Charging apparatus

• US 5,864,222 A
• Filed: 11/17/1997
• Issued: 01/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Koji, Saeki, Takayuki, Takimoto, Hiroyuki, Tobe, Kazumitsu, Harigaya, Isao
• Primary Examiner(s): Nappi, Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIN, KYUNG E
• Application Number:
  US08/962,893
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 320/134, 320/131, 320/135, 320/133, 320/136, 320/128, 320/129, 320/130, 320/132, 320/DIG. 21, 324/426, 324/427, 324/430, 324/434, 340/636
• US Class Current: 320/134
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007184 in response to battery voltage gradient
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/21 State of charge of battery

Abstract

A charging apparatus for charging a secondary battery, arranged in such a manner that the terminal voltage of the battery being charged is measured and then correlated with remaining charging time and usable time of the battery being charged. The remaining charging time and usable time of the battery being charged is stored in memory and then outputted for display to the operator.

Claims

1. A charging apparatus for charging a secondary battery, comprising:

(a) measuring means for measuring a terminal voltage of said battery;

(b) data holding means for holding information data with respect to a remaining charging time of said battery in accordance with the terminal voltage of said battery;

(c) data output means for outputting from said data holding means the information data in accordance with the terminal voltage of said battery measured by said measuring means; and

(d) display means for displaying an information corresponding to the remaining charging time of said battery, the information being indicative of the information data outputted from said data output means.

2. A charging apparatus for charging a secondary battery, comprising:

(a) measuring means for measuring a terminal voltage of said battery;

(b) data holding means for holding information data with respect to a usable time of said battery in accordance with the terminal voltage of said battery;

(c) data output means for outputting from said data holding means the information data in accordance with the terminal voltage of said battery measured by said measuring means; and

(d) display means for displaying an information corresponding to the usable time of said battery, the information being indicative of the information data outputted from said data output means.

3. A charging apparatus for charging a secondary battery, comprising:

(a) measuring means for measuring an electromotive force of said battery;

(b) data holding means for holding information data with respect to a usable time of said battery, in accordance with the electromotive force of said battery;

(c) data output means for outputting from said data holding means the information data in accordance with the electromotive force of said battery measured by said measuring means; and

(d) display means for displaying an information corresponding to the usable time of said battery, the information being indicative of the information data outputted from said data output means.

4. A charging apparatus for charging a secondary battery, comprising:

(a) measuring means for measuring an electromotive force of said battery;

(b) data holding means for holding information data with respect to a remaining charging time of said battery, in accordance with the electromotive force of said battery;

(c) data output means for outputting from said data holding means the information data in accordance with the electromotive force of said battery measured by said measuring means; and

(d) display means for displaying an information corresponding to the remaining charging time of said battery, the information being indicative of the information data outputted from said data output means.

5. A charging apparatus for charging a secondary battery, comprising:

(a) measuring means for measuring a terminal voltage of said battery;

(b) data holding means for holding first information data with respect to a usable time of said battery and second information data with respect to a remaining charging time of said battery, in accordance with the terminal voltage of said battery;

(c) data output means for outputting from said data holding means either the first information data or the second information data, in accordance with the terminal voltage of said battery measured by said measuring means; and

(d) display means for displaying either an information corresponding to the usable time of said battery, which is indicative of the first information data outputted from said data output means or an information corresponding to the remaining charging time of said battery, which is indicative of the second information data outputted from said data output means.

6. A charging apparatus for charging a secondary battery, comprising:

(a) measuring means for measuring an electromotive force of said battery;

(b) data holding means for holding first information data with respect to a usable time of said battery and second information data with respect to a remaining charging time of said battery, in accordance with the electromotive force of said battery;

(c) data output means for outputting from said data holding means either the first information data or the second information data, in accordance with the electromotive force of said battery measured by said measuring means; and

(d) display means for displaying either an information corresponding to the usable time of said battery, which is indicative of the first information data outputted from said data output means or an information corresponding to the remaining charging time of said battery, which is indicative of the second information data outputted from said data output means.

7. A charging apparatus for charging a secondary battery, comprising:

(a) measuring means for measuring a terminal voltage of said battery;

(b) data generating means for generating, by retrieving from storage therein, information data with respect to a usable time of said battery in accordance with the terminal voltage of said battery measured by said measuring means; and

(c) data outputting means for outputting to a display device, the information data corresponding to the usable time of said battery, generated from said data generating means.

8. A charging apparatus for charging a secondary battery, comprising:

(a) measuring means for measuring a terminal voltage of said battery;

(b) data generating means for generating information data with respect to a remaining charging time of said battery in accordance with the terminal voltage of said battery measured by said measuring means; and

(c) data outputting means for outputting, to a display device, the information data corresponding to the remaining charging time of said battery, generated from said data generating means.

9. A charging apparatus for charging a secondary battery, comprising:

(a) measuring means for measuring an electromotive force of said battery;

(b) data generating means for generating information data with respect to a usable time of said battery in accordance with the electromotive force of said battery measured by said measuring means; and

(c) data outputting means for outputting, to a display device, the information data corresponding to the usable time of said battery, generated from said data generating means.

10. A charging apparatus for charging a secondary battery, comprising:

(a) measuring means for measuring an electromotive force of said battery;

(b) data generating means for generating information data with respect to a remaining charging time of said battery in accordance with the electromotive force of said battery measured by said measuring means; and

(c) data outputting means for outputting, to a display device, the information data corresponding to the remaining charging time of said battery, generated from said data generating means.

11. A charging apparatus for charging a secondary battery, comprising:

(a) measuring means for measuring a terminal voltage of said battery;

(b) data generating means for generating either first information data with respect to a usable time of said battery or second information data with respect to a remaining charging time of said battery, in accordance with the terminal voltage of said battery measured by said measuring means; and

(c) data outputting means for outputting, to a display device, either the first information data corresponding to the usable time of said battery, which is generated from said data generating means or the second information data corresponding to the remaining charging time of said battery, which is generated from said data generating means.

12. A charging apparatus for charging a secondary battery, comprising:

(a) measuring means for measuring an electromotive force of said battery;

(b) data generating means for generating either first information data with respect to a usable time of said battery or second information data with respect to a remaining charging time of said battery, in accordance with the electromotive force of said battery measured by said measuring means; and

(c) data outputting means for outputting, to a display device, either the first information data corresponding to the usable time of said battery, which is generated from said data generating means or the second information data corresponding to the remaining charging time of said battery, which is generated from said data generating means.