Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging – Means to identify cell or battery type
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-07
2001-05-08
Tso, Edward H. (Department: 2838)
Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging
Means to identify cell or battery type
Reexamination Certificate
active
06229281
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an apparatus for examining a packed battery carried in a host device such as a notebook-sized personal computer or a potable telephone and having the function of communicating with the host device.
BACKGROUND ART
A packed battery carried in a host device such as a notebook-sized personal computer or a portable telephone and having the function of communicating with the host device has been known. Such a packed battery generally comprises battery cells (a secondary battery) and a substrate having a microcomputer for controlling communication and charge or discharge carried therein.
A protocol and a communication command which are used for communication between this type of packed battery and host devices are not standardized. Therefore, in the present condition, a person who develops a packed battery must develop the packed battery in conformity with the specification of each of the host devices.
Since the development of the packed battery and the development of the host device simultaneously progress, a person who develops the packed battery must debugs a communication function after fabricating a dedicated communication jig corresponding to the ordered type thereof. Therefore, a period during which the communication function is debugged is delayed, so that the speed at which the packed battery is developed is low.
An object of the present invention is to provide a packed battery examining apparatus capable of examining packed batteries which differ in type.
An object of the present invention is to provide a packed battery examining apparatus capable of shortening a period during which a packed battery is developed.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
A first packed battery examining apparatus according to the present invention comprises an interface device connected to a packed battery which is an examination object and a controller connected to the interface device for performing examination processing, which is characterized in that the controller comprises means for transmitting to the interface device, when predetermined data for examination must be acquired from a communication and charge or discharge controller in the packed battery which is an examination object in the step of performing the examination processing, a communication command for acquiring the data for examination, and the interface device comprises means for converting, when it receives the communication command for acquiring the data for examination from the controller, the received communication command into protocol data corresponding to a communication protocol used for communication with the packed battery which is an examination object, means for transmitting the obtained protocol data to the communication and charge or discharge controller in the packed battery which is an examination object, and means for receiving the data for examination which has been fed from the communication and charge or discharge controller in the packed battery and transmitting the data for examination to the controller.
It is preferable that the controller performs the examination processing in accordance with an examination procedure file for defining the procedure for examination processing. In this case, it is preferable that the communication command for acquiring the predetermined data for examination from the communication and charge or discharge controller in the packed battery which is an examination object is described by a common communication instruction irrespective of the type of the packed battery in the examination procedure file. In a case where the communication command is described by the common communication instruction irrespective of the type of the packed battery, the controller converts, when the communication instruction described in the examination procedure file is transmitted to the interface device, the communication instruction into a communication command corresponding to a command system corresponding to the packed battery which is an examination object, and transmits the obtained communication command to the interface device.
A second packed battery examining apparatus according to the present invention comprises an interface device connected to a packed battery which is an examination object and a controller connected to the interface device for performing examination processing, which is characterized in that a communication and charge or discharge controller in the packed battery which is an examination object comprises means for generating, when the packed battery which is an examination object enters a predetermined state, data for state confirmation indicating that the packed battery enters the predetermined state, the controller comprises means for transmitting, when the data for state confirmation which is generated by the communication and charge or discharge controller in the packed battery which is an examination object must be acquired in the step of performing the examination processing, a communication command for acquiring the data for state confirmation to the interface device, and the interface device comprises means for receiving and holding data for examination which is generated from the communication and charge or discharge controller in the packed battery which is an examination object, and means for transmitting, when it receives the communication command for acquiring the data for state confirmation from the controller, the preserved data for state confirmation to the controller.
In the first or second packed battery examining apparatus, the controller is constituted by a personal computer, for example. The controller and the interface device may be constituted by the same personal computer.
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Fuchizaki Tatsuya
Murakami Takahiro
Okuma Toshiaki
Tatsumi Hiroyuki
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Sanyo Electric Co,. Ltd.
Tso Edward H.
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