Dallas Semi, Toshiba Battery - Patent License Agreement

Dallas Semiconductor Corp. (Dallas) announced it has concluded a patent license agreement with Toshiba Battery Co. Ltd. (Japan), covering Dallas Semiconductor's battery management technology embodied in US Patent Nos. 5,592,069 and 5,694,024. Toshiba Battery was granted a license in exchange for the payment of license fees and royalties to Dallas Semiconductor. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed."I am pleased with our new relationship with Toshiba Battery and am particularly gratified to again validate our valuable battery management technology with the license to Toshiba Battery," stated Dallas Semiconductor Chairman and CEO Vin Prothro. "With the increased use of lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride chemistry in rechargeable batteries, it has become even more important to regulate the charging states through the use of electronic circuits embedded in the battery pack. These rechargeable batteries are known as Smart Batteries. We are in discussions regarding our patents with other manufacturers of Smart Batteries."