Patent ID: 7642748

Claim:
A method for charging a plurality of batteries wherein each battery includes an anode and a cathode, said method comprising: electrically coupling n batteries to form a string of batteries, the n batteries including at least a first battery and a second battery; electrically coupling n battery charger assemblies to the n batteries such that each respective battery charger assembly is coupled to an anode and a cathode of a single respective battery, the n battery charger assemblies including at least a first battery charger assembly coupled to the first battery and a second battery charger assembly coupled to the second battery; charging the n batteries utilizing the n battery charger assemblies; placing a first predetermined load across the first battery using the first battery charger assembly; placing a second predetermined load across the second battery using the second battery charger assembly; determining at the first battery charger assembly whether the first battery is operating within predetermined limits based on the first predetermined load; and determining at the second battery charger assembly whether the second battery is operating within the predetermined limits based on the second predetermined load.