Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging – Battery or cell discharging
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-09
2001-12-11
Wong, Peter S. (Department: 2838)
Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging
Battery or cell discharging
C320S128000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06329791
ABSTRACT:
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. HEI 11-320567 filed on Nov. 11, 1999 including the specification, drawings and abstract is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a power supply system and control method for the system, more particularly, relates to the charging circuit for a battery connected to a load that changes in characteristics, such as the length of service life, brightness, etc., if a voltage exceeding a rated voltage is applied thereto, and control method for the charging circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
It has been proposed that a battery for a vehicle be installed in a trunk room instead of an engine room. Installation of a battery in a trunk room makes it possible to dispose the battery apart from the engine. However, the trunk is apt to be affected by external temperature. That is, if the external temperature decreases, the battery temperature also decreases. Therefore, a measure for temperature changes is needed. In general, it is effective to change the charging voltage of a battery in accordance with the temperature of the battery.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI 4-351436 describes an art for changing the charging voltage of a battery in accordance with the temperature of the battery. More specifically, as the battery temperature becomes lower, a higher charging voltage is set to charge the battery.
However, care must be taken if among loads connected to a battery to be charged, there is a load, for example, a bulb or the like, which changes in characteristics, such as the length of service life, brightness, etc. if receiving an applied voltage higher than its rated voltage. That is, if the battery temperature is low, a high charging voltage is needed, so that a charging voltage exceeding the rated voltage of the load is applied to the load in some cases. As a result, the characteristics of the load connected to the battery deteriorate although the battery is efficiently charged.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a power supply system capable of efficiently charging a battery and of curbing deteriorations in the characteristics of a load connected to the battery.
A power supply system according to one aspect of the invention includes a battery, a load and an electric circuit which includes the battery and the load. The system also includes a controller that is connected to an electric circuit, and that charges the battery by supplying a required voltage. The controller changes a voltage that is supplied to at least a portion of the electric circuit when the required voltage is higher than a rated voltage above which a characteristic of the load.
Therefore, efficiently charging a battery and curbing deteriorations in the characteristics of a load connected to the battery are possible.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5793189 (1998-08-01), Kawaguchi et al.
patent: 5798629 (1998-08-01), Terauchi
patent: 04-351436 (1992-12-01), None
Okabe Nobuyuki
Yokoyama Hidenori
Kenyon & Kenyon
Luk Lawrence
Toyota Jidosha & Kabushiki Kaisha
Wong Peter S.
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