Power source residual capacity measuring apparatus and power source apparatus having power source capacity measuring circuit

• US 5,473,262 A
• Filed: 04/19/1994
• Issued: 12/05/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoshimatsu, Morio
• Primary Examiner(s): Wieder, Kenneth A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOWSER, BARRY
• Application Number:
  US08/229,929
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 324/771, 324/430, 324/429, 324/427, 320/35, 379/382
• US Class Current: 324/429
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/21 State of charge of battery

Abstract

According to the invention, there is provided a power source residual capacity measuring apparatus comprising: a circuit for measuring a residual capacity of a power source in accordance with a terminal voltage of the power source; a circuit for detecting a current flowing in a load connected to the power source; and a circuit for correcting the residual capacity of the power source which was measured by the measuring circuit in accordance with the current detection value and characteristics of the power source.

Claims

1. A power source residual capacity measuring apparatus comprising:

means for measuring a residual capacity of a power source in accordance with a terminal voltage of the power source;

means for detecting a current flowing in a load connected across said power source; and

means for correcting a residual capacity of the power source which was measured by said measuring means in accordance with the current detection value and characteristics of said power source.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for outputting the result of the measurement of said corrected residual capacity of the power source.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said residual capacity measurement result is output to a display section of an electronic apparatus to which said power source is installed.

4. A power source apparatus comprising:

a power source; and

power source residual capacity measuring means having means for measuring a residual capacity of said power source in accordance with a terminal voltage of the power source, means for detecting a current flowing in a load connected across the power source, means for correcting the residual capacity of the power source which was measured by said measuring means in accordance with said current detection value and characteristics of the power source, and means for outputting the result of the calculation of said corrected residual capacity of the power source.

5. A power source residual capacity measuring apparatus comprising:

means for measuring a residual capacity of a power source in accordance with a terminal voltage of said power source;

display means for displaying the residual capacity of the power source which was measured by said measuring means; and

charge detecting means for detecting whether the battery is being charged or not,

wherein a residual capacity state of the power source is displayed by said display means for a period of time during which the power source is not charged;

switch means for setting whether a residual capacity of the power source is displayed or not; and

timer means for detecting the elapse of a predetermined time after the turn-on of said switch means,

wherein when the switch means is turned on for a period of time during which the power source is not charged, the residual capacity state of the power source is displayed by said display means for said predetermined time after the turn-on of the switch means.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising low voltage detecting means for detecting that the terminal voltage of the power source decreased,

and wherein when said terminal voltage of the power source decreases, a terminal of the power source is opened.