A control device includes: a first path for: electrically connecting (i) a power source unit or reference potential that provides a potential, voltage or current for generating a drive signal of a switching element and (ii) a receiving unit that receives the drive signal in the switching element; and supplying the drive signal to the switching element; and a second path for: electrically connecting (i) the power source unit or the reference potential and (ii) the receiving unit; and supplying the drive signal to the switching element. (i) A value of a combined resistance of a wire of the second path and one or more elements disposed in the second path is greater than (ii) a value of a combined resistance of a wire of the first path and one or more elements disposed in the first path.

A storage battery (21) is configured of a plurality of cells (22A) to (22N) series-connected to each other. A battery controller (27) receives power supplied from a lead battery (31). The battery controller (27) executes balancing control that reduces variation in cell voltages (VcA) to (VcN) of the plurality of cells (22A) to (22N). The battery controller (27) executes the balancing control in a time range during which a voltage of the lead battery (31) becomes equal to or more than a predetermined given voltage value (V1) and a charging rate of the storage battery (21) becomes equal to or more than a predetermined given charging rate value (SOC1) after a key switch (16) is switched from an on state to an off state.

An electronic device has a battery system with control circuitry for use during charging and discharging. The battery pack has two battery cells coupled in series. The control circuitry includes battery charging circuitry that applies a charging current to the battery pack during charging. The control circuitry includes bleed resistors and switches that can be selectively activated to bleed charging current away from a selected cell during charging. This allows the control circuitry to balance charges stored on the cells and to balance associated cell voltages. The control circuitry is configured to maintain information on a difference between the charge stored on the first battery cell and the charge stored on the second battery cell. Information on this charge difference value is maintained during charging and discharging and is used in establishing a battery pack charging voltage target.

A cell balancer includes a low power radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and a battery monitoring unit (BMU). The RFID tag is configured to measure voltage of a cell in a battery and the BMU is configured to perform voltage management of the cell. The BMU is configured to instruct the RFIG tag to measure voltage of the cell in the battery and receive from the RFID tag the measured voltage of the cell.

A battery management unit includes a cell balancing module to perform cell balancing between a cells in a battery cell stack, and a controller operable to determine, during a first charge cycle, that the first cell has reached an over-voltage threshold before the second cell, to determine, during a discharge cycle, that the first cell has reached an under-voltage threshold before the second cell, to identify the first cell as having a lower capacity than the second cell based upon the determination that the first cell reached the over-voltage threshold before the second cell and upon the determination that the first cell reached the under-voltage threshold before the second cell, and to prevent, during another charge cycle, the cell balancing module from performing cell balancing on the first cell based upon the first cell being identified as having the lower capacity than the second cell.

A portable charger capable of jump starting a 12 V car battery includes a charger battery, a jump start circuit operatively electrically connected with the charger battery and with an ignition power outlet, and a microcontroller for coordinating safety functions to establish or interrupt the operative electrical connection of the jump start circuit with the ignition power outlet. The ignition power outlet comprises a positive power socket, a negative power socket, a positive sensing socket and a negative sensing socket. The sensing sockets are electrically isolated from the power sockets, and the microcontroller senses voltage across the sensing sockets and is configured to interrupt the operative electrical connection of the jump start circuit to the ignition power outlet until proper voltage is sensed across the sensing sockets.

A battery system includes a plurality of converters that each converts electric power between a corresponding one of a plurality of blocks and an auxiliary battery. First equalization control is control for, when a vehicle is in a ReadyON state, operating a converter corresponding to a lower-voltage block, of at least one pair of blocks having voltage variations exceeding a threshold value, such that the lower-voltage block is charged with electric power supplied from the auxiliary battery. Second equalization control is control for, when the vehicle is in a ReadyOFF state, operating a converter corresponding to a higher-voltage block, of at least one pair of blocks having the voltage variations exceeding another threshold value, such that the auxiliary battery is charged with electric power supplied from the higher-voltage block.

Methods and apparatus for managing energy services are disclosed. One method includes determining a quantity of the energy service realized during the connection event; identifying an account associated with the grid connection point; and adjusting the identified account based on the quantity determined. Another method includes receiving an indicator indicating an asset identifier or a grid connection point identifier; determining a location of the asset on the grid based on the indicator; determining operating conditions for realizing the energy service based on the determined location; sending the conditions; identifying an account associated with the point based on the indicator; and adjusting the account based on a quantity of energy services realized by the asset in accordance with the conditions. A computer readable medium includes instructions for determining a quantity of energy services realized during a connection event; identifying an account associated with a connection point; and adjusting the account.

System and method of controlling operation of a device having a rechargeable energy storage pack with a plurality of cells, based on propulsion loss assessment. A controller is configured to obtain a state of charge data and an open circuit voltage of the rechargeable energy storage pack. The controller is configured to obtain a state of charge disparity factor (dSOC) from a selected dataset. The state of charge disparity factor (dSOC) is defined as a difference between a minimum value of the state of charge and an average value of the state of charge of the plurality of cells. The controller is configured to control operation of the device based in part on the state of charge disparity factor (dSOC) and a plurality of parameters (P.sub.i), including raising one or more of a plurality of flags each transmitting respective information to a user.

A cell balancing system includes sensing circuitry configured to sense a cell voltage of each of a plurality of cells of a battery. Cell balancing circuitry is configured to balance each of the plurality of cells in response to a respective cell balancing command for each of the plurality of cells. A comparison circuit configured to compare the sensed cell voltages for each of the plurality of cells to an adaptive threshold voltage. The comparison circuit generates a respective cell state for each of the plurality of cells to indicate a state of the respective cell voltage for each of the plurality of cells relative to the adaptive threshold voltage. A controller is configured to set the respective cell balancing command for each of the plurality of cells and to adjust the adaptive threshold voltage based on an evaluation of the cell states for the plurality of cells.