Battery authentication system, electronic device, battery, and battery charger

• US 8,633,801 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2009
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Iwai, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLLOWAY III, EDWIN C
• Application Number:
  US12/419,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20090256717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,750 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.8, 340/5.31, 340/636.1, 340/636.2, 320/106, 713/300, 713/340
• US Class Current: 340/5.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user

Abstract

A battery authentication system according to the present invention includes a battery and an electronic device. The battery includes a battery authentication portion that includes battery identification information and performs authentication between the battery and the electronic device. The electronic device includes: a power source that supplies electric power from the battery to respective portions in the electronic device; a storage portion that stores the battery identification information of usable batteries; a device authentication portion that performs authentication of the battery; and a control portion that compares the battery identification information of the battery with the battery identification information stored in the storage portion. The control portion compares the battery identification information of the battery authenticated successfully in the device authentication portion with the battery identification information stored in the storage portion, and controls the power source based on a result of the comparison. According to the battery authentication system of the present invention, it is possible to recognize whether a battery mounted is authenticated or not, and accordingly to determine whether the battery can be used or not. Therefore, it is possible to permit the use of a genuine battery and a non-genuine battery and to eliminate a counterfeit battery.

Claims

1. A battery authentication system comprising:

an electronic device; and

a battery that is attachable to and detachable from the electronic device,

wherein the battery comprises a battery authentication portion that includes battery identification information and performs authentication between the battery and the electronic device,

wherein the electronic device comprises;

a power source that supplies electric power from the battery to respective portions in the electronic device;

a storage portion that stores the battery identification information of usable batteries;

a device authentication portion that performs authentication of the battery; and

a control portion,

wherein the electronic device is configured to perform a two stage authentication process that includes a first stage authentication process to determine whether the battery is a counterfeit battery and a second stage authentication process to determine whether the battery is a non-genuine battery, and

wherein during the second stage authentication process, the control portion compares the battery identification information of the battery authenticated successfully in the device authentication portion during the first stage authentication process with the battery identification information stored in the storage portion, and controls the power source based on a result of the comparison.

3. The battery authentication system according to claim 1, further comprising a display portion that can display remaining amount information of the battery,

wherein the control portion changes a display mode of the remaining amount information to be displayed in the display portion according to the battery identification information.

4. The battery authentication system according to claim 1, wherein the battery identification information stored in the storage portion is modifiable.

5. The battery authentication system according to claim 1, wherein the battery identification information stored in the battery authentication portion only can be read out from the battery authentication portion.

2. A battery authentication system comprising:

a battery charger; and

a battery that is attachable to and detachable from the battery charger,

wherein the battery comprises a battery authentication portion that includes battery identification information and performs authentication between the battery and the battery charger,

wherein the battery charger comprises;

a storage portion that stores the battery identification information of usable batteries;

a battery charger authentication portion that performs authentication of the battery; and

a control portion,

wherein the battery charger is configured to perform a two stage authentication process that includes a first stage authentication process to determine whether the battery is a counterfeit battery and a second stage authentication process to determine whether the battery is a non-genuine battery, and

wherein during the second stage authentication process, the control portion compares the battery identification information of the battery authenticated successfully in the battery charger authentication portion during the first stage authentication process with the battery identification information stored in the storage portion, and controls a charging operation based on a result of the comparison.

6. An electronic device that can be operated by electric power supplied by a battery including battery identification information, the device comprising:

a power source that supplies the electric power from the battery to respective portions in the electronic device;

a storage portion that stores the battery identification information of usable batteries;

a device authentication portion that is configured to perform a first stage authentication process of a two stage authentication process to determine whether the battery is a counterfeit battery; and

a control portion,

wherein the control portion is configured to perform a second stage authentication process by comparing the battery identification information of the battery authenticated successfully in the device authentication portion during the first stage authentication process with the battery identification information stored in the storage portion to determine whether the battery is a non-genuine battery, and the control portion is configured to control the power source based on a result of the comparison.

7. A battery charger that can charge a battery including battery identification information, the charger comprising:

a storage portion that stores the battery identification information of usable batteries;

a battery charger authentication portion that is configured to perform a first stage authentication process of a two stage authentication process to determine whether the battery is a counterfeit battery; and

a control portion,

wherein the control portion is configured to perform a second stage authentication process by comparing the battery identification information of the battery authenticated successfully during the first stage authentication process in the battery charger authentication portion with the battery identification information stored in the storage portion to determine whether the battery is a non-genuine battery, and the control portion is configured to control a charging operation based on a result of the comparison.

8. A battery comprising a battery authentication portion that includes battery identification information and is configured to perform a first stage authentication of a two stage authentication process between the battery and an electronic device or a battery charger to determine whether the battery is a counterfeit battery,

wherein the battery authentication portion stores the battery identification information that is different depending on a type of the battery, and

wherein when the battery is authenticated successfully during the first stage authentication of the two stage authentication process, the battery identification information is compared with battery identification stored in the electronic device or the battery charger to determine whether the battery is a non-genuine battery at a second stage of the two stage authentication process.