Patent Application
20230318316
Portable power supplies provide flexibility and convenience for providing power to portable electronic devices. For example, a user may find themselves on a worksite without access to a conventional wall outlet and with a depleted power tool battery pack. A portable power supply offers the user an opportunity to charge battery packs in proximity to where they are working, so they can avoid spending time finding a location to charge their battery pack or traveling to a wall outlet to plug in a charger. In many cases, it is advantageous to charge various types of battery packs at once. As day-to-day tasks of a user using power tools may shift, the need for increased and/or different battery pack charging ports may arise.
It would be advantageous for a portable power supply to include charging module blocks that may be added to a base charging module block to accommodate charging of a plurality of battery packs. Charging module blocks provide different charging currents for different battery pack characteristics (e.g., capacities) and allow battery packs to be charged at the same time and sequentially. As a result, multiple battery packs with various power ratings may be charged by a single portable power supply. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a portable power supply that can be customized with modular charging blocks to increase flexibility of charging battery packs in the portable power supply system.
Portable power supplies described herein are for charging power tool battery packs. The portable power supply includes a battery core including a plurality of battery cells, a first modular charger block received in a first charging slot and connected to a first charging port, a second modular charger block received in a second charging slot and connected to a second charging port, and a controller including an electronic processor. The controller is configured to determine that a first battery pack is received by the first charging port, determine that a device is received by the second charging port, determine a first characteristic of the first battery pack, and provide a first current to the first battery pack based on the first characteristic and a second current to the second battery pack based on the device being received by the second charging port.
In some aspects, the controller is further configured to enable a fan configured to cool the first charging port, wherein the fan is integrated into the first modular charger block.
In some aspects, the controller is further configured to determine that a second device is received by a third charging port, and provide, in response to determining that the second device is received by the third charging port, a third current to the second device.
In some aspects, the first modular charger block includes a first power buck and a second power buck.
In some aspects, the first power buck is capable of providing 18 amps of current to the first charging port.
In some aspects, the second modular charger block includes a first power buck and a second power buck.
In some aspects, the first power buck provides between 3.3 volts (V) and 21 V to the second charging port and the second power buck provides 5 V to a third charging port.
In some aspects, the second charging port is USB-C charging port and a third charging port is a USB-A charging port.
In some aspects, the first characteristic is a charge capacity of the first battery pack.
In some aspects, the device is one of a mobile phone, a tablet, a power tool, a battery pack, and a battery pack charger.
Method described herein are for providing power from a battery core of a portable power supply. The method includes determining, with an electronic processor of the portable power supply, that a first battery pack is received by a first charging port of a first modular charger included in the portable power supply, determining, with the electronic processor of the portable power supply, that a first device is received by a second charging port of a second modular charger included in the portable power supply, determining, with the electronic processor of the portable power supply, a first characteristic of the first battery pack, and providing, with the electronic processor of the portable power supply, a first current to the first battery pack based on the first characteristic and a second current to the first device based on the first device being received by the second charging port.
In some aspects, the method further includes determining, with the electronic processor of the portable power supply, that a second device is received by a third charging port of the second modular charger included in the portable power supply, and providing, with the electronic processor of the portable power supply, a third current to the second device.
In some aspects, the second device is a second battery pack.
In some aspects, the third current is less than the first current.
In some aspects, the method further includes determining, with the electronic processor of the portable power supply, that a second device is received by a third charging port of the second modular charger included in the portable power supply, determining, with the electronic processor of the portable power supply, that the first device is fully charged, and providing, with the electronic processor of the portable power supply, the second current to the second device.
In some aspects, the first device and the second device are battery packs.
Systems described herein include a first device, a second device, and a portable power supply. The portable power supply includes a battery core including a plurality of battery cells, a user interface, a first modular charger block received in a first charging slot and connected to a first charging port, a second modular charger block received in a second charging slot and connected to a second charging port, and a controller including an electronic processor. The electronic processor is configured to determine that the first device is received by the first charging port, determine that the second device is received by the second charging port, receive an input from the user interface, and provide a first current to the first device and a second current to the second device based on the input.
In some aspects, the input is one of a low-power input and a high-power input.
In some aspects, when the input is the low-power input, the first current is provided from the first modular charger block and the second current is provided from the second modular charger block.
In some aspects, when the input is the high-power input, the first current is a sum of currents provided from the first modular charger block and the second modular charger block.
Before any embodiments are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the embodiments are not limited in their application to the details of the configuration and arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are capable of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof are meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings.
In addition, it should be understood that embodiments may include hardware, software, and electronic components or modules that, for purposes of discussion, may be illustrated and described as if the majority of the components were implemented solely in hardware. However, one of ordinary skill in the art, and based on a reading of this detailed description, would recognize that, in at least one embodiment, the electronic-based aspects may be implemented in software (e.g., stored on non-transitory computer-readable medium) executable by one or more processing units, such as a microprocessor and/or application specific integrated circuits (“ASICs”). As such, it should be noted that a plurality of hardware and software-based devices, as well as a plurality of different structural components, may be utilized to implement the embodiments. For example, “servers,” “computing devices,” “controllers,” “processors,” etc., described in the specification can include one or more processing units, one or more computer-readable medium modules, one or more input/output interfaces, and various connections (e.g., a system bus) connecting the components.
Relative terminology, such as, for example, “about,” “approximately,” “substantially,” etc., used in connection with a quantity or condition would be understood by those of ordinary skill to be inclusive of the stated value and has the meaning dictated by the context (e.g., the term includes at least the degree of error associated with the measurement accuracy, tolerances [e.g., manufacturing, assembly, use, etc.] associated with the particular value, etc.). Such terminology should also be considered as disclosing the range defined by the absolute values of the two endpoints. For example, the expression “from about 2 to about 4” also discloses the range “from 2 to 4”. The relative terminology may refer to plus or minus a percentage (e.g., 1%, 5%, 10%, or more) of an indicated value.
It should be understood that although certain drawings illustrate hardware and software located within particular devices, these depictions are for illustrative purposes only. Functionality described herein as being performed by one component may be performed by multiple components in a distributed manner. Likewise, functionality performed by multiple components may be consolidated and performed by a single component. In some embodiments, the illustrated components may be combined or divided into separate software, firmware and/or hardware. For example, instead of being located within and performed by a single electronic processor, logic and processing may be distributed among multiple electronic processors. Regardless of how they are combined or divided, hardware and software components may be located on the same computing device or may be distributed among different computing devices connected by one or more networks or other suitable communication links. Similarly, a component described as performing particular functionality may also perform additional functionality not described herein. For example, a device or structure that is “configured” in a certain way is configured in at least that way but may also be configured in ways that are not explicitly listed.
Other aspects of the embodiments will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Embodiments described herein relate to a portable power supply that includes modular charging blocks for flexible charging of battery packs.
The housing 102 of power supply 100 further includes a power input unit 114, a power output unit 116, and a display 118. In the illustrated embodiment, the power input unit 114 includes multiple electrical connection interfaces configured to receive power from an external power source. In some embodiments, the external power source is a DC power source. For example, the DC power source may be one or more photovoltaic cells (e.g., a solar panel), an electric vehicle (EV) charging station, or any other DC power source. In some embodiments, the external power source is an AC power source. For example, the AC power source may be a conventional wall outlet, such as a 120 V outlet or a 240 V outlet, found in North America. As another example, the AC power source may be a conventional wall outlet, such as a 220V outlet or 230V outlet, found outside of North America. In some embodiments, the power input unit 114 is replaced by or additionally includes a cable configured to plug into a conventional wall outlet. In some embodiments, the power input unit 114 further includes one or more devices, such as antennas or induction coils, configured to wireles sly receive power from an external power source. The power received by the power input unit 114 may be used to charge a core battery, or internal power source 120, disposed within the housing 102 of power supply 100.
The power received by the power input unit 114 may also be used to provide power to one or more devices connected to the power output unit 116. The power output unit 116 includes one more power outlets. In the illustrated embodiment, the power output unit 116 includes a plurality of AC power outlets 116A and DC power outlets 116B. It should be understood that number of power outlets included in the power output unit 116 is not limited to the power outlets illustrated in
In some embodiments, the power output unit 116 is configured to provide power output by the internal power source 120 to one or more peripheral devices. In some embodiments, the power output unit 116 is configured to provide power provided by an external power source directly to one or more peripheral devices. The one or more peripheral devices may be a smartphone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a portable music player, a power tool, a power tool battery pack (e.g., a battery pack 200 [see
In some embodiments, the DC power outlets 116B also include one or more receptacles for receiving and charging power tool battery packs 200, as shown in
In some embodiments, the power output unit 116 includes tool-specific power outlets. For example, the power output unit may include a DC power outlet used for powering a welding tool. In some embodiments, the DC power outlets 116B are configured to support charging of battery packs with various power ratings (e.g., 12V, 18V, etc.).
The display 118 is configured to indicate a state of the power supply 100 to a user, such as state of charge of the internal power source 120 and/or fault conditions. In some embodiments the display 118 includes one or more light-emitting diode (“LED”) indicators configured to illuminate and display a current state of charge of internal power source 120. In some embodiments, the display 118 is, for example, a liquid crystal display (“LCD”), a light-emitting diode (“LED”) display, an organic LED (“OLED”) display, an electroluminescent display (“ELD”), a surface-conduction electron-emitter display (“SED”), a field emission display (“FED”), a thin-film transistor (“TFT”) LCD, an electronic ink display, etc. In other embodiments, the power supply 100 does not include a display.
The following description of an individual subcore module 125 is written with respect to subcore module 125A. However, it should be understood that each individual subcore module 125 included in the internal power source 120 can include similar components and include corresponding reference numerals (e.g., 125B, 126B, 127B, 125N, 126N, 127N, etc.). Subcore module 125A includes a stack, or plurality, of battery cells 126A. The stack of battery cells 126A includes at least two battery cells electrically connected in series. However, the stack of battery cells 126A may include as many battery cells as desired. For example, the stack of battery cells 126A may include two, three, four, ten, twenty, twenty-three, twenty-eight, forty-six, seventy or more battery cells electrically connected in series. In some embodiments, the stack of battery cells 126A includes battery cells that are electrically connected in parallel. In some embodiments, the stack of battery cells 126A includes battery cells that are electrically connected in series and in parallel. In some embodiments, the subcore module 125A includes multiple stacks of battery cells 126A that are electrically connected in parallel with one another.
The battery cells included in the stack of battery cells 126A are rechargeable battery cells having a lithium ion chemistry, such as lithium phosphate or lithium manganese. In some embodiments, the battery cells included in the stack of battery cells 126A may have lead acid, nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride, and/or other chemistries. Each battery cell in the stack of battery cells 126A has an individual nominal voltage. The nominal voltage of an individual battery cell included in the stack of battery cells 126A may be, for example, 4.2V, 4V, 3.9V, 3.6V, 2.4V, or some other voltage value. For exemplary purposes, it will be assumed that the nominal voltage of an individual battery cell included in the stack of battery cells 126A is equal to 4V. Accordingly, if the stack of battery cells 126A includes two battery cells connected in series, the nominal voltage of the stack of battery cells 126A, or the subcore module 125A, is equal to 8.0V. Similarly, if the stack of battery cells 126A includes twenty three battery cells connected in series, the nominal voltage of the subcore module 125A is 92V. In some embodiments, the stack of battery cells 126A includes eight battery cells connected in series, and the nominal voltage of the subcore module 125A is 24V. The amp-hour capacity, or capacity, of subcore module 125A may be increased by adding battery cells connected in a parallel-series combination to the stack of battery cells 126A.
Subcore module 125A further includes a battery, or subcore, monitoring circuit 127A and a subcore housing 128A. The subcore monitoring circuit 127A is electrically connected to the stack of battery cells 126A and a controller 300 (see
In some embodiments, the stack of battery cells 126A and subcore monitoring circuit 127A are disposed within the subcore housing 128A of the subcore module 125A. In some embodiments, the stack of battery cells 126A is disposed within the subcore housing 128A and the subcore monitoring circuit 127A is included as a component of the controller 300. In some embodiments, the subcore module 125A does not include a subcore housing 128A.
As described above, the internal power source 120 of power supply 100 may include multiple subcore modules 125 electrically connected in series and/or parallel. For example, if the internal power source 120 includes a first subcore module 125A and a second subcore module 125B electrically connected in series, where each of the first subcore module 125A and the second subcore module 125B has a nominal voltage of 92V, the combined voltage of the first subcore module 125A and second subcore module 125B equals 184V. Accordingly, the voltage level at which the internal power source 120 outputs DC power is 184V. Likewise, if the internal power source 120 includes five series-connected subcore modules 125A-125E, where each of the subcore modules 125A-125E has a nominal voltage of 56V, the voltage level at which the internal power source 120 outputs DC power is 280V. Any number of subcore modules 125A-125N may be electrically connected in series and/or parallel to achieve a desired nominal voltage and/or capacity for internal power source 120.
In some embodiments, the power output unit 116 includes charger blocks 132. The charger blocks 132 are self-contained charging modules that can support charging of one, two, or three or more battery packs 200 via charging ports 142 (see
The charger blocks 132 of
The high buck converter 150 and the low buck converter 152 deliver current to the charging ports 142A-142C. In some embodiments, the high buck converter 150 provides 12 Amps of current to the first charging port 142A. In some embodiments, the low buck converter 152 provides between 6-9 Amps of current to the second and third charging ports 142B, 142C. Switches SW1, SW2, SW3, SW4 control which charging ports 142 receive a charging current. The switches SW1, SW2, SW3, SW4 may be mechanical switches, transistors, or the like. In some embodiments, the switches SW1, SW2, SW3, SW4 may be configured such that a single charging port 142A receives 18 Amps of charging current (e.g., switches SW1, SW2 are closed and switches SW3, SW4 are open). Alternatively, the switches SW1, SW2, SW3, SW4 may be configured such that the first charging port 142A receives 12 Amps of charging current, and both of the second and third charging ports 142B, 142C receive 6 Amps of charging current, simultaneously (e.g., switches SW1, SW3 SW4 are closed and switch SW2 is open).
The switches SW1, SW2, SW3, SW4 may be controlled by the controller 154. In some embodiments, the controller 154 monitors the charging ports 142A-142C to control charging current delivery to the charging ports 142A-142C. In some embodiments, the controller 154 receives inputs from an external device (e.g., a mobile phone, computer, tablet, etc.) that controls the amount of charging current received by the charging ports 142A-142C. In some embodiments, the controller 154 can determine a battery pack rating when the battery pack 200 is received by the charging port 142A-142C. For example, the battery pack 200 may be received by the first charging port 142A and the controller 154 may determine the battery pack is rated for 18 Amps. Accordingly, the controller 154 may close the appropriate switches to provide 18 Amps of charging current from the high buck converter 150 and the low buck converter 152 to the first charging port 142A. As another example, the controller 154 may determine a first battery pack and a second battery pack, both rated for 18 Amps, were received by the first charging port 142A and the second charging port 142B, respectively, and the controller 154 may control the switches to provide 12 Amps of charging current to both of the charging ports 142A, 142B, simultaneously.
In addition to controlling the switches, the controller 154 may control the fan 155. The fan 155 provides a cooling airflow to the battery pack 200 that is coupled to the charging port 142A-142C. In some embodiments, the first charger block 132A may include multiple fans 155 to cool battery packs 200 coupled to each of the charging ports 142A-142C. The controller 154 may communicate with the controller 300 over a control area network (“CAN”) bus to share status information with the power supply 100 and to receive mode commands.
The controller 160 controls the switches SW5, SW6, SW7, SW8 to sequentially provide the charging current to the charging ports 144. For example, when the charging current is output from the converter 158, the charging current flows first to the first charging port 144A (e.g., switch SW5 is closed and switches SW6, SW7, SW8 are open). When the controller 160 determines that the battery pack 200 coupled to the first charging port 144A is fully charged, the controller 160 controls the switches such that the charging current flows to the second charging port 144B (e.g., switches SW6, SW7 are closed and switches SW5, SW8 are open). When the controller determines that the battery pack 200 coupled to the second charging port 144B is fully charged, the controller 160 controls the switches such that the charging current flows to the third charging port 144C (e.g., switches SW6, SW8 are closed and switches SW5, SW7 are open). In some embodiments, the charger block 132B may not include switch SW6. The controller 160 may communicate with a CAN bus to share status information with the power supply 100 and to receive mode commands.
The switches SW9, SW10, SW11 are controlled by the controller 300 based on, for example, an input from the user interface 400. The switch SW9 of the fourth charger block 132D may be controlled by the controller 300 to allow charging current to flow from the low power converter 162 to charging circuit A 163, thus, enabling the fourth charger block 132D. The switch SW11 of the fifth charger block 132E may be controlled by the controller 300 to allow charging current to flow from the high power converter 164 to charging circuit B 167, thus, enabling the fifth charger block 132E. Switch SW10 can be integrated into the portable power supply 100 and is also controllable by the controller 300. In some embodiments, the controller 300 may close switch SW10 when sequential charging of the battery packs 165, 169 is taking place. For example, the user interface 400 may receive an input indicating that there is no rush in charging battery packs 165, 169 and the controller 300 may sequentially charge the battery packs 165, 169 so as to not overload the power source 120.
In some embodiments, the charger blocks 132 may borrow an output charging current from one another. For example, a user may interact with the user interface 400 to set the charge rate of the charging circuits 163, 167. A user may choose a normal-power configuration or a high-power configuration for a particular charging circuit 163, 167. For example, the user interface 400 may include buttons (e.g., on a screen) that correspond with an off configuration, a normal-power configuration for charging circuit A 163, and a high-power configuration for charging circuit A 163 or charging circuit B 167. Other power configurations may be contemplated. In some embodiments, the controller 300 receives inputs from an external device (e.g., a mobile phone, computer, tablet, etc.) that controls the charge rate of the charging circuits 163, 167.
When a normal-power configuration for charging circuit A 163 is input by a user at the user interface 400 for charging circuit A 163, the controller 300 controls switches SW9, SW11 close and switch SW10 to open. Accordingly, the power from the low power converter 162 flows to charging circuit A 163, which then charges the first battery pack 156 using 6 Amps of current and the power from the high power converter 164 flows to charging circuit B 167, which then charges the second battery pack 169 using 12 Amps of current.
When a high-power configuration is input by a user at the user interface 400, the controller 300 controls either switches SW9, SW10 to close and switch SW11 to open, or switches SW10, SW11 to close and switch SW9 to open. Accordingly, the power from the low power converter 162 of charger block 132D and the high power converter 164 of charger block 132E flows to charging circuit A 163 or charging circuit B 167, respectively, charging the respective battery pack 165, 169 with 18 Amps of charging current.
In some embodiments, the battery pack receiving the output from both power converters 162, 264 (e.g., in the higher-power configurations) reaches a full charge faster than when both the battery packs receive power from their respective power supplies (e.g., during normal operation of the charger blocks 132).
In some embodiments, the switches SW9, SW10, SW11 may all be open when the portable power supply 100 is in the off configuration or no battery packs 165, 169 are attached to the portable power supply 100.
Tables 1-6, below, are examples of the various power output configurations that may be implemented by the portable power supply 100, and more specifically, by the circuit components in the schematic diagram of
The switches SW12, SW13, SW14, SW15, SW16 are controlled by the controller 300 based on an input from the user interface 400. The switch SW12 of the sixth charger block 132F may be controlled by the controller 300 to allow charging current to flow from the low power converter 170 to charging circuit A 171, thus, enabling the sixth charger block 132F. The switch SW14 of the seventh charger block 132G may be controlled by the controller 300 to allow charging current to flow from the low power converter 172 to charging circuit B 175, thus, enabling the seventh charger block 132G. The switch SW16 of the eighth charger block 132H may be controlled by the controller 300 to allow charging current to flow from the high power converter 174 to charging circuit C 179, thus, enabling the eighth charger block 132H. Switches SW13, SW15 are integrated into the portable power supply 100 and are also controllable by the controller 300. In some embodiments, the controller 300 may close switches SW13, SW15 when sequential charging of the battery packs 173, 177, 181 is taking place. For example, the user interface 400 may receive an input indicating that there is no rush in charging battery packs 173, 177, 181, and the controller 300 may sequentially charge the battery packs 173, 177, 181 by sequentially enabling the respective charger blocks 132, so as to not overload the power source 120.
In some embodiments, the charger blocks 132 may borrow an output charging current from one another. For example, a user may interact with the user interface 400 to set the charge rate of the charging circuits 171, 175, 179. For example, the user interface 400 may include buttons (e.g., on a screen) that correspond with an off configuration, normal-power configuration for the charging circuits 171, 175, 179, a medium-power circuit for charging circuit A or charging circuit B, and a high-power configuration for any one of the charging circuits 171, 175, 179. Other power configurations may be contemplated. In some embodiments, the controller 300 receives inputs from an external device (e.g., a mobile phone, computer, tablet, etc.) that controls the charge rate of the charging circuits 171, 175, 179.
When a normal-power configuration is input by a user at the user interface 400, the controller 300 controls switches SW12, SW14, SW16 to close and switches SW13, SW15 to open. Accordingly, the power from low power converter 170 flows to charging circuit A 171, which then charges the first battery pack 173 using 6 Amps of current, the power from low power converter 172 flows to charging circuit B 175, which then charges the second battery pack 177 using 6 Amps of current, and the power from the high power converter 174 flows to charging circuit C 179, which then charges the third battery pack 181 using 12 Amps of current.
When a first medium-power configuration is input by a user at the user interface 400, the controller 300 controls switches SW12, SW13 to close and switches SW14, SW15, SW16 to open. Accordingly, the power from the low power converters 170, 172 flows to charging circuit A 171, which then charges the first battery pack 173 using 12 Amps of current.
When a second medium-power configuration is input by a user at the user interface 400, the controller 300 control switches SW13, SW14 to close and switches SW12, SW15, SW 16 to open. Accordingly, the power from the low power converters 170, 172 flows to charging circuit B 175, which then charges the second battery pack 177 using 12 Amps of current. During both the first and second medium-power configuration the power from the high power converter 174 may flow to charging circuit C 179 (such that switch SW16 would be closed), which then charges the third battery pack 181 using 12 Amps of current.
When a first high-power configuration is input by a user at the user interface 400, the controller 300 controls switches SW12, SW13, SW15 to close and switches SW14, SW16 to open. Accordingly, the power from low power converters 170, 172 and the high power converter 174 flows to charging circuit A 171, which then charges the first battery pack 173 using 24 Amps of current. Charging circuit B 175 and charging circuit C 179 do not receive any power. In some embodiments, the battery pack receiving 24 Amps of current may be a high-capacity, high-output battery pack that requires 24 Amps of current to be charged.
When a second high-power configuration is input by a user at the user interface 400, the controller 300 controls switches SW13, SW14, SW15 to close and switches SW12, SW16 to open. Accordingly, the power from low power converters 170, 172 and the high power converter 174 flows to charging circuit B 175, which then charges the second battery pack 177 using 24 Amps of current. Charging circuit A 171 and charging circuit C 179 do not receive any power.
When a third high-power configuration is input by a user at the user interface 400, the controller 300 controls switches SW13, SW15, SW16 to close and switches SW12, SW14 to open. Accordingly, the power from the power from low power converters 170, 172 and the high power converter 174 flows to charging circuit C 179, which then charges the third battery pack 181 using 24 Amps of current. Charging circuit A 171 and charging circuit B 175 do not receive any power.
In some embodiments, the switches SW12, SW13, SW14, SW15, SW16 may all be open when the portable power supply 100 is in the off configuration or no battery packs 173, 177, 181 are attached to the portable power supply 100.
Similar to the schematic diagram of
The switches SW18, SW19, SW20, SW21, SW22 are controlled by the controller 300 based on an input from the user interface 400. The switch SW18 of the ninth charger block 1321 may be controlled by the controller 300 to allow charging current to flow from the low power converter 182 to charging circuit A 183, thus, enabling the sixth charger block 132F. The switch SW20 of the tenth charger block 132J may be controlled by the controller 300 to allow charging current to flow from the medium power converter 184 to charging circuit B 187, thus, enabling the tenth charger block 132J. The switch SW22 of the eleventh charger block 132K may be controlled by the controller 300 to allow charging current to flow from the high power converter 186 to charging circuit C 191, thus, enabling the eleventh charger block 132K. Switches SW19, SW21 are integrated into the portable power supply 100 and are also controllable by the controller 300. In some embodiments, the controller 300 may close switches SW19, SW21 when sequential charging of the battery packs 185, 189, 191 is taking place. For example, the user interface 400 may receive an input indicating that there is no rush in charging battery packs 185, 189, 191, and the controller 300 may sequentially charge the battery packs 185, 189, 191 by sequentially enabling the respective charger blocks 132, so as to not overload the power source 120.
In some embodiments, the charger blocks 132 may borrow an output charging current from one another. For example, a user may interact with the user interface 400 to set the charge rate of the charging circuits 183, 187, 191. For example, the user interface 400 may include buttons (e.g., on a screen) that correspond with an off configuration, normal-power configuration for the charging circuits 183, 187, 191, a medium-power circuit for charging circuit A or charging circuit B, and a high-power configuration for any one of the charging circuits 183, 187, 191. Other power configurations may be contemplated. In some embodiments, the controller 300 receives inputs from an external device (e.g., a mobile phone, computer, tablet, etc.) that controls the charge rate of the charging circuits 183, 187, 191.
When a normal-power configuration is input by a user at the user interface 400, the controller 300 controls switches SW18, SW20, SW22 to close and switches SW19, SW21 to open. Accordingly, the power from low power converter 182 flows to charging circuit A 183, which then charges the first battery pack 185 using 6 Amps of current, the power from medium power converter 184 flows to charging circuit B 187, which then charges the second battery pack 177 using 9 Amps of current, and the power from the high power converter 186 flows to charging circuit C 191, which then charges the third battery pack 193 using 12 Amps of current.
When a first medium-power configuration is input by a user at the user interface 400, the controller 300 controls switches SW18, SW19 to close and switches SW20, SW21, SW22 to open. Accordingly, the power from the low power converter 182 and the medium power converter 184 flows to charging circuit A 183, which then charges the first battery pack 185 using 15 Amps of current.
When a second medium-power configuration is input by a user at the user interface 400, the controller 300 control switches SW19, SW20 to close and switches SW18, SW21, SW226 to open. Accordingly, the power from the low power converter 182 and the medium power converter 184 flows to charging circuit B 187, which then charges the second battery pack 189 using 15 Amps of current. During both the first and second medium-power configuration the power from the high power converter 186 may flow to charging circuit C 191 (such that switch SW22 would be closed), which then charges the third battery pack 181 using 12 Amps of current.
When a first high-power configuration is input by a user at the user interface 400, the controller 300 controls switches SW18, SW19, SW21 to close and switches SW20, SW22 to open. Accordingly, the power from low power converter 182, the medium power converter 184, and the high power converter 186 flows to charging circuit A 183, which then charges the first battery pack 185 using 27 Amps of current. Charging circuit B 187 and charging circuit C 191 do not receive any power. In some embodiments, the battery pack receiving 27 Amps of current may be a high-capacity, high-output battery pack that requires 27 Amps of current to be charged.
When a second high-power configuration is input by a user at the user interface 400, the controller 300 controls switches SW19, SW20, SW21 to close and switches SW18, SW22 to open. Accordingly, the power from the low power converter 182, the medium power converter 184, and the high power converter 186 flows to charging circuit B 187, which then charges the second battery pack 189 using 27 Amps of current. Charging circuit A 183 and charging circuit C 191 do not receive any power.
When a third high-power configuration is input by a user at the user interface 400, the controller 300 controls switches SW19, SW21, SW22 to close and switches SW18, SW20 to open. Accordingly, the power from the power from the low power converter 182, the medium power converter 184, and the high power converter 186 flows to charging circuit C 191, which then charges the third battery pack 193 using 27 Amps of current. Charging circuit A 183 and charging circuit B 187 do not receive any power. In some embodiments, the switches SW18, SW19, SW20, SW21, SW22 may all be open when the portable power supply 100 is in the off configuration or no battery packs 185, 189, 193 are attached to the portable power supply 100.
Tables 7-24, below, are examples of the various power output configurations that may be implemented by the portable power supply 100, and more specifically, by the circuit components in the schematic diagrams of
The USB C converter 195 and the USB A converter 196 deliver charging voltages to the charging ports 198, 199. In some embodiments, the USB C converter 195 provides a range of 3.3 V to 21 V to the first charging port 198. In some embodiments, the USB A converter 196 provides 5 V at 2.4 Amps of current to the second charging port 199. Devices may be electrically connected to the charging ports 198, 199 via power cords that are inserted at one end in the charging ports 198, 199. The controller 154 may communicate with a CAN bus to share status information with the power supply 100 and to receive mode commands.
The controller 300 is additionally electrically and/or communicatively connected to a user interface 400, a network communications module 405, a plurality of sensors 410, and a fan control 418. The network communications module 405 is connected to a network 415 to enable the controller 300 to communicate with peripheral devices in the network, such as a smartphone or a server. The sensors 410 include, for example, one or more voltage sensors, one or more current sensors, one or more temperature sensors, etc. Each of the sensors 410 generates one or more output signals that are provided to the controller 300 for processing and evaluation. The user interface 400 is included to provide user control of the power supply 100. The user interface 400 can include any combination of digital and analog input devices required to achieve a desired level of control for the power supply 100. For example, the user interface 400 may include a plurality of knobs, a plurality of dials, a plurality of switches, a plurality of buttons, or the like. In some embodiments, the user interface 400 is integrated with the display 118 (e.g., as a touchscreen display). The fan control 418 operates the fan 155.
The controller 300 includes combinations of hardware and software that are operable to, among other things, control the operation of the power supply 100, communicate over the network 415, receive input from a user via the user interface 400, provide information to a user via the display 118, etc. For example, the controller 300 includes, among other things, a processing unit 420 (e.g., a microprocessor, a microcontroller, an electronic processor, an electronic controller, or another suitable programmable device), a memory 425, input units 430, and output units 435. The processing unit 420 includes, among other things, a control unit 440, an arithmetic logic unit (“ALU”) 445, and a plurality of registers 450 (shown as a group of registers in
The memory 425 is a non-transitory computer readable medium and includes, for example, a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area and the data storage area can include combinations of different types of memory, such as a read only memory (“ROM”), a random access memory (“RAM”) (e.g., dynamic RAM [“DRAM”], synchronous DRAM [“SDRAM”], etc.), electrically-erasable programmable ROM (“EEPROM”), flash memory, a hard disk, an SD card, or other suitable magnetic, optical, physical, or electronic memory devices. The processing unit 420 is connected to the memory 425 and is configured to execute software instructions that are capable of being stored in a RAM of the memory 425 (e.g., during execution), a ROM of the memory 425 (e.g., on a generally permanent basis), or another non-transitory computer readable medium such as another memory or a disc. Software included in the implementation of the power supply 100 and controller 300 can be stored in the memory 425 of the controller 300. The software includes, for example, firmware, one or more applications, program data, filters, rules, one or more program modules, and other executable instructions. The controller 300 is configured to retrieve from the memory 425 and execute, among other things, instructions related to the control processes and methods described herein. In other embodiments, the controller 300 includes additional, fewer, or different components.
Using the external device 437, a user can access the parameters of the power supply 100. With the parameters (e.g., power supply operational data or settings), a user can determine how the power supply 100 has been used, whether maintenance is recommended or has been performed in the past, and identify malfunctioning components or other reasons for certain performance issues. The external device 437 can also transmit data to the power supply 100 for power supply configuration, firmware updates, or to send commands. The external device 437 also allows a user to set operational parameters, safety parameters, operating modes, and the like for the power supply 100.
The external device 437 is, for example, a smart phone (as illustrated), a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or another electronic device capable of communicating wirelessly with the power supply 100 and providing a user interface. The external device 437 provides the user interface and allows a user to access and interact with the power supply 100. The external device 437 can receive user inputs to determine operational parameters, enable or disable features, and the like. The user interface of the external device 437 provides an easy-to-use interface for the user to control and customize operation of the power supply 100. The external device 437, therefore, grants the user access to the power supply operational data of the power supply 100, and provides a user interface such that the user can interact with the controller 300 of the power supply 100.
In addition, as shown in
In some embodiments, the power supply 100 is configured to provide output power (e.g., from the internal power source 120) until the internal power source 120 reaches a low-voltage cutoff threshold. In embodiments where the power supply 100 received removable and rechargeable battery packs, the battery packs that are used to provide output power from the power supply 100 can be similarly discharged until reaching low-voltage cutoff thresholds. A user can also program the power supply 100 or select an operating mode of the power supply 100 such that the power supply 100 shuts off (e.g., stops outputting power to the power output unit 116) before the power supply 100 or a connected battery pack reaches a low-voltage cutoff threshold. For example, using the external device 437, the user can enable a power down timer of the controller 300. The user is able to enable the power down timer such that, if output power from the power supply 100 is below a threshold (e.g., a power threshold, a current threshold, etc.) for a selected interval of time (e.g., one hour, two hours, six hours, twelve hours, etc.), the output of the power supply 100 is disabled. The user can set the threshold value and the interval of time using the external device 437. As an example, a user can set a power threshold value of 80 Watts and a timer interval of one hour. If the power supply 100 is not outputting 80 Watts of power for one hour, the power supply 100 turns off. In some embodiments, the timer is used as an energy saving feature. Rather than powering relatively low-powered devices for an extended period of time, power is preserved for higher power application (e.g., corded power tools). When the power down timer is not enabled, the power supply 100 will not shut off until a low-voltage cutoff threshold is reached and lower powered devices can be powered until the low-voltage cutoff is reached.
At block 510, the controller 300 determines characteristics of the first and second battery packs, such as the charge capacities of the first and second battery packs. For example, the controller 300 may communicate with a controller of the battery packs 200 to determine their charge capacities. At block 515, the power supply 100 supplies a first current to the first battery pack and a second current to the second battery pack. For example, the charging port 142A of the first charger block 132A may output 18 Amps of charging current to the first battery pack, and the charging port 144A of the second charger block 132B may output 6 Amps of charging current to the second battery pack. At block 520, the fan 155 is enabled for cooling the first battery pack. In some embodiments, the controller 154 of the first charger block 132A controls the operation of the fan when charging current is output to the first battery pack. The process 500 continues to block 525 (
At block 525, the power supply 100 receives a third battery pack. At decision block 530, the controller 300 determines whether the third battery pack is at a third charging port or a fourth charging port. In some embodiments, the third charging port is charging port 142B of the first charger block 132A. In some embodiments, the fourth charging port is charging port 144B of the second charger block 132B. The controller 300 may determine the location of the third battery pack based on at least one of sensing a current of the battery pack, sensing a voltage of the battery pack, a mechanical switch in the charging ports 142B, 144B, communication with the battery pack, etc. When the controller 300 determines that the third battery pack is coupled to the third charging port 142B, the process 500 continues to block 535. When the controller 300 determines that the third battery pack is coupled to the fourth charging port 144B, the process continues to block 540.
At block 535, the power supply 100 supplies a third current to the first battery pack and the third battery pack. In some embodiments, the third current may be one of a 6 Amp charging current or a 9 Amp charging current. The first battery pack coupled to the first charging port 142A and the third battery pack coupled to the third charging port 142B simultaneously receive the charging current. For example, the first battery pack coupled to the first charging port 142A and the third battery pack coupled to the third charging port 142B may simultaneously receive the 9 Amps of charging current. In some embodiments, the controller 154 of the first charger block 132A determines what the third current is based on the ratings of the battery packs. In some embodiments, the first battery pack and the second battery pack may receive different charging currents from one another. For example, the first battery pack may receive 12 Amps from the first charging port 142A and the third battery pack may receive 9 Amps from the third charging port 142B.
At block 540, the second battery pack is determined to be fully charged. In some embodiments, the controller 160 of the second charger block 132B may determine that the second battery pack is fully charged based on communication with the battery pack. At block 545, the second charging current is supplied to the third battery pack. In some embodiments, the controller 160 of the second charger block 132B operates switch SW5 to open and switches SW6, SW7 to close immediately upon receipt of the second battery pack being fully charged. For example, the third battery pack receives 6 Amps of charging current from the fourth charging port 144B.
At block 615, the controller 300 opens the parallel switch (e.g., SW10 in schematic diagram of
At block 715, the controller 300 closes the parallel switch and the first series switch (e.g., switches SW10, SW9 in schematic diagram of
At block 815, the controller 300 controls the switches to provide the requested power outputs to the at least two battery packs. The switches may be mechanical switches, transistors, etc. Based on the configuration of open and closed switches, the charging currents output to the at least two battery packs corresponds to the user input.
Although the blocks of processes 600, 700, 800, 900 are illustrated serially and in a particular order in
Thus, embodiments described herein provide, among other things, systems and methods for providing power to battery packs coupled to a portable power supply via customizable modular charging blocks.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/326,426, filed Apr. 1, 2022, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/355,206, filed Jun. 24, 2022, the entire content of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63326426 | Apr 2022 | US | |
| 63355206 | Jun 2022 | US |
