ELECTRONIC DEVICE, BATTERY PACK, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE SYSTEM

• US 20090009176A1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakao, Kunihisa
• Granted Patent: US 7,786,703 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/432
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/396 Acquisition or processing of data for testing or for monitoring individual cells or groups of cells within a battery
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electronic device which is capable of performing high-accuracy remaining battery capacity management. The electronic device has a plurality of battery pack compartments assigned specific addresses, respectively. A remaining capacity-detecting unit detects the remaining battery capacity of a battery pack mounted in a battery pack compartment. A control microcomputer receives information indicative of a remaining battery capacity sent from a battery pack accommodated in one of the battery pack compartments and address information on the battery pack compartment, and sends correction information concerning the remaining battery capacity to the battery pack.

Claims

1. An electronic device communicable with a battery pack accommodated therein, said battery pack including a remaining capacity-detecting unit that detects a remaining battery capacity of the battery pack, comprising:

a plurality of battery pack compartments assigned specific addresses, respectively; and

a control unit configured to receive information indicative of a remaining battery capacity sent from the battery pack accommodated in one of said battery pack compartments and address information on said one of said battery pack compartment, and send correction information concerning the remaining battery capacity of the battery pack to the remaining capacity-detecting unit of the battery pack.

2. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the correction information concerning the remaining battery capacity of the battery pack sent to said remaining capacity-detecting unit includes capacity offset information associated with said one of said battery pack compartments accommodating the battery pack.

3. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the correction information concerning the remaining battery capacity of the battery pack sent to said remaining capacity-detecting unit includes undetectable electric current correction information associated with said one of said battery pack compartments accommodating the battery pack.

4. A battery pack that can be accommodated in an electronic device including a plurality of battery pack compartments assigned specific addresses, respectively, and a control unit that communicates with a battery pack accommodated in each of the battery pack compartments, comprising:

a mounting position-detecting unit configured to detect the specific address of each battery pack compartment;

a remaining capacity-detecting unit configured to detect a remaining battery capacity; and

a communication unit configured to transmit information indicative of the remaining battery capacity detected by said remaining capacity-detecting unit, and the address information on the battery pack compartment detected by said mounting position-detecting unit, to the control unit.

5. An electronic device system comprising an electronic device, and a battery pack that can be accommodated in said electronic device,

wherein said electronic device comprises a plurality of battery pack compartments assigned specific addresses, respectively, and a control unit,

wherein said battery pack comprises a mounting position-detecting unit configured to detect the specific address of each battery pack compartment, a remaining capacity-detecting unit configured to detect a remaining battery capacity, and a communication unit configured to transmit information indicative of the remaining battery capacity detected by said remaining capacity-detecting unit, and the address information on said battery pack compartment detected by said mounting position-detecting unit, to said control unit, and

wherein said control unit is configured to receive the information indicative of the remaining battery capacity and the address information from said battery pack, and send correction information concerning the remaining battery capacity to said battery pack.