Charge control device

• US 20060238166A1
• Filed: 11/10/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Wanibuchi, Tohru
• Granted Patent: US 7,619,389 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/128
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation

Abstract

A charge circuit 6 supplies a charging voltage (Vc) or a charging current to a secondary battery 2, 24 to 26 used for driving an appliance 21; a charged level setting device 5, Sc1 causes the charge circuit 6 to charge the secondary battery 2, 24 to 26 to a predetermined charged level, and detection means 12 detects a charged level of the secondary battery 2; a discharge section 21, 5, Sc1 discharges the secondary battery 2; and control means operates the charge circuit 6 when the predetermined charged level is higher than the detected charged level, and discharges the secondary battery by the discharge section 21, 5, Sc1 when the predetermined charged level is lower than the detected charged level Thus, it is possible to provide a charge control device capable of extending a cycle life of a secondary battery.

Claims

1. A charge control device comprising:

a charge circuit for supplying one of a charging voltage (Vc) and a charging current (Ic) to a secondary battery used for driving an appliance;

charged level setting means for causing the charge circuit to charge the secondary battery to a predetermined charged level;

detection means for detecting a charged level of the secondary battery;

discharge means for discharging the secondary battery; and

control means for operating the charge circuit when the predetermined charged level is higher than the detected charged level, and operating the discharge means when the predetermined charged level is lower than the detected level.

2. The charge control device according to claim 1, comprising notification means for notifying a charge capacity of the secondary battery, wherein

the notification means notifies the charge capacity which is calculated based on a ratio of the charge capacity to a maximum charge capacity in accordance with the predetermined charged level set by the charged level setting means.

3. The charge control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

temperature detection means for detecting a temperature of the secondary battery;

calculation means for calculating a usage period of the appliance; and

display means for prompting a user to change the charged level, either when the detected charged level is higher than the predetermined charged level and the detected temperature is higher than a predetermined temperature, or when the calculated usage period is longer than a predetermined period.

4. The charge control device according to claim 1, wherein

the discharge means discharges the secondary battery through an operation of the appliance by disconnecting an external power supply to the appliance.

5. The charge control device according to claim 4, further comprising power source control means for controlling a power source of the appliance, wherein

when the appliance is not in operation and the predetermined charged level is lower than the detected charged level, the power source control means automatically turns on a power source of the appliance to discharge the secondary battery, and when the discharged is completed, the power source control means automatically stops the operation of the appliance.

6. The charge control device according to claim 1, wherein

the charged level setting means sets a charging voltage which is higher by a predetermined value (α

) than a minimum voltage (Vcmin) at which the secondary battery can be charged, thereby charging the secondary battery to the predetermined charged level.

7. The charge control device according to claim 6, wherein

the charged level setting means stops a charge of the secondary battery when the secondary battery is charged to the predetermined charged level, and causes the secondary battery to drive the appliance.

8. The charge control device according to claim 7, wherein

the charged level setting means resumes the charge of the secondary battery immediately before the secondary battery is completely discharged.