# US 9,436,260 B2 · Method and system for ensuring a residual battery capacity reaching a predetermined value before transitioning apparatus to power-saving mode

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- Number: US 9,436,260 B2
- Document ID: US9436260B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/080,875
- Filed: 2013-11-15
- Published: 2014-05-22
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2012-11-15
- Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Kohei Asano
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9436260B2

## CPC

- G06F 1/3212: Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level
- G06F 1/3203: Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
- G06F 1/3243: {Power saving in microcontroller unit}
- H02J 7/342: {The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging (with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/68)}
- H02J 7/63: against overdischarge
- H02J 7/82: Control of state of charge [SOC]
- H02J 9/005: {using a power saving mode (for copiers G03G15/5004)}
- Y02B 70/30: Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
- Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
- Y04S 20/20: End-user application control systems
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
- Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE
- Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS

## Abstract

An electronic apparatus that is capable of preventing overcharge and overdischarge of a battery. The electronic apparatus is operatable in a normal mode and a first power saving mode with less power consumption. A battery supplies electric power until battery residual capacity reaches a first threshold in the first power saving mode. A charging unit charges the battery in the normal mode. A control unit controls, in a case that the battery residual capacity is smaller than a second threshold larger than the first threshold when transition to the first power saving mode is made, so as to charge the battery until the battery residual capacity reaches the second threshold, and make a transition to the first power saving mode.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electronic apparatus that is operatable in a normal mode and a first power saving mode with less power consumption than the normal mode, comprising:
a transition unit configured to transit a mode of the electronic apparatus from the normal mode to the first power saving mode;
a battery configured to supply electric power to a part of the electronic apparatus in the first power saving mode;
a charging unit configured to charge the battery in the normal mode; and
a control unit configured to control, in a case that a battery residual amount of the battery is smaller than a first threshold when the transition unit transits the mode of the electronic apparatus from the normal mode to the first power saving mode, the charging unit to charge the battery before the transition unit transits the mode of the electronic apparatus from the normal mode to the first power saving mode, and then the transition unit to transit the mode of the electronic apparatus from the normal mode to the first power saving mode in accordance with the battery residual amount charged by the charging unit becoming the first threshold,
wherein the control unit controls, in a case that the battery residual amount is larger than the first threshold when the transition unit transits the mode of the electronic apparatus from the normal mode to the first power saving mode, the transition unit to transit the mode of the electronic apparatus from the normal mode to the first power saving mode.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electronic apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the control unit controls, in a case that the battery residual amount is larger than the first threshold when the transition unit transits the mode of electronic apparatus from the normal mode to the first power saving mode, the transition unit to transit the mode of the electronic apparatus from the normal mode to the first power saving mode immediately.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The electronic apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the control unit controls, in a case that the battery residual amount reaches a second threshold in the first power saving mode, the charging unit to charge the battery until the battery residual capacity reaches the first threshold.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electronic apparatus is further operatable in a second power saving mode with less power consumption than the normal mode,
wherein the control unit controls, when the transition unit transits the mode of the electronic apparatus from the normal mode to the second power saving mode, the charging unit to charge the battery before the transition unit transits the mode of the electronic apparatus from the normal mode to the second power saving mode, and then the transition unit to transit the mode of the electronic apparatus from the normal mode to the second power saving mode in accordance with the battery residual amount charged by the charging unit becoming a third threshold in the normal mode.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The electronic apparatus according to claim 4,
wherein the control unit controls, in a case that the battery residual capacity reaches a fourth threshold in the second power saving mode, so as to stop discharging from said battery.

### Claim 6

A control method for an electronic apparatus that is operatable in a normal mode and a first power saving mode with less power consumption than the normal mode, and that has a battery, the control method comprising:
supplying electric power from the battery to a part of the electronic apparatus in the first power saving mode;
charging the battery in the normal mode;
controlling, in a case that a battery residual amount of the battery is smaller than a first threshold when transition from the normal mode to the first power saving mode is made, so as to charge the battery before the transition of the mode from the normal mode to the first power saving mode, and then make a transition from the normal mode to the first power saving mode in accordance with the battery residual amount becoming the first threshold, and
controlling, in a case that the battery residual amount is larger than the first threshold when the mode of the electronic apparatus transitions from the normal mode to the first power saving mode, to transition the mode from the normal mode to the first power saving mode.

### Claim 7

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a control program causing a computer to execute a control method for an electronic apparatus that is operatable in a normal mode and a first power saving mode with less power consumption than the normal mode, and that has a battery, the control method comprising:
supplying electric power from the battery to a part of the electronic apparatus in the first power saving mode;
charging the battery in the normal mode;
controlling, in a case that a battery residual amount of the battery is smaller than a first threshold when transition from the normal mode to the first power saving mode is made, so as to charge the battery before the transition of the mode from the normal mode to the first power saving mode, and then make a transition from the normal mode to the first power saving mode in accordance with the battery residual amount becoming the first threshold, and
controlling, in a case that the battery residual amount is larger than the first threshold when the mode of the electronic apparatus transitions from the normal mode to the first power saving mode, to transition the mode from the normal mode to the first power saving mode.