Device, method and computer readable recording medium for indicating charge information of a battery

• US 6,414,466 B1
• Filed: 10/16/2000
• Issued: 07/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Materials Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Materials Corporation
• Inventors: Ida, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Application Number:
  US09/688,529
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 320/127, 320/128, 320/132, 320/135, 320/DIG.18, 320/DIG.21, 324/425, 324/433, 340/635, 340/636, 429/61, 429/90
• US Class Current: 320/132
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/32 for printing in Braille or with keyboards specially adapted for use by blind or disabled persons
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0225 User interface arrangements, e.g. keyboard, display; Interfaces to other computer systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/003 using tactile presentation of the information, e.g. Braille displays
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/21 State of charge of battery

Abstract

A state and amount of charge indication device includes a braille indicator indicating characters in braille, a key unit for selecting information to be indicated, a charge control circuit, which controls the charging of a rechargeable battery and which is used to detect the state of charge. An A/D converter is provided for measuring a charging voltage of the rechargeable battery and a central processing unit controls, based on operations by the key unit, the braille indicator. The braille indicator is used to indicate states of charge, such as “in process of charging”, “completion of charging”, and “rechargeable battery error”, or the result of detection by the A/D converter, such as “fully charged”, “half charged”, or “remaining charge insufficient”.

Claims

1. A state and amount of charge indication device, comprising:

an indication means for indicating the state or the amount of charge in one of braille, vibrations and sounds;

an operating unit for selecting information to be indicated;

a state of charge detecting means for detecting a state of charge in a rechargeable battery;

an amount of charge detecting means for detecting an amount of charge in said rechargeable battery; and

a control means for controlling, based on an operation using said operating unit, said indication means to indicate one of the detected state of charge and the detected amount of charge.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said indication means comprises a braille indication means including a plurality of braille indication units, each braille indication unit indicating a braille character, and

the detected amount of charge is indicated by the number of braille indication units set to be in a first indication mode and the number of braille indication units set to be in a second indication mode different from said first indication mode.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said indication means comprises a braille indication means including a braille indication unit for indicating a braille character, and

said braille indication means indicates the detected amount of charge in the form of a braille numeral.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said indication means indicates the detected state of charge as one of at least four types of indications indicating that an external power supply is unconnected, that said rechargeable battery is in process of charging, that the charging of said rechargeable battery is completed, and that said rechargeable battery is malfunctioning.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said indication means comprises a vibrator, and said control means controls said vibrator to vibrate in a pattern representing one of the detected state of charge and the detected amount of charge.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said indication means comprises a sound source, and

said control means controls said sound source to generate sounds representing one of the detected state of charge and the detected amount of charge.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said state and amount of charge indication device is integrated into an electronic braille calculator.

8. A state and amount of charge indication method, comprising:

indicating the state and the amount of charge in one of braille, vibrations and sounds via an indication means;

selecting information to be indicated via an operating unit;

detecting a state of charge in a rechargeable battery via a state of charge detecting means;

detecting an amount of charge in said rechargeable battery via an amount of charge detecting means; and

controlling, via a control means, based on an operation using said operating unit, said indication means to indicate one of the detected state of charge and the detected amount of charge.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of indicating the state and the amount of charge comprises indicating the state and the amount of charge in braille via a braille indication means including a plurality of braille indication units, each braille indication unit indicating a braille character, and

indicating the detected amount of charge by the number of braille indication units set to be in a first indication mode and the number of braille indication units set to be in a second indication mode different from said first indication mode.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of indicating the state and the amount of charge comprises indicating the state and the amount of charge in braille via a braille indication means including a braille indication unit for indicating a braille character, and

indicating the detected amount of charge in the form of a braille numeral via said braille indication means.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of indicating the state and the amount of charge comprises indicating the detected state of charge as one of at least four types of indications indicating that an external power supply is unconnected, that said rechargeable battery is in process of charging, that the charging of said rechargeable battery is completed, and that said rechargeable battery is malfunctioning.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of indicating the state and the amount of charge comprises indicating the state and the amount of charge with vibration via a vibrator, and

controlling, via said control means, said vibrator to vibrate in a pattern representing one of the detected state of charge and the detected amount of charge.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of indicating the state and the amount of charge comprises indicating the state and the amount of charge with sound via a sound source, and

controlling, via said control means, said sound source to generate sounds representing one of the detected state of charge and the detected amount of charge.

14. A computer program product including a computer program configured to perform the steps recited in anyone of claims 8-13.