US 11,837,893 B2
On-board diagnostic port synchronized battery charging system
Ling To Shum, Boca Raton, FL (US)
Assigned to Vector Products, Inc., Boca Raton, FL (US)
Filed by Vector Products, Inc., Boca Raton, FL (US)
Filed on Aug. 6, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/395,512.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/085,811, filed on Sep. 30, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/077,936, filed on Sep. 14, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0085631 A1, Mar. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. H02J 7/00 (2006.01); H02J 7/34 (2006.01)
CPC H02J 7/00306 (2020.01) [H02J 7/0013 (2013.01); H02J 7/0042 (2013.01); H02J 7/0047 (2013.01); H02J 7/0063 (2013.01); H02J 7/007182 (2020.01); H02J 7/007194 (2020.01); H02J 7/342 (2020.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A charging system, comprising:
an interface configured to removably and electrically couple to an external battery;
a connector configured to removably and electrically couple to an on-board diagnostic (OBD) port of a vehicle;
charge management circuitry electrically coupled to the interface and the connector; and
a microcontroller unit (MCU) coupled to the charge management circuitry, the MCU configured to execute computer readable program code for managing an output of current from the external battery to a vehicle battery of the vehicle through the electrical coupling of the connector and the OBD port, wherein when the external battery is electrically coupled to the interface and the connector is electrically coupled to the OBD port, the MCU:
(a) opens an output switch of the charging system to output the current from the external battery to the connector;
(b) during the outputting of the current, measures a voltage of the vehicle battery using the electrical coupling of the connector and the OBD port;
(c) upon determining that the voltage of the vehicle battery has reached a set voltage, closes the output switch to stop the output of the current, enters a low power consumption mode, and starts a low power consumption timer;
(d) upon the expiration of the low power consumption timer, measures the voltage of the vehicle battery using the electrical coupling of the connector and the OBD port;
(e) if the voltage of the vehicle battery is above a charge voltage, reenters the low power consumption mode, restarts the low power consumption timer, and repeats the measuring (d); and
(f) if the voltage of the vehicle battery is below the charge voltage, repeats (a) through (f), wherein in the repeating (f), the MCU further:
(f1) for every two expirations of the low power consumption timer, increases the set voltage by a preset amount; and
(f2) repeats (a) through (f) using the increased set voltage.