Patent ID: 8120365

Claim:
Power supply equipment comprising: a plurality of storage device groups that are connected electrically in parallel, each storage device group having a plurality of storage devices connected electrically in series; a switch provided correspondingly to each of the storage device groups, the switch being operable to disconnect a corresponding storage device group from other storage device groups; a voltage measuring device provided correspondingly to each of the storage device groups, which measures a voltage across each of the plurality of storage devices included in each of the storage device groups; a current measuring device provided correspondingly to each of the storage device groups, which measures a current flowing through a corresponding storage device group; a plurality of status detecting devices, each of which is connected to each of the storage device groups, receives measured values output by said voltage and current measuring devices of the corresponding one of said storage device groups to detect the status of said corresponding one, and detects the status of said switch provided to each of said corresponding storage groups to control said switch.