Method and system for detecting full charge of a rechargeable battery in a portable computer system

• US 5,637,982 A
• Filed: 06/17/1992
• Issued: 06/10/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Nanno, Nobuyuki, Maeda, Mayumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Application Number:
  US07/899,920
• Time in Patent Office: 1,819 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2, 320/5, 320/21, 320/30, 320/35, 320/36, 320/37, 320/38, 320/48, 320/15, 320/31
• US Class Current: 320/150
• 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: H02J 7/007192 in response to temperature

Abstract

When the display rate of a plasma display reaches a display rate exceeding the rated maximum electric power of the plasma display, the display mode of the plasma display is switched from a high brightness display mode to a normal brightness display mode. An item for selecting whether or not a battery recharge operation is enabled is provided to a setup menu screen. A user arbitrarily selects a charge mode (a battery charge operation is enabled in the normal brightness display mode) or a non-charge mode (the battery charge operation is disabled in the high brightness display mode). When the charge mode is selected, an electric power value obtained by subtracting electric power necessary for recharging the battery from the rated maximum electric power of the plasma display is set as a reference value, and when the display rate requires electric power exceeding the reference value, the display mode is switched from the high brightness display mode to the normal brightness display mode.

Claims

1. A power source control apparatus for a portable computer, provided with an AC adapter for supplying a power, and a rechargeable battery pack connected to the AC adapter, comprising:

a first temperature detecting means including a first temperature sensor provided within the battery pack for detecting a first temperature value within the battery pack by the first temperature sensor;

a second temperature detecting means including a second temperature sensor for detecting an ambient temperature value outside the battery pack by the second temperature sensor; and

comparing means for comparing the first temperature value obtained from the first temperature detecting means with the second temperature value obtained from the second temperature detecting means;

first determining means for determining that the battery pack is fully charged when the first temperature value is larger than the second temperature value by a first reference value;

storage means for storing the first temperature value detected by the first temperature detecting means;

means for reading from the storage means a third temperature value detected by the first temperature detecting means before a predetermined period of time when the first determining means determines that the first temperature value is less than the second temperature value;

second determining means for determining that the battery pack is not fully charged when the first temperature value is less than the third temperature value by a second reference value.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the storage means stores the temperature value detected by the second temperature detecting means;

the reading means reads from the storage means a fourth temperature value detected by the second detecting means before a predetermined period of time when the first temperature value is larger than the third-temperature value by a second reference value; and

the apparatus further comprises,

third determining means for determining that the battery pack is not fully charged when the second temperature value is larger than the fourth temperature value by a third reference value and for determining that the battery pack is fully charged when the second temperature value is less than the fourth temperature value by the second reference value.

3. The power source control apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a second storage means for storing the first, second, and third reference values.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the reading means includes means for reading from the storage means the temperature value of the battery pack four minutes before the first temperature value is detected.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the reading means includes means for reading from the storage means, the temperature value of the battery pack four minutes before the second temperature value is detected.

6. A power source control method for a portable computer, provided with an AC adapter for supplying a power, and a rechargeable battery pack connected to the AC adapter, comprising the steps of;

a) detecting a first temperature value within the battery by a first temperature sensor provided within the battery pack;

b) detecting a second temperature value of an ambient temperature outside the battery pack by a second temperature sensor provided out of the battery pack;

c) comparing the first temperature value obtained in step a) with the second temperature value obtained in step b);

d) determining that the battery pack is fully charged when the first temperature value is larger than the second temperature value by a first reference value;

e) storing in a memory the first temperature value detected in step a);

f) reading from the memory a third temperature value detected in step a) before a predetermined period of time when the determining step d) determines that the first temperature value is less than the second temperature value; and

g) determining that the battery pack is not fully charged when the first temperature value is less than the third temperature value by a second reference value.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein:

the step e) stores the first temperature value detected in step d);

the step f) reads from the memory a fourth temperature value detected in step b) before a predetermined period of time when the first temperature value is larger than the third temperature value by a second reference value; and

the method further comprises;

h) determining that the battery pack is not fully charged when the second temperature value is larger than the fourth temperature value by a third reference value and determining that the battery pack is fully charged when the second temperature value is less than the fourth temperature value by the second reference value.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising a step of i) storing the first, second, and third reference values.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step f) comprises reading the temperature value of the battery pack four minutes before the first temperature value is detected.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step f) comprises reading the temperature value of the battery pack four minutes before the second temperature value is detected.

11. A power source control apparatus for a portable computer, provided with an AC adapter for supplying a power, and a rechargeable battery pack connected to the AC adapter, comprising:

a first temperature detecting means including a first temperature sensor provided within the battery pack for detecting a first temperature value within the battery by the first temperature sensor;

a second temperature detecting means including a second temperature sensor for detecting an ambient temperature value outside the battery pack by the second temperature sensor; and

comparing means for comparing the first temperature value obtained from the first temperature detecting means with the second temperature value obtained from the second temperature detecting means;

first determining means for determining that the battery pack is fully charged when the first temperature value is larger than the second temperature value by a first reference value;

storage means for storing the first temperature value detected by the first temperature detecting means;

means for reading from the storage means a third temperature value detected by the first temperature detecting means before a predetermined period of time when the first determining means determines that the first temperature value is less than the second temperature value; and

second determining means for determining that the battery pack is fully charged when the first temperature value is larger than the third temperature value by a second reference value.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein:

the storage means stores the temperature value detected by the second temperature detecting means;

the reading means reads from the storage means a fourth temperature value detected by the second detecting means before a predetermined period of time when the first temperature value is larger than the third temperature value by a second reference value; and

the apparatus further comprises,

third determining means for determining that the battery pack is not fully charged when the second temperature value is larger than the fourth temperature value by a third reference value and for determining that the battery pack is fully charged when the second temperature value is less than the fourth temperature value by the second reference value.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the reading means includes means for reading from the storage means the temperature value of the battery pack four minutes before the first temperature value is detected.

14. A power source control method for a portable computer, provided with an AC adapter for supplying a power, and a rechargeable battery pack connected to the AC adapter, comprising the steps of:

a) detecting a first temperature value within the battery by a first temperature-sensor provided within the battery pack;

b) detecting a second temperature value of an ambient temperature outside the battery pack by a second temperature sensor provided out of the battery pack;

c) comparing the first temperature value obtained in step a)with the second temperature value obtained in step b);

d) determining that the battery pack is fully charged when the first temperature value is larger than the second temperature value by a first reference value;

e) storing in a memory the first temperature value detected in step a);

f) reading from the memory a third temperature value detected in step a) before a predetermined period of time when the determining step d) determines that the first temperature value is less than the second temperature value; and

g) determining that the battery pack is fully charged when the first temperature value is larger than the third temperature value by a second reference value.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein:

the step e) stores the first temperature value detected in step d);

the step f) reads from the memory a fourth temperature value detected in step b) before a predetermined period of time when the first temperature value is larger than the third temperature value by a second reference value; and

,

the method further comprises,

h) determining that the battery pack is not fully charged when the second temperature value is larger than the fourth temperature value by a third reference value and determining that the battery pack is fully charged when the second temperature value is less than the fourth temperature value by the second reference value.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising a step of i) storing the first, second, and third reference values.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step f) comprises reading the temperature value of the battery pack four minutes before the first temperature value is detected.

18. The method according to claim 37, wherein the step f) comprises reading the temperature value of the battery pack four minutes before the second temperature value is detected.