Battery charging system with internal power manager

A charger for simultaneously applying charging current to a plurality of different batteries, said charging having:

• a power supply capable of providing power for charging the batteries, said power supply able to provide a maximum amount of power for simultaneously charging the batteries;
• a plurality of current sources, each said current source being energized by the power from said power supply and configured to be connected to one of the batteries to provide the charging current required to charge the battery, said current sources collectively configured to simultaneously charge the plurality of batteries;
• and
• a main controller connected to said current sources for regulating the application of current from the current sources to the batteries, wherein said main controller maintains power available data indicating the power that said power supply has available to charge the batteries and, for each battery connected to a separate one for the current sources, said main controller is configured to:
• determine for the battery the power required to charge the battery;
• compare the power required to charge the battery to the power the power supply has available;
• if the power the power supply has available is at least as much as the power required to charge the battery:
• update the data indicating the power that the power supply has available by subtracting from the power available data the power required to charge the battery;
• controlling said current source to which the battery is attached so that said current source charges the battery;
• after the charging of the battery, update the data indicating the power that the power supply has available by adding to the power available data the power required to charge the battery;
• and
• if the power the power supply has available is less than the power required to charge the battery:
• controlling said current source to which the battery is attached so that said current source does not charge the battery;
• and again performing the step of comparing the power required to charge the battery to the power the power supply has available.

A charger for simultaneously applying charging current to a plurality of different batteries, said charger having:

• a housing, said housing having a plurality of modules, each said module having a socket for receiving a separate battery;
• a power supply disposed in said housing capable of providing power for charging the batteries, said power supply able to provide a maximum amount of power for simultaneously charging the batteries;
• a plurality of current sources disposed in said housing, each said current source being energized by power from said power supply and configured to be connected to a separate one of said modules to supply to said module the charging current require to charge the battery seated in the module, said current sources collectively configured to simultaneously charge the plurality of batteries;
• and
• a main controller connected to said current sources for regulating the application of current from the current sources to the batteries, wherein said main controller has a memory in which power available data indicating the power that said power supply has available to charge the batteries is stored and, for each said battery connected seated on one of said modules, said main controller is configured to:
• determine she power required to charge the battery seated in said module;
• compare the power required to charge the battery to the power the power supply has available;
• if the power the power supply has available is at least as much as the power required to charge the battery:
• update said main controller memory power available data by subtracting from the power available data the power required to charge the battery;
• controlling said current source to which the battery is attached so that said current source charges the battery;
• after the charging of the battery, update the power available data indicating the power that the power supply has available by adding to the power available data the power required to charge the battery;
• and
• if the power the power supply has available is less than the power required to charge the battery:
• controlling said current source to which the battery is connected so that said current source does not charge the battery;
• and again performing the step of comparing the power required to charge the battery to the power the power supply has available.

A charger for simultaneously applying charging current to a plurality of different batteries, said charger having:

• a power supply capable of providing power for charging the batteries, said power supply able to provide a maximum amount of power for simultaneously charging the batteries;
• a plurality of current sources, each said current source being energized by power from the power supply and configured to be connected to one of the batteries to provide the charging current required to charge the battery, said current sources collectively configured to simultaneously charge the plurality of batteries;
• and
• a main controller connected to said current sources for regulating the application of current from said current sources to the batteries, wherein said main controller maintains a record indicating the power that said power supply has available to charge the batteries and, for each battery connected to a separate one of the current sources, said main controller is configured to:
• determine for the battery the power required to charge the battery;
• compare the power required to charge the battery to the power the power supply has available;
• based on the comparison, selectively regulating said current source to which the battery is connected so that said current source applies current to the battery to charge the battery in a selected charging sequence from a plurality of different charging sequences;
• and
• based on the charging sequence through which the battery is cycled, at the beginning of the charging sequence, update the record of the power available to indicate that power is being drawn by the battery and, upon completion of the charging sequence, update the record of the power available to indicate that power is no longer drawn by the battery.

A method of simultaneously charging a plurality of batteries, said method including:

• providing a charger capable of simultaneously providing charging current to the plurality of batteries, the charger having power available data that indicates the amount of power the charger has available to charge the batteries;
• and
• successively coupling the plurality of batteries to the charger, and for each of the batteries coupled to the charger, with the charger:
• determining for the battery the power required to charge the battery;
• comparing the power required for the battery to the charger power available data;
• based on said comparison, selectively applying current to the battery to cycle the battery through one of a plurality of different charging sequences;
• and
• based on the charging sequence through which the battery is cycled, at the beginning of the charging sequence, updating the power available data at the beginning of said step of cycling the battery through the charging sequence to indicate that power that will be drawn by the battery and, at the end of said step of cycling the battery through the charging sequence, updating the power available data to indicate that power is no longer drawn by the battery.

A method of simultaneously charging a plurality of batteries, said method including the steps of:

• providing a charger capable of simultaneously providing charging current to the plurality of batteries, the charging having a load resistor and a data field that indicates the number of batteries attached to the load resistor;
• and
• coupling the plurality of batteries to the charger and, for each of the batteries, with the charger:
• cycling the battery through a plurality of charging states, wherein in at least one charging state current is applied to the battery to charge and, in one said charging state a determination is made if the battery needs to be subjected to a discharging cycle;
• if, in said discharge cycle determination step, it is determined that the battery does not need to be subjected to a discharging cycle, continuing said step of cycling the battery through the plurality of charging states;
• if, in said discharge cycle determination step, it is determined that the battery needs to be subjected to a discharging cycle, performing a load resistor availability step to determine, by reference to the load resistor data field, if a maximum number of batteries are connected to the load resistor;
• if, in said load resistor availability step it is determined that less than a maximum number of batteries are connected to the load resistor:
• updating the load resistor data field to indicate an additional battery is connected to the load resistor;
• executing the discharging cycle by connecting the battery to the load resistor;
• upon termination of the discharging cycle, disconnecting the battery from the load resistor and updating the load resistor data field to indicate the battery is disconnected from the load resistor;
• and continuing with said step of cycling the battery through the plurality of charging states;
• and
• if, in said load resistor availability step it is determined that the maximum number of resistors are connected to the load resistor, bypassing execution of the discharging cycle and continuing with said step of cycling the battery through the plurality of charging states.

A method of simultaneously charging a plurality of batteries, said method including:

• providing a charger capable of simultaneously providing charging current to the plurality of batteries, the charger having power available data that indicates the amount of power the charger has available to charge the batteries and a load resistor to which the batteries are selectively coupled to discharge the batteries;
• and
• successively coupling the plurality of batteries to the charger, and for each of the batteries coupled to the charger, with the charger:
• charging the battery with a charge supplied by the power supply;
• determining for the battery if the battery is to be discharged wherein, if the battery is not be discharged actuating a display to indicate that the battery is available for use;
• if the battery is to be discharged, determining if a maximum number of batteries are simultaneously connected to the load resistor;
• and
• if the maximum number of batteries are not connected to the load resistor, connecting the battery to the load resistor to discharge the battery, wherein after said discharging of the battery, the battery is disconnected to the load resistor and said step of charging the battery is reexecuted;
• and
• maintaining a count of the number of batteries connected to the load resistor.

A charger for simultaneously applying charging current to a plurality of different batteries, said charger having:

• a power supply capable of providing power for charging the batteries, said power supply able to provide a maximum amount of power for simultaneously charging the batteries;
• a plurality of current sources, each said current source being energized by power from the power supply and configured to be connected to one of the batteries to provide the charging current required to charge the battery, said current sources collectively configured to simultaneously charge the plurality of batteries;
• a load resistor and a plurality of load resistors switches, each said load resistor switch configured to selectively connect one battery to the load resistor;
• and
• a main controller connected to said current sources for regulating the application of current from the current sources to the batteries and to said load resistor switches, wherein said main controller maintains a record of the number of batteries simultaneously connected to said load resistor and, for each battery connected to a separate one for the current sources, said main controller is configured to:
• regulate the charging of the battery by the current source;
• and
• selectively actuate one of said load resistor switches to connect the battery to said load resistor, wherein said main controller is configured to simultaneously connect a maximum number of the batteries to said load resistor.