SECONDARY BATTERY CONTROLLER AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING SECONDARY BATTERY, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS

• US 20110309681A1
• Filed: 06/14/2011
• Published: 12/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: KAMIJIMA, Junya
• Granted Patent: US 8,816,646 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/66
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0025 Sequential battery discharge in systems with a plurality of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery

Abstract

The present invention provides a secondary battery controller and a method for controlling a secondary battery that can increase the continuous operating time of an apparatus in which a plurality of secondary batteries are switched and used, and an electronic apparatus. The secondary battery controller includes the following; a plurality of temperature detectors that detect temperatures of a plurality of secondary batteries having the same rating, respectively; a switching device that connects an output of any one of the plurality of secondary batteries to a load; and a control portion that selects which secondary battery to use from the plurality of secondary batteries and controls the switching device to switch between the secondary batteries based on temperature information of each of the plurality of secondary batteries obtained by the temperature detectors. The control portion connects the selected secondary battery to the load, and then switches the secondary battery connected to the load to another non-selected secondary battery in sequence when the first selected secondary battery reaches a predetermined threshold temperature, and further reconnects the first selected secondary battery to the load when the last selected secondary battery reaches the threshold temperature after all the secondary batteries have been selected.

Claims

1. A secondary battery controller comprising:

a plurality of temperature detectors that detect temperatures of a plurality of secondary batteries having the same rating, respectively;

a switching device that connects an output of any one of the plurality of secondary batteries to a load; and

a control portion that selects which secondary battery to use from the plurality of secondary batteries and controls the switching device to switch between the secondary batteries based on temperature information of each of the plurality of secondary batteries obtained by the temperature detectors,

wherein the control portion connects the selected secondary battery to the load, and then switches the secondary battery connected to the load to another non-selected secondary battery in sequence when the first selected secondary battery reaches a predetermined threshold temperature, and further reconnects the first selected secondary battery to the load when the last selected secondary battery reaches the threshold temperature after all the secondary batteries have been selected.

2. The secondary battery controller according to claim 1, wherein the control portion first selects the secondary battery that is located closer to an outer surface of an electronic apparatus, or the secondary battery whose temperature is not likely to rise during operation of the electronic apparatus, or the secondary battery that is cooled easily even after the temperature rises during operation of the electronic apparatus from the plurality of secondary batteries to be connected to the load.

3. The secondary battery controller according to claim 2, further comprising an operating power control portion that limits operation of the load,

wherein when the temperatures of all the other secondary batteries are not less than a predetermined reference temperature as the first selected secondary battery reaches the threshold temperature, the control portion imposes limitations on the operation of the load so that operating power of the load is reduced gradually in accordance with the temperature of the first selected secondary battery while the first selected secondary battery remains connected to the load.

4. The secondary battery controller according to claim 3, wherein when the first selected secondary battery reaches a predetermined upper limit temperature even after the operation of the load is limited, the control portion controls the operation of the load under a minimum load.

5. The secondary battery controller according to claim 4, wherein when the temperature of any one of the secondary batteries other than the first selected secondary battery is not more than the reference temperature while the operation of the load is limited or controlled under a minimum load, the control portion switches the secondary battery connected to the load to the secondary battery at the temperature not more than the reference temperature, and removes the limitations on the operation of the load.

15. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a load;

a plurality of secondary batteries that serve as operating power sources of the load; and

the secondary battery controller according to claim 1 that switches between the plurality of secondary batteries.

6. A secondary battery controller comprising:

a temperature detector that detects a temperature of a secondary battery;

an operating power control portion that limits operation of a load to which the secondary battery is connected; and

a control portion that controls the operating power control portion based on temperature information of the secondary battery obtained by the temperature detector,

wherein when the secondary battery reaches a predetermined threshold temperature, the control portion imposes limitations on the operation of the load so that operating power of the load is reduced gradually in accordance with the temperature of the secondary battery.

7. The secondary battery controller according to claim 6, wherein when the secondary battery reaches a predetermined upper limit temperature even after the operation of the load is limited, the control portion controls the operation of the load under a minimum load.

8. A method for controlling a secondary battery, in which a plurality of secondary batteries having the same rating are switched and connected to a load,

the method comprising:

selecting any one of the plurality of secondary batteries as a secondary battery to be connected to the load;

connecting the selected secondary battery to the load;

switching the secondary battery connected to the load to another non-selected secondary battery in sequence when the first selected secondary battery reaches a predetermined threshold temperature; and

reconnecting the first selected secondary battery to the load when the last selected secondary battery reaches a predetermined threshold temperature after all the secondary batteries have been selected.

9. The method for controlling a secondary battery according to claim 8, wherein a control portion first selects the secondary battery that is located closer to an outer surface of an electronic apparatus, or the secondary battery whose temperature is not likely to rise during operation of the electronic apparatus, or the secondary battery that is cooled easily even after the temperature rises during operation of the electronic apparatus from the plurality of secondary batteries to be connected to the load.

10. The method for controlling a secondary battery according to claim 9, wherein when temperatures of all the other secondary batteries are not less than a predetermined reference temperature as the first selected secondary battery reaches the threshold temperature, limitations are imposed on operation of the load so that operating power of the load is reduced gradually in accordance with the temperature of the first selected secondary battery while the first selected secondary battery remains connected to the load.

11. The method for controlling a secondary battery according to claim 10, wherein when the first selected secondary battery reaches a predetermined upper limit temperature even after the operation of the load is limited, the operation of the load is controlled under a minimum load.

12. The method for controlling a secondary battery according to claim 11, wherein when the temperature of any one of the secondary batteries other than the first selected secondary battery is not more than the reference temperature while the operation of the load is limited or controlled under a minimum load, the secondary battery connected to the load is switched to the secondary battery at the temperature not more than the reference temperature, and the limitations on the operation of the load is removed.

13. A method for controlling a secondary battery comprising:

imposing limitations on operation of a load so that operating power of the load is reduced gradually in accordance with a temperature of a secondary battery when the secondary battery reaches a predetermined threshold temperature.

14. The method for controlling a secondary battery according to claim 13, wherein when the secondary battery reaches a predetermined upper limit temperature even after the operation of the load is limited, the operation of the load is controlled under a minimum load.