A welding-type power system that includes an engine configured to drive an electric generator to provide a first power output. In addition to the electric generator, the system includes an energy storage system to provide a second power output. The system includes energy storage devices and charging devices that are used to charge the energy storage devices. A controller is configured to control the charging devices to provide charging power output to the energy storage devices based on the parameters related to the charge level of the energy storage devices. The controller, using data received from sensors and charge measurement devices, determines the respective charge level for each energy storage device; compares the respective charge levels to one or more threshold charge levels; and controls the charging devices to provide a charging power output to the energy storage devices with a charge level that is below a threshold charge level.

A navigation system is described for a vehicle equipped with an autonomous driving system. The navigation system includes a human-machine interface with a display and a user control, and an electronic controller. The controller is configured to calculate a plurality of travel routes from a determined starting point to a defined destination point. The controller determines which portions of each travel route will utilized automated driving operation and which portions will utilized manual driving operation. Based on an input received from the user control, the controller defines an automatic-manual driving preference ratio indicating a driver preference for an amount of manual driving operation relative to an amount of automatic driving operation. The controller automatically selects a route from the plurality of travel routes that most closely matches the defined automatic-manual driving preference ratio and outputs the selected route on the display.

A charging system includes battery pack and charger. During the charge of secondary battery, charge control unit controls charger so that the charger performs constant-current charge at a first charge current, and, when at least one of the following conditions is satisfied, switches the first charge current to a second charge current lower than the first charge current and continues the constant-current charge. The conditions include the condition that the SOC of secondary battery arrives at a threshold SOC value and the condition that the inter-terminal voltage of secondary battery arrives at a threshold inter-terminal voltage. In response to the degree of degradation of secondary battery, the charge control unit drops at least one of the threshold SOC value and the threshold inter-terminal voltage.

Systems and methods for operating an electric energy storage system are described. The systems and methods include ways of coupling electric energy storage cell stacks to an electric conductor or bus. The coupling is performed to reduce current flow through contactors and to increase a life span of the contactors.

A PD device comprises: a DC/DC converter disposed between an input and a VBUS output; a primary-side controller configured to control an input current of the DC/DC converter; a secondary-side controller coupled to a plurality of control inputs, the secondary-side controller configured to executed a signal conversion of control input signals of the plurality of the control inputs, and configured to feedback the control input signals subjected to the signal conversion to the primary-side controller, wherein the primary-side controller varies an output voltage value and an available output current value (MAX value) of the DC/DC converter by controlling the input current of the DC/DC converter on the basis of the control input signal fed back from the secondary-side controller. The PD device is capable of switching with respect to the plurality of apparatuses and controlling the output voltage value and the available output current value (MAX value).

The invention provides a portable electronic system. The portable electronic system includes a semiconductor package. The semiconductor package includes a substrate. A semiconductor die is coupled to the substrate. A thermoelectric device chip is disposed close to the semiconductor die, coupled to the substrate. The thermoelectric device chip is configured to detect a heat energy generated from the semiconductor die and to convert the heat energy into a recycled electrical energy. A power system is coupled to the semiconductor package, configured to store the recycled electrical energy.

A battery control system connected to a battery, which controls charge/discharge at the battery, includes: a current detection unit that measures a current value by detecting a charge/discharge current flowing through the battery; a voltage detection unit that detects a voltage at the battery; a temperature detection unit that detects a temperature at the battery; an effective current value calculation unit that calculates, based upon the current value measured by the current detection unit, an effective current value in a predetermined time window; a time ratio calculation unit that determines a time ratio indicating a ratio of a length of time over which the effective current value has been in excess of a predetermined allowable value during a predetermined specified time period; and a charge/discharge restriction unit that restricts the charge/discharge current based upon the time ratio determined by the time ratio calculation unit.

A method of diagnosing a battery and adaptively adjusting charging modes of the battery includes the steps of initially charging the battery using a constant current mode, wherein the battery is charged by a fix current in the constant current mode; monitoring a deterioration index by a battery management system (BMS), the deterioration index including a highest temperature (Temp.sub.max), an instantaneous temperature difference (ΔTemp), an instantaneous voltage difference (ΔV), an instantaneous internal resistance (IR.sub.max), and a state of charge (SoC) of the battery; when Temp exceeds a predetermined temperature threshold, pausing charging the battery; charging the battery by a constant power charging mode when Temp.sub.max becomes smaller than 90% of the predetermined temperature threshold, wherein the battery is charged by a fix electric power in the constant power mode; charging the battery by the constant current charging mode when Temp.sub.max becomes smaller than 50% of the predetermined temperature thresh old.

A master generator is configured to use a duty upper limit value and a duty lower limit value to perform duty restriction processing on a PWM signal in continuous Y cycles out of generated X cycles, and transmit the PWM signal after the restriction processing to a slave generator. The slave generator is configured to receive the PWM signal after the restriction processing transmitted from the master generator as a received PWM signal, and determine that a reception abnormality exists when the received PWM signal is received as a signal representing a duty less than the duty lower limit value or a duty more than the duty upper limit value in continuous (X−Y+1) cycles.

A regulator has a circuit generating an activation command by bringing, to a first voltage higher than a high reference voltage, a bidirectional line connected to a detection circuit for detecting a status of the activation command. The detection circuit comprises generation means for generating a fault signal from a flag indicating a failure of the alternator, linking the line to a ground by means of a switching element, thus bringing the line to a second voltage lower than a fault voltage lower than the high reference voltage, and the control circuit comprises detection means for detecting the fault signal. The control circuit further transmits a setpoint PWM signal having a maximum higher than the high reference voltage and a minimum lower than a low reference voltage higher than the fault voltage, a duty ratio of the setpoint signal being representative of a setpoint voltage (V0) of the regulator.