Abstract: A rechargeable battery is provided with an overcharge protection circuit which is particularly adapted for nickel metal hydride battery packs to be used in conventional charging adapters suitable for NI-CAD battery packs. The battery pack includes a microprocessor which measures the voltage across the electrical contacts of the battery pack. Upon reaching peak charge, the microprocessor increases the voltage appearing across the battery pack contacts. After a predetermined time period as measured by the microprocessor, the microprocessor decreases the voltage appearing across the battery pack terminals to exceed the change in voltage to which the charging adapter responds to terminate a high rate of charging.

Abstract: A system for monitoring the discharging/charging cycles of a rechargeable battery which includes adaptive calculation means for providing a predictive indication of when the battery will reach a critical discharge voltage. The adaptive calculation means includes parameters which can be modified by other adaptive calculation means so as to optimize the monitor's performance depending on the battery's actual use. The adaptive calculation means may be neural networks formed by a microprocessor and memory, and the monitor system may be coupled to a host system.

Abstract: The present invention is a charging apparatus devised to make it possible with the help of another car to start a failed engine resulted from an old storage battery or from over-charging by inserting cigar jack in a car without opening the bonnet and without the issue of polarity arising. In general, enough current can't be attained even if storage batteries in two cars are connected through a cigar jack. This is due to the narrow difference between the voltage of the two storage batteries. Furthermore, sufficient current can not be attained and it takes a long time because the voltage drop caused by internal resistance in the cable is not negligible. To resolve such problems, the present invention includes a small-sized switch mode power supply, generates needed voltage from the power source and outputs the voltage overlapped to the supplying voltage, which creates an effective charging in a short time.

Abstract: In a charge and discharge protection circuit, those transistors constituting a level shifting circuit that may receive a relatively high voltage as a source level or a drain level have a high withstand voltage construction.

Abstract: A method for energizing an energization-operated toy element in which an electric double layer capacitor is employed as energization means for energizing a toy element which is operated upon application of low voltage, the capacitor is charged upon reception of a current from a DC power source, and the charged electric power is used to energize a toy load as a discharge current to operate the toy element. An energization-operated toy which comprises an energization heating color changing element provided with an energization resistant heating member for generating heat upon application of the DC voltage and a thermal color changing layer disposed in contact with or close to the heating member, energization means consisting of an electric double layer capacitor for generating heat by supplying the discharge current to the energization resistant heating member, and a power source for supplying the DC voltage from 0.5 V to 9.0 V to the capacitor.

Abstract: The present invention is a system and method for enhancing the charging of a battery by exposing the battery to acoustic excitation while the battery is being charged. By adding acoustic excitation to the charging process, the present invention reduces the time needed to charge the battery, reduces the energy needed for charging, and increases the battery's cycle life. The present invention may be used to charge new and used batteries and to rejuvenate dead batteries.

Abstract: An over-discharge prevention apparatus comprising:a voltage detection device 2 for detecting electric voltages of both ends of a electric storage element (B) and outputting a discharge finishing signal (PFD) when a discharge extinction voltage (VL) is detected;a discharge controlling device 3 for delaying the detected output of the voltage detection device 2 for a predetermined time (Td); anda switching device 1 connected in series with the electric storage element (B), the switching device being set to an OFF state by a delay signal of the discharge controlling device.

Abstract: A battery pack having reduced material costs and a method of producing the same are disclosed. The battery pack includes primary conductors through which a charge and a discharge current of the battery pack flow, and secondary conductors through which comparatively small current flow. Primary conductors are connected to an electric circuit via the secondary conductors. The secondary conductors are formed of a material having a higher electric specific resistance than a material constituting the primary conductors.

Abstract: The present invention measures the energy consumption of battery-powered telephone devices to prevent the inadvertent deep discharge of a vehicle's battery by prolonged use of said devices when the vehicle is unattended. In a preferred embodiment, current to the devices is incrementally measured or estimated from a measurement of other relevant parameters. The incremental measurements of current are accumulated to produce a total current consumption indicative of the total energy consumption. At each update after an incremental measurement, the accumulated total is compared to a pre-established or adaptively determined. When the total energy consumption meets or exceeds the threshold, the power to the battery-powered telephone device is interrupted in order to conserve a sufficient amount of power to start the vehicle and to operate other peripheral systems.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a thermal pulse for a drop on demand printer actuator. A varying voltage pulse is applied to a resistance heater forming part of the actuator, which generates time varying power in the resistance heater. The power varies with respect to time in a manner comprising:1) a pre-heating stage, which raises the temperature of the actuator, but is of insufficient total energy to actuate the printing actuator;2) a stage of increased power which rapidly raises the temperature of the actuator to the required temperature for operation;3) a stage of decreased power, which is less than the power in stage (b) but is sufficient to maintain the temperature of the temperature at the required temperature for operation;4) a stage of low or zero power, during which the temperature of the temperature rapidly falls below the required temperature for operation.

Abstract: A user-wearable docking system includes docking receptacles on a belt for receiving a plurality of electronic devices such as a hand-held personal data terminal, code reader, printer, etc. The plurality of electronic devices that are docked share power pursuant to one of several power management schemes. A power bus, disposed within a belt, connects all docks to supply power therebetween. Sharing battery power resources involves providing battery power for both device operation and for battery to battery recharging.

Abstract: A power supply unit has an overdischarge detection circuit for detecting overdischarge of a power source, an overcurrent detection circuit for detecting overcurrent, and a stopping circuit for stopping overdischarge or overcurrent in accordance with an overdischarge detection signal or an overcurrent detection signal. The power supply unit is further provided with a delay circuit to prevent the overdischarge detection circuit and the overcurrent detection circuit from being activated erroneously by external noises. This delay circuit provides a variable delay time so that the delay time will be longer when overdischarge is detected than when overcurrent is detected. This makes it possible to stop overdischarge and overcurrent without fail.

Abstract: Electronic equipment, for enabling a plurality types of batteries to be selectively used, which is designed in such a way that discharge characteristic data of a plurality types of batteries to be used is previously stored in a memory unit, a battery including a resistor indicating the type of the battery is fitted to the electronic equipment, the type of the battery is identified on the basis of a resistance value of the resistor, the discharge characteristic data of the battery corresponding to the identified type of battery is read out from the memory unit, a battery voltage is compared with the discharge characteristic data thus read out and a remaining power of the battery is calculated to display the information relating to the remaining power thus calculated.

Abstract: Groups of magnets are respectively provided on the joint surfaces of a vehicle-side connector and a power-supply-side connector in such a way that the N and S poles of a plurality of permanent magnets are alternately arranged in a circle. When charging is carried out, the magnetic attraction generated by placing the heteropolar magnets in both groups of magnets opposite to one another is utilized for bringing the vehicle-side connector and the power-supply-side connector into engagement with each other. After the charging, the group of magnets of the power-supply-side connector are turned by one pitch to place the homopolar magnets in both groups of magnets opposite to one another, whereby both connectors are easily separated from each other because of the magnetic repulsive force generated therebetween.

Abstract: A light energy powered charging system for recharging portable units such as battery powered hand tools and cellular telephones. The charging system includes a solar collection assembly having at least one light energy receiving panel. The collection assembly is mountable to a carrying vehicle. A multi-position connector is coupled to the receiving panel for facilitating the positioning of the panel toward a light source such as the sun or vehicle headlights. A power receiver is electrically connected to the receiving panel for accepting electricity generated at the solar collection assembly. The power receiver has a docking station for releasably receiving a battery powered portable unit such as a powered hand tool or a cellular telephone requiring recharging. The invention further includes a carrying motor vehicle. The solar collection assembly is coupled to the carrying motor vehicle by the multi-position connector.

Abstract: A battery pack for use in a portable computing system includes a transistor that is used both for inhibiting charging of the batteries within the system and for limiting the voltage across the batteries in the battery pack. Rather than having two separate devices to inhibit and regulate, this single transistor performs the functions of both, thus reducing component count in a battery pack.

Abstract: In a battery-driven portable computer, a battery pack is constituted by m battery sets connected in series each including n lithium-ion secondary battery cells connected in parallel. A voltage monitor for monitoring the voltage of the terminal electrode of each battery set and a charger for independently appropriately charging each battery set in accordance with a monitor result are arranged, thereby realizing battery driving by a lithium-ion secondary battery pack having a large capacity.

Abstract: The present invention can be implemented in various forms. One of them is disclosed in which a secondary core of a secondary-side charge port to be provided at an electric vehicle side and into which a primary magnetic coupler provided at the battery charger is to be inserted, has the general shape of L, for example, at no sacrifice of the charging output (capability).

Abstract: A battery charger and method of charging a rechargeable battery which comprises charging the battery with an initial charging current and measuring and comparing the charging temperature to an initial temperature to identify a temperature factor which either identifies a need to lower the current or terminate the charging current. The temperature factor may be a temperature gradient .DELTA.T. The open circuit voltage may be monitored from the beginning or may begin when .DELTA.T is identified. V.sub.OCV is plotted with respect to time t elapsed to identify a point or points on the V.sub.OCV (t) curve, such as an inflection point in the dV.sub.OCV /dt data or a transition point in the d.sup.2 V.sub.OCV /dt.sup.2 which indicate the onset of overcharge. If the open circuit voltage V.sub.OCV of the battery is sampled from the beginning of charging the second order differential information should be ignored until a predetermined temperature gradient is realized.

Abstract: A battery pack charger has an external frame provided with an insertion slot for inserting a battery pack. A charging terminal and a charging control circuit are housed in the external frame. A heat-sensitive switch is provided between the charging terminal and the charging control circuit. A lead wire is provided between the charging terminal and the heat-sensitive switch. The lead wire has a length appropriate for not losing the effect of heat transferred along the lead wire. The battery pack charger is capable of reliably charging a battery pack without the occurrence of overcharge, even if the battery pack is not provided with a heat-sensitive switch.