Electronic equipment and method for enabling plural types of batteries to be selectively used

• US 5,912,544 A
• Filed: 08/06/1997
• Issued: 06/15/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Seki, Nobuaki, Fukuchi, Satoshi, Sueno, Yoshiyuki, Miyakawa, Akihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIN, KYUNG E
• Application Number:
  US08/906,800
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 320/106, 320/134, 320/136, 320/152, 320/DIG. 21
• US Class Current: 320/106
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/367 Software therefor, e.g. for battery testing using modelling or look-up tables
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/374 with means for correcting the measurement for temperature or ageing
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/378 specially adapted for the type of battery or accumulator
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00038 using passive battery identification means, e.g. resistors or capacitors identification by mechanical connections H02J7/0045
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00043 using switches, contacts or markings, e.g. optical, magnetic or barcode
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3883 Arrangements for mounting batteries or battery chargers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3894 Waterproofing of transmission device

Abstract

Electronic equipment, for enabling a plurality types of batteries to be selectively used, which is designed in such a way that discharge characteristic data of a plurality types of batteries to be used is previously stored in a memory unit, a battery including a resistor indicating the type of the battery is fitted to the electronic equipment, the type of the battery is identified on the basis of a resistance value of the resistor, the discharge characteristic data of the battery corresponding to the identified type of battery is read out from the memory unit, a battery voltage is compared with the discharge characteristic data thus read out and a remaining power of the battery is calculated to display the information relating to the remaining power thus calculated.

Claims

1. An electronic equipment comprising:

a battery;

a temperature sensor coupled with said battery, for measuring temperature of said battery;

first detector for detecting the temperature of said battery on the basis of a signal from said temperature sensor;

a memory unit for pre-storing a plurality of discharge characteristic data of said battery depending on temperature of said battery;

output means for reading out one of said discharge characteristic data corresponding to said detected temperature of said battery from said memory unit;

second detector for detecting a voltage level of said battery;

calculating means for calculating data relating to a power consumption of said battery on the basis of both said detected voltage level of said battery and said read out discharge characteristic data;

an indicator for indicating said calculated data relating to said power consumption of said battery; and

control means for controlling said memory unit, said output means, said calculating means and said indicator.

2. An electronic equipment according to claim 1, further comprising:

a transmission and reception unit coupled with said battery;

an operating mode switcher coupled with said transmission and reception unit for switching a transmission mode, a reception mode and a waiting mode in said transmission and reception unit; and

third detector for detecting said operation mode;

wherein said data of said memory unit are a plurality of discharge characteristic data of said battery depending on temperature of said battery and said operating modes of said transmission and reception unit, and said output means reads out one of said discharge characteristic data corresponding to said detected temperature and said detected operating mode from said memory unit.

4. An electronic equipment according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power switch for stopping the electric power from said battery; and

wherein said control means controls said power switch based on said detected voltage level of said battery.

3. An electronic equipment according to clam 1,

wherein said control means controls to indicate at least one of an indication for a remaining power of said battery and a warning indication for a low power of said battery.

5. An electronic equipment comprising:

a battery;

a temperature sensor coupled with said battery, for measuring temperature of said battery;

an element indicating a type of said battery;

first detector for detecting the temperature of said battery on the basis of a signal from said temperature sensor;

second detector for detecting the type of said battery on the basis of said element;

a memory unit for pre-storing a plurality of discharge characteristic data of batteries depending on temperature of said battery and a plurality types of batteries to be used;

output means for reading out one of said discharge characteristic data corresponding to said detected temperature and said detected type of said battery from said memory unit;

third detector for detecting a voltage level of said battery;

calculating means for calculating data relating to a power consumption of said battery on the basis of both said detected voltage level of said battery and said read out discharge characteristic data;

an indicator for indicating said calculated data relating to said power consumption of said battery; and

control means for controlling said memory unit, said output means, said calculating means and said indicator.

6. An electronic equipment according to claim 5, further comprising:

a transmission and reception unit coupled with said battery;

an operating mode switcher coupled with said transmission and reception unit for switching a transmission mode, a reception mode and a waiting mode in said transmission and reception unit; and

forth detector for detecting said operating mode;

wherein said data of said memory unit are a plurality of discharge characteristic data of said battery depending on temperature of said battery, a plurality types of batteries to be used and said operating modes of said transmission and reception unit, and said output means reads out one of said discharge characteristic data corresponding to said detected temperature, said detected type of battery and said detected operating mode from said memory unit.

7. An electronic equipment according to claim 5,

wherein said control means controls to indicate at least one of an indication for a remaining power of said battery and a warning indication for a low power of said battery.

8. An electronic equipment according to claim 5, further comprising:

a power switch for stopping the electric power from said battery; and

wherein said control means controls said power switch based on said detected voltage level of said battery.

9. An electronic equipment according to claim 5,

wherein said temperature sensor and said element indicating the type of said battery are coupled to each other, and an output signal from said temperature sensor and said element is outputted from one terminal in common.

10. An electronic equipment according to claim 5,

wherein said element indicating the type of said battery is means for generating a magnetic force, and said second detector is means for detecting said magnetic force to detect the type of said battery.

11. An electronic equipment comprising:

a battery;

a transmission and reception unit coupled with said battery;

an operating mode switcher coupled with said transmission and reception unit for switching a transmission mode, a reception mode and a waiting mode in said transmission and reception unit;

first detector for detecting said operating mode;

a memory unit for pre-storing a plurality of discharge characteristic data of said battery depending on said operation modes of said transmission and reception unit;

output means for reading out one of said discharge characteristic data corresponding to said detected operation mode from said memory unit;

second detector for detecting a voltage level of said battery;

calculating means for calculating data relating to a power consumption of said battery on the basis of both said detected voltage level of said battery and said selected discharge characteristic data;

an indicator for indicating said calculated data relating to said power consumption of said battery; and

control means for controlling said memory unit, said output means, said calculating means and said indicator.

12. An electronic equipment according to claim 11,

wherein said first detector detects said operation mode on the basis of detected signal levels of a press-to-talk switch signal and a squelch signal.

13. A method of enabling plural types of batteries to be selectively used, comprising the steps of:

storing previously discharge temperature characteristic data containing information corresponding to the change in the temperature and the change in the operation mode of electronic equipment in a memory unit every type of battery to be used;

integrating a battery including discrimination means for representing the type of said battery into said electronic equipment;

discriminating the type of said battery on the basis of said discrimination means included in said battery;

discriminating the temperature on the basis of a signal outputted from detection means for detecting temperature information;

discriminating an operation mode of said electronic equipment;

reading out the discharge temperature characteristic data corresponding to the type and temperature of said battery, and the operation mode of said electronic equipment which have been discriminated from a memory unit;

reading a voltage of said battery; and

calculating the remaining power of said battery on the basis of both the battery voltage which has been read out and the discharge temperature characteristic data which has been read out to report the information relating to the remaining power thus calculated.

14. Electronic equipment including control means for comparing a voltage of a battery with a threshold of a discharge end detection voltage which is previously set and carrying out a predetermined control operation when the voltage of said battery is reduced to a level equal to or lower than the threshold of the discharge end detection voltage, comprising:

discrimination means for discriminating an operation mode of said electronic equipment; and

means for changing the threshold of the discharge end detection voltage;

wherein the threshold of the discharge end detection voltage is changed in correspondence to the operation mode of said electronic equipment which has been discriminated.

15. Electronic equipment according to claim 14, wherein said control means carries out the control in such a way that when the voltage of said battery is reduced down to a level equal to or lower than the threshold of the discharge end detection voltage, the operation of said electronic equipment is stopped.