Method of controlling charging secondary battery based on type of secondary battery and apparatus

• US 7,498,765 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2004
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Fujimoto, Mikihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US10/938,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20050057217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: 320/106, 320/107, 320/110, 320/112
• US Class Current: 320/106
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00041 in response to measured battery parameters, e.g. voltage, current or temperature profile
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries

Abstract

A rechargeable battery charging apparatus includes a type detection section for determining the type of rechargeable battery, a power-supply section for charging the rechargeable battery, and a charging control section for controlling the power-supply section. The charging control section stops the charging of the rechargeable battery or changes the limitation value of the charging current when it is detected by the type detection section that the type of the rechargeable battery is changed during charging.

Claims

1. A rechargeable battery charging method comprising:

a determination step of determining the type of rechargeable battery;

a charging step of charging said rechargeable battery; and

a control step of controlling said charging step,

wherein said control step stops the charging operation when it is detected in said determination step that the type of said rechargeable battery is changed during charging in said charging step.

2. The rechargeable battery charging method according to claim 1, further comprising a determination signal determination step of determining a determination signal for determining the type of said rechargeable battery,

wherein said determination step determines the type of said rechargeable battery on the basis of the fact that the voltage level of said determination signal differs depending on the type of said rechargeable battery.

3. The rechargeable battery charging method according to claim 2, wherein said determination step determines that the type of said rechargeable battery is changed when the voltage of said determination signal is changed by a predetermined value or more.

4. The rechargeable battery charging method according to claim 3, further comprising:

a storing step of storing the voltage value of said determination signal immediately before charging is started; and

a comparison step of comparing the voltage value of said determination signal, which is stored in said storing step, with the voltage of the determination signal during charging,

wherein said determination step determines that the type of said rechargeable battery is changed when the comparison result in said comparison step is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

5. The rechargeable battery charging method according to claim 3, further comprising:

a storing step of storing the voltage value of said determination signal after a predetermined time has passed from when the charging was started; and

a comparison step of comparing the voltage value of said determination signal, which is stored in said storing step, with the voltage of the determination signal during charging,

wherein said determination step determines that the type of said rechargeable battery is changed when the comparison result in said comparison step is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

6. A rechargeable battery charging method comprising:

storing data of a determination signal for determining a type of a rechargeable battery,

wherein the determination signal is different from a voltage level of the rechargeable battery before supplying the rechargeable battery with power;

start supplying the rechargeable battery with power in accordance with the data of the determination signal stored in the storing step;

comparing data of the determination signal output from the rechargeable battery with the data of the determination signal stored in the storing step during supplying the rechargeable battery with power; and

controlling to stop supplying the rechargeable battery with the power, when the difference between the output data of the determination signal and the stored data of the determination signal is more than a predetermined value.

7. The rechargeable battery charging method according to claim 6, further comprising setting to prevent restarting the power supply after the control step controls to stop the power supply.

8. The rechargeable battery charging method according to claim 6, wherein the rechargeable battery includes a resistor defining a value of the data of the determination signal.