The invention relates to a rechargeable battery discharge device (10) for discharging rechargeable batteries (20) with (a) a first rechargeable battery connection (12.1) for connecting a first rechargeable battery (20.1), (b) a second rechargeable battery connection (12.2) for connecting a second rechargeable battery (20.2), (c) at least a third rechargeable battery connection (12.3) for connecting a third rechargeable battery (20.3) and (d) a load connection (14) for a load (16) for dissipating an electric output during discharging of the rechargeable batteries (20). The invention provides for (e) a discharge circuit (18) comprising (i) a first short circuit switch (24.1), (ii) a first voltmeter (22.1) that is arranged to measure a first rechargeable battery voltage (U.sub.20.1) dropped across the first rechargeable battery connection (12.1), (iii) a second short circuit switch (24.2), (iv) a second voltmeter (22.2) that is arranged to measure a second rechargeable battery voltage (U.sub.20.2) dropped across the second rechargeable battery connection (12.2), (v) a third short circuit switch (24.3), (vi) a third voltmeter (22.3) that is arranged to measure a third rechargeable battery voltage (U.sub.20.3) dropped across the third rechargeable battery connection (12.3), and (vii) a control unit (27), the control unit (27) being designed to automatically carry out a method comprising the steps: (i) for all voltmeters (22.i), detecting the respective rechargeable battery voltage (U.sub.20.i), (ii) when the respective rechargeable battery voltage (U.sub.20.i) exceeds a predetermined minimum voltage (U.sub.min), connecting the corresponding rechargeable battery (20.i) into a series circuit with at least one other rechargeable battery and (iii) when the respective rechargeable battery voltage (U.sub.20.i) does not exceed a minimum voltage (U.sub.min), removing the corresponding rechargeable battery (20.i) from the series circuit by means of the corresponding short circuit switch.

A method is described for charging an accumulator having terminals at which a terminal voltage is applied. The method includes the following steps: (a) charging the accumulator using a predefined current or a predefined electrical power until the terminal voltage has reached a predefined first value; (b) determining a time-dependent drop in the terminal voltage of the accumulator at a reduced charge current; (c) determining a second value on the basis of the voltage loss, the second value being greater than the first value; and (d) charging the accumulator using a predefined current or a predefined electrical power until the terminal voltage of the accumulator has reached the second value.

The present invention provides a novel method for charging silver-zinc rechargeable batteries and an apparatus for practicing the charging method. The recharging apparatus includes recharging management circuitry; and one or more of a silver-zinc cell, a host device or a charging base that includes the recharging management circuitry. The recharging management circuitry provides means for regulating recharging of the silver-zinc cell, diagnostics for evaluating battery function, and safety measures that prevent damage to the apparatus caused by charging batteries composed of materials that are not suited for the charging method (e.g., non-silver-zinc batteries).

A charge and discharge control device that controls charging and discharging of a battery module in which a plurality of cell blocks, each including one or more unit cells, are connected in parallel to one another. A controller of the charge and discharge control device controls a current flowing through each of the cell blocks based on at least one of a current load of each of the cell blocks or a parameter relating to the current load.

This application provides a battery charging control method and device. Voltages of N cell units in an M.sup.th sampling period are obtained, and a voltage of the battery at each sampling moment among K sampling moments in said sampling period is calculated. Charging of the battery is stopped when the voltage of the battery increases monotonically in the M.sup.th sampling period and a trend of a fitting curve of the voltage of at least one cell unit among the N cell units in said sampling period is not rising.

A method and system for AC battery operation. In one embodiment, the method comprises determining, at a battery management unit (BMU) coupled to an AC battery comprising a power converter and a battery that is rechargeable, a bias control voltage that indicates a state of a charge process of the AC battery; and coupling, by a bias control module of the BMU, the bias control voltage to the power converting for communicating the state of the charge process to and from the BMU and the power converter.

Systems, methods and apparatus for wireless charging are disclosed. A charging device has a plurality of charging cells provided on a charging surface, a charging circuit and a controller. The controller may be configured to cause the charging circuit to provide a charging current to a resonant circuit when a receiving device is placed on the charging surface, provide a measurement slot by causing the charging circuit to decrease or terminate the charging current for a period of time and determine whether the receiving device has been removed from the charging surface based on measurement of a characteristic of the resonant circuit during the measurement slot. The characteristic of the resonant circuit may be representative of electromagnetic coupling between a transmitting coil in the resonant circuit and a receiving coil in the receiving device.

An electronic device included a first energy storage device coupled to a second energy storage device by a conductor. A charging node is coupled to the first energy storage device. Another conductor couples the charging node to the second energy storage device. A switch is electrically coupled between the conductor and the second energy storage device. A control circuit opens the switch, thereby allowing a first charging current to flow from the charging node to the first energy storage device through the conductor and a second charging current to flow from the charging node to the second energy storage device through the other conductor and closes the switch when a difference between a voltage of the first energy storage device and a voltage of the second energy storage device is within a predefined voltage difference threshold.

A method for charging a battery includes: determining a first charging section, in which a current charging rate of the battery is located, from among a plurality of charging sections predetermined based on a functional relation between a state of charge of the battery and an open circuit voltage of an anode of the battery; and charging the battery for the first charging section with a first charging rate corresponding to the first charging section.

According to an embodiment, an internal state estimation apparatus includes a capacity estimator, a charge amount estimator, and a SOC estimator. The capacity estimator calculates an estimate capacity of the electrode based on an estimate capacity of the electrode at the first time point, a coefficient that is dependent at least on a SOC of the electrode at the first time point, and the time difference. The charge amount estimator calculates an estimate initial charge amount of the electrode based on an estimate initial charge amount and capacity of the electrode, and the estimate battery charge amount at the first time point, the coefficient, and the time difference. The SOC estimator calculates a SOC estimate of the electrode based on the estimate battery charge amount, and the estimate initial charge amount and capacity of the electrode.