A medical device system for monitoring a physiological parameter in the body of a patient comprising an implantable medical device comprising an energy receiver, an external charger comprising an energy transmitter. The energy receiver is configured to wirelessly receive energy transmitted from the energy transmitter. The medical device system further comprises a wireless feedback system arranged to transmit information from the implantable medical device to the external charger. The information is sent in response to an interrogating signal sent from the external charger. The external charger is configured to detect a magnetic or electromagnetic field generated by the implantable medical device in response to a transmittal of energy from the external charger and an evaluation unit is configured to determine whether the signal strength is improved as a user moves the external charger relative to the body of the patient.

An acquisition unit of a charging control system acquires battery data including at least one of a current flowing through a battery and a temperature of the battery when the battery is charged. A detector thereof detects an abnormal phenomenon of the battery based on at least one of a behavior of the current and a behavior of the temperature when the battery is charged. A charging current changer thereof changes a current rate when the battery is charged next time to a value obtained by multiplying (0<<1) by the current rate when the abnormal phenomenon of the battery is detected.

A cooking appliance utilizes a rechargeable battery to selectively power one or more electric cooking elements of the cooking appliance instead of using an external power source such as a residential power circuit whenever the combined power demand of the active electric cooking elements exceeds the available power from the external power source, e.g., by causing an electric cooking element to be powered by the rechargeable battery instead of the external power source based at least in part on an activation state of another electric cooking element.

The inventive concepts provide a bidirectional switching converter including a first power metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) connecting an input voltage node to a switching node, a second power MOSFET connecting the switching node to a ground node, and a zero current detection (ZCD) auto-calibration circuit configured to perform one of an operation of generating a first offset for varying a turn-on time of the first power MOSFET according to an operation mode and an operation of generating a second offset for varying a turn-on time of the second power MOSFET according to the operation mode.

A closed loop control system actively regulates the battery current paths of physically separated circuits so that the current is approximately the same for each of the circuits regardless of the various system loads. The closed loop control system modulates the current paths by either modulating a high side transistor used to independently limit each battery's current path or by modulating a DC/DC converter's output voltage to independently boost each battery's current path. The closed loop control system is also designed to handle undervoltage lockout (UVLO) situations when one of the batteries is nearing empty to tilt the power balance in the chance that there is an existing battery charge mismatch to support system load bursts and to turn off the circuit when the system current draw is exceptionally low. A tilting circuit also identifies and discharges the battery with the higher charge until the charge states are substantially equal.

The present invention generally relates to automatic charging systems and methods for mobile devices that require more power than is possible with inductive chargers. A mobile device charging cabinet is provided, wherein each mobile device inserted for charging contains a charging receiver that is attached to a cover, such as a laptop cover. The cabinet further comprises a multiplicity of base stations, each of which provides a grid of conductive alternating polarity connection plates, spaced to accept two prongs similarly spaced on the bottom of the charging receiver. Power flows from the base station automatically through the charging receiver to the mobile device when it is placed on a surface containing a base station within the cabinet. Computer software is included to control and monitor all functionality of the system, such as optimal power flow and battery charging; and further provides key asset management tools to allow a user to know, for example, the number and exact location of all devices using the invention and under his or her control.

A meter socket adapter (MSA) for connecting a battery energy storage system (BESS) to a household microgrid through a meter combo load center. The MSA includes: a housing matching an electricity meter and a meter socket in the meter combo load center; a plurality of power conductors that connect among the electricity meter, the meter socket, and BESS; a meter interconnection device (MID) switch for connecting a utility grid or one or more distribution energy resource (DER) devices to supply power to household loads in the household microgrid; a MID driving circuit for driving the MID switch to close or open; and a MID connection detection circuit to verify an electrical connection of a closed MID switch.

Systems and apparatus may carry out analysis of battery physical phenomena, and characterize batteries based on phenomena occurring in particular time and/or frequency domains. These systems may be additionally responsible for charging and/or monitoring a rechargeable battery. Examples of battery physical phenomena include mass transport (e.g., diffusion and/or migration) in battery electrolytes, mass transport in battery electrodes, and reactions on battery electrodes.

A battery management apparatus includes: an inverter connected to a battery cell and configured to convert a DC current output from the battery cell into an AC current according to an operation state of a plurality of switches provided therein; a measuring unit connected to a diagnosis line at which the AC current converted by the inverter is output, the measuring unit being configured to measure a voltage of the diagnosis line and output the measurement result; and a control unit having a plurality of capacitors connected to the diagnosis line and configured to control the operation state of the plurality of switches, receive the measurement result output from the measuring unit and diagnose a state of the plurality of capacitors based on the received measurement result.

A device for monitoring spacecraft electric potential includes a first conductor configured to be in electrical communication with a conductive structure of a spacecraft, a second conductor capacitively coupled to the first conductor, a switch connected to the first conductor and the second conductor such that closure of the switch electrically ties the first conductor to the second conductor, and a monitoring circuit in electrical communication with the second conductor, the monitoring circuit being configured to detect an electric potential of the second conductor relative to the first conductor, the detected electric potential being indicative of a change in electric potential of the first conductor relative to the second conductor since an opening of the switch.