Abstract: Two-way voltage switching may be performed using a single switch mode regulator circuit such that only control signals and feedback signals are used to select the direction of the power path. Such voltage switching may be between a battery and a supply rail that operate at different voltage levels. The voltage level of the battery's output may be converted by the regulator to the voltage level of the supply rail such that at least a portion of the power drawn by the system from the supply rail is from the rechargeable battery. To charge the rechargeable battery from the supply rail, the voltage of the supply rail may be converted to the voltage level of the battery using the same switch mode regulator. To select between discharging the battery into the supply rail or charging the battery from the supply rail, no power path circuitry need be switched.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclose methods and systems for controlling operation of a regulator controller integrated circuit. The regulator controller integrated circuit may include a run input and a voltage supply input. A voltage supply, having an on state and an off state, may be coupled with the voltage supply input of the regulator controller integrated circuit. A JFET that has a source, a drain, and a gate may be present. The source of the JFET may be coupled with electrical ground. The drain of the JFET may be coupled with the run input of the regulator controller integrated circuit. The gate of the JFET may be coupled with the voltage supply. Such embodiments may disable a regulator unless a supply voltage is present without requiring a supply voltage for control circuitry.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a battery charger and a method for charging a plurality of batteries. The battery charger includes: a current source for supplying a source current which has a charge current portion and a diverted current portion; bypass sections; voltage clamp sections; sense sections; a feedback section for processing information from the sense sections; and a controller for modifying the source current based on the information from the feedback section. Each bypass section is connected to a battery for diverting the diverted current. Each voltage clamp section is connected to the bypass section for clamping a voltage across the battery when the voltage increases to a predetermined level. Each sense section is connected to the bypass section for determining the diverted current and/or the charge current.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a battery protection circuit for protecting a plurality of batteries connected in series. The battery protection circuit includes: a controller for monitoring the batteries and outputting control signals based on predetermined conditions associated with the batteries; a first N-channel MOSFET and a second N-channel MOSFET coupled in a common-drain configuration in a low-side path, wherein at least one of the first and second N-channel MOSFETs turns off in response to the control signal received from the controller when at least one of the predetermined conditions is detected; and a gate protection circuit for preventing gate-to-source voltages of the first and second N-channel MOSFETs from exceeding a predetermined gate-to-source voltage level.

Abstract: The present invention provides a protection circuit and method for preventing a battery from swelling in one embodiment. The protection circuit includes: a voltage monitoring circuit that monitors a voltage across the battery; a control circuit that receives voltage information from the voltage monitoring circuit; and a discharge circuit that turns on to discharge the battery upon receiving a signal from the control circuit.

Abstract: According to the invention, an apparatus for robust battery discharge which provides uninterrupted power to a discharge circuit used in a discharge cycle is disclosed. The apparatus may have a discharge circuit for discharging a battery. The discharge circuit may be adapted to be coupled with a discharge load and configured to discharge the battery using the discharge load during a discharging cycle. The apparatus may have a first power input and a second power input, which may configured to receive power from a first power source and a second power source, respectively. The power inputs may be further configured to supply power to the discharge circuit. The apparatus may have a power switching circuit for switching power from the first power source to the second power source when the first power source is interrupted. The second power source may be the battery.