Smart Batteries Showing Potential for a Vast Variety of Commercial Applications

PALO ALTO, Calif.--April 18, 2005--Revolutionary developments worldwide are pushing the smart battery technology into a diverse range of applications across several industries of which automotive, healthcare, and electronics hold the greatest potential.

Various new classes of secondary lithium, zinc-air, and the nickel-metal hydride batteries with unique attributes have been developed and commercialized in the last decade.

"While lightweight, high-temperature resistance, and an environment-friendly nature are some of the key attributes driving smart batteries' uptake in medical and electronic devices, high-energy-density lithium-ion polymer batteries are finding their niche in hybrid vehicles," observes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Kasturi Nadkarny.

However, researchers still need to solve issues surrounding costs in order to drive quicker uptake of smart batteries. For example, a smart battery comprising the system management bus (SMBus) and a level-3 charger is very expensive in comparison to the average model.

Another drawback is in terms of regular calibration (every three months or after 40 short cycles), which is essential for tracking and correcting errors during charging and recharging between the digital sensing circuit and the battery.

Non-compliance is another issue faced by the smart battery technology developers, especially with the introduction of new features in the SMBus charger and the battery.

"The SMBus protocol permits certain variations unlike in the case of severely regulated standards," says Nadkarny. "The compatibility of the battery and the charger should be checked before the battery is used for a specific application."

There is also an urgent need for cooperation between the battery designers and charger manufacturers to satisfy the constantly evolving design requirements.

Several rechargeable batteries are equipped with microchips to facilitate communication between the charger as well as the user. These monitoring circuitries are providing standardized signals to the charger.

In South Korea, researchers have developed the world's first smart cell phone with a lithium-ion rechargeable battery which is capable of extending the talk time by around 800 percent.

"The demand for rechargeable batteries is likely to increase in the next few years as a result of adoption of digital multimedia broadcasting services by several countries across the globe," notes Nadkarny.

The introduction of rechargeable alkaline as well as lithium-ion batteries with microelectronic charger controller technologies is making smart battery packs more attractive for portable devices.

In the United States, researchers have developed a new power management smart battery system based on microprocessors for portable as well as handheld applications such as Bluetooth modules, digital cameras, GPS devices, MP3 readers, personal digital assistants, and 3G modems and 3G phones.

The device comprises an integrated dual-battery charger permitting fast charge, top-off charge, and pre-charge that doubles the operating time for high current consumption portable devices.

"In the future, power consumption, flexibility, and portability are going to be key considerations for creating innovative and beneficial smart battery systems," concludes Nadkarny.

World Smart Batteries: Technology Overview evaluates the latest and upcoming trends in the world smart battery markets. In addition to discussing the various technology drivers and restraints that govern the smart battery markets, the study covers research and development efforts at various universities, leading companies, and other research institutions across the globe. Executive summaries and interviews are available to the press.

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