Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging inventions 09/08

20080231225 - Power supply device capable of collecting solar power, and clothing assembly having the same: A clothing assembly includes a solar power collecting unit mounted on a garment for converting solar power into electrical energy, and a power supplying unit having a rechargeable battery set disposed in a housing, connected electrically and wiredly to the solar power collecting unit so as to be charged by... Agent: Sheridan Ross PC

20080231226 - Battery powered device: A battery powered apparatus (100) includes an electrically powered device (124), a rechargeable energy storage device (112), and a battery receiving region (104) that receives at least a first battery (106). The electrically powered device (124) includes at least first and second operating modes. The operating mode of the device... Agent: Michael C. Pophal Eveready Battery Company Inc

20080231227 - Nesting negotiation for self-mobile devices: Disparate robotic devices can be automatically recharged and reprogrammed by self-scheduling individual time slots for the available recharging area(s) of a charging station. These charging stations provide a nest to which each robot must return periodically for power. These nests can also provide new tasking or patches for the robotic... Agent: Ibm Corp (ya) C/o Yee & Associates PC

20080231228 - Bi-directional charging/integrated power management unit: A media enhanced shopping cart system comprises a shopping cart comprising a frame, a basket, a handle, a base tray, a plurality of wheels, a read component for performing a proximity scan of the shopping cart, a locationing component for determining a location of the shopping cart within a store... Agent: Conley Rose, P.C.

20080231229 - Charging device: A charging device includes a charging unit, a detecting unit, a determining unit, a current generating unit, an adjusting unit, and a display unit. The charging unit charges a battery. The detecting unit detects a voltage developed across the battery. The determining unit determines a charging state of the battery... Agent: Antonelli, Terry, Stout & Kraus, LLP

20080231230 - Using a circuit rating to establish a charge rate for an electric storage battery of an electric vehicle: A method for charging an electric storage battery in a plug-in electric vehicle through a power supply circuit includes coupling a charger to the circuit, providing the charger with a signal representing a current capacity of the circuit, using the signal to determine a maximum charge rate corresponds to the... Agent: Macmillan, Sobanski & Todd, LLC

20080231231 - System and method for balancing state of charge of series connected cells: A system and method for charging an undercharged cell of a bank of series connected cells utilizes a charging circuit. The charging circuit includes an inductor that receives current from the entire bank of cells and then provides current to the undercharged cell. Pulse width modulation is utilized to turn... Agent: Howard & Howard Attorneys, P.C.

20080231232 - Battery pack: A battery pack is constructed with a plurality of secondary batteries or a plurality of battery assemblies, each having a plurality of unit batteries, and at least one safety switch, which can facilitate precise measurement of the voltages of the plurality of secondary batteries or battery assemblies. The battery pack... Agent: Robert E. Bushnell

20080231233 - Power converter including auxiliary battery charger: A power charging system including a power converter unit and a selectively detachable battery charger module configured to receive power from the remote power converter unit and also receive and charge a rechargeable battery or batteries. The battery charger module is a stand alone accessory for use with the power... Agent: Jackson Walker LLP

20080231235 - Charger device: A device may include a first connector configured to connect to a portable device and a second connector configured to connect to a power source. The device may also include circuitry configured to provide a first charging current to the portable device via the first connector when the second connector... Agent: Harrity Snyder, L.L.P.

20080231234 - Pull-cord lighting device: A manually generatable lighting device utilizes a pull cord, which is mechanically linked to a motor, to charge a power pack for on-demand illumination of at least one light-emitting diode. The lighting device employs circuitry which enables its use as continuous light source, a night light which illuminates automatically in... Agent: Curtis L. Harrington Suite 250

20080231236 - Battery charger operable for selective one of a plurality of power supplies: A battery charger is configured to use selective one of two or more power supplies including a commercial AC power supply and a DC power supply. An AC cable is fixedly secured to the body of the battery charger and a DC cable is detachably connected to the body of... Agent: Antonelli, Terry, Stout & Kraus, LLP

20080231237 - Method and apparatus for charging nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery: It is made possible to keep a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery in a charged state for a long period of time and minimize the degradation of the battery. A method for charging a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery including a cathode, an anode, and a nonaqueous electrolyte, includes: a first charging... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20080231238 - Method and system for determining the soc of a rechargeable battery: A method of determining the state of charge (SOC) of a rechargeable battery, the method comprising charging the battery using a substantially constant charge current; measuring the battery temperature; and conducting a first measurement of the battery voltage at a time interval, t1, from the start of the charging, and... Agent: Volpe And Koenig, P.C.

20080224652 - Photovoltaic power output-utilizing device: Briefly described, the invention provides a photovoltaic assembly power output utilizing device which partially charges a capacitor assembly. This capacitor assembly is then partially discharged by a DC/DC power converter in different ranges of voltages in which the power output from the photovoltaic assembly peaks for different light intensities.... Agent: Synnestvedt Lechner & Woodbridge LLP

20080224654 - Apparatus and method for controlling battery recharging and discharging in a portable terminal: An apparatus and method for controlling battery discharging in a portable terminal having a detachable external battery are provided. The method includes determining if the external battery has been connected with the portable terminal when the portable terminal is booted, receiving power from the external battery when the external battery... Agent: JeffersonIPLaw, LLP

20080224653 - Battery-operated power output device: A battery-operated power output device includes a battery seat for receiving a dry cell power source, a charging signal generator connected to the battery seat for generating a charging signal output, a power source connector for connection to a rechargeable battery load, a safety switch for making or breaking connection... Agent: Darby & Darby P.C.

20080224656 - Device for recharging batteries: The invention relates to a device (1) for recharging batteries, the device having a circuit, which comprises at least a first coil (8) in a first layer (17) and at least a second coil (21) in a second layer (19). The coils (4-16, 21-25) in accordance with the invention have... Agent: Philips Intellectual Property & Standards

20080224655 - Mechanically featureless inductive charging: An inductive charging system including an inductive charger having an inductive charging surface and an alignment feature depicted on a surface of the inductive charger indicating a location of the inductive charging surface. A structural feature may extend substantially perpendicular to the alignment feature and provides a guide for positioning... Agent: Thorne & Halajian Applied Technology Center

20080224657 - Rechargeable battery: The invention relates to a rechargeable battery with a battery housing having a rear wall with a recess which extends as far as an end wall of the battery housing and has a base side and narrow sides facing each other, the base side continuing via a step into the... Agent: Lipsitz & Mcallister, LLC

20080224658 - Charging cable with usb-like connector: A charging-cable is described that comprises a charger-connector for connecting the charging-cable arrangement to a mating USB connector in a charger, and a device-connector for connecting the charging-cable to a portable device. The charger-connector comprises USB-terminals arranged so that a first USB-terminal can connect to the VBUS signal, a second... Agent: Harrity Snyder, L.L.P.

20080224659 - Hand-held, portable electronic device with retainer port for receiving one or more attachable wireless audiophones for in situ charging: A hand-held, portable electronic device is provided with a retainer port for removably receiving one or more attachable wireless audiophones for in situ charging of at least one of a first or second attachable wireless audiophone on the hand-held, portable electronic device. In one embodiment of the present invention, a... Agent: Sanjeev Kumar Singh Unit No. 17

20080224660 - Charging and power-supply device: A charging and power-supply device includes a base, at least one power socket, a board located on the base, and a conductive wire. The power socket is located on the base. The board is rotatably pivoted with the base via a pivoting unit. The conductive wire is electrically connected with... Agent: Rosenberg, Klein & Lee

20080224661 - Charging device for portable electronic device battery and portable phone battery: A charging device for a portable phone is provided which is capable of achieving its improved usability by making the device small-sized, improving its portability, and enabling instant telephone speech even in a state in which a battery of the portable phone has been exhausted. The charging device for a... Agent: Whitham, Curtis & Christofferson & Cook, P.C.

20080224662 - Battery pack: A battery pack includes a secondary cell, a selection unit, a judging unit, an elapsed time period comparing unit, and a control unit. The selection unit selects either a first operation state or a second operation state. The control unit controls the selection unit to switch from the first operation... Agent: Bell, Boyd & Lloyd, LLP

20080224663 - Method and apparatus to control electric power consumption: A system and method for controlling the electrical power consumption of an accessory device. A power transmission unit is adapted to generate electrical power. The system comprises a first controller, a current sensor and a second controller. The first controller is adapted to control the operation of the accessory device.... Agent: Brooks Kushman P.C./fgtl

20080224664 - Charging and discharging control circuit and charging type power supply device: An overcharge detecting comparator (121) detects an overcharged state of a battery (101), and an overcurrent detecting comparator (120) detects an overcurrent state of the battery (101). In response to output signals from those comparators, a control circuit (210) performs on/off control of each of a switch (102) and a... Agent: Bruce L. Adams, Esq Suite 1231

20080224665 - Current detection apparatus for a car power source: The current detection apparatus is provided with a current detection section (20; 30) that detects charging current and discharging current of the car driving battery (10), a level-shift circuit (40; 50) connected to the output-side of the current detection section (20; 30) that shifts the output of the current detection... Agent: Richard N. Hill, Sr.

20080224666 - Electric hand-held power tool with a shut-off delay device: The invention relates to a handheld electrical machine tool having at least one electrical drive, at least one electrical device requiring electrical energy for its operation, a shut-off delay apparatus for the electrical drive and/or the electrical device and having at least one rechargeable battery for the electrical supply to... Agent: Michael J. Striker

20080224667 - Method for charging battery pack: A method for charging a lithium-ion secondary battery is so designed as to fully charge, with a voltage of the lithium-ion secondary battery being limited to a set voltage. Further, the method for charging the lithium-ion secondary battery is so designed that a degradation level of the lithium-ion secondary battery... Agent: Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.

20080224668 - Generator device for independently charging at least two batteries: A generator device, e.g. a motor vehicle alternator, has a generator and can be electrically coupled to at least two batteries at the output end. The generator device is provided with one respective rectifier circuit for the at least two batteries. The rectifier circuits are configured and can be controlled... Agent: Baker Botts L.L.P. Patent Department

20080224669 - Battery connection detection circuit: A battery connection detection circuit is disclosed that is able to correctly determine an operation condition of a secondary battery and a connection condition between the secondary battery and a charging device. A determination circuit monitors both the voltage Vt1 on the battery connection terminal T1 and the current supplied... Agent: Cooper & Dunham, LLP

20080218120 - Charge recovery device for alkaline batteries: A charge recovery device includes: a battery seat to be connected electrically to an alkaline battery load; a power source connector to be connected electrically to an external power source; a charging signal generator connected electrically to the power source connector and operable to generate a charging signal output that... Agent: Darby & Darby P.c.

20080218122 - Battery charging method for an electric golf car: A charger and a vehicle body battery are connected together via a connector. The vehicle body includes a first CPU that determines if the vehicle body battery is being charged or not. The charger includes a second CPU that transmits a charging signal to indicate that the vehicle body is... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

20080218121 - Charging a battery using a circuit having shared loads: A method for charging an electric storage battery in a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle through a power supply circuit, includes coupling the charger to the circuit, determining whether another appliance in the circuit other than the charger is drawing current, determining a maximum charge rate at which the battery can... Agent: Macmillan, Sobanski & Todd, Llc

20080218123 - Battery charging apparatus, control method thereof, and battery charging control apparatus: A battery charging apparatus which includes: an adapter which converts a voltage of an external electric power to a charging voltage of a voltage level corresponding to the battery, to charge the battery; and a controller which communicates with the battery to determine a charged state of the battery, and... Agent: Stein, Mcewen & Bui, LLP

20080218124 - Lithium battery pack and system for charging the same: A lithium battery pack according to the present invention has inherent information stored therein, which comprises a plurality of cells, nominal voltage, maximal voltage of the cells, range of temperature etc. A charging parameter is determined by a charging controller based on an identified data of the cells and the... Agent: Mcdermott, Will & Emery LLP

20080218125 - Battery charging system: A method and system are provided in which a charging process for rechargeable batteries is controlled in accordance with a recommended inactive or storage maximum battery charge level which is obtained from a battery manufacturer or other data source. In one embodiment, the battery charging system accesses a battery manufacturer's... Agent: Ibm Corporation (rvw)

20080218126 - Conditional battery charging system: A method and system are provided in which a charging process for rechargeable batteries is controlled in accordance with selected predetermined variable conditions. In an exemplary embodiment, a user is enabled to select the predetermined conditions under which the charging of a battery is suspended until such conditions have changed.... Agent: Ibm Corporation (rvw)

20080218127 - Battery management systems with controllable adapter output: A battery management system comprises a control circuit and an adapter. The control circuit can be used to generate a control signal according to a status of each cell of a plurality of cells in a battery pack. The adapter receives the control signal and charges the battery pack. An... Agent: O2micro Inc C/o Murabito, Hao & Barnes LLP

20080218128 - Self-generation type charging battery assembly: Disclosed is a self-generation type charging battery assembly, which is devised to provide a battery capable of being charged by self-generation without using a separate charger, by combining a constituent for generating electric power through the reciprocal movement, a constituent for converting the generated alternating current into direct current, and... Agent: Leo Hipom Kim

20080218129 - Computer and battery charging method thereof: A computer includes a system part which has at least one electronic component, a power supplying part which supplies a main electric power to the system part, a battery part which receives charging electric power from the power supplying part and supplies auxiliary electric power to the system part, and... Agent: Stanzione & Kim, LLP

20080218130 - Battery management systems with adjustable charging current: A battery management system includes a monitoring circuit and a charger. The monitoring circuit is operable for monitoring a battery pack that includes a plurality of cells, and for checking an unbalanced condition of the battery pack in each cycle of a plurality of cycles. The charger is operable for... Agent: Patent Prosecution O2mirco , Inc.

20080211451 - Method for supplying power with light voltage battery, device and system thereof: The present invention relates to solar battery technological, and embodiments of the present invention provide a method, device and system for supplying power with light voltage battery. In the embodiments provided by the present invention, through a parameter scale value corresponding to electric energy generated by a tested object under... Agent: Ladas & Parry LLP

20080211452 - Portable self regenerating power system: An energy storage system, more particularly to a power distribution system for providing power for an indeterminate period of time. The power distribution system comprises means for converting the energy from an alternator to AC/DC circuits. The alternator transmits electric current to a battery, where an inverter is electrically connected... Agent: Tracy D Blackman

20080211453 - Method for controlling a vehicle electric system: A method for controlling the electrical system of a motor vehicle with a generator, a battery to supply the electrical system, at least one load and a storage capacitor for brief supply of electrical power on demand, during which the battery is charged when the generator produces excess electrical power... Agent: Crowell & Moring LLP Intellectual Property Group

20080211454 - Battery pack having a secondary battery and a charging system using the battery pack: The battery pack may comprise a first communication circuit unit for communicating with the external charging device; a first switching circuit unit for cutting off the charging current from the external charging device to the secondary battery; and a control circuit unit for controlling the first switching circuit unit based... Agent: Cooper & Dunham, LLP

20080211455 - Rechargeable power supply, battery device, contactless charger system and method for charging rechargeable battery cell: A system, method and apparatus for contact-less charging of battery operated devices is presented. There is a host charger with a power converter and resonant tank circuit and a portable device where the battery is located, with a battery charging control IC. The method obviates the need for a voltage... Agent: Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP

20080211456 - Device and method for charge equalization of series-connected individual cell of an energy accumulator: A device and a method equalize a charge of series-connected individual cells of an energy accumulator with a DC/DC converter. The DC/DC converter draws energy from the energy accumulator or from another power source for charging an intermediate circuit capacitor whose voltage is inverted in a DC/AC converter and the... Agent: Lerner Greenberg Stemer LLP

20080211457 - Energy storage unit: An energy storage unit has several storage elements (2, 2′) which are switched in series and a charge redistribution circuit (6, 6′). The latter is installed in such a manner that the voltage of the storage element (UELn, UEln′) is measured and compared with a voltage threshold value (UTHRn, UTHR,... Agent: Continental Teves, Inc.

20080211458 - Charging display system: In one aspect, a method is provided for operating a charging display system that is capable of wirelessly charging a rechargeable device positioned on a connector-less charging surface. In accordance with the method, the presence of a chargeable device on the charging surface is detected and the type of the... Agent: David A. Novais Patent Legal Staff

20080211459 - Battery management system and driving method thereof: A battery management system is provided for managing a battery that supplies power to a vehicle. The battery includes a plurality of cells. The battery management system includes a sensing unit for measuring a voltage of each of the plurality of cells. The battery management system detects at least one... Agent: Christie, Parker & Hale, LLP

20080211460 - Charging method and system for adjusting charging current: A charging method and a system for adjusting a charging current are provided. A charge capacity and a charge current rate of a rechargeable battery are read for adjusting an output current of a battery charger. As a result, the output current of the battery charger can be adjusted according... Agent: Jianq Chyun Intellectual Property Office

20080211461 - Capacitor charging circuit, flash unit, and camera: The present invention provides a flash discharging circuit for simplifying the charging of electric power in a capacitor. When energy discharged from a transformer for storing and discharging energy is charged in a main capacitor of the circuit, a detection voltage inputted to a first input terminal of a comparator... Agent: Canon U.s.a. Inc. Intellectual Property Division