal transmission with electric tool; and a main control unit which is capable of controlling the connection control unit, the terminal control unit and the tool control unit, wherein the main control unit is capable of performing bi-directional signal transmission with the connection control unit, the terminal control unit and the tool control unit. 
         [0025]    The present disclosure is advantageous in that the charging system of the present disclosure provides effective information chains between the integral parts so that the user, whenever and wherever, can effectively control the system information and achieve remote operation or setting, whereby the utilization rate of the charging system is improved, and the user can more conveniently use an apparatus obtaining electrical energy from the charging system in a planned manner. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0026]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an exemplary charging system constructed according to the present disclosure; 
           [0027]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an exemplary charging device of the system shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0028]      FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  illustrate a charging system  100 . The charging system  100  includes a charging device  10 . The charging device  10  is used to receive electrical energy from a power grid for charging battery pack  20 , and the charging device  10  communicates with the other members of intelligent charging system  100  wirelessly. 
         [0029]    The charging device  10  includes a first interface module  11  for connecting with the battery pack  20 , an electrical energy adjusting module  12  for adjusting the electrical energy received from a power grid and a first control module  13  for controlling the charging device intelligently. 
         [0030]    The charging device  10  further includes a first communication module  14  for communicating with the other members of intelligent charging system  100  by wire or wirelessly. 
         [0031]    The electrical energy adjusting module  12  is electrically connected to the first interface module, and the first control module  13  is electrically connected to the first interface module  11 , and the first interface module  11  is controlled by the first control module  13  and is capable of sending a signal to the first control module  13 . 
         [0032]    The first interface module  11  is used to connect with devices needing electrical energy such as the battery pack  20 . The electrical energy adjusting module  12  is capable of adjusting the electrical energy and supplying the electrical energy to the first interface module  11  and the first control module  13 . 
         [0033]    The electrical energy adjusting module  12  is capable of performing AC-DC and high voltage-low voltage electrical energy adjustment. 
         [0034]    The first control module  13  can recognize the battery pack  20  according to an electric signal from the first interface module  11  when the first interface module  11  is connected with the battery pack  20 . 
         [0035]    According to the result of the recognition, the first control module  13  controls the electrical energy adjusting module  12  so as to adjust the electrical energy which is output at the first interface module  11 . 
         [0036]    The user may communicate with the charging device  10  via use of a personal, intelligent communication terminal such as a computer, an intelligent mobile phone or a flat panel computer. As such, the user may control the charging device  10  through a human-machine interface provided by the terminal device  40 . When the charging device  10  is charging the battery pack, the user can monitor and control the charging device  10 . 
         [0037]    When the charging device, for some reason (such as for reasons of security), is placed in an environment which is not suitable for the user to stay long whereas the user may stay at a fixed location stably when the charging device  10  works, even though there is not a wireless network, the terminal device  40  may be a fixed equipment which is, together with the charging device  10 , accessed to the same wired network, for example, a desktop computer. The wired network may be a general local area network completely used to achieve data transmission, or a complex network built through power carrier technology. 
         [0038]    However, in order to provide the most convenient operation experience for the user, popularize wireless network and reduce costs, the present disclosure is more inclined to select a mobile equipment, or a mobile equipment along with a fixed equipment, as a device for communicating with the charging device  10  in the present disclosure, and its fundamental purpose is to avoid the space from affecting the user&#39;s use of the charging device. 
         [0039]    As a preferred solution, the first communication module  14  includes a first wireless communication module  141  communicating with the other members of an intelligent charging system  100  wirelessly, at least with the battery pack  20 . 
         [0040]    The terminal device  40  includes a human-machine interaction interface  41  for performing and controlling human-machine interaction; a central processing unit  42  for controlling the charging device  10 , the battery pack  20  and the electric tool by exchanging and processing data; and a terminal communication module  43  for communicating with the first wireless communication module  141 . 
         [0041]    The central processing unit  42  also controls the human-machine interaction interface  41  and the terminal communication module  43 . 
         [0042]    As such, a bi-directional signal transmission between the whole intelligent charging system  100  and the user can be achieved through its own human-machine interaction interface  41  on the basis of achievement of communications. 
         [0043]    Software in the terminal device  40  for controlling other members in the intelligent charging system  100  may be obtained by downloading in the following manners: the first manner is that the terminal device  40  accesses a designated website to download and obtain a right to control by validating an initial password or setting a password; and the second manner is that when the terminal device  40  successfully searches for the charging device  10 , the battery pack  20  and the electric tool  30  and sends a matching request for wireless communication, the software is transmitted to the terminal device  40  if a matching password can be entered correctly, and a right to set a password will be granted to the user. If the terminal device  40  has a corresponding hardware, biological recognition such as fingerprint or iris identification may be used as a secret key for validation. 
         [0044]    Preferably, the charging device  10  is capable of communicating with the terminal device  40  by Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. 
         [0045]    Additionally, the recognition of the charging device  10  for the battery pack  20  may be achieved by recognizing an electronic tag through wireless communication. Each battery pack  20  has an electrical energy tag, and the charging device  10  can recognize the battery pack  20  by recognizing the electronic tag of the battery pack  20 . 
         [0046]    The battery pack  20  and the electric tool  30  in the intelligent charging system  100  also have wireless communication functionality. 
         [0047]    Specifically, the battery pack  20  includes a battery module  21  for storing electrical energy, a second interface module  22  for connecting to the first interface module  11 , a second control module for controlling the battery pack  23 , and a second communication module  24  for communicating with the charging device  10 , the electric tool  30  and the terminal device  40 . 
         [0048]    The second control module  23  is electrically connected to the second interface module  22 , and the second interface module  22  is controlled by the second control module  23  and is capable of sending a signal to the second control module  23 . 
         [0049]    The electric tool  30  includes a third interface module  32  for connecting to the second interface module  22  of battery pack  20 ; a third control module  33  for controlling the electric tool  30 ; and a third communication module  34  for communicating with the charging device  10 , the battery pack  20  and the terminal device  40 . 
         [0050]    The third control module  34  is electrically connected to the third interface module, and the third interface module is controlled by the third control module  34  and is capable of sending a signal to the third control module  34 . 
         [0051]    Preferably, the first control module  13  includes: a connection control unit  131  capable of recognizing the battery pack  20  which is connected to the first interface module  11  and controlling signal transmission with the second control module  23  of the battery pack  20 ; a tool control unit  132  which is capable of recognizing the electric tool  30  and controlling the signal transmission with electric tool  30 ; a main control unit  133  for controlling the connection control unit  131 , the tool control unit  132 , and the terminal control unit  134 ; and a terminal control unit  134  which is capable of recognizing the terminal device  40  and controlling the signal transmission with the terminal device  40 . 
         [0052]    The connection control unit  131 , the terminal control unit  134  and the tool control unit  132  each performs bi-directional signal transmission with the main control unit  133 . 
         [0053]    The third control module  34  includes an battery pack control unit which is capable of controlling the battery pack  20  and signal transmission with the battery pack  20 ; and a standby mode control unit which is capable of performing signal transmission with the charging device  10  and controlling the electrical connection between the electric tool  30  and battery pack  40 . 
         [0054]    When the battery pack  20  is connecting to the electric tool  30 , the third control module  34  of the electric tool  30  can recognize which battery pack  20  is being used by itself and the electrical quantity, which are then uploaded to the terminal device through the third communication module, or not uploaded. If the user is using the electric tool  30 , the battery pack and the electrical quantity thereof may be directly displayed on an operation interface of the electric tool  30 . When the electrical energy of the battery pack  20  falls to a predetermined, lower limit, the user will be notified through the electric tool  30  or the terminal device  40 . In order to enable the electric tool  30  to still have sufficient electrical energy position to control the circuit after the battery pack  20  is drawn out, as a preferred solution, the electric tool  30  further includes a built-in battery  31  capable of storing electrical energy of the battery pack  20  so as to maintain the electrical energy of the third control module  34  after the battery pack  20  is removed. The user sends the battery pack  20  to the charging device  10  for charging, whereupon both the electric tool  30  and the terminal device  40  can display the battery pack  20  is being charged on which charging device  10  and display a predicted charging duration. The display on the electric tool  30  is advantageous in that the user actually using the tool can master the charging situation from time to time in order to arrange his own work because the user of the terminal device and the user of the electric tool  30  are usually not the same person. In addition, the charging device  10  can also prompt the user that there is a battery pack  20  not charged yet, particularly when the charging device  10  is idle, thus the utilization rate of the charging device  10  by the user may be improved. 
         [0055]    It should be noted that there may be a plurality of charging devices  10 , a plurality of battery packs  20 , a plurality of electric tools  30  and a plurality of terminal devices  40  in the present disclosure. 
         [0056]    The present disclosure further provides a charging assembly, which mainly includes the charging device  10  and battery pack  20  as stated above. 
         [0057]    Specifically, they may serve as a charger and a battery pack applied to the electric tool. When the charging device  10  is used as the charger, it has a function of performing wireless communication with the outside world, and the user may control the charging situation in real time through the mobile terminal device  40 . 
         [0058]    The above illustrates and describes the basic principles, main features and advantages of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that the embodiments by no means limit the present disclosure, and all technical solutions obtained by employing equivalent substitutes or equivalent variations fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.