Patent ID: 7986124

Claim:
An electrical system comprising: an electrical entity configured to utilize electrical energy; and a power supply apparatus configured to provide the electrical energy for use by the electrical entity, and wherein the power supply apparatus comprises a battery assembly comprising: a rechargeable electrochemical device configured to store the electrical energy; a power terminal configured to electrically couple with the electrical entity and to provide the electrical energy from the rechargeable electrochemical device to the electrical entity; storage circuitry comprising status information regarding the battery assembly stored during different operational modes of the battery assembly including a normal operational mode and a sleep operational mode wherein the electrical energy of the rechargeable electrochemical device is consumed at a reduced rate in the sleep operational mode compared with the normal operational mode; a switching device configured to selectively electrically isolate the rechargeable electrochemical device of the battery assembly from the electrical entity; and processing circuitry configured to monitor at least one operation of the battery assembly and to control operation of the switching device to implement the electrical isolation of the rechargeable electrochemical device responsive to the monitoring by the processing circuitry detecting a triggering event; backup circuitry configured to monitor at least one operation of the battery assembly and to control operation of the switching device to implement the electrical isolation of the rechargeable electrochemical device responsive to the monitoring by the backup circuitry detecting a triggering event independent of the monitoring by the processing circuitry; and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to utilize a first period of time to implement the control of the operation of the switching device and the backup circuitry is configured to utilize a second period of time less than the first period of time to implement the control of the operation of the switching device.