Abstract: In general, this disclosure includes systems, methods, and techniques for inducing electrical current through one or more battery banks. For example, a circuit may include a switching element. The circuit may be configured to draw, using the switching element, a current from a first battery bank when the switching element is turned on, the first battery bank emitting an excess current after the switching element is turned off, where the current increases a temperature of the first battery bank. Additionally, the circuit may be configured to deliver at least some of the excess current to a second battery bank when the switching element is turned off, where the excess current charges the second battery bank, and where the excess current increases a temperature of the second battery bank.

Abstract: A control device for controlling discharging of a rechargeable battery, the control device comprising a rechargeable dummy cell, a first circuit configured to discharge the battery and the dummy cell, and a second circuit configured to measure the open circuit voltage of the dummy cell. The control device is configured to: determine the open circuit voltage of the dummy cell by using the second circuit, and determine the maximum capacity decrement of the battery, which is to be discharged until full discharging, based on the determined open circuit voltage of the dummy cell. The invention also refers to a corresponding method of controlling discharging of a rechargeable battery.

Abstract: A wireless charging system includes an induction coil to generate a magnetic field attached to a housing that has a hole in a surface to accept a grip. A user inserts a grip attached to an electronic device with a receiver circuit, including a receiver coil, into the hole bringing the receiver coil into contact with the magnetic field generated by the induction coil. The magnetic field induces a current in the receiver coil which is used to charge the electronic device. In certain instances, the housing is secured to another surface by an attached mount. Moreover, in certain instances the electronic device is supported by a portion of the hole's perimeter supporting the grip or a securing mechanism holding the grip inside the hole.

Abstract: Techniques described herein relate generally to determining and applying threshold discharging C-rates for battery cells in low temperature environments. To combat internal resistance within a battery cell at low temperature, heat may be generated within a battery cell via a high discharge C-rate. A higher discharge C-rate may cause more heat generation with a battery cell and the higher temperature may mitigate the low temperature environment. As a result of the heat generation, a battery cell's capacity may be increased. Techniques described herein may identify, for a particular low temperature (0 degrees Celsius and below), a threshold discharge C-rate that if a battery cell is discharged above the threshold, the effect of temperature rising would be more dominant than the effect of the internal resistance and more capacity would be obtained from the battery cell.

Abstract: A charge-discharge control system includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to: calculate an excess or shortage of a state of charge of the battery to a target state of charge as a state-of-charge difference; increase an output voltage of an electric power supply device when the shortage of the state of charge is larger than a first prescribed value; decrease the output voltage of the electric power supply device when the excess of the state of charge is larger than a second prescribed value; calculate an amount of change in the output voltage of the electric power supply device per unit time such that the amount of change in the output voltage of the electric power supply device per unit time is smaller when the calculated full charge capacity is low than when the calculated full charge capacity is high.

Abstract: A power management system for a vehicle includes a first battery monitoring module configured to monitor a first state of charge (SOC) of a first battery of the vehicle. The first battery has a first nominal voltage. A second battery monitoring module is configured to monitor a second SOC of a second battery of the vehicle. The second battery has a second nominal voltage that is greater than the first nominal voltage. A control module is configured to, using a direct current (DC) to DC converter, selectively charge the second battery with power from the first battery until the second SOC of the second battery is greater than or equal to a predetermined SOC.

Abstract: A vehicle includes an inverter, a first battery, a first power line, a second battery, a second power line, and a voltage converter. Ranges of use with respect to open circuit voltages of the first battery and the second battery do not overlap each other, and ranges of use with respect to closed circuit voltages of the first and the second batteries overlap each other. When a regenerative power output from the inverter to the first power line is supplied to the second power line via the voltage converter, and the second battery is charged, an ECU calculates a maximum regenerative power with respect to the regenerative power output from the inverter to the first power line based on the open circuit voltage of the first battery and controls the inverter and the voltage converter such that the regenerative power does not exceed the maximum regenerative power.

Abstract: Provided are a wireless charging device, a wireless charging method, and a device to-be-charged. The wireless charging device is configured to conduct wireless communication with the device to-be-charged through communication control circuits to adjust a transmission power of the wireless charging device. The device to-be-charged includes a battery, a wireless receiving circuit, a first charging channel, a detecting circuit, and a communication control circuit.

Abstract: A battery pack includes a battery including at least one battery cell, a cell balancing device configured to balance a voltage of the at least one battery cell, a switch unit including a charging switch and a discharging switch arranged on a high current path through which a charging current and a discharging current flow, and a battery management unit configured to monitor a voltage and a current of the battery, to control the cell balancing device, and to control charging and discharging operations of the battery, wherein when a state of the battery during charging with a constant current satisfies a preset swelling condition, the battery management unit is configured to operate the cell balancing device for a preset discharging time to make the battery self-discharge, when the present discharging time passes, the battery management unit is configured to pause the battery from self-discharging for a preset pausing time, and when the preset pausing time passes, the battery management unit is configured to ch

Abstract: A method to control a battery temperature includes: determining state difference information of a first battery, among batteries, based on state information of the first battery and average state information of the batteries; calculating a first output value of a first converter corresponding to the first battery based on the determined state difference information; and controlling a charging and discharging process of the batteries to cause the first converter to generate a power flow based on the calculated first output value.

Abstract: A battery pack includes a secondary battery, a secondary battery protecting integrated circuit configured to protect the secondary battery, at least one sensor configured to output a fault signal indicating sensing of a fault in the battery pack or an electronic apparatus including the battery pack, a detecting circuit configured to output a fault detection signal indicating a detection of the fault signal, a delay circuit configured to output a pulse delaying from the fault detection signal, and a counter configured to count a number of generating the pulse, the counter having at least N bits (N is an integer greater than 1), wherein the counter stops an operation until a count of 2(N-1).

Abstract: A method for operating a motor vehicle, with an electric traction motor and a traction battery. When a state of discharge is present, charging information is relayed to at least one data receiving device external to the vehicle by means of a communication device of the motor vehicle by way of a data communication link. A state of discharge is present when a state of charge of the electrical energy stored in the traction battery is not sufficient to operate the traction motor, and/or when a state of charge of the electrical energy stored in the traction battery is not enough to reach the closest charging station to the position of the motor vehicle.

Abstract: A battery protector includes analog frontend circuitry coupled to a hibernate mode input terminal that is one of configured to couple to a high voltage connector terminal when the system is connected to an external load or charger to define an active mode and configured to float when the system is disconnected from the external load or charger to define a hibernate mode. The analog frontend circuitry is configured to provide a signal at an output thereof to distinguish, in the absence of an external ground connection, between connected and floating conditions for the hibernate mode input terminal. Digital logic is coupled with the output of the analog frontend circuitry, the digital logic providing a digital signal to control whether the battery protector is operating in the active mode or the hibernate mode based on the signal at the output of the analog frontend circuitry.

Abstract: Disclosed is a battery pack including: at least one battery module including a plurality of battery cell; and a battery management system (BMS) configured to determine an operation mode of a battery pack according to an enabled switch signal between at least two switch signals, which wake up the battery pack, and control the battery pack according to the determined operation mode.

Abstract: System and method of dynamically balancing a rechargeable energy storage assembly having two or more respective units, a respective switch for each of the respective units and at least one sensor. The system includes a controller configured to control operation of the respective switch. The respective switch is configured to enable a respective circuit connection to the respective units when in an ON state and disable the respective circuit connection when in an OFF state. The respective units are characterized by a respective state of charge obtained based in part on the at least one sensor. A controller is configured to selectively employ at least one of a plurality of charging modes to charge one or more of the respective units, through operation of the respective switch. The plurality of charging modes includes a rest charging mode, a rapid initial charging mode and a rapid final charging mode.

Abstract: A battery system with a large-format Li-ion battery powers attached equipment by discharging battery cells distributed among a plurality of battery packs. The discharging of the battery cells is controlled in an efficient manner while preserving the expected life of the Li-ion battery cells. Each battery pack internally supports a battery management system and may have identical components, thus supporting an architecture that easily scales to higher power/energy. Battery packs may be added or removed without intervention with a user, where one of battery packs serves as a master battery pack and the remaining battery packs serve as slave battery packs. When the master battery pack is removed, one of the slave battery packs becomes the master battery pack. Charging and discharging of the battery cells is coordinated by the master battery pack with the slave battery packs over a communication channel such as a controller area network (CAN) bus.

Abstract: A solar power generation control device controls a solar power generation system storing electric power generated by a solar panel in a battery. The solar power generation control device includes a detection unit configured to detect a state of the battery, and a controller configured to control, based on the state of the battery, a sleep time for temporarily stopping the solar power generation system when a predetermined sleep condition is satisfied.

Abstract: The present invention discloses systems and methods for adaptive fast-charging for mobile devices and devices having sporadic power-source connection. Methods include the steps of: firstly determining whether a supercapacitor of a device is charged; upon detecting the supercapacitor is charged, secondly determining whether a battery of the device is charged; and upon detecting the battery is not charged, firstly charging the battery from the supercapacitor. Preferably, the step of firstly determining includes whether the supercapacitor is partially charged, and the step of secondly determining includes whether the battery is partially charged. Preferably, the step of firstly charging is adaptively regulated to perform a task selected from the group consisting of: preserving a lifetime of the battery by controlling a current to the battery, and discharging the supercapacitor in order to charge the battery. Preferably, the discharging enables the supercapacitor to be subsequently recharged.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to provide power to devices are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a display and an instruction presenter. The presenter is to generate a notification on the display. The notification indicates that delivery of power to the user device will be enabled in exchange for paying attention to the display during a media presentation. The apparatus also includes a detector to determine that a person associated with the user device is paying attention to the display. The charging station is to transmit power to the user device in response to the detector determining that the person is paying attention to the display.

Abstract: Devices and methods are used to bridge between standard wireless charging protocols and proprietary wireless charging protocols utilized in auditory prostheses. Such devices are portable and can enable a recipient to charge her device whenever wireless power is available. Additionally, the recipient can change settings on her prosthesis, via the bridge device, while her prosthesis is charging.