Electronic apparatus and flash device

• US 6,064,176 A
• Filed: 08/26/1998
• Issued: 05/16/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Odaka, Yukio
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TOATLEY, GREGORY J
• Application Number:
  US09/140,168
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 320/106, 396/205, 396/206
• US Class Current: 320/106
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters

Abstract

An electronic apparatus capable of selectively using a plurality of kinds of batteries includes a battery discriminating circuit for making a discrimination of the kind of the battery used, and a current change-over circuit for changing over a supply current of the battery used, in accordance with a result of the discrimination made by the battery discriminating circuit.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus capable of selectively using a plurality of kinds of batteries, said electronic apparatus comprising:

battery discriminating means for making a discrimination of the kind of the battery used; and

current change-over means for changing over a supply current of the battery used, in accordance with a result of the discrimination made by said battery discriminating means.

2. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said battery discriminating means judges whether the battery used is a primary battery or a secondary battery.

3. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said current change-over means makes the supply current when the battery used is judged as a secondary battery by said battery discriminating means lower than the supply current when the battery used is judged as a primary battery.

4. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said current change-over means includes current limiting means for limiting a supply current of the battery to a value equal to or less than a predetermined value, and an operative state and an inoperative state of said current limiting means are changed over in accordance with a result of the discrimination made by said battery discriminating means.

5. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the battery supplies a current to charging means for boosting a supply voltage of the battery and charging a capacitor.

6. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising charging means for boosting a supply voltage of the battery and charging a capacitor, and wherein said current change-over means has a resistor for detecting a charging current supplied from said charging means to said capacitor.

7. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said current change-over means includes a voltage-dividing resistor which divides a supply voltage of the battery, and a comparator.

8. A flash device capable of selectively using a plurality of kinds of batteries, said flash device comprising:

charging means for boosting a supply voltage of the battery used and charging a capacitor for flash emission;

battery discriminating means for making a discrimination of the kind of the battery used; and

current change-over means for changing over a supply current to be supplied to said charging means from the battery used, in accordance with a result of the discrimination made by said battery discriminating means.

9. A flash device according to claim 8, wherein said battery discriminating means judges whether the battery used is a primary battery or a secondary battery.

10. A flash device according to claim 9, wherein said current change-over means makes the supply current when the battery used is judged as a secondary battery by said battery discriminating means lower than the supply current when the battery used is judged as a primary battery.

11. A flash device according to claim 8, wherein said current change-over means includes current limiting means for limiting a supply current of the battery to a value equal to or less than a predetermined value, and an operative state and an inoperative state of said current limiting means are changed over in accordance with a result of the discrimination made by said battery discriminating means.

12. A flash device according to claim 8, wherein said current change-over means has a resistor for detecting a charging current supplied from said charging means to said capacitor.

13. A flash device according to claim 8, wherein said current change-over means includes a voltage-dividing resistor which divides a supply voltage of the battery, and a comparator.