Charging device, battery device, and method

• US 10,326,285 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2016
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Hiromichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thapa, Sailesh
• Application Number:
  US15/011,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20160226271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007184 in response to battery voltage gradient

Abstract

A charging device that charges a battery device is provided. The battery device includes a memory that stores first degradation information indicating a degradation state of the battery device. The charging device includes: a voltage detection unit that detects a voltage of the battery device; and a control unit that (a) receives the first degradation information from the battery device, (b) determines degradation progress information indicating a progress degree of the degradation state of the battery device, by using a voltage detected by the voltage detection unit, (c) generates second degradation information indicating a degradation state of the battery device, by using the degradation progress information and the first degradation information, and (d) transmits the second degradation information to the battery device to cause the battery device to store the second degradation information in the memory.

Claims

1. A charging device comprising:

a charging unit configured to charge a battery device, wherein the battery device includes a memory configured to store first degradation information indicating a degradation state of the battery device;

a voltage detection unit configured to detect a first voltage of the battery device before the charging unit starts charging the battery device and to detect a second voltage of the battery device when the charging unit is charging the battery device; and

a control unit configured to perform control including;

(a) receiving the first degradation information from the battery device before the charging unit starts charging the battery device,

(b) determining, before the charging unit starts charging the battery device and by using the first voltage detected by the voltage detection unit, degradation progress information indicating a progress degree of the degradation state of the battery device,

(c) calculating a differential voltage between the first voltage detected by the voltage detection unit and the second voltage detected by the voltage detection unit when the charging unit is charging the battery device,

(d) generating, when the differential voltage is higher than or equal to a predetermined value and by using (i) the differential voltage, (ii) the degradation progress information, and (iii) the first degradation information, second degradation information indicating a degradation state of the battery device, and

(e) transmitting the generated second degradation information to the battery device to cause the battery device to change the first degradation information stored in the memory to the second degradation information.

2. The charging device according to claim 1, wherein determining includes determining the degradation progress information from a value corresponding to the first voltage detected by the voltage detection unit.

3. The charging device according to claim 1, wherein determining includes determining the degradation progress information from a value corresponding to a differential voltage between the first voltage detected by the voltage detection unit and a charging target voltage.

4. A battery device comprising:

a memory configured to store first degradation information indicating a degradation state of the battery device; and

a battery device control unit configured to perform control including;

(a) transmitting the first degradation information to a charging device before a charging unit included in the charging device starts charging the battery device,

(b) receiving, from the charging device, second degradation information indicating a degradation state of the battery device, and

(c) changing the first degradation information stored in the memory to the second degradation information after the second degradation information is received from the charging device,

wherein the charging device includes;

the charging unit configured to charge the battery device,

a voltage detection unit configured to detect a first voltage of the battery device before the charging unit starts charging the battery device and to detect a second voltage of the battery device when the charging unit is charging the battery device, and

a charging device control unit configured to perform control including;

(a) receiving the first degradation information from the battery device before the charging unit starts charging the battery device,

(b) determining, before the charging unit starts charging the battery device and by using the first voltage detected by the voltage detection unit, degradation progress information indicating a progress degree of the degradation state of the battery device,

(c) calculating a differential voltage between the first voltage detected by the voltage detection unit and the second voltage detected by the voltage detection unit when the charging unit is charging the battery device,

(d) generating, when the differential voltage is higher than or equal to a predetermined value and by using (i) the differential voltage, (ii) the degradation progress information, and (iii) the first degradation information, second degradation information indicating a degradation state of the battery device, and

(e) transmitting the generated second degradation information to the battery device to cause the battery device to change the first degradation information stored in the memory.

5. The battery device according to claim 4, wherein determining includes determining the degradation progress information from a value corresponding to the first voltage detected by the voltage detection unit.

6. The battery device according to claim 4, wherein determining includes determining the degradation progress information from a value corresponding to a differential voltage between the first voltage detected by the voltage detection unit and a charging target voltage.

7. A method for a charging device having a charging unit to charge a battery device, wherein the battery device includes a memory configured to store first degradation information indicating a degradation state of the battery device, a voltage detection unit, and a control unit, the method comprising:

causing the voltage detection unit to detect a first voltage of the battery device before the charging unit starts charging the battery device;

receiving the first degradation information from the battery device before the charging unit starts charging the battery device;

determining, before the charging unit starts charging the battery device and by using the first voltage detected by the voltage detection unit, degradation progress information indicating a progress degree of the degradation state of the battery device;

causing the charging unit to charge the battery device;

causing the voltage detection unit to detect a second voltage of the battery device when the charging unit is charging the battery device;

calculating a differential voltage between the first voltage detected by the voltage detection unit and the second voltage detected by the voltage detection unit when the charging unit is charging the battery device;

generating, when the differential voltage is higher than or equal to a predetermined value and by using (i) the differential voltage, (ii) the degradation progress information, and (iii) the first degradation information, second degradation information indicating a degradation state of the battery device; and

transmitting the generated second degradation information to the battery device to cause the battery device to change the first degradation information stored in the memory to the second degradation information.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein determining includes determining the degradation progress information from a value corresponding to the first voltage detected by the voltage detection unit.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein determining includes determining the degradation progress information from a value corresponding to a differential voltage between the first voltage detected by the voltage detection unit and a charging target voltage.

10. A method for a battery device having a battery device control unit and a memory configured to store first degradation information indicating a degradation state of the battery device, the method comprising:

transmitting the first degradation information to a charging device before a charging unit included in the charging device starts charging the battery device;

receiving, from the charging device, second degradation information indicating a degradation state of the battery device; and

changing the first degradation information stored in the memory to the second degradation information after the second degradation information is received from the charging device,

wherein the charging device includes;

the charging unit configured to charge the battery device,

a voltage detection unit configured to detect a first voltage of the battery device before the charging unit starts charging the battery device and to detect second voltage of the battery device when the charging unit is charging the battery device, and

a charging device control unit configured to perform control including;

(a) receiving the first degradation information from the battery device before the charging unit starts charging the battery device,

(b) determining, before the charging unit starts charging the battery device and by using the first voltage detected by the voltage detection unit, degradation progress information indicating a progress degree of the degradation state of the battery device,

(c) calculating a differential voltage between the first voltage detected by the voltage detection unit and the second voltage detected by the voltage detection unit when the charging unit is charging the battery device,

(d) generating, when the differential voltage is higher than or equal to a predetermined value and by using (i) differential voltage, (ii) the degradation progress information, and (iii) the first degradation information, second degradation information indicating a degradation state of the battery device, and

(e) transmitting the generated second degradation information to the battery device to cause the battery device to change the first degradation information stored in the memory to the second degradation information.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein determining includes determining the degradation progress information from a value corresponding to the first voltage detected by the voltage detection unit.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein determining includes determining the degradation progress information from a value corresponding to a differential voltage between the first voltage detected by the voltage detection unit and a charging target voltage.

13. A non-transitory storage medium storing a program to cause a computer to perform a method for a charging device having a charging unit to charge a battery device, wherein the battery device includes a memory configured to store first degradation information indicating a degradation state of the battery device, a voltage detection unit, and a control unit, the method comprising:

causing the voltage detection unit to detect a first voltage of the battery device before the charging unit starts charging the battery device;

receiving the first degradation information from the battery device before the charging unit starts charging the battery device;

determining, before the charging unit starts charging the battery device and by using the first voltage detected by the voltage detection unit, degradation progress information indicating a progress degree of the degradation state of the battery device;

causing the charging unit to charge the battery device;

causing the voltage detection unit to detect a second voltage of the battery device when the charging unit is charging the battery device;

calculating a differential voltage between the first voltage detected by the voltage detection unit and the second voltage detected by the voltage detection unit when the charging unit is charging the battery device;

generating, when the differential voltage is higher than or equal to a predetermined value and by using (i) the differential voltage, (ii) the degradation progress information, and (iii) the first degradation information, second degradation information indicating a degradation state of the battery device; and

transmitting the generated second degradation information to the battery device to cause the battery device to change the first degradation information stored in the memory to the second degradation information.

14. A non-transitory storage medium storing a program to cause a computer to perform a method for a battery device having a battery device control unit and a memory configured to store first degradation information indicating a degradation state of the battery device, the method comprising:

transmitting the first degradation information to a charging device before a charging unit included in the charging device starts charging the battery device;

receiving, from the charging device, second degradation information indicating a degradation state of the battery device; and

changing the first degradation information stored in the memory to the second degradation information after the second degradation information is received from the charging device,

wherein the charging device includes;

the charging unit configured to charge the battery device,

a voltage detection unit configured to detect a first voltage of the battery device before the charging unit starts charging the battery device and to detect a second voltage of the battery device when the charging unit is charging the battery device, and

a charging device control unit configured to perform control including;

(a) receiving the first degradation information from the battery device before the charging unit starts charging the battery device,

(b) determining, before the charging unit starts charging the battery device and by using the first voltage detected by the voltage detection unit, degradation progress information indicating a progress degree of the degradation state of the battery device,

(c) calculating a differential voltage between the first voltage detected by the voltage detection unit and the second voltage detected by the voltage detection unit when the charging unit is charging the battery device,

(d) generating, when the differential voltage is higher than or equal to a predetermined value and by using (i) the differential voltage, (ii) the degradation progress information, and (iii) the first degradation information, second degradation information indicating a degradation state of the battery device, and

(e) transmitting the generated second degradation information to the battery device to cause the battery device to change the first degradation information stored in the memory to the second degradation information.