Abstract:
A universal charge module for recharging rechargeable batteries includes a housing, a connector block formed on the housing for receiving a rechargeable battery, the connector block including an attachment mechanism for releasably attaching the rechargeable battery to the housing, and a power control circuit functionally integrated with the housing, the power control circuit being capable of determining operating and charging parameters of the rechargeable battery, wherein the power control circuit controls the recharging of the rechargeable battery in dependence upon the determined operating and charging parameters.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/170,178, filed on Apr. 17, 2009, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to battery chargers and, more particularly, to an apparatus for charging rechargeable batteries of various chemistries. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The key factors in selecting a professional video battery are size, weight, camera balance, runtime, service life, safety, reliability, compatibility, initial cost and cost to operate. No single battery size, type or chemistry can offer the ultimate in all of these characteristics in every shooting situation for every type of video operation. Accordingly, numerous battery types having different chemistries, such as nickel metal hydride, lithium ion and nickel-cadmium, each having different characteristics, are often used depending on the particulars of the video operation. In addition, there are countless battery manufactures producing batteries of all different types, sizes and chemistries. Even batteries of the same chemistry, if produced by different manufacturers, will differ in numerous respects such as size, internal components, circuitry and the like. 
     Moreover, inherent in any video operation is the need to charge each battery after use. Various charging systems for rechargeable batteries of different chemistries, such as nickel metal hydride, lithium ion and nickel-cadmium, are well known in the art. Known chargers, however, are only capable of charging batteries with certain chemistries because each battery type has a different charge profile that includes a particular charge time, charge rate and charge cut-off. As will be readily appreciated, an inappropriately charged battery may lead to overcharging or overheating, which may result in safety issues, or may lead to decreased battery life. 
     As such, in order to charge a nickel metal hydride battery, a lithium ion battery and a nickel-cadmium battery, for example, three separate chargers, each being configured specifically for the charge profile of each battery type, are required. As will be readily appreciated, even batteries of like chemistry, produced by different manufacturers, are often incapable of being charged on the same charger due to the precise battery makeup, internal components and other proprietary features of the respective batteries. For example, it is often the case that a charger designed to accommodate and charge a battery from one manufacturer cannot charge a battery from another manufacturer, even if both batteries have the same chemistry. Any attempt to interchange chargers and batteries across manufacturers may result in safety issues such as overheating or combustion, damage to the battery and/or charger inoperability. 
     In view of the problems associated with known battery chargers, there is a need for a universal charge module that is capable of charging one or more batteries having different chemistries. Such a universal charge module would obviate the need to carry around numerous battery chargers for each type of battery used in any given video operation. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a universal charge module. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a universal charge module capable of charging rechargeable batteries having various cell chemistries. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a universal charge module that will fit within the footprint of a standard Anton/Bauer snap-on bracket assembly. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a universal charge module that can function as a stand-alone unit or can be combined with additional charge modules to form an up to 8-position charger. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a universal charge module that can be incorporated on the back of a video camera. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a universal charge module that can interface with any known power supply. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a universal charge module that can interface with a computer so that the charge module may be programmed and updated remotely to provide charge capability for any present or future battery type or design. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a universal charge module interfaced with a smart LCD board so that battery information may be displayed. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a universal charge module interfaced with a smart LCD board that has a communications interface for communicating with multiple charge modules. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a universal charge module that may be combined with other charge modules and a smart LCD board so that custom battery charging systems may be easily built by end users in dependence upon the number of charge positions and features desired. 
     It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a universal charge module that is capable of charging one or more batteries having different chemistries. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be better understood from reading the following description of non-limiting embodiments, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein below: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a single station universal charge module in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the universal charge module of  FIG. 1  showing the local charge state LEDs in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the universal charge module of  FIG. 1  showing the connector block in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is an a perspective view of the universal charge module of  FIG. 1  showing the programming connector and interface connector in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a simplified schematic view of the single station universal charge module of  FIG. 1  connected to a power supply, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a simplified schematic view of a smart LCD board in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a simplified schematic view of a two-position universal charging system in communication with a camera, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a simplified schematic view of a two-position universal charging system in communication with a power supply, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a simplified schematic view of a four-position universal charging system, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a simplified schematic view of a two-position universal charging system featuring the smart LCD board of  FIG. 6 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a simplified schematic view of a four-position universal charging system featuring the smart LCD board of  FIG. 6 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 12  is a simplified schematic view of a four-position universal charging system featuring the smart LCD board of  FIG. 6  and a smart discharger, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 13  is a screenshot of a sample battery control/data graphical user interface in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 14-17  are matrices showing various off-the-shelf power supply sizes coupled with various charge module configurations and the resultant available charge current and charge times per station in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 18-20  are graphical displays showing an exemplary remote charger control protocol in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 21-23  schematically illustrate an exemplary control circuit in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention is directed to a universal charge module and charging system that is capable of charging one or more batteries having different chemistries. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the basic charge module  10  of the present invention generally comprises an Anton/Bauer Gold Mount® housing configuration. The Gold Mount® housing is substantially rectangular in shape and is formed with a plurality of keyholes cut in a front surface thereof, each keyhole having an elongated ovoid or elliptical opening and a narrow depending slot. The keyholes include two upper slots  12  and a centrally located lower slot  14  disposed in a substantially triangular array for releasably attaching a battery, as described below. A positive, thumb-actuated pivoted locking mechanism  16  is also provided to selectively attach and release batteries (not shown) to the charge module. 
     Formed between the two upper keyholes is a connector block  18 . The connector block includes an open top recess in which two male contact terminals  20  are secured. The terminals are in the nature of banana plugs having expandable tips and a threaded shank. As best shown in  FIG. 1 , they are positioned at the bottom of the recess and connect to electrical contacts within the housing. The connector block and its operation are described in detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,247,962 and 4,822,296, which are hereby incorporated by reference. The banana plug terminals provide a positive (+) and negative (−) circuit connection to a source of power through the charge module  10  to recharge batteries selectively attached to the charge module  10 . 
     In operation, a battery (not shown) may be selectively attached to the charge module  10  by lining up posts or protrusions on the battery with the keyholes  12 ,  14  of the charge module and sliding the battery so that the posts are received and secured in the depending slots of the keyholes. Such a locking mechanism prevents the battery from being jarred loose and breaking the connection, both physical and electrical, with the charge module  10 . 
     In the preferred embodiment, the universal charge module  10  is a self-contained charging device that features an on-board, 1-5 Amp, buck/boost, DC/DC converter with voltage and current control. The charge module  10  is configured with internal power control circuitry and software that is capable of automatically identifying the type of battery and chemistry of the battery attached to the charge module. Indeed, the battery, when in releasable engagement with the charge module  10 , relays its operating parameters to the charge module through the connections therebetween. The internal software, subsequent to detecting the exact battery chemistry, type, operating load, etc., retrieves the appropriate charge profile for a battery having those parameters. The battery is then addressed with the charge routine specifically designed for that battery to reliably and safely charge the battery and optimize battery performance and service life. In this manner, the charge module  10  is capable of automatically detecting any type of battery attached thereto and specifically selecting the appropriate charge routine for that battery and applying such charge routine to the battery. An exemplary control circuit for accomplishing these features is discussed in detail below. 
     The charge module also features a 9-pin module interface connector  20  on the back side thereof for interfacing with a camera, charging station as described below, or other electronic device. This allows the module to detect the presence of a camera or other electronic device and switching from AC power mode to battery backup mode for UPS power. The charge module further has an interface for connecting to any standard 75, 150 or 300-Watt, 15Vdc AC operated power supply  26  from which power is drawn to charge the battery attached to the module. This interface also allows the module to be connected to any standard 12V automotive based cigarette lighter type voltage source as a dedicated DC operated charger, a solar panel for remote charging, or any other available source. In any case, the internal circuitry and software will detect the nature of the incoming electrical stream and will tailor the outgoing signal to the specific charge profile of the battery. 
     In connection with the 9-pin module interface connector  20 , the universal charge module  10  also features module to module communications for identifying power supply sizes as well as the number of modules attached to a charge system, as described in detail below, so that the charge current per charge station can be automatically calculated. Simultaneous versus sequential charge decisions can also be transmitted from module to module. 
     Moreover, the universal charge module  10  includes an on-board 5-pin USB programming connector  22 , which allows the software installed on the charge module to be updated remotely. As will be readily appreciated, new battery systems that utilize multiple chemistries, charge regimes and cutoff methodologies are continually upgraded and designed by various manufacturers. These new battery systems often trigger software changes to existing products. With the 5-pin USB connector/interface  22 , end users may connect the charge module  10  to a computer and access the Internet to download the latest version of software or software updates directly to the charge module  10  so that the charge module is capable of safely and reliably charging any existing or future rechargeable battery. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the universal charge module also features an on-board LED display  24  for local charge status indication. Both red and green LED indicators may be used to indicate charge status, such as charging, fully charged, or not charging. The charge module also includes an on-board red and green LED connector for remote LED circuit board interface, as described below. Additionally, the charge module may include a Batt-OR circuit for providing power down backup of battery and charger information in certain charger configurations, as discussed below. The charge module may also feature a battery (+) output for providing a means to add a 2 Amp Smart Discharge Interface. A schematic diagram of the universal charge module  10  attached to a power supply  26  is shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     The charge module  10  of the present invention may be physically incorporated into cameras so that the charge module is in electrical communication with the camera circuitry. To this end, the charge module also includes a standard camera communications and Anton/Bauer AFG interface for transmitting fuel gauge information to a camera to which it is attached, as best shown in  FIG. 5 . Moreover, the charge module  10  also features a camera power output for detecting the presence of a camera and switching from AC power mode to battery backup mode for UPS, or uninterruptible power supply, as discussed below. 
     In yet another embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 6 , a smart LCD board  50  may be placed in electrical communication with either a stand-alone charge module  10  or may be interfaced with a base platform as part of a multi-position, multi-battery charger, as discussed in detail below. The smart LCD  50  interfaces with one or more charge modules  10  to display charge and discharge status information, as well as remote LED indications. A USB/printer port  52  may also be connected to the smart LCD board  50  for supplying detailed discharge test information, controlling charge and discharge remotely, and obtaining detailed battery data. As with the charge module, the smart LCD board  50 , through the USB interface  52 , may obtain charge/discharge control and data over any standard IP connection. Preferably, the smart LCD board  50  has a 2 line, 24 character, blue background, white foreground, backlit display  54  or full color graphics display. The smart LCD board  50  may also have test and display buttons  56 ,  58  for scrolling text, selecting discharge tests, and toggling between different batteries if the batteries are connected to the smart LCD  50  as part of a multi-position system. The smart LCD  50  further has an 8-channel communications interface  60  for communicating with up to 8 charge modules, creating an up to 8-station charger. 
     In addition, the smart LCD board  50  may have remote LEDs  62  for indicating charge status in lieu of the local charge module based LEDs  24  described above. Alternatively, or in addition to the smart LCD board based LEDs  62 , the smart LCD board is capable of firing the local charge module based LEDs  24  remotely. Moreover, as with the charge module  10  itself, the smart LCD board  50  may include a mini, 5-pin programming connector  64  for simple software updates. The smart LCD board may also include a Smart Discharger communications port  66  for controlling and extracting discharge information from a smart discharge module. Additionally, the smart LCD board  50  may also include a Batt-OR input  68  for providing power down charge status information. 
     It will be readily appreciated that features may be optionally left off of the smart LCD board  50  to accommodate many different charger configurations. For example, the remote LEDs  62  may be included, but the LCD, discharger, pushbuttons, power down and USB printer capability left off. In essence, the charge module  10  and smart LCD board  50  of the present invention allows an end user to basically build a custom charging system with as few or as many charging stations and peripheral LCD board features as he or she desires. 
     As alluded to above, in another embodiment, the charge module  10  may be interfaced with a standard Anton/Bauer or general base platform and power supply via the 9-pin connector  20 . Importantly, numerous charge modules may be interfaced with a base platform and power supply  26  to form an up to eight-position battery charger. This modularity allows an end user to build a battery charging system to accommodate however many batteries, of the same or different chemistry, as desired. 
     In connection with the above, FIGS.  5  and  7 - 12  show examples of various charge module and charging system configurations for single and multi-position chargers that are possible with the charge module  10  and smart LCD board  50  of the present invention. It will be readily appreciated that numerous other configurations may be possible as well. While it is preferred that a 15Vdc, 75, 150 or 300-Watt power supply  26  be used in connection with the present invention, it should be appreciated that other power supply sizes of greater than 300-Watts and less than 75-Watts can be utilized. It will also be appreciated that numerous charger/battery combinations can be designed utilizing the charge module architecture with different style battery configurations. 
     For example, as discussed above,  FIG. 5  shows the basic single station charge module  10  of the present invention connected to a power supply  26 .  FIG. 7  shows a 2-position charging system  90  having one of the charge modules  10  in electrical communication with a video camera  100 . In this embodiment, the charging system is capable of operating as a DC power supply once a camera  100  or other device is connected and turned on. This unique system functions by separating the Gold Mount® device from the power supply, allowing a user to simultaneously charge a battery and power a camera. When a 75 watt draw is exceeded, the system automatically stops charging and performs solely as a 150 watt power supply. When the camera is turned off or the load is reduced below 75 watts, the system  90  instantly resumes normal operation, as a simultaneous charger/power supply. 
       FIG. 8  shows a 2-position charging system  70  hooked up to a power supply  26 . In this embodiment, the charging system  70  is capable of charging two batteries simultaneously, even if the batteries have different chemistries, as discussed above. 
     An additional embodiment of the present invention is shown schematically in  FIG. 9 . In this embodiment, a 4-position charging system  120  is disclosed. The charging system  120  is connected to a single power supply and is capable of simultaneously charging four batteries having the same or different chemistries, as discussed above. The system  120  disclosed in this embodiment is advantageous in that it allows a user to continuously cycle batteries over an extended period of time, such as all day shooting. 
       FIG. 10  shows yet another embodiment of the present invention. As shown therein, this charging system  130  features a dual position charger and smart LCD board  50  connected to a power supply  26 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 11 ,  FIG. 11  shows a four position charging system  140  having a smart LCD board  50  and a power supply  26 , according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. 
     Similar to  FIG. 11 ,  FIG. 12  shows a four position charging system  150  having a smart LCD board  50  and a power supply  26 . In addition, charging system  150  has a smart discharger  152  in communication therewith, as described above. 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 14-17 , a number of matrices showing various off-the-shelf power supply sizes coupled with various charge module configurations and the resultant available charge current and charge times per station are shown. In addition,  FIGS. 18-20  show an exemplary remote charger control protocol in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, as alluded to above. 
       FIGS. 21-23  illustrates one embodiment of the charge module control circuitry. In particular,  FIGS. 21-23  illustrate exemplary charge module control circuitry for a four-position charging station, such as that shown schematically in  FIG. 9 , as discussed above. As will be readily appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, alterations in the configuration of the circuitry shown in  FIGS. 21-23  are certainly possible without departing from the broader aspects of the present invention. 
     Although this invention has been shown and described with respect to the detailed embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed in the above detailed description, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of this disclosure.