US7425388-B2  Megahed et al., "Lithium-ion rechargable batteries," Journal of Power Sources (1994) pp. 79-104, vol. 51.;  Patent Abstracts Of Japan, Publication No. 06-333596; Publication Date: Dec. 2, 1994; in the name of Yamazaki et al.;  Patent Abstracts Of Japan, Publication No. 07-176323; Publication Date: Jul. 14, 1995; in the name of Kubota.;  Patent Abstracts Of Japan, Publication No. 07-320779; Publication Date: Dec. 8, 1995; in the name of Yamazaki et al.;  Patent Abstracts Of Japan, Publication No. 08-064238; Publication Date: Mar. 8, 1996; in the name of Uehara et al.;  Patent Abstracts Of Japan, Publication No. 08-321312; Publication Date: Dec. 3, 1996; in the name of Jinno et al.;  Patent Abstracts Of Japan, Publication No. 09-073918; Publication Date: Mar. 18, 1997; in the name of Ogawa et al.;  Patent Abstracts of Japan and Patent Application of Japan, Publication No. 05-307974; Date of Publication: Nov. 19, 2003; in the name of Hiroaki Yoshida.;  Patent Abstracts of Japan and Patent Application of Japan, Publication No. 11-329494; Date of Publication: Nov. 30, 1999; in the name of Shunichi Hamamoto, et al.;  Patent Abstracts of Japan, Publication No. 03-152879; Date of Publication: Jun. 28, 2001; in the name of Hiroshi Watanabe et al.;  Patent Abstracts of Japan, Publication No. 07-230824; Date of Publication: Aug. 29, 1995; in the name of Hiroaki Yoshida.;  Patent Abstracts of Japan, Publication No. 09-147913; Date of Publication: Jun. 6, 1997; in the name of Maruo Jinno, et al.;  Patent Abstracts of Japan, Publication No. 09-199170, dated Jul. 31, 1997, in the name of Hiro yoshi Yoshihisa et al.;  Patent Abstracts of Japan, Publication No. 09-205041; Date of Publication: Aug. 5, 1997; in the name of Kazufumi Nishida, et al.;  Patent Abstracts of Japan, Publication No. 10-189044; Publication date Jul. 21, 1998; in the name of Komaru et al.;  Patent Abstracts of Japan, Publication No. 11-162511, dated Jun. 18, 1999, in the name of Shoichiro Mori et al.;  Patent Abstracts of Japan, Publication No. 11-214001; Date of Publication: Aug. 6, 1999; in the name of Takashi Suzuki, et al.;  Patent Abstracts of Japan, Publication No. 11-329496; Publication date Nov. 30, 1999; in the name of Hayashi et al.;  Patent Abstracts of Japan, Publication No. 12000-294278, dated Oct. 20, 2000, in the name of Akio Hibara et al.;  Patent Abstracts of Japan, Publication No. 2000-106209; Publication date Apr. 11, 2000; in the name of Hayashi et al.;  Patent Abstracts of Japan, Publication No. 2000-348763; Date of Publication: Dec. 15, 2000; in the name of Emi Suzuki, et al.;  Patent Abstracts of Japan, Publication No. 2001-023688, dated Jan. 26, 2001, in the name of Shunichi Hamamoto et al.;  Patent Abstracts of Japan, Publication No. 2001-057234, dated Feb. 27, 2001, in the name of Akio Hibara.;  Patent Abstracts of Japan, Publication No. 2001-223024; Publication date Aug. 17, 2001; in the name of Kin et al.;  Patent Abstracts of Japan, Publication No. 2002-008720, dated Jan. 11, 2002, in the name of Takao Nirasawa et al.;  Patent Abstracts of Japan; Publication No. 2000-133305; Publication Date: Dec. 5, 2000; in the name of Hamamoto, et al.;  Yang, et al., "Composition analysis of the passive film on the carbon electrode of a lithium-ion battery with an EC-based electrolyte," Journal of Power Sources (1998), pp. 66-70, vol. 72.