Electric charging apparatus, electronic apparatus and electric charging control method

• US 20040150704A1
• Filed: 01/16/2004
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Horigome, Hideo
• Granted Patent: US 7,449,861 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/109
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/36 for portability , i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers B41J3/4075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/46 Printing mechanisms combined with apparatus providing a visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present invention, a battery charging apparatus, which is attachable/removable to/from an ink jet printer, and which electrically charges a secondary battery to supply electric power to the ink jet printer. The battery charging apparatus has a connector to supply the electric power from the battery to the ink jet printer, a power source voltage detection unit to determine an electric charging condition for electrically charging the battery, a serial communication unit to receive a battery charging control signal from the ink jet printer, and a microcomputer to control electric charging of the battery in correspondence with the received charging control signal and the electric charging condition.

Claims

1. An electric charging apparatus attachable/removable to/from an electronic apparatus main body, which charges a secondary battery to supply electric power to the electronic apparatus, comprising:

a communication unit configured to perform communication with the electronic apparatus;

determination means for determining an electric charging condition for electrically charging the secondary battery; and

control means for controlling electric charging of the secondary battery in correspondence with an electric charging control signal for the secondary battery, received from the electronic apparatus via said communication unit, and the electric charging condition determined by said determination means.

2. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an input terminal configured to input an electric power from a commercial power source; and

power source relay means for supplying the electric power supplied via said input terminal to the electronic apparatus, and relay-outputting the electric power for the electric charging of the secondary battery.

3. An electric charging apparatus attachable/removable to/from an electronic apparatus main body, which charges a secondary battery to supply an electric power to the electronic apparatus, comprising:

supply means for supplying the electric power from the secondary battery to the electronic apparatus;

reception means for receiving a signal from the electronic apparatus; and

control means for, when it is instructed by the signal received by said reception means to shut off a power source, stopping electric power supply from the secondary battery by said supply means.

4. The charging apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising electric charging control means for, when it is instructed by the signal received by said reception means to shut off the power source, if a condition for electric charging the secondary battery is satisfied, starting electric charging of the secondary battery.

5. An electronic apparatus, which an electric charging unit including a secondary battery is attachable/removable to/from, and which can be operated with electric power supply from the secondary battery included in the electric charging unit, comprising:

a communication unit configured to perform communication with the electric charging unit; and

transmission control means for transmitting an electric charging control signal for the secondary battery to the electric charging unit via said communication unit.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

an input terminal configured to input an electric power from a commercial power source;

determination means for determining whether or not electric charging of the secondary battery is necessary; and

control means for, in a status where the electric power is supplied via said input terminal, if said determination means determines that the electric charging of the secondary battery is necessary, controlling said transmission control means to transmit a signal indicating that the electric charging of the secondary battery is enabled.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising power-source shut-off signal transmission control means for transmitting a signal indicating power-source shut-off to the electric charging unit via said communication unit.

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said electronic apparatus is an image forming apparatus, and wherein when an image forming instruction command is inputted from an external device while the electric charging unit electrically charges the secondary battery, said control means controls said transmission control means to transmit a signal indicating that the electric charging of the secondary battery is disabled.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said image forming apparatus prints an image on a printing medium by driving a print head.

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said image forming apparatus is an ink jet printing apparatus which forms an image on the printing medium by discharging ink from the print head.

11. An electric charging control method in an electric charging apparatus attachable/removable to/from an electronic apparatus main body, which electrically charges a secondary battery to supply an electric power to the electronic apparatus, said method comprising:

a supply step of supplying the electric power from the secondary battery to the electronic apparatus;

a determination step of determining an electric charging condition for electrically charging the secondary battery;

a reception step of receiving an electric charging control signal for the secondary battery from the electronic apparatus; and

a control step of controlling electrically charging of the secondary battery in correspondence with the charging control signal received in said reception step and the charging condition determined in said determination step.

12. A control method for an electric charging apparatus attachable/removable to/from an electronic apparatus main body, which electrically charges a secondary battery to supply an electric power to the electronic apparatus, said method comprising:

a supply step of supplying the electric power from the secondary battery to the electronic apparatus;

a reception step of receiving a signal from the electronic apparatus; and

a control step of, when it is instructed by the signal received in said reception step to shut off a power source, stopping electric power supply from the secondary battery.

13. An electric charging control method for an electronic apparatus, which an electric charging unit including a secondary battery is attachable/removable to/from, and which can be operated with electric power supply from the secondary battery included in the electric charging unit, said method comprising:

a transmission step of transmitting an electric charging control signal for the secondary battery to the electric charging unit.

14. The charging control method according to claim 13, further comprising:

a determination step of determining whether or not electric charging of the secondary battery is necessary; and

a control step of, in a status where an electric power is supplied via an input terminal to input the electric power from a commercial power source, if it is determined in said determination step that the electric charging of the secondary battery is necessary, transmitting a signal indicating that the electric charging of the secondary battery is enabled in said transmission step.