Charge controller
Also: battery charger IC
Circuitry that applies a chemistry-specific charging profile within voltage and current limits.
Charging may include preconditioning, constant-current, constant-voltage, termination, temperature checks, and power-path behavior defined by the device.
Example A single-cell Li-ion charger limits voltage near the chemistry's specified maximum.
Common misconception A protection board is not automatically a charger, and a charger is not universal across chemistries.