Abstract: An object is to inhibit a decrease in the capacity of a power storage device or to compensate the capacity, by adjusting or rectifying an imbalance between a positive electrode and a negative electrode, which is caused by decomposition of an electrolyte solution at the negative electrode. Provided is a charging method of a power storage device including a positive electrode using an active material that exhibits two-phase reaction, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte solution. The method includes the steps of, after constant current charging, performing constant voltage charging with a voltage that does not cause decomposition of the electrolyte solution until a charging current becomes lower than or equal to a lower current value limit; and after the constant voltage charging, performing additional charging with a voltage that causes decomposition of the electrolyte solution until a resistance of the power storage device reaches a predetermined resistance.

Abstract: A control system for a vehicle for optimizing the energy efficiency of a rechargeable electric battery system and/or for optimizing the lifetime of a rechargeable electric battery. The rechargeable electric battery system comprising: the rechargeable electric battery, a temperature management system for the rechargeable electric battery and one or more sensors for measuring one or more characteristics relating to the rechargeable electric battery. The control system comprising a control unit configured and arranged to receive data from the one or more sensors and being coupled to the temperature management system. The control unit being configured and arranged to determine in dependence upon data received from the one or more sensors, a time-weighted-average state-of-health of the rechargeable electric battery.

Abstract: A thermally shielded receptacle for a rechargeable battery. The thermally shielded receptacle can include a material having a heat deflection rate of greater than 50 degrees Celsius to contain a catastrophic runaway of one or more of a plurality of individual battery cells. The thermally shielded receptacle can include material sized and shaped to receive the plurality of individual battery cells and separate each of the plurality of individual battery cells from adjacent individual battery cells.

Abstract: A handheld device includes an electronic instrument and a capacitive power supply for storing and delivering power to the electronic instrument. The capacitive power supply includes at least one capacitor, and an electronic circuit operable to boost a voltage from the capacitor to a higher voltage for use by the electronic instrument. The capacitive power supply can be rapidly recharged. Some configurations include an accelerometer which permits the handheld device to detect movement and perform various operations responsive to detected movement. A dual charging station is also disclosed.

Abstract: A battery-pack fault detecting device and a method for detecting a fault of a battery pack are provided. The battery-pack fault detecting device includes: N diodes, in which each battery is connected with one of the N diodes in anti-parallel via a detecting line; N+1 switches; a switch control circuit for switching on or switching off each switch; a voltage collecting circuit connected with the switch control circuit for collecting a voltage of the battery; an analog-to-digital conversion circuit for performing an analog-digital conversion on the voltage of the battery to obtain a digital voltage; a detection control circuit connected with the switch control circuit and the analog-to-digital conversion circuit, for controlling the switch control circuit to switch on or off each switch and for comparing the digital voltage with a preset value to judge a fault of the battery pack.

Abstract: An electrical combination. The combination comprises a hand held power tool, a battery pack and a controller. The battery pack includes a battery pack housing connectable to and supportable by the hand held power tool, a plurality of battery cells supported by the battery pack housing, each of the plurality of battery cells having a lithium-based chemistry, being individually tapped and having an individual state of charge. A communication path is provided by a battery pack sense terminal and a power tool sense terminal. The controller is operable to monitor a state of charge of a number of battery cells less than the plurality of battery cells and to generate a signal based on the monitored state of charge of the number of battery cells less than the plurality of battery cells, the signal being operable to control the operation of the hand held power tool.

Abstract: A charging station for charging an electric vehicle may include a charge head movably attached to a charge head assembly and at least one head landing switch including a lever and a contact element. A first end of the lever may be rotatably coupled to the charge head and an opposite second end of the lever may be rotatably coupled to the contact element. At least a bottom surface of the contact element may be positioned below the bottom surface of the charge head such that the contact element can contact the roof of the electric vehicle before the bottom surface of the charge head can contact the roof. And, a width of the contact element may be greater than a width of the seam on the charging interface.

Abstract: A charger cradle for recharging a rechargeable lighting device is described. The cradle may include two prongs that flex outwards to allow a lighting device to be inserted into the cradle. After the lighting device is fully inserted, the prongs resume a normal position to exert an inward force on the lighting device to secure it in place. The cradle may also include two moveable cradle arms, in lieu of two prongs, to allow a spring mechanism within the device to motivate the moveable cradle arms to grasp a lighting device when the lighting device is inserted into the rechargeable lighting device.

Abstract: A battery pack includes a battery module including a plurality of rechargeable batteries, an electronic component that contributes to charging and discharging of the rechargeable batteries, and an installation body including an extending portion, which extends vertically. The installation body includes a placing portion, which projects from the extending portion in a direction crossing the vertical direction. At least one of the battery module and the electronic component is installed in the extending portion while being placed on the placing portion.

Abstract: A voltage measuring apparatus is configured to measure voltages of respective battery cells of a battery cell array including a plurality of battery cell groups each including a predetermined number of battery cells connected in series. The voltage measuring apparatus includes a plurality of measuring units each provided for each of the battery cell groups. The adjacent measuring units are connected through a communication channel so as to perform current communication therebetween. A bidirectional diode circuit element is connected to the communication channel extending between the adjacent measuring units.

Abstract: A voltage measuring apparatus is configured to measure voltages of respective battery cells of a battery cell array including a plurality of battery cell groups each including a predetermined number of battery cells connected in series. The voltage measuring apparatus includes a plurality of measuring units each provided for each of the battery cell groups. The adjacent measuring units are connected through a communication channel so as to perform current communication therebetween. A bidirectional diode circuit element is connected to the communication channel extending between the adjacent measuring units.

Abstract: The present application provides an electrical cigarette and a battery assembly thereof, wherein a first charging electrode assembly is arranged at a front end of the battery assembly, such that the battery assembly can be directly inserted into a charger to be charged without removing an atomizing assembly, therefore the operation is more convenient and disadvantages caused by frequent disassembling and assembling may be avoided. In addition, under the action of a charging management circuit, the electrode assembly at the front end can only be charged but cannot discharge, thereby avoiding an occurrence of a short circuit when the charging terminal discharges, extending the service life of the battery, and further avoiding a hidden danger of battery liquid leakage caused by the short circuit. In addition, since the front end of the electronic cigarette can not discharge, a situation that the electronic cigarette still has a low battery even been charged for a long time will not happen.

Abstract: An on-board charger for an eco-friendly vehicle includes a timer-type control pilot (CP) detection circuit, which is connected to electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) using a connector, that: i) detects a CP signal transmitted from the EVSE as an input signal via the connector, ii) outputs the CP signal as a direct current (DC) signal recognized as DC, and iii) allows an on-board charger (OBC) control circuit to control a charge to be maintained in a turned-on state by the DC signal.

Abstract: The present inventions, in one aspect, are directed to techniques and/or circuitry to adjust, correct and/or compensate a state of charge of the battery using the data which is representative of the relaxation time (e.g., full relaxation time) of the battery. The techniques and/or circuitry may determine the data which is representative of a relaxation time based on or using: (i) the rate of decay of the voltage at the terminals of the battery after terminating application of the charge current to the battery, (ii) a voltage which is constant or substantially constant after termination of the charge current and/or (iii) an amount of time associated with the decay of the voltage at the terminals of the battery to at least a measured or predetermined voltage. Notably, the charge signal or current may include a plurality of pulses.

Abstract: State based full and empty control for rechargeable batteries that will assure a uniform battery empty condition, even in the presence of a load on the battery. A fuel gauge provides a prediction of the open circuit voltage of the battery, and when the predicted open circuit voltage of the battery reaches the predetermined open circuit voltage of an empty battery, the load is terminated, after which the battery will relax back to the predetermined open circuit voltage of an empty battery. A similar technique is disclosed for battery charging, allowing faster battery charging without overcharging. Preferably an RC battery model is used as the fuel gauge to provide the prediction, but as an alternative, a coulomb counter may be used to provide the prediction, with error correction between successive charge discharge cycles.

Abstract: A vehicle charging apparatus includes: an electric generator 3 that is driven by an internal combustion engine 1 and outputs an adjustable alternating-current voltage; a rectifier 4 that converts the outputted alternating-current voltage to a direct-current voltage; an electric storage device 5 that is charged with the converted direct-current voltage; and a voltage sensor 6 that measures an output voltage of the rectifier 4. The vehicle charging apparatus is provided with a control device 7 that controls the electric generator 3 for a charging voltage to be a target charging voltage calculated from the output voltage in order to suppress a charging current to be lower than a charging current upper limit value when the electric storage device 5 is charged. It thus becomes possible to achieve efficiency higher than that of a charging apparatus in the related art while preventing deterioration or damage of the electric storage device.

Abstract: A battery voltage control device includes a step-up module that steps up a voltage of a battery and applies the voltage to a driving motor, an image analysis processing module that acquires and analyzes a piece of image information of an outside of a vehicle that is obtained through imaging, and driving state forecast module that forecasts a driving state including starting or stopping of the vehicle based on a piece of environment information of the outside of the vehicle that is obtained through analysis of the piece of image information and controls step-up by the step-up module based on the forecast driving state.

Abstract: A charge/discharge control device according to an aspect of the present disclosure is equipped with a system frequency measurer 303 that measures a system frequency, a base frequency updater 304 that updates a base frequency, a frequency bias calculator 305 that calculates a frequency bias indicating the difference between the base frequency and the system frequency, a charge/discharge command value decider 306 that uses the frequency bias to decide a power command value, and a charge/discharge controller 307 that causes a power storage system to charge/discharge power.

Abstract: A system and method to provide fast charge and discharge of electrical power without wires between two elements configured to have resonant tuned coils and circuits. The coils are energized by a power source that includes super capacitors, fast charging batteries and oscillating power management system.

Abstract: A method for aligning a vehicle at a charging station may include determining the distance between each sensor of the plurality of sensors and a target surface of the charging station. The method may further include aligning the vehicle at the charging station using the determined distance data, and charging the electric vehicle at the charging station. The method may further include using the determined distances to align the side of the vehicle substantially parallel to the target surface.