Patent ID: 7939965

Claim:
A charge equalization apparatus, comprising: a plurality of transformers having primary windings and secondary windings wound around the transformers, the primary windings being connected in parallel with batteries, the secondary windings being connected in parallel with each other; a plurality of first switches respectively connected in series with the primary windings of the transformers and adapted to control flow of current of the primary windings in a first direction or a second direction; a plurality of battery cells connected in series with each other, the battery cells being connected in parallel with the primary windings of the transformers; and a voltage sensing and switch drive signal generation unit for sensing voltages of the plurality of battery cells, thus turning on/off the plurality of first switches, wherein the charge equalization apparatus is operated such that, when one or more of the first switches are turned on, current flows into one or more primary windings connected to the turned-on first switches in the first direction, so that current is induced in the second windings, and current is induced in the primary windings because of the current induced in the secondary windings, thus enabling equalized charge to be distributed to the plurality of battery cells.