Dell USA L P

Valence Technology, Inc.

Dell Computer Corporation

Other

Dell Products Inc.

John A Cummings

Barry K Kates

Lawrence Allen Stone

John J Breen

Robert L McMahan

Jeffrey W Godsted

Joseph Lamoreux

Susan A Yeager

Chrisitan L Critz

Jim Leftwich

Leonardo Quintero

Electrical energy supply methods and electrical energy power supplies are described. According to one aspect, an electrical energy supply method includes providing first and second battery assemblies individually configured to store electrical energy, coupling the first and second battery assemblies to form a unitary device configured to supply electrical energy to a load, charging one of the first and the second battery assemblies using electrical energy from a supply at a first moment in time, discharging electrical energy from the first and second battery assemblies to the load at a second moment in time, and disabling discharging of electrical energy from the other of the first and second battery assemblies during the charging.

Electrical energy supply methods and electrical energy power supplies

Circuits, apparatuses, electrochemical device charging methods, and lithium-mixed metal electrode cell charging methods are provided. According to one aspect, a circuit includes charging circuitry adapted to apply electrical energy to an electrochemical device to charge the electrochemical device, and the electrochemical device being configured to assume an open-circuit condition in a substantially charged state; shunting circuitry electrically coupled with the charging circuitry and configured to shunt the electrical energy around the electrochemical device responsive to the electrochemical device reaching the substantially charged state; and indication circuitry configured to output a signal responsive to the shunting of the electrical energy to indicate a charge status of the electrochemical device.

Circuits, apparatuses, electrochemical device charging methods, and lithium-mixed metal electrode cell charging methods

Electrical storage circuitry operational methods

An electrical energy system comprising a power supply apparatus having an electrical energy storage device for storing electrical energy, an external load having one or more batteries, the load adapted to receive electrical energy from the electrical energy storage device, and wherein the power supply apparatus comprises control circuitry for monitoring a condition of the power supply apparatus and controlling an operation of the load responsive to the monitored condition.

Electrical energy systems, power supply apparatuses, and electrical energy supply methods

Power supply apparatuses and power supply operational methods are provided. According to one aspect, a power supply apparatus includes a power node, an electrochemical device configured to store electrical energy, a switch including a control node and the switch is adapted to electrically couple the electrochemical device with the power node in a conducting state and to substantially electrically isolate the electrochemical device and the power node in a nonconducting state, a controller configured to output a first control signal to control the operation of the switch between the conducting state and the nonconducting state and circuitry coupled with the controller and the control node and configured to receive electrical energy at a first voltage magnitude, to increase the electrical energy to a second voltage magnitude greater than the first voltage magnitude to provide a second control signal, and to output the control signal of the second voltage magnitude to the switch.

Power supply apparatuses and power supply operational methods

Electrical power source apparatuses, circuits, electrochemical device charging methods, and methods of charging a plurality of electrochemical devices are provided. According to one aspect, an electrical power source apparatus includes a plurality of charging nodes, a plurality of electrochemical devices individually coupled with a respective one of the charging nodes and individually configured to assume an open-circuit condition in a substantially charged state and a plurality of shunting devices coupled with respective ones of the charging nodes and individually configured to shunt electrical energy from a respective one of the charging nodes after the respective electrochemical device assumes the open-circuit condition.

Electrical power source apparatuses, circuits, electrochemical device charging methods, and methods of charging a plurality of electrochemical devices

Power supply apparatuses and methods of supplying electrical energy are provided. According to one aspect, a power supply apparatus includes an electrochemical device configured to store electrical energy, a first interface coupled with the electrochemical device and adapted to couple with a supply configured to provide electrical energy and a first load configured to receive electrical energy, and charge circuitry coupled intermediate the first interface and the electrochemical device, wherein the charge circuitry is configured to monitor a quantity of electrical energy supplied from the supply to the first load and to control a supply of electrical energy to the electrochemical device responsive to the monitoring and to charge the electrochemical device.

Electrical energy apparatuses, electrical energy conditioning circuits, and electrical supply methods

A data processing system power supply selection device. The system power supply selector circuit can include a first make-without-break power supply selector module having a power supply input, at least one controlling power supply input, and a system power rail output substantially continuously coupled to said at least a first power supply input.

Power supply selector

Power supply apparatuses and methods of supplying electrical energy

A battery charge determination device including at least one battery cell voltage measurement device, at least one battery cell internal resistance measurement device, and at least one battery charge assessment device operably connected to the at least one battery cell voltage measurement device and the at least one battery cell internal resistance measurement device.

Battery charge determination

A method for allowing a data processing system to use multiple smart batteries substantially simultaneously coupled to the same smart bus, the method including but not limited to detecting at least two smart batteries connected to a smart battery bus; and selectively controlling at least one of the at least two smart batteries via isolation of the smart battery bus clock signal. In one embodiment, circuitry is used to effect the foregoing-described method; the circuitry can be virtually any combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware configured to effect the foregoing-described method depending upon the design choices of the system designer.

Increased battery capacity utilizing multiple smart batteries

An electrically conductive vibration dampener is formed from an electrically conductive base, such as a piece of stamped metal, with at least one tab projecting from the base, and a dampening material member coupled to the base so that the tab can be oriented to provide electrical continuity between other conductors when the electrically conductive vibration dampener is installed into a device. The dampening material member is molded to the base, attached to the base with adhesive, or mechanically attached by for example, registering an edge of the base to a groove formed in the dampening material member. Additionally, the electrically conductive vibration dampener can include an aperture through which a fastener can pass, so that the electrically conductive vibration dampener can be used much like a grommet or washer when fastening components together.

Electrically conductive vibration dampener

A battery charging apparatus, computer system and method provide current from a single power line to charge either a first battery or multiple batteries in an independent mode or a simultaneous mode. The apparatus includes an AC-to-DC adapter, the power line, and a battery charging control system that measures the charge of the individual batteries and compares the measured charge. If the charging system detects a difference in charge between the batteries, the lowest or the lower charged batteries are charged until the charging system detects no difference in charge, and then resumes simultaneous charging. The battery charging control system also includes a comparator circuit that determines whether to enable charging in the independent mode or the simultaneous mode based on input from a user or input from a computer system. The computer system includes a processor, a memory, a bus, a power line, and a battery charging apparatus coupled to the power line. The battery charging apparatus capable of simultaneously charging a plurality of batteries with a single power line and allowing current from the power line to charge either a first battery or multiple batteries in either an independent mode or a simultaneous mode. The method includes simultaneously charging a plurality of batteries using a power line, providing a battery charging apparatus with an AC-to-DC adapter and a power line, providing a battery system, and enabling current from the power line to charge either a first battery or a plurality of batteries simultaneously or independently.

Adaptive multiple battery charging apparatus

A circuit including bridge rectifier, switches across one or more of the diodes of the bridge rectifier, and a comparator providing control signals to the switch or switches can be constructed to apply a constant polarity voltage to an electrical load, regardless of the polarity of the input power applied to the circuit. The comparator produces a control signal depending upon a comparison of the input power voltages, and the control signal activates one or more of the switches to allow current flow through an appropriate path in the circuit to yield the constant polarity across the electrical load. Thus, the circuit can protect the electrical load from an inappropriately applied voltage by switching the applied voltage's polarity. Because an activated switch can short a diode in the bridge rectifier, power loss associated with current flow through the diode is reduced. Additionally, the circuit can provide constant polarity across the electrical load with either AC or DC input power.

Growing community of inventors

Round Rock, TX, United States of America

John A Cummings