RECHARGEABLE ELECTRIC APPARATUS

• US 20130162199A1
• Filed: 08/10/2011
• Published: 06/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Atsushi, Katsura, Yoshinori
• Application Number:
  US13/820,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20130162199A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A rechargeable electric apparatus includes a switching device (12), a first shunt resistor (13-1) that connects the switching device (12) and a positive electrode of a secondary battery (11), a second shunt resistor (13-2) that connects a load (14) and the positive electrode of the secondary battery (11), and a control unit (15). The control unit (15) controls turning on and off of the switching device (12) on the basis of voltages at two ends of the first shunt resistor (13-1) and voltages at two ends of the second shunt resistor (13-2) in order to control a supply current flowing to the secondary battery (11) via the first shunt resistor (13-1) and to control a load current flowing to the load (14) via the second shunt resistor (13-2).

Claims

1-6. -6. (canceled)

7. A rechargeable electric apparatus configured to charge a secondary battery by using power supply from outside via a charge adapter configured to be attachably and detachably connected to the rechargeable electric apparatus, the rechargeable electric apparatus being provided with a load to be driven with power supply from the secondary battery or from outside via the charge adapter, the rechargeable electric apparatus comprising:

a switching device configured to receive the power supply from outside via the charge adapter, the switching device being configured to be turned on and off on the basis of a switching signal to supply a supply current to the rechargeable electric apparatus;

a first shunt resistor connected between the switching device and a positive electrode of the secondary battery, the first shunt resistor being configured to detect the supply current supplied to the rechargeable electric apparatus via the switching device;

a second shunt resistor connected between the load and the positive electrode of the secondary battery, the second shunt resistor being configured to detect a load current supplied to the load; and

a control unit configured to receive inputs of voltages at two ends of the first shunt resistor and at two ends of the second shunt resistor when the switching device is turned on, the control unit being configured to control turning on and off of the switching device on the basis of the inputted voltages to control the supply current and the load current, wherein

a resistance value of the first shunt resistor is set equal to or above a value obtained by dividing a least resolution of an A/D conversion voltage when the control unit converts an inputted analog voltage into a digital voltage by a minimum value of the supply current to be detected, and

a resistance value of the second shunt resistor is set equal to or above a value obtained by dividing the least resolution of the A/D conversion voltage when the control unit converts the inputted analog voltage into the digital voltage by a minimum detectable value of the load current.

8. The rechargeable electric apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the control unit

calculates the supply current as a value obtained by dividing a voltage difference between the two ends of the first shunt resistor by the resistance value of the first shunt resistor,

calculates the load current as a value obtained by dividing a voltage difference between the two ends of the second shunt resistor by the resistance value of the second shunt resistor, and

controls turning on and off of the switching device in such a manner as to equalize the supply current and the load current.

9. The rechargeable electric apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

when the load is driven, the control unit

calculates the supply current as a value obtained by dividing a voltage difference between the two ends of the first shunt resistor by the resistance value of the first shunt resistor,

calculates the load current as a value obtained by dividing a voltage difference between the two ends of the second shunt resistor by the resistance value of the second shunt resistor,

compares a voltage V0 at ends of the first shunt resistor and of the second shunt resistor, to which the positive electrode of the secondary battery is connected, with a predetermined first reference voltage Vt1, and

controls turning on and off of the switching device in such a manner as to satisfy the following conditions,

if the voltage V0>

the voltage Vt1, then the supply current<

the load current,

if the voltage V0=the voltage Vt1, then the supply current=the load current, and

if the voltage V0<

the voltage Vt1, then the supply current>

the load current.

10. The rechargeable electric apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

when the load is not driven, the control unit

calculates the supply current as a value obtained by dividing a voltage difference between the two ends of the first shunt resistor by the resistance value of the first shunt resistor,

calculates a leak current of the rechargeable electric apparatus as a value obtained by dividing a voltage difference between the two ends of the second shunt resistor by the resistance value of the second shunt resistor,

compares a voltage V0 at ends of the first shunt resistor and of the second shunt resistor, to which the positive electrode of the secondary battery is connected, with a predetermined second reference voltage Vt2, and

controls turning on and off of the switching device in such a manner as to satisfy the following conditions,

if the voltage V0<

the voltage Vt2, then the supply current>

the leak current, and

if the voltage V0>

the voltage Vt2, then the supply current=the leak current.

11. The rechargeable electric apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

a switch connected between the positive electrode of the secondary battery and the first and second shunt resistors, the switch being configured to be turned off when the supply current becomes equal to the load current or the leak current so as to electrically disconnect the secondary battery from the switching device and the load.

12. The rechargeable electric apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the control unit calculates a battery capacity of the secondary battery by

subtracting a current obtained by dividing a voltage difference between the two ends of the second shunt resistor by the resistance value of the second shunt resistor from a current obtained by dividing a voltage difference between the two ends of the first shunt resistor by the resistance value of the first shunt resistor, and

accumulating a plurality of the values obtained by the subtraction.