Cordless telephone with battery measuring section

• US 5,677,944 A
• Filed: 12/21/1994
• Issued: 10/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shibata, Kenichi, Yamamoto, Ikuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAUNG, NAY AUNG
• Application Number:
  US08/360,324
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/61, 320/20, 320/43, 320/44, 324/427, 455/38.3, 455/343
• US Class Current: 455/573
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/73 Battery saving arrangements

Abstract

In a cordless telephone apparatus, a mobile set is provided with a remaining a battery amount measuring section which is incremented or decremented in accordance with a value corresponding to an operating condition of the mobile set and a value corresponding to a charging current set by a charging current change=over circuit. A full charge condition is detected on the basis of a value measured by the remaining battery amount measuring section, and this is used to control the charging current. Thereby, it becomes possible to operate the mobile set from the battery even in the course of charging, and to control the charging time and the charging current considering the electric power used for the operation of the mobile set. Since the charging time and the charging current are accurately adjusted in accordance with use conditions of the mobile set, it becomes possible to prevent over-charging and under-charging.

Claims

1. A cordless telephone apparatus, comprising:

a fixed set which includes a power supply, means for transmitting and receiving a voice signal through a telephone line, a quick charge button actuable by a user, and quick charge control means responsive to actuation of the quick charge button for emitting quick charge designation data;

a mobile set which includes means for conducting radio communication with the fixed set, a rechargeable battery which is supplied with a normal charge current from the power supply of the fixed set when the mobile set is placed on the fixed set, and remaining battery amount measuring means for converting a remaining amount of charge in the rechargeable battery into a numerical value and for altering the converted value by counting to change the converted value to a predetermined full charge value, with the converted value being changed by a predetermined measurement value per unit of time;

charge current change means in one of the sets for changing the charge current that is supplied to the rechargeable battery; and

charge current control means in said one of the sets for controlling the charge current change means, the charge current control means being operative to cause the charge current change means to supply a quick charge current to the rechargeable battery in lieu of the normal charge current if the quick charge button of the fixed set has been actuated to emit the quick charge designation data, and to cause the charge current change means to return the charge current to the normal charge current when the remaining battery amount measuring means reaches the predetermined full charge value.

2. The cordless telephone apparatus of claim 1, wherein the charge current change means and the charge current control means are included in the mobile set, and wherein the charge current control means further comprises means for sending full charge data by radio to the fixed set when the remaining battery amount measuring means reaches the predetermined full charge value and the charge current has been returned to the normal charge current.

3. The cordless telephone apparatus of claim 1, wherein the remaining battery amount measuring means changes the converted value to the predetermined full charge value by counting the converted value down to the predetermined full charge value.

4. The cordless telephone apparatus of claim 1, wherein the charge current control means further comprises means for controlling the charge current change means to reduce the charge current from the normal charge current to a trickle charge current a predetermined time after the remaining battery amount measuring means reaches the predetermined full charge value.

5. The cordless telephone apparatus of claim 1, wherein the charge current change means and the charge current control means are included in the mobile set.

6. A cordless telephone apparatus, comprising:

a fixed set which includes means for transmitting and receiving a voice signal through a telephone line;

a charging stand which includes a power supply; and

a mobile set which includes means for conducing radio communication with the fixed set, a rechargeable battery which is supplied with charge current from the power supply of the charging stand when the mobile set is placed on the charging stand, charge current detection means for detecting the charge current to the rechargeable battery, and remaining battery amount measuring means for converting a remaining amount of charge in the rechargeable battery into a numerical value and for altering the converted value by counting to change the converted value to a predetermined full charge value, with the converted value being changed by a predetermined measurement amount per unit of time;

charge current change means for changing the charge current that is supplied to the rechargeable battery; and

charge current control means for controlling the charge current change means so that the charge current to the rechargeable battery is set at a normal charge current when the charge current detection means detects the charge current to the rechargeable battery and so that the normal charge current is reduced to a trickle charge current when the remaining amount battery measuring means reaches the full charge value.

7. The cordless telephone apparatus of claim 6, wherein the remaining battery amount measuring means changes the converted value to the predetermined full charge value by counting the converted value down to the predetermined full charge value.

8. The cordless telephone apparatus of claim 6, wherein the charge current change means and the charge current control means are included in the mobile set.

9. A cordless telephone apparatus, comprising:

a fixed set which includes means for transmitting and receiving a voice signal through a telephone line;

a charging stand which includes a power supply, a quick charge button actuable by a user, and quick charge control means responsive to actuation of the quick charge button for emitting quick charge designation data;

a mobile set which includes means for conducting radio communication with the fixed set, a rechargeable battery which is supplied with a normal charge current from the power supply of the charging stand when the mobile set is placed on the charging stand, and remaining battery amount measuring means for converting a remaining amount of charge in the rechargeable battery into a numerical value and for altering the converted value by counting to change the converted value to a predetermined full charge value, with the converted value being changed by a predetermined measurement value per unit of time;

charge current change means for changing the charge current that is supplied to the rechargeable battery; and

charge current control means for controlling the charge current change means, the charge current control means being operative to cause the charge current change means to supply a quick charge current to the rechargeable battery in lieu of the normal charge current if the quick charge button of the charging stand has been actuated to emit the quick charge designation data, and to cause the charge current change means to return the charge current to the normal charge current when the remaining battery amount measuring means reaches the predetermined full charge value.

10. The cordless telephone apparatus of claim 9, wherein the remaining battery amount measuring means changes the converted value to the predetermined full charge value by counting the converted value down to the predetermined full charge value.

11. The cordless telephone apparatus of claim 9, wherein the charge current control means further comprises means for controlling the charge current change means to reduce the charge current from the normal charge current to a trickle charge current a predetermined time after the remaining battery amount measuring means reaches the predetermined full charge value.

12. The cordless telephone apparatus of claim 9, wherein the charge current change means and the charge current control means are included in the mobile set.

13. A cordless appliance for use with a charging stand having a power supply, comprising:

a housing;

a rechargeable battery in the housing, the rechargeable battery being rechargeable by the power supply of the charging stand;

operational means, carried by the housing, for performing a predetermined function of the appliance while consuming power from the rechargeable battery;

remaining battery amount measuring means, in the housing, for holding a counting value which ranges between a predetermined maximum value and a predetermined minimum value, the counting value being counted toward one of the maximum and minimum values when the operational means receives power from the rechargeable battery and being counted toward the other of the maximum and minimum values when the rechargeable battery receives current from the power supply of the charging stand;

a manually operable quick charge button; and

means for supplying current from the power supply to the rechargeable battery at a first current magnitude until the counting value reaches said other of the maximum and minimum values if the quick charge button has been actuated and for supplying current from the power supply to the rechargeable battery at a second current magnitude until the counting value reaches said other of the maximum and minimum values if the quick charge button has not been actuated, the counting value being counted toward said other of the maximum and minimum values at a first rate if the quick charge button has been actuated and being counted toward said other of the maximum and minimum values at a second rate if the quick charge button has not been actuated, the first current magnitude and the first rate being larger respectively than the second current magnitude and the second rate.

14. The cordless appliance of claim 13, wherein the appliance is a mobile telephone set and the operational means includes a radio transmitter and a radio receiver.

15. The cordless appliance of claim 13, wherein the maximum value corresponds to a discharged state of the rechargeable battery and the minimum value corresponds to a charged state of the rechargeable battery, and wherein the counting value is incremented when the operational means receives power from the rechargeable battery and decremented when the rechargeable battery receives current from the power supply of the charging stand.

16. The cordless appliance of claim 15, wherein the minimum value is zero, and further comprising means for supplying current from the power supply to the rechargeable battery at one of the first and second current magnitudes until the counting value reaches zero and for supplying current from the power supply to the rechargeable battery at the second current magnitude for a predetermined period of time after the counting value reaches zero, the second current magnitude being smaller than the first current magnitude.

17. The cordless appliance of claim 16, further comprising means for supplying current from the power supply to the rechargeable battery at a trickle current magnitude after the predetermined time has expired, the trickle current magnitude being smaller than the second current magnitude.

18. The cordless appliance of claim 13, further comprising means for supplying current from the power supply to the rechargeable battery at the second current magnitude for a predetermined period after the counting value has reached said other of the maximum and minimum values regardless of whether the quick charge button has been actuated.

19. A cordless telephone apparatus for use with a charging stand having a power supply, comprising:

a mobile set housing;

a rechargeable battery in the housing, the rechargeable battery being rechargeable by the power supply of the charging stand;

radio communication means in the housing, the radio communication means including a radio receiver and a radio transmitter;

remaining battery amount measuring means, in the housing, for holding a counting value which ranges between a predetermined maximum value and a predetermined minimum value, the counting value being counted toward one of the maximum and minimum values when the radio communication means receives power from the rechargeable battery and being counted toward the other of the maximum and minimum values when the rechargeable battery receives current from the power supply of the charging stand;

a manually operable quick charge button; and

means for supplying current from the power supply to the rechargeable battery at a first current magnitude until the counting value reaches said other of the maximum and minimum values if the quick charge button has been actuated and for supplying current from the power supply to the rechargeable battery at a second current magnitude until the counting value reaches said other of the maximum and minimum values if the quick charge button has not been actuated, the counting value being counted toward said other of the maximum and minimum values at a first rate if the quick charge button has been actuated and being counted toward said other of the maximum and minimum values at a second rate if the quick charge button has not been actuated, the first current magnitude and the first rate being larger respectively than the second current magnitude and the second rate.