Battery pack and method for permanently disabling functions of a pirated battery pack
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A battery pack for use in electronic equipment, comprising:
- a battery block;
a charge/discharge circuit which provides a charge/discharge path for the battery block;
a non-volatile memory readable and writable by the battery pack;
a voltage measurement circuit which measures an output voltage of the battery block;
a processor which stops a power supply through the charge/discharge circuit when the output voltage is less than an extinction voltage, resets and stops operating when the output voltage is at and below a reset voltage that is less than the extinction voltage, stores the output voltage measurement in the non-volatile memory on a regular cycle when the output voltage of the battery block is less than the extinction voltage and greater than the reset voltage, and permanently disables functions of the charge/discharge circuit after the processor resets if an amount of change in the output voltage measurement stored in the non-volatile memory per unit time exceeds a predetermined voltage change value.
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Abstract
A battery pack and method are disclosed that permanently disable the battery pack on portable electronic equipment if the battery pack has been inauthentically remanufactured. An output voltage value and a discharge current value of the battery block are measured regularly and an amount of change in the output voltage value per unit time is calculated. If the amount of change in the output voltage value per unit time or the discharge current value exceeds predetermined values, operation of an electric circuit involved in charge/discharge operations of the battery pack is permanently disabled.
14 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A battery pack for use in electronic equipment, comprising:
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a battery block; a charge/discharge circuit which provides a charge/discharge path for the battery block; a non-volatile memory readable and writable by the battery pack; a voltage measurement circuit which measures an output voltage of the battery block; a processor which stops a power supply through the charge/discharge circuit when the output voltage is less than an extinction voltage, resets and stops operating when the output voltage is at and below a reset voltage that is less than the extinction voltage, stores the output voltage measurement in the non-volatile memory on a regular cycle when the output voltage of the battery block is less than the extinction voltage and greater than the reset voltage, and permanently disables functions of the charge/discharge circuit after the processor resets if an amount of change in the output voltage measurement stored in the non-volatile memory per unit time exceeds a predetermined voltage change value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A battery pack for use in electronic equipment, comprising:
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a battery block; a charge/discharge circuit which provides a charge/discharge path for the battery block; a non-volatile memory readable and writable by the battery pack; a voltage measurement circuit which measures an output voltage of the battery block; a processor which stops a power supply through the charge/discharge circuit when the output voltage is less than an extinction voltage, resets and stops operating when the output voltage is at and below a reset voltage that is less than the extinction voltage, stores the output voltage measurement in the non-volatile memory on a regular cycle when the output voltage of the battery block is less than the extinction voltage and greater than the reset voltage, and permanently disables the charge/discharge circuit from discharging the battery block after the processor resets if an amount of change in the output voltage measurement stored in the non-volatile memory per unit time exceeds a predetermined voltage change value, wherein the processor sets an inauthentic state in the non-volatile memory if a discharge current value exceeds a predetermined current value, and the processor permanently disabled the functions of the charge/discharge circuit when resetting in response to the set inauthentic state. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A method for disabling functions of a battery pack which has a battery block, a processor, and a non-volatile memory, comprising the steps of:
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measuring an output voltage of the battery block on a regular cycle; stopping a power supply through a charge/discharge circuit when the output voltage is less than an extinction voltage; resetting and stopping operation of a processor when the output voltage is at and below a reset voltage that is less than the extinction voltage; storing the output voltage measurement in a non-volatile memory on the regular cycle when the output voltage of the battery block is less than the extinction voltage and greater than the reset voltage; permanently disabling, by use of the processor, functions of the battery pack after the processor resets if an amount of change in the output voltage measurement stored in the non-volatile memory per unit time exceeds a predetermined voltage change value. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A method for disabling functions of a battery pack which has a battery block, a processor, and a non-volatile memory, comprising the steps of:
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measuring a discharge current and an output voltage of the battery block on a regular cycle; and stopping the discharge current flowing through a charge/discharge circuit when the output voltage is less than an extinction voltage; resetting and stopping operation of a processor when the output voltage is at and below a reset voltage that is less than the extinction voltage; storing the discharge current measurement in a non-volatile memory on the regular cycle when the output voltage of the battery block is less than the extinction voltage and greater than the reset voltage; permanently disabling, by use of the processor, functions of the battery pack after the processor resets if the discharge current measurement stored in the non-volatile memory. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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Specification