Granted Patent B2

US 8,587,261 · App. 13/151,850 · Granted Nov 19, 2013

Inventors: Jonathan Mark Sassen (Ramat Beit Shemesh, IL); Grover Leland Nall, Jr. (Southside, AL); Ronen Badichi (Elazar, IL); Jeffrey Nelson Jubin (Jamesburg, NJ); Anatoly Rivin (Beer Sheva, IL)

Assignee: Electric Fuel Battery Corporation

Abstract

Claims (41)

1. An apparatus for charging at least one device, comprising:

a power source;

at least one charger in electrical communication with the power source, wherein the at least one charger comprises a micro-controller configured to:

(a) measure a first voltage of the power source and a first voltage of the at least one device;

(b) charge the at least one device when the measured first voltage of the power source is greater than or equal to a preset power source on voltage but less than a preset battery charged voltage;

(c) refrain from charging the at least one device when the measured first voltage of the power source is greater than or equal to the preset battery charged voltage; and

(d) wait a time delay based on a magnitude of a difference between the preset battery charged voltage and the measured first voltage of the at least one device and measure a second voltage of the power source and a second voltage of the at least one device when the measured first voltage of the power source is less than or equal to a preset power source off voltage that is less than the preset power source on voltage and

(e) charge the at least one device when the measured second voltage of the power source is greater than the preset power source on voltage and

(f) refrain from charging the at least one device when the measured second voltage of the power source is greater than the preset battery charged voltage or less than or equal to the preset power source off voltage, and

at least one housing configured to encase the at least one charger and to conformally receive the at least one device; and

at least one pouch configured to receive the at least one charger, the at least one device, and the at least one housing,

wherein the the at least one device is removably insertable into the at least one pouch and the at least one charger, and

wherein the apparatus is configured to be worn by a user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one charger is a plurality of chargers and wherein a charger associated with a device having the smallest difference between its rated voltage and its measured voltage discontinues charging before other chargers of the plurality of chargers.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the preset battery charged voltage is a below a rated voltage of the at least one device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the preset battery charged voltage is a voltage corresponding to a percentage of a rated voltage.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one charger is a plurality of chargers and wherein the plurality of chargers are connected in parallel with the power source.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the battery is a zinc-air battery.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the power source is a battery.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one charger is a plurality of chargers and further comprising a hub connected between the power source and the plurality of chargers, wherein the hub is configured to provide electrical and mechanical connectivity between the power source and the plurality of chargers.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one charger is a plurality of chargers and further comprising a plurality of T-connectors connected between the power source and each of the plurality of chargers, wherein the plurality of T-connectors is configured to provide electrical and mechanical connectivity between the power source and the plurality of chargers.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the micro-controller is further configured to repeat steps (a) to (f).

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the micro-controller is further configured to measure an ambient temperature and to set the preset power source off voltage, the preset power source on voltage, and the preset battery charged based on the measured ambient temperature.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the time delay based on the magnitude of a difference between the preset battery charged voltage and the measured first voltage of the device is proportional to the difference between the battery charged voltage and the first measured voltage of the device.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein waiting the time delay based on a magnitude of a difference between the preset battery charged voltage and the measured first voltage of the device comprises:

setting and decrementing or incrementing a counter in preset increments or decrements of time, wherein an initial value of the counter is proportional to the difference between the battery charged voltage and the first measured voltage of the device.

14. A method for charging at least one device from a power source with at least one charger, comprising the steps of:

(a) measuring, using a micro-controller, a first voltage of the power source and a first voltage of the at least one device;

(b) charging the at least one device when the measured first voltage of the power source is greater than or equal to a preset power source on voltage but less than a preset battery charged voltage;

(c) refraining from charging the at least one device when the measured first voltage of the power source is greater than or equal to the preset battery charged voltage; and

(d) waiting a time delay based on a magnitude of a difference between the preset battery charged voltage and the measured first voltage of the at least one device and measuring a second voltage of the power source and a second voltage of the at least one device when the measured first voltage of the power source is less than or equal to a preset power source off voltage that is less than the preset power source on voltage and

(e) charging the at least one device when the measured second voltage of the power source is greater than the preset power source on voltage and

(f) refraining from charging the at least one device when the measured second voltage of the power source is greater than the preset battery charged voltage or less than or equal to the preset power source off voltage.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the preset battery charged voltage is a below a rated voltage of the at least one device.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the preset battery charged voltage is a voltage corresponding to a percentage of a rated voltage.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one charger is a plurality of chargers and wherein a charger associated with a device having the smallest difference between its rated voltage and its measured voltage discontinues charging before other chargers of the plurality of chargers.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising repeating steps (a) to (f).

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising measuring an ambient temperature and setting the preset power source off voltage, the preset power source on voltage, and the preset battery charged based on the measured ambient temperature.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the time delay based on the magnitude of a difference between the preset battery charged voltage and the measured first voltage of the device is proportional to the difference between the battery charged voltage and the first measured voltage of the device.

21. The method of claim 14 , wherein waiting the time delay based on a magnitude of a difference between the preset battery charged voltage and the measured first voltage of the device comprises:

setting and decrementing or incrementing a counter in preset increments or decrements of time, wherein an initial value of the counter is proportional to the difference between the battery charged voltage and the first measured voltage of the device.

Assignments (11)

Continuity (1)