Electronic Apparatus

• US 20060164043A1
• Filed: 01/24/2006
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Ukon, Tsutomu
• Granted Patent: US 7,741,812 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/162
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3647 for determining the ability of a battery to perform a critical function, e.g. cranking
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 Detection of state of health [SOH]

Abstract

An electronic apparatus including: a battery; a notification unit; a storage unit that stores a reference charging time and a reference battery voltage which are values according to charging characteristics of the battery and are used as determination reference values to determine whether or not the battery is normally charged; a charged state determination unit that determines whether or not the charging voltage is applied to the battery; a voltage detection unit that detects a voltage of the battery; and a notification control unit that controls the notification unit to make a notification indicating an abnormal state, when the voltage of the battery detected by the voltage detection unit does not reach the reference battery voltage, even though a condition where the charged state determination unit determines that the charging voltage is applied to the battery continues for the reference charging time.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a battery being chargeable by applying a charging voltage;

a notification unit that notifies information;

a storage unit that stores information inputted, and stores a reference charging time and a reference battery voltage which are values according to charging characteristics of the battery and are used as determination reference values to determine whether or not the battery is normally charged;

a charged state determination unit that determines whether or not the charging voltage is applied to the battery;

a voltage detection unit that detects a voltage of the battery; and

a notification control unit that controls the notification unit to make a notification indicating an abnormal state, when the voltage of the battery detected by the voltage detection unit does not reach the reference battery voltage stored in the storage unit, even though a condition where the charged state determination unit determines that the charging voltage is applied to the battery continues for the reference charging time stored in the storage unit.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the voltage detection unit comprises a detected voltage write unit that detects a voltage when a predetermined voltage is supplied, decides the determination reference value based on the detected voltage, and stores it in the storage unit.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit stores a plurality of reference charging times and reference battery voltages which are values according to charging characteristics of plural kinds of battery;

the electronic apparatus further comprises a selection unit that selects the reference charging time and the reference battery voltage corresponding to the battery from the reference charging times and the reference battery voltages for the plural kinds of battery stored in the storage unit; and

the notification control unit controls the notification unit to make the notification indicating the abnormal state, when the voltage of the battery detected by the voltage detection unit does not reach the reference battery voltage selected by the selection unit, even though a condition where the charged state determination unit determines that the charging voltage is applied to the battery continues for the reference charging time selected by the selection unit.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the selection unit selects the reference charging time and the reference battery voltage corresponding to the battery based on an input operation by a user.

5. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a battery being chargeable by applying a charging voltage;

a notification unit that notifies information;

a storage unit that stores reference charging times and reference battery voltages which are values according to charging characteristics of plural kinds of battery and are used as determination reference values to determine whether or not the battery is normally charged;

a selection unit that selects the reference charging time and the reference battery voltage corresponding to the battery from the reference charging times and the reference battery voltages for the plural kinds of battery stored in the storage unit;

a charged state determination unit that determines whether or not the charging voltage is applied to the battery;

a voltage detection unit that detects a voltage of the battery; and

a notification control unit that controls the notification unit to make a notification indicating an abnormal state, when the voltage of the battery detected by the voltage detection unit does not reach the reference battery voltage selected by the selection unit, even though a condition where the charged state determination unit determines that the charging voltage is applied to the battery Continues for the reference charging time selected by the selection unit.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the selection unit selects the reference charging time and the reference battery voltage corresponding to the battery based on an input operation by a user.