Power supply apparatus for supplying power from a plurality of batteries to a plurality of loads, and electronic appliance using the power supply apparatus

• US 5,959,368 A
• Filed: 10/24/1997
• Issued: 09/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Saito, Kuniaki, Ozawa, Hidekiyo, Kubo, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): PALADINI, ALBERT WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US08/962,966
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 307/18, 307/23, 307/25, 307/29, 307/38, 307/81, 307/39, 320/102, 320/121, 320/427
• US Class Current: 307/18
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0025 Sequential battery discharge in systems with a plurality of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/008 Plural converter units for generating at two or more independent and non-parallel outputs, e.g. systems with plural point of load switching regulators

Abstract

In a power supply apparatus including a plurality of batteries and a plurality of power supply portions for connecting to loads, a plurality of switches connect these batteries to these power supply portions, respectively. The apparatus further includes a control mechanism which controls the opening and closing operations of the switches. When one of the switches is turned on in one of the power supply means, the control mechanism executes the control in such a manner that the other switches are turned off. The control mechanism further controls each of the switches on the basis of the remaining capacity of each battery and the load state of each power supply portion. Accordingly, the power supply operation can be flexibly carried out.

Claims

1. A power supply means comprising:

a plurality of batteries;

a plurality of power supply means for connecting to loads;

a plurality of switch means for connecting each of said batteries to each of said power supply means;

discharging current measurement means for measuring discharging currents of a plurality of said batteries; and

control means for controlling opening and closing operations of the plurality of said switch means in accordance with a remaining capacity of each of said batteries and with a load state by measuring a remaining capacity of each of said batteries, and by measuring a load current for each of said power supply means.

2. A power supply apparatus comprising:

a plurality of secondary batteries;

a plurality of power supply means for connecting to loads;

a plurality of switch means for connecting each of said batteries to each of said power supply means;

external power supply input means for connecting an external DC power supply to each of said power supply means;

a charging circuit connected between said external power supply input means and each of said batteries;

discharging current measurement means for measuring a discharging current of each of said batteries;

charging current measurement means for measuring a charging current for each of said batteries;

load current measurement means for measuring a load current for each of said power supply means as a load state of said power supply means; and

control means for calculating the remaining capacity of each of said batteries from the discharging current measured by said discharging current measurement means and the charging current measured by said charging current measurement means, and for controlling opening and closing operations of each of said switch means in accordance with each of said battery remaining capacity and each of said load states.

3. A power supply apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said power supply means includes a DC--DC convertor for converting an input voltage to a constant voltage.

4. A power supply apparatus according to claim 2, which further comprises a plurality of backflow prevention diodes connected between said external power supply input means and each of said power supply means.

5. A power supply apparatus according to claim 2, which further comprises a plurality of switch means connected between each of said batteries and said charging circuit.

6. A power supply apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said control means controls said switch means in such a manner as to sequentially charge, one by one, said batteries when each of said batteries is charged by said charging circuit.

7. A power supply apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said control means controls said switch means in such a manner that one of said power supply means is connected to one of said batteries.

8. A power supply apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said control means controls said switch means in such a manner that a plurality of said power supply means are connected to one of said batteries.

9. A power supply apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said control means controls said switch means in such a manner that said batteries having greater remaining capacity are connected to said power supply means having greater loads.

10. A power supply apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said control means controls said switch means in such a manner that said batteries having smaller remaining capacity are connected to said power supply means having greater loads.

11. An electronic appliance equipped with a power supply apparatus, said power supply apparatus comprising:

a plurality of batteries;

a plurality of power supply means for connecting to loads;

a plurality of switch means for connecting each of said batteries to each of said power supply means;

discharging current measurement means for measuring discharging currents of a plurality of said batteries; and

control means for controlling opening and closing operations of the plurality of switch means in accordance with a residual quantity of each of said batteries and with a load state by measuring a residual quantity of each of said batteries, and measuring a load current for each of said power supply means.

12. An electronic appliance equipped with a power supply apparatus, said power supply apparatus comprising:

a plurality of secondary batteries;

a plurality of power supply means for connecting to loads;

a plurality of switch means for connecting each of said batteries to each of said power supply means;

external power supply input means for connecting an external DC power supply to each of said power supply portions;

a charging circuit connected between said external power supply input means and each of said batteries;

discharging current measurement means for measuring a discharging current of each of said batteries;

charging current measurement means for measuring a charging current for each of said batteries;

load current measurement means for measuring a load current for each of said power supply means as a load state of said power supply means; and

control means for calculating a remaining capacity of each of said batteries from the discharging current measured by said discharging current measurement means and the charging current measured by said charging current measurement means, and for controlling opening and closing operations of each of said switch means in accordance with each of said battery remaining capacity and each of said load states.

13. An electronic appliance according to claim 12, wherein said power supply means includes a DC--DC convertor for converting an input voltage to a constant voltage.

14. An electronic appliance according to claim 12, which further comprises a plurality of backflow prevention diodes connected between said external power supply input means and each of said power supply means.

15. An electronic appliance according to claim 12, which further comprises a plurality of switch means connected between each of said batteries and said charging circuit.

16. An electronic appliance according to claim 15, wherein said control means controls said switch means in such a manner as to sequentially charge said batteries one by one when each of said batteries is charged by said charging circuit.

17. An electronic appliance according to claim 12, wherein said control means controls said switch means in such a manner that one of said power supply means is connected to one of said batteries.

18. An electronic appliance according to claim 12, wherein said control means controls said switch means in such a manner that a plurality of said power supply means are connected to one of said batteries.

19. An electronic appliance according to claim 12, wherein said control means controls said switch means in such a manner that said batteries having greater remaining capacity are connected to said power supply means having greater loads.

20. An electronic appliance according to claim 12, wherein said control means controls said switch means in such a manner that said batteries having smaller remaining capacity are connected to said power supply means having greater loads.

21. A power supply apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of batteries;

a plurality of power supply means for connecting to loads;

a plurality of switch circuits for connecting each of the batteries to each of the power supply circuits;

discharging current measurement means for measuring a discharging current of each of said batteries; and

a controller for controlling opening and closing operations of each of said switch circuits in accordance with a remaining capacity of each of said batteries measured by said discharging current measurement means.

22. An electric appliance equipped with a power supply apparatus, said power supply apparatus further comprising:

a plurality of batteries;

a plurality of power supply circuits for connecting to a plurality of loads;

a plurality of switch circuits for connecting each of the batteries to each of the power supply circuits;

discharging current measurement means for measuring a discharging current of each of said batteries; and

a controller for controlling opening and closing operations of each of said switch circuits in accordance with a remaining capacity of each of said batteries measured by said discharging current measurement means.

23. A power supply apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of battery connection means;

a plurality of power supply means for connecting to loads;

a plurality of switch means for connecting each of said plurality of battery connection means to each of said power supply means;

discharging current measurement means for measuring discharging currents through the battery connection means; and

control means for controlling opening and closing operations of the plurality of said switch means in accordance with a remaining capacity of batteries connected to each of said battery connection means and with a load state by measuring the remaining capacity of the batteries, and by measuring a load current for each of said power supply means.

24. A power supply apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of connection means for connecting to a corresponding plurality of batteries;

a plurality of power supply means for connecting to loads;

a plurality of switch means for connecting each of said battery connection means to each of said power supply means;

external power supply input means for connecting an external DC power supply to each of said plurality of power supply means;

a charging circuit connected between said external power supply input means and each of said plurality of battery connection means;

discharging current measuring means for measuring a discharging current through each of said battery connection means;

charging current measuring means for measuring a charging current through each of said battery connection means;

load current measuring means for measuring a load current for each of said power supply means as a load state of said power supply means; and

control means for calculating a remaining capacity of the batteries connected to each of the plurality of battery connection means from the discharging current measured by said discharging current measurement means and the charging current measured by said charging current measuring means, and for controlling opening and closing operations of said switch means in accordance with the remaining capacity of the batteries in each of said load states.

25. An electronic appliance equipped with a power supply apparatus, said power supply apparatus comprising:

a plurality of battery connection means;

a plurality of power supply means for connecting to loads;

a plurality of switch means for connecting each of said plurality of battery connection means to each of said power supply means;

discharging current measurement means for measuring discharging currents through said plurality of battery connection means; and

control means for controlling opening and closing operations of the plurality of switch means in accordance with a residual quantity of batteries connected to said battery connection means and with a load state by measuring a residual quantity of each of the batteries.

26. An electronic appliance equipped with a power supply apparatus, said power supply apparatus comprising:

a plurality of battery connection means;

a plurality of power supply means for connecting to loads;

a plurality of switch means for connecting each of said battery connection means to each of said power supply means;

external power supply input means for connecting an external DC power supply to each of said power supply portions;

a charging circuit connected between said external power supply input means and each of said battery connection means;

discharging current measurement means for measuring a discharging current through each of said battery connection means;

charging current measurement means for measuring a charging current through each of said battery connection means;

load current measurement means for measuring a load current for each of said power supply means as a load state of said power supply means; and

control means for calculating a remaining capacity of batteries connected to said battery connection means from the discharging current measured by said discharging current measurement means and the charging current measured by said charging current measurement means, and for controlling opening and closing operations of each of said switch means in accordance with the calculated remaining capacity and each of the load states.

27. A power supply means comprising:

a plurality of batteries;

a plurality of power supply means for connecting to loads;

a plurality of switch means for connecting each of said batteries to each of said power supply means;

remaining battery capacity measure means based upon consumed power of the respective batteries measuring discharging currents of a plurality of said batteries; and

control means for controlling opening and closing operations of the plurality of said switch means in accordance with a remaining capacity of each of said batteries and with a load state by measuring a remaining capacity of each of said batteries, and by measuring a load power for each of said power supply means.

28. An electronic appliance equipped with a power supply apparatus, said power supply apparatus comprising:

a plurality of batteries;

a plurality of power supply means for connecting to loads;

a plurality of switch means for connecting each of said batteries to each of said power supply means;

remaining battery capacity measure means based upon consumed power of the respective batteries measuring discharging currents of a plurality of said batteries; and

control means for controlling opening and closing operations of the plurality of switch means in accordance with a residual quantity of each of said batteries and with a load state by measuring a residual quantity of each of said batteries, and measuring a load power for each of said power supply means.

29. A power supply apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of batteries;

a plurality of power supply means for connecting to loads;

a plurality of switch circuits for connecting each of the batteries to each of the power supply circuits;

remaining battery capacity measure means based upon consumed power of the respective batteries measuring a discharging current of each of said batteries; and

a controller for controlling opening and closing operations of each of said switch circuits in accordance with a remaining capacity of each of said batteries measured by said remaining battery capacity measure means.

30. An electric appliance equipped with a power supply apparatus, said power supply apparatus further comprising:

a plurality of batteries;

a plurality of power supply circuits for connecting to a plurality of loads;

a plurality of switch circuits for connecting each of the batteries to each of the power supply circuits;

remaining battery capacity measure means based upon consumed power of the respective batteries measuring a discharging current of each of said batteries; and

a controller for controlling opening and closing operations of each of said switch circuits in accordance with a remaining capacity of each of said batteries measured by said remaining battery capacity measure means.

31. A power supply apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of battery connection means;

a plurality of power supply means for connecting to loads;

a plurality of switch means for connecting each of said plurality of battery connection means to each of said power supply means;

remaining battery capacity measure means based upon consumed power of the respective batteries measuring discharging currents through the battery connection means; and

control means for controlling opening and closing operations of the plurality of said switch means in accordance with a remaining capacity of batteries connected to each of said battery connection means and with a load state by measuring the remaining capacity of the batteries, and by measuring a load power for each of said power supply means.

32. A power supply apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of connection means for connecting to a corresponding plurality of batteries;

a plurality of power supply means for connecting to loads;

a plurality of switch means for connecting each of said battery connection means to each of said power supply means;

external power supply input means for connecting an external DC power supply to each of said plurality of power supply means;

a charging circuit connected between said external power supply input means and each of said plurality of battery connection means;

remaining battery capacity measure means based upon consumed power of the respective batteries measuring a discharging current through each of said battery connection means;

charging current measuring means for measuring a charging current through each of said battery connection means;

load current measuring means for measuring a load current for each of said power supply means as a load state of said power supply means; and

control means for calculating a remaining capacity of the batteries connected to each of the plurality of battery connection means from the discharging current measured by said remaining battery capacity measure means and the charging current measured by said charging current measuring means, and for controlling opening and closing operations of said switch means in accordance with the remaining capacity of the batteries in each of said load states.

33. An electronic appliance equipped with a power supply apparatus, said power supply apparatus comprising:

a plurality of battery connection means;

a plurality of power supply means for connecting to loads;

a plurality of switch means for connecting each of said plurality of battery connection means to each of said power supply means;

remaining battery capacity measure means based upon consumed power of the respective batteries for measuring discharging currents through said plurality of battery connection means; and

control means for controlling opening and closing operations of the plurality of switch means in accordance with a residual quantity of batteries connected to said battery connection means and with a load state by measuring a residual quantity of each of the batteries.

34. An electronic appliance equipped with a power supply apparatus, said power supply apparatus comprising:

a plurality of battery connection means;

a plurality of power supply means for connecting to loads;

a plurality of switch means for connecting each of said battery connection means to each of said power supply means;

external power supply input means for connecting an external DC power supply to each of said power supply portions;

a charging circuit connected between said external power supply input means and each of said battery connection means;

remaining battery capacity measure means based upon consumed power of the respective batteries for measuring a discharging current through each of said battery connection means;

charging current measurement means for measuring a charging current through each of said battery connection means;

load current measurement means for measuring a load current for each of said power supply means as a load state of said power supply means; and

control means for calculating a remaining capacity of batteries connected to said battery connection means from the discharging current measured by said remaining battery capacity measure means and the charging current measured by said charging current measurement means, and for controlling opening and closing operations of each of said switch means in accordance with the calculated remaining capacity and each of the load states.