Patent ID: 7843167

Claim:
A battery pack charger comprising: a housing including a shoe for receiving a slide on battery pack configurations and a cavity for receiving blade battery pack configurations; a voltage divider network configured to be coupled with a battery pack engaged with at least one of the shoe and cavity; a controller coupled with the voltage divider network and operable to detect multiple voltage levels in the voltage divider network, wherein the controller is operable to detect a voltage level and voltage capacity of the battery pack based on the voltage divider network; a charging circuit configured to provide a charging current to a battery pack, wherein the charging circuit is coupled with the controller; a visual display coupled with the controller, the visual display indicating multiple levels of the state of charge of a battery pack attached thereto; wherein the controller controls a charging current with which the charging circuit charges the battery pack; and wherein the controller drives the visual display with a signal indicative of one of multiple levels as a percentage level of battery charge level.