Mobile type power supply, connection device, and carried type electronic equipment

• US 20040207362A1
• Filed: 03/19/2004
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2003
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kanouda, Akihiko, Norimatsu, Yasuaki, Murabayashi, Fumio
• Application Number:
  US10/804,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20040207362A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0019 the disturbance parameters being load current fluctuations
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0025 Arrangements for modifying reference values, feedback values or error values in the control loop of a converter

Abstract

(Object) An object of the present invention is to supply such voltage to a load that corresponds to the load.

(Means of Solving the Problems) A battery 52 and a DC-to-DC converter 7 are contained in a battery pack 53, and when the battery pack 53 is connected to a load 15 by means of a connector 9 and an output voltage reference value, corresponding to the power supply voltage of the load 15, is set by an output voltage reference value output means 10 in the connector 9, the output voltage of the battery 52 is converted according to the output voltage reference value by the DC-to-DC converter 7 and the converted voltage is supplied to the load 15 via an output voltage line 19.

Claims

1. A mobile type power supply, comprising

a battery pack containing a battery and an output voltage conversion means that converts the output voltage of the battery according to an output voltage reference value;

and

a connection means that is connected to both battery pack and a load and supplies DC power, outputted by the output voltage conversion means, to the load;

the connection means comprising an output voltage reference value output means that outputs an output voltage reference value, corresponding to the power supply voltage of the load, to the output voltage conversion means.

2. A mobile type power supply according to claim 1, wherein

the output voltage reference value output means outputs an output voltage reference value, which, among multiple output voltage reference values, corresponds to the power supply voltage of the load, to the output voltage conversion means.

3. A mobile type power supply according to claim 1, comprising

a fuel cell as the battery, and further comprising

a power generation control means that controls the fuel cell, and

a connection condition detection means that detects the connection condition between the connection means and battery pack;

the power generation control means stopping power generation when disconnection between the connection means and battery pack is detected by the connection condition detection means.

4. A mobile type power supply according to claim 3, wherein

the power generation control means comprises a valve that opens/closes the fuel passage connecting the fuel storage means that stores the fuel for the fuel cell and a power generation part that receives the fuel and generates power;

and

the valve closes the fuel passage at the time when disconnection between the connection means and battery pack is detected by the connection condition detection means and also on condition that the voltage of a charge accumulation means that accumulates electric charge outputted by the power generation part is higher than a specified value.

5. A mobile type power supply according to claim 3, comprising

a switch that, installed in the connection means, constitutes an element of the connection condition detection means and turns on/off the fuel cell.

6. A mobile type power supply according to claim 3, comprising

a switch that, installed in the connection means, constitutes an element of the connection condition detection means and turns on/off the fuel cell;

wherein

the power generation control means comprises a valve that opens/closes the fuel passage connecting the fuel storage means that stores the fuel for the fuel cell and a power generation part that receives the fuel and generates power; and

the valve closes the fuel passage at the time when the switch is turned off and also on condition that the voltage of a charge accumulation means that accumulates electric charge outputted by the power generation part is higher than a specified value.

7. A mobile type power supply according to claim 1, comprising

a fuel cell as the battery, and further comprising

a remaining capacity detection means that detects the remaining capacity of a fuel storage means storing the fuel for the fuel cell, and

a remaining capacity display means that, installed on the connection means, displays the remaining capacity of the fuel storage means according to the detection output from the remaining capacity detection means.

8. A mobile type power supply according to claim 1, wherein

the load side of the connection means is comprised of a rechargeable battery compatible plug that is exchangeable with a rechargeable battery pack to be attached and detached freely to and from the load.

9. A mobile type power supply according to claim 1, comprising

a fuel cell as the battery, and further comprising

a remaining capacity detection means that detects the remaining capacity of a fuel storage means storing the fuel for the fuel cell,

a power supply voltage detection means that detects the output voltage of the output voltage conversion means as the power supply voltage of the load, and

a rechargeable battery condition detection terminal that outputs the detection output of the power supply voltage detection means to the load;

wherein

the remaining capacity detection means alters the output voltage reference value for the output voltage conversion means forcibly according to the remaining capacity of the fuel storage means.

10. A mobile type power supply according to claim 1, comprising

a fuel cell as the battery;

wherein

the load side of the connection means is comprised of a rechargeable battery compatible plug that is exchangeable with a rechargeable battery pack to be attached and detached freely to and from the load, and

the rechargeable battery compatible plug is provided with

a switch that constitutes an element of the connection condition detection means and turns on/off the fuel cell.

11. A mobile type power supply according to claim 1, wherein

the load side of the connection means is comprised of a rechargeable battery compatible plug that is exchangeable with a rechargeable battery pack to be attached and detached freely to and from the load, and

the rechargeable battery compatible plug is provided inside with

a rechargeable battery that is connected to the power supply terminal of the load and to the output of the output voltage conversion means.

12. A mobile type power supply according to claim 1, wherein

the output voltage conversion means is a DC-to-DC boost converter.

13. A mobile type power supply according to claim 1, wherein

multiple pin insertion terminals, corresponding to multiple output voltage reference values, are provided on the battery pack side of the connection means,

multiple connection terminals connectable to the multiple pin insertion terminals are provided on the battery pack, and

an output voltage reference value is outputted to the output voltage conversion means of the battery pack as a pin is inserted into a pin insertion terminal, which, among the multiple pin insertion terminals, corresponds to the power supply voltage of the load.

19. A carried type electronic equipment, comprising

a mobile type power supply according to claim 1 and an electronic equipment that receives power from the mobile type power supply and operates as a load to the mobile type power supply.

14. A mobile type power supply, comprising

an AC adaptor containing an AC-to-DC converter that converts AC power from an AC power supply to DC power according to an output voltage reference value, and

a connection means that is connected to both AC adaptor and a load and supplies DC power, outputted by the AC-to-DC converter, to the load;

the connection means comprising an output voltage reference value output means that outputs an output voltage reference value, corresponding to the power supply voltage of the load, to the AC-to-DC converter.

15. A mobile type power supply according to claim 14, comprising

a conversion control means that controls the conversion of the AC-to-DC converter, and

a connection condition detection means that detects the connection condition between the connection means and AC adaptor;

the conversion control means stopping the conversion of the AC-to-DC converter when disconnection between the connection means and AC adaptor is detected by the connection condition detection means.

16. A mobile type power supply according to claim 15, comprising

a switch that, installed in the connection means, constitutes an element of the connection condition detection means and turns on/off the AC-to-DC converter.

17. A mobile type power supply according to claim 15, comprising

an output condition detection means that detects the output condition of the AC-to-DC converter, and

an output condition display means that, installed on the connection means, displays the output condition of the AC-to-DC converter according to the detection output from the output condition detection means.

18. A mobile type power supply according to claim 14, wherein

the AC adaptor side of the connection means is made connectable to a battery pack containing

a fuel cell and an output voltage conversion means that converts the output voltage of the fuel cell according to an output voltage reference value.

20. A connection device, comprising

a connection means that is connected to both battery pack, containing a battery and an output voltage conversion means which converts the output voltage of the battery according to an output voltage reference value, and a load, and supplies DC power, outputted by the output voltage conversion means, to the load;

and

an output voltage reference value output means that outputs an output voltage reference value, corresponding to the power supply voltage of the load, to the output voltage conversion means.