Abstract: A monolithically formed battery charger may be fabricated as an integral part of a multifunctional integrated circuit or as independent monolithically formed integrated circuit. The monolithically formed battery charger includes at least one step-down converter having a given duty ratio coupled to a battery-terminal interface that provides a stepped-down output voltage and current that may be used to charge a rechargeable battery. The step-down converter includes one or more cascaded monolithically-formed synchronous-buck regulators operating at a frequency of at least one megahertz. Each regulator may include a capacitor, inductor, controller, switch, and rectifier. When cascaded, the high-side output node of a preceding synchronous-buck regulator is connected to the switch in a successive synchronous-buck regulator.

Abstract: A battery charger is used for charging a battery incorporated in a portable audio device such as a portable telephone, and it comprises a connector and a circuit block for performing charging operation with the battery of the portable audio device via the connector. The circuit block contains a digital power amplifier that ensures digitization of audio signals transmitted thereto from the portable audio device via the connector. The battery charger can be connected with speakers, which produce sounds based on digital audio signals amplified by the digital power amplifier. Since the digital power amplifier has a good efficiency in power consumption and produces a very small amount of heat during operation, the battery charger can be considerably downsized, and it can reliably ensure a high quality reproduction of audio signals during charging operation for the battery of the portable audio device in progress.

Abstract: A power supply is provided with a plurality of secondary batteries, a voltage detection circuit for detecting voltages of the respective secondary batteries or voltages of a plurality of battery modules each of which is a series connection of secondary batteries, and temperature sensors for detecting temperatures of secondary batteries. Each of the temperature sensors has a temperature characteristic that its electric resistance is small when the temperature of an associated secondary battery is low and increases as the temperature of the associated secondary battery increases past a setting temperature. The voltage detection circuit detects the voltages of the respective secondary batteries or the voltages of the respective battery modules as well as battery temperatures by using the temperature sensors as parts of lead wires for detection of the voltages.

Abstract: A method of charging a storage battery comprising executing an n(n≧2)-stage constant current charging process charging the battery with a constant current while monitoring a terminal voltage of the battery, the current decreasing stepwise n−1 times every time the terminal voltage coincides with a current switching voltage. The method further comprises measuring a depth of discharge of the battery immediately before charging and executing an additional charging process before the n-stage constant current charging process when the depth of discharge is deeper than a reference depth of discharge, the additional charging process charging the battery with an additional constant current larger than an initial current in the n-stage constant current charging process and switching the additional current to the initial current when the terminal voltage coincides with the current switching voltage, so as to attain a rapid charging of the battery at a low cost.

Abstract: A battery testing and sorting apparatus that includes an upwardly inclined conveyor having a conveyor drive for moving batteries to be tested and sorted. The conveyor includes a battery feeding section disposed along the conveyor for positioning the batteries laterally onto the conveyor so that terminals of the batteries are in a horizontal orientation on the conveyor. A testing section is disposed along the conveyor upstream from the battery feeding section for testing the electrical condition of the batteries as they move along the conveyor. A sorting section is disposed along the conveyor upstream from the testing section for ejecting the batteries from the conveyor according to the electrical condition of the batteries determined by the testing section. In this manner, a battery testing and sorting apparatus is provided for continuously sorting large quantities of batteries into groups based on the electrical condition of the batteries.

Abstract: A clamp circuit stabilizes a battery charging system when a battery is detected as being decoupled from the system and a power supply is providing current to the system. A battery detect circuit detects when the battery is decoupled from the system. A biasing circuit provides a biasing current to the clamp circuit when the battery is detected as being decoupled from the system. The clamp circuit shunts current from a battery charge terminal to maintain a stable condition in the battery charging system such that the system can withstand constant charge from the power supply without becoming damaged. The clamp circuit is deactivated when the battery is coupled to the system. The battery detect circuit includes a power management circuit that limits the power dissipated by the system.

Abstract: This invention allows storage electric power to be secured at a maximum by reducing variation in potential between a plurality of capacitors constituting an electric power storage device as follows. A plurality of capacitor banks are provided, in parallel, in the electric power storage device. A part of the respective capacitor banks is halted depending on the current flowing through the electric power storage device. Electric charge of the respective capacitor parallel circuits is individually discharged in the halted capacitor bank, thereby, the terminal voltage of the respective capacitor parallel circuits are equalized.

Abstract: Rechargeable battery packs include one or more key slots along a rear edge in order to distinguish it from other battery pack types and rectangular guide tabs to be backward compatible with former battery pack chargers and former battery operated devices. Battery pack chargers include one or more key tabs in a door and rectangular guide tabs to differentiate rechargeable battery packs that can be safely charged. Door closure switches on a safety switch to activate safe charging of a rechargeable battery pack with matching one or more key slots. The one or more key tabs and the one or more key slots provide a safety mechanism to distinguish rechargeable battery packs which can be safely charged. Rectangular guide tabs on sidewalls of an inner housing allow rectangular guide tabs of the rechargeable battery packs to slide under and further differentiates those that can be safely charged.

Abstract: When an electronic instrument Q is in normal operating mode and set to be slave, power from a rechargeable battery or an external power source is supplied to a data transfer control circuit, and when the electronic instrument Q is in charge mode and set to be slave, power from VBUS is supplied thereto to charge a rechargeable battery. When an external power source can be used in charge mode, power from the external power source is supplied to the rechargeable battery instead of from VBUS. When an electronic instrument P is in normal operating mode and set to be master, power from a rechargeable battery or an external power source is supplied to the data transfer control circuit and the electronic instrument Q; and when the electronic instrument P is in charge mode and set to be master, power from the rechargeable battery or the external power source is supplied to the electronic instrument Q through the VBUS in order to charge a rechargeable battery of the electronic instrument Q.

Abstract: Computer-assisted methods for determining the state of charge of a specific lithium ion battery, without the need for charging and discharging the battery, by utilizing look-up tables or algorithms which store the relationships of state of charge to open-circuit voltage or to ramp-peak current, or to both for that type of specific lithium-ion battery to determine the state of charge for that specific lithium-ion battery.

Abstract: A method of controlling the charging of a secondary battery (battery) without deterioration of a charging/discharging characteristic of the battery. An ordinary charging portion performs a first charging control specified to stop the charging at a charge level less than a full-charge level is used in combination with a refresh charging portion for performing a second charging control specified to stop the charging at a charge level more than the full-charge level. When the charging by the ordinary charging portion is continuously repeated by, for example, 10 times, a switching portion is switched such that the next charging is performed by the refresh charging portion. A counter, which is reset when the charging by the refresh charging portion is terminated, is provided for deciding whether or not the number of times of the repeated charging reaches 10.

Abstract: A method and system for charging and equalizing battery packs in a battery power system by transferring charge between battery packs. The method involves determining if a battery pack is a candidate for charging, selecting a battery pack to transfer charge from, and transferring charge between the battery packs until an equalizing charge level is accomplished between the battery packs.

Abstract: In a secondary battery protection circuit (200) for protecting a secondary battery (300) by controlling, by turning a discharge control switch (FET1) on and off, a discharging current (l) flowing from the secondary battery (300) through a load (400) connected between a pair of external connection terminals (101, 102), a clamping circuit (210) clamps a control terminal (G1) of the discharge control switch (FET1) into a ground potential when the external connection terminals (101, 102) are short-circuited.

Abstract: A battery apparatus having a long duration (use time period) in which when a voltage of secondary batteries is a hysteresis voltage, in response to a charge inhibition signal outputted from a microcomputer and exhibiting that the secondary batteries should be in a charge inhibition state, a signal used to restrict charge of the secondary batteries is outputted to a charge control terminal and also a signal having information of the charge inhibition state is outputted to a secondary battery controlling circuit to suppress the output of a hysteresis voltage signal from the secondary battery controlling circuit.

Abstract: A battery monitoring and control unit 52 monitors a battery 51 mounted in each of a plurality of terminals installed in a retail store. Total operating time during which the terminal has been operated by the battery, number of recharges that have been performed on the battery, or actual operating time during which the terminal has been operated on a single charge of the battery after completion of charging, is monitored. End-of-life time is predicted according to the state of consumption of the battery. Battery state information including the end-of-life time is transmitted at periodic intervals to a server 4 and transferred to a host 11. Based on the received end-of-life time, the host indicates on a store-by-store basis any terminal that is to be subjected to battery maintenance scheduled next time.

Abstract: A method to more accurately monitor remaining battery life under varying load conditions. The measured battery voltage is adjusted for the current load and then used to determine the remaining battery life according to the battery voltage discharge curve for the battery type and chemistry. Advantageously, in an embodiment the present invention the remaining battery life can be determined despite fluctuations in the current due to a changing load and without monitoring current flow so that the determination of battery life is independent of the battery charging process.

Abstract: A charge/discharge protection circuit prevents a charge control FET from being overheated or ignited so as to improve safety by preventing an oscillating operation of the charge control FET, which is connected to a charge path of a secondary battery in series so as to cut off a charge current. A discharge control FET is connected to the charge path in series so as to cut off a discharge current from the secondary battery. A latch circuit latches an overcharge detection signal output from an overcharge detection circuit and outputs a signal so as to control the charge control FET. A delay circuit delays the discharge over-current detection signal and supplies the delayed discharge over-current detection signal to the discharge control FET. A reset circuit resets the latch circuit so as to turn on the charge control FET when a discharge over-current is detected and an overcharge is not detected.

Abstract: Manipulation and regulation of power provided by a time-varying power source to continuously provide power to a load by insuring that any minimum voltage or current requirements of the load are met even when the power provided by the time-varying power source itself does not satisfy the load's minimum voltage or current requirements. For a load having a minimum voltage requirement, power from a time varying source will be boosted as necessary to insure that the minimum voltage is maintained.

Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and method for managing power, and more particularly, an apparatus and method for stably managing power by comparing a predetermined reference voltage level with a battery voltage level. The provided method for managing power includes (a) detecting the battery voltage level, which supplies power to a system after a predetermined period from the system being powered off, and comparing the battery voltage level with a reference voltage level, and (b) deciding the operation of the system in correspondence to the result of the comparison. According to the provided method, when the battery voltage level of the system is between the power off voltage level and the reference voltage level, the system is operated in the sleep mode using a minimum amount of power. When the battery voltage level is above the reference voltage level, the system is operated normally when a power switch is turned on. Consequently, the power and system are stably managed.

Abstract: A bicycle power supply and charger system including a dynamo adapted to generate power supply upon operation of the bicycle, a rectifier output voltage regulator adapted to convert output power of the dynamo into the desired DC output power, an electric connector adapted to receive a personal mobile electrical apparatus and to transmit the DC output power from the rectifier output voltage regulator to the personal mobile electrical apparatus, and a battery charger holder connectable to the electric connector and adapted to charge the battery of a personal mobile electrical apparatus.