Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging – Serially connected batteries or cells
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-10
2001-01-23
Tso, Edward H. (Department: 2838)
Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging
Serially connected batteries or cells
Reexamination Certificate
active
06177779
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to an information processing apparatus and an information processing method adapted for preventing instantaneous cut-off of power supply by removal (detachment) of battery pack, and relates to a battery pack and a transmission medium adapted for recognizing in advance that battery pack is removed to prevent instantaneous cut-off of power supply.
1. Background Art
FIG. 1
shows connection relationship between a personal computer
1
and a battery pack unit
2
for supplying power to the personal computer
1
. As shown in this figure, battery packs
2
-
1
and
2
-
2
are detachably loaded (fitted) into the personal computer
1
through the battery pack unit
2
.
A selector (changeover) switch
3
for carrying out switching between the battery pack
2
-
1
and the battery pack
2
-
2
is provided at the personal computer
1
, and output of the battery pack
2
-
1
or the battery pack
2
-
2
is delivered into the personal computer
1
through a port
5
from the selector switch
3
. Further, a control unit
4
for detecting insertion/removal of the battery pack
2
-
1
or
2
-
2
to control the selector switch
3
is provided at the personal computer
1
. The selector switch
3
is required to be switched at high speed in order to prevent instantaneous cut-off of power (supply) with respect to unexpected insertion or removal of the battery pack
2
-
1
or
2
-
2
. Accordingly, high speed characteristic is required also for the operation of the control unit
4
.
Meanwhile, in order to realize speed required for the operation of the control unit
4
, it is necessary to constitute the control unit
4
as hardware. In addition, it was necessary to provide dedicated communication line for transmitting signal of removal, etc. at high speed also between the battery pack
2
-
1
and the battery pack
2
-
2
so that when one battery pack is removed, power is supplied from the other battery pack. Accordingly, there were the problems that the conventional configuration of the battery pack unit
2
and the personal computer
1
becomes complicated and the cost becomes high.
2. Disclosure of the Invention
An object of this invention is to prevent instantaneous cut-off of supply of power without allowing the apparatus to be complicated and without allowing its cost to be high even when one of plural battery packs is removed.
To realize this, an information processing apparatus according to this invention is directed to an information processing apparatus in which plural battery packs are loaded (fitted) as power supply (source) so that they can be inserted or removed (detached), wherein there is provided mode control means for setting operation mode of the battery pack on the basis of detection result of detector (detecting) means for detecting the state where the battery pack is loaded (fitted).
In this case, the detector means interlocks with loading mechanism for loading (fitting) the battery pack, and serves to detect release state of the loading mechanism before the battery pack is completely removed (detached).
Moreover, the detector means may mechanically detect release state of the loading mechanism with respect to the battery pack or electoronically detect such release state.
Further, the battery pack comprises therewithin charge control switch means and discharge control switch means, whereby respective switch means are turned ON or OFF by control by the mode control means so that switching of the operation mode is carried out.
Further, the mode control means serves to allow the charge control switch means and the discharge control switch means to be both turned ON to thereby allow the battery pack to be in active mode, to allow only the discharge control switch means to be turned ON to thereby allow the battery pack to be in passive mode, and to allow the charge control switch means and the discharge control switch means to be both turned OFF to thereby allow the battery pack to be in shut mode.
Further, when the detector means detects release state of the loading mechanism with respect to any one battery pack which is not in the shut mode of the battery packs, the mode control means allows the plural battery packs to be all in the passive mode.
Further, the mode control means executes, after waiting for time when operation mode of removed battery pack is changed (switched) from the passive mode to the shut mode, mode change (alteration) of the battery pack or packs to be active after any one of the battery packs is removed (detached).
In addition, as another information processing apparatus, the detector means may be provided within the battery pack. In this case, when the detector means of any one battery pack operative in modes except for the shut mode of the plural battery packs detects release state of the loading mechanism, the mode control means requests (requires) all the battery packs so that their operation modes are changed into the passive mode.
In this instance, the mode control means executes, after waiting for time when operation mode of the removed battery pack is changed from the passive mode to the shut mode, mode change of battery pack or packs to be active after any one of the battery packs is removed (detached).
When the detector means of battery pack in the shut mode of the plural battery packs detects release state of the loading mechanism, the mode control means does not all the battery packs to carry out mode change.
An information processing method according to this invention is directed to an information processing method for an information processing apparatus in which plural battery packs are loaded (fitted) as power supply (source) so that they can be inserted or removed, the method comprising: a detection step of detecting the state where the battery pack is loaded; and a mode setting step of setting mode of the battery pack on the basis of the state detected at the detection step.
In this instance, at the detection step, a procedure is taken such that detection operation interlocks with operation of loading mechanism for loading (fitting) the battery pack to detect release state of the loading mechanism before the battery pack is completely removed.
A battery pack according to this invention is directed to a battery pack including a secondary battery therewithin and adapted for supplying power to an electronic equipment, the battery pack comprising: detector means for detecting loading with respect to the elecronic equipment; discharge control switch means for controlling discharge operation with respect to the electronic equipment; charge control switch means for controlling charge operation with respect to the secondary battery; and switching control means operative on the basis of detection result from the detector means, the switching control means being adapted to allow the charge control switch means and the discharge control switch means to be both turned ON to thereby allow the batterty pack to be placed in active mode, to allow only the discharge control switch means to be turned ON to thereby allow the battery pack to be placed in passive mode, and to allow the charge control switch means and the discharge control switch means to be both turned OFF to thereby allow the battery pack to be placed in shut mode, whereby in the case where the detector means detects release state of the loading mechanism when the battery pack is in modes except for the shut mode, the switching control means allows the discharge control switch means to be turned ON to allow the battery pack to change to (shift) the passive mode.
In this case, in the case where the battery pack is in the shut mode, even when the detector means detects release state of the loading mechanism, the switching control carries out no operation.
A transmission medium according to this invention is directed to a transmission medium where computer program is caused to undergo transmission, wherein the computer program is used in an information processing apparatus in which plural battery packs are loaded as power supply (source) so that they can be ins
Frommer William S.
Frommer Lawrence & Haug LLP.
Polito Bruno
Sony Corporation
Tso Edward H.
LandOfFree
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