Battery residual quantity display method and electronic equipment

• US 8,368,356 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2009
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakashima, Ryoichi, Sato, Hideyuki, Tsuchiya, Yukio, Nawa, Kazuyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOATENG, ALEXIS ASIEDUA
• Application Number:
  US12/504,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20090280396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• Field of Search: 320/116, 320/117, 320/119, 320/124, 320/125, 320/134, 320/135, 320/136, 320/127, 320/161
• US Class Current: 320/134
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3646 for indicating electrical conditions or variables, e.g. visual or audible indicators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/81 by operating on the power supply, e.g. enabling or disabling power-on, sleep or resume operations
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4221 with battery type recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/488 Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack detachably connectable to an equipment body to supply power to the equipment body, the battery pack including a battery cell, a microcomputer for communicating with the equipment body, a connection terminal connected to the microcomputer, a positive power supply input terminal connected to a cathode of the battery cell; and a negative power supply input terminal connected to an anode of the battery cell. After the power of the equipment body is turned on, the microcomputer alternately sends to the equipment body by serial communication via the connection terminal information to be used in authentication processing executed by the equipment body and information to be used in a battery residual quantity count executed by the equipment body. After the authentication processing is complete, the microcomputer sends to the equipment body information to be used in updating the battery residual quantity count executed by the equipment body.

Claims

1. A microcomputer having a communication function used for a battery pack configured to be detachably loaded at an equipment body, the microcomputer being configured to be connected to a connection terminal of the battery pack, the microcomputer comprising:

a processor configured to operate in at least two states, including

a first state, in which the microcomputer sends battery authentication data and battery residual quantity data to the equipment body for processing by the equipment body in a timely alternating manner by serial communication via the connection terminal before an authentication process is completed, and

a second state, which follows the first state, wherein the microcomputer sends battery residual quantity data to the equipment body after the authentication process is completed.

2. The microcomputer of claim 1, wherein the microcomputer is further configured to repeat the timely alternation of sending battery authentication data and battery residual quantity data a plurality of times.

3. The microcomputer according to claim 1, wherein the microcomputer is further configured to detect a current flowing out from the battery pack as information for the battery residual quantity display to integrate current quantities thereof to thereby determine a current usable quantity of the battery.

4. A battery pack configured to be detachably loaded at an equipment body, the battery pack comprising:

a battery cell;

a microcomputer according to claim 1;

a connection terminal connected to the microcomputer; and

a power supply input terminal having a plus side connected to a cathode of the battery cell and a minus side connected to an anode of the battery cell.

5. An equipment body configured to be detachably loaded at a battery pack, the equipment body comprising:

a microcomputer having a communication function; and

a connection terminal connected to the microcomputer,

wherein the microcomputer includes a processor configured to operate in at least two states including

a first state, in which the microcomputer receives battery authentication data and battery residual quantity data from the battery pack by serial communication via the connection terminal for performing an authentication process in a timely alternating manner before the authentication process is completed, and

a second state, which follows the first state, in which the microcomputer of the equipment body receives battery residual quantity data from a microcomputer of the battery pack after the authentication process is completed.

6. The equipment body according to claim 5, wherein the microcomputer of the equipment body is further configured to repeat the timely alternation of receiving battery authentication data and battery residual quantity data a plurality of times.

7. The equipment body according to claim 5, wherein the microcomputer of the equipment body is further configured to acquire, by serial communication, a current usable quantity of the battery as information for the battery residual quantity display from the microcomputer of the battery pack loaded at the equipment body, to calculate a remaining usable time of the battery based on the acquired current usable quantity of the battery and current consumption value of the equipment, and to display a battery residual quantity.

8. The equipment body according to claim 5, wherein the microcomputer of the equipment body is configured to display a notification that the battery pack loaded at the equipment body is not a genuine battery pack and to cut off power supply of the equipment body when the microcomputer of the equipment body judges by the authentication process that the battery pack loaded at the equipment body is not the genuine battery pack.

9. The equipment body according to claim 5, wherein the microcomputer of the equipment body is further configured to store a previous result of the authentication process and to use the previous result of the authentication process in a subsequent authentication process at a subsequent time when power to the equipment body is turned on.

10. A system comprising:

an equipment body according to claim 5;

a battery pack including,

a battery cell;

a microcomputer having a communication function used for a battery pack configured to be detachably loaded at an equipment body, the microcomputer being configured to be connected to a connection terminal of the battery pack, the microcomputer comprising;

a processor configured to operate in at least two states, including

a first state, in which the microcomputer sends battery authentication data and battery residual quantity data to the equipment body for processing by the equipment body in a timely alternating manner by serial communication via the connection terminal before an authentication process is completed, and

a second state, which follows the first state, wherein the microcomputer sends battery residual quantity data to the equipment body after the authentication process is completed; and

a connection terminal connected to the microcomputer,

wherein the battery pack is detachably loaded at the equipment body.