Abstract: A compact charging station with minimal horizontal surface area onto which charging contacts are disposed capable of maintaining strong and steady contact between charging contacts of the charging station and charging contacts of the mobile robot. Charging contacts retract when not in to remain free of any dust and debris and protected from any damage when not in use.

Abstract: A method for charging an energy storage element of a vehicle using a charging apparatus which provides a charging current (IL) and a charging voltage (U) at an operating point. The charging apparatus has a plurality of energy supply modules connected in parallel, having the following method steps: in an optimization step, a distribution of the charging current (IL) to the energy supply modules connected in parallel, in the case of which the charging apparatus has a maximum overall efficiency, is respectively determined for a plurality of predefined operating points; in a charging step which follows the optimization step, a distribution of the charging current (IL) to the individual energy supply modules of the charging apparatus, in the case of which the charging apparatus has a maximum overall efficiency, is selected on the basis of a predefined charging current (IL) and a predefined charging voltage (U).

Abstract: A vehicle system includes a battery, and a charge controller configured to, for a first cycle, initiate charging of the battery at a first start time identified from a defined charge complete time and a first energy estimate of non-charging loads, and, for a next charge cycle and same defined charge complete time, initiate charging of the battery at a next start time, later than the first start time, identified from the same defined charge complete time and actual energy consumed by the non-charging loads during the first cycle.

Abstract: A battery-and-handheld-seat assembling structure includes a handheld seat and a battery. A battery-and-charger assembling structure includes a battery and a charger. The battery is detachably mounted on the handheld seat or in the charger. The battery has two first grooves formed on two side surfaces. Each first groove has a transverse segment and a longitudinal segment connected to each other vertically or substantially vertically. The handheld seat has two first assembling segments. The charger has two third assembling segments. The first assembling segments or the third assembling segments are selectively mounted in the two transverse segments respectively. Each of the first assembling segments or each of the third assembling segments engages with or disengages from the corresponding first groove, thereby strengthening the connection between the battery with the handheld seat or the charger.

Abstract: A method controls a battery-charging device including a rectifier stage of three-phase Vienna rectifier type capable of being connected to a single-phase or three-phase electrical power supply grid and linked by first and second DC power supply buses to a DC-to-DC converter stage including first and second LLC resonant converters that are connected to first and second DC power supply bus capacitors, respectively, which are positioned on each of the buses at the output of the rectifier stage. The power supply for the charging device is single phase and the voltage of the first and second DC power supply bus capacitors is regulated independently by the first and second LLC resonant converters so as to provide a fixed regulated voltage on each of the DC power supply buses.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a reconfigurable battery system and method of operating the same. The reconfigurable battery system comprising a plurality of switchable battery modules, a battery supervisory circuit, and a battery pack controller, where the plurality of switchable battery modules electrically arranged in series to define a battery string defining an output voltage. The battery pack controller operable to connect the battery string to the external bus via a pre-charge switch to perform a pre-charge cycle.

Abstract: A system (1) for transferring electric energy and data is proposed, comprising a primary circuit (10) and a secondary circuit (20). The primary circuit (10) comprises: an electric energy source module (11); a primary inductive element (12) connected to the source module (11); a primary transceiver module (13) configured to encode data into electromagnetic signals and decode electromagnetic signals into data, and a pair of electrically conductive primary transceiving armatures (14a, 14b) connected to the primary transceiver modules (13). The secondary circuit (20) comprises: an electric energy conversion module (21); a secondary inductive element (22) connected to the conversion module (21); a secondary transceiver module (23) configured to encode data into electromagnetic signals and decode electromagnetic signals into data, and a pair of electrically conductive secondary transceiving armatures (24a, 24b) connected to the secondary transceiver module (23).

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for charging a battery of a motor vehicle by an external charging station and to a motor vehicle which is designed to carry out such a method. The method includes the following steps which occur before coupling the motor vehicle to the charging station for charging the battery of the motor vehicle: first, on the basis of charging station data received by a motor vehicle, data which characterizes a current maximum charging capacity of the charging station, it is verified whether a predetermined charging state of the battery of the motor vehicle can be achieved by the charging station within a predetermined time. If the predetermined charging state of the battery cannot be achieved, a warning signal is issued.

Abstract: A battery management system may include a plurality of balancing resistors respectively forming balancing discharging paths of cells connected in series to each other, a plurality of balancing switches respectively connected between the cells and the balancing resistors, and configured to control cell-balancing of each of the cells, a voltage-detecting circuit for detecting respective cell voltages of the cells, and a battery controller for acquiring respective balancing capacities of the cells based on the cell voltages, for obtaining duty cycles of the balancing switches according to the balancing capacities, and for scaling the duty cycles of the balancing switches according to a sum of duty cycles of two adjacent cells from among the cells.

Abstract: A cooling control system and method for an on-board charger of a plug-in vehicle drive an electric water pump using a cooling control map when the temperature of the on-board charger equipped in a plug-in vehicle is equal to or above an overheat prevention temperature. The cooling control system and the method determine an entry of an optimal cooling control mode to cool the on-board charger to a temperature at which charging operational efficiency is maximized when the temperature of the on-board charger is below the overheat prevention temperature. Thereby, the on-board charger is cooled and the standard charging efficiency and the charge depletion fuel economy of the plug-in vehicle is maximized.

Abstract: A battery pack is detachably connectable to an electric tool or a charger and includes a housing, a cell group, a first voltage monitoring module, a control module, a second voltage monitoring module and a protection module. The cell group includes a plurality of cells electrically connected to each other. The first voltage monitoring module monitors at least one of the voltage of each cell or the total voltage of the cell group. The second voltage monitoring module monitors the voltage of each cell to detect whether the cells are in an overvoltage state. The protection module is electrically connected to the second voltage monitoring module and when the second voltage monitoring module monitors that any one of the cells is in the overvoltage state, cuts off a charging path formed between the battery pack and the charger.

Abstract: A power supply device is mountable to a vehicle and includes: a high-voltage battery; a low-voltage battery of which an output voltage is lower than that of the high-voltage battery, and which can be charged by output power from the high-voltage battery; and a control unit configured to perform charging/discharging control for the high-voltage battery and the low-voltage battery. The control unit performs feeding control for causing the high-voltage battery to supply power to a predetermined on-vehicle device while consumed power is higher than a predetermined value in a state in which a main switch of the vehicle is not on.

Abstract: A compact, decorative and multi-functional portable power charger and cable apparatus includes a portable charger unit with a housing where the housing encloses an internal rechargeable battery unit for connecting to and recharging one or more electronic devices, and a charging cable extending from the charger housing and in operative communication with the rechargeable battery. At least the charger housing is surrounded by an aesthetic feature, which can comprise a tasseled fitting, a puffball, a luggage tag, or a doll or teddy bear to hide the charger unit. Electrical fittings including power connection interfaces for connecting the charger and cable apparatus with at least one electronic device, or an external power source, or both, can be provided on the charging cable and also hidden by the aesthetic feature. The power charger and cable apparatus can be attached to a fashion accessory, such as a purse, a bag, luggage or clothing.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a circuit board; a battery; and a charging circuitry for charging the battery. The electronic device also includes a first sensor positioned in a first area of the battery or in an area in proximity of the first area in the circuit board for measuring a first temperature corresponding to the first area and a second sensor positioned in a second area of the battery or in an area in proximity of the second area in the circuit board for measuring a second temperature corresponding to the second area. The electronic device also includes a processor, wherein the processor is configured to acquire the first temperature via the first sensor and the second temperature via the second sensor. The processor is also configured to charge the battery with a specified current when a difference between the first and the second temperature satisfies a designated condition.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods of the present invention improve the ease of use characteristics of handheld computer, such as a tablet, by providing a handheld apparatus that may be married with the computer to enable the computer to be held in an ergonomic position for use. The apparatus may include a base, an electronic retaining portion (ERP) and a contoured handle having a gripping plane that is substantially parallel to a tablet retention plane of the electronic retaining portion in which the computer is retained with its screen in the tablet retention plane. In various embodiments, the apparatus may include the ERP having a tablet retention plane and a contoured handle cooperating with the ERP, the contoured handle having a shape defining a gripping plane substantially parallel to the tablet retention plane, where the ERP is rotatable relative to the handle.

Abstract: A method comprises coupling a charge phase circuit and a battery phase circuit to a battery, in a charge mode, turning on a plurality of first switches and turning off a plurality of second switches to connect the charge phase circuit to the battery and in a battery mode, turning on the plurality of second switches and turning off the plurality of first switches to connect the battery phase circuit to the battery.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an inductor device includes a first pad and a second pad. The first pad includes a first compensation part located in a first direction side and a first inductor part located in a second direction side. The second direction is an opposite direction of the first direction. The second pad includes a second compensation part located in the second direction side and a second inductor part located in the first direction side. The first compensation part and the second compensation part each include a compensation capacitor. The first inductor part includes a first core and a first coil winded around the first core. The second inductor part includes a second core and a second coil winded around the second core.

Abstract: In one aspect, a device includes a processor, a battery accessible to the processor and that powers the processor, and storage accessible to the processor. The storage bears instructions executable by the processor to predict a discharge amount of the battery that is to occur within a predefined time and, based on the prediction, determine a frequency at which the battery is to be charged.

Abstract: Provided are a power supply circuit, a power supply device and a control method. The power supply circuit includes a primary rectifier unit, a modulation unit, a transformer, a secondary rectifier and filtering unit, and a control unit. In the power supply circuit, a liquid electrolytic capacitor at a primary side is removed, such that a volume of the power supply circuit is smaller, and is safe to use. Moreover, an output current of the power supply circuit has a periodically changing current value, and the control unit can control the duration of the output current in which the current value is 0.

Abstract: An electric power control device for a vehicle which is configured to receive direct current which is supplied from a charging device outside the vehicle and includes an electric storage device configured to be charged by the direct current includes an electronic control unit configured to: acquire maximum output information of the charging device; while the electric storage device is charged by the direct current supplied from the charging device, execute a current limiting process in which the direct current becomes lower than a predetermined value when a parameter relevant to a temperature of a current-carrying component and a threshold of the parameter satisfy a predetermined condition, the current-carrying component being a component in which the direct current flows through; and set the threshold based on the maximum output information of the charging device.