Patent ID: 8026698

Claim:
A power supply, comprising: a plurality of quick disconnect removable cartridge battery packs; each of said quick disconnect removable cartridge battery packs is switchably interconnected to a battery bus interconnected with a load; each of said quick disconnect removable cartridge battery packs is switchably interconnected to a charge bus; each of said quick disconnect removable cartridge battery packs is switchably interconnected to a battery information bus; said plurality of quick disconnect removable cartridge battery packs includes first, second, third, and fourth portions thereof; a microprocessor, said microprocessor switchably interconnecting a first portion of said plurality of quick disconnect removable cartridge battery packs with said battery bus such that electrical current may flow from said first portion of said plurality of said quick disconnect removable cartridge battery packs to said battery bus but not from said battery bus to said first portion of said plurality of said quick disconnect removable cartridge battery packs; said microprocessor switchably interconnecting a second portion of said plurality of quick disconnect removable cartridge battery packs with said charge bus such that electrical current may flow from said charge bus to said second portion of said plurality of quick disconnect removable cartridge battery packs but not from said second portion of said plurality of quick disconnect removable cartridge battery packs to said charge bus; said microprocessor switchably interconnecting a third portion of said plurality of quick disconnect removable cartridge battery packs with both said battery bus and said charge bus such that electrical current may flow from said third portion of said plurality of said quick disconnect removable cartridge battery packs to said battery bus but not from said battery bus to said third portion of said plurality of said quick disconnect removable cartridge battery packs, and, such that electrical current may flow from said charge bus to said third portion of said plurality of quick disconnect removable cartridge battery packs but not from said third portion of said plurality of quick disconnect removable cartridge battery packs to said charge bus; said microprocessor switchably disconnecting a fourth portion of said plurality of quick disconnect removable cartridge battery packs from both said charge bus and said battery bus such that no current may flow from said fourth portion of said plurality of quick disconnect removable cartridge battery packs to either said battery bus or said charge bus and, wherein each of said quick disconnect removable cartridge battery packs of said plurality of quick disconnect removable battery packs resides in precisely one of said first, second, third and fourth portions of said plurality of quick disconnect removable cartridge battery packs.