Electronic appliance, recharging method and recharging apparatus

A recharging apparatus for recharging a secondary cell which supplies an operation power supply voltage to a load comprising:

• recharging means for recharging the secondary cell;
• judging means for judging whether a voltage from the secondary cell is applied to the load;
• measuring means for measuring a time period during which the voltage is applied from the secondary cell to the load when a judgement result obtained from said judging means indicates that the voltage from the secondary cell is applied to the load;
• and
• control means for setting a recharging time period of said recharging means based on a measured time period of said measuring means and for controlling said recharging means only during said recharging time period, whereby the recharging operation to the secondary cell is carried out by said recharging means, wherein said control means sets a maximum recharging time Tc.sub.MAX to the secondary cell by said recharging means based on the following formula:
• T.sub.CMAX =A.multidot.(n/100).multidot.(1/T.sub.c),
• where symbol A indicates a capacity of the secondary cell, symbol n shows a maximum recharging amount of the secondary cell indicated by %, and symbol I.sub.c denotes an averaged recharging current during the recharging operation.

An electronic appliance operable using either an external power source or a secondary cell as a power source, comprising:

• signal reproducing means to which an operation voltage is applied from either the external power source or the secondary cell;
• recharging means to which the voltage is applied from said external power source to thereby recharge the secondary cell;
• judging means for judging whether the voltage from the secondary cell is applied to said signal reproducing means;
• measuring means for measuring a time period during which the voltage from the secondary cell is supplied to said signal reproducing means when a judgement of said judging means indicates the voltage from the secondary cell is supplied to said signal processing means;
• and
• control means for setting a recharging time period based on the time period from said measuring means when said signal reproducing means is under a non-operation state, and for controlling said recharging means to recharge the secondary cell only during the recharging time period, whereby the recharging operation to the secondary cell is carried out by said recharging means, wherein said control means controls said recharging means so that the recharging operation to the secondary cell is not performed by said recharging means when the time period from said measuring means is lower than a predetermined value.

An electronic appliance operable using either an external power source or a secondary cell as a power source, comprising:

• signal reproducing means to which an operation voltage is applied from either the external power source or the secondary cell;
• recharging means to which the voltage is applied from said external power source to thereby recharge the secondary cell;
• judging means for judging whether the voltage from the secondary cell is applied to said signal reproducing means;
• measuring means for measuring a time period during which the voltage from the secondary cell is supplied to said signal reproducing means when a judgement of said judging means indicates the voltage from the secondary cell is supplied to said signal processing means;
• and
• control means for setting a recharging time period based on the time period from said measuring means when said signal reproducing means is under a non-operation state, and for controlling said recharging means to recharge the secondary cell only during the recharging time period, whereby the recharging operation to the secondary cell is carried out by said recharging means, wherein said control means sets a maximum recharging time T.sub.CMAX to the secondary cell by said recharging means based on the following formula:
• T.sub.CMAX =A.multidot.(n/100).multidot.(1/I.sub.c),
• where symbol A indicates a capacity of the secondary cell, symbol n shows a maximum recharging amount of the secondary cell indicated by %, and symbol I.sub.c denotes an averaged recharging current during the recharging operation.

A recharging method for recharging a secondary cell which supplies an operation power source voltage to a load comprising the steps of:

• judging whether a voltage from the secondary cell is applied to the load;
• measuring a time period during which the voltage is applied from the secondary cell to the load when a judgment result obtained from said step of judging indicates that the voltage from the secondary cell is applied to the load;
• and
• setting a recharging time period based on the time period from said step of measuring and performing the recharging operation of the secondary cell only during said time period so that no voltage is applied from the secondary cell to the load and the secondary cell is recharged, wherein the recharging operation to the secondary cell is not performed when the time period obtained in said step of measuring is lower than a predetermined value.

A recharging method for recharging a secondary cell which supplies an operation power source voltage to a load comprising the steps of:

• judging whether a voltage from the secondary cell is applied to the load;
• measuring a time period during which the voltage is applied from the secondary cell to the load when a judgment result obtained from said step of judging indicates that the voltage from the secondary cell is applied to the load;
• and
• setting a recharging time period based on the time period from said step of measuring and performing the recharging operation of the secondary cell only during said time period so that no voltage is applied from the secondary cell to the load and the secondary cell is recharged, wherein said recharging method sets a maximum recharging time T.sub.CMAX to the secondary cell by said recharging means based on the following formula:
• T.sub.CMAX =A.multidot.(n/100).multidot.(1/I.sub.c),
• where symbol A indicates a capacity of the secondary cell, symbol n shows a maximum recharging amount of the secondary cell indicated by %, and symbol I.sub.c denotes an averaged recharging current during the recharging operation.