Battery charger
US5304916A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 11, 1990 |
| Grant date | Apr 19, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 11, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S320/13
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A battery charger is provided for use in electronic devices such as a portable computer. When the electronic device is being powered by an external source of power, such as an AC adapter, the battery charger charges the batteries in the electronic device. First, the battery charger checks the batteries to determine if they are capable of holding a charge. Next, the batteries are fully charged. After the batteries have been fully charged, the battery charger maintains the charge on the batteries by supplying low current to the batteries. Moreover, since batteries that are not allowed to discharge tend to lose charge more quickly than batteries that are discharged and recharged often, the battery charger is capable of discharging and then recharging the batteries while the electronic device is being externally powered.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.