Patent ID: 7615966

Claim:
A system for managing energy stored in a plurality of series connected energy storage units, the system comprising: a plurality of energy storage unit controllers, each controller being associated with one of the plurality of energy storage units; a current pump circuit to transfer energy between each individual one of the energy storage units and another individual one of the energy storage units, the current pump circuit being controlled by at least one of the energy storage unit controllers; a central controller in electrical communication with the energy storage unit controllers, the central controller having a measuring function and a charge movement function separate from the measuring function whereby energy storage unit imbalance can be anticipated before it occurs; and a serial electrical interface between the energy storage unit controllers for providing voltage isolated bi-directional communication to control the energy storage unit controllers to transfer energy between the energy storage units, the serial electrical interface being configured to connect the central controller to a first communication port of a first energy storage unit controller and to connect a second communication port of the first energy storage unit controller to a first communication port of a second energy storage unit controller.