Abstract: A non-contact charging station with a planar-spiral power transmission core, a non-contact power-receiving apparatus, and a method for controlling the same. A primary core of the non-contact charging station transmitting a power signal to a portable device using an induced magnetic field and a secondary core of the non-contact power-receiving apparatus are configured as a power transmission Printed Circuit Board (PCB) core in which a planar-spiral core structure is formed on a core base. The power transmission PCB core has a simplified shape along with improved applicability that facilitates its mounting on a non-contact charger. In addition, the receiving core has a reduced volume to reduce the entire size of the power-receiving apparatus so that it can be easily mounted onto a portable device.

Abstract: If an external power supply is not connected to an electrically powered vehicle by a charging cable and there is a request to output electric power from an AC receptacle, a power generation mode is selected and a charger receives electric power from a main battery, converts it into alternating current electric power, and outputs it to a power line. In the power generation mode when an auxiliary machinery system is fed with electric power one of a first mode (a normal mode) and a second mode (a high-output mode) is selected depending on electric power used at the AC receptacle. In the normal mode, a main DC/DC converter is stopped, while an AC/DC converter is operated to generate auxiliary electric power. In the high-output mode, the main DC/DC converter is operated to generate auxiliary electric power, while the AC/DC converter is stopped.

Abstract: A source of environmental pollution is the burning of fuel by the transportation vehicles (e.g., cars, trucks). The use of electric vehicles (EVs) is perceived as an essential step towards better utilization of energy. Current EVs make use of an electric engine and a battery pack that provides energy to that engine. The technology of electric engines is well developed because of the common use of such engines in trains, submarines and industrial facilities. But, while the battery packs used in EVs have made a lot of progress in the last couple of years, these battery packs still have problems. These battery packs are expansive, heavy, and limited in the amount of energy that they can provide. This obstacle is a major factor that limits the use of EVs today in the mass market. Described herein is an improved EV battery pack system.

Abstract: There is offered a battery charger for a portable electronic device that has a simple structure and is capable of detecting that the portable electronic device is connected to the battery charger. A first power supply line is connected to a positive terminal (+) of a rechargeable battery, while a ground line is connected to a negative terminal (?) of the rechargeable battery. An output transistor is connected between the first power supply line and a second power supply line. The output transistor is connected to a Vbus terminal of a USB connector through the second power supply line. A controller outputs a voltage of an H level to the Vbus terminal to detect a change in a voltage at the Vbus terminal, and judges whether the portable electronic device is connected to the USB connector based on a result of the detection. The controller turns the output transistor on when the portable electronic device is judged to be connected to the USB connector.

Abstract: A control system or module and a method are disclosed to maximize the current flow from a solar panel into the battery connected during the solar panel's operation by first tracking an output of the solar panel in determining a maximum power point of the output at a specific instance, identifying a range about the maximum power point, and adjusting a current level of the output by (i) increasing the current level of the output when a voltage level of the output indicates that the voltage level is above a maximum charge voltage of a battery, and (ii) decreasing the current level of the output when the voltage level of the output indicates that the voltage level is below a minimum charge voltage of the battery.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a non-contact power transmission station with a planar spiral power transmission coil are disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, a non-contact power transmission station may include: a transmission controller for transmitting power to a non-contact power-receiving apparatus and transmitting/receiving data; and a station part electrically connected with the transmission controller to generate an induced magnetic field and transmit power to the non-contact power-receiving apparatus, which is disposed on a top thereof. The station part may include a primary core where the induced magnetic field is generated. The primary core may include a core base, a central coil and two side coils which are fastened to the station part. The central coil and the two side coils may selectively generate an induced magnetic field under control of the transmission controller.

Abstract: A power supply device includes battery interfaces configured to removably receive at least three batteries and a connection circuit configured to electrically connect the at least three batteries to each other. The connection circuit is capable of connecting at least two batteries in parallel and connecting at least one other battery to the at least two parallel-connected batteries in series. According to this power supply device, it is possible to supply high power to an electric device by connecting the batteries in series. In addition, it is possible to supply almost all of the electric power stored in the batteries to the electric device, even if amount of the remaining electric power in each battery is substantially uneven.

Abstract: A solar power supply system includes a power supply bus and a plurality of solar power storage systems. The power storage systems is electrically connected to each other in parallel via the power supply bus. Each of the solar power storage systems includes solar power storage modules and an inverter electrically connected to an external load and the solar power storage modules in series. Each of the solar power storage modules includes a lithium-ion battery unit, a solar cell unit, and a battery control unit. The solar cell unit charges the lithium-ion battery unit. The battery control unit is electrically connected to the lithium-ion battery unit and the solar cell unit, and controls the lithium-ion battery unit being charged or discharged.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a circuit for passively managing power between a fuel cell stack and a battery in a hybrid system. The circuit includes a buck-boost converter circuit, a direct charge circuit; and a network which interconnects them. The network is configured so that in response to a voltage level in the network being lower than or equal to a maximum battery charge voltage, the battery is charged via the direct charge circuit; and in response to another voltage level in the network which is higher than the maximum battery charge voltage, the battery is charged via the buck-boost converter circuit. Also disclosed is a device incorporating the circuit and a method of passively managing power.

Abstract: A charging circuit that simultaneously charges a battery with an electrical current supplied from an external power source and supplies the electrical current supplied from the external power source to a load includes a power supply circuit to supply an electrical current from the battery to the load when a load current required by the load is greater than a maximum supply current of the external power source, a detector to detect a voltage of the battery, and a controller to control power supply to the load as well as charging the battery. When the detected voltage of the battery is lower than the predetermined threshold, the controller stops supplying the electrical current from the battery to the load and charges the battery with the electrical current supplied from the external power source.

Abstract: There is provided a battery controller including a storing unit which stores an upper limit voltage and a lower limit voltage, each defining a first voltage range in which a battery is charged/discharged, and a second upper limit voltage and a second lower limit voltage, each defining a second voltage range which is wider than the first voltage range, and a charge/discharge regulation unit which temporarily changes, when charge/discharge is performed in the first voltage range and permission for charge/discharge in the second voltage is received, setting of the battery such that charge/discharge is performed in the second voltage range.

Abstract: An electrical powered vehicle includes a secondary self-resonant coil, a secondary coil, a rectifier, and a power storage device. The secondary self-resonant coil is configured to be magnetically coupled with a primary self-resonant coil of a power feeding device by magnetic field resonance, and allow reception of high frequency power from the primary self-resonant coil. The secondary coil is configured to allow reception of electric power from the secondary self-resonant coil by electromagnetic induction. The rectifier rectifies the electric power received by the secondary coil. The power storage device stores the electric power rectified by the rectifier.

Abstract: A battery protection circuit and a method of controlling the same are disclosed. The battery protection circuit includes a first current path that includes a charge control switch and a discharge control switch, and a second current path in parallel to the first current path and has an electric resistance less than that of the first current path.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for managing the batteries and the power source as a single combined output to power the load, allowing the system to use power source with reduced maximum power output, reducing system cost and complexity. Furthermore, the switch matrix controller efficiently and dynamically manages the internal power transfer to minimize the charging/discharging cycle of the batteries while ensuring that the power source and the batteries meet changing load power demand. Finally, maximizing charging time and having independent control of each battery increase power efficiency, prolong the operational life of the battery, and increase overall system life.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for controlling the connection of a plurality of battery packs including a switching unit provided on a charge/discharge path of each battery pack to selectively open and close the charge/discharge path, a first control unit provided for each battery pack to determine the state of charge (SOC) of each battery pack and control the opening/closing of the switching unit, and a second control unit to receive the determined SOC of each battery pack from the first control unit, group battery packs having a predetermined range of SOCs, select a group containing a largest number of battery packs, connect the battery packs of the selected group in parallel, charge or discharge the parallel-connected battery packs so that a difference in SOC between the parallel-connected battery packs and the non-connected battery pack falls within a predetermined range, and connect the non-connected battery pack thereto in parallel.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for controlling a charging voltage of a 12V auxiliary battery for a hybrid vehicle, which can (1) improve charging efficiency of an auxiliary battery by increasing the output voltage of a DC-DC converter during cold start when the outside air temperature is low, (2) improve the charging efficiency of the auxiliary battery by increasing or decreasing the output power of the DC-DC converter according to the state of charge of the auxiliary battery and by increasing the output voltage of the DC-DC converter when many electrical loads are turned on, and (3) allow the DC-DC converter to provide continuous power supply for charging the auxiliary battery by turning on a main switch disposed between a high voltage battery and the DC-DC converter based on a reverse power conversion operation of the DC-DC converter even in the case where the voltage of the auxiliary battery falls below 9V.

Abstract: A two-wire smart load control device, such as an electronic switch, for controlling the power delivered from a power source to an electrical load comprises a relay for conducting a load current through the load, a controller for rendering the relay conductive and non-conductive, and an in-line power supply coupled in series with the relay for generating a supply voltage across a capacitor when the relay is conductive. The power supply controls when the capacitor charges asynchronously with respect to the frequency of the source. The capacitor conducts the load current for at least a portion of a line cycle of the source when the relay is conductive. The controller is operable to determine when the magnitude of the supply voltage reaches a maximum supply voltage threshold, and render the relay non-conductive immediately after the supply voltage reaches the maximum supply voltage threshold.

Abstract: The present invention suppresses a decrease in the capacity of a lithium ion battery. A polymer forming agent or a sacrificial reducing agent is added to a nonaqueous electrolytic solution. A voltage is then applied to between a battery container and an anode. Thus, lithium ions can be inserted into the anode to recover the capacity of the battery.

Abstract: A non-contact type power receiving apparatus including: a power receiving coil having a spiral coil; a rectifier; a secondary battery; an electronic device operated by being supplied with direct voltage from the secondary battery, wherein a composite magnetic body is provided to at least one portion between the secondary battery and the spiral coil, and a portion between the electronic device and the spiral coil. The composite magnetic body includes at least first and other layers of magnetic sheets through an insulating layer in which when a relative magnetic permeability of the first magnetic sheet provided to a side of the spiral coil is ?d, a thickness of the first magnetic sheet is tu, an average relative magnetic permeability of the other magnetic sheets other than the first magnetic sheet is ?u, and a total thickness of the other magnetic sheets is tu, the composite magnetic body satisfies the following relations: ?d·td?60 [mm]; and ?u·tu?100 [mm].

Abstract: Disclosed is a charger including a first rectifying portion that rectifies an alternating power and outputs the rectified power to a neutral point of a 3-phase motor; a second rectifying portion/inverter that charges output power of the first rectifying portion in a high-voltage battery in a charging mode and drives the 3-phase motor by switching the charged power of the high-voltage battery in a drive mode; a high-voltage charging controller that controls the first rectifying portion and second rectifying portion/inverter so as to charge the high-voltage battery in the charging mode; and a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) that controls the second rectifying portion/inverter so as to drive the 3-phase motor in the drive mode, and controls the high-voltage charging controller so as to charge the high-voltage battery in the charging mode.