A failure in any of first switches is determined based on a voltage value of a battery assembly and a predetermined threshold. The voltage value is retained in a capacitor by turning on or off the first switches and a second switch, and obtained from a voltage detector a voltage value.

A storage battery controlling device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a battery characteristic estimator configured to calculate an internal resistance of a secondary battery and a function indicating relationship between an open circuit voltage of the secondary battery and a state of charge or an amount of a charge charged of the secondary battery therein, on the basis of data of a temperature, a voltage and a current of the secondary battery which are measured in charging or discharging the secondary battery; and an input/output performance value calculator configured to calculate an inputtable/outputtable power amount of the secondary battery on the basis of the internal resistance and the function calculated by the battery characteristic estimator.

A voltage measuring apparatus is configured to measure voltages of respective battery cells of a battery cell array including a plurality of battery cell groups each including a predetermined number of battery cells connected in series. The voltage measuring apparatus includes a plurality of measuring units each provided for each of the battery cell groups. The adjacent measuring units are connected through a communication channel so as to perform current communication therebetween. A bidirectional diode circuit element is connected to the communication channel extending between the adjacent measuring units.

A battery with at least two battery cells, which are connected by at least one electric connection element to one another, and a superordinate control device. Each of the battery cells is provided with at least one galvanic element, a battery cell housing for accommodating the galvanic element, at least one sensor device for detecting a physical and/or chemical feature of the battery cell, and a communication device for communicating with the superordinate device. The superordinate device is adapted to control an energy flow in at least one of the battery cells and/or from at least one of the battery cells as a function of the physical and/or chemical features of the battery cell. The invention further also relates to a motor vehicle with such a battery.

A battery charging system of an electronic device includes: a battery having a first nominal voltage and including: battery cells each having a second nominal voltage that is less than the first nominal voltage; and electrical connectors that electrically connect ones of the battery cells to provide the battery with the first nominal voltage; a first charge port configured to electrically connect to a first type of connector; a charging module configured to: receive power via the first charge port; and when a voltage of the received power is less than the first nominal voltage at least one of: charge ones of the battery cells individually; and charge groups of two or more of the battery cells.

A charging status or a location of a wireless charger is provided. A vehicle may charge at a particular wireless charger based at least in part on the charging status of the wireless charger and/or the location of the wireless charger.

A medical tool includes: a tool main unit configured to be driven in response to a power supply; a first power supply configured to be removable from the tool main unit; and a second power supply having a smaller power capacity than the first power supply, and configured to be charged by the first power supply. The tool main unit is configured to be driven by receiving power supply from one of the first power supply and the second power supply.

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method for managing wiredly and wirelessly charging at least one of a fixed, portable and wearable computing and communications device. The method may comprise wirelessly charging a first of the at least one of fixed, portable and wearable computing and communications device serving as sink consuming power, when subjected to charging, using a wireless receiver detachably coupled to a smart adaptor subsystem via a first pair of magnetic connectors, detachably magnetically coupling a USB cable via second and third pairs of magnetic connectors correspondingly to a second of the at least one of fixed, portable and wearable computing and communications device serving as source supplying power, when subjected to charging, and the smart adaptor subsystem for facilitating wiredly charging the first of the at least one of fixed, portable and wearable computing and communications device, upon detachably magnetically coupling the USB cable, generating a cable detection signal using at least one of the wireless receiver and smart adaptor subsystem, upon successfully detecting the USB cable, generating an enable signal facilitating initiation of the smart adaptor subsystem using at least one of the wireless receiver and smart adaptor subsystem and upon generating the enable signal, automatically disabling the wireless receiver using the smart adaptor subsystem, thereby facilitating wiredly charging the first of the at least one of fixed, portable and wearable computing and communications device.

A power management apparatus configured to control charge and discharge of the battery, power discharged from the battery being supplied to a power consumption apparatus, the power management apparatus includes a memory, and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to receive, from the power consumption apparatus, first information indicating a first power amount which is predicted to be used in the power consumption apparatus, determine, based on the first power amount, a first value that is a value regarding a residual amount of the battery and is used for determining which of the charge and the discharge of the battery is to be preferentially executed, and control, based on the determined first value and the residual amount of the battery, the charge and the discharge of the battery.

A battery control system includes a plurality of battery cells that are separately controllable as units of individual cells or groups of cells. Each controllable unit may be switchably activated or deactivated in the overall battery circuit, and one or more conditions of each controllable unit may be individually measured. Various techniques are disclosed for operating the battery control system to optimize or improve system performance and longevity.