A multi-port charging system includes a controller having a power input terminal coupled to a DC power output of a converter, multiple power output terminals coupled to the power input terminal, and a communications input terminal. The system includes multiple charger ports, the respective charger ports having a charging power line coupled to a respective one of the power output terminals, and a communications line coupled to the communications input terminal. The controller is configured to control the state of the control output terminal to set a voltage of the DC power output according to a selected highest common compatible voltage of one or more sink devices coupled to one or more respective ones of the charger ports.

A starter battery with a total battery voltage exceeding a supply voltage requirement of an electrical system. An alternator provides a charging voltage that corresponds with the supply voltage requirement of the electrical system. A total battery voltage equal to the sum of cell voltages exceeds the supply voltage requirement of the electrical system. A step-down voltage regulator reduces the total battery voltage to correspond with the supply voltage requirement and a boost voltage regulator increases the charging voltage from the alternator when charging the starter battery to the total battery voltage. When detecting a degraded cell, the step-down voltage regulator continues to regulate the total battery voltage to correspond with the supply voltage requirement after the cell has degraded and the boost voltage regulator is bypassed when charging the starter battery to no longer increase the charging voltage from the alternator when charging the starter battery.

Carrying cases for electronic flares or other electronic signal emitting devices and related systems and methods.

A charging and discharging method for a lithium secondary battery is provided, wherein, while charging or discharging the lithium secondary battery using a constant current, the charge current or allowable discharge current is modified by measuring the internal resistance of the lithium secondary battery. In the charging and discharging method for a lithium secondary battery according to the present disclosure, the charging time and charge capacity, or the discharge current amount and discharge capacity, may be appropriately harmonized, and thus the method may be usefully used as a charging method and a discharging method for a lithium secondary battery.

A battery state estimating apparatus as an embodiment of the present invention includes a state estimator, a power estimator, and a determiner. The state estimator estimates a state of a battery. The power estimator estimates first power amount charged/discharged by the battery within a charging/discharging period, based on the state. The determiner compares the first power amount with second power amount inputted/outputted to/from the battery within the charging/discharging period and thereby determines validity of the state.

Provided are a charge/discharge control circuit capable of using an FET having a low withstand voltage. The charge/discharge control circuit is configured to control charging and discharging of a secondary cell, and includes: a positive power supply terminal and a negative power supply terminal for monitoring a voltage of the secondary cell; a charge control terminal configured to connect to a gate of a charge control FET, the charge control FET having one end connected to an external negative terminal to which a negative electrode of a load or a charger is connected; and a clamp circuit configured to clamp a signal at a high level for turning on the charge control FET to a voltage that is higher than a reference voltage by a predetermined voltage, the reference voltage being a voltage at the external negative terminal, the signal being output to the charge control terminal.

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.

In an embodiment, adaptive charging of a battery is disclosed. In an embodiment, a device is disclosed comprising: a battery; at least one sensor configured to sense an outward pressure exerted by the battery; a monitoring module configured to monitor the outward pressure of the battery and at least one of a temperature, an age, a manufacturer, a state of charge, an impedance, and number of charging cycles of the battery; a control module configured to select a charging profile for the battery based on at least one of the sensed and/or monitored battery related variables; and a charging module configured to charge the battery according to a charging profile selected by the control module.

Disclosed is an apparatus and method for controlling step charging of a secondary battery. A charging control unit determines a SOC, an OCV and a polarization voltage of the secondary battery, determines an OCV deviation corresponding to a difference between the OCV and a predefined minimum OCV value, determines a correction factor corresponding to the polarization voltage and the OCV deviation, determines a look-up SOC by correcting the SOC according to the correction factor, determines the magnitude of a charging current corresponding to the look-up SOC, and provides the determined charging current to a charging device.

A battery control device that controls a battery assembly includes a first determining unit that determines whether a voltage difference between minimum and maximum values of OCVs of battery cells constituting the battery assembly and having an SOC-OCV characteristic curve including a flat region is equal to or larger than a predetermined voltage value, a second determining unit that determines whether the OCV of each battery cell is lower than a lower-limit voltage of the flat region, or is equal to or higher than the lower-limit voltage and lower than an upper-limit voltage, or is higher than the upper-limit voltage, a controller that executes control selected from SOC raising control, SOC lowering control, and SOC keeping control of the battery cells, based on determination results of the first and second determining units, and a processor that homogenizes the SOCs of the battery cells controlled by the controller.