Patent ID: 8901886

Claim:
An apparatus to charge a first battery, wherein the first battery includes at least two terminals, the apparatus comprising: charging circuitry, coupled to the first battery, to: generate a plurality of charge signals and apply the plurality of charge signals to the terminals of the first battery, wherein in response to the plurality of charge signals, electrical energy is input into the first battery, and generate one or more discharge signals and apply the one or more discharge signals to the terminals of the first battery, wherein, in response to the one or more discharge signals, the first battery outputs electrical energy, and wherein the charging circuitry includes a current sink; a storage device, selectively coupled to the first battery, to receive and store the electrical energy output by the first battery in response to the one or more discharge signals; a first switch, disposed between the storage device and the current sink, to responsively and electrically couple the storage device to the current sink when the charging circuitry applies the one or more discharge signals to the first battery; and control circuitry, coupled to the charging circuitry, to electrically couple the storage device to the first battery via the first switch.