Patent Description:
The present invention furthermore relates to a battery stack with a series of battery cells with at least a first battery cell and a second battery cell connected with battery cell contacts in series between a battery stack plus contact and a battery stack minus contact.

Many portable devices are powered by a battery stack which comprises a number of at least two battery cells connected in series between a battery stack plus contact and a battery stack minus contact. This increases the available capacity and voltage of the battery stack. In such systems, the individual battery cells must be constantly monitored to ensure that they operate within a controlled range. Otherwise, the battery's capacity and life span may be compromised. Linear Technology offers an integrated circuit LTC680x family series for a charger device to charge such battery stacks and to monitor each individual cell in the battery stack. The LTC680x monitors cell parameters of each individual cell in the battery stack and communicates this information through a proprietary serial bus to a central processing unit. As a battery cell begins to reach the upper charge limit to be fully charged, commands are issued to the LTC680x to turn on that cell's passive shunt, bypassing the charging current to that cell and allowing the current to continue to the rest of the battery cells. Using this passive.

shunt is inefficient and the shunted current produces considerable heat at higher charging currents.

Linear Technology furthermore offers an integrated circuit LT8584 that enables actively redirecting the charging current back to the power source used to charge the battery stack. Instead of the energy being lost as heat, it is reused to charge the rest of the batteries in the stack. <FIG> shows such a prior art system <NUM> of a battery stack <NUM> with twelve battery cells <NUM> connected in series and a charger device <NUM> to charge the battery stack <NUM>. The charger device <NUM> comprises twelve balancer stages <NUM>, which each are connected to a battery stack monitor <NUM> and comprise the LT8584 integrated circuit <NUM> and a wire-wound transformer <NUM>. Each of the LT8584 integrated circuits <NUM> measures the actual state of charge of the battery cell <NUM> it is connected to and provides these cell parameters to the battery stack monitor <NUM> via a proprietary serial bus. The battery stack monitor <NUM> is the master that oversees all these cell parameters of all battery cells <NUM> in the battery stack <NUM> and sends commands to the individual LT8584 integrated circuits <NUM> to discharge current through a primary coil of the wire-wound transformer <NUM> in case the battery cell <NUM> already reached the fully charged state of charge. A secondary coil of the wire-wound transformer <NUM> is connected to a battery stack plus contact <NUM> and a battery stack minus contact <NUM> and transfers such discharge current back for reuse to charge the battery stack <NUM>.

This known system <NUM> for active balancing of the battery cells <NUM> of the battery stack <NUM> comprises the disadvantage that a lot energy is lost in the wire-wound transformers <NUM> for those battery cells <NUM> that are already fully charged. Charge current that flows from battery stack plus contact <NUM> through the series of battery cells <NUM> to the battery stack minus contact <NUM>, as long as all these battery cells <NUM> are charged, is discharged or bypassed through the primary coil of the wire-wound transformer <NUM> for those balancer stages <NUM> with already fully charged battery cells <NUM>, what until the end of the charge program causes a high energy loss in those wire-wound transformers <NUM>.

Furthermore a balancer cable has to be used to connect each of the balancer stages <NUM> with one of the battery cells <NUM>. This additional cable between the battery stack <NUM> and the charger device <NUM> adds complexity and costs.

<CIT> discloses a battery stack for active balancing of battery cells based on a decentralized system. Each battery cell is connected via a dissipative element with a balancer unit. The dissipative elements are realized as MOSFET and used at the end of charging to short-circuiting the battery cell that is already fully charged.

<CIT> discloses a battery stack with battery cells, each connected to a transmission module to communicate with a reception module of a centralized battery management unit. The battery management unit monitors the remaining capacity and charging state of the battery cells and detects battery cells with operation abnormality to exchange these. All transmission modules and the reception module are arranged on a magnetic core to enable data communication based on RFID (NFC).

It is an object of the invention to provide a system of a battery stack and a charger device to charge the battery stack with active balancing of battery cells and to provide a battery stack which improves the energy efficiency and enables more flexibility for faster charging of the battery stack.

This object is achieved in a system according to claim <NUM> and a battery stack according to claim <NUM>.

In an inventive system each balancer stage of the balancer module comprises an RFID antenna and is built to communicate decentrally and without involvement of a master with one or two or all other balancer stages to exchange information and energy between the battery cells of these balancer stages. This means that at least a first RFID antenna of a first balancer stage connected in parallel to the first battery cell and a second RFID antenna of a second balancer stage connected in parallel to the second battery cell are arranged or located in a way that they are in an RFID communication distance to each other to exchange energy and/or information via a common first magnetic field. This direct energy transfer from one already fully charged battery cell to a not yet fully charged battery cell is much more efficient than feeding the discharge current of the state of the art system back into the power system of the battery stack plus contact and a battery stack minus contact to charge the battery stack. The galvanic isolation of the battery cells and balancer stages using RFID antennas enables a substantial advantage for the active balancing of the battery cells.

This inventive balancer module with individual self-sufficient balancer stages may be part of the physical casing of the charger device or, in another embodiment of the invention, may be part of the battery stack. This reduces the charger device to a charger integrated circuit that processes the charger program to charge a for instance Li-Ion battery stack that needs to be charged by the charger device in different time periods with different charge currents and charge voltages. As in this embodiment the balancer module is part of the battery stack no balancer cable is needed to connect each balancer stage with the relevant battery cell, which reduces technical complexity and cost and improves ease of use. The further advantage is achieved, that after charging of the battery stack during the period the battery stack powers a portable device, the balancer module may be used to transfer energy from a battery cell with a higher state of charge to a battery cell with a compared to this higher state of charge lower state of charge. This helps to avoid deep discharge of a battery cell while other battery cells of this battery stack still are in an acceptable higher state of charge. This balancing of the battery stack during the use of the battery stack to power a portable device enables to extend the lifetime of the battery stack.

The communication between the first balancer stage and the second balancer stage and all other balancer stages of the balancer module may comply with the standard ISO <NUM> known as Near Field Communication. Any other comparable RFID standard could be used as well. Near Field Communication as one example realizes an RFID communication distance of about <NUM> centimeters. A company developing a charger device or a battery stack with balancer stages that each comprise their own RFID antenna may therefore decide which of these RFID antennas will be located within or without the RFID communication distance of other RFID antennas or other balancer stages. Based on this physical arrangement of the RFID antennas some of balancer stages may communicate with each other and their battery cells may exchange energy with each other and others may not, what enables a lot of different embodiments that will have advantages depending of the concrete different applications.

In another embodiment of the invention two or more battery stacks may be just put together in a distance closer than the RFID communication distance. As the individual balancer stages are built to communicate with other balancer stages to decide which of the battery cells has a stronger need to receive energy this communication is not limited to balancer stages of one balancer module and does not need a master as in state of the art systems. As a result the two battery stacks put close together will charge those battery cells that have the strongest need for energy without any charger device involved.

The person skilled in the art will understand that various embodiments may be combined.

<FIG> shows a first embodiment of the invention with a system <NUM> of a battery stack <NUM> and a charger device <NUM> to charge the battery stack <NUM> with active balancing of the Li-Ion battery cells <NUM>. The battery stack <NUM> comprises a series of three battery cells <NUM> with at least a first battery cell and a second battery cell connected with battery cell contacts <NUM> in series between a battery stack plus contact <NUM> and a battery stack minus contact <NUM>. The charger device <NUM> is connectable with contacts <NUM> and a cable to mains to power the charger device <NUM> as power source. The charger device <NUM> comprises a charger integrated circuit <NUM> connected with a charger plus contact <NUM> to the battery stack plus contact <NUM> and connected with a charger minus contact <NUM> to the battery stack minus contact <NUM>. The charger integrated circuit <NUM> is built to charge the series of battery cells <NUM> based on a charger program when the charger device <NUM> is connected to the power source to charge the Li-Ion battery cells <NUM>. The charger program charges the battery cells <NUM> in different time periods with different charge currents and charge voltages as for instance it is described in <CIT>.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in <FIG> the battery stack <NUM> of system <NUM> comprises a balancer module <NUM> realized on a printed circuit board with a balancer stage <NUM> for each of the battery cells <NUM> of the battery stack <NUM>. Each of the balancer stages <NUM> is built to transfer energy from an already fully charged battery cell <NUM> to a battery cell <NUM> with a lower state of charge, wherein each balancer stage <NUM> of the balancer module <NUM> is connected in parallel to only one sole battery cell <NUM> of the battery stack <NUM>. Each balancer stage <NUM> comprises an RFID chip <NUM> connected to an RFID antenna <NUM>. The RFID chip <NUM> in this embodiment of the invention is realized to comply with the standard ISO <NUM> known as Near Field Communication and processes a program that enables it to process an anti-collision and RFID communication with other RFID chips <NUM> of the balancer module <NUM>. The RFID chip <NUM> or another integrated circuit of the balancer stage <NUM> not shown in <FIG> is built to measure the state of charge of the battery cell <NUM> it is in parallel connected to. Furthermore a temperature sensor may be added to the balancer stage <NUM> to enable the balancer stage <NUM> to measure the individual temperature of the battery cell <NUM> it is in parallel connected to. Other sensors or measurement elements may be added to the balancer stage <NUM> to gather such actual cell parameters about this individual battery cell <NUM>.

The program processed by all of the RFID chips <NUM> enable them to transmit and receive (to exchange) these cell parameters and other information via a common magnetic field <NUM>. The magnetic field <NUM> may be generated by one of the balancer stages <NUM> and other balancer stages <NUM> with RFID antennas <NUM> in an RFID communication range of for instance <NUM> centimeters may communicate with this balancer stage <NUM>. There are different ways to implement such a program logic, but as one example the first balancer stage <NUM> connected to the battery cell <NUM> with a state of charge of <NUM>% may communicate with the second balancer stage <NUM> connected to the battery cell <NUM> with a state of charge of <NUM>%. The first balancer stage <NUM> and the second balancer stage <NUM> every for instance one or five seconds exchange these cell parameters during the time the charger device <NUM> processes its charger program and charges the battery cells <NUM>. Each of these balancer stages <NUM> is built to compare cell parameters received from other balancer stages <NUM> with its own cell parameters and, as a result of this comparison, is built to negotiate and agree on an energy transfer with one or more balancer stages <NUM> that share the common magnetic field <NUM> to transfer energy from the first balancer stage <NUM> with a higher state of charge of the first battery cell <NUM> to the second balancer stage <NUM> with the compared to the higher state of charge of the first battery cell <NUM> lower state of charge of the second battery cell <NUM>. This negotiation and agreement may be realized in a way that each balancer stage <NUM> that is in the need to dispense energy or that is in the need to receive energy for their parallel connected battery cells <NUM> are free to ask others and that both affected balancer stages <NUM> then have to agree to the transfer of energy before it starts. In another realization the balancer stage <NUM> in the need to dispense energy will simply use more or less all energy provided by the charger integrated circuit <NUM> at the battery cell contacts <NUM> of the already fully charged battery cell <NUM> to generate the magnetic field <NUM>. A balancer stage <NUM> in the need to receive energy for its battery cell <NUM> will simply harvest as much as possible energy from the magnetic field generated by another balancer stage <NUM>. Other more intelligent realizations with concrete agreements might be possible as well.

At the time instance when the battery cell <NUM> connected to the first balancer stage <NUM> reaches the full state of charge, what might be <NUM>% or less as defined in a setup, the first balancer stage <NUM> informs the second balancer stage <NUM> that the second balancer stage <NUM> is allowed and obliged to harvest energy from the magnetic field <NUM> generated by the first balancer stage <NUM>. The RFID chip <NUM> of the first balancer stage <NUM> uses more or less all energy provided by the charger integrated circuit <NUM> at the battery cell contacts <NUM> of the already fully charged battery cell <NUM> to generate the magnetic field <NUM> and in that way bypasses the charge current for this fully charged battery cell <NUM>. The energy harvested by the second balancer stage <NUM> from the magnetic field <NUM> is used by the RFID chip <NUM> of the second balancer stage <NUM> to provide more energy at the battery cell contacts <NUM> of the not yet fully charged battery cell <NUM>. As a result, energy is transferred from the already fully charged battery cell <NUM> to the battery cell <NUM> with a lower state of charge to on the one hand protect the already fully charged battery cell <NUM> from overloading and to on the other hand speed-up the charging process of the not yet fully charged battery cell <NUM>. This active balancing is achieved without any balancing cable connection from the charger device <NUM> to the battery stack <NUM> and without a master integrated circuit of the state of the art to manage the balancer stages to achieve active balancing. Furthermore, the balancer stages <NUM> are only connected via the air interface of the magnetic field <NUM> what ensures complete galvanic isolation.

In the first embodiment of the invention shown in <FIG> all the RFID antennas <NUM> of the three balancer stages <NUM> are arranged on the printed circuit board within the same RFID communication range to ensure that information and energy exchange and active balancing is possible between all three balancer stages <NUM> and their battery cells <NUM>. In other applications and battery stacks other arrangements might be useful where different subsets of balancer stages of the same balancer module are defined and only the balancer stages of each subset are arranged in RFID communication distance to communicate and exchange energy. In further embodiments of the invention one or more RFID antennas <NUM> of balancer stages <NUM> may be located at the outer area of the RFID communication distance where the magnetic field <NUM> is not that strong anymore like in the inner area of the RFID communication range. With these different locations balancer stages <NUM> in the inner area will be in a preferred position to harvest more energy than the other balancer stages <NUM> at the outer area of the RFID communication distance to the balancer stage <NUM> that generates the magnetic field <NUM>. A person skilled in the art will understand the different applications possible with these different locations of RFID antennas <NUM> that enable or disable or favor some of the balancer stages.

In another use case of the battery stack <NUM> shown in <FIG> the battery stack <NUM> has been charged with the charger device <NUM> and is now disconnected from charger device <NUM> and connected to a portable device to power this portable device. The portable device may be any device like a mobile phone or radio or model airplane or other device that needs to be powered with battery cells <NUM>. During the use of this portable device the state of charge of the battery cells <NUM> reduces, but due to differences of the battery cells <NUM> not in the same speed. As a result each of the battery cells <NUM> may comprise a different state of charge as shown in <FIG>. From time to time or depending on the state of charge of some or all of the battery cells <NUM> the balancer stages <NUM> may start to communicate and exchange their cell parameters. Based on the comparison of cell parameters received from other balancer stages <NUM> and the cell parameters of the own battery cell <NUM> balancer stages <NUM> may decide to exchange energy between their battery cells <NUM>. This enables to avoid situations where one of the battery cells <NUM> gets deep discharged and as a result destroys the complete battery stack <NUM> while other battery cells <NUM> still have a higher state of charge.

In a further embodiment of the invention the three RFID chips <NUM> are realized on one single integrated circuit and only their RFID antennas <NUM> are separate physical elements. In that case the communication between the balancer stages could be realized just within this integrated circuit and only the energy transfer between the balancer stages would be via the RFID antennas <NUM>.

In a further embodiment of the invention, not shown in the figures, the charger device of system comprises a balancer module realized on a printed circuit board of the charger device with a balancer stage for each of the battery cells of the battery stack. In this less preferred embodiment, as a balancer cable from the charger device to the battery stack would still be needed, the transfer of energy for active balancing of the battery cells would still be done via RFID antennas located within the charger device.

Claim 1:
System (<NUM>) of a battery stack (<NUM>) and a charger device (<NUM>) to charge the battery stack (<NUM>) with active balancing of battery cells (<NUM>), which battery stack (<NUM>) comprises:
a series of battery cells (<NUM>) with at least a first battery cell and a second battery cell connected with battery cell contacts (<NUM>) in series between a battery stack plus contact (<NUM>) and a battery stack minus contact (<NUM>) and
which charger device (<NUM>) is connectable to a power source and comprises:
a charger module (<NUM>) connected with a charger plus contact (<NUM>) to the battery stack plus contact (<NUM>) and connected with a charger minus contact (<NUM>) to the battery stack minus contact (<NUM>) and built to charge the series of battery cells (<NUM>) based on a charger program when the charger device (<NUM>) is connected to the power source and which system (<NUM>) comprises:
a balancer module (<NUM>) with a balancer stage (<NUM>) for each of the battery cells (<NUM>) of the battery stack (<NUM>) built to transfer energy from an already fully charged battery cell (<NUM>) to a battery cell (<NUM>) with a lower state of charge, wherein each balancer stage (<NUM>) of the balancer module (<NUM>) is connected in parallel to only one sole battery cell (<NUM>) of the battery cells (<NUM>) of the battery stack (<NUM>), characterized in,
that each balancer stage (<NUM>) of the balancer module (<NUM>) comprises an RFID antenna (<NUM>), wherein at least a first RFID antenna of a first balancer stage connected in parallel to the first battery cell and a second RFID antenna of a second balancer stage connected in parallel to the second battery cell are arranged in an RFID communication distance to exchange energy and information via a common first magnetic field (<NUM>),
wherein the first balancer stage (<NUM>) uses more or less all energy provided by the charger module (<NUM>) at the battery cell contacts (<NUM>) of the already fully charged battery cell (<NUM>) to generate a magnetic field (<NUM>) and in that way bypasses a charge current for this fully charged battery cell (<NUM>).