JP2002010508A - Apparatus and method for charging - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus and a method for charging wherein an external battery and the like can be charged through a charging circuit having charging characteristics matched with the type of the battery connected externally or internally to equipment. SOLUTION: The type of a battery (B2) connected externally to equipment 10 with a built-in charging apparatus 1 is discriminated, and based on the result of the discrimination, the present charging circuit is switched to that having charging characteristics matched wit the type of the battery among the charging circuits built in the charger 3. A predetermined charging operation is performed by charging the external battery (B2) and simultaneously switching to the charging circuit having charging characteristics matched with an internal battery (B1).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a charging device and a charging device which can use a charger inside a device to charge a secondary battery connected to the outside of the device and improve safety during charging. It is about the method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A portable terminal device such as a mobile phone or a small video camera usually has a battery (battery) installed inside the terminal so that the user can use the terminal device regardless of location while maintaining its portability. Depending on the model, an AC adapter connection terminal is provided so that power can be supplied from the outside of the terminal depending on the use condition. Furthermore, there is a configuration in which the entire terminal device is placed on a predetermined charger, and the battery inside the device can be charged while the battery is inserted in the terminal device.

[0003] In addition, models that can connect an external battery to supplement the battery inside the terminal have appeared on the market. External batteries used for this type of terminal include not only a single, so-called primary battery, but also a battery pack in which a plurality of batteries are stored in a pack or a battery that can be charged and used multiple times. There is a secondary battery (battery pack) that can be used.

[0004]

However, even if the above terminal equipment has a mechanism for connecting a secondary battery as an external battery, if the battery becomes unusable due to discharge, These batteries cannot be charged while the device is connected to the device. Therefore, it is common to temporarily remove the battery from the device and separately charge the battery using a predetermined charger, and there is a problem that such charging is troublesome for the user.

[0005] As described above, since the battery used by connecting to the outside of the terminal device is not assumed to be charged while being connected to the device, the type of battery that can be used as the external battery is, for example, However, it is limited to a specific secondary battery or the like, and there is a problem that the versatility of the battery used is lacking. Also, for the purpose of charging the internal battery in the terminal device,
For models that have a charger inside the terminal device,
Since no measures have been taken to prevent excessive current from flowing into the internal battery, there are inherent safety issues such as heat generation due to the overcurrent.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to provide a charging device and a charging device that can charge a battery connected to the outside of a device by using a charger in the device. It is to provide a charging method.

Another object of the present invention is to provide, for example,
Provided is a charging device and a charging method that can charge an external battery or the like with a charging circuit having charging characteristics suitable for the type even when different types of batteries such as a cadmium battery and a lithium battery are connected inside and outside the device. It is to be.

Another object of the present invention is to provide not only a charger but also an external battery or an internal battery connected thereto with an overvoltage,
An object of the present invention is to provide a charging device and a charging method for preventing a charger or a battery from being damaged by applying an overcurrent.

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a charging device having a form incorporated in a predetermined device, wherein a first device provided in the charging device is provided. A battery and a detachable second battery connected to the outside of the device, and the charging device receives power supply from the outside and charges the first battery and the second battery; Provided is a charging device having the configuration.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a charging device provided inside a predetermined device for performing a charging operation by receiving power supply from the outside of the device, and the charging device includes a first battery. In the charging device having a configuration in which a second battery can be attached and detached outside the device, a plurality of charging means for performing charging corresponding to a plurality of charging characteristics, and whether the second battery is connected to the device. Means for determining whether or not the second battery is connected, means for obtaining information unique to the second battery when the second battery is connected, and determination of charging characteristics of the second battery based on the information. Means for selecting, from among the plurality of charging characteristics, a charging characteristic matching the charging characteristic of the second battery based on the determination, and selecting a charging characteristic matching the charging characteristic of the first battery. Means, and the plurality of charging means are According to the above selected charging characteristic, to provide a charging device which performs the charging operation with respect to the first and second batteries.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a charging device which is provided inside a predetermined device and performs a charging operation by receiving power supply from the outside of the device, and the charging device includes a first battery. In the charging device, which is built-in and has a configuration in which a second battery can be attached and detached outside the device, detection means having a plurality of detection characteristics for the charging operation, and whether the second battery is connected to the device. Means for determining whether or not the second battery is connected, means for obtaining information unique to the second battery when the second battery is connected, and determination of charging characteristics of the second battery based on the information. Means for selecting, from the plurality of detection characteristics, detection characteristics matching the charging characteristics of the second battery based on the determination, and selecting detection characteristics matching the charging characteristics of the first battery. When,
Means for determining whether or not the charging operation is performed in a state satisfying the selected detection characteristic, and stopping the charging operation of the charging device when it is determined that the detection characteristic is not satisfied. And a charging device.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a charging device which is provided inside a predetermined device and performs a charging operation by receiving power from an external power supply means. The charging device includes a first battery. A configuration in which a second battery can be attached to and detached from the device, and the power supply means has an output voltage and an output current that can be changed. In the charging device, the device is connected to the second battery. Means for determining whether or not the second battery is connected, means for obtaining information unique to the second battery when the second battery is connected, and charging characteristics of the second battery based on the information. Determining means for determining a voltage and a current that match the charging characteristics of the second battery based on the determination result, and determining a voltage and a current that match the charging characteristics of the first battery; The above determined voltage and To match the current, to provide a charging device and means for switching the output voltage and output current from said power supply means.

Further, a fifth invention is a charging method in a charging device provided inside a predetermined device and performing a charging operation by receiving power supply from the outside of the device, wherein the charging device is the first device. Built-in battery and a second outside of the device
A charging step of performing charging corresponding to a plurality of charging characteristics, and a step of determining whether or not the second battery is connected to the device, Obtaining the information unique to the second battery when the second battery is connected; determining charging characteristics of the second battery based on the information; Selecting a charging characteristic that matches the charging characteristic of the second battery based on the determination from among the characteristics, and selecting a charging characteristic that matches the charging characteristic of the first battery. Provides a charging method for performing the charging operation on the first and second batteries according to the selected charging characteristics.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a charging method for a charging device provided inside a predetermined device and performing a charging operation by receiving power supply from the outside of the device, wherein the charging device includes In a charging method using a charging device including a battery and having a configuration in which a second battery can be attached and detached outside the device, a detecting step of executing a plurality of detection characteristics for the charging operation; A step of determining whether or not a battery is connected; a step of obtaining information unique to the second battery when the second battery is connected; and a step of obtaining the second information based on the information. Judging the charging characteristics of the battery, and selecting, from the plurality of detection characteristics, a detection characteristic matching the charging characteristic of the second battery based on the judgment and matching the charging characteristic of the first battery. Inspection Selecting a characteristic; determining whether the charging operation is performed in a state satisfying the selected detection characteristic; and determining that the detection characteristic is not satisfied, Stopping the charging operation of the device.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a charging method for a charging device provided inside a predetermined device and performing a charging operation by receiving power from an external power supply means. A battery is built-in, a second battery can be attached / detached to the outside of the device, and the power supply means is a charging method using a charging device whose output voltage and output current can be changed. A step of determining whether or not the battery is connected; a step of obtaining information unique to the second battery when the second battery is connected; and a step of determining whether the second battery is connected based on the information. Determining the charging characteristic; determining a voltage and a current that match the charging characteristic of the second battery based on the determination result; and determining a voltage and a current that match the charging characteristic of the first battery. S And-up, to match the voltage and current determined above, the charging method and a step of switching the output voltage and output current from the power supply means.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiment 1 FIG. <Charging Device> FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the charging device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the present charging device 1 takes a form incorporated in a terminal device 10 such as a mobile phone or a video camera, and has an internal battery (for example, a battery pack) B ₁ and an external device. connected battery (battery pack) B _2, battery B _1, B ₂ charger 3 for charging the charger 3 and the battery B _1, switch S ₁ which is provided in the charging path between B _2, S ₂ , A detection unit 5 for detecting whether or not the battery B ₂ is connected to the device 10, a switch control unit 6 for receiving signals from the detection unit 5 and controlling on / off of the switches S ₁ and S _2. A switching unit 4 that receives a signal from the unit 5 and switches the charging characteristics of the charger 3 described later is provided.

[0017] the charger 3, the AC adapter 2 is connected, the charger 3 that has received the power supply from the AC adapter 2, as the charging operation, battery B _1, a predetermined charge current to the battery B ₂ Supply. The detecting unit 5 includes an external battery B
_The connection of ₂ is detected by, for example, a mechanical mechanism or electrically detected through a terminal (not shown) for connection detection. At the same time, the detecting unit 5 reads a known electrical mechanism, for example, a resistance value or an impedance value provided in advance on the battery side, and sets the value as an ID (identification) signal 11, and based on the signal, determines the type of the external battery B ₂ connected to the apparatus 10.

Alternatively, an electric pulse signal may be exchanged between the detection unit 5 and the battery pack using a microprocessor or the like to determine the type of battery connected to the device.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the charger 3 of FIG. As shown in the figure, the charger 3 is composed of two charging circuits having different charging characteristics, and each charging circuit has a configuration in which a constant current circuit and a constant voltage circuit are combined. That is, the charger 3 includes a charging circuit 23 having a charging characteristic A described later and a charging circuit 27 having a charging characteristic B in response to an output from the AC adapter 2. The charging circuit 23 is composed of a combination of a constant current circuit A (21) and a constant voltage circuit A (22).
Consists of a combination of a constant current circuit B (25) and a constant voltage circuit B (26).

The changeover switch 28 in the charger 3 receives the changeover signal 12 sent from the changeover unit 4 of the charging device 1 and performs a predetermined changeover to select the charge circuit 23 or the charge circuit 27. As a result, the charging current according to the charging characteristics of the selected charging circuit is changed by the switches S ₁ and S ₂ described above.
, To the batteries B ₁ and B ₂ .

<Charging Operation> Next, a specific charging operation in the present charging apparatus will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a charging operation procedure when the present charging device charges an external battery or an internal battery. In step S41 in the figure, the detection unit 5, by the above-described method, the external battery B ₂ detects whether or not it is connected to the device 10. Here, if it can be confirmed that the connection of the battery B _2, detector 5 performs detection of the ID signal 11 at step S42.

If an ID signal is detected, step S43
Then, the detecting unit 5 detects the external battery B ₂ based on the ID signal.
And battery characteristics (charging characteristics) are determined. This determination result is sent to the switching unit 4 and the switch control unit 6. Then, by switching unit 4 outputs the switching signal 12 to the charger 3, the changeover switch 28 in the charger 3, selects a charging circuit having a charging characteristic matching the battery B ₂ (step S44).

[0023] At step S45, the switch control unit 6 having received the determination result of the above, to turn on the switch S _2. As a result, the charging circuit having a charging characteristic of the AC adapter 2 external battery - for paths that external battery B ₂ is formed, in step S46, the battery B _2, the charging operation by the matching characteristics to the external battery line Is The switches S ₁ this time is in the OFF state.

[0024] At step S47, the example, looking at the voltage across the battery B ₂ by the voltage monitoring circuit (not shown), determines the completion of charging. Then, if it is determined that the charging is completed, in a succeeding step S48, the switch control unit 6 switches the switch S ₂
Turn off. As a result, connection with an external battery B ₂ and charger 3 is cut off.

On the other hand, in step S41, or it is determined that the external battery B ₂ is not connected to the device 10, or be connected to an external battery B ₂ is the next step S
If the ID signal cannot be detected at 42, the external battery B
It is determined that it is inappropriate to perform the charging operation on ₂ . Here, it is inappropriate, for example, if the primary battery as the external battery B ₂ is connected can be assumed, in this case, to prevent charging, destruction of accident or battery due to heat generation of the battery Is prevented beforehand.

Therefore, the detecting unit 5 outputs a signal matching the type of the internal battery B ₁ and its charging characteristics (the type and characteristics of the battery used as the internal battery are known in advance) to the switching unit. 4 and the switch controller 6. Based on this signal, the switching unit 4 outputs a switching signal 12 to the charger 3, and at the same time, the switch control unit 6 performs a predetermined operation. As a result, in step S51, the changeover switch 28 in the charger 3, select a charging circuit having a charging characteristic matching the battery B _1, at step S52, turns on the switch S _1.

When the above switching control is performed, a path of the AC adapter 2-the charging circuit having characteristics suitable for the internal battery-the internal battery B ₁ is formed.
For internal battery B _1, the charging operation that matches the charging characteristics is performed. The switch S ₂ at this time is in the OFF state.

In step S54, the above-described step S4
In a similar manner to 7, it determines the completion of charging battery B _1, if the charging is completed, in step S55, the switch control unit 6 turns off the switch S _1. As a result, the connection between the battery B ₁ and the charger 3 is cut off.

In the charging operation shown in FIG. 4, whether or not the external battery (B ₂ ) is connected and the type of the battery are determined at the beginning of the process. However, the procedure of the charging process is not limited to this. For example, the charging of the internal battery (B ₁ ) may be preferentially performed, and after the charging is completed, whether or not the external battery is connected may be determined, and the process may shift to the charging operation of the external battery.

<Switching of Charging Characteristics and Charging Circuit> In general, charging conditions differ depending on the type of battery. That is, the appropriate charging voltage and charging current are determined by the battery to be charged. In other words, if a charging method that does not match the charging characteristics of the battery is used, there is a risk of not only a reduction in charging efficiency but also heat generation. As described above, the charging device according to the present embodiment is characterized in that charging section 3 is provided with two charging circuits having different charging characteristics (see FIG. 2).

Secondary batteries that can be reused by charging can be broadly classified into graphite-based batteries typified by nickel-cadmium batteries and nickel-metal hydride batteries, and carbon-based batteries such as lithium-ion batteries. A charging voltage suitable for a graphite-based battery is 4.1 V, and a charging current is 0.1 V.
5A, and the charging voltage suitable for a carbon battery is 4.
2V, charging current is 1.0A.

The charger 3 according to the present embodiment shown in FIG.
Is a constant current circuit A (21) for the charging circuit 23,
The output current value is I ₁ = 0.5 A, and the constant voltage circuit A (2
The output voltage in 2) is set to V ₁ = 4.1 V (charging characteristic A), and for the charging circuit 27, the constant current circuit B (25)
Output current value of I ₂ = 1.0 A, constant voltage circuit B (26)
Has a charging characteristic B that makes the output voltage V ₂ = 4.2 V.

Therefore, for example, when the detecting unit 5 determines that the battery connected to the terminal device 10 as an external battery is a nickel-cadmium battery, and when the internal battery is a lithium-ion battery, the following is performed. Works.

[0034] During operation of charging the external battery, the selector switch 28 in the charger 3 lying on a side, the switch S ₂ is turned on, the external battery, the charging by the charging characteristic A is performed. On the other hand, when charging the internal battery, the charger 3
Changeover switch 28 is collapsed b side of the inner, switch S ₁ is turned on, the internal battery, so that charging by the charging characteristic B is performed.

Needless to say, if the charging characteristics of the external battery and the internal battery are the same, the changeover switch 28 is tilted to either side to select a charging circuit that matches the charging characteristics of these batteries. The desired charging of the external battery and the internal battery can be performed only by switching the switches S ₁ and S ₂ .

<Modification of Charging Operation> It is known that constant current control is important (dominant) for charging nickel-cadmium batteries and the like, and constant voltage charging control is important for lithium ion batteries and the like. Have been. Therefore,
A method for efficiently charging by switching only the control that becomes dominant in charging will be described.

FIG. 3 shows a charger 3 according to a modification of the charging operation.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of FIG. Again, connected nickel-cadmium batteries as an external battery, the battery, when the a Lithium ion battery, during the charging of nickel-cadmium batteries, a constant voltage circuit A (22) on the switch S ₃₁ By bypassing, constant voltage control is eliminated, and control is performed such that only the constant current circuit A (21) functions. As a result, only constant current control according to the charging characteristic A becomes dominant in charging a nickel-cadmium battery.

[0038] Similarly, with respect to the charging of Lithium ion batteries and bypassing the constant current circuit B (25) in the switch S _32, as the constant current control is not performed, the constant voltage circuit B
Only (26) performs control to function. In this way, only the constant voltage control according to the charging characteristic B becomes dominant in charging the lithium ion battery.

The method of blocking the function of the constant voltage circuit A (22) or the constant current circuit B (25) is not limited to the above-described bypass method. Anything is fine. For example, the circuit itself may have a switch function, and the constant current or constant voltage control may not be operated by the switch control.

<Modification of Charging Method> In the charging method described above, a control method is adopted in which, after charging of one of the internal battery and the external battery is completed, the operation shifts to the other charging operation. When the and the external battery are the same type of battery, the following control may be performed. That is, by newly providing a means for detecting the voltage difference between the internal battery and the external battery,
Start charging from a low voltage battery. Then, when the battery voltages of both batteries match, the switches S ₁ and S ₂ are turned on, and the batteries are charged in a state of being connected in parallel.

When the external battery is of a type having a charger (charger in a pack) inside, charging control using the charger may be performed. Specifically, from the output side of the AC adapter 2 without passing through the charger 3 in the device,
A path is provided directly to the external battery, and a charging circuit of the AC adapter 2-the charger in the external battery-the external battery is formed to execute a predetermined charging operation. This is because the external battery
This corresponds to a case where the charging operation is performed by directly receiving the power supply of the device.

Also in this case, from the viewpoint of parallel charging, the internal battery is charged by the charger 3 of the device itself, and at the same time, the above-described AC adapter 2-the charger in the external battery-
By charging the external battery through the path of the external battery, parallel charging of the internal battery and the external battery can be realized.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the type of the battery connected to the outside of the device incorporating the charging device is determined, and the charging circuit is switched to a charging circuit having charging characteristics matching the type. In addition to charging the external battery and switching to a charging circuit with charging characteristics that match the internal battery, not only can the battery be charged efficiently according to the battery characteristics, but also the types of batteries that can be used as external batteries Range can be expanded. Therefore, there is an effect that the usability of not only the battery but also the equipment using the battery is greatly improved.

In addition, by switching only the control element which is dominant in charging the target battery in the current control or the voltage control as the charge control, more efficient charge control can be performed without waste. It becomes.

Embodiment 2 Hereinafter, Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 shows the configuration of the charging device according to the second embodiment. In the charging device shown in the figure, the same components as those of the charging device according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted here.

A characteristic of the charging device according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is that a safety circuit 50 is arranged between AC adapter 2 and charger 3. This safety circuit 5
0 includes a voltage detection unit 52, a current detection unit 55, and a control unit 51. The voltage detection unit 52 includes two voltage detection circuits A and B.
(53, 54), and the current detecting section 55 is composed of two current detecting circuits A, B (56, 57).
That is, the safety circuit 50 performs the following protection operation using the input voltage and the input current to the charger as control parameters.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation control procedure of the safety circuit. Steps S61 to S61 in FIG.
The process of S63 is the same as the procedure (steps S41 to S43) in the charging operation according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4, and thus the description thereof is omitted. In addition, “other processing” in FIG. 6 means, for example, charging processing of an internal battery of the device.

Therefore, a specific operation of the present safety circuit will be described. In step S63 of FIG. 6, when the type of the external battery of the device and the battery characteristics (charging characteristics) are determined (the determination method is the same as the method in the above-described first embodiment), the result is transmitted from the detection unit 5. Voltage detector 52 and current detector 55
Sent to Then, the voltage detection unit 52 switches to one of the voltage detection circuits A and B according to the type of the external battery or the like (step S65), and similarly, the current detection unit 55
Also, switching to one of the current detection circuits A and B is performed (step S71) to change the detection conditions of the input voltage and the charging current.

In step S66, the voltage detecting section 52
The output voltage of the AC adapter 2, i.e., determines whether the input voltage V _in to the charger is smaller than the safe voltage V _SFT. In step S72, the current detection unit 55
Determines whether the output current (input current to the charger) I _in from the AC adapter 2 is smaller than the safe current I _SFT .

The input voltage V _in is determined to be smaller than the safe voltage V _SFT (YES at step S66), and smaller than the input current I _in is safe current I _SFT (YES at step S72), the safety circuit 50 Is notified to the charger 3 in step S67, and in step S67, in the same manner as in the first embodiment (that is, switching of the charging characteristics according to the type of the external battery is performed), An operation of charging the external battery is performed via the charger 3. However, when none of the above conditions is satisfied, that is, when the input voltage V
_{When in} is higher than the safe voltage V _SFT or when the input current I _in is larger than the safe current I _SFT , the charging operation is stopped (step S73).

In step S75, similar to the first embodiment, for example, the voltage monitoring circuit checks the voltage across the external battery to determine the completion of charging. If the charging has not been completed, the process returns to step S66 and the subsequent step S72. If it is determined that the charging has been completed, the operation control ends.

Here, regarding the specific conditions for detecting the input voltage and the charging current, the charging voltage of the external battery of the device is 6
V, the charging current is 0.4 A, the charging voltage of the internal battery of the device is 4.2 V, and the charging current is 0.6 A. In such a case, when charging the internal battery, for example, the voltage detection unit 52
The current detection unit 55 is set to the (53) side, and the current detection circuit A (56) is used as a current detection circuit, so that a voltage and current of, for example, 5 V, 0.7 A or more are applied to the internal battery. Not to be.

On the other hand, during the charging operation of the external battery, the voltage detection circuit is switched from the voltage detection circuit A (53) to the voltage detection circuit B.
(54), and the current detection circuit is switched to the current detection circuit A.
Switching from (56) to the current detection circuit B (57) is performed so as to avoid applying a voltage and current of, for example, 7 V, 0.5 A or more to the external battery.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, when charging the internal battery or the external battery of the device, the charging characteristics are switched according to the type of the battery, and at the same time, the electrical characteristics of the charger are changed. By switching the protection detection condition and stopping the operation of the charger when a voltage or current that does not meet the detection condition is applied, an overvoltage input is applied to the charger,
Overcurrent can be prevented from flowing, resulting in overvoltage,
It is possible to prevent the charger from being overheated and the battery receiving the current or the like from being heated, thereby preventing the charger from being damaged.

In the second embodiment, the input voltage and the input current are defined as the protection parameters of the charger, but the parameters are not limited to these. For example,
A power detection unit may be further provided in the safety circuit 50 to execute the protection control of the charger 3 using the three elements of the input voltage, the input current, and the input power as parameters.

Embodiment 3 Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. 7 and 8 show the configuration of the charging device according to the third embodiment. In the charging devices shown in these drawings, the same components as those of the charging device according to Embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted here.

The charging device according to the third embodiment is
It is characterized by detecting the full charge of the internal battery,
The charging device shown in FIG. 7 performs full charge detection in the voltage mode, and the charging device shown in FIG. 8 performs full charge detection in the current mode. Therefore, the device shown in FIG. 7 includes a battery voltage detecting unit A71 for detecting the voltage across the internal battery (B ₁ ) connected to the charger 3 and a voltage detecting unit A71 for detecting the voltage across the external battery (B ₂ ). A battery voltage detector B72 is provided. In addition, the device shown in FIG. 8 is provided with a current detection unit 81 for detecting a current flowing into the batteries (B ₁ , B ₂ ) on the input side of the charger 3.

[0058] <full charge detection by the voltage mode> now is connected to a nickel-cadmium battery as the external battery B _2, the internal battery B _1, it is assumed that the Lithium-ion batteries are used. When the nickel-cadmium battery is charged, a so-called -ΔV (reduction in charging voltage) is generated.
2, this voltage drop is detected, and the result is sent from the battery voltage detection unit B72 to the control unit 75. On the other hand, the battery voltage detector A71 constantly detects the terminal voltage of the internal battery, and sends the detection result to the controller 75.

Based on the voltage detection results of these battery voltage detectors A and B (71, 72), the controller 75
It is determined whether one or both of the external and internal batteries are fully charged. When the battery knows that the battery is fully charged, it sends a control signal 77 to the charger 3 and
The charging operation of the charger 3 is stopped. At the same time, the control unit 75
Sends a control signal to the switch control unit 6 as well. Since the switch control unit 6 turns off the switches S ₁ and S ₂ in accordance with the signal, the charging paths to the fully charged batteries are individually cut off.

The display unit 76 visually indicates, based on a signal from the control unit 75, that one or both of the external battery and the internal battery are in a fully charged state. Display for notifying the user. As a display method, for example, a method using blinking of a light emitting diode, displaying characters on a liquid crystal display, or the like can be considered.

<Detection of Full Charge by Current Mode> Since the current flowing into a battery depends on its battery capacity, if the inflow current at the time of charging is known, it can be determined whether or not the battery is fully charged. The charging device shown in FIG. 8 is based on this principle, and detects a current flowing from the charger 3 to an external battery or an internal battery by a current detection unit 81 provided on the input side of the charger 3.

For example, if an internal battery (B ₁ ) having a predetermined capacity is used in a device and a battery having a capacity twice as large as that of the internal battery is connected as the external battery (B ₂ ) (the internal battery and the internal battery). A case where two batteries of the same type are connected in parallel is a preferable example). In this case, the current value detected by the current detection unit 81 at the time of charging is twice as large. Also,
The control unit 82 receives signals from the detection unit 5 and the switch control unit 6, and knows whether the battery to be charged at that time is an internal battery or an external battery.

When the battery to be charged is an internal battery, the control unit 82 determines that the current detected by the current detecting unit 81 is the charging current of the internal battery (for example, 10
0 mA). Similarly,
When the charging target is an external battery, the control unit 82 determines that the current detected by the current detection unit 81 is a charging current (for example, 200
mA) is determined.

If the above current conditions are satisfied, it can be determined that one or both of the external and internal batteries are in a fully charged state, so the control unit 82 sends a control signal 88 to the charger 3 to The charging operation of the charger 3 is stopped. Note, again, similar to the operation in the voltage mode, sends a control signal control section 82 to the switch control section 6, the switch control unit 6 turns off the switches S _1, S _2, battery in a fully charged state The charging paths to are individually blocked. The operation of the display unit 83 is the same as that of the display unit 76 described above.

As described above, according to the third embodiment, based on the difference in the full charge voltage depending on the type of the battery,
Detection of full charge state in voltage mode or determination of full charge state in current mode by focusing on the fact that the current flowing into the battery depends on the battery capacity makes it easy to charge the external and internal batteries. Since the charging operation of the charger is stopped based on the information, the safety of the charging device can be further improved.

Embodiment 4 Hereinafter, Embodiment 4 of the present invention will be described. FIG. 9 shows a configuration of a charging device according to the fourth embodiment. Here, also, the same components as those of the charging device according to Embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

The charging device according to the fourth embodiment switches the output voltage or the output current from the AC adapter connected to the charging device according to a method described later. For the switching, the charging device is provided with an adapter switching unit 91 as shown in FIG. This adapter switching unit 91
Sends a predetermined switching signal to the AC adapter 2 based on the signal from the detection unit 5 receiving the above-described ID signal and the like.

<Adapter Output Voltage Switching Control> In the present charging device, for example, the internal battery (B ₁ ) having a charging voltage of 5 V
And the charging voltage of the external battery (B ₂ ) is 8.4V. In this case, AC adapter 2
Thereafter, the output voltage of the AC adapter itself is switched by control from outside the adapter so that a voltage corresponding to these charging voltages is output. FIG. 10 shows an example of the output voltage characteristic of the AC adapter.
This corresponds to the case where the output voltage of the AC adapter is 10 V in order to correspond to the charging voltage of the external battery.
02 indicates a case where the output voltage of the AC adapter is 5 V corresponding to the charging voltage of the internal battery.

The adapter switching unit 91 knows the type of the internal battery to be used in advance and receives a signal (for example, the above-described ID signal) from the detection unit 5 and performs the same operation as in the first embodiment. The connection state and type of the external battery are determined. Then, the adapter switching unit 91 sends a signal based on the determination result to the AC adapter 2 as an output voltage switching signal of the AC adapter. As a result, AC adapter 2
Corresponds to the charger 3 according to the internal / external battery, as shown in FIG.
0 according to the characteristic curve shown in FIG.
V, 10 V to the external battery).

<Adapter Output Current Switching Control> The present charging device uses, for example, an internal battery (B ₁ ) having a charging current of 0.5 A and a charging current of an external battery (B ₂ ) of 1.0 A.
In the case of A, the output current of the AC adapter is switched by control from the outside of the adapter so that a current matching the charging current is output from the AC adapter 2. FIG. 11 shows an example of the output current characteristic of the AC adapter according to the present embodiment. A characteristic curve 111 is obtained when the output voltage of the AC adapter is set to 1.0 A in order to correspond to the charging current to the external battery. The characteristic curve 112 shows a case where the output current of the AC adapter is set to 0.5 A in accordance with the charging voltage of the internal battery.

Note that the control for switching the output current of the adapter is the same as that for the above-described voltage switching, and a description thereof will be omitted. Further, a method of switching the output current and the output voltage of the AC adapter itself by control from the outside of the AC adapter is also known, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, the charging device controls the battery according to the charging characteristics of the internal battery used in the charging device and the external battery connected to the outside. By switching the output voltage or output current of the AC adapter, overvoltage or overcurrent can be prevented from being applied to the charging device.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above-described second embodiment, the input voltage, the input current, and the input power are assumed as the protection parameters of the charger in the device. In the third embodiment, the protection of the charger based on the detection of the full charge is performed. Although the control is executed, a safety circuit may be configured by appropriately combining these parameters.

In the above embodiment, the battery voltage detecting section, the control section, the switch control section and the like operate individually. The microprocessor may perform predetermined switch control and switching control according to the set program sequence.

[0075]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Determine the charging characteristics of the battery connected to the outside of the device, switch to a charging circuit that matches the characteristics, charge the external battery,
Switching the internal battery to a charging circuit with its charging characteristics not only enables efficient charging that matches the characteristics of the battery connected to the device, but also the range of types of batteries that can be used as external batteries Can be greatly expanded.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the charging characteristic is switched to the charging characteristic according to the type of the battery connected to the device.
Switching the electrical protection detection condition of the charger and stopping the charger operation when a voltage or current that does not match the detection condition is applied, overvoltage input is applied to the charger or overcurrent flows Can be prevented.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the full charge state in the voltage mode and / or the current mode is determined according to the type of the battery inside and outside the device, and the predetermined charging operation is executed or stopped. -The charging operation by the charger can be stopped while grasping the charging state of the internal battery one by one,
It is possible to improve the safety of the charging device.

Further, according to another aspect of the present invention, according to the charging characteristics and the like of the internal battery and the external battery used in the charging device,
Since the output voltage or output current of the power supply unit is switched by controlling the power supply unit to the device from the charging device side, not only the overvoltage or the overcurrent is prevented from being applied to the charging device, It is possible to execute a charging operation that matches charging characteristics and the like.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a charging device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the charger according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a charger according to a modification of the charging operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a charging operation procedure when charging an external battery and an internal battery.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a charging device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation control procedure of the safety circuit.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration of a charging device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of a charging device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration of a charging device according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing output voltage characteristics of the AC adapter.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing output current characteristics of the AC adapter.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Charging device, 2 ... AC adapter, 3 ... Charger, 5 ... Detection part, 6 ... Control part, 10 ... Terminal equipment, 21, 25 ... Constant current circuit, 22, 26 ... Constant voltage circuit, 23, 27 ... Charger circuit, 28 switch, 50 safety circuit, 52 voltage detector, 51, 75, 82 controller, 53, 54 voltage detector circuit, 55, 81 current detector, 71, 72 battery voltage Detecting unit, 83: display unit, 91: adapter switching unit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H02J 7/10 H02J 7/10 BH (72) Inventor Kuniharu Suzuki 6-7 Kita Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo No. 35 Sony Corporation F term (reference) 5G003 BA04 CA03 CA04 CA14 CC07 CC08 FA07 GC05 5H030 AA01 AA03 AA04 AS11 BB02 BB03 DD08 FF42 FF43

Claims (17)

[Claims] 1. A charging device which is built in a predetermined device, comprising: a first battery provided in the charging device; and a second battery detachably connected to the outside of the device. And a charging device having a configuration in which the charging device receives a power supply from the outside and performs an operation of charging the first battery and the second battery. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the charging operation is performed between the first battery and the second battery.
The charging device according to claim 1, wherein the battery is selectively performed according to a predetermined priority order. 3. The charging operation according to claim 1, wherein the first battery is connected to the second battery.
The charging device according to claim 1, wherein the charging is performed simultaneously on the batteries. 4. A charging device which is provided inside a predetermined device and performs a charging operation by receiving power supply from outside the device, wherein the charging device has a first battery built therein, and In the charging device having a configuration in which a second battery can be detachably attached to the outside, a plurality of charging means for performing charging corresponding to a plurality of charging characteristics, and determining whether or not the second battery is connected to the device. Means for obtaining information unique to the second battery when the second battery is connected; means for determining a charging characteristic of the second battery based on the information; Means for selecting, from the plurality of charging characteristics, charging characteristics that match the charging characteristics of the second battery based on the determination, and selecting charging characteristics that match the charging characteristics of the first battery. The plurality of charging units are selected by the selection unit A charging device that performs the charging operation on the first and second batteries according to the determined charging characteristics. 5. The charging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said charging means comprises a constant voltage control means and a constant current control means. 6. The charging unit operates one of the constant voltage control unit and the constant current control unit in accordance with a characteristic of the first and second batteries that works dominantly in the charging. The charging device according to claim 5, wherein the charging is performed. 7. A charging device provided inside a predetermined device and performing a charging operation by receiving power supply from the outside of the device, wherein the charging device includes a first battery, and the charging device includes a first battery. A charging device having a configuration in which a second battery can be attached to and detached from the outside; a detecting unit having a plurality of detection characteristics for the charging operation; and a unit for determining whether the second battery is connected to the device. A means for obtaining information specific to the second battery when the second battery is connected; a means for determining a charging characteristic of the second battery based on the information; Means for selecting a detection characteristic that matches the charging characteristic of the second battery based on the determination from the detection characteristics, and selecting a detection characteristic that matches the charging characteristic of the first battery; The selected detection feature And a means for stopping the charging operation of the charging device when it is determined that the detection characteristics are not satisfied. Charging device. 8. The detection characteristic according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of detection characteristics include at least a voltage detection characteristic, a current detection characteristic, a power detection characteristic, a full charge detection characteristic, and a combination thereof. Charging device. 9. The charging apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the full charge detection characteristics include full charge detection in a voltage mode and full charge detection in a current mode. 10. A charging device that is provided inside a predetermined device and performs a charging operation by receiving power from an external power supply means. The charging device includes a first battery, and the charging device includes a first battery. The power supply means has a configuration in which a second battery can be attached and detached, and the power supply means has an output voltage and an output current that can be changed. Means for determining whether the second battery is connected, means for obtaining information unique to the second battery, and determination of charging characteristics of the second battery based on the information. Means for determining a voltage and a current that match the charging characteristics of the second battery based on the determination result, and determining a voltage and a current that match the charging characteristics of the first battery; Voltage and To match the flow, charging device characterized in that it comprises a means for switching the output voltage and output current from said power supply means. 11. A charging method for a charging device provided inside a predetermined device and performing a charging operation by receiving power supply from outside the device, wherein the charging device includes a first battery, and In a charging method using a charging device having a configuration in which a second battery can be attached to and detached from an external device, a charging step of performing charging corresponding to a plurality of charging characteristics, and whether the second battery is connected to the device. Determining whether the second battery is connected; obtaining information unique to the second battery if the second battery is connected; and determining the charging characteristics of the second battery based on the information. And selecting a charging characteristic that matches the charging characteristic of the second battery based on the determination from among the plurality of charging characteristics, and selecting a charging characteristic that matches the charging characteristic of the first battery. Wherein the charging step, in accordance with the selected charging characteristic, charging method and performing the charging operation with respect to the first and second batteries. 12. The charging method according to claim 11, wherein the charging step includes a constant voltage control step and a constant current control step. 13. The charging step executes one of the constant voltage control step and the constant current control step in accordance with a characteristic of the first and second batteries that works dominantly in the charging. The charging method according to claim 12, wherein the charging is performed. 14. A charging method in a charging device provided inside a predetermined device and performing a charging operation by receiving power supply from outside the device, wherein the charging device includes a first battery, and In a charging method using a charging device having a configuration in which a second battery can be attached and detached outside the device, a detection step of executing a plurality of detection characteristics for the charging operation; and whether the second battery is connected to the device. Determining whether or not the second battery is connected; obtaining information specific to the second battery when the second battery is connected; determining the charging characteristics of the second battery based on the information And selecting a detection characteristic matching the charging characteristic of the second battery based on the determination from the plurality of detection characteristics, and selecting a detection characteristic matching the charging characteristic of the first battery. Determining whether or not the charging operation is performed in a state that satisfies the selected detection characteristic; and determining that the detection characteristic is not satisfied, the charging operation of the charging device. Stopping the charging. 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of detection characteristics include at least a voltage detection characteristic, a current detection characteristic, a power detection characteristic, a full charge detection characteristic, and a combination thereof. Charging method. 16. The charging method according to claim 15, wherein the full charge detection characteristics include full charge detection in a voltage mode and full charge detection in a current mode. 17. A charging method for a charging device provided inside a predetermined device and performing a charging operation by receiving power from an external power supply means, wherein the charging device includes a first battery, A second battery can be attached and detached outside the device,
Further, in the charging method using a charging device whose output voltage and output current can be changed, the power supply unit determines whether or not the second battery is connected to the device; and Is connected, a step of obtaining information unique to the second battery; a step of determining a charging characteristic of the second battery based on the information; and a step of determining the second battery based on the determination result. Determining a voltage and a current that match the charging characteristics of the first battery, and determining a voltage and a current that match the charging characteristics of the first battery; and setting the power supply so as to match the determined voltage and current. Switching the output voltage and the output current from the supply means.