Intelligent battery charging system

• Main Author: EVERETT, JR.; HOBART R
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 03.09.1991
• Subjects: CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTINGELECTRIC POWER; CONTROLLING; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER; ELECTRICITY; GENERATION; PHYSICS; REGULATING; SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY

The present invention is a battery charging system that provides automatic voltage selection, short circuit protection, and delayed output to prevent arcing or pitting. A second embodiment of the invention provides a homing beacon which transmits a signal so that a battery powered mobile robot may home in on and contact the invention to charge its battery. The invention includes electric terminals isolated from one another. One terminal is grounded and the other has a voltage applied to it through a resistor connected to the output of a DC power supply. A voltage scaler is connected between the resistor and the hot terminal. An On/Off controller and a voltage mode selector sense the voltage provided at the output of the voltage scaler. The On/Off controller provides an output whenever Va<VH<Vb, where Va is a reference voltage, VH is a voltage across the terminals, and Vb is a reference voltage. The voltage mode selector provides an output whenever voltage VH is less than reference voltage, Vc. An AC power source provides current to the system power supply and to a charge supply. The system power supply provides power to the On/Off controller and the voltage mode selector. The outputs of the On/Off controller and voltage mode select are connected to separate control inputs of the charge supply.