Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging – Cell or battery charger structure – For battery pack
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-17
2001-12-11
Wong, Peter S. (Department: 2838)
Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging
Cell or battery charger structure
For battery pack
C307S066000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06329786
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an entertainment system comprising a portable information terminal and an entertainment apparatus to which the portable information terminal is detachably connectable, a cell charging system comprising a portable information terminal and a portable information terminal host, an entertainment apparatus to which a portable information terminal is detachably connectable, a portable information terminal detachably connectable to an entertainment apparatus, and an external cell charger for charging a cell of a portable information terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, portable information terminals, also known as PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), which have a flat display panel such as a liquid crystal display panel, such as portable computers, electronic notepads, portable telephone sets, PHS (Personal Handy-phone System) terminals, pagers, or the like have widely been used in the art.
Such a portable information terminal may be connected to a notebook-type personal computer or a stationary computer for data transfer to and from the computer.
Entertainment apparatus for downloading a program from a mass storage medium such as a CD-ROM as an optical disk and executing a game according to the downloaded program, or playing back music based on data from a CD have also been in widespread use.
There have commercially been available portable information terminals that can detachably be connected to such entertainment apparatus for downloading a program via the entertainment apparatus and executing a game according to the downloaded program by themselves.
Batteries incorporated in portable information terminals for energizing them are generally primary batteries because the primary batteries have a cell capacity several times greater than chargeable secondary batteries of the same volume and hence allow the portable information terminals to operate for a longer period of time.
If a secondary cell is incorporated in a portable information terminal, then the secondary cell is charged by an external cell charger which is supplied with an AC power supply and dedicated for charging the secondary cell.
The portable information terminals powered by primary batteries are disadvantageous that the primary cell needs to be replaced with a new one each time it is used up.
Use of the external cell charger dedicated for charging the secondary cell with the AC power supply is costly because the external cell charger needs to have dedicated circuits including an AC-to-DC converter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an entertainment system and a cell charging system which are capable of charging the cell of a portable information terminal even without an external cell charger.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an entertainment system and a cell charging system which are capable of charging the cell of a portable information terminal even without an external cell charger and allow a portable information terminal to be charged by an external cell charger.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an entertainment system which is capable of charging the cell of a portable information terminal having a particular structure.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a portable information terminal having a secondary cell disposed therein which can be charged appropriately.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide an external cell charger which can be used with AC and DC power supplies and has characteristic functions.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an external cell charger which is supplied with an alternating current or a direct current and is capable of charging the secondary cell of a portable information terminal.
An entertainment system according to the present invention is arranged such that when a portable information terminal accommodating a secondary cell therein is connected to an entertainment apparatus, the secondary cell can be charged by a power supply supplied from a charging power supply output terminal of the entertainment apparatus via a charging input terminal and a charging circuit of the portable information terminal. The secondary cell in the portable information terminal can thus be charged without the need for an external cell charger.
The entertainment system also has an external cell charger having a second charging circuit for being supplied with an AC power supply and a DC power supply. The portable information terminal is detachably connectable to the external cell charger. The portable information terminal has a second charging input terminal for charging the secondary cell in bypassing relationship to the first charging circuit. When the portable information terminal is connected to the external cell charger, the secondary cell can be charged by a power supply supplied from the second charging circuit via the second charging input terminal. Therefore, the secondary cell in the portable information terminal can also be charged by the external cell charger.
The second charging circuit may be used with the AC power supply exclusively or the DC power supply exclusively.
A cell charging system according to the present invention is arranged such that when a portable information terminal accommodating a secondary cell therein is connected to a portable information terminal host, the secondary cell can be charged by a power supply supplied from a charging power supply output terminal of the portable information terminal host via a charging input terminal and a charging circuit of the portable information terminal. The secondary cell in the portable information terminal can thus be charged without the need for an external cell charger.
The cell charging system has an external cell charger having a second charging circuit for being supplied with an AC power supply and/or a DC power supply. The portable information terminal is detachably connectable to the external cell charger. The portable information terminal having a second charging input terminal for charging the secondary cell in bypassing relationship to the first charging circuit. When the portable information terminal is connected to the external cell charger, the secondary cell can be charged by a power supply supplied from the second charging circuit via the second charging input terminal. Therefore, the secondary cell in the portable information terminal can also be charged by the external cell charger.
An entertainment apparatus according to the present invention can supply a power supply to a portable information terminal having a charging circuit.
A portable information terminal according to the present invention has an internal charging circuit for charging a secondary cell with a first DC power supply supplied via a first charging input terminal, and a second charging input terminal for charging the secondary cell in bypassing relationship to the internal charging circuit, with a second DC power supply having a voltage higher than the first DC power supply. The secondary cell can be charged depending on a DC voltage that can be supplied.
A cell charger according to the present invention has connections for a primary cell which can be housed therein, connections for an external AC power supply, and a charging circuit connected to the connections, for selecting the primary cell or the external AC power supply and outputting a charging output. The charging circuit has means for generating the charging output using only the AC power supply when the external AC power supply is detected as being connected while the primary cell is being housed. When the AC power supply is connected, the secondary cell is charged by the AC power supply with priority, the primary cell can effectively be used.
The cell charger is arranged to charge a secondary cell with the charging output, the secondary cell being accommodated in a portable information terminal for executing a program supplied
Helfgott & Karas, PC
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Tibbits Pia
Wong Peter S.
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