Zinc Matrix Power, Inc.

Te-Chien F Yang

Michael C Cheiky

A battery charging system comprising: a current source; a battery; and a voltage and current regulator, which regulates voltage applied to the battery and current supplied to the battery. The battery charging system shapes the current supplied to the battery, and may be used to taper the current supplied to the battery. The voltage and current regulator may comprise: an adjustable band-gap voltage reference diode, a potentiometer, a resistor, and a transistor, or an adjustable shunt regulator, and a transistor operating in conjunction with the adjustable shunt regulator, or other suitable voltage and current regulator means. The battery charging system regulates the current flow supplied to the battery, which originates from a constant charging current source. As the battery voltage exceeds a predefined terminal voltage, the battery charging system diverts charging current through a transistor, thus clamping the battery at the terminal voltage and shaping the current supplied to the battery.

Battery charging system

A battery charging method and system, the battery charging method comprising: charging at least one battery at a first voltage for a first time duration; charging the batteries at a second voltage for a second time duration; determining state of charge of the batteries at the end of the second time duration; if the batteries are not substantially fully charged at the end of the second time duration, the total charging time is evaluated to determine if the batteries have been charged for a time duration greater than or equal to a third time duration, and if the total charging time has not exceeded or is not equal to the third time duration, charging the batteries at the first voltage for the first time duration and charging the batteries at the second voltage for the second time duration is repeated; if the batteries are substantially fully charged at the end of the second time duration, battery charging is ceased; or if the total charging time has exceeded or is equal to the third time duration at the end of the second time duration, battery charging is ceased. The battery charging system comprises: a current source; a cutoff voltage controller and timer; at least one battery; respective ones of voltage and current regulators, which regulate voltages applied to and current supplied to each of the batteries; current sensing means, which senses current flowing therethrough the batteries; and a system voltage and current regulator, which shunts current from the batteries.

Multiple plateau battery charging method and system to charge to the second plateau

A battery charging method and system, the battery charging method comprising: charging at least one battery at a first voltage for a first time duration; determining state of charge of the batteries at the end of the first time duration; if the batteries are substantially fully charged at the end of the first time duration, charging the batteries at the first voltage for a second time duration, and charging the batteries at a second voltage for a third duration of time; if the batteries are substantially fully depleted at the end of the first time duration, charging the batteries at the first voltage for an alternate second time duration, and charging the batteries at the second voltage for an alternate third duration of time. The battery charging system comprises: a current source; a cutoff voltage controller and timer; at least one battery; and respective ones of voltage and current regulators, which regulate voltages applied to each of the respective ones of the batteries and current supplied to the respective batteries, the cutoff voltage controller and timer controlling the voltages and controlling time durations of the voltages applied to each of the respective ones of the batteries therethrough control of the voltage and current regulators.

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Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

Te-Chien F Yang