Patent ID: 8179092

Claim:
A rechargeable battery system for supplying electrical power to an aircraft, the battery system comprising: a. a battery assembly of such size and configuration as to be installed in an aircraft and comprising: i. at least one lithium-ion cell having a positive cell terminal and a negative cell terminal; ii. a battery management system having a circuit connected to the cell and operable to monitor and control the operation of the lithium-ion cell, and having an off state and an on state, the battery management circuit being connected to one of the positive and negative cell terminals by a first conductor; iii. a battery connector having a first jumper terminal and a second jumper terminal; iv. a second conductor connecting the battery management circuit to the first jumper terminal; v. a third conductor connecting the second jumper terminal to the other of the positive and negative cell terminals; and b. an external connector configured to be engaged with the battery connector and including a jumper that electrically connects the first jumper terminal to the second jumper terminal when the battery connector is engaged with the external connector; c. wherein the battery management circuit is constantly in the off state when the external connector is not engaged with the battery connector, and the battery management circuit is constantly in the on state when the external connector is engaged with the battery connector.