Abstract: A reverse battery protection circuit comprising a first controlled semiconductor switch for providing current to a load and coupled in series with load terminals across which load terminals the load is adapted to be connected and a second controlled semiconductor switch disposed in a series circuit with a free wheeling diode, the series circuit being coupled across the load terminals.

Abstract: A DC power source unit supplies a DC voltage to an electrically powered tool through an adapter and also charges a battery pack used as an alternative power source of the tool. With the DC power source unit of the invention, a microcomputer receives a temperature signal indicative of a temperature of the battery pack and determines that the battery pack is fully charged based on the temperature signal. This determination is made regardless of whether the battery pack is being charged or not. As such, the fully charged condition of the battery pack can be accurately detected even if the tool is operated when the battery pack is almost fully charged.

Abstract: A charging station (1) for a rechargeable battery (5) that can be electrically and physically connected to the rechargeable battery (5). The charging station (1) has charger electronics (2) in a charger housing (3) and an electrical and physical contact interface (4) for the battery (5). An air blower (6) producing an air current (L) through two air vents (7a, 7b) is arranged in the charger housing (3). The air vent (7a) of the physical contact interface (4) is spatially associated with the battery (5) and the charger electronics (2) is arranged in the air current (L) to transfer heat. In the cooling process, in a first stage, an air volume (V) at cooling temperature CT is moved past the battery to transfer heat into and onto the battery and, in a second stage, the air volume (V) at an intermediate temperature IT>CT permeates the charger housing (2) containing the charging electronics (2.).

Abstract: In the case of charging by a charging apparatus having a plurality of input terminals to which external power sources for charging a secondary battery are inputted, it is prevented that a current of the inputted power source is outputted to the outside from the other input terminals for charging which are not used. If there are inputs from a plurality of input terminals, the input power sources are controlled so that the battery is optimally charged. pnp-type transistors Q1 and Q2 are arranged between two input terminals of a terminal 11 for an external power adaptor and a terminal 12 for a holder and a secondary battery E1, respectively. When a control IC 13 detects an input power voltage of one of the transistors, the transistor on the detected side is turned on. If the control IC 13 detects both input power voltages, a priority is allocated under predetermined conditions and the secondary battery E1 is charged by the power source of the higher priority.

Abstract: A battery charger comprising a housing including a compartment for holding battery cells, and an internal electronic charging circuit for charging battery cells in the compartment. A heat sink is located in close proximity to the compartment for physical contact by battery cells being charged to dissipate heat resulting from battery charging. The heat sink is exposed to the outside of the housing for heat dissipation, whereby fast charging is made possible.

Abstract: A self-diagnosis system for an energy storage device, the latter including a plurality of electrochemical cells connected in series or parallel to form a cell string. The self-diagnosis system correlates a state of health of the battery based on the internal resistance value of each electrochemical cell of the energy storage device and determines a corresponding battery initial capacity which enables the self-diagnosis system to evaluate the exact capacity of the battery at any given time.

Abstract: The charging method includes the steps of charging a battery pack, sensing voltage of the battery pack, calculating voltage change rate, detecting a first inflection point based on the voltage change rate so long as a voltage step is not detected, detecting a second inflection point based on the voltage change rate so long as a voltage step is not detected, and reducing current sent to the battery pack when both first and second inflection points have been detected.

Abstract: Disclosed is a portable charging apparatus having a built-in charging battery, which can easily charge the charging battery of a cellular phone even in a place where home AC power or car power cannot be used and can be used for various kinds of portable equipment by means of using one charger. The present invention can charge a charging battery of a cellular phone using home AC power or car power. Furthermore, the charger of the present invention can easily charge the charging batteries of various digital mobile devices such as cellular phones using an internal charging battery included therein even in a place where home AC power or car power cannot be used.

Abstract: In the case of charging by a charging apparatus having a plurality of input terminals to which external power sources for charging a secondary battery are inputted, it is prevented that a current of the inputted power source is outputted to the outside from the other input terminals for charging which are not used. If there are inputs from a plurality of input terminals, the input power sources are controlled so that the battery is optimally charged. pnp-type transistors Q1 and Q2 are arranged between two input terminals of a terminal 11 for an external power adaptor and a terminal 12 for a holder and a secondary battery E1, respectively. When a control IC 13 detects an input power voltage of one of the transistors, the transistor on the detected side is turned on. If the control IC 13 detects both input power voltages, a priority is allocated under predetermined conditions and the secondary battery E1 is charged by the power source of the higher priority.

Abstract: A charging apparatus includes a cooling fan; a battery temperature detecting unit; and a control unit configured to determine presence or non-presence of cooling effect by the cooling fan, and to control a charging current based on an output of the battery temperature detecting unit. When there is no cooling effect and the battery temperature reaches a first predetermined value smaller than a maximum value of a temperature range in which a battery is chargeable without making a life time thereof shorter, the control unit changes the charging current to a first charging current value where increase of the battery temperature can be suppressed. When there is cooling effect and the battery temperature reaches a second predetermined value higher than the first predetermined value, the control unit changes the charging current to a second charging current value larger than the first charging current value.

Abstract: A control of the charging of a vehicle battery by means of a generator is disclosed. The generator also supplies an electric on-board power supply of a motor vehicle and an additional consuming device with electric power. However, the additional consuming device is supplied with electric power only when the power demand of the on-board power supply has been met.

Abstract: There is disclosed a rechargeable battery comprising a solid state material (1) having formed therein a plurality of elongate holes with elongate conductors (2) located within the holes, a first pair of electrodes (3) formed or located on generally oppposed sides of the solid state material (1) in a first spatial orientation and a second pair of electrodes (4) formed or located on generally opposed sides of the solid state material (1) in a second spatial orientation different from the first, such that when a DC voltage is applied across the first pair of electrodes (3), an electric field is formed and induces electrostatic charges in the elongate conductors (2), thereby generating a voltage across the second pair of electrodes (4).

Abstract: A power source apparatus for an electric automobile is provided with a battery system, having a driving battery to power an automobile driving motor and a battery control circuit to control driving battery charging and discharging as well as to compute driving battery remaining capacity, and an accessory battery to power automobile electrical accessories. When the automobile is in the stationary state a, charging circuit, which controls charging between the driving battery and accessory battery, charges the driving battery to a specified state with accessory battery power. The battery control circuit corrects the value of driving battery remaining capacity to a specified battery capacity, and subsequently charges the accessory battery with the driving battery to bring driving battery remaining capacity to a specified level.

Abstract: A trade-in battery system for purchasing used secondary batteries and selling the charged used secondary batteries, wherein the trade-in battery system comprises a purchasing step, a pre-storage deterioration inspection step, a charging step, a storage step, a packaging step, and a selling step.

Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, a system providing a battery charge indicator for an implantable medical device, such as using a lithium/carbon monofluoride (CFx) or other battery. Capacity vs. voltage data from a separate characterizing battery into a characterizing load impedance is stored in memory, such as in a lookup table or as a regression equation fitted to the data. For the actual battery of interest, then, a battery terminal voltage and a corresponding load current are measured, and a load impedance is calculated. A translation is performed to make the measured battery voltage and the characterizing capacity vs. voltage data comparable, so that a capacity reading can be obtained.

Abstract: In a residual capacity correction method for a battery, a count of one cycle is made each time an accumulated quantity of a charge capacity of a battery reaches a learning capacity of the battery at that time, and the learning capacity is decreased by a specified cycle degradation capacity per charge of the one cycle, alternatively a decreasing rate of the learning capacity is specified as a keeping degradation capacity while a keeping temperature and a residual capacity of the battery are used as parameters, and as a keeping time passes, the learning capacity is decreased by the keeping degradation capacity specified from the keeping temperature and the residual capacity of the battery.

Abstract: A battery-powered portable electronics device (100) including a switch interconnecting a battery (170) and the battery circuit (180), a battery-hibernation circuit (190) coupled to the switch, a portable electronics device power ON switch (192) coupled to a hibernation disable input of the battery-hibernation circuit, whereby the switch connects battery power to the battery circuit upon actuation of the portable electronics device power ON switch.

Abstract: A state of charge estimator for a battery includes a meter that generates a terminal voltage signal of the battery and a terminal current signal of the battery. A controller employs a linearized model of the battery and a time-varying state estimator. The controller process a synthesized input based on the terminal current and the terminal voltage to estimate the battery state of charge.

Abstract: A rear view mirror control circuit arrangement is disclosed for a vehicle. The vehicle may have at least two rear view mirror assemblies each having a housing and respective motors located external of the vehicle. The motors are adapted and mechanically coupled to mirror elements so as to control the position of the mirror elements with respect to the vehicle for the viewing convenience of the vehicle driver. The control circuit arrangement consists of a common electronic control circuit located internal of the vehicle for controlling each motor and predetermined other functions of the rear view mirror assembly. This has the advantage that only one common control circuit is used to control multiple mirrors that being located internal of the vehicle, protects it from extreme environmental and physical conditions. Furthermore, it is cheaper to design and supply as an OEM product to vehicle manufacturers.

Abstract: The internal resistance related value which is related to the internal resistance of a secondary battery is compared with a previously obtained relation between the internal resistance related value and battery condition to judge the battery condition of the secondary battery. Since the internal resistance related value is a value related to the internal resistance which closely depends on the battery condition, the battery condition can be judged in detail based on the above relation. And the internal resistance related value can be obtained more speedily with a predetermined method. On the other hand, when the level of the degradation of a negative electrode is low, an electrolyte is supplemented, and when the level of the degradation of the negative electrode is high, a reducing agent is added to the electrolyte to regenerate the secondary battery. With this regenerating method, the performance of the negative electrode can be recovered without degrading a positive electrode.