Technology described in a new BlackBerry Patent application would enable two or more BlackBerry batteries to be recharged simultaneously.

Patent Application 20070001644, "Methods and Apparatus For Simultaneously Charging Multiple Rechargable Batteries," contains an Abstract that says:

"A charger has two or more separate charging ports to which two or more rechargeable batteries can be coupled, respectively. Current from a single current source is allocated to the two or more separate charging ports so that the two or more rechargeable batteries will be fully charged at substantially the same time."

OK so that's cool. But why is this necessary? This Patent app's literature explains clearly.

"Many users of mobile electronic devices have a second battery on hand for use when the battery in the mobile electronic device is discharged," the application notes. "After discharging both batteries, a user will want to recharge the two batteries as quickly as possible.

Current options include the following:

• Fully charging one battery using the charging circuitry in the mobile electronic device and an external power adapter, then exchanging the two batteries to charge the second battery.
• Charging one battery using the charging circuitry in the mobile electronic device and an external power adapter, and simultaneously charging the second battery in an external battery charger;
• cCharging one battery using the charging circuitry in the mobile electronic device connected to a dual-output external battery charger, with the second battery connected to the other output of the external battery charger. The external battery charger charges the batteries in sequential order without user intervention, or trickle charges one of the batteries while charging the other battery at full rate until it is fully charged, or gives one battery priority and provides all available current to that battery and any remaining current that can be supplied to the charger is provided to the secondary battery.
  

"These options either extend the charge time by charging the batteries in sequential order, by keeping one battery in slow-rate trickle charge until it is fully charged," the Patent app states, "or require the user to carry two separate charging accessories with them. "

That can be a pain.

So now let me show you Figure 1 from this Patent.

According to the Patent App, this is "a simplified front view of a charger 2, a battery-operated device 4 and a battery 6, in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. Charger 2 may have, for example, two charging ports 8 and 10. Battery-operated device 4 is coupled to charging port 8 and battery 6 is coupled to charging port 10.

"Charger 2 may be capable of simultaneously charging the battery of battery-operated device 4 and battery 6. In some embodiments of the invention, charger 2 may have more than two charging ports, and may therefore be capable of simultaneously charging more than two batteries," the Patent App literature explains. For example, a charger according to some embodiments of the invention may have five charging ports, and may be capable of simultaneously charging one, two, three, four or five batteries."

Far as I am concerned, the more BlackBerry batteries that can be charged this way, the better.