US 12,421,928 B2
Multifunctional battery booster
Patrick J. Clarke, St. Charles, IL (US); John S. Whiting, Hampshire, IL (US); and Brian F. Butler, Chicago, IL (US)
Assigned to Schumacher Electric Corporation, Fort Worth, TX (US)
Filed by Schumacher Electric Corporation, Fort Worth, TX (US)
Filed on Jun. 12, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/208,649.
Application 18/208,649 is a continuation of application No. 16/556,525, filed on Aug. 30, 2019, granted, now 11,674,490.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/725,164, filed on Aug. 30, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0323847 A1, Oct. 12, 2023
Int. Cl. F02N 11/08 (2006.01); B60L 53/62 (2019.01); F02N 11/12 (2006.01); H01M 10/0525 (2010.01); H01M 10/48 (2006.01); H02J 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC F02N 11/0862 (2013.01) [B60L 53/62 (2019.02); F02N 11/12 (2013.01); H01M 10/0525 (2013.01); H02J 7/00711 (2020.01); H01M 10/48 (2013.01); H01M 2220/20 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A battery booster for jumpstarting a vehicle having an external battery with a nominal voltage of 12 volts, the battery booster comprising:
at least one processor;
a user interface;
a set of terminal connectors configured to couple with the external battery or an engine that is electrically coupled with the external battery;
a power supply having a lithium battery configured to supply a pre-charge current to pre-charge the external battery and a starting current to jump start the engine, wherein the lithium battery has a nominal voltage of 16 volts; and
a power-management circuit that comprises a single-ended primary-inductor converter (SEPIC) circuit and that is operatively coupled with the at least one processor,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to transfer power selectively between the external battery and the power supply via a switch,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to close the switch to perform a pre-charge function via the power-management circuit whereby the pre-charge current is supplied to the external battery for a first predetermined period of time before the at least one processor opens the switch,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to detect an ignition attempt,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to, upon detection of the ignition attempt, close the switch to supply the starting current via the power-management circuit to jump start the engine,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to detect a spike,
wherein, upon detection of the spike, the at least one processor is configured to perform a back-feed function via the power-management circuit to pass a back-feed current from the vehicle to the lithium battery via the SEPIC circuit for a second predetermined period of time, and
wherein the power-management circuit further comprises a pulse width modulation (PWM) driver operatively coupled to one or more switches, the at least one processor is configured to, during the back-feed function, modulate the back-feed current from the vehicle via the PWM driver and one or more switches.