JPH09283186A - Discharge method for electronic apparatus and secondary battery - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a short-circuit between the discharge terminal and the charge terminal of an electronic apparatus by dissolving the voltage memory effect of a secondary battery equipped in the electronic apparatus. SOLUTION: An electronic apparatus 3 equipped with a secondary battery 30 as a power source is provided with a discharge means which consumes the electric power of the secondary battery 30 and decrease the voltage of the secondary battery 30 so as to execute discharging treatment by itself to dissolve a voltage memory effect. Concretely, a load means 31 which consumes the electric power of the secondary battery 30, a voltage detection means 34 which detects the voltage of the secondary battery 30, and a control means 35 which compares a detected voltage to a predetermined threshold voltage to operate the load means 31 or to stop the operation of the load means 31 based on the fact that the detected voltage value becomes lower than the threshold value or that the detected voltage becomes equal to the threshold value so that the electric power of the secondary battery 30 is consumed by the operation of the load means 31, or over discharge is prevented by the operation of the load means 31.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic device equipped with a secondary battery as a power source, and in particular, in order to eliminate the voltage memory effect of the secondary battery, discharge processing of the secondary battery is performed. The present invention relates to an electronic device and a method of discharging a secondary battery to be performed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Electronic devices such as portable radios, mobile phones, pagers, portable audio players, video recorders, portable personal computers, etc. are used as a power source in a rechargeable storage battery (instead of a disposable dry battery (primary battery)). Secondary batteries) are widely used. However, when a secondary battery such as a nickel-cadmium battery or a nickel-hydrogen battery is repeatedly charged with a certain amount of stored electricity, the battery voltage value at the time of this charging is stored in the memory. The so-called "memory effect" occurs, and even if the charged secondary battery is used, it is discharged only to the stored voltage value, and as a result, the power from the stored voltage value to the end voltage value is reduced. It has the property that it cannot be used. The final voltage value is a voltage value at which the secondary battery can be discharged, and if the final voltage value is exceeded, discharging will result in over-discharging, damaging the secondary battery and reducing the discharge time. This results in a decrease and a shortened cycle life.

In order to recover the secondary battery having such a voltage memory effect, the secondary battery is temporarily discharged to the final voltage by using the discharging function of the discharger or the charger before charging, and then the secondary battery is discharged. The method of charging is conventionally used. FIG. 7 shows a conventional device configuration for performing such discharge and charge processing on an electronic device. The electronic device 1 is equipped with a secondary battery 10 as a power source, and further has a charging terminal 11 for charging the secondary battery 10.
And a discharge terminal 12 for discharging the secondary battery 10,
A load 13 such as various functional circuits that operate by consuming the power of the secondary battery 10 and a control circuit 14 that controls the operation of the load 13.
And are provided.

On the other hand, a charger 2 for discharging and charging the electronic device 1 is connected to a charging terminal 20 connected to a charging terminal 11 on the electronic device side and a discharging terminal 12 on the electronic device side. A charging terminal 21, a discharging load 22 composed of a resistor or the like for discharging the secondary battery 10, a voltage detector 23 for detecting a discharge end voltage, and a charging circuit 24 for charging the secondary battery 10 with external power. A charging / discharging control circuit 25 for controlling the discharging process by the discharging load 23 and the charging process by the charging circuit, and a switch 26 for starting the discharging process by the charger 2 are provided.

The electronic device 1 is discharged and charged by the electronic device 1.
Is loaded into the charger 2, the charging terminals 11 and 20 and the discharging terminals 12 and 21 are connected to each other, and the switch 26 is pressed to start. By depressing the switch 26, the charge / discharge control circuit 25 enters the discharge mode, and first the discharge process is started. In this discharge process, the discharge load 22 consumes the electric power from the secondary battery 10, and when the voltage of the secondary battery 10 detected by the voltage detector 23 decreases to the final voltage value, the charge / discharge control circuit 25 causes the discharge load 22 to operate. The power supply to the power supply is stopped and the charging mode is entered. When shifting to the charging mode, the charging / discharging control circuit 25 instructs the charging circuit 24 to start the charging process, and the charging circuit 24 supplies power to the secondary battery 10 via the charging terminals 20 and 11, and the secondary battery concerned. 10
The voltage of is restored to a predetermined value.

[0006]

As described above, in order to eliminate the voltage memory effect of the secondary battery, it is necessary to perform the discharging process prior to the charging process.
It has been necessary to separately prepare a discharger or a charger having a discharge function and discharge the secondary battery provided in the electronic device using the discharger or the charger. Therefore, when the discharger is used, the number of accessories of the electronic device is increased and the cost is increased, and when the charger is used, the discharge function is provided to increase the size and cost of the charger. There was a problem.

Further, in order to eliminate the voltage memory effect of the secondary battery, it is necessary to prepare a discharger or a charger having a discharge function, which is extremely convenient in consideration of the usage situation of electronic equipment by the user. However, the secondary battery could not be easily discharged as needed, and it was not easy to always maintain the secondary battery in a good condition.

Further, portable electronic devices such as mobile phones have been downsized so that they can be easily stored in a pocket, a bag or the like and carried. However, in order to perform the discharging process of the secondary battery in the conventional electronic device, the charging terminal 11
In addition, the discharge terminal 12 is provided so as to be exposed to the outside of the device. Therefore, when a metal such as a necklace comes into contact with the charging terminal 11 and the discharging terminal 12, both terminals 11 and 12 are short-circuited and there is a risk that the metal will generate heat.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and does not use a separate device such as a discharger or a charger,
An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device capable of effectively canceling a voltage memory effect by performing a discharge process on a secondary battery. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device that does not require a discharge terminal and prevents a short circuit between a charge terminal and a discharge terminal. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device and a method of discharging a secondary battery, which can easily perform a discharging process of the secondary battery. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device and a secondary battery discharging method capable of surely performing a secondary battery discharging process.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, an electronic device according to the present invention operates by consuming the electric power of the secondary battery in an electronic device having a rechargeable secondary battery as a power source. Load means, voltage detecting means for detecting the voltage of the secondary battery, and comparing the voltage detected by the voltage detecting means with a preset threshold voltage, and the detected voltage value is the threshold value. And a control unit that starts the discharge process of the secondary battery by operating the load unit based on the decrease.

Therefore, by setting the threshold voltage to a voltage value at which charging of the secondary battery should be started, when the voltage value of the secondary battery detected by the voltage detecting means falls below the threshold value. In addition, the load means of the display lamp provided in the electronic device operates to automatically discharge the secondary battery. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform a discharging process using a discharging device or a charging device in the charging process, and the voltage memory effect of the secondary battery can be effectively eliminated. It should be noted that the threshold value is set to a voltage value according to the design requirement, and is set to a voltage value that requires discharge processing according to the characteristics of the secondary battery.

Further, the electronic device according to the present invention is an electronic device equipped with a rechargeable secondary battery as a power source, and detects load voltage which operates by consuming the electric power of the secondary battery and the voltage of the secondary battery. Comparing the voltage detected by the voltage detecting means with a preset threshold voltage, and operating the load means based on the detected voltage value becoming the threshold value. And a control means for stopping the secondary battery discharge process.

Therefore, by setting the threshold voltage to a voltage value for preventing over-discharge of the secondary battery, the voltage value of the secondary battery detected by the voltage detecting means becomes the threshold value. In this case, the operation of the load means included in the electronic device is stopped to prevent the secondary battery from being over-discharged. It should be noted that the threshold value is set to a voltage value according to design requirements, and is set to a voltage value required to prevent overdischarge according to the characteristics of the secondary battery.

The electronic device according to the present invention is an electronic device equipped with a rechargeable secondary battery as a power source, and detects load voltage which operates by consuming the electric power of the secondary battery and the voltage of the secondary battery. Comparing the voltage detected by the voltage detecting means with a preset first threshold voltage and a second threshold voltage lower than the first threshold voltage, On the basis that the detected voltage value becomes lower than the first threshold voltage, the load means is operated, and the detected voltage value becomes the second threshold voltage. Control means for stopping the operation of the load means.

Therefore, the first threshold voltage is set to a voltage value at which charging of the secondary battery should be started, and the second threshold voltage is set to an end voltage value for preventing over-discharge of the secondary battery. By doing so, when the voltage value of the secondary battery detected by the voltage detection means falls below the first threshold value, the load means such as the display illuminator provided in the electronic device operates. Automatically discharge the secondary battery. Then, as a result of the discharging process, when the voltage value of the secondary battery detected by the voltage detecting means falls below the second threshold value, the operation of the load means is automatically stopped to discharge the secondary battery. To prevent over discharge of the secondary battery. Therefore, in the charging process, it is not necessary to perform the discharging process using the discharger or the charger, the voltage memory effect of the secondary battery can be effectively canceled, and the over-discharge of the secondary battery is also prevented. . The first
The second threshold value is set to a voltage value according to the design requirement, and the first threshold value is a voltage value that needs to be discharged according to the characteristics of the secondary battery. And the second threshold value is set to a voltage value required to prevent over-discharge.

Further, the electronic equipment according to the present invention is, in addition to the load means that controls the function of the electronic equipment such as a display lamp, an auxiliary load means such as a resistor for discharging for the purpose of power consumption. The control means operates the load means based on the voltage value of the secondary battery falling below the first threshold voltage, and causes the auxiliary load means to be supplied with electric power from the secondary battery. It is characterized in that the operation of the load means is stopped and the power supply to the auxiliary load means is stopped based on the voltage value of the battery becoming the second threshold voltage. Therefore, the secondary battery is quickly discharged by the power consumption by the load means and the auxiliary load means.

Further, the electronic apparatus according to the present invention comprises a load means for controlling the function of the electronic apparatus, an auxiliary load means for discharging for the purpose of power consumption, and an input means for receiving an operation input from a user. The control means causes the auxiliary load means to be supplied with electric power from the secondary battery based on the operation input from the input means, and based on the voltage value of the secondary battery becoming the second threshold voltage. It is characterized in that the power supply to the auxiliary load means is stopped. Therefore, the user can arbitrarily select whether the secondary battery is discharged by the load means or the secondary battery is discharged by the load means and the auxiliary load means.

The electronic device according to the present invention is an electronic device equipped with a secondary battery as a power source, wherein the load device consumes power of the secondary battery to operate, and the input device receives an operation input from a user. And a voltage detection means for detecting the voltage of the secondary battery and a load means based on an operation input from the input means, and the voltage detected by the voltage detection means is compared with a preset threshold voltage. And a control means for stopping the operation of the load means based on the detected voltage value becoming the threshold value. Therefore, the load means is operated based on the operation input from the user to discharge the secondary battery. Then, by setting the threshold voltage to a voltage value for preventing over-discharge of the secondary battery, when the voltage value of the secondary battery detected by the voltage detection means becomes the threshold value. The operation of the load means is automatically stopped to prevent overdischarge of the secondary battery.

Further, the electronic device according to the present invention is an electronic device equipped with a rechargeable secondary battery as a power source, in which load means that consumes the power of the secondary battery to operate and an operation input from the user are input. Input means for receiving, voltage detecting means for detecting the voltage of the secondary battery, first threshold voltage preset for the voltage detected by the voltage detecting means, and first threshold voltage lower than the first threshold voltage. The load means is operated based on that the detected voltage value is lower than the first threshold voltage and the operation input is made from the input means, as compared with the threshold voltage of 2, and the detection is performed. And a control means for stopping the operation of the load means when the applied voltage value becomes the second threshold voltage.

Therefore, the first threshold voltage is set to a voltage value at which charging of the secondary battery should be started, and the second threshold voltage is set to a final voltage value for preventing over-discharge of the secondary battery. By doing so, when the voltage value of the secondary battery detected by the voltage detecting means is lower than the first threshold value and there is an operation input from the user, the load means operates and the secondary battery operates. To discharge. Then, as a result of the discharging process, when the voltage value of the secondary battery detected by the voltage detecting means falls below the second threshold value, the operation of the load means is automatically stopped to discharge the secondary battery. To prevent over discharge of the secondary battery. Therefore, the user can select whether or not to start the discharge processing of the secondary battery, and the discharge processing of the secondary battery can be started at a time when there is no problem in using the electronic device.

Further, the electronic apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that it is provided with a backflow limiting means for regulating a backflow of current from the secondary battery to the charger, and is carried out after the above-mentioned discharge processing. The current is prevented from flowing backward from the secondary battery to the charger during the charging process, and the secondary battery can be charged without any trouble. Further, the electronic device according to the present invention includes an informing unit that outputs the informing information, and the control unit displays the informing information from the informing unit based on the voltage value of the secondary battery being lower than the threshold value. It is characterized by outputting a warning sound to notify the user, and when this threshold value is set to the above-mentioned first threshold value, the time to start charging the secondary battery is used. The user is notified, and when this threshold value is set to the second threshold value, the user is notified of the time when the secondary battery is completely discharged. Therefore, the user can recognize that the discharging process of the secondary battery is automatically started, or the time when the discharging process of the secondary battery should be started, and the discharged secondary battery can be recognized. It is possible to recognize when the charging process should be performed on the battery.

Further, the electronic apparatus according to the present invention comprises notifying means for displaying and outputting the notifying information, and the control means operates the load means based on the voltage value of the secondary battery falling below the threshold value. It is characterized in that the notification means outputs a display indicating that the load means is in operation. By setting this threshold value to the above-mentioned first threshold value, the secondary battery is discharged by the operation of the load means. When the processing is started, the discharge processing is displayed and output to notify the user. Further, the electronic device according to the present invention includes notifying means for outputting notifying information, and the control means stops the operation of the load means when the voltage value of the secondary battery reaches the second threshold value. At the same time, the notification means is caused to output notification information indicating that the operation of the load means has ended, and the end of the discharge process is notified to the user by the output of the notification information.

That is, the electronic device according to the present invention is an electronic device equipped with a rechargeable secondary battery as a power source, and is provided with a discharging means for consuming the power of the secondary battery and lowering the voltage of the secondary battery. The use of a discharger or a charger in the charging process is eliminated to easily and surely eliminate the voltage memory effect of the secondary battery, and the discharge terminal provided in the electronic device. To prevent heat generation due to a short circuit.

The secondary battery discharging method according to the present invention is provided in the electronic device based on the input of the discharge instruction from the user while the electronic device is powered on. The preset load means of the load means is operated to consume the electric power of the secondary battery, and when the voltage value of the secondary battery drops to the preset threshold voltage value, the operation of the load means is stopped. Along with this, the power of the electronic device is turned off.

Therefore, by setting the threshold value to a voltage value for preventing over-discharge of the secondary battery, the power of the electronic device is automatically turned off when the discharging process by the load means is completed. As a result, over-discharging of the secondary battery caused by continuing to turn on the power is reliably prevented. Note that the load means that operates for discharge processing can be set arbitrarily, and in some cases, all load means provided in the electronic device may be set in advance and operated. It is preferable to set a load means such as a display illuminator that does not cause a problem in use of the electronic device even when it is in operation and has relatively large power consumption.

Further, the secondary battery discharging method according to the present invention is that the voltage value of the secondary battery is lower than a preset first threshold voltage while the electronic device is powered on. Based on the fact that the user is notified of the voltage drop by outputting the notification information based on the notification information and the user inputs a discharge instruction, a preset load of the load means provided in the electronic device is set. The power consumption of the secondary battery is operated to output the notification information to notify the user that the discharging process is performed, and the voltage value of the secondary battery is set to the preset second threshold value. When the voltage value has dropped to the value voltage value, the operation of the load means is stopped and the notification information is output to notify the user that the discharge process is completed, and the power of the electronic device is turned off.

Therefore, by setting the first threshold value to a voltage value for charging the secondary battery, the user is notified that the secondary battery needs to be charged. And
When the user inputs a discharge instruction, the load means performs the discharging process of the secondary battery and notifies the user that the discharging process is being performed. Then, by setting the second threshold value to a voltage value for preventing over-discharge of the secondary battery, at the time when this discharging process is completed,
The user is notified of that fact, and the electronic device is further powered off. That is, the user is notified of the time when the operation input should be performed, and the user can surely execute the discharge process according to the instruction to eliminate the voltage memory effect.

Further, the secondary battery discharging method according to the present invention is that the voltage value of the secondary battery is lower than a preset first threshold voltage while the electronic device is powered on. Based on the notification information, the user is notified of the voltage drop, and further, the preset load means of the load means included in the electronic device is operated to consume the power of the secondary battery. The notification information is output to notify the user that the discharging process is being performed, and when the voltage value of the secondary battery drops to the preset second threshold voltage value, the operation of the load means is stopped. In addition to outputting the notification information, the user is notified that the discharge processing is completed, and the power of the electronic device is turned off.

Therefore, the discharging process of the secondary battery is automatically performed after notifying the user that the discharging process is to be performed, and the user is also notified that the discharging process is being performed. Then, when the discharging process of the secondary battery is completed, the user is notified of that fact, and the power of the electronic device is turned off. That is, the user can recognize that the discharge process is automatically performed, and avoid inconvenience in using the electronic device.

[0030]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An electronic device and a secondary battery discharging method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the configurations of an electronic device 3 and a charger 4 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electronic device 3 includes a rechargeable secondary battery 30 as a power source, a load unit 31 that consumes the power of the secondary battery 30 to operate, and an auxiliary load unit 32 for discharging that consumes the power of the secondary battery 30. A memory 33 that holds a preset first threshold value and a second threshold value that is lower than the first threshold value, and a voltage detection unit that detects the output voltage value of the secondary battery 30. 34, and the load unit 31 and the auxiliary load unit 3 based on the detected voltage value or an instruction from the user.
The control unit 35 for controlling the function of No. 2, the operation unit 36 for inputting an instruction from the user to the control unit 35, the notification unit 37 for outputting various notification information from the control unit 35 to the user, and the charger 4 A charging terminal 38 connected to the charging terminal 38 and a backflow limiting element 39 for restricting the backflow of current from the secondary battery 30 to the charging terminal 38.
And

The secondary battery 30 is, for example, a nickel-cadmium battery, a nickel-hydrogen battery or the like, and has a voltage memory effect due to its property. The load unit 31 is a functional unit that controls the function of the electronic device 3, and is, for example, a display device having a backlight function, a motor that drives a recording medium, or the like. Although it is possible to use all the functional means provided in the electronic device 3 for the discharge processing described later, when the functional means as illustrated here operates as the discharge processing, the electronic device 3 has a problem. It is preferable to use those that do not occur for discharge. The auxiliary load section 32 is provided exclusively for the purpose of consuming the electric power of the secondary battery 30, and is composed of, for example, a resistance element.

The memory 33 is composed of a readable storage means such as a ROM or a RAM. In this embodiment, a voltage value (for example, 5) which requires charging of the secondary battery 30 as the first threshold value. 0.5V) is stored, and a voltage value (for example, 5.0V) for preventing overdischarge of the secondary battery 30 is stored as the second threshold value. The voltage detection unit 34 controls the detected output voltage of the secondary battery 30 to the control unit 35.
The voltage control unit 34 and the control unit 35 are configured as a one-chip microcomputer in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the voltage detection unit 34 of the present embodiment is configured by an analog / digital converter (A / D converter), and the A / D converter 34 outputs the input from the secondary battery 30. The voltage is converted into a digital value and output to the control unit 35. The voltage detection unit 34 may be configured by using a comparator such as a comparator other than the A / D converter built in the microcomputer.

The control section 35 controls the load section 31 and also controls the functions of the electronic apparatus 3 during normal use.
The charging mode process is performed based on the detected voltage value from the voltage detection unit 34 or the instruction input from the operation unit 36. In the discharge process, the operation of the load unit 31 is controlled and the power supply to the auxiliary load unit 32 is controlled. . That is, the control unit 3
Reference numeral 5 compares the detected voltage value input as a digital value from the voltage detection unit (A / D converter) 34 with the first threshold value and the second threshold value stored in the memory 33. The above control is performed based on the comparison result. The operation unit 36 is composed of operation buttons and the like provided on the surface of the housing of the electronic device 3, and the user can input an instruction during normal use of the electronic device 3 and also input a discharge instruction. ing.

The notification section 37 is composed of a speaker for generating a notification sound, a light emitting element for emitting a notification light, a display device for displaying a notification message, and the like. The notification section 37 is sent from the control section 35 at the time of a discharge process described later. Various notification information is output to the user. The charging terminal 38 is provided so as to be exposed on the surface of the housing of the electronic device 3, and is connected to the charging terminal 40 of the charger 4 during the charging process. Since the electronic device 3 has a function of performing discharge processing by itself, the electronic device 3 is not provided with a discharge terminal as in the conventional case, and heat generated by a short circuit between the charging terminal and the discharging terminal is generated. The defect has been resolved. The backflow limiting element 39 is composed of, for example, a diode interposed between the secondary battery 30 and the charging terminal 38, allows a current to flow from the charging terminal 38 to the secondary battery 30, and vice versa. The current is regulated to prevent problems such as leakage.

The charger 4 includes a charging terminal 40 connected to the charging terminal 38 of the electronic device and a secondary battery 4 by external power.
The charging circuit 41 for charging 1 is provided, and in the charging process, the electronic device 3 is loaded into the charger 4 and the charging terminals 38 and 40 are connected. That is, the charger 4 performs only the charging process without performing the discharging process,
In this charging process, the charging circuit 41 to the charging terminal 4
Electric power is supplied to the secondary battery 30 through the reverse current limiting elements 0 and 38, and the secondary battery 30 is charged to a predetermined voltage value.

A method for discharging the secondary battery 30 in the electronic device 3 having the above structure will be described. While the electronic device 3 is powered on by the power switch, the voltage detection unit 34 always detects the output voltage value of the secondary battery 30 and outputs the detected voltage value to the control unit 35. The control unit 35 compares the input detected voltage value with the first threshold value, and when the detected voltage value is lower than the first threshold value, operates the load unit 31 to operate the power of the secondary battery 30. Consume more. Also, with the activation of the load unit 31,
Notification information indicating that the voltage of the secondary battery 30 is lower than the first threshold value is output from the notification unit 37, and the user is notified of the situation.

When the output voltage of the secondary battery 30 further decreases due to the discharge by the load unit 31, this output voltage is also detected by the voltage detection unit 3
4 and is input to the control unit 35. Then, the control unit 35 compares the input detected voltage value with the second threshold value, and if the detected voltage value is equal to the second threshold value, the operation of the load unit 31 is stopped. Then, the power consumption of the secondary battery 30 is stopped. Further, when the operation of the load unit 31 is stopped, the voltage of the secondary battery 30 becomes the second threshold value (end voltage value), and the notification unit 37 is caused to output the notification information indicating that the discharging process has been completed. Will be notified of the situation.

Here, in the discharge process, when the user inputs an instruction for rapid discharge from the operation unit 36 based on the notification information, the control unit 35 causes the auxiliary load unit 32 based on this instruction.
Power is also supplied to the secondary battery 30 from the secondary battery 30, and the output voltage of the secondary battery 30 can be rapidly reduced by the power consumption of the load unit 31 and the power consumption of the auxiliary load unit 32. Further, when the power is supplied to the auxiliary load unit 32 as described above, when the voltage of the secondary battery 30 reaches the second threshold value, the control unit 36 stops the operation of the load unit 31 and also performs the auxiliary operation. The power supply to the load unit 32 is stopped to prevent the secondary battery from being discharged below the final voltage.

As described above, the user is notified of the start and end of the discharge process by a notification sound, a notification message, etc. While the discharge process is being performed, the notification unit 37, which is also the load unit 31, operates. A message or mark indicating that the discharging process is being performed may be displayed on the display surface, and if such a display is performed, the user may mistakenly operate the electronic device despite the discharging process. It is possible to prevent such a trouble as to cause it.

Further, as described above, when the voltage value of the secondary battery 30 becomes equal to or lower than the first threshold value, the control unit 35 automatically performs the discharging process. The operation unit is operated by the user at a voltage value at a non-related time (before the voltage value of the secondary battery 30 becomes equal to or lower than the first threshold value or between the first threshold value and the second threshold value). When a discharge instruction is input from 36, the control unit 35 operates the load unit 31 to start the discharge process of the secondary battery 30, and the secondary battery 3
When the voltage value of 0 reaches the second threshold value, the discharging process is terminated. Note that, also in this discharge process, the control unit 35 may start the power supply to the auxiliary load unit 32, and in this way, the discharge process can be quickly executed.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of a wireless device (for example, a mobile phone, a pager also having a transmission function) as an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Radio 5
Rechargeable secondary battery 50 as a power source and secondary battery 50
Wireless unit 51 that consumes the power of
Load unit 52 for discharging that consumes the power of, and a first threshold value set in advance and a second threshold value lower than the first threshold value.
ROM 53 that holds information such as the threshold value of the battery, and A / D as a voltage detection unit that detects the output voltage value of the secondary battery 50.
The converter 54, the control unit 55 that controls the functional units such as the discharge load unit 52 and the wireless unit 51 based on the detected voltage value or the instruction from the user, and inputs the instruction from the user to the control unit 55. Input unit 56 for displaying, and display unit 5 for displaying and outputting received message information, notification information and the like from control unit 55 to the user.
7, a display illumination circuit 58 that backlight-illuminates the display surface of the display unit 57 based on an instruction from the control unit 55, and a speaker 59 that outputs reception information and notification information from the control unit 55 to the user. , A RAM 60 holding received message information and the like, and a charging terminal 61 connected to a charger (not shown)
And a backflow limiting element 62 that controls a backflow of current from the secondary battery 50 to the charging terminal 61.

The secondary battery 50 is composed of a nickel-cadmium battery or the like and has a voltage memory effect, and has a radio section 51, a display section 57, a display illumination circuit 58, and a speaker 59.
And the like operate by consuming the electric power of the secondary battery 50, and the discharge load part 52 including a resistance element consumes the electric power supplied from the secondary battery 50. In the present embodiment, the display lighting circuit 58, which consumes a relatively large amount of power without causing a malfunction in the original function of the wireless device 5 even if it is operated as a discharge process in these load parts, is mainly discharged. I am using it for.

The wireless section 51 includes an antenna 63 for wirelessly transmitting and receiving information, a duplexer 64 for performing modulation and demodulation processing when transmitting and receiving information, a receiving section 65 for performing receiving processing for received information, and transmission information. And a transmission unit 66 that performs a transmission process for. That is, when a signal including calling number information, message information and the like is received from the base station by the antenna 63, demodulation processing is performed by the transmission / reception duplexer 64, and then the reception signal is analyzed by the reception unit 65 to control the control unit 5.
Output to 5 The control unit 55 compares its own calling number stored in the ROM 53 with the calling number of the received signal, and if they match, causes the speaker 59 to generate a received sound and stores the received message information in the RAM 60. At the same time, the display is displayed on the display unit 57.
When the user inputs the destination address number or message information from the input unit 56 and inputs the transmission instruction, the control unit 55 transmits the transmission information to the antenna 63 via the transmission unit 66 and the duplexer 64. To send from.

The ROM 53 of this embodiment stores a voltage value (for example, 5.5 V) that requires charging of the secondary battery 50 as a first threshold value, and stores a secondary threshold value as a second threshold value. A voltage value for preventing over-discharge of the battery 50 (for example,
5.0 V) is stored. The A / D converter 54 detects the output voltage of the secondary battery 50, converts this detected voltage into a digital signal, and outputs it to the control unit 55.

The control unit 55 controls the load unit such as the wireless unit 51 to control the function of the wireless device 5 during normal use. In particular, the detected voltage value from the A / D converter 54 or the input unit 56. The charging mode process is performed based on the instruction input from the control unit, and the operation of the load unit is controlled in the discharging process.
That is, the control unit 55 compares the detected voltage value input as a digital value from the A / D converter 54 with the first threshold value and the second threshold value stored in the ROM 53, and The discharge process is controlled based on the comparison result.
The control unit 55 and the A / D converter 53 of this embodiment have one
It is configured as a chip microcomputer, and the duplexer 64, the receiver 65, and the transmitter 66 are also configured as a one-chip microcomputer.

The operation unit 56 is composed of operation buttons and the like provided on the surface of the housing of the wireless device 5. The user can input an instruction when the wireless device 5 is normally used, and can also input a discharge instruction. It is like this. The display unit 57 is composed of a liquid crystal display panel or the like, and outputs and displays a received message, a notification information message and the like to the user.
The display illumination circuit 58 has an element for illumination, and the display unit 57 is backlit by light emitted from the element. The speaker 59 is composed of a sounding element or the like, and outputs a reception sound of a message and a notification sound as notification information to the user.

The charging terminal 61 is provided so as to be exposed on the surface of the housing of the wireless device 5, and as shown in FIG. 1, it is connected to the charging terminal of the charger during the charging process. Also in this embodiment, since the wireless device 5 has a function of performing discharge processing by itself, the wireless device 5 is not provided with a discharge terminal as in the conventional case, and a short circuit between the charging terminal and the discharging terminal is caused. The problem of heat generation due to is solved. The backflow limiting element 62 is composed of a diode or the like, and is connected from the charging terminal 61 to the secondary battery 5
The flow of current to 0 is allowed, and the reverse current is regulated to prevent problems such as leakage.

Next, assuming that the wireless device 5 operates in a so-called battery saving mode in which only the function-added portion of the receiving system is operated in the reception waiting state, a discharge processing method by the wireless device 5 will be described. FIG. 4 shows a procedure for starting the discharge process of the secondary battery 50 based on the instruction of the user. When the power of the wireless device 5 is on (step S1), the control unit 55 is controlling in the normal mode (that is, the battery saving state) (step S2), and the discharge process is started in this state. Therefore, when the user presses the discharge switch of the input unit 56 (step S3), the control unit 55 releases the battery saving and starts the discharge process (step S4).

In this discharge process, the control unit 55 supplies electric power to the load circuit units 51, 52 and the like from the secondary battery 50 to operate the load circuit units 51, 52 and the like (step S5), and displays on the display unit 57 a notification message such as "during discharging". Is displayed, and the fact that the discharge process has been started and is continuing is displayed and output to the user (step S6). In addition, the display illuminator 58, which is a load means that consumes relatively high power, is also operated (step S7) to increase the power consumption and quickly reduce the voltage of the secondary battery 50. When the discharge process is started in this way, the A / D converter 54 detects the output voltage value of the secondary battery 50, and the control unit 55 determines this output voltage value as a threshold value (in this case, overdischarge). (A second threshold value for preventing) (step S8).

As a result of this comparison, the above-described discharge processing (steps S5 to S7) is performed until the detected voltage value decreases to the threshold value.
Continues, and when the detected voltage reaches the threshold,
The control unit 55 performs the process of ending the discharge process as follows. That is, the display illuminator 58 is turned off (step S9), and a notification message such as "discharge completed" is displayed and output on the display unit 57 (step S1).
0) The speaker 59 causes the notification sound of a tone color different from the received ringing sound to be generated (step S11) to notify the user that the discharging process is completed. Then, after a lapse of a predetermined time such as 5 seconds, the control unit 55 erases the display message of the display unit 57 (step S12), turns off the power of the wireless device 5, and ends the discharge process (step S).
13). Such discharging processing is performed when the output voltage of the secondary battery 50 is equal to or higher than the first threshold value (voltage value to be charged) or between the first threshold value and the second threshold value. In some cases, this is done by the user according to a discharge instruction.

Next, referring to the procedure shown in FIG. 5, when the voltage of the secondary battery 50 falls below the first threshold value while the wireless device 5 is in use, the secondary battery 50 is reset based on the user's instruction. A method of starting the discharge process of the next battery 50 will be described. When the wireless device 5 is powered on (step S2
1), the control unit 55 is performing control in the normal mode (that is, the battery saving state) (step S2).
2) In this normal mode, the A / D converter 54 detects the output voltage value of the secondary battery 50, and the control unit 55 first compares this output voltage value with the first threshold value (step S2).
3).

As a result of this comparison, when the detected voltage value exceeds the first threshold value, the operation in the normal mode is continued, and when the detected voltage value is below the first threshold value, the control unit 55. Causes the speaker 59 to generate a notification sound of a tone color different from the received ringing sound (step S24), and causes the display unit 57 to display and output a notification message such as "no battery" (step S25). Indicates that the voltage has dropped to a voltage that requires charging processing. When the user who receives this notification presses the discharge switch of the input unit 56 (step S26), the control unit 55
Erases the notification message displayed on the display unit 57 (step S27), cancels the battery saving, and starts the discharging process (step S28).

This discharging process is performed in the same manner as the procedure shown in FIG. 4, and the control unit 55 supplies electric power from the secondary battery 50 to the load circuit units 51, 52 and the like to operate them (step S29). , A notification message such as "during discharge" is displayed on the display unit 57 (step S30), and the display illuminator 58 is also operated (step S31), and A /
The discharging process is continued until the voltage value of the secondary battery 50 detected by the D converter 54 reaches the second threshold value (step S32). Then, when the detected voltage value reaches the second threshold value, the control unit 55 turns off the display illuminator 58 (step S33), and outputs a notification message such as "discharge completed" to the display unit 57. (Step S34), the speaker 59 is caused to emit a notification sound of a tone color different from the received ringing tone (Step S3).
5) Notify the user that the discharging process has ended, and after a predetermined time has passed, the display message on the display unit 57 is erased (step S36), the power of the wireless device 5 is turned off, and the discharging process ends. (Step S37).

Next, referring to the procedure shown in FIG. 6, when the voltage of the secondary battery 50 falls below the first threshold value during use of the wireless device 5, the secondary battery 50 is automatically operated. A method of starting the discharge process will be described. Similar to the procedure shown in FIG. 5, when the wireless device 5 is powered on (step S41), the controller 55 sets the normal mode (that is,
The secondary battery 5 detected by the A / D converter 54 is being controlled (step S42).
The control unit 55 first compares the output voltage value of 0 with the first threshold value (step S43). As a result of this comparison, when the voltage value becomes equal to or lower than the first threshold value, the control unit 55 causes the speaker 59 to generate a notification sound of a tone color different from the received ringing sound, and the user starts the discharge process. This is notified (step S44), after which the battery saving is canceled and the discharging process is started (step S45).

This discharge process is performed in the same manner as the procedure shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and the control unit 55 causes the load circuit units 5 to operate.
Power is supplied from the secondary battery 50 to the batteries 1, 2, etc. to operate (step S46), and a notification message such as "during discharging" is displayed on the display unit 57 (step S47).
Further, the display illuminator 58 is also operated (step S4
8), the secondary battery 5 detected by the A / D converter 54
The discharging process is continued until the voltage value of 0 reaches the second threshold value (step S49). Then, when this detected voltage value reaches the second threshold value, the control unit 55 turns off the display illuminator 58 (step S50), and outputs a notification message such as "discharge completed" to the display unit 57. At the same time (step S51), the speaker 59 emits a notification sound of a tone color different from the received ringing sound (step S52) to notify the user that the discharging process is completed, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, the display unit The display message 57 is erased (step S53), the power of the wireless device 5 is turned off, and the discharging process is ended (step S54).

As is apparent from each of the above-described embodiments, the basic feature of the present invention is that the electronic device equipped with the secondary battery as a power source has a discharging means for lowering the voltage for discharging the secondary battery. The present invention is provided, and various improvements for improving the usability with respect to this feature point can be added without being limited to the above embodiment. That is, the discharge start or discharge end processing may be performed based on either the first threshold value or the second threshold value, and the discharge start or discharge end control is performed by the user. It may be performed by inputting an instruction from the electronic device or automatic control of the electronic device itself, or by combining an instruction input from a user and an automatic control of the electronic device.

The notification to the user at the start of discharge, during the discharge process, and at the end of the discharge process is performed at all of these times, or any one of them is omitted, or at any time. It is also possible to adopt various modes such as not performing. Furthermore, the present invention can be widely applied to electronic devices using a secondary battery as a power source, and the electronic devices are not limited to portable devices such as mobile phones and pagers.

[0058]

As described above, according to the electronic device of the present invention, since the electronic device itself has the means for discharging the secondary battery serving as a power source, the secondary battery can be easily and reliably discharged. It is possible to eliminate the voltage memory effect of the secondary battery and maintain the performance of the secondary battery in a good state. Further, the discharge terminal provided in the conventional electronic device can be eliminated, and the heat generation phenomenon due to the short circuit between the discharge terminal and the charge terminal can be prevented.

Furthermore, according to the electronic device and the method for discharging the secondary battery according to the present invention, since the start timing and the end timing of the discharge process are controlled based on the threshold value, the discharge process is surely executed, In addition, over-discharge can be surely prevented. Further, according to the electronic device and the method of discharging the secondary battery according to the present invention, since the user is notified at the time of starting discharge, during discharging process, ending discharging process, etc., the user is operated. It is possible to notify the proper time and execute a reliable process, and it is possible to reliably notify the user of the status of the electronic device and prevent inconvenience in use.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an electronic device and a charger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a voltage detection unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a wireless device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a discharge process according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a discharge process according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a discharge process according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional electronic device and a charger.

[Explanation of symbols]

3 ... Electronic device, 4 ... Charger, 5 ... Radio, 30 ... Secondary battery, 31 ... Load part, 32
... Auxiliary discharge load section, 33 ... Memory, 34 ...
-Voltage detection unit, 35 ... control unit, 36 ... operation unit, 37 ... notification unit, 38 ... charging terminal, 39
... Backflow limiting element, 50 ... Secondary battery, 51.
..Wireless unit, 52 ... Discharge load unit, 53 ... RO
M, 54 ... A / D converter, 55 ... Control unit,
56 ... Input part, 57 ... Display part, 58 ... Indicator lighting circuit, 59 ... Speaker, 61 ... Charging terminal, 62 ... Backflow limiting circuit,

Claims (17)

[Claims] 1. An electronic device having a rechargeable secondary battery as a power source, comprising: load means that operates by consuming the electric power of the secondary battery; voltage detecting means that detects the voltage of the secondary battery; The voltage detected by the voltage detection means is compared with a preset threshold voltage, and the load means is operated based on that the detected voltage value is lower than the threshold value. An electronic device comprising: a control unit that starts a discharge process of a battery. 2. An electronic device equipped with a rechargeable secondary battery as a power source, a load means that consumes the power of the secondary battery to operate, and a voltage detection means that detects the voltage of the secondary battery. The voltage detected by the voltage detection means is compared with a preset threshold voltage, and the operation of the load means is stopped when the detected voltage value reaches the threshold value. An electronic device comprising: a control unit that ends the discharge process of the secondary battery. 3. An electronic device equipped with a rechargeable secondary battery as a power source, load means for operating by consuming the electric power of the secondary battery, and voltage detection means for detecting the voltage of the secondary battery. The detected voltage value is compared by comparing the voltage detected by the voltage detection means with a preset first threshold voltage and a second threshold voltage lower than the first threshold voltage. Is operated below the first threshold voltage, the load means is operated, and based on the detected voltage value becoming the second threshold voltage, the load means is operated. An electronic device comprising: a control unit for stopping the operation. 4. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the first threshold voltage is a voltage value at which charging of the secondary battery should be started, and the second threshold voltage is the threshold voltage. An electronic device having a final voltage that prevents over-discharge of the secondary battery. 5. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the load unit is a functional unit that controls the function of the electronic device by operating, and the electronic device has a purpose of power consumption. Further comprising auxiliary load means for discharging, wherein the control means operates the load means on the basis of the detected voltage value being lower than the first threshold voltage and sends the auxiliary load means to the auxiliary load means. Power is supplied from the secondary battery, and the operation of the load means is stopped based on the detected voltage value becoming the second threshold voltage, and the power is supplied to the auxiliary load means. An electronic device characterized by being stopped. 6. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the load unit is a functional unit that controls the function of the electronic device by operating, and the electronic device is configured to consume power. Further comprising an auxiliary load means for discharging and an input means for receiving an operation input from the user, wherein the control means supplies the auxiliary load means to the auxiliary load means from the secondary battery based on the operation input from the input means. Supply power,
An electronic device, characterized in that power supply to the auxiliary load means is stopped based on the detected voltage value becoming the second threshold voltage. 7. An electronic device having a rechargeable secondary battery as a power source, comprising: load means that operates by consuming the electric power of the secondary battery; input means that receives an operation input from a user; Voltage detection means for detecting the voltage of the secondary battery, and the load means is operated based on the operation input from the input means, and the voltage detected by the voltage detection means is compared with a preset threshold voltage. And a control means for stopping the operation of the load means based on the detected voltage value becoming the threshold value. 8. An electronic device equipped with a rechargeable secondary battery as a power source, comprising: load means that consumes the power of the secondary battery to operate; input means that receives an operation input from a user; Voltage detection means for detecting the voltage of the secondary battery; a first threshold voltage preset for the voltage detected by the voltage detection means; and a second threshold value lower than the first threshold voltage. The detected voltage value is lower than the first threshold voltage as compared with the voltage, and the load means is operated based on the operation input from the input means, and the detected voltage value. An electronic device, comprising: a control unit that stops the operation of the load unit when the value reaches the second threshold voltage. 9. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a backflow limiting unit that controls a backflow of current from the secondary battery to the charger. An electronic device characterized by. 10. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising: a notification unit that outputs notification information, wherein the control unit has the detected voltage value as the threshold value. An electronic device characterized in that notification information is output from the notification means and the user is notified based on the decrease. 11. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising an informing unit that outputs annunciation information, wherein the control unit sets the detected voltage value to the second value. An electronic device characterized in that notification information is output from the notification means based on a threshold value to notify the user. 12. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising an informing unit for displaying and outputting informing information, wherein the control unit has the detected voltage value as the threshold value. An electronic device characterized in that the load means is operated based on the fact that the load value is lower than the value, and at the same time, the notification means is made to display and output that the load means is operating. 13. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising: a notification unit that outputs notification information, wherein the control unit sets the detected voltage value to the second value. An electronic device, wherein the operation of the load means is stopped based on a threshold value, and the notification means outputs the notification information indicating that the operation of the load means is completed. 14. An electronic device equipped with a rechargeable secondary battery as a power source, comprising an discharging device that consumes the power of the secondary battery and reduces the voltage of the secondary battery. machine. 15. A method of discharging a rechargeable secondary battery provided in an electronic device, wherein the user inputs a discharge instruction with the electronic device powered on. When the preset load means of the load means provided in the electronic device is operated to consume the electric power of the secondary battery and the voltage value of the secondary battery drops to the preset threshold voltage value. A method for discharging a secondary battery, wherein the operation of the load means is stopped and the power of the electronic device is turned off. 16. A method of discharging a rechargeable secondary battery provided in an electronic device, comprising: a first threshold value in which a voltage value of the secondary battery is preset while the electronic device is powered on. The load means included in the electronic device is notified based on the user's input of a discharge instruction by outputting notification information based on the fact that the voltage has dropped below the value voltage. Of the secondary battery is operated to consume the electric power of the secondary battery and to output the notification information to notify the user that the discharging process is being performed. Is lowered to the preset second threshold voltage value, the operation of the load means is stopped and the notification information is output to notify the user that the discharge process is completed, and further the electronic device Power off A method for discharging a secondary battery, comprising: 17. A method of discharging a rechargeable secondary battery provided in an electronic device, comprising: a first threshold value in which a voltage value of the secondary battery is preset while the electronic device is powered on. The user is notified of the voltage drop by outputting notification information based on the fact that the voltage has dropped below the value voltage, and further, by operating a preset load means of the load means provided in the electronic device, The power of the secondary battery is consumed and the notification information is output to notify the user that the discharge process is being performed, and the voltage value of the secondary battery becomes the preset second threshold voltage value. When the voltage drops, the operation of the load means is stopped and the notification information is output to notify the user that the discharge process is completed, and the power of the electronic device is further turned off. Discharge method.