Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Chronological – With supplemental power source
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-22
2003-05-13
Miska, Vit (Department: 2841)
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Chronological
With supplemental power source
C368S066000, C320S162000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06563766
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a voltage detecting device, a battery remaining voltage detecting device, a voltage detecting method, a battery remaining voltage detecting method, an electronic timepiece, in particular relates to a technologies of voltage detection of a secondary battery and of a detection of a battery remaining voltage.
2. Prior Art
Lately, there is realized a small-sized electronic timepiece such a type as a wrist watch in which a power generating device such as a solar battery is contained therein to operate without replacing the batter. The above-mentioned electronic timepiece includes a function which charges an electric power generated from the power generating device first to a large capacity capacitor, and then when the electric power is not generated, the time is displayed by the electronic power discharged from the capacitor. Accordingly, it is possible that the timepiece is steadily operated for a long period of time without using a battery. It is then expected that the power generating device is to be contained in many electronic timepieces, considering a time required to replace the battery or a problem caused to trash the battery.
On the other hand, it is obvious that the management of the battery remaining voltage becomes an important issue in the electronic timepiece containing the above-mentioned power generating device.
Then, there is described a technology to manage the battery remaining voltage in the conventional device containing the secondary battery.
[1] The First Conventional Device
As the first conventional device, there is disclosed an electronic device in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 11-64,548.
In the electronic device including the power generating device disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 11-64548, when the voltage of the secondary power source drops, and the voltage thereof becomes lower than the first detected voltage, a remaining voltage of the power is displayed. Then, when the voltage of the secondary power source further drops and the voltage thereof becomes lower than the second detected voltage, the operations of buzzer and the EL (Electro Luminescence) are inhibited. Then, when the voltage of the secondary power source further drops and the voltage thereof becomes lower than the third detected voltage, a display is inhibited.
As described above, there is disclosed a structure in which a degree of the consumption of the secondary power source is informed to the user, thus preventing a sudden stoppage of the circuit without an advance notice.
[2] The Second Conventional Device
As the second conventional device, there is disclosed an electronic timepiece in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 7-306,275.
In the electronic timepiece disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 7-306,275, a remaining capacity detecting unit of the secondary battery employs a structure in which when the voltage of the secondary battery successively exceeds a reference voltage corresponding to a prescribed remaining capacity, a battery remaining voltage detecting signal is output so as to renew the battery remaining voltage.
In the electronic device with the power generating device of the first conventional device, since a voltage-capacity property of the secondary power source varied by a rapid charging, a time to practically drive the electronic device varied accordingly, and it was probable that the remaining voltage of the secondary power source was not informed precisely to the user.
In particular, it was probable that in the final stage of the discharging of the secondary power source, i.e., in a region immediate before the drive of the electronic device stopped, the electronic device stopped operating without user's acknowledgement thereof in spite of the fact that a precise remaining time to enable operation was expected to be informed to the user.
Furthermore, in the electronic timepiece of the second conventional device, although there was no problem even when the battery remaining voltage was renewed according to the reference voltage in case that a charging except a rapid charging was implemented, it was probable that a display of the remaining voltage was hardly renewed, thus causing the user to sense that the charging was not effected well.
Furthermore, when a secondary power source in which an apparent voltage boost generated in a rapid charging operation continued for a long period of time, it was probable that a remaining voltage display was hardly switched.
In addition, it was necessary to provide a timer to set a battery remaining voltage renewal timing which probably enlarged a circuit size.
The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a voltage detecting device and the method thereof for precisely detecting a voltage of a secondary power source in order to precisely and most-timely inform the user of a battery remaining voltage of the secondary power source, a battery remaining voltage detecting device and the method thereof for enabling a precise display of the battery remaining voltage, based on the detected voltage, and an electronic timepiece and electronic device using same.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a voltage detecting device for detecting a voltage of a secondary power source including a detected voltage output unit for outputting a voltage having a correlation to an amount of a stored electricity of said secondary power source as a detected voltage; a rapid charging detecting unit for detecting whether rapid charging to said secondary power source is performed or not; a voltage correction unit for implementing, when said rapid charging is detected, a voltage correction in which a correction voltage corresponding to an apparent boosted voltage generated in said secondary power source due to said rapid charging is superimposed on said detected voltage; and a voltage detection result output unit for outputting a voltage detection result signal, based on said detected voltage or said corrected detected voltage.
Preferably, in the voltage detecting device, said voltage detection result output unit compares said detected voltage or said corrected detected voltage with a predetermined reference voltage to obtain a comparative result and output said result as said voltage detection result signal.
Preferably, in the voltage detecting device, said rapid charging detecting unit includes a charging condition detecting unit for detecting charging to said secondary power source; and a rapid charging condition discrimination unit for discriminating a transition to a rapid charging condition in which said rapid charging is performed, upon detecting that said charging to said secondary power source is remained during a time longer than a predetermined charging reference time.
Preferably, in the voltage detection device, said secondary power source is charged by a power generating device; and said charging condition detecting unit includes a power generation current discriminating unit for discriminating whether a power generation current volume output from said power generating device exceeds a predetermined power generation current volume or not.
Preferably, in the voltage detection device, said secondary power source to is charged by a power generating device; and said charging condition detecting unit includes a stored power voltage discriminating unit for calculating a stored power voltage of said secondary power source based on a power generation current output from said power generating device to discriminates whether said stored power voltage exceeds a predetermined reference stored power voltage or not.
Preferably, in the voltage detection device, said secondary power source is charged by a power generating device; and said charging condition detecting unit includes a comparing unit for comparing a voltage of an output terminal in said power generating device with a prescribed voltage correspo
Miska Vit
Seiko Epson Corporation
Watson Mark P.
LandOfFree
Voltage detecting device, battery remaining voltage... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Voltage detecting device, battery remaining voltage..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Voltage detecting device, battery remaining voltage... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3008083