The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 26, 2011
Filed:
Nov. 20, 2007
Atsumasa Kubota, Hikone, JP;
Masaki Ikeda, Hikone, JP;
Tatsuya Miwa, Maibara, JP;
Naoki Shimizu, Hikone, JP;
Norihiro Iwamura, Hikone, JP;
Atsumasa Kubota, Hikone, JP;
Masaki Ikeda, Hikone, JP;
Tatsuya Miwa, Maibara, JP;
Naoki Shimizu, Hikone, JP;
Norihiro Iwamura, Hikone, JP;
Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A battery charger includes an attachment portion capable of being connected to a plurality of battery packs; a connection unit for connecting one of the battery packs connected to the attachment portion to a charging path; a state detection unit for detecting a state of each of the battery packs; a remaining capacity detection unit; and a charging control unit. The remaining capacity detection unit detects a remaining capacity based on the state of the battery pack detected by the state detection unit after each of the battery pack is charged for a specified period of time. Further, the charging control unit assigns priorities to the battery packs such that one whose remaining capacity detected by the remaining capacity detection unit is closer to a fully charged state thereof has a higher priority, and controls the connection unit to charge the battery packs according to the assigned priorities.