The present disclosure relates to systems, methods, and devices for controlling charging of vehicles, to avoid charging during charge-adverse time periods or during charge restriction events. This can advantageously reduce cost to vehicles owners, and or provide access to reward incentives. Further, power distribution entities (utility providers) advantageously have increased control over power distribution to avoid over-burdening of power distribution infrastructure. Further, systems and methods for determining or inferring whether a vehicle is connected to a charge station are described, which can be used to inform automatic restriction of vehicle charging.

The present disclosure relates to systems, methods, and devices for controlling charging of vehicles, to avoid charging during charge-adverse time periods or during charge restriction events. This can advantageously reduce cost to vehicles owners, and or provide access to reward incentives. Further, power distribution entities (utility providers) advantageously have increased control over power distribution to avoid over-burdening of power distribution infrastructure. Further, systems and methods for determining or inferring whether a vehicle is connected to a charge station are described, which can be used to inform automatic restriction of vehicle charging.

In one aspect, the present disclosure discloses a charging system including a battery pack and a charger. The battery pack includes a first battery pack terminal, a second battery pack terminal, and a third battery pack terminal. The second battery pack terminal is spaced apart from the first battery pack terminal in an intersecting direction. The intersecting direction intersects a removal direction of the battery pack from the charger. The charger includes a first charger terminal, a second charger terminal, and a third charger terminal. The second battery pack terminal is arranged so as to pass through an area spaced apart from the third charger terminal in a process of removing the battery pack from the charger.

The present disclosure relates to systems, methods, and devices for controlling charging of vehicles, to avoid charging during charge-adverse time periods or during charge restriction events. This can advantageously reduce cost to vehicles owners, and or provide access to reward incentives. Further, power distribution entities (utility providers) advantageously have increased control over power distribution to avoid over-burdening of power distribution infrastructure. Further, systems and methods for determining or inferring whether a vehicle is connected to a charge station are described, which can be used to inform automatic restriction of vehicle charging.

A system for providing power inductively to a portable device is disclosed. The system a primary coil, a drive circuit, a sense circuit, and a communication and control circuit. The communication and control circuit is configured to perform operations, including detection of communication and drive circuit operations. A portable device that includes a receiver unit coupled to a battery and configured to receive inductive power from an inductive charging system including a base unit with a primary coil and associated circuit is also disclosed. The receiver unit includes a receiver coil, a ferrite layer, and a receiver circuit. The receiver circuit includes a receiver communication and control circuit to modulate current in the receiver coil to communicate with a base unit while the receiver circuit is being powered by the inductive charging system.

A wireless charging system, a wireless charging method, and a device to-be-charged are provided. The wireless charging system includes a wireless charging device and a device to-be-charged. The wireless charging device is configured to conduct wireless communication with the device to-be-charged through communication control circuits to adjust a transmission power of the wireless charging device. In addition, the device to-be-charged has a step-down circuit.

A system for providing power inductively to a portable device is disclosed. The system a primary coil, a drive circuit, a sense circuit, and a communication and control circuit. The communication and control circuit is configured to perform operations, including detection of communication and drive circuit operations. A portable device that includes a receiver unit coupled to a battery and configured to receive inductive power from an inductive charging system including a base unit with a primary coil and associated circuit is also disclosed. The receiver unit includes a receiver coil, a ferrite layer, and a receiver circuit. The receiver circuit includes a receiver communication and control circuit to modulate current in the receiver coil to communicate with a base unit while the receiver circuit is being powered by the inductive charging system.

Provided are an adapter and a charging method. The adapter includes: at least one filter capacitor (210) having a capacitance smaller than a predetermined threshold and configured to filter a rectified alternating current to obtain a pulsating direct current; and a voltage transformation module (220) configured to transform the pulsating direct current to obtain a voltage and a current for charging a device to be charged. The adapter for charging a battery is provided, the volume of the adapter can be reduced and the miniaturization of the volume of the adapter can be realized.

A vehicle power supply system (100), comprising: —a vehicle battery (111) with a charging voltage, —a DC-to-DC converter (130) comprising two first connection terminals (110) connected to the vehicle battery (111) and two second connection terminals (120) for connecting an external charger to recharge the vehicle battery (111) or for connecting an external battery to be recharged, wherein, in a first mode in which an external charger is connected to the two second connection terminals (120), the voltage V2 between the two second connection terminals (120) is an input voltage of the converter and the voltage V1 between the two first connection terminals (110) is an output voltage of the converter, wherein, in a second mode in which an external battery to be recharged is connected to the two second connection terminals (120), the voltage V1 between the two first connection terminals (110) is an input voltage of the converter and the voltage V2 between the two second connection terminals (120) is an output voltage of the converter, wherein the system also includes means for determining at least the voltage V2 between the two second connection terminals (120) and preferably also the voltage V1 between the two first connection terminals (110), and wherein the DC-to-DC converter (130) is controlled so that the output voltage of the converter is equal to the charging voltage of the vehicle battery (111) in the first mode and to a charging voltage of the external battery in the second mode.

A method for charging a rechargeable battery comprises estimating an initial state of charge of the battery (SOC.sub.0), which may be estimated based on a time to polarization or an initial voltage of the battery. The method also comprises charging the battery according to a first charging strategy if the initial state of charge (SOC.sub.0) is greater than a threshold state of charge (SOC.sub.X) and according to a second charging strategy if the initial state of charge (SOC.sub.0) is less than the threshold state of charge (SOC.sub.X). The first charging strategy comprises charging, by charging circuitry, the battery at a temperature-independent constant charge voltage (CV.sub.XT) and at a first current (I.sub.1) with power provided from a power source in electrical communication with the charging circuitry. The second charging strategy comprises obtaining, by the charging circuitry, an environmental temperature (T.sub.E) measured by a temperature sensor in communication with the charging circuitry; calculating, by the charging circuitry, a temperature-based constant charge voltage (CV.sub.T) based on the environmental temperature (T.sub.E); and charging, by the charging circuitry, the battery at the temperature-based constant charge voltage (CV.sub.T) and at a second current (I.sub.2) with power provided from the power source.