Battery charging system and method of reducing variation in battery charging cycle count

A battery system for a group of mobile battery powered devices comprising:

• a set of interchangeable batteries;
• a battery charger which includes a housing having an electrical power system and a plurality of docking stations for simultaneously recharging a plurality of batteries of the set, each of the docking stations including a battery charging interface electrically connected with the electrical power system;
• and
• a control device coupled with each of the battery charging interfaces, and configured to receive inputs indicative of at least one of, battery identification and charging cycle count, via each of the battery charging interfaces, the control device being further configured to output a battery selection signal based at least in part on the inputs.

A method of reducing variation in charging cycle count in a system of interchangeable batteries comprising the steps of:

• docking a plurality of interchangeable batteries with a common battery charger;
• receiving inputs associated with a charging cycle count for each of the plurality of interchangeable batteries;
• and
• outputting a battery selection signal which is based at least in part on the inputs.