Battery charging apparatus

• US 5,861,732 A
• Filed: 10/09/1997
• Issued: 01/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Koji, Saeki, Takayuki, Takimoto, Hiroyuki, Tobe, Kazumitsu, Harigaya, Isao
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIN, KYUNG E
• Application Number:
  US08/947,713
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 320/133, 320/134, 320/135, 320/136, 320/128, 320/130, 320/132, 320/DIG. 21, 320/DIG. 18, 324/426, 324/427, 324/430, 324/433, 324/434, 324/435, 340/636
• US Class Current: 320/132
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007184 in response to battery voltage gradient
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/21 State of charge of battery

Abstract

A charging apparatus for charging a secondary battery arranged in such a manner that the interterminal voltage of the battery, which is being charged, is measured so that the charging status of the battery is detected in accordance with the measured interterminal voltage of the battery which is being charged and the charging/discharging characteristics with respect to the interterminal voltage of the battery. As a result, the charging status of the battery can accurately be detected.

Claims

1. An electric apparatus having a function to check a battery, comprising:

(a) said battery for supplying the power to said apparatus;

(b) measuring means for measuring a terminal voltage of said battery at a predetermined period in the course of battered charging;

(c) display means for displaying information corresponding to a usable time of said battery in accordance with the terminal voltage of said battery; and

(d) display control means having a memory stored with a plurality of sets of control data each controlling a displaying state of said display means which state corresponds to the terminal voltage of said battery, for reading out a set of control data from among said plurality of sets of control data stored in said memory in accordance with the terminal voltage of said battery measured by said measuring means and for outputting said set of control data thus read out to said display means.

2. An electric apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said battery is a rechargeable secondary battery.

3. An electric apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display means includes an analog/digital converter, which can put the measured terminal voltage of said battery into a data form.

4. An electric apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said measuring means is arranged to represent in numeral the usable time of said battery so as to be displayed on said display means.

5. An electric apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said memory stores a plurality of sets of data each being represented in numeral to be displayed on said display means, each having a correspondence to the terminal voltage of said battery.

6. An electric apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said measuring means is arranged to represent in length of a bar the usable time of said battery so as to be displayed on said display means.

7. An electric apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said memory stores a plurality of sets of data each being represented in length of a bar to be displayed on said display means, each having a correspondence to the terminal voltage of said battery.

8. An electric apparatus having a function to check a battery, comprising:

(a) said battery for supplying the power to said apparatus;

(b) measuring means for measuring an electromotive force of said battery at a predetermined period in the course of battery charging;

(c) display means for displaying information corresponding to a usable time of said battery in accordance with the electromotive force of said battery; and

(d) display control means having a memory stored with a plurality of sets of control data each controlling a displaying state of said display means which state corresponds to the electromotive force of said battery, for reading out a set of control data from among said plurality of sets of control data stored in said memory in accordance with the electromotive force of said battery measured by said measuring means and for outputting said set of control data thus read out to said display means.

9. An electric apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said battery is a rechargeable secondary battery.

10. An electric apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said display means includes an analog/digital converter which can put the measured electromotive force of said battery into a data form.

11. An electric apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said measuring means is arranged to represent in numeral the usable time of said battery so as to be displayed on said display means.

12. An electric apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said memory stores a plurality of sets of data each being represented in numeral to be displayed on said display means, each having a correspondence to the electromotive force of said battery.

13. An electric apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said measuring means is arranged to represent in length of a bar the usable time of said battery so as to be displayed on said display means.

14. An electric apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said memory stores a plurality of sets of data each being represented in length of a bar to be displayed on said display means, each having a correspondence to the electromotive force of said battery.

15. An electric apparatus having a function to charge a secondary battery, comprising:

(a) said battery for supplying the power to said apparatus;

(b) measuring means for measuring a terminal voltage of said battery at a predetermined period in the course of battery charging;

(c) display means for displaying information corresponding to a usable time of said battery in accordance with the terminal voltage of said battery; and

(d) display control means having a memory stored with a plurality of sets of control data each controlling a displaying state of said display means which state corresponds to the terminal voltage of said battery, for reading out a set of control data from among said plurality of sets of control data stored in said memory in accordance with the terminal voltage of said battery measured by said measuring means and for outputting said set of control data thus read out to said display means.

16. An electric apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said secondary battery is arranged to be detachably attachable to said apparatus.

17. An electric apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said display means includes an analog/digital converter which can put the measured terminal voltage of said battery into a data form.

18. An electric apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said measuring means is arranged to represent in numeral the usable time of said battery so as to be displayed on said display means.

19. An electric apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said memory stores a plurality of sets of data each being represented in numeral to be displayed on said display means, each having a correspondence to the terminal voltage of said secondary battery.

20. An electric apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said measuring means is arranged to represent in length of a bar the usable time of said battery so as to be displayed on said display means.

21. An electric apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said memory stores a plurality of sets of data each being represented in length of a bar to be displayed on said display means, each having a correspondence to the terminal voltage of said secondary battery.

22. An electric apparatus having a function to charge a battery, comprising:

(a) said battery for supplying the power to said apparatus;

(b) measuring means for measuring an electromotive force of said battery at a predetermined period in the course of battery charging;

(c) display means for displaying information corresponding to a usable time of said battery in accordance with the electromotive force of said battery; and

(d) display control means having a memory stored with a plurality of sets of control data each controlling a displaying state of said display means which state corresponds to the electromotive force of said battery, for reading out a set of control data from among said plurality of sets of control data stored in said memory in accordance with the electromotive force of said battery measured by said measuring means and for outputting said set of control data thus read out to said display means.

23. An electric apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said secondary battery is arranged to be detachably attachable to said apparatus.

24. An electric apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said display means includes an analog/digital converter which can put the measured electromotive force of said secondary battery into a data form.

25. An electric apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said measuring means is arranged to represent in numeral the usable time of said battery so as to be displayed on said display means.

26. An electric apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said memory stores a plurality of sets of data each being represented in numeral to be displayed on said display means, each having a correspondence to the electromotive force of said secondary battery.

27. An electric apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said measuring means is arranged to represent in length of a bar the usable time of said secondary battery so as to be displayed on said display means.

28. An electric apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said memory stores a plurality of sets of data each being represented in length of a bar to be displayed on said display means, each having a correspondence to the electromotive force of said secondary battery.