A charging surface comprising multiple conductive regions can be used to charge an electronic device placed on it the surface so that electrodes on the device engage respective conductive regions of the surface. In order to distinguish such chargeable devices from short circuits and other spurious connections, the coupling interface associated with the charging surface is controlled so as to establish a text voltage across each pair of conductive regions in sequence, and look for pairs of conductive region demonstrating a voltage drop characteristic of a particular class of device. Relationships between every pair of conductive regions can be determined and recording, and the voltage level supplied to each conductive region set accordingly. The coupling interface may furthermore operate to identify device classes, and to set supply voltages or establish additional connections on the basis of stored device class information. Discrimination on the basis of voltage drop can be enhanced by the provision of a coupling adapted associated with a device to be detected, where the coupling adapter demonstrates an anti-inversion characteristic, for example implemented with a MOSFET, across at least a pair of these electrodes.

A vehicle-based high-voltage charging circuit is provided with an AC voltage terminal, at least two galvanically isolating DC-DC converters designed as step-up converters and a rectifier via which the DC-DC converters are connected to the AC voltage terminal, and a changeover switch. The charging circuit has a first and a second DC voltage terminal selectably connected to the first DC-DC converter via the changeover switch. The charging circuit has a third DC voltage terminal connected to the second DC-DC converter, wherein the charging circuit also has a controller which is set up, in a first mode, to drive the DC-DC converters according to a first target output voltage which is at least 750 V and at most 1000 V, and, in a second mode, to drive the DC-DC converters according to a second target output voltage which is at most 480 V or at most 450 V.

A method determines at least one power contact resistance or at least one resistance value corresponding to the at least one power contact resistance between at least one pack power contact of a battery pack and at least one apparatus power contact of an electrically driven work apparatus or of a charging apparatus. The pack power contact and the apparatus power contact touch one another and are loaded with a power current. The battery pack and the work apparatus or the charging apparatus are electrically connected by a data communication line for transmitting a data communication signal. The method determines the power contact resistance or the resistance value by comparing a signal voltage variable of the data communication line and a power voltage variable of the at least one pack power contact or of the apparatus power contact with one another, wherein the signal voltage variable or the power voltage variable is dependent on a voltage drop caused by the power current and the at least one power contact resistance.

Disclosed is replaceable smart battery pack (100) The battery pack comprising a number of cells (B1 . . . . B4), and a smart battery management system (102) for controlling and monitoring the number of cells, the smart battery management system is controllable by means of a first protocol using a bidirectional 2-wire bus (SMBus). The replaceable smart battery pack further comprises at least one sensor (108, 110) and an additional processor (104). Each of the at least one sensor is configured for detecting a specific user interaction with the smart battery pack and generating a control signal. The additional processor is configured to receive the control signal, to communicate with the smart battery management system by means of the first protocol in response to the control signal and to control a display unit (106) of the battery pack in response of data received from the smart battery system and the control signal.

A battery charger includes a housing having support structure for simultaneously supporting at least two batteries of different types for charging including a first battery of a first type and a second batter of a second type. The battery charger further includes charger electronics supported by the housing and operable to output charging current to charge the first battery and charging current to charge the second battery. A fan is operable to cause air flow through the housing. A fan speed of the fan is adjustable based on a temperature of the battery charger (i) while at least one of the at least two batteries is coupled to the battery charger for charging and (ii) while no batteries are coupled to the battery charger for charging.

There is provided a device or the like capable of improving the convenience of reproduction under various conditions of the characteristics of a secondary battery by using a simulated battery. Based on the communication between the electronics and/or the charger coupled to the electronics, and the simulated battery control device, the operation of the simulated battery mounted on the electronics is controlled, and the voltage corresponding to the current command value is applied to the specified load. Then, the operating characteristic information corresponding to the operating characteristic of the specified load corresponding to the applied voltage is output to the output interface of the electronics. The operating characteristics of the specified load can be grasped when voltage corresponding to the current command value is applied to the specified load of the electronics, and therefore the convenience of the user of the electronics can be improved.

A method is provided for controlling a discharge of a battery pack that supplies power to a portable electronic device. The battery pack has one or more cell blocks each having a plurality of battery cells connected in parallel. The method includes the following steps. Determining, for each of the one or more cell blocks, a value of a first supply current flowing through a first battery cell that has the smallest capacity among the plurality of battery cells. Comparing, for each of the one or more cell blocks, the value of the first supply current with a first overcurrent value of the first battery cell to detect overcurrent in the first battery cell. Generating, in response to detecting the overcurrent in the first battery cell of any of the one or more cell blocks, a first overcurrent signal to reduce the power supplied to the portable electronic device.

A method for controlling a charging of a battery pack for a portable electronic device. The battery pack includes one or more cell blocks, each having a plurality of battery cells connected in parallel. The method includes the following steps. Determining, for each of the one or more cell blocks, a value of a first charging current flowing through a first battery cell that has the smallest capacity among the plurality of battery cells. Comparing, for each of the one or more cell blocks, the value of the first charging current with a first overcurrent value of the first battery cell to detect overcurrent in the first battery cell. Generating, in response to detecting the overcurrent in the first battery cell of any of the one or more cell blocks, a first overcurrent signal to reduce a total charging current of the battery pack.

Disclosed is a power supply device including a supply mode determination unit that determines an executable mode among a battery charging mode and a constant power supply mode based on power supplied from a power supply, an output terminal electrically connected to an electronic device, an output type analysis unit that receives a power supply type and a power supply standard of the electronic device from the electronic device, and a transformer unit that transforms the power supplied from the power supply based on the determined power supply type and the determined power supply standard and transmits the transformed power to the electronic device.

A battery with a battery management system and a wireless communication module is capable of charging the battery with recaptured energy from an energy regeneration device. The battery management system charges the battery with the energy regeneration device if the output voltage from the energy regeneration device is larger than the charging voltage of the battery. The battery management system can enable and disable charging of the battery with the energy from the energy regeneration device according to an instruction received wirelessly.