Importance

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Abstract

A rechargeable battery includes one or more rechargeable cells and means for providing information to control charging. Information is provided in a form for being read or sensed by mechanical, optical, electromagnetic, or electronic techniques including combinations of these techniques. The information may indicate battery performance history, present state of the battery, and parameters for how it may be charged. As to performance history, the information may include, for the battery or a cell of the battery, indicia describing: one or more previous charging or discharging processes, of the last charging process, of the last discharging process, of the time period lapsed since the last charging or discharging process. The information may include indicia of the present charge state and condition of the battery or its individual cells. For controlling charging, the information may include indicia describing for the battery or an individual cell: the type, capacity, maximum charging voltage, maximum charging current, maximum temperature, or maximum inner pressure, a charging parameter or sequence of the charging parameter, or charging parameter algorithms. A charging parameter may indicate charging voltage, charging current, temperature or inner pressure of the battery or cell, the rate of change of any such parameter, the parameter as a function of elapsed charging time, or a combination thereof. A sequence for a charging parameter may indicate values over time representing charging processes for various initial charge states of the cell or battery.

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First Claim