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 device for identifying consumable products comprises a main unit including an electronic circuit, and a consumable product detachably connected to the main unit. The consumable product includes a property-varying analog element whose analog value of electric property continuously varies when connected to the main unit and applied with a current. The main unit includes a current-applying portion for applying the current to the property-varying analog element of the consumable product, and a detecting portion for detecting the varying electric property of the property-varying analog element, which is applied with the current by the current-applying portion.

Abstract: The 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: In the present battery apparatus for vehicle, a temperature detecting plate 30 is fixed outside a casing 10 accommodating a plurality of secondary batteries 20. The casing 10 is provided with ventilation holes 15 for cooling the secondary batteries 20 between the secondary batteries 20 and the temperature detecting plate 30. The temperature detecting plate 30 fixes temperature sensors 50 on an insulation substrate 31. The insulation substrate 31 has air holes 33 communicated with the ventilation holes 15 of the casing 10, and a communicating portion 34 is provided between the air holes 33, and the temperature sensor 50 is fixed to the communicating portion 34, whereby the temperature sensor 50 is located so as to access to the surface of the secondary battery 20 via the ventilation hole 15.

Abstract: A battery pack includes a plurality of batteries interlocked linearly through a connector. The connector includes an inner peripheral portion to be welded to one battery, and an outer peripheral portion, provided outside the inner peripheral portion, to be welded to the other battery. The inner peripheral portion and the outer peripheral portion have a step in between, and the step places the inner peripheral portion in a concave portion of the connector. The inner peripheral portion of the connector is present inside a caulking convex strip provided to a battery end face of one battery, and connected to the battery end face through welding without coming in contact with the caulking convex strip. The outer peripheral portion is connected to an outer peripheral portion of a battery end face of the other battery through welding.

Abstract: A battery unit comprises a plural number of cells. The cells are provided with temperature sensors adjacent thereto respectively. One cell is provided with one temperature sensor adjacent thereto, but all of the cells are not provided with temperature sensors; so that the total number of temperature sensors is less than the total number of cells. Cells provided with temperature sensors adjacent thereto, respectively, and cells not provided with any temperature sensor are mixedly connected. The temperature sensors are divided into a plural number of temperature sensor blocks, and an abnormal temperature of a cell is detected by comparing resistance values of the temperature sensor blocks with one another.

Abstract: The hybrid car power supply apparatus is provided with a battery system having a driving battery to run an electric motor to drive the vehicle, an inverter to drive the electric motor with the driving battery, and an automotive battery. The battery system houses a charging circuit to charge the driving battery with the automotive battery. The charging circuit charges the driving battery with the automotive battery when remaining driving battery capacity becomes low. The charged driving battery runs the electric motor to start the engine.

Abstract: The method computes a capacity of a battery array formed from a plurality of rechargeable batteries connected in series while controlling battery array charging and discharging. An upper capacity limit lower than a battery array full charge capacity, a lower capacity limit greater than a complete discharge capacity, and a specified capacity within a range between the upper and lower capacity limits are established. Battery array charging and discharging is permitted when computed capacity is within the range between upper and lower capacity limits. When computed capacity reaches the upper capacity limit, charging is prohibited until battery array capacity drops to the specified capacity, and when computed capacity reaches the lower capacity limit, discharging is prohibited until battery array capacity rises to the specified capacity.

Abstract: The hybrid car power supply apparatus is provided with a battery system having a driving battery to run an electric motor to drive the vehicle, an inverter to drive the electric motor with the driving battery, and an automotive battery. The battery system houses a charging circuit to charge the driving battery with the automotive battery. The charging circuit charges the driving battery with the automotive battery when remaining driving battery capacity becomes low. The charged driving battery runs the electric motor to start the engine.

Abstract: This method of controlling charging and discharging computes a capacity of a battery array formed from a plurality of series connected rechargeable batteries while charging and discharging the battery array. For each specified time period, charge-discharge capacity is computed and integrated during the specified time period. A first specified time period is followed by a second specified time period, and forced charging or forced discharge is performed during the second specified time period to make the sum of the charge-discharge capacity during the second specified time period plus the charge-discharge capacity during the first specified time period approach zero.

Abstract: A battery pack having at least one rechargeable battery and a secondary coil, which is electromagnetically coupled to a primary coil contained inside of a charging stand. The battery pack also includes a control circuit which controls electric power induced in the secondary coil for charging the rechargeable batteries. The secondary coil of the battery pack is positioned close to the bottom of a battery pack case with its center axis oriented along the elongated direction of the case. The charging stand contains the primary coil, which is located so as to be close to the secondary coil when the battery pack is mounted on the charging stand.

Abstract: A battery pack comprises at least one rechargeable battery, a secondary coil which is magnetically coupled to a primary coil housed in a charging stand, and a control circuit which controls power induced in the secondary coil and charges the rechargeable battery. Alternating current (AC) generated in the secondary coil housed in the battery pack is controlled by the control circuit to charge the rechargeable battery.

Abstract: The charger mounts a printed circuit board into a case and charging contact points are fixed on this printed circuit board. The charging contact points are connected to the electrodes of the batteries attached to the attachment section. The separating ribs in which the charging contact points mount and which are in contact with the upper face of the printed circuit board, are provided in the case. The charging contact points mounted in the inner side of these separating ribs, are exposed in the attachment section from the electrode windows of the case. The fluid which penetrated inside the case via the electrode windows is separated by the separating ribs and prevented from spreading at the surface of the printed circuit board and is drained outside the case through the drain canals provided in the case.

Abstract: A secondary battery is connected to a protecting circuit. The protecting circuit interrupts charging of the secondary battery when the battery voltage of the secondary battery reaches a first protecting voltage which is higher than a first voltage, the first voltage being the full charge voltage of the secondary battery. After constant current charging of the secondary battery, the secondary battery is charged until the battery voltage of the secondary battery becomes higher than the first protecting voltage for achieving rapid charging of the secondary battery. When the secondary battery is charged in this condition, the protecting voltage of the protecting circuit is changed over to a second protecting voltage which is higher than the first protecting voltage for this preventing the protecting circuit from operating.

Abstract: An integrated system of battery charger, battery case, and electronic equipment allows convenient options to carrying bulky charging equipment when traveling with portable electronic equipment. The battery charger contains both a battery pack and charging circuitry, the battery case contains multiple battery packs for extended operation time with intelligent switching to consecutively charge or discharge battery packs, and the electronic equipment operates with either the nearly identically shaped battery charger or battery case attached. Battery packs mount in a detachable fashion in compartments on either the battery charger or the battery case. Power is supplied to the electronic equipment from the battery packs through a completely compatible system of terminals and contacts on all units.

Abstract: A battery is charged in three successive charging intervals. In the first charging interval, charging is continued For a fixed time regardless of battery voltage change. In the second charging interval, charging is ceased by detecting a voltage drop from a peak battery voltage. In the third charging interval, charging is ceased by detecting the peak battery voltage. Early disconnect as well as over-charging are prevented.

Abstract: A battery pack is selectively connectable to electrical equipment and to a battery charger. The electrical equipment or battery recharger decides whether the attached battery pack is a compatible device. If the attached battery pack is determined to be suitable, electrical power is transferred from the battery pack to the electrical equipment or from the battery recharger to the battery pack. To determine whether the battery pack is compatible, the electrical equipment or battery recharger receives an electrical signal, from the battery pack, containing battery information by which the type of battery pack can be distinguished.

Abstract: A battery charger includes a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of a battery, a charge completion sensor for detecting a fully charged state of the battery, a controller for controlling the charging of the battery, and a display. The controller starts the charging of the battery when the temperature sensor detects a temperature of the battery lower than a predetermined temperature and temporarily suspends charging of the battery whenever the temperature of the battery detected by the temperature sensor rises above the predetermined temperature. When either the temperature sensor has detected a temperature above the predetermined temperature a predetermined number of times or the charge completion sensor detects the fully charged state of the battery, the controller displays a charge completion indication on the display.