US 12,463,437 B2
Battery pack with temperature limited current
Colin Hines, Easley, SC (US); and Clayton Brutus, Greenville, SC (US)
Assigned to TECHTRONIC CORDLESS GP, Anderson, SC (US)
Filed by TECHTRONIC CORDLESS GP, Anderson, SC (US)
Filed on Jun. 17, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/744,823.
Application 18/744,823 is a continuation of application No. 17/084,982, filed on Oct. 30, 2020, granted, now 12,015,290.
Prior Publication US 2024/0413648 A1, Dec. 12, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01M 10/44 (2006.01); H02J 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC H02J 7/00309 (2020.01) [H01M 10/443 (2013.01); H02J 7/0013 (2013.01); H02J 7/0045 (2013.01); H02J 7/00714 (2020.01); H02J 7/007194 (2020.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A battery pack charging system, comprising:
a battery pack comprising:
one or more cells; and
at least one temperature sensor configured to obtain a temperature measurement indicative of a temperature of at least one cell of the one or more cells;
a battery charger configured to receive the battery pack; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the battery pack and the battery charger, the controller configured to:
obtain the temperature measurement from the at least one temperature sensor;
determine, based at least in part on the temperature measurement, that the temperature of the at least one cell is between a lower temperature threshold and an upper temperature threshold;
in response to determining that the temperature of the at least one cell is between the lower temperature threshold and the upper temperature threshold, reducing a maximum charging current based at least in part on an inverse functional relationship between the temperature measurement and the maximum charging current, wherein the maximum charging current is reduced across at least a temperature-inverse region;
determine, based at least in part on the temperature measurement, that the temperature of the at least one cell is greater than the upper temperature threshold;
in response to determining that the temperature of the at least one cell is greater than the upper temperature threshold, halt charging of the battery pack;
subsequent to halting charging of the battery pack, determine that the temperature of the at least one cell is at or below the lower temperature threshold within the temperature-inverse region;
in response to determining that the temperature of the at least one cell is at or below the lower temperature threshold, resume charging of the battery pack by reducing the charging current based in part on the inverse functional relationship between the temperature measurement and the maximum charging current; and
controlling the battery charger based at least in part on the maximum charging current to charge the one or more cells.