Battery capacity predicting method, battery unit and apparatus using battery unit
First Claim
1. A battery capacity predicting method predicting a remaining capacity of a battery unit including a plurality of battery cells having respective voltages and connected in series in an apparatus which uses the battery unit, said battery capacity predicting method comprising the steps of:
- (a) comparing the respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells; and
(b) predicting the remaining capacity of the battery unit based on at least one of a minimum voltage and a maximum voltage of the compared, respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A battery capacity predicting method predicts a remaining capacity of a battery unit including a plurality of battery cells connected in series in an apparatus which uses the battery unit. The battery capacity predicting method includes the steps of comparing output voltages of each of the battery cells, and predicting the remaining capacity of the battery unit based on at least one of a minimum voltage and a maximum voltage out of the compared output voltages of the battery cells.
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Citations
75 Claims
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1. A battery capacity predicting method predicting a remaining capacity of a battery unit including a plurality of battery cells having respective voltages and connected in series in an apparatus which uses the battery unit, said battery capacity predicting method comprising the steps of:
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(a) comparing the respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells; and (b) predicting the remaining capacity of the battery unit based on at least one of a minimum voltage and a maximum voltage of the compared, respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 14, 15)
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6. A battery unit comprising:
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a plurality of battery cells having respective voltages and connected in series; an output circuit outputting at least one of a minimum voltage and a maximum voltage of the respective voltages of the battery cells; a first cut-off circuit cutting off an output, to an outside of the battery unit, of a sum total voltage of the respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells when at least one of the respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells becomes less than or equal to a first reference voltage; and a second cut-off circuit cutting off the output, from the output circuit and to the outside of the battery unit, of the at least one of the minimum voltage and the maximum voltage cutting off operation of said first cut-off circuit. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. An apparatus predicting a remaining capacity of a battery unit which has a plurality of battery cells having respective voltages and connected in series, said apparatus comprising:
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a coupler electrically coupling the battery unit to said apparatus; and a predicting unit predicting the remaining capacity of the battery unit based on at least one of a minimum voltage and a maximum voltage of the respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17)
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18. A method of predicting a remaining capacity of a battery unit which comprises a plurality of battery cells having respective voltages and connected in series in an apparatus which uses the battery unit, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) comparing the respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells; and (b) predicting the remaining capacity of the battery unit based on a minimum voltage of the compared, respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A method of predicting a remaining capacity of a battery unit including a plurality of battery cells having respective voltages and connected in series in an apparatus which uses the battery unit, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) comparing the respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells; and (b) predicting the remaining capacity of the battery unit based on a maximum voltage of the compared, respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A battery unit comprising a plurality of battery cells having respective voltages and connected in series, comprising:
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an excessive-discharging and/or excessive-charging preventing circuit preventing excessive-discharging and/or excessive-charging of each of the plurality of battery cells; and an output circuit outputting a minimum voltage and/or a maximum voltage of the respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A battery unit comprising:
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a plurality of battery cells connected in series and having respective output voltages; an excessive-discharging preventing circuit preventing excessive-discharging of each of the plurality of battery cells; and an output circuit outputting a minimum voltage of the respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A battery unit comprising:
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a plurality of battery cells connected in series and having respective voltages; an excessive-charging preventing circuit preventing excessive-charging of each of the plurality of battery cells; and an output circuit outputting a maximum voltage of the respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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37. An apparatus predicting a remaining capacity of a battery unit which has a plurality of battery cells having respective voltages and connected in series, said apparatus comprising:
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a coupler electrically coupling the battery unit to said apparatus; a terminal receiving a minimum voltage of the respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells of the battery unit; and a detecting unit detecting over-discharging of the battery unit based on the minimum voltage. - View Dependent Claims (38, 41, 57)
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39. An apparatus predicting a remaining capacity of a battery unit which has a plurality of battery cells having respective voltages and connected in series, said apparatus comprising:
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a coupler electrically coupling the battery unit to said apparatus; a terminal receiving a maximum voltage of the respective voltages of the battery cells of the battery unit; and a detecting unit detecting over-charging of the battery unit based on the maximum voltage. - View Dependent Claims (40)
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42. An apparatus predicting a remaining capacity of a battery unit which has a plurality of battery cells connected in series, comprising:
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an output circuit outputting a minimum voltage and/or a maximum voltage of respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells; and a predicting unit predicting the remaining capacity of the battery unit based on the minimum voltage and/or the maximum voltage. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44)
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45. An apparatus for predicting a remaining capacity of a battery unit which has a plurality of battery cells connected in series and having respective output voltages, comprising:
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an output circuit outputting a minimum voltage of the respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells; and a predicting unit predicting the remaining capacity of the battery unit based on the minimum voltage. - View Dependent Claims (46)
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47. An apparatus predicting a remaining capacity of a battery unit which has a plurality of battery cells connected in series and having respective output voltages, comprising:
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an output circuit outputting a maximum voltage of the respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells; and a predicting unit predicting the remaining capacity of the battery unit based on the maximum voltage. - View Dependent Claims (48, 54, 55)
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49. A method judging a serviceable life of a battery unit including a plurality of battery cells having respective voltages and connected in series in an apparatus which uses the battery unit, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) comparing the respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells; and (b) judging the serviceable life of the battery unit based on a maximum battery cell voltage value and a minimum battery cell voltage value of the respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells. - View Dependent Claims (50, 56)
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51. An apparatus judging a serviceable life of a battery unit which has a plurality of battery cells connected in series and having respective output voltages, said apparatus comprising:
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a coupling unit electrically coupling the battery unit to said apparatus; and a judging unit judging the serviceable life of the battery unit based on a maximum voltage and a minimum voltage of the respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells.
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52. An apparatus judging a serviceable life of a battery unit which has a plurality of battery cells connected in series and having respective output voltages, said apparatus comprising:
a judging unit judging the serviceable life of the battery unit based on a maximum voltage and a minimum voltage of the respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells.
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53. An apparatus judging a serviceable life of a battery unit which has a plurality of battery cells connected in series and having respective output voltages, comprising:
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a comparing unit comparing voltages of each of the plurality of battery cells so as to derive a minimum battery cell voltage value and a maximum battery cell voltage value of the respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells; and a judging unit judging the serviceable life of the battery unit based on the maximum cell voltage value and the minimum battery cell voltage value.
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58. An apparatus predicting a remaining capacity of a battery unit which has a plurality of battery cells having respective voltages and connected in series, said apparatus comprising:
a predicting unit predicting the remaining capacity of the battery unit based on a minimum voltage of the respective voltages of the battery cells of the battery unit. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 63)
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62. An apparatus predicting a remaining capacity of a battery unit which has a plurality of battery cells having respective voltages and connected in series, said apparatus comprising:
a predicting unit predicting the remaining capacity of the battery unit based on a maximum voltage of the respective voltages of the battery cells of the battery unit. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65)
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66. An apparatus connectable to a battery unit of plural battery cells having respective voltages and connected in series, comprising:
a predicting unit predicting the remaining capacity of the battery unit based on a selected one of maximum and minimum voltages of the respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69)
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70. An apparatus connectable to a battery unit of a plurality of battery cells having respective voltages and connected in series, comprising:
a predicting unit predicting a remaining capacity of the battery unit based on maximum voltage of the respective voltages of the plural battery cells. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72)
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73. An apparatus connectable to a battery unit of a plurality of battery cells having respective output voltages and connected in series, comprising:
a predicting unit predicting a remaining capacity of the battery unit based on a minimum voltage of the respective voltages of the plurality of battery cells. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75)
Specification