Battery pack having memory
First Claim
1. A battery powered system comprising:
- a display;
a battery;
a first controller operatively coupled to the battery for receiving signals from the battery relating to at least one battery parameter, and for causing the supply of one of a plurality of different charging currents to the battery based on the signal received; and
a second controller operatively coupled to the display and the first controller, the second controller for receiving signals from the first controller related to charging of the battery, and for causing the display of information related to the charging of the battery on the display.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
In an exemplary embodiment, a battery conditioning system monitors battery conditioning and includes a memory for storing data based thereon; for example, data may be stored representative of available battery capacity as measured during a deep discharge cycle. With a microprocessor monitoring battery operation of a portable unit, a measure of remaining battery capacity can be calculated and displayed. Where the microprocessor and battery conditioning system memory are permanently secured to the battery so as to receive operating power therefrom during storage and handling, the performance of a given battery in actual use can be accurately judged since the battery system can itself maintain a count of accumulated hours of use and other relevant parameters. In the case of a nonportable conditioning system, two-way communication may be established with a memory associated with the portable unit so that the portable unit can transmit to the conditioning system information concerning battery parameters (e.g. rated battery capacity) and/or battery usage (e.g. numbers of shallow discharge and recharge cycles), and after a conditioning operation, the conditioning system can transmit to the portable unit a measured value of battery capacity, for example. A battery pack having memory stores battery history and identifying data to be retrieved by a portable battery powered device. Battery status information may be utilized in conjunction with characteristic battery history data in order to optimize charging and discharging functions and to maximize the useful life of a battery pack.
409 Citations
55 Claims
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1. A battery powered system comprising:
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a display;
a battery;
a first controller operatively coupled to the battery for receiving signals from the battery relating to at least one battery parameter, and for causing the supply of one of a plurality of different charging currents to the battery based on the signal received; and
a second controller operatively coupled to the display and the first controller, the second controller for receiving signals from the first controller related to charging of the battery, and for causing the display of information related to the charging of the battery on the display. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A battery powered system comprising:
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a battery pack having a battery;
a portable utilization device having a first controller detachably coupled to the battery and a second controller operatively coupled to the first controller, the second controller for receiving signals based upon at least one battery parameter and for selecting one of a plurality of different charging rates based on the signals received, the first controller being responsive to control signals from the second controller for causing the battery to be charged at the selected charging rate. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A battery powered system comprising:
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a battery;
a first controller operatively coupled to the battery;
a second controller operatively coupled to the first controller, the second controller for receiving signals based upon at least one battery parameter and for selecting one of a plurality of a different charging rates based on the signals received, the first controller being responsive to control signals from the second controller for causing the battery to be charged at the selected charging rate. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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Specification