ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20160329607A1
• Filed: 12/24/2014
• Published: 11/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: MIYAO, Masanori
• Granted Patent: US 10,283,818 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• 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: H01M 10/615 Heating or keeping warm
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6554 Rods or plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6571 Resistive heaters arrangements for heating the battery by its resistance to the internal current H01M10/637
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/569 Constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements G01R31/364
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/06 Two-wire systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

There is provided an electronic device that can heat an auxiliary battery as a standby power supply and check a function of the auxiliary battery with a simpler configuration. The device is provided with a heater resistor for heating an auxiliary battery incorporated in an in-vehicle emergency notification device as a standby power supply for a main battery, and is also provided with first and second power supply switches for forming first and second power supply paths for supplying power from the main battery and the auxiliary battery to the heater resistor, respectively. A control circuit controls the first and second power supply switches to form the power supply paths so as to conduct a current to the heater resistor.

Claims

1. An electronic device that operates with power supplied from an external main battery and incorporates an auxiliary battery as a standby power supply for the main battery, the electronic device comprising:

a heating element that heats the auxiliary battery;

a first power supply path formation unit that forms a first power supply path for supplying power from the main battery to the heating element;

a second power supply path formation unit that forms a second power supply path for supplying power from the auxiliary battery to the heating element;

a control circuit that controls the first and second power supply path formation units to form the first or second power supply path so as to conduct a current to the heating element; and

a temperature detection unit that detects a temperature of the auxiliary battery, wherein

the control circuit monitors a power supply state of the main battery, and

when the temperature of the auxiliary battery falls to an operable temperature or below and when power supply from the main battery is available, the control circuit forms the first power supply path so as to conduct the current to the heating element,

after detection of the temperature of the auxiliary battery, when an amount of voltage change of the auxiliary battery detected before and after formation of the second power supply path or an amount of voltage change of the auxiliary battery detected when the amount of current conducted to the heating element after formation of the second power supply path is changed in a plurality of levels exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the control circuit determines that the auxiliary battery is abnormal or has reached an end of life, and

the control circuit determines the operable temperature, based on a voltage change of the auxiliary battery with respect to the temperature of the auxiliary battery.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the first power supply path formation unit includes a first power supply switch disposed between the main battery and the heating element, and

the second power supply path formation unit includes a second power supply switch disposed between the auxiliary battery and the heating element.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the first and second power supply path formation units are configured with:

a first power supply switch disposed between the main battery and the heating element;

a second power supply switch disposed between the auxiliary battery and the heating element; and

a current conducting switch disposed between the heating element and a ground.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

when the temperature of the auxiliary battery falls to the operable temperature or below and when power supply from the main battery is unavailable, the control circuit forms the second power supply path so as to conduct the current to the heating element.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the control circuit determines a heating-up end temperature of the auxiliary battery, based on the operable temperature.

10. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

when the temperature of the auxiliary battery falls to the operable temperature or below, the control circuit predicts power necessary for operation, and

when the control circuit determines that supply of the power becomes unavailable by conducting the current to the heating element, the control circuit stops to conduct the current to the heating element.

11. The electronic device according to claim 10, wherein

the control circuit determines, by referring to terminal voltages of the main and auxiliary batteries, whether or not the supply of the power is available.

12. The electronic device according to claim 10, wherein

the control circuit determines output capacity of the auxiliary battery, based on a state of current conducted to the heating element.

13. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein

the control circuit determines the output capacity, by referring to a terminal voltage of the auxiliary battery.

15. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the heating element is configured so that power consumption is switched in a plurality of levels, and

the control circuit controls conduction of the current to the heating element so as to switch the power consumption of the heating element in accordance with usage of the heating element.

4-5. -5. (canceled)

7-8. -8. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

16. An electronic device that operates with power supplied from an external main battery and incorporates an auxiliary battery as a standby power supply for the main battery, the electronic device comprising:

a heating element that heats the auxiliary battery;

a first power supply path formation unit that forms a first power supply path for supplying power from the main battery to the heating element;

a second power supply path formation unit that forms a second power supply path for supplying power from the auxiliary battery to the heating element;

a control circuit that controls the first and second power supply path formation units to form the first or second power supply path so as to conduct a current to the heating element; and

a temperature detection unit that detects a temperature of the auxiliary battery, wherein

when the temperature of the auxiliary battery falls to an operable temperature or below, the control circuit forms the second power supply path so as to conduct the current to the heating element,

after detection of the temperature of the auxiliary battery, when an amount of voltage change of the auxiliary battery detected before and after formation of the second power supply path or an amount of voltage change of the auxiliary battery detected when the amount of current conducted to the heating element after formation of the second power supply path is changed in a plurality of levels exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the control circuit determines that the auxiliary battery is abnormal or has reached an end of life, and

the control circuit determines the operable temperature, based on a voltage change of the auxiliary battery with respect to the temperature of the auxiliary battery.

17. An electronic device that operates with power supplied from an external main battery and incorporates an auxiliary battery as a standby power supply for the main battery, the electronic device comprising:

a heating element that heats the auxiliary battery;

a first power supply path formation unit that forms a first power supply path for supplying power from the main battery to the heating element;

a second power supply path formation unit that forms a second power supply path for supplying power from the auxiliary battery to the heating element;

a control circuit that controls the first and second power supply path formation units to form the first or second power supply path so as to conduct a current to the heating element; and

a temperature detection unit that detects a temperature of the auxiliary battery, wherein

the heating element is configured so that power consumption is switched in a plurality of levels,

the control circuit monitors a power supply state of the main battery,

when the temperature of the auxiliary battery falls to an operable temperature or below and when power supply from the main battery is available, the control circuit forms the first power supply path so as to conduct the current to the heating element, and

when the temperature of the auxiliary battery falls to the operable temperature or below, the control circuit predicts power necessary for operation, and controls conduction of the current to the heating element so as to switch the power consumption so that the power consumption of the heating element falls below the predicted power.

18. An electronic device that operates with power supplied from an external main battery and incorporates an auxiliary battery as a standby power supply for the main battery, the electronic device comprising:

a heating element that heats the auxiliary battery;

a first power supply path formation unit that forms a first power supply path for supplying power from the main battery to the heating element;

a second power supply path formation unit that forms a second power supply path for supplying power from the auxiliary battery to the heating element;

a control circuit that controls the first and second power supply path formation units to form the first or second power supply path so as to conduct a current to the heating element; and

a temperature detection unit that detects a temperature of the auxiliary battery, wherein

the heating element is configured so that power consumption is switched in a plurality of levels,

when the temperature of the auxiliary battery falls to an operable temperature or below, the control circuit forms the second power supply path so as to conduct the current to the heating element, and

when the temperature of the auxiliary battery falls to the operable temperature or below, the control circuit predicts power necessary for operation, and controls conduction of the current to the heating element so as to switch the power consumption so that the power consumption of the heating element falls below the predicted power.