JPH11194157A - Battery type identification device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically identify a type of a battery, by detecting voltage characteristics of the battery and at the same time identifying the type of the battery based on the detected voltage characteristics. SOLUTION: A device is provided with a voltage detection means 1 for detecting voltage characteristics of a battery, and an identification means 2 for identifying the type of a battery based on the voltage characteristics being detected by the voltage detection means 1. In this kind of configuration, the type of the battery is identified in two steps, namely an open voltage and a voltage drop, thus improving the accuracy for identifying the type of the battery. Therefore, the type of the battery can be automatically identified by detecting voltage characteristics (open voltage and voltage drop) by a voltage detection means. Also, since a battery check always operates normally regardless of the type of the battery, the voltage can be operated efficiently.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for performing a battery check and displaying a remaining battery level, and more particularly to an apparatus for automatically determining the type of a battery and performing a battery check.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A general camera powered by a battery includes:
A battery check function for displaying the state of battery exhaustion is provided. The battery check function measures the voltage of a battery serving as a power supply, and compares the measured voltage with a plurality of reference voltages provided stepwise to detect the remaining battery level stepwise.

Usually, a camera has an LED (light emitting element) and an LCD (liquid crystal display) for displaying the remaining battery power. For example, the remaining battery level can be displayed stepwise by changing the lighting pattern such as turning on two LEDs, turning on one LED, or turning off all LEDs according to the state of battery consumption using two LEDs. On the other hand, cameras that can use a plurality of types of battery packs having different supply voltages are also known. In these battery packs, the number of batteries to be loaded in the battery pack or the type of batteries to be loaded is changed in accordance with the drive target of the camera function. For example, AA alkaline battery packs for general use and secondary battery packs (packaged with Ni-Cd (nickel cadmium) batteries and the like) for high-speed driving such as motor drives are prepared. It can be used properly according to.

[0004] In such a case, since the voltage and discharge characteristics differ depending on the battery pack, the reference voltage used in the battery check differs for each type of battery pack.
Therefore, the shape of the battery pack is changed so that the type of the battery pack can be identified. With this, when the battery pack is mounted, the type of the battery pack is identified on the camera device side,
The reference voltage can be appropriately changed.

[0005]

However, some recent battery packs allow different types of batteries to be loaded therein. For this reason, it has become difficult to determine the type of the inner battery from the shape of the battery pack. For example, the AA alkaline battery pack is usually loaded with a primary battery such as an alkaline battery. However, since there is an AA secondary battery having substantially the same shape as the AA primary battery, this battery can be loaded and used. in this case,
Since the camera device cannot determine whether the battery inside the battery pack is a primary battery or a secondary battery, when checking the battery, the remaining battery level is naturally detected as the primary battery. Hereinafter, the adverse effects when a battery check is performed using a secondary battery as a primary battery will be described.

As shown in FIG. 13, the battery voltage has a characteristic that it is flat to some extent and then drops sharply. Therefore, a warning stage must be provided just before a sudden drop to warn the operator of battery replacement. Ni-
The battery voltage of a secondary battery such as a CD or Ni-MH is lower than the battery voltage of an alkaline primary battery. Therefore, when the battery pack is loaded with secondary batteries such as Ni-Cd and the same number of alkaline batteries are loaded, the supply voltage when the secondary batteries are loaded is considerably lower.

[0007] The reference voltage which is used as a criterion in the warning stage is also
Unlike the primary battery and the secondary battery, the reference voltage of the secondary battery is set lower than that of the primary battery. Therefore, if a battery check is performed with the reference voltage of the primary battery while a secondary battery is loaded in the battery pack, a "replacement instruction" is displayed even though the battery capacity is sufficient, There has been a problem that a release lock state is set to prohibit use.

As a countermeasure, there is a camera in which a manual changeover switch is provided in the battery pack storage section, and an operator appropriately changes a reference voltage for battery check by a changeover operation in accordance with the type of battery to be loaded. However, there is a problem that the switching must be performed every time the battery pack is replaced, and if the switching is forgotten, the battery check function does not operate normally.

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a battery type identification device capable of automatically identifying the type of battery in order to solve the above-mentioned problems. . Another object of the present invention is to provide a battery type identification device capable of improving identification accuracy.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a battery type identification device capable of normally detecting and displaying the remaining battery level according to the type of the identified battery. Another object of the present invention is to provide a battery type identification device that allows an operator to correct an error in the identification result.

[0011]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the principle of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a battery type identification device for detecting a voltage characteristic of a battery, and an identification unit for identifying a battery type based on the voltage characteristic detected by the voltage detection unit. And is configured. According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the battery type identification device according to the first aspect, the voltage detection means 1 detects an open voltage of the battery, and the identification means 2 determines the type of the battery based on the open voltage. It is characterized by identifying.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the battery type identification device according to the first aspect, the voltage detection means 1 detects a voltage drop due to the internal resistance of the battery, and the identification means 2 detects the voltage drop based on the voltage drop. And identifying the type of battery. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the battery type identification device according to the second aspect, the voltage detection means 1 detects a voltage drop due to the internal resistance of the battery, and the identification means 2 detects the voltage of the battery based on the voltage drop. If the identification result obtained based on the open voltage is different from the identification result obtained based on the voltage drop, the identification result obtained based on the voltage drop is prioritized. I do.

In such a configuration, the type of the battery is identified in two stages of the open voltage and the voltage drop, so that the accuracy of identifying the type of the battery can be improved. FIG.
It is a principle block diagram of the invention described in claim 5. According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided any one of the first to fourth aspects.
In the battery type identification device described in the paragraph, the voltage detecting means 1
Compares the battery voltage with the reference voltage, which detects the battery voltage and determines the reference voltage for determining the consumption state of the battery according to the type of the battery identified by the identification means 2. The apparatus comprises a consumption level detection means 4 for detecting the degree of consumption of the battery and a display means 5 for performing a display according to the degree of consumption of the battery.

With such a configuration, the type of the battery can be identified, and the battery check can be performed using the reference voltage corresponding to the type. According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the battery type identification apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the identification means 2 changes the identification result in accordance with an external operation. .

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, as an example of implementing the present invention, a camera equipped with the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. This embodiment corresponds to the first to sixth aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration block diagram of the present embodiment. In FIG. 3, a power supply unit 21 is disposed inside the camera 20. The power supply unit 21 corresponds to a battery pack described later. A voltage detection unit 22 is connected in parallel to the power supply unit 21, and the voltage of the power supply unit 21 is converted into a predetermined voltage via a converter 23 and supplied to the MCU 24. The description of the power supply other than the MCU 24 is omitted.

A pulse signal from a pulse generator 25 is input to the MCU 24. The MCU 24 has an LCD
The controller 26 is connected to the motor controllers 27, 28, and 29. The pulse generator 25 is connected to an information setting dial 25a, and the LCD controller 26 is an LCD (liquid crystal display) 30.
Connected to Further, the motor control unit 27 includes a motor 27a.
The motor control unit 28 is connected to the motor 28a, and the motor control unit 29 is connected to the motor 29a.

Further, the MCU 24 includes switches 31 to 3
4 terminal. FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of the inside of the camera of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, a motor 27a located on the left side inside the camera 20 transmits power to a mirror driving unit 27b that opens and closes a mirror and a shutter 27c. The drive shaft of the motor 28a is connected to the rotation shaft of the film winding spool 28b.
Drives the film winding spool 28b to wind the film. A motor 29a is arranged at the upper right portion inside the camera 20, and its drive shaft is connected to a film rewinding fork 29b. Motor 29a
Drives the film rewind fork 29b to rewind the film.

A battery pack storage section 35 is provided at a lower portion in the camera 20. The battery pack storage section 35 stores a battery pack described later. A hole 31a is provided in the wall 36 surrounding the periphery of the battery pack storage 35. An axially slidable pin 31b is arranged in the hole 31a.
Slides, the normally closed switch 31 is turned off.

The wall section 36 is provided with power supply terminals 37a and 37b for supplying a battery voltage. A hole 32a is provided on the upper right side of the camera 20 body, and a battery check button 32b is
2 are provided in conjunction with each other. The switch 32 is a normally open switch, and is turned on when the battery check button 32b is pressed.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the camera of this embodiment. 5, a battery check button 32b and an operation button 38 are arranged on the upper left side of the camera 20, and a release button 39, the LCD 30, and the information setting dial 25a are arranged on the right side. The release button 39 is linked with the switches 33 and 34 described above. When the release button 39 is half-pressed, the switch 33 is turned on, and when the release button 39 is fully pressed, the switch 34 is turned on.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration of the battery pack. FIG. 6A shows a battery pack 40 for a secondary battery. The battery pack 40 includes a secondary battery cell 41
Is built-in. At the left end of the battery pack 40, output terminals 42a and 42b are provided. When the battery pack 40 is stored in the battery pack storage section 35, the output terminal 42a and the power supply terminal 37a come into contact, and the output terminal 42b and the power supply terminal 37b come into contact to supply a voltage.

FIG. 6B shows a battery pack 4 for AA batteries.
3 is shown. AA battery pack 43 includes
For example, eight AA alkaline batteries 44 can be loaded.
Output terminals 45a and 45 are provided at the left end of the battery pack 43.
b, and a projection 47 is provided. When the AA battery pack 43 is housed in the battery pack housing 35, the output terminal 45a contacts the power supply terminal 37a, and the output terminal 45b contacts the power supply terminal 37b to supply a voltage. . At this time, since the projection 47 slides the pin 31b to the left, the switch 31 is turned off.

That is, the battery pack 40 for the secondary battery
Is mounted, the switch 31 remains on, and when the AA battery pack 43 is mounted, the switch 31 is switched off. As a result, whether the battery pack 40 for the secondary battery is mounted or the battery pack 43
Can be determined. As for the correspondence between the present invention and the present embodiment, the voltage detecting means 1 corresponds to the voltage detecting section 22, the identifying means 2 corresponds to the MCU 24, the pulse generating section 25, and the information setting dial 25a. The voltage determining means 3 and the consumption degree detecting means 4 are provided by the MCU 24.
, The display means 5 includes an LCD control unit 26 and an LCD
Corresponding to 30.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. When the half-press switch 33 is on, interruption of the battery check process on the camera sequence is permitted. In this state, when the battery check button 32b is pressed (step S1 in FIG. 7), the switch 32 associated therewith is turned on, and the MCU 24 executes the following battery check processing.

First, the MCU 24 performs a battery pack identification routine (step S) for identifying the type of the battery pack.
Perform 2). The MCU 24 determines whether the state of the switch 31 is on or off (step S10 in FIG. 8). In the on state, the attached battery pack is the battery pack 40 for the secondary battery, and in the off state, it is the battery pack 43 for the AA battery.

In the ON state, the flag FLG1 is set to 0,
The flag FLG2 is set to 0 (step S11).
When the flag FLG1 is 0, the battery pack 40 for the secondary battery is 1;
No. 3 is attached. Also, the flag FLG
When 2 is 0, it indicates that the battery loaded in the battery pack is a secondary battery, and when it is 1, it indicates that it is an AA alkaline battery.

On the other hand, when in the off state, the MCU 24
The power supply voltage value Eo before half-pressing is read (step S1).
2). This voltage value Eo is determined by the power supply unit 21 before being half-pressed.
(That is, the attached battery pack). The voltage detection unit 22 detects the voltage of the power supply unit 21 before half-pressing, and stores this data in the internal memory of the MCU 24. At this time, since the power consumed by the camera 20 is almost 0, this voltage value Eo is equal to the open circuit voltage.

Using this voltage value Eo, it is determined whether the battery loaded in the AA battery pack 43 is an AA primary battery or an AA secondary battery. Here, a case where eight AA alkaline batteries are loaded into the AA battery pack 43 and a case where eight AA Ni-Cd batteries are loaded are considered. The nominal voltage of a single cell is 1.
Since the latter is 5 V and the latter is 1.2 V, there is a difference of 12 V in the former and 9.6 V in the latter when eight are loaded. Actually N
Since the voltage of the i-Cd battery is a little higher,
For example, the type of battery is identified based on whether it is higher than 11V.
This identification voltage Ec is stored in the internal memory of the MCU 24 in advance.

The MCU 24 determines whether the voltage value Eo is higher than the identification voltage value Ec (step S13). If the voltage value Eo is higher than the identification voltage value Ec, the flag FL
G1 is set to 1 and the flag FLG2 is set to 1 (step S14). This is the AA battery pack 43,
Indicates that eight AA alkaline batteries are loaded.

However, if the identification is made only by the open-circuit voltage, the identification may be erroneously determined. Since the open-circuit voltage decreases when the battery is consumed, the open-circuit voltage becomes lower than the identification voltage value Ec, and the “alkaline battery” may be erroneously identified as “Ni-Cd battery”. Therefore, the difference in the internal resistance of the battery is used. Alkaline batteries have a higher internal resistance than Ni-Cd batteries, so the voltage drop when a current flows is larger in alkaline batteries (especially in the state where the consumption of alkaline batteries has progressed or at low temperatures). More noticeable).

If it is determined in step S13 that the voltage value Eo is smaller than the identification voltage value Ec, the voltage detector 22
Performs voltage monitoring. Now, since the camera is in the half-pressed ON state, operations such as photometry are being performed, and a certain amount of current is flowing inside the camera. Therefore, the voltage value Eo drops due to the internal resistance of the battery. Voltage detector 2
2 detects the voltage value at this time (step S15).

The MCU 24 has a voltage value Eo before half-press ON.
And the voltage at half-press ON, that is, the value of the voltage drop Δ
Calculate E. And ΔE is between the alkaline battery and Ni-
It is determined whether or not it is larger than a threshold value ΔEd for distinguishing the Cd battery (step S16). When ΔE is larger than ΔEd, the flag FLG1 is set to 1 and the flag FLG is set to 1
G2 is set to 1 (step S17). This indicates that the AA battery pack 43 is loaded with eight AA alkaline batteries.

When ΔE is smaller than ΔEd,
The flag FLG1 is set to 1 and the flag FLG2 is set to 0 (step S18). This indicates that eight AA Ni-Cd batteries are loaded in the AA battery pack 43. As described above, when the type of the battery pack is identified, the MCU 24 displays the identification result on the LCD 30 (Step S19).

The MCU 24 has a flag FLG1, a flag F
Based on LG2, three types of display patterns shown in FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C are selected, and LC
Display on D30. FIG. 9A shows a state in which the secondary battery pack 40 is mounted (FLG1 = 0, FLG1).
G2 = 0), an “N” character is displayed on the left side of the battery mark.

FIG. 9 (b) shows the letter "L" when the AA battery pack 43 is mounted and AA alkaline batteries are loaded (FLG1 = 1, FLG2 = 1). I do. FIG. 9C shows a state in which the AA battery pack 43 is mounted and the AA Ni-Cd battery is loaded (FLG1 = 1, FLG2 = 0).
Displays "NL" characters.

As described above, in the battery pack identification routine, the “secondary battery pack 40”, the “AA battery pack 43 loaded with AA alkaline batteries”,
The three states of "AA battery pack 43 loaded with AA Ni-Cd batteries" are identified and the results are displayed. Next, a battery remaining amount check routine (step S3)
Execute

The battery mark displayed on the LCD 30 is “state 1: sufficiently usable state” in FIG.
There are three states, “state 2: state to be replaced” in (e), and “state 3: state in which it is worn out and cannot be used” (blinking display) in FIG. 9 (f). The state of the battery is determined by comparing the value of the power supply voltage at the time of half-press ON with a predetermined reference voltage value. It differs depending on three cases: the loaded AA battery pack 43, the AA Ni-Cd battery loaded AA battery pack 43, and the secondary battery pack 40.

The matrix of the reference voltage values shown in FIG.
It is stored in the internal memory of the MCU 24. E1 is a threshold value between “state 1” and “state 2”, and E2 is a threshold value between “state 2” and “state 3”. When “secondary battery pack 40: FLG1 = 0, FLG2 = 0”, E1 = V1 and E2 = V2 are set, and “AA Ni
-AA battery pack 4 loaded with Cd batteries
3: FLG1 = 1, FLG2 = 0, E1 = V
3, E2 = V4, “AA battery pack 43 loaded with AA alkaline batteries: FLG1 = 1,
FLG2 = 1 "is set to E1 = V5 and E2 = V6.

The specific operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The voltage detection unit 22 detects the voltage value E at the time of half-press ON.
Is detected (step S20). The MCU 24 reads the values of the reference voltage values E1 and E2 from the matrix based on the flags FLG1 and FLG2, and first compares the voltage value E with the reference voltage value E1 (step S21). If the voltage value E is larger than E1, the battery mark in state 1 is displayed because the battery level is sufficient (step S2).
2). If the voltage value E is smaller than E1, the voltage value E is compared with E2 (step S23).

When the voltage value E is larger than E2, it is a state to be replaced, and the battery mark of state 2 is displayed (step S24). If the voltage value E is smaller than E2, the battery is exhausted and cannot be used, and the battery mark of state 3 is displayed (step S25). Thus, in this routine, the battery check is performed with the reference voltage value according to the type of the battery pack.

Next, a case where the battery check is performed again and a case where the identification result of the battery pack is incorrect and the result is corrected will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of correcting the identification result. When the half-press switch 33 is on, interruption of the battery check process on the camera sequence is permitted. In this state, when the battery check button 32b is pressed (step S30), the switch 32 associated therewith is turned on, and the MCU 24 executes the following processing.

The MCU 24 determines whether the flag FLG1 is 0 or 1
Is determined (step S31). Flag FLG1 is 0
Then, since the attached battery pack is the secondary battery pack 43, "N" is displayed (step S32).

If the flag FLG1 is 1, the attached battery pack is an AA battery pack 43. Next, the MCU 24 sets the flag FLG2 to “0” or “1”.
Is determined (step S33), and if the flag FLG2 is 1, "L" is displayed because the batteries in the battery pack are AA alkaline batteries (step S34). However, the battery pack identification routine (step S2)
May be incorrect, and the battery actually mounted may be an AA Ni-Cd battery.
In this case, the operator has to correct the display result.
Press the information setting dial 25a. The information setting dial 25a generates a pulse signal in response to a pressing operation. M
When the CU 24 receives the pulse signal (Step S3)
5) Rewrite the flag FLG2 from 1 to 0 (step S36), and display "NL" (step S37).

On the other hand, in step S33, the flag F
If LG2 is 0, "NL" is displayed because an AA Ni-Cd battery is installed (step S38).
However, also in this case, the identification determination in the battery pack identification routine (step S2) may be erroneous, and the battery actually mounted may be an AA alkaline battery. In this case, the operator presses the information setting dial 25a to correct the display result. The information setting dial 25a generates a pulse signal in response to the pressing operation. When the MCU 24 receives the pulse signal (step S39), the flag FLG2 is rewritten from 0 to 1 (step S40), and "L" is displayed (step S40). S4
1).

A battery remaining amount check routine (step S42) is executed based on the corrected new identification result. (Effects of the present embodiment) As described above, the camera of the present embodiment can automatically identify the type of battery pack to be mounted and execute a battery check according to the type. Therefore, even when the types of battery packs are different, the battery check function operates normally, and the battery pack can be used up to the end efficiently.

If there is an error in the battery pack type identification result, the operator can correct the identification result, and can execute a battery check based on the correct identification result. In the present embodiment, the type of the battery pack is identified and the battery check is performed according to the type. However, the operation of the battery check is not always required. That is, the type of the mounted battery pack may be identified and the identification result may be simply displayed, or a camera function that can be driven by the battery pack may be displayed.

[0049]

As described above, in the battery type identification device according to the first to third aspects, the voltage type (open-circuit voltage, voltage drop) is detected by the voltage detecting means, so that the battery type is automatically determined. Can be identified. In the battery type identification device according to claim 4, when the identification result obtained based on the open-circuit voltage is different from the identification result obtained based on the voltage drop, the identification result obtained based on the voltage drop is provided. Priority. Therefore, even when the open-circuit voltage of the battery decreases, the type of the battery can be accurately identified based on the voltage drop, and the identification accuracy can be improved.

In the battery type identification device according to the fifth aspect,
The type of the battery is identified and compared with a reference voltage corresponding to the type to detect and display the degree of battery consumption. Therefore, a normal battery check can always be performed regardless of the type of battery. In the battery type identification device according to the sixth aspect, even if the device has erroneously identified the type of the battery, it can be changed at any time by a correction operation by the operator, and a battery check reflecting the correction result is executed. Can be.

As described above, in the battery type identification apparatus to which the present invention is applied, the battery check always operates normally regardless of the type of the battery, so that the battery can be used efficiently.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the principle of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a principle block diagram of the invention according to claim 5;

FIG. 3 is a configuration block diagram of the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of the inside of the camera of the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the camera of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration of a battery pack.

FIG. 7 is a main flowchart of the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a battery pack identification routine.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating marks displayed on the LCD.

FIG. 10 is a matrix of reference voltage values.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a battery remaining amount check routine.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of correcting an identification result.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing voltage characteristics of a battery.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 voltage detection means 2 identification means 3 reference voltage determination means 4 wear degree detection means 5 display means 20 camera 21 power supply section 22 voltage detection section 23 converter 24 MCU 25 pulse generation section 25a information setting dial 26 LCD control sections 27, 28, 29 Motor control unit 27a, 28a, 29a Motor 27b Mirror drive unit 27c Shutter 28b Film winding spool 29b Film rewinding fork 30 LCD 31, 32, 33, 34 Switch 31a, 32a Hole 31b Pin 32b Battery check button 35 Battery pack storage Unit 36 Wall 37a, 37b Power terminal 38 Operation button 39 Release button 40 Battery pack for secondary battery 41 Secondary battery cell 42a, 42b Output terminal 43 Battery pack for AA battery 44 AA alkaline Battery 45a, 45b Output terminal 47 Projection

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A battery type, comprising: voltage detecting means for detecting voltage characteristics of a battery; and identifying means for identifying the type of the battery based on the voltage characteristics detected by the voltage detecting means. Identification device. 2. The battery type identification device according to claim 1, wherein the voltage detection unit detects an open voltage of the battery, and the identification unit identifies the type of the battery based on the open voltage. A battery type identification device characterized in that: 3. The battery type identification device according to claim 1, wherein the voltage detection unit detects a voltage drop due to an internal resistance of the battery, and the identification unit detects the voltage of the battery based on the voltage drop. A battery type identification device for identifying a type. 4. The battery type identification device according to claim 2, wherein the voltage detection unit detects a voltage drop due to an internal resistance of the battery, and the identification unit determines a type of the battery based on the voltage drop. If the identification result obtained based on the open-circuit voltage is different from the identification result obtained based on the voltage drop, the identification result obtained based on the voltage drop is prioritized. Battery type identification device. 5. The battery type identification device according to claim 1, wherein the voltage detection unit detects a battery voltage, and determines a type of the battery identified by the identification unit. Accordingly, a reference voltage determining means for determining a reference voltage for determining a consumption state of the battery; a consumption level detection means for comparing the battery voltage with the reference voltage to detect a consumption level of the battery; A battery type identification device, comprising: display means for performing display in accordance with the degree of battery consumption. 6. The battery type identification device according to claim 1, wherein the identification unit changes an identification result in accordance with an external operation. .