Power supply having an auxiliary power cell
First Claim
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1. A cochlear implant comprising:
- a power supply configured to supply power to one or more components of the cochlear implant, comprising;
a plurality of batteries electrically connected in series and configured to output power;
an auxiliary battery; and
a control module configured to measure power demands of said components, to evaluate respective power delivery capabilities of each of said plurality of batteries in response to a determination that the power output by said plurality of batteries is insufficient to meet the measured power demands of said components, and to selectively electrically connect said auxiliary battery in parallel with whichever one of said plurality of batteries has a lower power delivery capability than another of said plurality of batteries.
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Abstract
A power supply having a plurality of selectively electrically connectable power cells configured to supply power to a load. The power supply comprises a plurality of power cells electrically connected in series and an auxiliary power cell electrically connected in parallel with one of said plurality of power cells. A control is configured to selectively electrically connect said auxiliary cell in parallel with whichever one of said plurality of power cells has a lower power delivery capability.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A cochlear implant comprising:
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a power supply configured to supply power to one or more components of the cochlear implant, comprising; a plurality of batteries electrically connected in series and configured to output power; an auxiliary battery; and a control module configured to measure power demands of said components, to evaluate respective power delivery capabilities of each of said plurality of batteries in response to a determination that the power output by said plurality of batteries is insufficient to meet the measured power demands of said components, and to selectively electrically connect said auxiliary battery in parallel with whichever one of said plurality of batteries has a lower power delivery capability than another of said plurality of batteries. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for supplying power from a power supply in a cochlear implant to one or more components of the cochlear implant, wherein the power supply comprises a plurality of batteries electrically connected in series and configured to output power, and an auxiliary battery, the method comprising:
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measuring, with said power supply, power demands of said one or more components; determining, with said power supply, which of said plurality of batteries has the lowest power delivery capability, in response to a determination that the power output by said plurality of batteries is insufficient to meet the measured power demands of said components; electrically connecting said auxiliary battery in parallel with said battery having said lowest power delivery capability; and supplying said power to said one or more ether components with said electrically connected batteries. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification