ELECTRONIC APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20200136169A1
• Filed: 09/04/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (Minebea Mitsumi, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (Minebea Mitsumi, Inc.)
• Inventors: NISHIDA, Tetsu, ITAGAKI, Takatoshi, WAINAI, Noriyuki, KINOSHITA, Yasuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 11,024,885 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/058 Construction or manufacture
• 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 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/488 Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes a secondary battery; a touch panel; a deformation amount detector configured to detect a deformation amount of the secondary battery; a touch determination unit configured to determine whether the touch panel is in a touch state; and a state determination unit configured to determine a state of the secondary battery using the deformation amount detected by the deformation amount detector when the touch panel is in the non-touch state based on a determination result of the touch determination unit.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a secondary battery;

a touch panel;

a deformation amount detector configured to detect a deformation amount of the secondary battery;

a touch determination unit configured to determine whether the touch panel is in a touch state; and

a state determination unit configured to determine a state of the secondary battery using the deformation amount detected by the deformation amount detector when the touch panel is in the non-touch state based on a determination result of the touch determination unit.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the state determination unit determines an abnormal state when a value of the deformation amount exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the state determination unit records one of the deformation amounts detected by the deformation amount detector as an initial value and determines the predetermined threshold value based on the initial value.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the state determination unit determines the state based on a time change rate of the deformation amount in addition to the value of the deformation amount.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the deformation amount detector is a strain gauge or a pressure sensor.

6. A control method for controlling an electronic apparatus, the electronic apparatus including a secondary battery, a touch panel, and a deformation amount detector for detecting a deformation amount of the secondary battery, the control method comprising:

a touch determination step of determining whether the touch panel is in a touch state, and

a state determination step of determining a state of the secondary battery using the deformation amount detected by the deformation amount detector when the touch panel is in a non-touch state based on the determination result in the touch determination step.