JPH01188918A - Control method for battery remaining capacity of terminal equipment of portable data equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To avoid the discontinuation of processing during its course due to the expiration of a battery by calculating the estimated battery remaining capacity at the scheduled time point when the processing is through before the access to a data input/output device and inhibiting with warning the working of the input/output device in case the battery remaining capacity is less than a warning standard. CONSTITUTION:When a main battery 23 is cut off, a sub-battery 24 backs up the battery 23. A remaining capacity estimating circuit 31 calculates the remaining capacity of the battery 23 at its set time point or the estimated battery remaining capacity at the scheduled time point when the data processing is through with the due number of bytes after monitoring the working time of a printer part 26 and a data input/output device 27 respectively. Then the circuit 31 compares the estimated remaining capacity with the prescribed warning capacity. Thus a warning signal is set in case said remaining capacity is smaller than the warning capacity. Otherwise a data input/output enable signal is set.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a method for managing remaining battery capacity in a portable data device terminal device.

(Prior Art) FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a conventional portable data device terminal device.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a central processing unit (CPU section) which supervises and controls this terminal device. 2 is an external interface section for connecting host devices such as office computers; 3
4, 5.6 are barcode readers, magnetic card readers, and magnetic strip readers as data input devices, 7 is a printer section as an output device, and 8 is an input/output device. A key manual section 9 is a display section for making specifications and the like. 10 is a memory section, consisting of ROMI 1 and RAM 12;
1 contains basic programs and the like that control this device. The RAM 12 is supplied with power from a power monitoring control circuit 15, which will be described later, and is connected to the external interface section 2.
It stores programs for each business, data from each calculation, etc. sent from the host device via the computer.

13 is the main battery that serves as the main power source for this device;
Reference numeral 14 represents a backup sub-battery, and 15 represents a power source monitoring and control circuit that monitors and controls each battery 13 and 14.

The power supply monitoring control circuit 15 sends a warning signal to the CPU unit 1 when the power of the main battery 13 drops to a predetermined voltage level. When the CPU section 1 receives the warning signal, it interrupts the work being executed, displays a warning on the display section 9 that the remaining battery power is insufficient, and performs a predetermined operation in order to prevent memory damage due to voltage drop. Turn off the power after a certain period of time.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, with the device configured as described above, the remaining power of the main battery can only be determined once the voltage of the main battery reaches a warning level, and it is not possible to predict when a warning signal will be output. In the middle of the process, a warning signal may be output and the process may be interrupted, and in that case, there is a problem in that the process must be performed again after charging. In addition, the battery voltage has the property that even if the voltage level decreases in response to a sudden load, it will recover after a while, making it difficult to accurately detect the voltage level while the load is operating. was there.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention calculates the estimated remaining battery power when the data input/output device performs the scheduled operation, before starting the operation of the data input/output device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a battery remaining capacity management method that prohibits the start of operation of the data input/output device when the battery level is low and also warns that the remaining battery capacity is insufficient.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a battery level management method for a portable data device terminal device that processes input/output data of a data input/output device. The operating time of the output device is monitored, the product of the current required for operation of each data input/output device and the operating time is calculated to calculate the current battery usage amount, and the initial battery charge capacity and the current battery usage amount are calculated. The current battery remaining amount is calculated and maintained at any time based on the difference between the current battery amount and the planned battery usage amount required for the data input/output device designated to be activated to process the scheduled amount of data. The estimated remaining battery capacity based on the difference between the data input and output devices is calculated before the data input/output device starts operating, and when the estimated remaining battery capacity falls below a predetermined battery capacity, the start of operation of the data input/output device is prohibited. This is a battery level management method that also provides a warning that the battery level is insufficient.

(Function) According to the present invention, when each data input/output device operates, the product of each required current and operating time is totaled to calculate the current battery usage amount, and the battery initial charge capacity and the current battery usage amount are calculated. The current battery remaining amount is calculated and held based on the difference between the current battery usage amount and the data input/output device. The estimated remaining battery capacity based on the difference between the battery capacity and the battery capacity is calculated prior to the operation, and when the estimated remaining battery capacity is less than a predetermined battery capacity, the start of the operation is prohibited and the remaining battery capacity is insufficient. You will be warned that

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a portable data device terminal device as an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 16 is a CPU section, 17 is an external interface section, 18 is a key power section, 19 is a display section, 20 is a memory section, 21 is a ROM, 22 is a RAM, 23 is a main battery, 24 is a sub battery, 25 are power supply monitoring and control circuits, each of which basically has the same functions as the parts with the same names in FIG.

26 is a printer section, and 27 is a barcode reader.

It is a data input device consisting of a magnetic card reader, a magnetic stripe reader, etc., and each of these parts 26 and 27 forms a data input/output device. 28 is a printer section 26 and a data input device 2
This is an input/output interface unit that connects six CPU units and one CPU unit.

Reference numeral 29 denotes a data input/output device power management circuit, which receives power supply from the power monitoring control circuit 25 and controls the printer section 26 or the data input device 27 based on the control of the CPU section 1.6.
Supplies power to each device.

Reference numeral 30 denotes an access register in which the device number of each data input/output device 26, 27, the number of bytes of input/output data, etc. are set according to the program of each business. 31 is a remaining amount estimating circuit, 32 is a timer, and the remaining amount estimating circuit 31 is a timer 3.
2 and a 1-chip 4-bit microcomputer, etc., and as described later, when the power is cut off, the battery is recharged by the sub-battery 24, and the operating time of each data input/output device 26 and 27 is The remaining battery power of the main battery 23 at the set point in time and the estimated remaining battery power at the time when processing of the data of the number of bytes is scheduled to be completed are calculated, and the estimated remaining battery power is adjusted to a predetermined value. It is compared with the battery capacity (warning capacity) to determine whether this is greater than or equal to the warning capacity. 33 is a status register in which a warning signal is set when the estimated battery remaining capacity is less than the warning capacity, or an input/output enable signal is set when it is greater than the warning capacity.

Next, the operation will be explained, including the function of managing the remaining battery capacity. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of battery remaining amount management using the configuration shown in FIG.

When operating this device, first connect the main battery 23
, fully charge the sub-battery 24. When the completion of the full charge is confirmed by the display unit] 9 and the confirmation completion is notified by the key operator unit 18, the full charge capacity Ef is displayed as RA.
It is stored in M22.

In the flowchart of FIG. 3, the initial settings are the full charge Ef (mA-sec), the steady current 1 c (mA) during operation of this device, and the data input/output device 2.
6.27, the access average current I i (mA) by the device with each device number i and the average access current I i (mA) by the device with each device number i in 1
Processing time Ki (sec) required to process byte data
and the fixed time CL (s e
c) in the remaining amount estimation circuit 31 (Step S1)
At the same time, the total usage time tl (sec) after full charge of each device number i and the total operating time tA (sec) of the device body, which were set in the remaining capacity estimating circuit 31, are reset (S2). Next, the full charge capacity Ef is assigned as the current remaining battery power EL (mA-sec) in the initial state (S3).

Data input/output devices 26.27 due to business programs, etc.
When the device number i and the number of bytes B of input/output data for the device i are determined on the CPU section 1 from a host device (not shown) (S4), the device number i and the number of bytes B are stored in the access register 30. It is set (S5). Then, the remaining amount estimating circuit 31 calculates the estimated processing time ts1 (s e c) by the device i using the formula: tsi-BXK i +Ci
φ” (1) (S6), and the estimated remaining battery power ELS (mA-sec) of the main battery 23 when the estimated processing time tsi has elapsed is calculated using the formula, EL
S-EL -11X tsi...Calculated by meeting (2) (S7). The remaining capacity estimating circuit 31 calculates the estimated remaining battery level i E LS and the predetermined warning capacity SA (mA
-sec), and when ELS<SA, (S8
), it is assumed that the battery capacity is insufficient and a warning signal is generated, the warning signal is set in the status register 33 (S9'), and the warning is displayed on one display section (S10).

In this case, the data input/output device power management circuit 29 does not supply power to the data input/output devices 26 and 27.

In step S8, when ELS≧SA, an input/output enable signal is generated for the device i, and the input/output enable signal is set in the status register 33 (S11). Then, the fact that the device i is accessing is set in the access register 30 (S12).
, the data input/output device power management circuit 29 supplies power to the device i of the data input/output devices 26 and 27 (
S13).

When the access is completed (S14), the data input/output device power management circuit 29 turns off the power supply (S1
5), access register 30 and status register 3
3 is reset (SlB) and the current battery level E
L is the formula, EL-Ef'-Σ(tI X1i)-1cxtA...
(3) is calculated as the new current battery remaining amount EL (517
), return to step S4. Note that in the above equation (3), Σ represents the total of each access from the power supply in step 813 to the power supply cutoff in step S15 for each device i. Each time tt and tA is monitored by a timer 32.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, according to the present invention, before accessing the data input/output device, the estimated remaining battery level at the time when processing is scheduled to be completed is calculated, and if the remaining battery level is below the warning level, the data input/output device is activated. Since operation is prohibited and a warning is issued, there is no risk of being warned of insufficient battery power during treatment or interruption of processing due to low battery voltage, improving operability and safety. I can expect it.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a portable data device terminal device as an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the structure of a conventional portable data device terminal device, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the structure of a conventional portable data device terminal device. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of battery remaining amount management according to the configuration of FIG. 16...CPU section 19...Display section 20...Memory section 23...Main battery 25...Power monitoring control circuit 29...Data input/output device Power management circuit 30...Access register 31 ... Remaining capacity estimation circuit 32 ... Timer 33 ... Status register patent Applicant: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. Agent Patent attorney Yoshi 1) Takashi Sei

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a method for managing the remaining battery level of a portable data device terminal device that processes input/output data of a data input/output device, the operating time of each data input/output device is monitored, and the operation time of each data input/output device is monitored. The product of the required current and the operating time is totaled to calculate the current battery usage amount, and the current battery remaining amount is calculated and held at any time based on the difference between the battery initial charge capacity and the current battery usage amount. , The data input/output device that is designated to be operated calculates the estimated remaining battery power based on the difference between the current battery remaining amount and the planned battery usage amount necessary for processing the scheduled amount of data. calculation prior to operation of the data input/output device, and when the estimated remaining battery capacity falls below a predetermined battery capacity, prohibiting the start of operation of the data input/output device and issuing a warning that the remaining battery capacity is insufficient. A method for managing remaining battery power of a portable data device terminal device, characterized in that: