Electric apparatus, computer, intelligent battery and AC adapter checking method
First Claim
1. An electric apparatus comprising:
- a main body;
a power supply for said main body which supplies electrical energy from one of an AC adapter for converting alternative current to direct current and a battery which supplies energy to said main body by discharge after being charged by power from said AC adapter;
a charge status monitor which monitors a charge status to said battery from said AC adapter; and
an adaptability judge which judges whether said AC adapter has adaptability in response to a charging status of said battery monitored by said charge status monitor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system main body, which is constructed to be able to be equipped with an AC adapter for converting alternative current to direct current and receives power supply from the AC adapter, and an intelligent battery, which is charged by receiving electric power from the AC adapter and supplies electric power to the main body by discharge. A CPU within the intelligent battery outputs to an embedded controller disposed to the system main body information indicating that the AC adapter is not regular when charging current supplied by the AC adapter and measured by a current measurement circuit becomes a level lower than a predetermined value indicating completion of charge and when voltage of a cell measured by a voltage measurement circuit and calculated accumulated capacity doesn'"'"'t reach each specified value allowing to be judged that sufficient charge level is obtained.
28 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An electric apparatus comprising:
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a main body;
a power supply for said main body which supplies electrical energy from one of an AC adapter for converting alternative current to direct current and a battery which supplies energy to said main body by discharge after being charged by power from said AC adapter;
a charge status monitor which monitors a charge status to said battery from said AC adapter; and
an adaptability judge which judges whether said AC adapter has adaptability in response to a charging status of said battery monitored by said charge status monitor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An electric apparatus comprising:
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a main body being able to be connected to an AC adapter for converting alternative current to direct current and being supplied power from said AC adapter; and
a battery being charged by power from said AC adapter and supplying power to said main body by discharge, wherein said battery outputs information indicating that said AC adapter does not have adaptability to said main body when charging current supplied from said AC adapter becomes a level lower than a predetermined value indicating completion of charge, and voltage of a battery cell and/or accumulated capacity does not reach each specified value allowing to be judged that sufficient charge level is obtained. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. An electric apparatus comprising:
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a main body being able to be connected to an AC adapter for converting alternative current to direct current and being supplied power from said AC adapter; and
a battery being charged by power from said AC adapter and supplying power to said main body by discharge, wherein said battery outputs information indicating that said AC adapter does not have adaptability to said main body when a temperature rise per unit time exceeds a rate which is regarded as full charge of said battery and said temperature rise is lower than an average charging current necessary to obtain an accurate temperature rise. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A computer comprising:
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a system which can be connected to one of an AC adapter which converts alternative current to direct current to supply power and a battery which supplies power to said system by discharge after charge by power from said AC adapter, a charge status monitor which monitors a charge status to said battery from said connected AC adapter; and
an adaptability judge which judges whether or not said AC adapter has adaptability in response to a charging status of said battery monitored by said charge status monitor means.
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10. A computer comprising:
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a system which can be connected to one of an AC adapter which converts alternative current to direct current to supply power and a battery which supplies power to said system by discharge after charge by power from said AC adapter;
a first judge which judges whether or not charging current supplied from said AC adapter to said battery becomes a level lower than a predetermined value indicating completion of charge;
a second judge which judges whether or not voltage of a battery cell and/or accumulated capacity of said battery reaches each specified value allowing to be judged that sufficient charge level is obtained; and
an adaptability judge which judges whether or not said AC adapter connected to said system has adaptability in response to a judgement of said first judgement means and a judgement of said second judgement means. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A computer comprising:
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a system which can be connected to one of an AC adapter which converts alternative current to direct current to supply power and a battery which supplies power to said system by discharge after charge by power from said AC adapter;
a temperature rise monitor which monitors whether or not a temperature rise per unit time exceeds a rate which is regarded as full charge of said battery;
a charging current monitor which monitors whether or not an average charging current is lower than a reference value necessary to cause an accurate temperature rise; and
an adaptability judge which judges that said AC adapter does not have adaptability when said temperature rise monitored by said temperature rise monitor means exceeds said rate and said average charging current monitored by said charging current monitor means is lower than said reference value. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. An intelligent battery being able to be connected to an electric apparatus and supplying power to a main body of said electric apparatus by discharge after charge by power from an AC adapter connected to said electric apparatus, said intelligent battery comprising:
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a charging current monitor which monitors a charging current supplied from said AC adapter;
a voltage/capacity monitor which monitors the voltage of a cell making up said intelligent battery and/or accumulated capacity of said battery; and
an adaptability judge which judges whether or not said AC adapter connected to said main body has adaptability in response to a monitor of the charging current by said charging current monitor and a monitor of the voltage of the cell and/or accumulated capacity by said voltage/capacity monitor. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. An intelligent battery being able to be connected to an electric apparatus and supplying power to a main body of said electric apparatus by discharge after charge by power from an AC adapter connected to said electric apparatus, said intelligent battery comprising:
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a temperature rise monitor which monitors a level of temperature rise;
a charging current monitor which monitors a level of charging current supplied from said AC adapter; and
an adaptability judge which judges whether or not said AC adapter connected to said main body has adaptability in response to the level of said temperature rise monitored by said temperature rise monitor and the level of said charging current monitored by said charging current monitor. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. Apparatus comprising:
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a housing;
a plurality of rechargeable battery cells within said housing;
a processor within said housing;
a current measuring circuit within said housing and operatively coupled with said plurality of cells and said processor;
a voltage measuring circuit within said housing and operatively coupled with said plurality of cells and said processor;
a temperature monitor within said housing and operatively coupled with said plurality of cells and said processor; and
program instructions stored accessibly to said processor and effective when executing thereon to;
judge whether charging current supplied from an attached AC adapter after charging of said cells comes to a level lower than a predetermined value indicating completion of charge;
judge whether voltage of a battery cell and/or accumulated capacity of said apparatus reaches a level indicative that sufficient charge level is obtained by charge from said AC adapter; and
judge whether the attached AC adapter has adaptability in response to the judgements of the preceding judgements.
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20. A method for checking an AC adapter connected to an electric apparatus which has a battery comprising the steps of:
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judging whether or not charging current supplied from said AC adapter to said battery for supplying power by discharge after charge becomes a level lower than a predetermined value indicating completion of charge;
judging whether or not voltage of a battery cell and/or accumulated capacity of said battery reaches each level allowing to be judged that sufficient charge level is obtained by charge from said AC adapter; and
judging whether or not said connected AC adapter has adaptability in response to the judgements of said first and second steps.
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21. A method for checking an AC adapter connected to an electric apparatus, comprising the steps of:
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judging whether or not a temperature rise per unit time exceeds a rate which is regarded as full of charge for a battery for supplying power by discharge after charge;
judging whether or not an average charging current is lower than a reference value necessary to cause a normal temperature rise by charge from said AC adapter; and
judging that said connected AC adapter does not have adaptability when said temperature rise monitored at said first step exceeds said rate and said average charging current monitored at said second step is lower than said reference value.
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Specification