Electronic equipment and battery unit

• US 6,498,459 B1
• Filed: 11/09/1999
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Ozawa, Hidekiyo, Okumura, Masafumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUK, LAWRENCE W
• Application Number:
  US09/437,288
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 320/128, 320/127, 320/112, 320/114, 320/107, 320/164
• US Class Current: 320/128
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence

Abstract

An electronic equipment is connectable to a battery unit which includes an electronic circuit and a battery, and is provided with a power supply circuit to supply a power supply voltage directly to the electronic circuit.

Claims

1. An electronic equipment connectable to a battery unit which includes a battery and an electronic circuit having the battery isolated as a power supply, comprising:

a power supply section supplying power to the electronic circuit.

8. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 1, which further comprises a terminal supplying a power supply voltage from said power supplying section to the electronic circuit.

9. The electronic equipment as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, which further comprises a controller judging whether or not to supply a power supply voltage to the battery within the battery unit.

10. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 9, wherein said controller makes a judgement based on information from the electronic circuit.

11. The electronic equipment as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, which further comprises a terminal inputting information from the electronic circuit.

12. The electronic equipment as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, which further comprises an information output section outputting information to the electronic circuit.

13. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 12, which further comprises a terminal outputting information to the electronic circuit.

14. The electronic equipment as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, which further comprises a controller which carries out at least one of a data read or a data write with respect to the electronic circuit.

15. The electronic equipment as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the electronic circuit is electrically insulated from the battery within the battery unit.

2. An electronic equipment connectable to a battery unit which includes a battery and an electronic circuit having the battery electrically disconnected therefrom, comprising:

a power supplying section supplying power to the electronic circuit.

3. An electronic equipment connectable to a battery unit including a battery and an electronic circuit, comprising:

a power supply circuit supplying a power supply voltage directly to the electronic circuit.

4. An electronic equipment connectable to a battery unit which includes a battery and an electronic circuit, said electronic circuit being isolated from the battery as a power supply within the battery unit, said electronic equipment comprising:

a power supply section supplying power to the electronic circuit.

5. An electronic equipment connectable to a battery unit which includes a battery and an electronic circuit, said battery being connectable to the electronic equipment but being isolated from the electronic circuit as a power supply when the battery is disconnected from the electronic equipment, said electronic equipment comprising:

a power supplying section supplying power to the electronic circuit.

6. An electronic equipment connectable to a battery unit which includes a battery and electronic circuit, comprising:

a power input section receiving a supply of power from the battery; and

a power supplying section supplying power to the electronic circuit of the battery unit.

7. An electronic equipment connectable to a battery unit which includes a battery and an electronic circuit, comprising:

a first terminal receiving a supply of power from the battery; and

a second terminal supplying power to the electronic circuit of the battery unit.

16. A battery unit comprising:

a battery; and

an electronic circuit electrically insulated from the battery.

24. The battery unit as claimed in any of claims 16 to 23, which further comprises a terminal supplying an external power supply voltage to the electronic circuit.

25. The battery unit as claimed in any of claims 16 to 23, which further comprises a terminal which inputs external information to and/or externally outputs information from the electronic circuit.

26. The battery unit as claimed in any of claims 16 to 23, wherein said electronic circuit includes a storage device.

27. The battery unit as claimed in claim 26, wherein said storage device stores information related to the battery.

28. The battery unit as claimed in claim 26, wherein said storage device stores one information selected from a group which includes information related to at least one of regular voltage, current temperature, capacity and serial number of the battery, and information related to a present remaining capacity of the battery.

29. The battery unit as claimed in any of claims 16 to 23, wherein the battery supplies power to an equipment external to the battery unit.

17. A battery unit comprising:

a battery; and

an electronic circuit having the battery isolated as a power supply.

18. A battery unit comprising:

a battery; and

an electronic circuit electrically disconnected from the battery.

19. A battery unit comprising:

a battery; and

an electronic circuit receiving a supply of power directly from outside the battery unit.

20. A battery unit comprising:

a battery; and

an electronic circuit having the battery isolated as a power supply within the battery unit.

21. A battery unit comprising:

a battery;

an electronic circuit;

a power output section supplying power from the battery to an outside of the battery unit; and

a power input section receiving a supply of power to the electronic circuit from the outside of the battery unit.

22. A battery unit comprising:

a battery;

an electronic circuit;

a first terminal supplying power from the battery to an outside of the battery unit; and

a second terminal receiving a supply of power to the electronic circuit from the outside of the battery unit.

23. A battery unit connectable to an equipment, comprising:

a battery;

an electronic circuit having the battery isolated as a power supply when the battery unit is disconnected from the equipment; and

a power input section receiving a supply of power to the electronic circuit from an outside of the battery unit.

30. An apparatus comprising:

a battery unit which includes a battery and an electronic circuit having the battery isolated as a power supply; and

an electronic equipment connectable to said battery unit and including a power supplying section supplying power to the electronic circuit.

36. The apparatus as claimed in any of claims 30 to 35, wherein the electronic circuit of said battery unit inputs information from and/or outputs information to said electronic equipment.

31. An apparatus comprising:

a battery unit which includes a battery and an electronic circuit electrically disconnected from the battery; and

an electronic equipment connectable to said battery unit and including a power supplying section supplying power to the electronic circuit.

32. An apparatus comprising:

a battery unit including a battery and an electronic circuit; and

an electronic equipment, connectable to said battery unit, including a power input section receiving a supply of power from the battery, and a power supplying section supplying power to the electronic circuit of said battery unit.

33. An apparatus comprising:

a battery unit including a battery and an electronic circuit; and

an electronic equipment, connectable to said battery unit, including a first terminal receiving a supply of power from the battery, and a second terminal supplying power to the electronic circuit of said battery unit.

34. An apparatus comprising:

a battery unit including a battery and an electronic circuit; and

an electronic equipment connectable to said battery unit, said electronic circuit being isolated from the battery as a power supply when said battery unit is disconnected from said electronic equipment.

35. An apparatus comprising:

a battery unit including a battery and an electronic circuit; and

an electronic equipment connectable to said battery unit, said battery unit supplying power to said electronic equipment from the battery of said battery unit, said electronic equipment supplying power to the electronic circuit of said battery unit.