Patent ID: 7936150

Claim:
A system for charging and conditioning the cells in a battery bank, said battery bank comprising a plurality of cells in connected in series, each of the plurality of cells defining a respective condition of charge; said system having an external constant-voltage/constant-current (CV/CC) battery charger; each individual cell in said battery bank having a cell-protection circuit, each of said cell-protection circuit having a charge detector, a voltage sensor, a sensor for detecting charging current and discharging current, and switches for opening or closing the discharging or charging current path through said associated individual battery cell; each cell-protection circuit further comprising: a charge conditioner, said charge conditioner being a constant-voltage-limited-current charger that is externally controlled and used when said associated battery cell reaches a predetermined state of charge from said external CV/CC battery charger, wherein said charge conditioner is capable of assuming the responsibility of precisely monitoring the voltage of the individual battery cell from said external CV/CC battery charger, wherein said charge conditioner is capable of completing the charging process of its associated individual battery cell by itself, and wherein said charge conditioner is communicatively coupled to said external CV/CC battery charger via a communication channel and onboard system-logic circuitry in order to facilitate communication of said associated individual battery-cell status to said external CV/CC battery charger and in order to facilitate control signaling between said charge conditioner and said external CV/CC battery charger; wherein said external CV/CC battery charger can provide the initial constant-current stage of charging said battery bank, followed by part of the constant-voltage stage of charging said battery bank until said battery pack reaches a predetermined state of charge; wherein when said battery pack reaches a predetermined state of charge, the controller for said external CV/CC battery charger can enable each individual-battery-cell charge conditioner to complete the charging within said battery pack; wherein when each individual-battery-cell-charge conditioner is enabled, then said external CV/CC battery charger provides power only to said individual-battery-cell charge conditioners, during which condition said individual-battery-cell charge conditioners can perform an independent constant-voltage charge for their associated individual battery cells until all of said individual battery cells have reached at least their maximum rated state of charge.