Battery pack, charging control method, and application device

• US 7,564,214 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hayakawa, Masahiko, Sasaki, Dai, Sasaki, Taichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ullah; Akm E
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US11/291,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20060119316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 320/106, 320/107, 320/127, 320/132, 320/134, 320/136, 320/DIG.12, 320/DIG.13, 320/DIG.21, 320/110, 320/111, 307/34, 307/35, 307/39, 307/40, 307/51, 307/52, 713/160, 713/161, 713/166, 340/636.1
• US Class Current: 320/106
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack having a secondary battery and a circuit that controls charging and discharging of the secondary battery is provided. The battery pack has a computer that communicates with another computer disposed in a charging device, authenticate the charging device, and calculates remaining capacity information of the secondary battery. When the computer has not successfully authenticated the charging device and has detected that the secondary battery has been charged in a predetermined manner, the computer forcibly sets the remaining capacity information to “no remaining capacity”.

Claims

1. A battery pack having a secondary battery and a circuit that controls charging and discharging of the secondary battery, the battery pack comprising:

a computer that communicates with another computer disposed in a charging device, authenticates the charging device, and calculates remaining capacity information of the secondary battery,

wherein when the computer has not successfully authenticated the charging device and has detected that the secondary battery has been charged in a predetermined manner, the computer forcibly sets the remaining capacity information to no remaining capacity,

wherein when the voltage of the secondary battery drops to a predetermined value or lower, the setting of the no remaining capacity is cancelled.

2. The battery pack as set forth in claim 1,

wherein when the battery pack is attached to the charging device, the computer authenticates the charging device.

3. The battery pack as set forth in claim 1,

wherein when the computer has detected that the battery capacity has increased by a predetermined value, the computer determines that the secondary battery has been charged in the predetermined manner.

4. The battery pack as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the remaining capacity information is stored in a nonvolatile memory.

5. The battery pack as set forth in claim 1,

wherein a no remaining capacity that is forcibly set and a real no remaining capacity are identified by different data.

6. A charging control method of a battery pack having a secondary battery, a circuit that controls charging and discharging of the secondary battery, and a computer that calculates remaining capacity information of the secondary battery, the charging control method comprising the steps of:

communicating with another computer disposed in a charging device and authenticating the charging device;

detecting that the secondary battery has been charged in a predetermined manner when the charging device has not been successfully authenticated; and

forcibly setting the remaining capacity information to a no remaining capacity when it has been detected that the secondary battery has been charged in the predetermined manner,

wherein when the voltage of the secondary battery drops to a predetermined value or lower, the setting of the no remaining capacity is cancelled.

7. The charging control method as set forth in claim 6,

wherein when the battery pack is attached to the charging device, it is authenticated.

8. The charging control method as set forth in claim 6,

wherein when it has been detected that the battery capacity has increased by a predetermined value, it is determined that the secondary battery has been charged in the predetermined manner.

9. The charging control method as set forth in claim 6,

wherein the no remaining capacity that is forcibly set and a real no remaining capacity are identified by different data.

10. An application device comprising a battery pack that is attached as a power supply, wherein the application device receives remaining capacity information from the battery pack, wherein the remaining capacity information is detected by the battery pack, and

wherein while the battery pack is supplying a power to the application device, when the application device receives the remaining capacity information that has been forcibly set to a no remaining capacity, the application device stops operation,

wherein when charging means determined not to be successfully authenticated has charged the battery pack, the remaining capacity information that represents a no remaining capacity is forcibly set, and

wherein when a voltage of a secondary battery associated with the battery pack drops to a predetermined value or lower, the setting of the no remaining capacity is cancelled.