Portable electronic apparatus

• US 6,384,572 B1
• Filed: 05/31/2000
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nishimura, Yoshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): TOATLEY, GREGORY J
• Application Number:
  US09/583,910
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 320/132, 320/149, 320/106, 320/112, 320/134, 320/136
• US Class Current: 320/106
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries

Abstract

A control unit of a portable electronic apparatus includes a secondary battery cell or a battery, a control unit in which information about the electric power characteristics of the secondary battery or the battery has been stored, a loading unit into which plural types of batteries which produce the same output voltage and incorporating output terminals having the same shape are loaded, a communication unit for receiving information about the electric power characteristics from the battery; and a control unit incorporating a storage portion in which information about a plurality of operations corresponding to information about the electric power characteristics is stored and arranged to read information about the operation from the storage portion in accordance with information about the electric power characteristics communicated from the control unit of the battery pack to control a plurality of operations of an apparatus body.

Claims

1. A control unit of a portable electronic apparatus comprising:

a secondary battery cell or a battery;

control means in which information about the electric power characteristics of said secondary battery or said battery has been stored;

loading means into which plural types of batteries which produce the same output voltage and incorporating output terminals having the same shape are loaded;

communication means for receiving information about the electric power characteristics from said battery; and

control means incorporating a storage portion in which information about a plurality of operations corresponding to information about the electric power characteristics is stored and arranged to read information about the operation from said storage portion in accordance with information about the electric power characteristics communicated from said control means of said battery pack so as to control apparatus operations.

2. A control unit of a portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means obtains information about the internal connection of said secondary battery cell or said battery in accordance with information about the electric power characteristics to control apparatus operations.

3. A control unit of a portable electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said control identifies the number of said secondary battery cells or said batteries and connected in parallel in accordance with information about the electric power characteristics to control the functions of said apparatus in accordance with a result of identification.

4. A video camera apparatus incorporating an image pickup device for converting light from a subject into an image signal and a display portion for displaying the image signal, said video camera apparatus comprising:

a secondary battery cell or a battery;

control means in which information about the electric power characteristics of said secondary battery or said battery has been stored;

loading means into which plural types of batteries which produce the same output voltage and incorporating output terminals having the same shape are loaded;

communication means for receiving information about the electric power characteristics from said battery; and

control means incorporating a storage portion in which information about a plurality of operations corresponding to information about the electric power characteristics are stored and arranged to read information about the operation from said storage portion in accordance with information about the electric power characteristics communicated from said control means of said battery pack so as to control apparatus operations.

5. A video camera apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said control means obtains information about the internal connection of said secondary battery cell or said battery in accordance with information about the electric power characteristics to control a display state of said display portion in accordance with information about the internal connection.

6. A video camera apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said display means incorporates a first display portion and a second display portion, and said control means obtains information about the internal connection of said secondary battery cell or said battery in accordance with information about the electric power characteristics to control a state in which said display portion performs display in accordance with information about the internal connection.

7. A video camera apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said control means obtains information about the internal connection of said secondary battery cell or said battery in accordance with information about the electric power characteristics to control a state of display of said first display portion when information about the internal connection is first information and control the state of said second display portion to perform display when information about the internal connection is second information.

8. A method of controlling a video camera apparatus which incorporates an image pickup device for converting light from a subject into an image signal and a display portion for displaying the image signal, said method of controlling a video camera apparatus comprising the steps of:

storing and controlling information about the electric power characteristics of a secondary battery cell or a battery;

loading plural types of batteries which produce the same output voltage and which incorporate output terminals having the same shape and receiving information about electric power characteristics from said battery; and

reading information about the operation from a storage portion in which information about a plurality of the operations corresponding to information about the electric power characteristics is stored in accordance with information about the electric power characteristics supplied from said control means of said battery pack to control apparatus operations.

9. A method of controlling a video camera apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said control step is a step in which information about the internal connection of said secondary battery cell or said battery is obtained in accordance with information about the electric power characteristics to control a display state of said display portion.

10. A method of controlling a video camera apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said display means includes a first display portion and a second display portion, and said control step is a step in which information about the internal connection of said secondary battery cell or said battery is obtained in accordance with information about the electric power characteristics to control the display state of said display portion.

11. A method of controlling a video camera apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said control step is a step in which information about the internal connection of said secondary battery cell or said battery is obtained in accordance with information about the electric power characteristics to control a state of display of said first display portion when information about the internal connection is first information and control the state of said second display portion to perform display when information about the internal connection is second information.