KR20210037889A - Method and apparatus for decision of battery polarity in automatic battery charger - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for determining the polarity of a rechargeable battery in an automatic battery charger and a device therefor. More particularly, the present invention is to determine the polarity of the rechargeable battery inserted into the automatic battery charger by a user regardless of the polarity, and to charge in accordance with the determined polarity. To this end, the device comprises a voltage source, a polarity discrimination circuit, a voltage measuring unit, and a polarity determination processor.

Description

Method and device for determining the polarity of rechargeable batteries in an automatic battery charger {METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DECISION OF BATTERY POLARITY IN AUTOMATIC BATTERY CHARGER}

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for determining the polarity of a rechargeable battery in an automatic battery charger, and more particularly, to determine the polarity of a rechargeable battery inserted into an automatic battery charger by a user regardless of the polarity, and the determined polarity It is to charge accordingly.

Rechargeable batteries are advantageous in the environment by reducing waste in that they can be used repeatedly with one battery, and they are economical because they reduce the purchase cost of batteries, so it is desirable to recommend that as many people use them as possible. However, it may be difficult for people with low cognitive ability, such as children or the elderly, to use the type, size, polarity, etc. of the rechargeable battery individually, and even those who do not remember the type of battery used for a specific device. It is annoying and inconvenient to do.

In order to solve this inconvenience, it is obvious that it would be very useful if the charger automatically determines the polarity and charges the battery when a battery is inserted into the charger regardless of the polarity of the battery.

When a voltage is detected in the rechargeable battery when the rechargeable battery is in contact with the electrode of the charger, it is relatively easy to determine the polarity. However, it is difficult to determine the polarity when the detected voltage is very low or close to 0V. If the voltage of the battery is very low or reaches 0V, it is easy to judge that the lifespan is over. However, in many cases, when using a battery in series, reverse charging occurs when one battery is weak, and this battery is connected in series. When the voltage is taken out and measured, the reverse voltage is detected, the voltage is close to 0V, or in some cases, it is almost 0V. Even in this case, if the polarity of the battery is found and charged, in most cases, even if there is some loss of charging capacity, it can be used continuously.

In order to solve the above problems in view of these points, the present invention intends to present a circuit for efficiently determining the polarity within a range that does not cause excessive damage to the battery in a charger that automatically determines the polarity of the battery to perform charging, and a method for determining the same. do..

As an existing prior art document related to such technical content, Korean Patent No. 1734197 (2017.05.02.) filed and registered by the present applicant relates to an automatic battery charging device and its method. When a battery that needs to be charged is inserted, a battery that needs to be charged is inserted. It relates to an automatic battery charging device and a method thereof, characterized in that charging is performed regardless of polarity while transporting, and automatically classified and stored by determining whether a defective or abnormal battery has been charged.

The prior literature suggests that the polarity of the battery can be automatically detected and charged regardless of the polarity, so that the user does not need to arrange the battery so that the polarity of the battery is the same, but in the present invention, the polarity-independent automatic When various types of batteries are inserted in the charger, the polarity of the battery is accurately determined to start charging for a battery that can be recharged, and a battery that is judged to be difficult to use any longer is in addition to determining the polarity of the battery, which is judged as a defective battery. We present a circuit and method that can judge a bad battery. In the preceding literature, a circuit and method for determining the battery polarity of the present invention and determining a defective battery through the same have not been presented.

In addition, Korean Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-2010-0057580 (2010.05.31) forms an insertion and charging part of an AA/AAA type secondary battery, and contacts the +,- terminals of a hexahedral stick-type secondary battery at the center. A battery charger body in which the variable sliding charging terminal is embedded; A slide opening/closing plate for stably and intimately fixing AA/AAA-type and hexahedral stick-type secondary batteries of different shapes or lengths by being burnt with a compression spring on the upper part of the battery charger body; It detects the polarity of the contact state of the +,-terminals of the stick-type secondary battery in contact with the sliding variable charging terminal of the battery charger body, regardless of the polarity of the +,-terminals of the detected six-sided stick-type secondary battery. It is equipped with a microcomputer that converts the output polarity of the variable sliding charging terminal by matching the +,-terminals of the 6-sided stick-type secondary battery and converts it to the appropriate charging voltage required by the stick-type secondary battery and outputs a wide range. It relates to a non-polar multi charger composed of one circuit unit.

The prior document detects the polarity of the contact state of the +,-terminals of the stick-type secondary battery in contact with the sliding variable charging terminal of the battery charger body, and the +,-terminals of the detected six-sided stick-type secondary battery. Regardless of the polarity, the output polarity of the variable sliding charging terminal is matched with the + and-terminals of the 6-sided stick-type secondary battery and converted to the appropriate charging voltage required by the stick-type secondary battery for a wide range of outputs. A non-polar multi-charger consisting of a circuit part equipped with a microcomputer is proposed. However, in the present invention, when various types of batteries are inserted in the polarity-independent automatic charger, the polarity of the battery is accurately determined and charging starts in the case of a battery capable of charging. In addition to determining the polarity of the battery, which is determined to be a defective battery, a circuit and a method for determining a defective battery are presented. In the preceding literature, a circuit and method for determining the battery polarity of the present invention and determining a defective battery through the same have not been presented.

Accordingly, as mentioned above, in the present invention, when various types of rechargeable batteries are inserted in the polarity-independent automatic charger, the polarity of the rechargeable battery is properly determined and the rechargeable battery starts charging. A battery that is judged to be difficult to use is presented with a battery polarity determination and a bad battery determination circuit and method to determine that it is a bad battery.

In the automatic battery charger according to the present invention, the nickel hydride battery is quite stable even in reverse charging or complete discharge, and in many cases, it can be used again if it is charged. The voltage can be detected as reverse polarity by measuring the voltage by removing the battery while maintaining the nickel hydride battery in reverse charged state. Also, if you measure the voltage by removing the battery while continuing to be completely discharged, the voltage may come out close to 0V. When recharging the battery, if the battery polarity is incorrectly determined and reverse charging is continued, there is a greater concern that the battery performance will be greatly deteriorated. Therefore, it is important to accurately determine the polarity of the battery to start charging. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to present a method and a circuit for accurately determining the polarity of a battery in the automatic battery charger.

For reference, the charger includes a battery with a nominal voltage of around 1.2V such as nickel cadmium and nickel hydride, a lithium ion or lithium polymer system with a nominal voltage of around 3.6V, and a battery with a nominal voltage of around 1.5V. Manganese batteries or alkaline dry batteries may be used. Hereinafter, this will be referred to as a nickel hydride battery, a lithium ion battery, and a dry battery. There are many other types of batteries, but most of the cylindrical batteries used in general homes are the above types.

In addition, in the automatic battery charger according to the present invention, since it is essential to use a lithium-ion battery with a built-in charge/discharge protection element inside, if the voltage is measured while using it in a reverse charging or full discharge state, the internal protection circuit operates to protect the battery. Since it is separated from the outside, the voltage is measured near 0V. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that reverse polarity is not detected. In addition, if a lithium-ion battery does not have a built-in protection device, there is a risk of explosion during charging and discharging, so it is prohibited to sell it to the general public alone, so it is not necessary to consider a lithium-ion battery without a built-in protection device.

The dry battery is very vulnerable to reverse charging or complete discharge, so when the voltage is measured after reverse charging, the reverse voltage is detected, and in the complete discharge state, 0V or a voltage close thereto is detected. Since the dry battery is basically a battery that cannot be charged, it is preferable that the battery in the above state is determined as a defective battery and not used further. Otherwise, the battery may be deformed or leaked.

Therefore, in the present invention, when the above type of battery is inserted in the polarity-independent automatic charger, the battery that can be charged by accurately determining the polarity of the battery starts charging, and the battery that is determined to be difficult to use any longer is determined as a defective battery. The purpose of this study is to present a circuit and method for determining the polarity of a battery and determining a bad battery.

In order to achieve such an object, the polarity determination apparatus of a rechargeable battery according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a voltage source, a polarity determination circuit, a voltage measurement unit, and a polarity determination processor, and the polarity determination circuit includes: Further comprising a charging switch for forming a circuit to charge the rechargeable battery and a discharging switch for forming a circuit to discharge from the rechargeable battery, and configuring a forward or reverse path between the voltage source and the rechargeable battery. It characterized in that it comprises a plurality of forward and reverse charge and discharge switches for.

In addition, in the polarity determination circuit, the forward and reverse charge/discharge switches include a set of switches for connecting the voltage source and the rechargeable battery in a forward direction in a path of a circuit formed by the voltage source, a resistor, and the rechargeable battery, and the voltage source. And a set of switches for connecting the rechargeable battery in a reverse direction.

Here, the polarity determination circuit further includes a switch that connects the voltage source, the resistor, and the rechargeable battery in series, and disconnects or connects the connection between the voltage source and the resistor, and the resistor and the rechargeable battery. Characterized in that. The polarity determination processor, in the polarity determination circuit consisting of a resistor for controlling a current charged from the voltage source to a rechargeable battery, and a switch for changing a charging direction, first measure a voltage and then perform charging and discharging with a constant current. Then, the difference between the measured voltages is obtained, the charging direction is changed, and the difference between the measured voltages is obtained, and the magnitudes of the two voltages are compared to determine the polarity of the rechargeable battery.

On the other hand, in the polarity determination method of a rechargeable battery according to another embodiment of the present invention, in the polarity determination apparatus of the rechargeable battery, the rechargeable battery is repeatedly charged and discharged in a forward direction to measure a voltage, and the rechargeable battery A voltage measurement step of measuring a voltage by repeating charging and discharging in the reverse direction a predetermined number of times, in the polarity determination device of the rechargeable battery, an average charge/discharge voltage calculation for calculating an average charge/discharge voltage for each of the forward and reverse directions Step, in the polarity determination device of the rechargeable battery, a voltage drop calculation step of calculating a voltage drop from the calculated charge/discharge voltage for the forward and reverse directions, and in the polarity determination device of the rechargeable battery, the forward and reverse directions It characterized in that it comprises a polarity determination step of determining the polarity of the rechargeable battery by comparing the calculated voltage drop with respect to.

Here, the voltage measuring step includes charging the rechargeable battery for a predetermined charging time, disconnecting the voltage source and measuring the voltage of the rechargeable battery with a voltmeter, and the charging for a predetermined discharge time less than the charging time. And performing a process including the step of discharging the battery and measuring the voltage of the rechargeable battery by disconnecting the path of the circuit to be discharged.

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for determining the polarity of a rechargeable battery in an automatic battery charger, wherein the user determines the polarity of the rechargeable battery inserted into the automatic battery charger, regardless of the polarity, and charges according to the determined polarity. It has the advantage of providing the convenience to be able to.

In addition, according to the present invention, by determining the polarity of the rechargeable battery, it is possible to determine whether or not the rechargeable battery is defective as a side effect thereof.

1 is a block diagram of an apparatus for determining polarity of a rechargeable battery in an automatic battery charger according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a circuit diagram of a polarity determination circuit of a rechargeable battery in an automatic battery charger according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of determining the polarity of a rechargeable battery in an automatic battery charger according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a flowchart illustrating a forward and reverse charge/discharge procedure of a rechargeable battery in an automatic battery charger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by describing a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals shown in each drawing indicate the same members. In addition, specific structural or functional descriptions of the embodiments of the present invention are exemplified only for the purpose of describing the embodiments according to the present invention, and unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein including technical or scientific terms They have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Terms as defined in a commonly used dictionary should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related technology, and should not be interpreted as an ideal or excessively formal meaning unless explicitly defined in the present specification. Does not.

1 is a block diagram of an apparatus for determining polarity of a rechargeable battery in an automatic battery charger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the polarity determination device 100 of a rechargeable battery of the present invention includes a polarity determination processor 110, a voltage source 120, a polarity determination circuit 130, a rechargeable battery 140, and a voltage measurement unit. It is comprised of 150.

Here, the polarity determination processor 110 is implemented by executing a program that performs a polarity determination function using a microprocessor. The polarity determination processor 110 mounts the rechargeable battery 140 and then drives the polarity determination circuit 130 to measure the voltage with the voltage measurement unit 150 to determine the polarity as a result.

The voltage source 120 serves to supply power to the polarity determination circuit 130. The power is supplied or discharged from the polarity determination circuit 130 as necessary.

The polarity determination circuit 130 includes a switch for selectively receiving the power and a resistor used as an intermediate element to flow current from the power source to the rechargeable battery, and the voltage source 120 is connected to the rechargeable battery 140 ) Is configured to include switches for connecting in the forward or reverse direction.

The voltage measuring unit 150 is composed of a voltmeter, and measures a voltage whenever the voltage source 120 is connected or only the rechargeable battery 140 is connected.

The measured voltage is stored and recorded in a memory (not shown) through the microprocessor 110. By analyzing the recorded measured voltage, it is possible to determine the polarity of the rechargeable battery 140.

Hereinafter, the polarity determination circuit 130 presented in the present invention will be described.

2 is a circuit diagram of a polarity determination circuit of a rechargeable battery in an automatic battery charger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the polarity determination circuit of the rechargeable battery includes a voltage source (V) capable of varying voltage, a resistance (R) for controlling the flow of current, and switches (S3, S4, S5) for determining the direction in which the current flows. , S6), a voltage measuring device (unit) for measuring the voltage of the battery, and a switch S2 for configuring a circuit for discharging current from the battery.

The polarity determination apparatus of a rechargeable battery according to the present invention includes a voltage source, a polarity determination circuit, a voltage measurement unit, and a polarity determination processor. Here, the polarity determination circuit further includes a charging switch for forming a circuit to charge the rechargeable battery from the voltage source and a discharging switch for forming a circuit to discharge the rechargeable battery, wherein the voltage source and the charging And a plurality of forward and reverse charge/discharge switches for configuring a forward or reverse path between the batteries.

In the polarity determination circuit, the forward and reverse charge/discharge switches include a set of switches for connecting the voltage source and the rechargeable battery in a forward direction in a path of a circuit formed by the voltage source, a resistor, and the rechargeable battery, and the voltage source and It includes a set of switches to allow the rechargeable battery to be connected in the reverse direction.

The polarity determination circuit includes a switch that connects the voltage source, the resistor, and the rechargeable battery in series, and disconnects or connects the connection between the voltage source and the resistor, and the resistor and the rechargeable battery.

In addition, the polarity determination processor, in the polarity determination circuit consisting of a resistor for controlling a current charged from the voltage source to a charging battery, and a switch for changing a charging direction, first measure a voltage and then charge and discharge with a constant current. And determining the polarity of the rechargeable battery by comparing the magnitudes of the two voltages by obtaining the difference between the voltages measured by performing the measurement, and then changing the charging direction and obtaining the difference between the same measured voltages.

The voltage source V is provided to apply an appropriate voltage as a charging voltage according to the type of battery. For example, for nickel hydride batteries and dry cells with nominal voltages of 1.2V and 1.6V, a voltage source of about 2V is appropriate, and for lithium-ion batteries, 4.2V is appropriate. The voltage source V is connected in series with a switch S1 capable of applying or disconnecting a voltage. After the switch S1, the switch S2, which is responsible for the discharging function, is connected to the ground of the circuit to perform the discharging function. Switch S1 and switch S2 must not be closed at the same time. The resistor R performs a function of regulating the current. For example, if the voltage source is 2V and the initial voltage of the rechargeable battery is 1V, and the resistance (R) is 100 ohms, a current of 10mA flows into the battery. When the battery is connected in reverse, the voltage difference is 3V, so a current of 30mA flows. Switches S3 to S6 are cross switches to determine the direction of the current. When the switch S3 and the switch S6 are connected and the switch S4 and the switch S5 are disconnected, the voltage source V in the forward direction of the battery B shown in FIG. It is connected through R). Conversely, when the switch S4 and the switch S5 are connected, and when the switch S3 and the switch S6 are disconnected, the voltage source is connected to the opposite polarity of the battery B. The rechargeable battery (B) is a battery whose polarity is to be determined and is usually connected through a battery holder. The voltage measuring unit is a means for constantly measuring the voltage of the rechargeable battery.

Here, the voltage source (V), switches (S1 to S6), and the voltmeter can be implemented as a semiconductor using a microprocessor and a FET device, and the polarity of the rechargeable battery and the presence or absence of a defect can also be determined by the microprocessor 110. have.

First, repeat charging and discharging in the forward direction in the circuit, then measure and record the voltage. After connecting the rechargeable battery to determine the polarity, first, the switches S1, S3, and S6 are connected to charge the rechargeable battery for a certain period of time. For example, in the case of AA-type nickel hydride batteries, it is safe to charge a current of 10mA to 100mA within 10 seconds. After a certain time has elapsed, turn off the switch S1 and measure the voltage (V1). After measuring the voltage, the switch S2 is connected to perform a discharging process. The discharge time is set to be less than the charging time, but it is recommended to set it to about half. When the discharge time elapses, cut off S2 and measure the voltage (V2).

After the measurement of the forward voltage is completed, the voltage is measured by repeating charging and discharging in the reverse direction. When switches S1, S4, S5 are connected and switches S2, S3, S6 are disconnected, a reverse charging circuit is formed. The reverse charge time is the same as the forward charge time, and the voltage measurement (VR1) and discharge and voltage measurement (VR2) methods are the same.

When the reverse measurement is completed, the forward measurement is performed again. And repeat this process two or more times. In reality, the measurement time is limited, so between 10 and 20 times will be appropriate. Then, the measured forward charging and discharging voltages V1 and V2, and the reverse charging and discharging voltages VR1 and VR2 are all added and divided by the number of repeated charging to obtain an average charging and discharging voltage. Assuming this as AV1, AV2, AVR1, AVR2, the voltage difference dV = AV1-AV2, dVR = AVR1-AVR2 is calculated. If the battery is connected in the forward direction and the correct polarity is connected, the dV does not show much difference. On the contrary, if what is connected in the forward direction is connected in the opposite direction to the actual battery polarity, it is discharged after being charged in the direction in which charging is not possible, so a lot of voltage drop occurs and dV increases. The polarity of the battery is determined by using the difference in the magnitude of the difference voltage.

The method for determining the polarity of the rechargeable battery discussed above will be described below through its flowchart.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of determining the polarity of a rechargeable battery in an automatic battery charger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Figure 3, the method for determining the polarity of the rechargeable battery in the automatic battery charger according to the present invention, first repeats the forward charging and discharging to measure the voltage through the voltage measuring unit 150, and the polarity determination processor 110 In the memory (not shown) is recorded (S110). Subsequently, by controlling the switch of the polarity determination circuit 130 of FIG. 2, reverse charging and discharging is repeated to measure and record the voltage (S120). Recording the voltage by repeating the forward and reverse charging and discharging is repeated a predetermined number of times (S130).

Forward and reverse charging and discharging are performed a predetermined number of times, and through the result, an average charging and discharging voltage is first obtained (S140). In addition, a charge/discharge voltage drop is measured using the average charge/discharge voltage (S150). The polarity of the rechargeable battery is determined by the measured voltage drop (S160).

Therefore, the method for determining the polarity of a rechargeable battery according to the present invention, in the apparatus for determining the polarity of the rechargeable battery, measures the voltage by repeatedly charging and discharging the rechargeable battery in the forward direction, and repeating charging and discharging the rechargeable battery in the reverse direction. A voltage measurement step of performing the measurement of the voltage a predetermined number of times, in the polarity determination apparatus of the rechargeable battery, an average charge/discharge voltage calculation step of calculating an average charge/discharge voltage for each of the forward and reverse directions, and the rechargeable battery In the polarity determination device, a voltage drop calculation step of calculating a voltage drop from the calculated charge/discharge voltage for the forward and reverse directions, and in the polarity determination device of the rechargeable battery, the calculated voltage drop for the forward and reverse directions By comparing the polarity determination step of determining the polarity of the rechargeable battery.

Hereinafter, the forward and reverse charging and discharging procedures (S110, S120) of the rechargeable battery according to the present invention will be described.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a forward and reverse charge/discharge procedure of a rechargeable battery in an automatic battery charger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the forward and reverse charging/discharging procedures, first, the switches S1, S3, and S6 are connected to charge the rechargeable battery for a certain period of time (S210). Subsequently, the voltage source is disconnected and the voltage of the rechargeable battery is measured with a voltmeter (S220). Subsequently, the rechargeable battery is discharged for a predetermined time less than the charging time (S230). Subsequently, the discharge path is cut and the voltage of the rechargeable battery is measured (S240). The above process is performed up to a predetermined number of times (S250). These results are stored in the memory through the microprocessor 110.

That is, the voltage measurement step according to the present invention includes: charging the rechargeable battery for a predetermined charging time, disconnecting the voltage source and measuring the voltage of the rechargeable battery with a voltmeter, a constant smaller than the charging time Discharging the rechargeable battery during a discharging time, and disconnecting a path of the discharging circuit and measuring a voltage of the rechargeable battery.

After performing the voltage measurement process according to the above forward charging and discharging, a reverse charging circuit is formed by connecting the switches S1, S4, and S5 and disconnecting the switches S2, S3, and S6, and then measuring the voltage through the process of FIG. 4. .

Using the result of the measured voltage, the measured forward charging and discharging voltages V1 and V2, and the reverse charging and discharging voltages VR1 and VR2 are all added and divided by the number of repeated charging to obtain an average charging and discharging voltage. Assuming this as AV1, AV2, AVR1, AVR2, the voltage difference dV = AV1-AV2, dVR = AVR1-AVR2 is calculated. If the battery is connected in the forward direction and the correct polarity is connected, the dV does not show much difference. On the contrary, if what is connected in the forward direction is connected in the opposite direction to the actual battery polarity, it is discharged after being charged in the direction in which charging is not possible, so a lot of voltage drop occurs and dV increases. The polarity of the battery is determined by using the difference in the magnitude of the difference voltage.

As a result of determining that the voltage drop occurs, when it is determined that the case is not in the forward direction or the reverse direction, determining that the rechargeable battery has failed.

As described above, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for determining the polarity of a rechargeable battery in an automatic battery charger, and the user determines the polarity of the rechargeable battery inserted into the automatic battery charger regardless of the polarity, and the determined There is an advantage of providing the convenience of charging according to the polarity.

In addition, according to the present invention, by determining the polarity of the rechargeable battery, it is possible to determine whether or not the rechargeable battery is defective as a side effect thereof.

As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, but this is only an example, and various modifications and other equivalent embodiments are possible from those of ordinary skill in the field to which the technology pertains. I will understand the point. Therefore, the technical protection scope of the present invention should be determined by the following claims.

100: polarity determination device 110: polarity determination processor
120: voltage source 130: polarity determination circuit
140: rechargeable battery 150: voltage measuring unit

Claims (6)

Voltage source;
Polarity determination circuit;
Voltage measuring unit; And
Includes; a polarity determination processor,
The polarity determination circuit further includes a charging switch for forming a circuit to charge the rechargeable battery from the voltage source and a discharge switch for forming a circuit to discharge the rechargeable battery, wherein the voltage source and the charging A device for determining polarity of a rechargeable battery, comprising: a plurality of forward and reverse charge/discharge switches for configuring a forward or reverse path between batteries. The method according to claim 1,
In the polarity determination circuit, the forward and reverse charge/discharge switches include a set of switches for connecting the voltage source and the rechargeable battery in a forward direction in a path of a circuit formed by the voltage source, a resistor, and the rechargeable battery, and the voltage source and And a set of switches to allow the rechargeable battery to be connected in a reverse direction. The method according to claim 2,
The polarity determination circuit,
A switch that connects the voltage source, the resistor, and the rechargeable battery in series, and disconnects or connects the voltage source and the resistor, and the connection between the resistor and the rechargeable battery; A device for determining the polarity of the battery. The method according to claim 1,
The polarity determination processor,
In the polarity determination circuit consisting of a resistor for controlling the current charged from the voltage source to the battery for charging, and a switch for changing the charging direction, the difference in voltage measured by first measuring the voltage and then charging and discharging with a constant current And then changing the charging direction and obtaining a difference between the measured voltages and comparing the magnitudes of the two voltages to determine the polarity of the rechargeable battery. In the apparatus for determining the polarity of the rechargeable battery, a voltage measurement step of measuring a voltage by repeating charging and discharging of the rechargeable battery in a forward direction, and measuring a voltage by repeating charging and discharging of the rechargeable battery in a reverse direction to measure a voltage a predetermined number of times;
An average charging/discharging voltage calculation step of calculating an average charging/discharging voltage for each of the forward and reverse directions, in the apparatus for determining the polarity of the rechargeable battery;
A voltage drop calculation step of calculating a voltage drop from the calculated charge/discharge voltage in the forward direction and the reverse direction in the polarity determination apparatus of the rechargeable battery; And
And a polarity determination step of determining the polarity of the rechargeable battery by comparing the calculated voltage drop with respect to the forward and reverse directions in the rechargeable battery polarity determination apparatus; Way, The method of claim 5,
The voltage measurement step,
Charging the rechargeable battery for a predetermined charging time;
Disconnecting the voltage source and measuring the voltage of the rechargeable battery with a voltmeter;
Discharging the rechargeable battery for a predetermined discharge time less than the charging time; And
And measuring the voltage of the rechargeable battery by disconnecting the path of the discharging circuit.

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