Apparatus using a battery

• US 8,527,224 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2008
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Armand, Marc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang, Haidong
• Application Number:
  US12/273,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20090164153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,750 Days
• Field of Search: 702/63, 320/131, 324/433
• US Class Current: 702/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An apparatus using a battery includes a receiving unit, a determination unit and a calculation unit. The receiving unit receives a dischargeable capacity, a first voltage and a second voltage from the battery. The first voltage is used to display the end of an available time and the second voltage is used to carry out a low power operation. The determination unit determines whether the first voltage is less than the second voltage. The calculation unit corrects the dischargeable capacity and calculates the available time based on the corrected dischargeable capacity, if the determination unit determines that the first voltage is less than the second voltage.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit that receives a dischargeable capacity, a first predetermined voltage and a second predetermined voltage from a battery, wherein the electronic apparatus displays a low power warning on a display unit after a battery voltage reaches the first predetermined voltage, and the electronic apparatus carries out a low power operation after the battery voltage reaches the second predetermined voltage; and

a calculation unit that;

calculates a difference between the first predetermined voltage and the second predetermined voltage,

determines, using the calculated difference between the first predetermined voltage and the second predetermined voltage, whether or not the first predetermined voltage is less than the second predetermined voltage,

corrects the dischargeable capacity if the calculation unit has determined that the first predetermined voltage is less than the second predetermined voltage,

calculates a first available time using the corrected dischargeable capacity if the calculation unit has determined that the first predetermined voltage is less than the second predetermined voltage, and

calculates a second available time using the dischargeable capacity if the calculation unit has determined that the first predetermined voltage is not less than the second predetermined voltage.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electronic apparatus includes a camera.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein either the first available time or the second available time is not displayed on the display unit if the electronic apparatus cannot communicate with the battery.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electronic apparatus displays the first available time or the second available time on the display unit.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the receiving unit receives a total capacity and an initial capacity from the battery, and

wherein the calculation unit calculates a correction capacity using the total capacity and the initial capacity if the calculation unit has determined that the first predetermined voltage is less than the second predetermined voltage, wherein the correction capacity is used to correct the dischargeable capacity.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first predetermined voltage and the second predetermined voltage that are received from the battery are calculated by a computing device within the battery.

7. A method comprising:

causing a receiving unit of an electronic apparatus to receive a dischargeable capacity, a first predetermined voltage and a second predetermined voltage from a battery, wherein the electronic apparatus displays a low power warning on a display unit after a battery voltage reaches the first predetermined voltage, and the electronic apparatus carries out a low power operation after the battery voltage reaches the second predetermined voltage;

causing a calculation unit of the electronic apparatus to calculate a difference between the first predetermined voltage and the second predetermined voltage;

causing the calculation unit to determine, using the calculated difference between the first predetermined voltage and the second predetermined voltage, whether or not the first predetermined voltage is less than the second predetermined voltage;

causing the calculation unit to correct the dischargeable capacity if the calculation unit has determined that the first predetermined voltage is less than the second predetermined voltage;

causing the calculation unit to calculate a first available time using the corrected dischargeable capacity if the calculation unit has determined that the first predetermined voltage is less than the second predetermined voltage; and

causing the calculation unit to calculate a second available time using the dischargeable capacity if the calculation unit has determined that the first predetermined voltage is not less than the second predetermined voltage.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the electronic apparatus includes a camera.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein either the first available time or the second available time is not displayed on the display unit if the electronic apparatus cannot communicate with the battery.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the electronic apparatus displays the first available time or the second available time on the display unit.

11. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

causing the receiving unit to receive a total capacity and an initial capacity from the battery; and

causing the calculation unit to calculate a correction capacity using the total capacity and the initial capacity if the calculation unit has determined that the first predetermined voltage is less than the second predetermined voltage, wherein the correction capacity is used to correct the dischargeable capacity.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the first predetermined voltage and the second predetermined voltage that are received from the battery are calculated by a computing device within the battery.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores a program for causing a computer to execute a method, the method comprising:

causing a receiving unit of an electronic apparatus to receive a dischargeable capacity, a first predetermined voltage and a second predetermined voltage from a battery, wherein the electronic apparatus displays a low power warning on a display unit after a battery voltage reaches the first predetermined voltage, and the electronic apparatus carries out a low power operation after the battery voltage reaches the second predetermined voltage;

causing a calculation unit of the electronic apparatus to calculate a difference between the first predetermined voltage and the second predetermined voltage;

causing the calculation unit to determine, using the calculated difference between the first predetermined voltage and the second predetermined voltage, whether or not the first predetermined voltage is less than the second predetermined voltage;

causing the calculation unit to correct the dischargeable capacity if the calculation unit has determined that the first predetermined voltage is less than the second predetermined voltage;

causing the calculation unit to calculate a first available time using the corrected dischargeable capacity if the calculation unit has determined that the first predetermined voltage is less than the second predetermined voltage; and

causing the calculation unit to calculate a second available time using the dischargeable capacity if the calculation unit has determined that the first predetermined voltage is not less than the second predetermined voltage.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the electronic apparatus includes a camera.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein either the first available time or the second available time is not displayed on the display unit if the electronic apparatus cannot communicate with the battery.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the electronic apparatus displays the first available time or the second available time on the display unit.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

causing the receiving unit to receive a total capacity and an initial capacity from the battery; and

causing the calculation unit to calculate a correction capacity using the total capacity and the initial capacity if the calculation unit has determined that the first predetermined voltage is less than the second predetermined voltage, wherein the correction capacity is used to correct the dischargeable capacity.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the first predetermined voltage and the second predetermined voltage that are received from the battery are calculated by a computing device within the battery.