US 12,218,543 B2
Hybrid battery charger
Xiao Ping Chen, Buffalo Grove, IL (US); Matthew Adam Heins, Arlington Heights, IL (US); and Shenzhong Zhu, Des Plaines, IL (US)
Assigned to Schumacher Electric Corporation, Fort Worth, TX (US)
Filed by Schumacher Electric Corporation, Fort Worth, TX (US)
Filed on Sep. 21, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/480,263.
Application 17/480,263 is a continuation of application No. 15/461,619, filed on Mar. 17, 2017, granted, now 11,128,161.
Application 15/461,619 is a continuation of application No. 15/153,164, filed on May 12, 2016, granted, now 9,643,503, issued on May 9, 2017.
Application 15/153,164 is a continuation of application No. 13/659,412, filed on Oct. 24, 2012, granted, now 9,368,269, issued on Jun. 14, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0006317 A1, Jan. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. H02J 7/02 (2016.01); B60L 53/00 (2019.01); B60L 58/15 (2019.01); H01F 27/28 (2006.01); H01F 38/42 (2006.01); H02J 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC H02J 7/02 (2013.01) [B60L 53/00 (2019.02); B60L 58/15 (2019.02); H01F 27/28 (2013.01); H01F 38/42 (2013.01); H02J 7/00714 (2020.01); H02J 7/007182 (2020.01); H02J 7/00302 (2020.01); H02J 2207/20 (2020.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A hybrid battery charger for charging a battery of a vehicle, the hybrid battery charger comprising:
a housing;
a set of output terminals configured to electrically couple with the vehicle;
a linear charger circuit positioned within said housing and configured to supply a first current to the battery via said set of output terminals during a first mode of operation;
a high frequency charger circuit positioned within said housing and configured to supply a second current to the battery via said set of output terminals during a second mode of operation;
a variable frequency drive circuit positioned within said housing and configured to control a frequency of the high frequency charger circuit, wherein the frequency of the high frequency charger circuit is greater than 20 kHz; and
a microcontroller to selectively control said linear charger circuit and said high frequency charger circuit via one or more switches during a charging cycle of the battery, wherein the microcontroller is configured to switch the hybrid battery charger from the first mode of operation to the second mode of operation during the charging cycle when a condition is met.