# US 2014/0152233 A1 · Method and apparatus for utilizing used batteries to surface charge an automobile battery > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0152233 A1 - Document ID: US20140152233A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/082,508 - Filed: 2013-11-18 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2005-11-18 - Assignees: Moto Boost Technologies, LLC - Inventors: PATRICK DICKSON; ROD BRONSON - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140152233A1 ## CPC - B60L 53/00: Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles - H01M 6/52: Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste cells or batteries {, e.g. recycling} - H01M 10/44: Methods for charging or discharging (circuits for charging H02J7/00) - H01M 10/488: {Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density} - H02J 7/342: {The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging (with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/68)} - H02J 7/56: Active balancing, e.g. using capacitor-based, inductor-based or DC-DC converters - H02J 7/70: characterised by the mechanical construction - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles - Y02W 30/84: Recycling of batteries or fuel cells - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION - Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT ## Abstract An apparatus for charging an automobile battery is presented. The device provides a surface charge with a time limited window in which to start a vehicle. Use of used batteries provides for environmentally effective manner in which to deal with the tremendous amount of used batteries that are discarded worldwide each year. The apparatus may optionally include a charging circuit to allow for recharging the used batteries. An LED display may be included to provide indication when a target battery has sufficient surface charge to warrant an attempt to start an engine. The apparatus is a small portable device that can be stored anywhere in a vehicle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 (canceled) ### Claim 2 A battery charging apparatus comprising: a case configured to hold a plurality of batteries, said case defined by a bottom surface and a vertical wall attached to the bottom surface in a substantially perpendicular configuration to define a volume of space above the bottom surface for said plurality of batteries, said vertical wall having a top edge opposite said bottom surface; a case cover configured to removably couple to the top edge of the vertical wall to sealably enclose the space within the case; a circuit board beneath the case cover and configured to be inside the case when said case cover is coupled to the top of the vertical wall, said circuit board configured with a first plurality of conductive surfaces, wherein each of said first plurality of conductive surfaces provides a first series connection between a first pair of said plurality of batteries; a circuit panel inside and above the bottom surface of the case, said circuit panel configured with a second plurality of conductive surfaces, wherein each of said second plurality of conductive surfaces provides a second series connection between a second pair of said plurality of batteries; and an electrical connector, the electrical connector having a positive lead and a negative lead coupled with the plurality of batteries and providing electrical current from the plurality of batteries to an interface with a target battery, wherein said plurality of batteries is arranged to be electrically connected in series such that a positive terminal of a first battery is electrically connected to a negative terminal of a second battery through one of said first plurality of conductive surfaces and a positive terminal of said second battery electrically connected to a negative terminal of a third battery through one said second plurality of conductive surfaces. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The battery charging apparatus of claim 2, wherein the interface with a target battery comprises a lighter plug. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The battery charging apparatus of claim 2, wherein the interface with a target battery comprises leads to fit on the target battery. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The battery charging apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a charging circuit having a switch, which, when set to a first position, allows current to flow from the target battery through an inductor regulated by a voltage regulator to the plurality of batteries. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The battery charging apparatus of claim 5, wherein the switch, when set to a second position, allows current to flow from the plurality of batteries to the target battery. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The battery charging apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a status circuit, the status circuit including a light, the light illuminating when the target battery has a voltage greater than a threshold amount. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The battery charging apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a protection circuit, the protection circuit limiting the current flow to and from the plurality of batteries, the protection circuit having at least one resistor in series with the positive lead. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The battery charging apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one resistor is enclosed in a thermally conductive, electrically insulating material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The battery charging apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one resistor is mounted on the circuit board. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The battery charging apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of batteries comprises AA batteries. ### Claim 12 A battery charging apparatus comprising: a case configured to hold a plurality of batteries, said case defined by a bottom surface and a vertical wall attached to the bottom surface in a substantially perpendicular configuration to define a volume of space above the bottom surface for said plurality of batteries, said vertical wall having a top edge opposite said bottom surface; a case cover configured to removably couple to the top edge of the vertical wall to sealably enclose the space within the case; a circuit board beneath the case cover and configured to be inside the case when said case cover is coupled to the top of the vertical wall, said circuit board configured with a first plurality of conductive surfaces, wherein each of said first plurality of conductive surfaces provides for connection of a positive terminal of a first battery to a negative terminal of a second battery of said plurality of batteries; a circuit panel inside and above the bottom surface of the case, said circuit panel configured with a second plurality of conductive surfaces, wherein each of said second plurality of conductive surfaces provides for connection of the positive terminal of the second battery to a negative terminal of a third battery of said plurality of batteries; and an electrical connector, the electrical connector having a positive lead and a negative lead coupled with the plurality of batteries and providing electrical current from the plurality of batteries to an interface with a target battery, wherein said first plurality of conductive surfaces and said second plurality of conductive surfaces are configured to electrically connect said plurality of batteries in series. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The battery charging apparatus of claim 12, wherein the interface with a target battery comprises a lighter plug. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The battery charging apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a charging circuit having a switch, which, when set to a first position, allows current to flow from the target battery through an inductor regulated by a voltage regulator to the plurality of batteries. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The battery charging apparatus of claim 14, wherein the switch, when set to a second position, allows current to flow from the plurality of batteries to the target battery. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The battery charging apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a status circuit, the status circuit including a light, the light illuminating when the target battery has a voltage greater than a threshold amount. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The battery charging apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a protection circuit, the protection circuit limiting the current flow to and from the plurality of batteries, the protection circuit having at least one resistor in series with the positive lead. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The battery charging apparatus of claim 12, wherein the plurality of batteries comprises AA batteries. ### Claim 19 A battery charging apparatus comprising: a case configured to hold a plurality of batteries; a case cover configured to removably couple to said case and sealably enclose a volume of space within the case; a circuit board beneath the case cover and configured to be inside the case when said case cover is coupled to the top of the vertical wall, said circuit board configured with a first plurality of conductive surfaces, wherein each of said first plurality of conductive surfaces provides for connection of a positive terminal of a first battery to a negative terminal of a second battery of said plurality of batteries; a circuit panel inside and above the bottom surface of the case, said circuit panel configured with a second plurality of conductive surfaces, wherein each of said second plurality of conductive surfaces provides for connection of the positive terminal of the second battery to a negative terminal of a third battery of said plurality of batteries; and an electrical connector, the electrical connector having a positive lead and a negative lead coupled with the plurality of batteries and providing electrical current from the plurality of batteries to an interface with a target battery. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The battery charging apparatus of claim 19, wherein the interface with a target battery comprises a lighter plug. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The battery charging apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a charging circuit having a switch, which, when set to a first position, allows current to flow from the target battery through an inductor regulated by a voltage regulator to the plurality of batteries.