Apparatus, system and method for charging batteries

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method for charging batteries is provided. The apparatus comprises a monitoring unit configured for coupling to a battery and power source. The monitoring unit configured to acquire a control value indicative of a parameter, and to control the charging of the battery responsive thereto. The system comprises a plurality of battery chargers configured for coupling with respective batteries and a common power source. Each charger configured to obtain information relating to a parameter, to communicate the information to the other chargers, to acquire a control value from the information obtained thereby or received from another charger, and to control the charging of the associated battery based on the acquired control value. The method comprises providing a monitoring unit coupled to a battery and power source, acquiring a control value indicative of a parameter, and controlling the charging of the battery responsive to the control value.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for charging a battery, comprising:
 a monitoring unit configured to be electrically coupled to said battery and a power source, wherein said monitoring unit is configured to:
 acquire a control value indicative of a predetermined parameter, and 
 control the charging of said battery responsive to said control value. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said monitoring unit is configured to determine when to charge said battery based on said control value, and to control the charging of said battery in accordance with said determination. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said monitoring unit is configured to determine how much charging current to supply to said battery from said power source based on said control value, and to control the charging of said battery in accordance with said determination. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said battery is a first battery and said monitoring unit is a first monitoring unit, said apparatus further comprising a receiver electrically coupled to said monitoring unit and operative to receive electrical signals generated by a second monitoring unit associated with a second battery, wherein said electrical signals are representative of information relating to at least one of said second battery and the charging of said second battery. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said information represented by said electrical signals comprises a control value indicative of a parameter relating to at least one of said second battery and the charging of said second battery, and further wherein said first monitoring unit is configured to control the charging of said battery responsive to said control value indicative of a parameter relating to at least one of said second battery and the charging of said second battery. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said first monitoring unit is configured to acquire said control value for said information represented by said electrical signals, wherein said control value is indicative of a parameter relating to at least one of said second battery and the charging of said second battery. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said battery is a first battery, and further wherein said predetermined parameter comprises a parameter relating to at least one of said first battery, a second battery, the charging of said second battery, and said power source. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a transmitter electrically coupled with said monitoring unit and operative to transmit electrical signals generated by said monitoring unit, wherein said electrical signals are representative of information relating to at least one of said battery and the charging of said battery. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said predetermined parameter comprises a remaining charge level of said battery, and further wherein said monitoring unit is configured to sense said remaining charge level of said battery. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein said monitoring unit further comprises a battery level sensor configured to be electrically coupled to said battery and operative to sense said remaining charge level of said battery. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said predetermined parameter comprises a voltage level of said power source, and further wherein said monitoring unit is configured to sense said voltage level of said power source. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said monitoring unit comprises a line voltage sensor configured to be electrically coupled to said power source and operative to sense said voltage level of said power source. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said monitoring unit comprises a processor configured to acquire said control value indicative of said predetermined parameter and to control the charging of said battery. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a current regulator configured to be electrically coupled to said monitoring unit, said power source, and said battery, said current regulator operative to regulate the charging current supplied to said battery. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a user input device electrically coupled to said monitoring unit. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a display device electrically coupled to said monitoring unit. 
     
     
         17 . A battery charging system, comprising
 a first battery charger unit configured to be electrically coupled to a first battery and a power source;   a second battery charger unit configured to be electrically coupled to a second battery and said power source;   each of said first and second battery charger units configured to obtain information relating to at least one of said first and second batteries, respectively, the charging of said first and second batteries, respectively, and said power source;   each of said first and second battery charger units configured to communicate said obtained information to the other of said first and second battery charger units; and wherein   said first battery charger unit is configured to:
 acquire a control value indicative of a predetermined parameter based on at least one of said information obtained by said first battery charger unit, and said information obtained by said second battery charger unit and received by said first battery charger unit, and 
 control the charging of said first battery responsive to said control value acquired by said first battery charger unit; and 
   said second battery charger unit is configured to:
 acquire a control value indicative of a predetermined parameter based on at least one of said information obtained by said second battery charger unit, and said information obtained by said first battery charger unit and received by said second battery charger unit, and 
 control the charging of said second battery responsive to said control value acquired by said second battery charger unit. 
   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  further comprising a communication network to which said first and second battery charger units are coupled and over which said first and second battery charger units are configured to communicate. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18  wherein said network is a peer-to-peer network. 
     
     
         20 . A method of charging a battery, comprising:
 providing a battery charger unit comprising a monitoring unit electrically coupled to said battery and a power source;   acquiring, by said monitoring unit, a control value indicative of a predetermined parameter; and   controlling, by said monitoring unit, the charging of said battery responsive to said control value.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising the step of determining when to charge said battery responsive to said control value, and wherein said controlling step comprises controlling the charging of said battery in accordance with said determination. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising the step of determining how much charging current to supply to said battery responsive to said control value, and wherein said controlling step comprises controlling the charging of said battery in accordance with said determination. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said battery is a first battery, said battery charger unit is a first battery charger unit, and said monitoring unit is a first monitoring unit, said method further comprising the step of receiving, by said first monitoring unit, electrical signals generated by a second monitoring unit of a second battery charger unit associated with a second battery, wherein said electrical signals are representative of information relating to at least one of said second battery and the charging of said second battery. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said information represented by said electrical signals comprises a control value indicative of a parameter relating to at least one of said second battery and the charging of said second battery, and said controlling step comprises controlling the charging of said battery responsive to said control value indicative of a parameter relating to at least one of said second battery and the charging of said second battery. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein said information represented by said electrical signals comprises information used by said first monitoring unit to acquire said control value, and further wherein said acquiring step comprises acquiring, by said first monitoring unit, said control value based on said information received from said second monitoring unit, wherein said control value is indicative of a parameter relating to at least one of said second battery and the charging of said second battery. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising the steps:
 generating, by said first monitoring unit, a request to said second monitoring unit for said information relating to at least one of said second battery and the charging of said second battery; and 
 transmitting said request to said second monitoring unit. 
 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said battery is a first battery, and further wherein said predetermined parameter comprises a parameter relating to said first battery, a second battery, the charging of said second battery, and said power source. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said predetermined parameter comprises at least one of a charge level of said battery and a voltage level of said power source, said method further comprising the step of sensing at least one of said charge level of said battery and said voltage level of said power source.