US 11,688,891 B2
Battery charger with battery state detection
Patrick J. Clarke, St. Charles, IL (US); and John S. Whiting, North Richland Hills, TX (US)
Assigned to Schumacher Electric Corporation, Fort Worth, TX (US)
Filed by Schumacher Electric Corporation, Fort Worth, TX (US)
Filed on Dec. 13, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/548,918.
Application 17/548,918 is a continuation of application No. 17/068,077, filed on Oct. 12, 2020, granted, now 11,201,361, issued on Dec. 14, 2021.
Application 17/068,077 is a continuation of application No. 16/600,757, filed on Oct. 14, 2019, granted, now 10,804,574, issued on Oct. 13, 2020.
Application 16/600,757 is a continuation of application No. 15/594,822, filed on May 15, 2017, granted, now 10,446,885, issued on Oct. 15, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/370,317, filed on Aug. 3, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/336,118, filed on May 13, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0140411 A1, May 5, 2022
Int. Cl. H01M 10/46 (2006.01); H01M 10/42 (2006.01); G01R 31/371 (2019.01); G01R 31/392 (2019.01); G01R 31/3835 (2019.01); H02J 7/00 (2006.01); H01M 10/44 (2006.01); H01M 10/48 (2006.01); G01R 31/364 (2019.01); G01R 31/00 (2006.01); G01R 31/378 (2019.01); G01R 31/3842 (2019.01); G01R 31/379 (2019.01); G01R 1/20 (2006.01); G01R 13/02 (2006.01); G01R 19/00 (2006.01); H01R 13/02 (2006.01); H01R 13/66 (2006.01)
CPC H01M 10/4285 (2013.01) [G01R 31/371 (2019.01); G01R 31/3835 (2019.01); G01R 31/392 (2019.01); H01M 10/446 (2013.01); H01M 10/48 (2013.01); H02J 7/005 (2020.01); H02J 7/00032 (2020.01); H02J 7/0036 (2013.01); H02J 7/00047 (2020.01); H02J 7/0049 (2020.01); H02J 7/0069 (2020.01); H02J 7/00712 (2020.01); H02J 7/00714 (2020.01); H02J 7/00718 (2020.01); H02J 7/007192 (2020.01); G01R 1/203 (2013.01); G01R 13/02 (2013.01); G01R 19/0069 (2013.01); G01R 31/006 (2013.01); G01R 31/364 (2019.01); G01R 31/378 (2019.01); G01R 31/379 (2019.01); G01R 31/3842 (2019.01); H01R 13/025 (2013.01); H01R 13/6616 (2013.01); H01R 13/6625 (2013.01); H01R 13/6683 (2013.01); H01R 13/6691 (2013.01); H02J 7/0048 (2020.01); H02J 7/007194 (2020.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A battery charger configured to identify a bad battery condition for a lead acid battery, the battery charger comprising:
a processor operatively coupled with a voltage sensor;
a non-transitory memory device operatively coupled with the processor;
a power management device to receive an input power and to output a charging current during a charging process;
a display device electrically coupled to the processor; and
a pair of electrical conductors to electrically couple with the lead acid battery, wherein the battery charger is configured to:
measure, via the voltage sensor, a first battery voltage of the lead acid battery connected across the pair of electrical conductors;
supply, via the pair of electrical conductors, the charging current to the lead acid batter for a first period of time;
measure, via the voltage sensor, a second battery voltage of the lead acid battery connected across the pair of electrical conductors after the first period of time;
determine a rate of change of voltage (dv/dt) for the first period of time; and
display a bad battery indicator via the display device if the rate of change of voltage (dv/dt) is less than a rate of change of voltage value.