Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – Specific condition
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-09
2001-09-25
Lieu, Julie (Department: 2736)
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
Specific condition
C340S531000, C340S534000, C341S023000, C348S563000, C348S564000, C348S569000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06295002
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a battery voltage display apparatus for use in a wireless communication system incorporating a battery-powered first device and a second device in which a display section is disposed to display information on the battery voltage of the first device, wherein the wireless communication system is, typically, a system that incorporates a remote controller or a wireless keyboard.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventionally, battery-powered controller devices, such as a remote controller and a wireless keyboard, that establish wireless communication with a device to be controlled have been in wide use to facilitate frequent and remote accesses to the controlled device by the user and to free the user from constraints on mobility and location.
The battery mounted in the controller device, needless to say, should be replaced or charged as it wears out and fails to power the controller device. Therefore, desirably, the controller device is equipped with a capability to display a warning to urge the user to replace or charge the battery when the battery has worn out and needs to be replaced or charged, or preferably, before the battery has worn out but needs to be replaced or charged shortly.
Taking Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 6-153268/1994 (Tokukaihei 6-153268; published on May 31, 1994), Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No.
6-245281/1994
(Tokukaihei 6-245281; published on Sep. 2, 1994), and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 9-331585/1997 (Tokukaihei 9-331585; published on Dec. 22, 1997) disclosing battery life display apparatuses as examples of conventional technology, as shown in
FIG. 7
, if the user operates a remote controller
103
(that is, if “YES” is chosen in S
101
b
in FIG.
8
), in the remote controller
103
, a voltage detection circuit
141
composed of an AD converter and other components converts the divisional voltage value of the output voltage of a battery
131
from analogue to digital so that a microcomputer
143
detects the remaining power of the battery
131
according to the converted value (S
102
b
). Further, the microcomputer
143
causes a transmission section
144
to transmit a battery voltage code denoting the result of the detection, as well as a key operation code, to a system main section
105
(S
103
b
).
Meanwhile, in the system main section
105
, if a receiving section
161
receives a signal (if “YES” is chosen in S
101
a
), a microcomputer
162
judges the remaining power of the battery
131
based on the received signal to carry out a display on a source voltage display section
151
.
Steps S
101
b
through S
103
b
and S
101
a
through S
102
a
are repeated for every key input; the remote controller
103
detects the voltage of the battery
131
and transmits a battery voltage code in response to every key input.
In the conventional battery voltage display apparatus, the detection of the battery voltage and the transmission of the result of the detection are repeated for every key operation. This increases power consumption by the remote controller, and decreases operational time of the whole wireless communication system.
Specifically, composed of analogue circuits, such as a differential amplifier and an AD converter, the voltage detection circuit
141
typically monitors an output voltage of the battery
131
to detect a drop in the voltage exceeding a certain value. Moreover, one of the analogue circuits is a constant current circuit provided in an amplifier, and another is a resistance division circuit used for generation of a reference voltage. A steady current is flowing through these circuits. The voltage detection circuit
141
is also powered by the battery
131
; the steady power consumption by the voltage detection circuit
141
wears out the battery
131
. The voltage detection circuit
141
consumes electric power supplied by the battery
131
also when it detects the output voltage of the battery
131
; if the more often the detection is conducted, the more quickly the battery
131
wears out.
Moreover, as the result of the detection is transmitted from the transmission section
144
to the system main section
105
, the transmission section
144
consumes more electric power than the electric power consumed during reception and the electric power consumed by the microcomputer
143
. Therefore, the battery
131
quickly wears out if the result of the detection of the battery voltage is transmitted often, for example, in response to every key operation.
In addition, the battery voltage is continuously monitored with the result being transmitted, even when the system main section
105
does not need detection of the battery voltage any longer, for example, after the battery voltage has dropped below a specified voltage level and the system main section
105
has displayed a warning notifying that the battery should be replaced. This operation causes the battery
131
, which is already running low in power supply, to wear out more quickly.
Here, in the battery-powered wireless communication system, the battery-powered device, such as a remote controller or a wireless keyboard, has restrictions on its dimensions and weight so as to offer better portability; the battery
131
is thus allowed only to have a small power supply capacity. Therefore, there is a great demand for a battery voltage display apparatus that can detect the remaining power of the battery on a low power consumption when incorporated in a battery-powered device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to offer a low power consuming battery voltage display apparatus, incorporated in a wireless communication system, which is capable of precisely notifying through a display when the battery should be replaced.
In order to achieve the above object, a battery voltage display apparatus in accordance with the present invention is for use in a wireless communication system constituted by a battery-powered first device and a second device, and includes:
remaining power detection means, disposed in the first device, for detecting a remaining power of the battery; and
display means, disposed in the second device, for displaying information on a battery voltage of the battery;
instruction means, disposed in the second device, for determining a timing to detect the remaining power and wirelessly instructing the remaining power detection means in the first device to detect the remaining power; and
transmission means, disposed in the first device, for wirelessly notifying upon reception of the instruction the display means of a result of the detection carried out by the remaining power detection means.
According to the arrangement, in the second device where the display means is disposed, the instruction means determines a timing to detect the remaining power and wirelessly instructs the battery-powered first device to detect the remaining power. Meanwhile, in the first device, as the instruction is received, the remaining power detection means detects the remaining power of the battery, and the transmission means transmits a result of the detection. Further, in the second device, the received result of the detection is displayed by the display means as information on the battery voltage. In this manner, the second device becomes capable of displaying information on the battery voltage of the first device.
According to the arrangement, the second device where the display means is disposed gives an instruction to detect the remaining power; therefore, when the second device does not need the result of the detection of the remaining power, for example, when a display has been already carried out warning that the battery is running out shortly, unlike conventional technology whereby the first device transmits information on the battery voltage without any external instruction, the remaining power is not detected, let alone a result of detection is not transmitted. This allows the detection to be conducted less often, and also allows the first device to transmit a reduced amou
Lieu Julie
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
LandOfFree
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