US 5,654,623 AGranted

Electronic apparatus, battery management system, and battery management method

AssigneeMitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsMasaaki Shiga, Kiyoaki Kikuchi, Masahiko Kumagai, Yoshiaki Takahira, Hiroshige Suzuki

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Abstract

Methods and apparatus to enable electronic apparatuses to display the remaining power of exchangeable batteries at any given time. A battery pack having a battery and an ID generator is attached to an electronic apparatus. The accumulated consumption hours of the battery is stored in a battery information memory for each battery ID. A remaining power detector determines the remaining battery power on the basis of the accumulated consumption hours and displays it on a display unit. Because the remaining battery power is determined based on the consumption hours of a battery, the running hours of a battery can be displayed at any given time.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An electronic apparatus which receives power from an interchangeable battery which has an identification characteristic, comprising:

a battery management system including:
a charger including charge means for charging the battery when the battery is attached to the charger, and including charge information memory means for storing charge information corresponding to the identification characteristic of the battery;
transfer means for transferring the charge information stored in the charge information memory means;
power consumption means for consuming power of the battery when the battery is detached from the charger and attached to the power consumption means, and for generating consumption information of the attached battery;
battery information memory means for receiving the charge information transferred by the transfer means and storing the consumption information and the charge information corresponding to the identification characteristic of the battery, said battery information memory means including a table which stores said battery identification and battery information for the battery, the battery information including said consumption information and said charge information;
identification characteristic reading means for reading the identification characteristic from the battery;
and
management means for calculating the power of the battery based on the consumption information and the charge information corresponding to the identification characteristic read from the attached battery.

5 more elements

A system for managing batteries, each battery being identified by a unique identification characteristic and interchangeable with other batteries managed by the system, the system comprising:

an electronic apparatus;
a charger for charging said batteries, said charger including an identification characteristic reader for reading said unique identification characteristic from each of said batteries and a charge information memory for storing charge information corresponding to the identification characteristic of each of said batteries;
a communication link for transferring said charge information stored in said charge information memory to the electronic apparatus;
wherein said electronic apparatus comprises:
an identification characteristic reader for reading said unique identification characteristic from each of said batteries when each of the batteries is detached from the charger and attached to the electronic apparatus;
a detector which detects power consumption of each of said batteries attached to said electronic apparatus and generates power consumption information corresponding to each of said batteries;
a battery information memory for receiving said charge information transferred by said communication link and storing said power consumption information and said charge information with the identification characteristic corresponding to each of said batteries;
and
a monitor for determining the power of each of said batteries based on said power consumption information and charge information.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/630,275Filed 10 Apr 1996 · division
Priority: JP 5-32236721 Dec 1993
Granted: 5 Aug 1997
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification15 codes

G01R 31/3648
Constructional arrangements: comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
H01M 10/4257
Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing: smart batteries, e.g.…
H01M 10/48
Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells: accumulators combined with arrangements for…
H02J 7/443
Characterised by the exchange of charge or discharge related data: using passive battery identification means, e.g. resistors or capacitors