text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Jul 8, 1997
|Filing date
|Jun 7, 1995
|Priority date
|Sep 12, 1994
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Steven J. Young
|Original Assignee
|Apple Computer, Inc.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (16), Non-Patent Citations (1), Referenced by (61), Classifications (27), Legal Events (4)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/310,802, Sep. 12, 1994.
The present invention relates to the field of battery power; more particularly, the present invention relates to battery cells that include a control mechanism within the cell for monitoring and charging the cell.
Today, batteries are used to provide power to many devices. These devices are more often portable or mobile devices. More recently, batteries have been a primary power source used for laptop and notebook computers, cellular phones, hand-held/mobile video recorders and many other electronic devices. Current battery cells include nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride, lithium-ion, alkaline, acid, zinc, etc.
Typically, a group of batteries are strung together and encased in a plastic-molded pack. The cells in a pack are strung together by electrically coupling the positive terminal of one battery to the negative terminal of the next battery, with the negative terminal of the first battery in the string being the negative contact of the battery pack and the positive terminal of the last battery in the string being the positive contact of the battery pack. The plastic battery pack may also contain a logic board (e,g., PCB) that contains a integrated circuit (IC), an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter and/or a serial communication device to monitor the state of the battery pack and provide access to the state by a unit external to the battery pack. However, this logic board does not monitor each cell independently, only the group of battery cells as a whole. A temperature sensor may also be included in the battery pack to determine the temperature within the battery pack. The temperature reading obtained using the temperature sensor is output from the battery pack along with the positive and negative contacts of the first and last batteries in the string respectively.
One problem with current battery packs of the prior art is their expense. Specifically, approximately 20% of the cost of a battery pack is due to the molded plastic used to encase the battery cells. The plastic is normally custom molded for use in a specific application, such that there is no interchangeability between the various battery packs. For example, a battery pack designed for use in a specific laptop or notebook computer, normally cannot be used in other computers. This is due in part to the necessary functionality that is included within the battery packs to monitor and control the batteries as a whole. It is desirable to add some interchangeability to the battery packs. By integrating monitoring and control functionality into the battery cells themselves, the circuit board within a battery pack may be eliminated, thereby leaving only the battery cells in the battery pack. With cells of a particular type being approximately the same size, the battery packs can be the same size and interchangeable for different applications.
Another problem with the battery packs of the prior art is that they do not provide charging of individual cells. The entire string of batteries in the battery pack is coupled up to a charger in order to charge the battery pack as a whole. Cells within the inner portion of a string of batteries are not monitored individually, such that there is no method of guaranteeing that these inner cells are fully changed without always overcharging.
The battery packs of the prior art do not provide for monitoring of individual cells. Because individual cells are not monitored, the user has no way of knowing the current charge level of individual cells in the pack or that a battery cell in the pack is damaged. Charging a damaged cell may be dangerous because the cell may vent, become very hot, do nothing, or explode. Thus, without the ability to monitor, the user may be put in danger when attempting to charge the battery pack. Moreover, without monitoring, difficulty exists in maintaining a cell's charging within its optimum operating range. For instance, certain cells, such as lithium-ion cells, operate when they are charged to a particular range. If they are over-charged, they explode. If they are discharged too low, then they cannot be charged again. Because there is no monitoring in the prior art of individual cells, one cannot determine if one of the cells in the pack has become over-charged, such that it may explode, or has become discharged too low, such that it cannot be charged again. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to monitor individual battery cells in a battery pack.
Furthermore, because individual cells are not monitored, cells may become unbalanced. When cells become unbalanced, it is possible that a reverse cell voltage could occur. That is, as cells are normally coupled together with the positive terminal connected to the negative terminal of a subsequent battery cell in the string, if a cell becomes discharged too low, a cell reversal may occur. In cell reversal, if the charge in the cell becomes zero volts, the positive and negative designations lose their meaning and terminals of an individual battery cell may switch designations such that the positive terminal and the negative terminal of a zero volt battery cell switch to become negative and positive respectively. In such a situation, the other battery cells start to charge the zero volt cell and place energy into it due to its terminals being connected to the same terminals of its neighboring battery cells. In the prior art, this may occur unknown to the user since there is no monitoring of individual cells in the battery pack. Thus, it is desirable to provide monitoring of individual cells to avoid cell reversal.
The present invention provides a mechanism to monitor and charge each cell independently. In doing so, the present invention eliminates unbalanced cells, reversed cell voltages and provides a mechanism to determine if a cell is damaged to prevent damaged cells from being charged.
A battery cell having an internal control mechanism is described. The battery cell of the present invention may be incorporated into a battery pack that provides power to systems, such as computer systems, cellular phones, etc.
The battery cell of the present invention comprises a positive terminal, a negative terminal and a power producing core section (e.g., electrolyte). The battery cell also includes an internal circuit to monitor the state of the battery cell. The state that is monitored may include the temperature, charge level of the battery core section, the discharge/charge rate. The circuit may control the battery cell (e.g., cause charging of the battery cell). This internal circuit may be an integrated circuit, such as a microprocessor.
The battery cell of the present invention may include an internal battery charger. The battery charger may operate under control of the internal circuit. In one embodiment, the battery charging circuit may comprise a transistor. The battery cell of the present invention may include a temperature sensor or a current sensor.
The battery cell of the present invention may include a communication bus. Each battery cell could include two bus terminals that are positioned in close proximity to the positive and negative terminals of the battery cell, such that when a group of battery cells are coupled together, the bus terminals are electrically connected to form a single communication bus.
The present invention will be understood more fully from the detailed description given below and from the accompanying drawings of various embodiments of the invention, which, however, should not be taken to limit the invention to the specific embodiments, but are for explanation and understanding only.
FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a battery pack of the present invention.
FIG. 2 illustrates a section view of a battery cell of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is one embodiment of a circuit schematic of a battery cell according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a computer system of the present invention.
A battery cell for use in a battery pack is described. In the following detailed description numerous specific details are set forth, such as the number of cells in a battery pack, types of battery cells, types of integrated circuits, voltage/charge quantities, etc., in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. Also, well-known circuits have been shown in block diagram form, rather than in detail, in order to avoid obscuring the present invention.
The present invention provides a battery cell that includes a circuit within the sealed battery encasement. This internal circuit provides functionality to the battery cell to allow a battery cell to perform certain functions automatically and independently. The circuit may be an integrated circuit, such as a microprocessor or microcontroller.
One function performed by the internal circuit is to monitor the state of the battery cell. In one embodiment, the circuit may monitor the temperature, the charge rate and the discharge rate. The circuit may also control the charging of the battery cell, coordinating when charging is needed and when current charging of the battery cell should be stopped. By incorporating charging circuitry within the battery cell, the battery cell may be charged independently and internally according to the present invention. Each battery cell may also incorporate temperature sensing capabilities within the battery cell for use in conjunction with charging, as well as incorporating current sensing capabilities to determine the current state of the charge in the battery cell.
In the present invention, each battery cell also may comprise communication capabilities. These communication capabilities allow the state of each cell to be reported to locations external to the battery cell or external to the battery pack. The communication capabilities of each cell may be coupled to communications of other cells in the battery pack to form a single coupled communication system (e.g., a single bus between cells). In one embodiment, a multi-drop single wire bus runs from one end (e.g., the positive terminal) of the battery cell to the other (e.g., the negative terminal). The circuit, (e.g., IC, or microprocessor), is coupled to the single wire bus and can control its use. In this manner, the circuit can cause data corresponding to the state of the battery cell and/or other parameters relevant to batteries to be sent on the bus and can act in response to data received from the single wire bus.
FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the battery pack of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, standard battery pack 100 is shown having eight batteries 101A-H strung together with the positive terminal of one battery electrically coupled to the negative terminal of the following battery, except with the negative contact of the battery pack being the negative terminal of the first battery in the string and the positive contact of the battery pack being electrically coupled to the positive terminal of the last battery in the string. Jumper wires may be included to fully connect all of the terminals of battery cells to each other. Also shown as an output of the battery pack 100 is a data communication bus, in the forms of bus terminal 102.
The eight batteries am encapsulated in plastic or other housing material 104 in a manner well-known in the art. The plastic housing may be molded into a shape designed for receipt into a slot in the side of a computer system, cellular phone, or other similar type of battery-packed operated system. The battery cells may comprise nickel cadmium (NiCd) battery cells, nickel metal hydride battery cells, lithium-ion battery cells, alkaline battery cells, acid battery cells, zinc battery cells, etc.
FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of a battery cell of the present invention. The left section view illustrates an inner connector to the battery cell representing the negative terminal surrounded by an insulator. In one embodiment, a battery winding is coupled to the negative terminal. The other end of the battery winding is coupled to a circuit within the battery cell. Also coupled to the circuit is the positive terminal (e.g., button) of the battery cell. Also in one embodiment, the circuit is a K-9 processor manufactured by Motorola Corporation of Schaumberg, Ill.
The circuit of the present invention is responsible for monitoring the state of the battery cell and charging the battery cell at the desired time. The circuit may be on a circuit board or substrate. The power plane of such a board or substrate is coupled to the positive lead from the battery cell's core section. This power plane then serves as the output to the positive terminal of the battery cell. In another embodiment, the current board or substrate could be connected to the positive output in a non-serial fashion.
Also shown as line 204 in FIG. 2 is a data communication bus running from the negative terminal side of the battery cell to the positive terminal side of-the battery cell. The communication bus 204 may comprise a coaxial with a coaxial connector at the terminal. The use of communication bus 204 will be described later below.
FIG. 3 illustrates a circuit schematic of the battery cell of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, a negative battery terminal 300 is coupled to the one side of battery cell core 301. The positive terminal side of battery cell core 301 is coupled to an input of Schottkey diode 302. The output of the Schottkey diode 302 is coupled to current sensor 303. The current sensor 303 is also coupled to single chip processor 304 and the positive battery terminal 305. The positive terminal side of the battery cell core 301 is also coupled to a source of a charging field effect transistor (FET) 306. The drain of the charging FET 306 is coupled to the current sensor 303 and the output of Schottkey diode 302, while the gate of the charging FET 306 is coupled to and controlled by the single chip processor 304. Also coupled to single chip processor 304 is a temperature sensor 307 and a communication bus 308. All of these items are coupled together on a small circuit board or on a silicon substrate.
In one embodiment, where the battery comprises a NiCd battery, battery cell core 301 comprises a positive electrode and a negative electrode separated by separators. The positive electrode, negative electrode and separators are rolled into a winding with a core inserted at the center to form an electrolyte. Note that although not shown to avoid obscuring the present invention, the electrolyte is sealed and insulated from the remainder of the battery.
The Schottkey diode 302 provides the path for current travel through the battery cell to be output from the battery cell 300 at the positive terminal 305. Diode 302 prevents current from traveling in the opposite direction through the battery cell 300.
Current sensor 303 measures the current traveling through the battery cell 300. Microprocessor 304 activates current sensor 303 to obtain the current discharge or charge rates of the battery cell core 301. In one embodiment, current sensor 303 comprises a resistor (e.g., a transistor), and the current is sensed by measuring the voltage across the resistor in a manner well-known in the art.
Temperature sensor 303 measures the temperature of the battery cell core 301. In one embodiment, temperature sensor 303 is the resistor that is coupled within the battery cell in the same well-known manner temperature sensors are coupled to the external positive and negative contacts of a battery in the art.
In one embodiment, processor 304 includes a clock for timing operations, an A/D converter for reading the temperature of battery cell and the current produced by the battery cell core 301 and to convert that information into a form capable of being carried on the communication bus 308. Processor 304, operating under the direction of software, controls the internal operation of the battery. The processor 304 also includes circuitry to turn on and off input/output (I/O) bits for use in controlling the internal functionality, such as the bits to turn off charging FET 306. In one embodiment, the processor 304 of the present invention is a K-9 processor from Motorola Corporation of Schaumberg, Ill.
The processor 304 uses software to control operations in the battery cell. For instance, using software contained stored on-board, such as in a read-only memory (ROM), the processor controls the charging of the battery cell. By determining the current that is in the battery cell, the processor 304 is able to determine when the battery cell should be charged. For instance, processor 304 may cause the battery cell to be charged when the current output falls below some predetermined level indicative of its charge level. That is, based in the output of the battery, the processor 304 may initiate charging of the battery to occur. Using the temperature sensor, the processor is able to determine when the battery has been charged to a full state.
Note that the processor is operated by the battery. However, this produces only an insignificant drain on the battery cell power and the processor is able to turn off the battery cell long before it reaches too low of a charged state.
The processor is able to obtain the internal state of the battery cell. By knowing the state, and supplying the state as an output on the communication bus 308, battery cell parameters may be read. Optionally, the battery cell may include indicators (e.g., lights) to signal a state of the battery cell device.
Using the communication bus 308, new software for the processor may be downloaded into the processor from an external source. The new software could change the charging characteristics of the battery over time. Furthermore, the processor can be programmed not to charge the battery where the user of the battery pack is using an external charger to charge the battery cells In the battery pack.
The communication bus 308 also provides the battery cell of the present invention with communication capabilities throughout the battery pack. Each battery cell includes a communication bus having two terminals, one located at the end of the negative terminal and one at the end of the positive terminal, so that the battery cell can be coupled to another battery cell's communication bus when the battery cells are strung together (such as when the positive and negative battery terminals are coupled together). This extra conductor in the battery acts as a serial bus and allows multiple batteries to be connected as a signal bus. In one embodiment, the communication bus is a multi-drop wire bus.
The processor in each battery cell sits as a device on the bus. By providing a data communication bus, another device in the system, such as the main processor in a computer system, can interrogate individual battery cells and obtain information. For instance, using the communication bus, another device can receive information indicating if the battery is bad, or the currently charge level of the battery (e.g., 50%, 70%, 80%, etc.) or other information regarding the battery cell itself. Note that the external device may be a device in the battery pack itself acting as a master for the battery pack to control its operations.
The battery cell of the present invention may be integrated into battery packs for use in many applications. For instance, the present invention may be used in cellular phone, portable/hand-held video recorders and camcorders and computers. An exemplary computer system is described in FIG. 4.
Referring to FIG. 4, an overview of a computer system of the present invention is shown in block diagram form. The present invention may be implemented on a general purpose microcomputer, such as one of the members of the Apple PowerBook™ family, one of the members of the IBM personal computer family, or one of several audio computer devices which am presently commercially available. Of course, the present invention may also be implemented on a multi-user system while encountering all of the costs, speed, and function advantages and disadvantages available with these machines. The preferred embodiment of the present invention is implemented on an Apple PowerBook™ computer system developed by the assignee of the present invention.
As illustrated in FIG. 4, the computer system of the present invention generally comprises a local bus or other communication means 400 for communicating information, a processor 403 coupled with local bus 400 for processing information, a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device 404 (commonly referred to as a main memory) coupled with local bus 400 for storing information and instructions for processor 403, and a read-only memory (ROM) or other non-volatile storage device 406 coupled with local bus 100 for storing non-volatile information and instructions for processor 403.
The computer system of the present invention also includes an input/output bus or other communication means 401 for communicating information in the computer system. A data storage device 407, such as a magnetic tape and disk drive, including its associated controller circuitry, is coupled with I/O bus 401 for storing information and instructions. A display device 421, such as a cathode ray tube, liquid crystal display, etc., including its associated controller circuitry, is coupled to bus 401 for displaying information to the computer user, as well as a hard copy device 424 such as a plotter or printer, including its associated controller circuitry, for providing a visual representation of the computer images. Hard copy device 424 is coupled with processor 403, main memory 404, non-volatile memory 406 and mass storage device 407 through I/O bus 401 and bus translator/interface unit 440. A modem 408 and an ethernet local area network 109 are also coupled to I/O bus 401.
Bus interface unit 440 is coupled to local bus 400 and I/O bus 401 and acts a gateway between processor 403 and the I/O subsystem. Bus interface unit 440 may also provide translation between signals being sent from units on one of the buses to units on the other bus to allow local bus 100 and I/O bus 401 to co-operate as a single bus.
An input/output (I/O) controller 430 is coupled to I/O bus 401 and controls access to certain I/O peripherals in the computer system. For instance, I/O controller 430 is coupled to controller device 432 that controls access to an alpha-numeric input device 422 including alpha-numeric and other keys, etc., for communicating information and command selections to processor 403, and a cursor control 423, such as a trackball, stylus, mouse, or trackpad, etc., for controlling cursor movement. The system also includes a sound subsystem 425 coupled to I/O controller 430 for providing audio recording and play back. Sound subsystem 425 may include a sound circuit and its driver which are used to generate various audio signals from the computer system and may further include a path through which the modem 408 can make sounds. I/O controller 430 may also provide access to a floppy disk and driver 426. The processor 403 controls I/O controller 430 with its peripherals by sending commands to I/O controller 430 through buses 400 and 401, and bus interface unit 440.
Batteries or other power supply 452 may also be included to provide power necessary to run the various peripherals and integrated circuits in the computer system. Power supply 452 is typically a DC power source that provides a constant DC power to various units, particularly processor 403. Various units such as processor 403, display 421, etc., also receive clocking signals to synchronize operations within the computer systems. These clocking signals may be provided by a global clock generator or multiple clock generators, each dedicated to a portion of the computer system.
In one embodiment, processor 403 is a 68000 brand processor, such as the 68040 processor manufactured by Motorola Corporation of Schaumberg, Ill. The memory in the computer system is initialized to store the operating system as well as other programs, such as file directory routines and application programs, and data inputted from I/O controller 430. In the preferred embodiment, the operating system is stored in ROM 406, while RAM 404 is utilized as the internal memory for the computer system for accessing data and application programs. Processor 403 accesses memory in the computer system via an address bus within local bus 400. Commands in connection with the operation of memory in the computer system are also sent from the processor 403 to the memory using local bus 400. Local bus 400 also includes a bi-directional data bus to communicate data in response to the commands provided by processor 403 under the control of the operating system running on it.
Of course, certain implementations and uses of the present invention may neither require nor include all of the above components. For example, in certain implementations a keyboard or cursor control device for inputting information to the system may not be required. In other implementations, it may not be required to provide a display device displaying information. Furthermore, the computer system may include additional processing units, or buses 400 and 401 may be combined (collapsed into one bus) without the need for bus translator interface unit 440.
The present invention provides a number of advantages over the prior art. For instance, the teachings of the present invention may be applied to various battery types, and thus, are independent of the battery technology used. For instance, the teachings of the present invention may be utilized in batteries, such as acid, alkaline, zinc, lithium-ion, nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride batteries, etc. Furthermore, the present invention provides battery intelligence communications that allow the state of the battery cell or other parameters relevant to batteries to be made externally available. That is, the state of a battery cell may be interrogated and read by a device external to the battery cell or the battery pack. In this manner information may be obtained to determine if a battery is bad or has low charge, thereby acting as a gas gauge of the remaining energy. Because the state of the battery is available, the present invention allows the battery life to be extended due to the constant monitoring of its capacity. That is, the processor of the present invention may be programmed to monitor the battery cell and know when to stop its charging in order to obtain the maximum battery life. By recording the number of charge/discharge cycles, the battery life may also be ascertained. This permits the age of the cell to be obtained, if needed. A performance benefit may be provided where the charge/discharge cycle is available, and through the use of software in the battery cell, can be manipulated such that an increased or decreased charge is known to be available in the battery cell. Moreover, because the state of the battery cell is available externally, the present invention can avoid unbalanced cells by not allowing the devices to discharge too far or be programmed too high. Because there are no unbalanced cells, there will be no cell reversals. Furthermore, the processors can be programmed to disconnect or turn-off a battery cell when a dangerous condition is known to exist (by monitor for that condition).
The present invention also provides a battery cell with its own charger. In this case, no external charger is needed and the charging is controlled through software on the integrated circuit in the battery cell itself. Note that an external power source is required. Furthermore, with respect to charging, the present invention allows temperature monitoring of each cell. This is particularly advantageous with respect to charging as the processor within the battery cell can determine when the cell has completed charging by noting the increase in the temperature. Also, the processor on board can determine when a battery cell should not be charged, such as when its temperature is greater than 50� C.
Whereas many alterations and modifications of the present invention will no doubt become apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art after having read the foregoing description, it is to be understood that the particular embodiment shown and described by way of illustration is in no way intended to be considered limiting. Therefore, references to details of the preferred embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the claims which in themselves recite only those features regarded as essential to the invention.
Thus, a battery cell for use in an electronic system has been described.
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Jul 18, 1968
|Dec 8, 1970
|Varta Ag
|Chargeable cell
|Jan 29, 1979
|Oct 20, 1981
|Duracell International Inc.
|Battery package with DC to DC converter
|Apr 20, 1989
|Feb 12, 1991
|Motorola, Inc.
|Intrinsic safe battery having self test capability
|Aug 14, 1990
|Jun 23, 1992
|The Scabbard Corp.
|Application of sheet batteries as support base for electronic circuits
|Feb 10, 1994
|May 2, 1995
|Motorola, Inc.
|Method and apparatus for determining battery characteristics
|Dec 10, 1981
|Jun 23, 1983
|Wolfgang Koepke
|Electrochemical element with a built-in electronic additional circuit
|Nov 25, 1986
|Jul 15, 1987
|Emerson Electric Co.
|Hermetically sealed battery cover assembly
|Feb 27, 1989
|Sep 13, 1989
|Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company
|Light-rechargeable battery
|Jul 29, 1994
|Mar 22, 1995
|Texas Instruments Incorporated
|Improvements in or relating to power sources
|Oct 28, 1994
|May 17, 1995
|Philips Patentverwaltung GmbH
|Battery with incorporated voltage converter
|Title not available
|Title not available
|Title not available
|Feb 12, 1992
|Sep 3, 1992
|Institut National Polytechnique De Grenoble
|Credit card type power supply component
|Mar 11, 1992
|Oct 1, 1992
|Skand-Instrument A/S
|System for collecting measurement data in battery rooms
|May 20, 1993
|Nov 25, 1993
|Schumm Brooke Jr
|Fluid depolarized electrochemical battery with automatic valve
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|May 2, 1997
|Nov 10, 1998
|Itt Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
|Self warming low cost tactical electronics battery
|Oct 29, 1997
|Dec 29, 1998
|Nippon Moli Energy Corp.
|Protective device for secondary batteries
|Apr 30, 1998
|Dec 7, 1999
|Apple Computer, Inc.
|Method and apparatus for rapidly charging a battery of a portable computing device
|Nov 4, 1997
|Dec 14, 1999
|Charging current adapter circuit for cells or batteries
|Dec 12, 1997
|Dec 14, 1999
|Dell Usa, L.P.
|Self heating of batteries at low temperatures
|Dec 12, 1997
|Feb 15, 2000
|Dell Usa, L.P.
|Self discharge of batteries at high temperatures
|Oct 30, 1998
|May 2, 2000
|Parise; Ronald J.
|Quick charge battery with thermal management
|Oct 29, 1997
|May 9, 2000
|Nippon Moli Energy Corp.
|Protective device for secondary batteries
|Jun 1, 1998
|Jun 6, 2000
|Motorola, Inc.
|Battery pack having a hibernate circuit
|Apr 2, 1998
|Jun 13, 2000
|The Procter & Gamble Company
|Battery having a built-in controller
|May 1, 1998
|Jun 20, 2000
|Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
|Portable electronic appliance
|Apr 2, 1998
|Sep 12, 2000
|The Procter & Gamble Company
|Battery having a built-in controller to extend battery service run time
|Apr 17, 1998
|Oct 31, 2000
|Direct Wireless Corporation
|Local wireless communication system with external communications link
|Apr 2, 1998
|Dec 19, 2000
|The Procter & Gamble Company
|Battery having a built-in controller
|Apr 2, 1998
|Mar 6, 2001
|The Procter & Gamble Company
|Primary battery having a built-in controller to extend battery run time
|Apr 30, 1998
|Apr 24, 2001
|Apple Computer, Inc.
|System for charging portable computer's battery using both the dynamically determined power available based on power consumed by sub-system devices and power limits from the battery
|May 31, 2000
|Apr 16, 2002
|Direct Wireless Corporation
|Wireless communication system with multiple external communication links
|Oct 22, 2001
|Aug 27, 2002
|Method, arrangement and interface system to enable electrical batteries of different kinds to be charged by means of the same charger device
|Apr 23, 1999
|Nov 19, 2002
|The Board Of Trustees Of The Univesity Of Illinois
|Consumer battery having a built-in indicator
|Nov 16, 2001
|Jan 21, 2003
|Intel Corporation
|Method and apparatus for testing a temperature sensor
|Jun 16, 2000
|Apr 29, 2003
|University Of Waterloo
|DC/low frequency sub-atto signal level measurement circuit
|Jul 20, 2000
|Jul 15, 2003
|Technopuce International
|Rechargeable or non rechargeable smart battery cell and process for the production of such a cell
|Mar 8, 2000
|Nov 25, 2003
|Eveready Battery Company, Inc.
|Energy storage device having DC voltage converter
|Mar 24, 1999
|Dec 28, 2004
|The Board Of Trustees Of The University Of Illinois
|Battery having a built-in controller
|Mar 27, 2003
|Apr 4, 2006
|Robert Bosch Gmbh
|Temperature measuring arrangements in a battery pack for a hand-held tool
|Aug 21, 2002
|Mar 6, 2007
|Luxon Energy Devices Corporation
|Battery with built-in load leveling
|Jul 24, 2006
|Oct 5, 2010
|Research In Motion Limited
|Temperature-based charge and discharge control for a battery
|Jan 17, 2012
|Research In Motion Limited
|Temperature-based charge and discharge control for a battery
|Jun 11, 2013
|The Invention Science Fund I, Llc
|Fluid-surfaced electrode
|Feb 16, 2010
|Oct 21, 2014
|The Invention Science Fund I, Llc
|Instrumented fluid-surfaced electrode
|Jun 17, 2010
|Nov 18, 2014
|The Invention Science Fund I, Llc
|Instrumented fluid-surfaced electrode
|Oct 20, 2009
|Mar 3, 2015
|The Invention Science Fund I, Llc
|Fluid-surfaced electrode
|Oct 20, 2009
|Mar 10, 2015
|The Invention Science Fund I, Llc
|Fluid-surfaced electrode
|Jul 30, 2013
|May 17, 2016
|Elwha Llc
|Electrochemical energy generation system having individually controllable cells
|Mar 27, 2003
|Oct 2, 2003
|Stefan Roepke
|Measuring arrangement
|Aug 21, 2002
|Feb 26, 2004
|Luxon Energy Devices Corporation
|Battery with built-in load leveling
|Mar 9, 2006
|Sep 13, 2007
|Psion Teklogix Inc.
|Insulated smart battery pack for low temperature applications
|Jul 24, 2006
|Jan 24, 2008
|Research In Motion Limited
|Temperature-based charge and discharge control for a battery
|Dec 15, 2008
|Oct 8, 2009
|Motorola, Inc.
|Managing Demand on a Battery of a Mobile Communications Device
|Jan 27, 2011
|Research In Motion Limited
|Temperature-based charge and discharge control for a battery
|Feb 3, 2011
|Searete Llc, A Limited Liability Corporation Of The State Of Delaware
|Fluid-surfaced electrode
|Oct 20, 2009
|Feb 3, 2011
|Searete Llc, A Limited Liability Corporation Of The State Of Delaware
|Fluid-surfaced electrode
|Feb 16, 2010
|Feb 3, 2011
|Searete Llc
|Instrumented fluid-surfaced electrode
|Feb 3, 2011
|Searete Llc, A Limited Liability Corporation Of The State Of Delaware
|Fluid-surfaced electrode
|Feb 3, 2011
|Searete Llc, A Limited Liability Corporation Of The State Of Delaware
|Fluid-surfaced electrode
|Feb 3, 2011
|Searete Llc, A Limited Liability Corporation Of The State Of Delware
|Fluid-surfaced electrode
|Jan 26, 2012
|Francois Gagnon
|Modular energy accumulation and storage system
|Nov 22, 2006
|Feb 24, 2010
|Intelligent remote measuring type accumulator cell
|Oct 5, 1998
|Apr 28, 1999
|Adaptive charge circuit for a battery or accumulator
|Oct 15, 2001
|May 2, 2002
|Alcatel Alsthom Compagnie Generale D'electricite
|Universal battery charger and method
|Nov 17, 2011
|Sep 25, 2013
|Sony Corporation
|Secondary battery cell, battery pack, and power consumption equipment
|May 4, 1998
|Nov 12, 1998
|Parise Ronald J
|Quick charge battery with thermal management
|Jul 29, 1998
|Apr 1, 1999
|Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
|Power-supply component fitted with an accumulator
|Jul 6, 1998
|Jun 3, 1999
|Direct Wireless Corporation
|Local wireless communications system with external communications link
|Apr 1, 1999
|Oct 14, 1999
|The Procter & Gamble Company
|Battery having a built-in controller
|Apr 1, 1999
|Oct 14, 1999
|The Procter & Gamble Company
|Battery having a built-in controller to extend battery service run time
|Apr 20, 2000
|Nov 2, 2000
|The Procter & Gamble Company
|Consumer battery having a built-in indicator
|Apr 20, 2000
|Apr 5, 2001
|Procter & Gamble
|Consumer battery having a built-in indicator
|Feb 11, 2013
|Oct 3, 2013
|Robert Bosch Gmbh
|Device and method for determining at least one state variable of a battery cell, battery cell, and vehicle battery
|Apr 2, 2014
|Oct 9, 2014
|The Gillette Company
|Electrochemical cell including an integrated circuit
|Apr 2, 2014
|Dec 18, 2014
|The Gillette Company
|Electrochemical cell including an integrated circuit
|U.S. Classification
|429/7, 320/150, 320/137, 429/61, 429/62
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Jan 5, 2001
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Dec 21, 2004
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8
|May 25, 2007
Owner name: APPLE INC., CALIFORNIA
Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:APPLE COMPUTER INC., A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:019365/0023
Effective date: 20070109
|Dec 11, 2008
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 12


text:
Pages 290-294
Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 33, 1661-1664. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1932.
This free content was digitised by double rekeying and sponsored by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. All rights reserved.
|Codice VI.,
Classe, 240.
Bibl. S. Marco,
The Shade of the King of England.
The new king of England plunged in sweet and pleasing ardours and soothing the wound in his amorous heart, was taking his ease in a pleasant garden, on the bank of a river, with the present hope of the near arrival of the beloved consort, so ardently awaited; and he exclaimed: O winds, how idle you are not to assist with a slight effort of your breath the progress of that new Argosy which is bringing the golden fleece, and which is to enrich me with joy and take away all my pain. How tardy you are, O sails not to spread yourselves for a rapid course over the waters. Fly O you ships, and if you lack prosperous breezes, let my ardent sighs serve to waft you along.
Thus did the royal lover deliver himself while the ships, sympathising as it were with his grief, were drawing near with the Portuguese beauties to the port. But as he was facing the alley way a deep gulf opened before him, so that he was obliged to suspend his march and there arose a dark cloud of foetid soot, all bound around with rusty chains, and within seated upon a fearsome throne, illuminated solely by live and visible flames there appeared to him a bust, holding a head removed from the trunk, from whose eyes and nostrils flames darted while in place of a tongue there issued a most agile flame which sometimes forked into two and sometimes into three.
The horror and terror of the new king may be imagined. Supposing himself to be face to face with the horrors of Hell, after recovering from his first amazement he meant to beat a hurried retreat, but he was summoned by name. You fly! But however much you try you can never escape from me who am your father. You ought to know this head well. God has changed my diadem into a crown of serpents, merely because I would not turn to the crown of thorns which Christ wore. So now, crowning me with serpents He has changed me into a veritable Gorgon. In my breast I wear a heart of stone because I showed a heart of stone against the true and holy rule of the Catholic faith. I am in Hell because I not only loved my father, but respected his laws, and so I was abominated by Heaven as an enemy, and at last, for having followed the Anglican rule I am now among the dead condemned like a dog to wear chains for ever. I curse my father, as by following in his traces in the worldly life I have ended by being cast into Hell.
Now that I speak you may know who I am, but the cloud that I bring with me from the Stygian marshes veils it from your eyes and disturbs your senses preventing you from recognising me. You know me at least by name. I am Charles, but not that Charles who bears the honoured name of "Great" for having overcome his enemies, but a Charles who was unjustly subdued by his own subjects as their deadly enemy. I am that Charles who by following the Anglican Church wilfully injured himself, and therefore Christ permitted that he should find all his vassalage changed by his death, because he would not follow the arms of a transformed Charles. I am Charles but not that Charles who lived as the first king of France, and was subsequently elected as emperor, and after a career of victories, rivalling those of Cæsar and Alexander, finally terminated his glories upon earth and began those of Heaven. But I am Charles the First of the House of Stuart, whose renown was the curses of his people and who ended on the scaffold and there began his everlasting death.
But all this is little for me seeing that it is all past, but I am fearful for your present. Take care lest you show to the whole world the paragon of your father. The Egyptians crowned their king with a diadem surrounded with stones, and a man invited to the rich table of another forgot the taste of the food, from the manifest peril of a sharp sword which he saw hanging over his head. Take heed that you are in a country so ready for change, as practised between the Lower and the Upper Chamber; the opposition which they are accustomed to encourage against the kings. The Presbyterians, Independents, Anabaptists and other heretics, opponents of the Protestant Church, are all reasons which cannot produce any but evil results against your person. A kingdom inured to the licence of a disordered republic, to the arbitrament of an unbridled conscience, and accustomed to threaten, through domestic injustice, not only the rule but the very life of their own kings, cannot be made the subject of experiment without the worst consequences against the life of their ruler, who is ordinarily detested; and although it seems that the citizens of London at the parliament are proceeding in harmony with you, I know that the rebelliously minded and other conspirators find material for malignant occasions even in compositions that are entirely good. The subjects are seditious, the aristocrats of the realms who in the splendour of the purple of their king found the shadow of death. The bad subject is a spider who from the flower of the good government of his king gathers only poison, while a good one receives therefrom the honey of sweet satisfaction.
As a mirror of this proposition I have been betrayed first by parliament, upon the inconstancy of which you have now built your hopes; then by the perfidious Hammon, governor of the fortress of the isle of Ritte, (fn. 1) and condemned to an unjust death by judges as impious as they were ignorant; my name tarnished as a tyrant, a homicidal rebel and the enemy of my people at a time when with excessive loving kindness I had treated my subjects as sons. Although you are most justly king, yet every Englishman will be, for your hurt, a new Farfax, a modern Hiortun (fn. 2) and another Cromuel. England has served the world for nothing else than to be the tragic theatre, in which the death of its wretched and unfaithful rulers is always being represented. Know also that the rebel English have learned how to arrive at the crown more by way of conspiracy and battle against their rulers than by legitimate succession. The examples are numerous and in particular that of the two sons of Edward IV. and Elizabeth his queen, betrayed by the ambition of their perfidious and tyrannical uncle, the duke of Chirestre, (fn. 3) and after that the loss of the crown and the fight to the earl of Vitmound, (fn. 4) and hence the factions of the white and red roses the one rendered more pallid and the other tinged a deeper hue by the blood of their partisans.
While the hope of a long reign buoys up your content, I believe that no country is so ready for change, and neither kindness nor severity, neither love nor fear can secure you upon the royal throne. Your one need is skill in policy, but in this, it seems to me, you are not sufficiently well grounded. The first and most notable error that I find in you has been the betrothal to the Infanta of Portugal, for this reason, besides uniting yourself with the daughter of a king whose right is contested, so that you are forced to declare yourself the protector of another's crown at a time when your own needs protection, but you have also stirred against you the arms of Spain, to whom you are in addition, under a strict obligation to restore Dunkirk, according to your promise. I should commend your decision not to restore Dunkirk if you were able to call yourself the king of a stable kingdom, one where you could be sure that neither you nor your son would encounter the misfortunes of your father, or where you would not have to go again on your wanderings and begging alms; in which case, through having rendered Spain hostile, and consequently France you have no hope left of any other asylum or of any other assistance worth naming, such as might be rendered if your flanks were guarded, or suitable succour, to return again after some secure retreat, because Spain would no longer cherish the serpent which has given poison to herself and strength to her rebels, and France will rejoice at the second fall of a king and at the revolutions of a country which advances claims to dominion over herself.
Then again, if the power of Spain succeeds in reducing Portugal, you in your need and as a king of conspicuous power, will find yourself the son in law, not of a king but of a subject, punished as a rebel, and the consort, not of an independent queen but as the fugitive vassal of a crown hostile to yourself. And in truth Spain has no slight reason for being hostile, as after she has caused a mendicant Hiro to become a returned and triumphant Ulysses, you ought not to conspire against her, joining yourself with the blood of Braganza, and you ought not to have perjured yourself to her over the promise about Dunkirk, the restitution of which was well deserved, both for the keeping of your word, and because she had practically set you upon the throne of England again. I know that your failure in this respect has been due to the prohibition of parliament, and this is an argument that you have not yet firmly established yourself in the control of the English, so that you are standing on the top of the wheel and not on the seat of the throne. This is also an argument that, like the other wretched kings, your ancestors, you are dependent on the authority of parliament, and further that parliament, caring nothing about you keeping your word, will readily refuse you its regard, and thinking no shame to see you perjured, will be even less concerned to see you decadent and extinct, or at least a wanderer again, just as Sweden has beheld her Christina a wanderer in Rome, where, after having impoverished Rome she proceeded to France, where she persuaded men to butchery (fn. 5) and God grants that if a rival falls stabbed, others, besides the person stabbed either perish by violence, or go about begging for their lives. But if Sweden suffers Christina to beg because it does not love her, so England sees you perjured because it does not esteem you, indeed with the loss of the royal reputation by the breach of your promise it may be said that not even your life will be preferred to any caprice, since you have not chosen to place your honour before your wishes. I need not insist that your wife is not really as yet the daughter of a king seeing that the pope has not chosen to receive the ambassador and has not even cared to supply the churches themselves with prelates. But the excuse is that this is due to reasons of state, which oblige the popes to obey Philip, because the forces of Naples are so near, which might easily attack them.
But since you have fallen into this mischance, take heed to conduct yourself with the greatest prudence which you can conceive devoting all your will to the determination to set up an army for the defence of the despotic government. It is also a part of your business to take care to treat the soldiers well. You know that in the intricacies of the civil wars Caesar found the way to victory thanks to the love of his soldiers. In this way you also may triumph and not be triumphed over by your rebels and enemies.
Put an end to the trials of the perfidious regicides and of the authors, of the late revolution and punish their misdeeds severely, avenging your father who was beheaded though innocent, as well as others of his most faithful barons, whose souls are still crying out for revenge, as also to give a memorable example to your subjects who may still be thinking of treating you as they treated me.
As to your manner of governing, let the most admirable king of Poland (fn. 6) serve as your model, who with courageous prudence has known how to show himself a rock against the floods and against the tempest; so that it may be said that he knows how to rule in despite of his enemies, and he also knows, with his secret, to put down the rebels as well as how to reward the loyal. It is not long since he appeared like a Jove against the rebel Cossacks who like new Typhoeus supported themselves upon the mountains of the forces of the Tartars. He destroyed the opposition of the Muscovite war and opposed the Swedish invasion with the catapults of his own skin. In short he has shown himself a worthy pupil of the Jesuits, since he has inherited at once the valour and the active policy of Ignatius. We only regret that from them also he has learned how to cause women to become sterile, so that upon the disappearance of his line Conde is building his ambition in the air, and this is the reason for the fears of the Polish troops, who are reasonably apprehensive about foreign kings, ruling obstinately. But in this Casimir does not deserve to be excused, seeing that he knew that God does not fertilise the union of cognates, though in other respects he deserves both excuse and pity because to learn the method of governing from the Jesuits and to form schools worthy of sovereign understanding he was compelled to learn their customs. Nature inclines to evil and habits are difficult to change.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Panorama F*** ups
Using my FUJI panorama function has always been reliable, sometimes the outcomes can be quite comical. I shot this panorama of a junction with a church. Although the traffic was light, my panning caught a car in motion. The results gave me a fantastic 3 wheeled car. I posted it to FB & told everyone it was the 2K13 robin reliant new model. Watch out for moving subjects if your camera has built in panorama features. Keep moving subjects to a minimum unless you are prepared to do some heavy editing in photoshop later.


text:
How the Evolution of the Internet of Things will Grossly Change Grocery Shopping
I pulled up to a grocery store, yesterday, to find a man standing in front of what looked like a massive box with nothing but a small touchscreen displaying information.
After I parked my car, and actually walked into the store with my significant other, we noticed that the giant box had a three-step process posted on its side, explaining its very purpose:
- Order your groceries online.
- Receive a text when your parcels are ready.
- Come and pick them up.
"That's great!" My fiancée exclaimed. "I can order my groceries from home, and when I come to pick them up, the kids can stay in the car."
No, we're not married yet, nor do we have kids, let alone the bigger vehicle that we'll need when the family starts to grow. But our cognitive gears are churning as we prepare for our future.
The truth is, however, that our evolving world of the Internet of Things entails a future that spans well beyond our imaginations.
For now, we can log into our account, pick our products, and place an order, which is then received by a warehouse and filled by the workers putting parcels together. Once it's ready, we receive a text which prompts us to get into a car, pick the order up, and take it back home.
That's our present Internet of Things. Not the future awaiting us.
A Waterloo, Ontario-based company, Clearpath Robotics, has already begun deploying autonomous robots that function as warehouse trollies to fill orders. The speed and precision with which they'll be able to retrieve products will one day oust their human counterparts' efforts to do the same.
As a disclaimer, certain futuristic predictions scare people because of the jobs that will be lost, but I'm confident that the very ingenuity that is making those jobs disappear will create new opportunities. With more time on our hands, our minds will be free to explore new possibilities, create never before seen careers, and even focus more on the people and things we love.
We'll figure it out. We're not robots, after all.
Back to the Internet of Things.
Witnessing autonomous robots, coupled with Google's development of self-driving cars, only leads me to believe that my wife and I won't even have to worry about getting in the car with the kids to pick our parcels up, as we'll eventually have vehicles capable of driving themselves to the store, once they've received confirmation of our completed order, of course.
And the people who don't have cars? Their parcels will be dropped off by the drones that Amazon developed.
One mustn't forget, however, that in addition to Artificial Intelligence and autonomous robots, we live in an age of Big Data and almighty algorithms that continue to automate so many other everyday processes. So if no one's actually filling our order in the warehouse, and if no one's actually driving our car to the store – or navigating the delivery drone – then why would anyone have to actually log in and place an order?
After a few of our own, manual, online purchases, our refrigerator, together with the other appliances, storage areas, and myriad apps, will algorithmically track our choice of products, dietary needs, rate of consumption, and spending patterns, resulting in timely orders that will be automatically sent to the grocery store, and then delivered to our front door.
My only responsibility will be to restock the kitchen and pantry.
That is, until I have my own autonomous robot at home.


text:
Jun 22, 2016
CAIRO [MENL] -- Egypt has signed a contract to improve airport security.
Jun 14, 2016
MOSCOW [MENL] -- The Syrian Army has deployed a Russian armored fightingvehicle in the war against Sunni rebels.
May 16, 2016
ABU DHABI [MENL] -- India and Kuwait have been drafting a defensecooperation agreement.
Apr 24, 2016
ANKARA [MENL] -- NATO has warned that Middle East smugglers were changingtheir routes to Europe.


text: 3. Jewelry So you're going to be the genius who proposes on Valentine's Day, huh? Join the club. Jewelers of America reports that February makes up 8% of jewelers' annual sales -- lagging only behind the November and December holiday season's 32.3% and May's Mother's Day and bridal-driven 8.3%. That's a big crowd waiting to pop the question, and they could spend a whole lot less on their dinner, flowers and other romantic touches if they just waited a few days. In fact, it's going to cost exponentially more to get down on one knee and present that engagement ring this year than it has on recent Valentine's days. The Jewelry Industry Research Institute's Ken Gassman says that average engagement ring prices hit $3,500 last year. That's higher than the $3,450 average in pre-recession 2008 and far more costly than the $3,200 average in 2009 and the $3,150 suitors spent in 2010. Prev 3 of 6 Next


text:
$27.99A one-on-one visual presentation workbook, filled with proven techniques for grabbing every audience, every time For nearly two decades, Gene Zelazny's Say It with Charts has given more than 100,000 professionals the knowledge they need to create visuals that capture audience attention. Now, in the companion Say It with Charts Workbook, Zelazny steps off the page to help professionals master
The Say It With Charts Complete ToolkitThe Complete Do-It-Yourself Kit for Creating Powerful, Interactive Presentations Master presenter Gene Zelazny has shown thousands of professionals around the world how to design and deliver successful presentations. Now, he combines his bestselling Say It With Charts with his Say It With Charts Workbook into one comprehensive volume-complete with an all-new CD that lets you download and implement
Say It with Presentations, Second Edition, Revised & Expanded: How to Design and Deliver Successful Business PresentationsFor over 45 years, McKinsey & Company's Gene Zelazny has been showing McKinsey consultants and professionals around the world how to plan, design, and deliver effective business presentations_and how to improve and expand their repertoire of presentation skills. Now in this revised and expanded edition of Say It With Presentations, Mr. Zelazny brings together his years of valuable communication
Say It with Presentations: How to Design and Deliver Successful Business Presentations: How to Design and Deliver Successful Business PresentationsOrganize a powerful, effective business presentation and deliver it with style! Say it with Presentations helps you define why you're giving the presentation and the audience you need to convince. This compelling, comprehensive presentation toolkit tells you when, why, and how to use humor, and, yes, silence to get your points across...how to make the most of visuals...set up facilities and
Electronic Cigarette Store Start Up Sample Business Plan!Complete Sample Business Plan: Download a complete already used and funded business plan NOW instantly! Every new or expanding business needs a solid business plan to work from. From startup capital to massive expansion, without the perfect business plan you will NOT find the funding you need! This business plan is complete and specific to the Industry pictured… What you see above is exactly
Presenting Financials and Other Numbers So People Will Understand YouLearn how to communicate better with numbers Whether you are distributing a report or giving a presentation, you have a lot of numbers to present and only a few minutes to get your point across. Your audience is busy and has a short attention span. Don't let an amateur presentation bog you down, confuse your audience, and damage your credibility. Instead, learn how to present numerical information
Additive Manufacturing, 3D Printing, and the Coming Stock Market BoomWe're at the dawn of a new era: additive manufacturing allows us to create objects by programming and then printing them layer by layer.The way we make things hasn't changed much since the days of a stone axe, made by bashing two rocks against one another. We take something big and make it useful by cutting, chiseling, drilling, and otherwise reducing it. We accept a huge amount of waste and
GMAT Roadmap: Expert Advice Through Test Day
Manhattan Prep GMAT Strategy GuidesThe GMAT Roadmap guide provides the definitive blueprint for students to follow as they get ready for the GMAT. All the test-taking wisdom gathered over the years by Manhattan Prep GMAT instructors has been distilled into practical advice and helpful tips. Success of the GMAT requires far more than content knowledge – it requires excellent strategy and proper execution of that strategy. The Guide
Portfolios for Interior Designers
A Guide to Portfolios, Creative Resumes, and the Job SearchThe complete guide to portfolio development for interior designers It's a widely known fact that interior designers need a strong visual presence in the form of a well-crafted, professional-looking portfolio. Surprisingly, however, many interior designers aren't equipped with the expertise required to organize and unify their work in a fashion that optimally conveys their talents and skills.
Risk Management for Design and ConstructionThe essential risk assessment guide for civil engineering, design, and construction Risk management allows construction professionals to identify the risks inherent in all projects, and to provide the tools for evaluating the probabilities and impacts to minimize the risk potential. This book introduces risk as a central pillar of project management and shows how a project manager can be prepared