Modular battery pack system with multi-voltage bus

Abstract

A method and system provide a plurality of power cell modules. The power cell modules can be stacked together such that they are electrically connected and share a collective multi-voltage bus. Electronic appliances can be connected to one of the power cell modules to be powered by all of the connected power cell modules. Power cell modules can be easily added or removed from the bank without interrupting the supply of power to the electronic appliance.

1 . A modular power cell system, the system comprising:
 a first power cell module ( 102   a ) disposed within a first casing ( 122   a ) and including multiple first batteries ( 104 ), first voltage combination circuitry ( 106 ), a first multi-voltage bus ( 108 ) simultaneously carrying multiple voltages each on a respective line of the first multi-voltage bus, first inter-module multi-voltage bus connectors ( 112 ) on top and bottom surfaces of the first power cell module, and a first user output port ( 114 ) carrying an output voltage from one of the lines of the first multi-voltage bus and configured to connect to an electronic appliance ( 150 ) and to supply power to the electronic appliance, wherein the first voltage combination circuitry comprises multiple voltage outputs each corresponding to a respective serial connection of the multiple batteries, a parallel connection of the multiple batteries, or a combination of serial or parallel connections of the multiple batteries;   a second power cell module ( 102   b ) disposed within a second casing ( 122   b ) and including a second multi-voltage bus and second inter-module multi-voltage bus connectors on top and bottom surfaces of the second power cell module, wherein a collective multi-voltage bus is formed from the first and second multi-voltage busses by electrically connecting the first and second inter-module multi-voltage bus connectors;   connection hardware on each power cell module to securely fasten and physically connect the top or bottom surface of the first power cell module ( 102   a ) and an opposite surface of the second power cell module ( 102   b ) to form a portable stack of power cell modules, wherein the portable stack comprises a mechanical connection between a plurality of inter-module multi-voltage bus connectors ( 112 ) on each power cell module, and enables an electrical connection that can provide power to electronic appliances from one or both power cell modules in the portable stack;   voltage conversion circuitry ( 113 ) configured to convert a voltage from one of the lines of the first multi-voltage bus to one or more of an AC voltage, a DC voltage lower than the output voltages from the first voltage combination circuitry, a DC voltage greater than the output voltages from the first voltage combination circuitry;   wherein the first voltage combination circuitry ( 106 ) is configured to provide the multiple output voltages simultaneously, and wherein the first voltage combination circuitry further comprises a first set of terminals that provide a first output voltage based on a series connection of all said first batteries, a second set of terminals that provides a second output voltage based on a parallel connection of all said first batteries, and a third set of terminals that provides a third output voltage based on a parallel connection of two sets of batteries, wherein each of said two sets of batteries is a series connection of at least two of said first batteries;   wherein the first voltage combination circuitry ( 106 ) further comprises multiple diodes configured to prohibit short-circuits among the output voltages, establish a connection between the battery terminals, and provide said multiple output voltages without the use of a multiplexer, transformer, voltage multiplier, or charge pump; and   control circuitry ( 110 ) configured to selectively connect or disconnect the first voltage combination circuitry from the first multi-voltage bus;   wherein one or more additional power cell modules are stackable with the portable stack of power cell modules to jointly power the electronic appliances, and wherein the one or more additional power cell modules can be removed from the portable stack of power cell modules without interrupting the power provided by the portable stack of power cell modules to the electronic appliances;   wherein, when the first and second power cell modules are connected to each other, the user output port supplies power to the electronic appliance from both the first and second power cell modules; and   wherein the first power cell module is configured to continue supplying power to the electronic appliance if the second power cell module is detached and electrically disconnected from the first power cell module.