JPH11355976A - Electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make the continous portable use of an electronic equipment by eliminating a trouble caused by replacement of a battery during the operation. SOLUTION: In an electronic equipment which is constituted of the main body and battery packs 70a, 70b mounted on the main body and which conducts data processing using the power from the battery packs, the battery packs 70a, 70b have the same shape and a battery pack stop member 30 is so engaged with a frame rib 41 installed on a frame that it may work in the direction to prevent the insertion and pull of the battery packs 70a, 70b, thereby preventing the simultaneous insertion and pull of the battery packs 70a, 70b.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an electronic device, and more particularly, to an electronic device using two detachable battery packs.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An electronic device using a detachable power supply has been developed in order to always carry it and perform data input and the like in various places. In such an electronic device, two battery packs are built in, and the battery can be replaced even during the operation time. In such electronic devices, various devices have been devised to prevent troubles caused by battery replacement during operation. An example is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-1609.
7, JP-A-8-9002 and JP-A-9-37777
Three examples of electronic devices are known. According to the electronic device disclosed in this publication, in the former two examples, the combination of the detachable first battery and the second battery which is always built in the main unit causes the combination of the first battery and the first battery in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-146097. According to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-9002, the first battery is operated during operation by controlling charging by the second battery and an electronic circuit mounted on the apparatus main body.
When the battery is replaced, the second battery always supplies power to the apparatus main body so as to prevent trouble accompanying the battery replacement during operation.

In the latter Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 9-37377, both batteries are detachable. However, after the order of use of the two batteries is attached to the main body of the apparatus and can be specified from a keyboard, the usability of the batteries is improved. We are trying to improve it.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, when the second battery is not detachable, the life of the second battery is reduced even though the life of other devices is extended. The life of the product is reduced, and an electronic device that is easy to use cannot be provided. In addition, in order to charge the second battery, it is necessary to mount a charging means on the main body of the device. In the case of an electronic device that emphasizes carrying, reduction in weight and volume is important, which is also a disadvantageous choice. is there.

[0005] Further, even if both the first and second batteries are detachable, the two batteries can be removed at the same time structurally, so that it cannot be said that stable operation at the time of battery replacement is guaranteed. If the battery is removed by carelessness at the same time, all the acquired data will be lost, which is a big problem.

[0006] The present invention solves the various problems mentioned above, and as long as you always carry it and carry only a spare battery,
An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device that can be continuously used by a user until the end of work.

[0007]

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device that operates using at least one of a built-in first and second battery pack as a power source. An apparatus main body provided with a storage section for storing a second battery pack, and a first position supported by the apparatus main body and for preventing the first and second battery packs from being detached from the storage section; A second position in which only the second battery pack can be detached, and a battery pack locking member movable to a third position in which only the second battery pack can be detached. In this case, the storage unit is configured such that the first and second battery packs are arranged adjacent to each other in a first direction,
It restricts movement in the first direction and the second direction opposite thereto, and enables sliding in a third direction crossing the first direction and a fourth direction opposite thereto. A first guiding means, and a third guiding means of the first and second battery packs.
And a contact portion for terminating the movement in the direction of..., And wherein the battery pack locking member is connected to the fourth battery pack when the first and second battery packs are in contact with the contact portion. It is desirable to have a movement restricting unit that restricts movement in the direction. Further, it is preferable that the battery pack locking member is provided in the storage portion so as to be movable in the first and second directions.

With the above configuration, two battery packs cannot be removed at the same time. Therefore, when two battery packs are connected in parallel and used at the same time, even if one is removed, the other is movable, so that data and the like may be lost. Absent.

A cover for covering the storage section,
A portion that abuts the battery pack locking member when the battery pack locking member is at the second position and the third position to prevent attachment of the cover to the device body; When the stop member is in the first position, the battery pack further includes a cover having a portion for receiving the battery pack locking member and enabling the cover to be mounted on the apparatus main body. Since the cover cannot be attached to the apparatus main body unless it is in a position where it does not move securely, the operation error of the battery pack can be prevented and the reliability of the apparatus can be improved.

Further, detecting means for detecting whether the battery pack locking member is located at the first, second or third position, and one of two detecting means based on a signal from the detecting means. Determining means for determining whether the battery pack is taken out, and based on the determination of the determining means,
It is desirable to have power supply switching means for switching power supplied to the electronic device from the detachable battery pack to the other battery pack. Detecting means for detecting whether the battery pack locking member is located at the first, second, or third position; and detecting the battery pack locking member based on a detection result of the detecting means. First
It is desirable to have switch means for shutting off the power supply from the first or second battery pack when moving from the position to the second or third position. The battery pack further includes a capacity detection unit that detects a capacity of the first and second battery packs, and the switch unit is configured to shut off power supply in accordance with a detection result of the capacity detection unit. When the capacity of the pack has reached a predetermined capacity, it is desirable to supply power from the other battery pack. Further, in this case, the switch means, when the capacity of the other battery pack of the battery pack to cut off the power supply is less than a predetermined capacity according to the detection result of the capacity detection means, sets It is desirable to perform a power-off process and cut off the power supply from the battery pack after the process is completed. Further, in this case, the first detection means is disposed according to the second and third positions of the battery pack locking member, respectively, and the first and second detection means are determined according to whether the battery pack locking member is detected. It is desirable to have a detection signal generating means for generating a signal having two voltage levels. Thus, the battery can be safely replaced even during operation.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective external view of the electronic device 1, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the electronic device 1 shown in FIG. The electronic device 1 shown in the figure is a pen-input type computer in which electronic components are built in a box-shaped housing 10. The casing 10 is divided into an upper case 11 and a lower case 12 and covers the electronic components by abutting their peripheral ends.

The electronic device 1 has a liquid crystal display panel 2 in the center of the upper surface, and the display area thereof is
And is exposed from the opening 11a formed at the bottom. A transparent touch panel is disposed on the surface of the liquid crystal display panel 2, and the electronic device 1 can be operated by pressing the display area with an arbitrary pen or fingertip.

FIG. 3 is a view in which the battery cover 20 has been removed from the lower case 12. In the electronic device 1, as shown in FIG. 3, since the liquid crystal display panel 2 has a space for mounting most of the upper case 11, the battery housing 12 a is provided in the lower case 12.

The two battery packs 70a and 70b are accommodated in the battery accommodating portion 12a in parallel and electrically connected.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view in which the battery cover 20 and the lower case 12 are removed from FIG. 3. FIG. 4 shows a positional relationship between the two battery packs 70a and 70b and the battery pack locking member 30 with respect to the frame 40. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the battery pack locking member 30 viewed from the contact surface 30a with the frame, and FIG. 6 illustrates a case where the battery cover shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the frame 40 as viewed from the side of the frame 40. FIG.

In FIG. 4, the battery pack locking member 3
Numeral 0 denotes an injection-molded plastic part having a fitting groove 3
0b, a fitting protrusion 30c formed to be elastically displaced, and an operation protrusion 30d.
1 is slidably mounted.

The battery hooking member 30 includes a frame rib 4
The stop position becomes a predetermined position by the fitting convex portion 30c that presses the one frame rib concave portion 41a, 41b, 41c. When the fitting projection 30c and the frame recess 41b are engaged, the battery hooking member 30 is at a position where it engages with the ends of the two battery packs 70a, 70b as shown in FIG. Is restricted from moving in the direction of arrow B at which the electrical connection with the electronic device is interrupted.

When the battery retaining member 30 is moved rightward from the state shown in FIG. 4, the fitting projection 30c and the frame recess 41b are moved.
Are engaged, and the battery pack 70a stops at a position where it can move in the direction of arrow B.

When the battery retaining member 30 is moved leftward from the state shown in FIG. 4, the fitting projection 30c and the frame recess 41c are engaged, and the battery pack 70b stops at a position where it can be moved in the direction of arrow B. .

In FIG. 8, the battery pack locking member 30,
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating details of a positional relationship between a frame rib 41 and a switch mounting board 61.

Battery pack locking member 3 of frame 40
A switch mounting board 61 having detection switches 60a and 60b having terminals pressed by the switch biasing slopes 30g and 30h of the battery pack locking member 30 is fixed to the side where 0 is mounted.

When the battery pack locking member 30 is located at the center of the movement range as shown in FIG.
When restricting both movements in the direction of arrow B, the battery pack locking member 30 is not detected by the detection switches 60a and 60b as shown in FIG.
When a or 70b is moved to a position where it can be moved in the direction of arrow B, one of the position detection switches 60a and 60b is urged to detect that position. Can be determined whether one or both of the two battery packs 70a and 70b are prohibited.

FIG. 5 is a structural view of the battery cover 20 as viewed from the inside. The lock screw 21 has an outer periphery protruding from an opening of the screw cover 22 and is supported by the battery cover 20. The distal end portion 21a of the lock screw 21 is formed with a male screw portion, and when the outer periphery of the lock screw 21 is rotated, the male screw portion is screwed with a female screw portion (not shown) of the lower case 12 so that the battery cover 20 is lowered. The mechanism is fixed to the case 12.

Further, a cover rib 23 having a cover rib cutout portion 23a is provided at the center inside the battery cover 20, that is, at a position facing the operation convex portion 30d of the battery pack locking member 30 on the battery holding portion 12 side. ing.

When the battery cover 20 is closed, if the operation protrusion 30d of the battery pack locking member 30 is located at a position facing the cover rib 23, the cover rib 2
The battery cover 20 cannot be attached to the lower case 12 due to the contact of the operation protrusion 30d with the operation protrusion 30d.
The battery cover 20 can be attached to the lower case 12 only when the operation projection 30d is located at a position facing the battery case 20.

The cover rib notch 23a is
As described above, both of the two battery packs 70a and 70b are formed at positions corresponding to positions where movement of both battery packs 70a and 70b is restricted in the direction of arrow B.

This prevents the battery pack from moving in the direction of arrow B when the battery pack is replaced or the like, and from being turned off.

Next, the two battery packs 7 are operated by the operation of the battery pack locking member 30 configured as described above.
A mechanism in which 0a and 70b cannot be simultaneously inserted and removed and a position detection method thereof will be described.

The battery pack locking member 30 is stopped at three predetermined positions by fitting protrusions 30c fitted into any of the frame rib recesses 41a, 41b, 41c.
This is because the fitting projection 30b of the battery pack locking member 30
By the action of this, the fitting convex portion 30b becomes the frame rib concave portion 41.
a, 41b, and 41c, at positions where they do not fit,
Are displaced from the normal position, and the reaction force increases the coefficient of friction between the frame rib 41 and the battery pack locking member 30. As a result, the battery pack locking member 30 is locked and clicked with a click feeling when sliding in the rib direction at the above three positions.

When the battery pack locking member 30 is at the center, both the battery packs 70a and 70b cannot be removed from the main unit. At this time, the two detection switches 60a and 60b are both OFF. The main unit determines from the states of the two detection switches 60a and 60b that the two battery packs 70a and 70b are both usable. The main unit drives the main unit by using the power of either one of the two battery packs 70a and 70b.

Here, the two battery packs 70a, 7
A case in which one of 0b is replaced will be described. The user can operate the projection 3 of the battery pack locking member 30 until one of the battery packs 70a and 70b to be replaced can be inserted and removed.
Operate 0d to move. The frame rib concave portion 41a or 41c and the convex portion 3 of the battery pack locking member 30
0c are engaged with the battery packs 70a, 70b.
Is set at a position where it can be inserted and removed. When the battery pack locking member 30 is moved to this position, the battery pack locking member 30 is locked with a click feeling by the above-described mechanism.
At this time, the switch biasing slopes 30g and 30h of the battery pack locking member 30 have the switch on the opposite side of the battery pack to be inserted and removed turned on, and the main unit can determine which battery is to be inserted or removed based on the signal. .

The battery pack locking member 30 has a click feeling and locks in a state where the detection switch 60a or 60b which is always inserted and removed in the opposite direction is biased. Using this signal, power supply switching can be performed, for example, by prohibiting the supply of power from a battery to be inserted / removed and switching to main body driving using only a battery that is not inserted / removed.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible.

Specifically, in the above embodiment, the battery pack locking member is moved perpendicular to the battery insertion / removal direction, but the battery pack locking member is rotatably fixed to a certain axis. The same effect can be obtained.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a hand-held or laptop-type small computer device, which is a kind of electronic device of the present invention, and includes a battery pack 70a, a battery pack 70b, a backup sub-battery 118 as a battery power source, and a power supply. Battery control unit 1 of control means
07, a sub-CPU 107a, an A / D converter 108 of a voltage detecting means, a main circuit unit 109 including a main CPU 109a and peripheral circuits, a display unit 110, an IO unit 116, R
AM / RTC (random access memory / real-time clock) 117, voltage regulator 124, D
It comprises a C-DC converter 130 and the like. The battery control unit 107 has a sub CPU 107a, and monitors the power supply even when the main circuit unit 109 is stopped.

Field effect transistors (hereinafter referred to as FETs) 103, FET104, FET105, FET10
Reference numeral 6 denotes an FET switch which is a kind of a switching element for turning on / off the power supply of the battery pack.
a, 104a, 105a, and 106a are parasitic diodes existing inside the FET. However, FET 104 and F
Diode 104 in parallel with ET106
For a and 106a, a diode having a low forward voltage and a large current capacity can be used if necessary. In addition, FE
T can be replaced with another bipolar transistor, relay or the like.

When the start switch 125, which is a power switch of the apparatus, is turned on, the battery control unit 107 detects this and sends a predetermined FET and voltage regulator 1 from the battery pack 70a or 70b.
24, power is supplied to each circuit via the DC-DC converter 130, and a predetermined operation can be performed.

As power sources, battery packs 70a, 7
0b, an AC adapter 121 is provided. The AC adapter 121 is connected to the battery output terminal 137 via the input terminal 121a and the diode 123 so that power can be supplied to the circuit section. When the AC adapter 121 is connected, a detection signal is output from the adapter detection circuit 122 and the FET 104
An off signal is supplied to the control terminal of the gate 106 via the gate circuits 126 and 127, and power supply from the battery is cut off. This detection signal is also transmitted to the battery control unit and A /
The detection operation of the D converter also corresponds to this. 128, 1
Reference numeral 29 denotes a transistor that turns on and off the current of the AC adapter 121, and is used to control charging of the battery packs 70a and 70b.

Reference numeral 140 denotes a discharge circuit which includes a DC-DC converter 140a and switches 141 and 142.
This DC-DC converter 140a, switch 141,
142 is controlled by the battery control unit 107, and discharges the electric charge of the battery pack 70a or 70b, and is used for charging the other battery pack. The output potential of the discharge circuit is set so that an output slightly higher than the potential at the time of full charge of the battery packs 70a and 70b is obtained.

Battery output terminal 137 and sub-battery 1
Reference numeral 18 is connected via diodes 134 and 135, and power is supplied from a connection point 136 to each circuit such as the battery control unit 107, the A / D converter 108, and the RAM / RTC 117. During operation of the device, power is not supplied from the sub-battery because the potential of the output terminal side 137 is high. When the normal operation of the device is stopped, the battery control unit 107, the A / D converter 108, and the RAM / R
Electric power is supplied to each circuit such as the TC 117, and a voltage check, monitoring of a start switch being turned on, and the like are being performed, and the current consumption is extremely reduced as compared with the normal operation. The A / D converter 108 is connected to the output terminals of the batteries 70a and 70b, and is configured to be able to individually measure each potential. This A / D converter 108 is a sub CPU 107a
In many cases, a one-chip CPU is integrated with the CPU. 1
Reference numeral 20 denotes a voltage comparison circuit that monitors the power supply of the apparatus, separately from the A / D converter 108, and the potentials at the voltage dividing points of the resistors 131 and 132 are compared with each other with reference to the potential generated by the zener diode 133 to determine Is output from the comparator 120a.

Reference numeral 111 denotes a buzzer that sounds various alarms,
Reference numerals 12 and 113 denote LEDs provided at portions corresponding to the battery packs 70a and 70b, and reference numerals 60a and 60b denote detection switches that are linked in accordance with the position of the battery pack locking member 30.

Field effect transistors (hereinafter referred to as FETs) 103, FET104, FET105, FET10
Reference numeral 6 denotes an FET switch which is a kind of a switching element for turning on / off the power supply of the battery pack.
a, 104a, 105a, and 106a are parasitic diodes existing inside the FET. However, FET 104 and F
Diode 104 in parallel with ET106
For a and 106a, a diode having a low forward voltage and a large current capacity can be used if necessary.

The FETs 103 and 104 are connected in series and connected to the output terminal of the battery pack 70a.
05 and 106 are similarly connected to the output terminal of the battery pack 70b.

These four FETs have gate terminals as control terminals, and can be independently turned on / off by the battery control unit 107. Note that the FET can be replaced with another bipolar transistor, a relay, or the like.

Normally, since a parasitic diode is included in an FET, a current flows from the anode to the cathode of the parasitic diode through the parasitic diode even when the FET is turned off. Therefore, in order to prevent this, when an FET is generally used as a switching element, a complete switching function is often realized by connecting two of the parasitic diodes of the FET in series such that the anodes or the cathodes face each other. However, in this case, the two FETs connected in series are controlled to be turned on or off simultaneously.
However, in one embodiment of the present invention, since each FET can be turned on and off independently, the FET 10
3 or 105 is turned on, and the FET 104 or 106 is turned off.
Alternatively, power is supplied via the power supply 106a, and if both powers are off, the power supply from the battery is completely stopped, so that it is possible to flexibly cope with various power supply modes.

When the AC adapter 121 is connected, a detection signal is output from the adapter detection circuit 122 and the FET 10
An off signal is supplied to the control terminals 4 and 106 via the gate circuits 126 and 127, and the power supply from the battery is cut off. This detection signal is also transmitted to the battery control unit, and the detection operation of the A / D converter also corresponds to this.

In this embodiment, when the A / C adapter is not connected, the ON / OFF of the FET is controlled by the following combinations. To supply power to the circuit from the battery pack 70a, the FET 103 and the FET 104 are turned on and the FET is turned on.
105, FET 106 is turned off. (This is called a single coupling mode.) When power is supplied to the circuit from the battery pack 70b, the FETs 103 and 104 are turned off and the FETs 105 and 106 are turned on. To supply power from the battery pack 70a and the battery pack 70b to the circuit by the diode OR, the FETs 103 and F
The ET 105 is turned on, and the FET 104 and the FET 106 are turned off. (This is called parallel coupling mode.) Four FETs
The three types of states can be realized by independently controlling the operations. Actual operations will be described in detail below.

When the start switch 125 is pressed and the apparatus is started, first, the battery control unit 107 turns on the FETs 103 and 105 and turns off the FETs 104 and 106 to OR-connect the batteries to supply power from a plurality of main batteries. . This is for the following reasons.

That is, the battery packs 70a, 70b
If there is a history of removal of the sub CPU 109a
Is suspended. For this reason, when this is released by the start switch and the battery control section is put into the operating state, it is not known which battery can supply power, so that power is supplied from both batteries and started by OR connection.

With this configuration, there is no need to constantly supply power to the battery control unit to maintain the operating state, and the apparatus can be made to stand by in a suspended state. In addition, the power of the backup battery is used immediately after the power is turned on. The A / D converter and the like are operated immediately after the power supply is started immediately, and the check program is executed. As a result, the backup battery does not drive the A / D converter, so that the capacity can be made as small as possible, and a battery with low current consumption can be selected.

Next, a battery to be used is determined in the following procedure.

When both battery packs are mounted, the battery control unit 107
FET 103 and FE to power the circuit from
T104 is turned on, and FET105 and FET106 are turned off. Also, when only one of the battery packs is mounted, two FETs for supplying power to the circuit from the mounted battery pack are turned on and power is supplied to the circuit from the other battery pack. FET
Turns off.

Similarly, when two battery packs are mounted, but one of them is not sufficiently charged, power is supplied to the circuit from the charged battery pack. For example, when power is supplied to the circuit from the battery pack 70a, the FETs 103 and 104 are turned on and the FETs 105 and 106 are turned off. Conversely, when power is supplied to the circuit from the battery pack 70b, FE
T103 and FET104 are turned off and FET105 and FE
T106 is turned on. The A / D converter 108 measures the terminal voltage of the battery pack to determine whether the battery is mounted and whether the battery is sufficiently charged.
The converted value is read and determined by the battery control unit 107. The battery control unit 107 compares both potentials,
The higher potential is selected and supplied to the main circuit. At this time, if the electric potential of the non-selected battery is already lower than the predetermined electric potential, this fact is transmitted to the main circuit, and the user is made aware of it by means such as display or alarm. Since it is clear that the battery on the non-selected side cannot be used without charging, the DC-DC
The converter 140a is turned on, the input side switch 141 is connected to the used battery pack, the discharge side switch 142 is connected to the selected battery, and discharge is started. This discharge current is supplied to the other battery pack. It becomes the charging current.

If the potential of the unselected battery is relatively high and sufficient capacity still remains, no discharging is performed.

In this way, the battery to be used is determined, and this power is used by the main circuit section 109, the display section 110, and the IO.
The apparatus is supplied to the unit 116 and the like to operate.

Next, the battery switching operation will be described. When two battery packs are installed,
FET 103 and FET 104 are turned on, and FET 105 and
It is assumed that the FET 106 is turned off, the battery pack 70a is selected, and power is supplied to the circuit from the battery pack 70a. While the device is operating, the battery control unit 107
Periodically checks the usage state of the battery pack, such as the potential or attachment / detachment. The main circuit unit 109 receives the operation state of the battery pack and the voltage of the battery pack from the battery control unit 107 and displays the state on the display unit 110. There are two types of information displayed on the display unit 110. The first information is which of the two battery packs is supplying voltage to the circuit, and the second information is how much the voltage of each battery pack is. In this method, as shown in FIG. 10, the physical position of each battery pack and the position of the display of the operation state of the battery pack correspond to each other, and the user can easily determine which display indicates the state of which battery pack. I understand it.

As an example of the display, the display showing the operation is shown in FIG.
0 is indicated by a circle on the LCD as in the operation displays 150 and 151 of 0, and the battery voltage is indicated by a bar graph 152, 1
Indicated by 53. In addition, whether it is discharging or not is indicated by the triangle mark 15
4, and 155 are displayed. When the initially selected battery pack 70a supplies power to the device, the voltage of the battery pack gradually decreases. Here, the display unit 1 of the LCD
Although the operating state of the battery is displayed at 10, the state of the battery can be displayed using a device such as an LED.

When the voltage of the battery pack 70b drops and is compared with a predetermined reference voltage Vref2, and when the operation of the apparatus becomes dangerous enough to continue the operation of the apparatus, the main circuit section 109 receives a signal from the battery control section 107. The information indicates that the voltage is not sufficient for both the battery pack 70a and the battery pack 70b on the display unit 110. If the voltage is not sufficient, for example, no square element in the bar graph of FIG. 10 is displayed. To more strongly warn of insufficient voltage, control such as blinking the upper half or lower half of the display unit corresponding to the position of the battery pack on the display unit 110 may be performed. The reference voltages Vref1, V
ref2 is the battery pack 70a and the battery pack 7
When 0b has the same capacity and type, it may be the same, but when it is of a different type, different reference voltages may be used accordingly. The normal operation of the battery control described above will be described with reference to a flowchart. In FIG. 11, when the battery pack is first mounted and the operation is started, the battery control unit 10
7 is initialized, and first, as in step S10, FET1
03, FET 105 is turned on FET 104, FET 106
Is turned off to execute a parallel coupling mode in which the two battery packs are diode-OR coupled. In the initial state, it is unknown which battery is mounted or which battery has how much voltage, so that power is supplied from both battery packs by diode-OR coupling. Subsequently, the battery control unit 107 measures the voltage of the battery pack 70a using the A / D converter 108 in step S12. If the voltage of the battery pack 70a is sufficient, the single coupling mode in which the FET 103 and the FET 104 are turned on and the FET 105 and the FET 106 are turned off and the power is supplied from the battery pack 70a to the circuit is executed as in step S20.

In step S12, the battery pack 7
If the voltage at 0a is insufficient, the voltage of the battery pack 70b is measured at step S14. If the voltage of the battery pack 2 is sufficient, the FET 10
3. Turn off the FET 104 and turn off the FET 105 and FET 10.
6 is turned on to supply power to the circuit from the battery pack 70b. If the voltages of both battery packs are not sufficient, the same parallel coupling mode as set in step S10 is maintained so that the device cannot be operated. However, since a charged battery pack is inserted in both cases, even if both of the battery packs have insufficient voltage, step S
Returning to step 12, the voltage of the battery pack is constantly measured. When the voltage is supplied to the circuit from one of the battery packs in steps S20 and S18, the device becomes operable. In step S22, the voltage of the currently selected battery is measured.

Next, when the voltage of the battery pack drops in step S24, the voltage of another battery pack is checked next. If the voltage of the other battery pack is sufficient, the battery pack is switched in step 26. The discharging of the original battery pack switched in step S26 is started by the discharging circuit 140. As described above, the discharge circuit 140 inputs the discharge current to the other, so that the drivable time of the other battery pack is extended, so that the power can be used more efficiently than simply discharging the current by using a resistor or the like. Thereafter, the process returns to step S22 to measure the voltage of the selected battery pack. If the voltages of the other battery packs are not sufficient in step S24, the device cannot continue to operate. Step S28
If the device is in operation, the user is notified that the battery voltage is not sufficient, and then the operation of the device is stopped. If the device is stopped in step S28, the process skips step S30 of stopping the operation of the device and proceeds to step S32. In step S32, since the voltages of both battery packs are not sufficient, the FETs 103 and 105 are turned on,
4. The FET 106 is turned off, the output of the battery pack is diode-OR-coupled, and the parallel coupling mode is executed. Then, the process returns to step S12 to check the voltage of the battery pack.

At the start of the normal operation of the apparatus, such as when the power is turned on, the reliability of the start is ensured by simultaneously supplying power from two batteries. That is, at the time of start, the CPU has a detection function or an arithmetic function stopped. First, a predetermined initialization process is always required. In this case, power is supplied to all or a plurality of batteries by an OR circuit. Is extremely effective.

On the other hand, the flowchart shown in FIG. 12 shows a method of checking discharge. This routine is executed in step S22 of the main routine in FIG. In addition to checking the battery currently in use, the potential of the battery being discharged is also checked in the following steps. In step 50, it is determined whether or not the battery is discharging, and if not, the process returns. In step 51, the level is checked if discharging is being performed, and it is determined that the discharging is completed if the level is lower than a predetermined potential. Step 52
When the discharge circuit is stopped and the discharge is completed, the completion of the discharge is notified in step 53 by flashing and displaying the corresponding marks of the triangle marks 154 and 155 on the display unit.
In response, the user must attach or remove the AC adapter and replace it with another battery.
Which side of the battery was discharged in step 54 is stored in the memory. Battery control unit 107
Always monitors the state of the battery and performs an optimal operation depending on whether the battery is removed or the AC adapter is attached.

That is, when the discharge is completed, the discharged side is stored in a predetermined storage section of the RAM.
In 129, the charging switch on the discharged side is turned on to start charging. The charging potential is also monitored by the A / D converter 108, and when the battery is fully charged, the battery pack to be charged is switched, and charging is similarly performed until the battery is fully charged.

When it is determined that the discharged battery has been removed, the information storing the above-mentioned discharge is erased.

As described above, when the charge level is equal to or lower than the predetermined potential, the battery is completely discharged. This is called a so-called memory effect. Incorrect judgment can be prevented. Moreover, even if the user does not bother to completely discharge the battery, the electronic device to which the battery is mounted is automatically executed, which is extremely convenient.

When the remaining voltage of both batteries is not sufficient, the user must stop the operation immediately or attach an AC adapter. Otherwise, the voltage supplied to the circuit will drop and the device will malfunction or the RAM / RTC1
17 data may be destroyed.

As a countermeasure, the following control is executed.

First, the two battery packs are discharged to notify the user of the occurrence of the condition on the display unit 110, and then the user operates the apparatus even after a certain time (for example, one minute) has elapsed. Is not stopped, the main circuit unit 109 executes a predetermined data saving process or the like to stop the operation of the circuit and enters the suspend mode. When the operation of the circuit is stopped, the current consumption of the device becomes very small as compared with the operation, and the device continues the suspended state of the main CPU for a predetermined period. The discharge continues, and the potential gradually decreases thereafter. In this state, a minimum operation of the battery control unit 107, for example, a check of battery attachment / detachment is performed. And a Zener diode 133, a resistor 131,
32, the comparator 12
0 is inverted from the H level to the L level, whereby the sub CPU is also in the suspending state, and the FET 1
03, 104, 105, and 106 are turned off, the power supply from the batteries 70a, 70b is stopped, and the supply from the backup battery 118 is switched. In this state, the power of the backup battery is consumed to back up the RAM / RTC 117.

When the user recognizes that both batteries have low remaining voltage and operates the power switch, the main circuit unit 109 performs a predetermined data saving process or the like based on whether the resume function is set or not. Operation stops.
At this time, if the remaining voltage of the battery pack that has been supplying power to the circuit during the operation up to that time is sufficient, the battery pack continues to supply power to the battery control unit even while the operation is stopped. In this case, the reference voltage when the power supply is stopped is
The level may be lower than the reference voltage during normal operation. that is,
During normal operation, a relatively high potential is required because a constant voltage is supplied to the main circuit unit 9 by a DC-DC converter or the like, but about 3 V is required for the operation of the battery control unit and the backup of the RAM / RTC 117. This is because a low potential may be supplied.

The above process will be described below with reference to battery supply control. If the initially used battery 70a is not at a level higher than the predetermined reference voltage Vref3, it is determined that the voltages of both batteries are not sufficient,
The FET 103 and the FETs 103 and 105 are turned on, and the FE
T104 and 106 are turned off, and the outputs of the two battery packs are output by the diode OR using the parasitic diodes of the FET104 and the FET106. The output of the battery pack 70a and the battery pack 70b
And when ORed by diodes in parallel with FET 106, these diodes supply power to the circuit from the higher voltage of the two battery packs.

Since the reference voltage Vref3 is for checking whether the other battery is charged and has recovered, the reference voltage Vref3 is set higher than the level for checking the remaining voltage.

For example, if the voltage of the battery pack 70a decreases while the apparatus is operated by the battery pack 70a, the battery control unit 107 stops supplying power to the circuit from the battery pack 70a and supplies power to the circuit from the battery pack 70b. The main circuit unit 109 receives this state change from the battery control unit 107 and displays on the display unit 110 because the voltage of the battery pack 70a has dropped.
The information that power is being supplied from the battery pack 70b and the start of the discharge of the battery pack 70a are displayed. When the discharge is started and the discharge is completed, this is also displayed.
The user sees these pieces of information and waits for the battery pack 70a to be completely discharged before replacing the battery pack.

When the user attempts to replace the battery pack when the voltage of the battery pack supplying power to the device is sufficient and the voltage of the other battery pack is low (the most likely situation). Yes, if the battery whose voltage is lowered is replaced, the battery pack can be replaced while the device is operating. By repeating this operation, the battery pack can be replaced without interrupting the operation of the device.

In the following, in one embodiment of the present invention, two battery packs 70
A description will be given of a judging means for judging which of the battery packs a and 70b is to be taken out, and a power source for switching the power source in the electronic device from the detachable battery pack to the other battery pack based on the judging means. Note that the method of supplying power to the circuit by switching between the two battery packs 70a and 70b is described in connection with four FETs 103, 104,
105 and 106 can be turned on and off independently by the control unit 107, and the details are described above.

FIG. 13 shows an example of a detection switch signal circuit. These are the detection switches 60a and 60 in FIG.
0b is shown in detail. Detection switch 60a,
In the case of 60b, when the switch is ON, the switch is ON, the signal is at the Low level. When the switch is OFF, the switch is OFF, the signal is at the High level, and the switch is unlocked or locked. Can be determined. Here, the battery pack 70a
A signal indicating that the detection switch 60a is released / locked is detected by the detection switch signal a and the battery pack 70b.
A signal indicating that the detection switch 60b is released / locked is referred to as a detection switch signal b. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the processing contents when the detection switches 60a and 60b are released / locked. Here, a case is shown in which the battery pack 70a is operated. When operating with the battery pack 70b, the battery pack 7
0a and the battery pack 70b are completely opposite. When the detection switch 60a is released during the operation of the battery pack 70a (S81), it is determined that the battery pack 70a will be pulled out soon, and the following processing is performed. First, a battery having a remaining capacity is attached to the battery pack 70b (S
83) and the detection switch 2 is locked (S8)
4) In the case, the operation battery is switched to the battery pack 70b (S85), and the operation of the device is continued (S86). Here, a state in which the detection switch 60a and the detection switch 60b are simultaneously released is not present in the present invention, and therefore, the detection switch 60b determines release / lock (S8).
4) can be omitted. If you don't meet either,
A power-off request is issued to the CPU (S91), and the CP
U immediately saves necessary data, etc., and turns off the power of the device (S92). The process from the release of the detection switch 60a (S81) to the switching to the battery pack 70b (S85) or the CPU turning off the power (S92) is performed by the user using the detection switch 60a.
Is sufficiently shorter than the time from when the battery is released to when the battery is removed, so that the battery is not removed during the processing.

After switching to the battery pack 70b, the battery pack 70a is replaced and the detection switch 60a is locked. If a battery having a remaining capacity is mounted on the battery pack 70a (88), the operating battery is replaced with the battery pack. The operation is switched to 70a (89), and the operation is continued with the battery pack 70a again. When the remaining capacity of the replaced battery pack 70a is smaller than that of the battery pack 70b, the operation is continued with the battery 70b. In addition,
The means for determining the remaining capacity of the two battery packs 70a and 70b has been described above.

[0078]

As described above, according to the present invention, an apparatus main body having a storage section for electrically connecting and storing two battery packs, and a mechanism for restricting movement of the two battery packs and allowing the two battery packs to move from the storage section. Supported by the apparatus main body so as to be movable to a first position where one of the battery packs can be detached, a second position where one of the two battery packs can be detached, and a third position where the other one can be detached. Since the two battery packs cannot be removed at the same time by having the battery pack locking member, when the battery packs are connected in parallel and used at the same time, even if one is pulled out, the other is movable, so data etc. Never lose.

According to the third aspect, the system determines which battery is to be removed by detecting the position of the battery pack locking member. As a result, the battery can be safely replaced even during operation, and if the user has a replacement battery pack, electronic devices that can be continuously used by the number of replacement battery packs regardless of the capacity of the battery pack are provided. Can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the electronic device of FIG. 1 as viewed from the back.

FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the battery cover of FIG. 2 from which the battery cover has been removed;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a positional relationship between a frame and a battery pack according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the battery cover of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a view showing a detailed shape of a battery pack locking member.

FIG. 7 is a detailed view of a rib that engages with a battery pack locking member in the frame.

FIG. 8 is a detailed view of a battery pack locking member and switch means of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device having a battery control circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display unit of the device of the embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating control during normal operation of the electronic apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart of a discharge check of the electronic device of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a circuit diagram for generating a detection switch signal in the electronic device of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating processing when a detection switch is released / locked in the electronic device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electronic device 2 Liquid crystal display panel 10 Case 11 Upper case 11a Opening 12 Lower case 12a Battery pack storage part 20 Battery cover 23 Battery cover rib 23a Cover rib cutout part 30 Battery pack locking member 30a Frame contact surface 30b Fitting groove 30c Fitting protrusion 30d Operation protrusion 30g Switch bias slope 30h Switch bias slope 40 Frame 41 Frame rib 41a Frame rib recess 41b Frame rib recess 41c Frame rib recess 42a Frame protrusion 42b Frame protrusion 60a Detection switch 60b Detection switch 70a Battery pack 70b Battery pack 128, 129: Transistor 107: Battery control unit 108: A / D converter 109: Main circuit unit 110: Display unit 116: IO unit 117: R M / RTC 118: backup battery 140: discharge for the DC-DC converter

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An electronic device that operates using at least one of a built-in first and second battery pack as a power supply, comprising: a device main body having a storage portion for storing the first and second battery packs; A first position that is supported by the apparatus main body and that prevents the first and second battery packs from being detached from the storage section, a second position that allows only the first battery pack to be detached, and the second position. And a battery pack locking member movable to a third position where only the battery pack can be detached. 2. The storage section, wherein the first and second battery packs are arranged adjacent to each other in a first direction.
The first guide restricts movement in the second direction opposite to the first direction, and enables sliding in the third direction crossing the first direction and the fourth direction opposite to the first direction. Means,
A contact portion for terminating the movement of the first and second battery packs in the third direction, wherein the battery pack locking member is configured such that the first and second battery packs are in contact with each other. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a movement restricting unit that restricts movement in the fourth direction when in contact with the unit. 3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the battery pack locking member is provided in the housing so as to be movable in the first and second directions. 4. A cover for covering the storage section, wherein the battery pack locking member is connected to the second position and the third position.
A position that abuts the battery pack locking member when the battery pack locking member is in the first position and prevents the battery pack locking member from being attached to the apparatus main body when the battery pack locking member is in the first position. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a cover having a portion that receives a stop member and enables the cover to be attached to the device main body. 5. A detecting means for detecting whether the battery pack locking member is in the first, second or third position, and one of two detecting means based on a signal from the detecting means. Determining means for determining whether the battery pack is removed; and power supply switching means for switching power supplied to the electronic device from the detachable battery pack to the other battery pack based on the determination of the determining means. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising: 6. A detecting means for detecting whether the battery pack locking member is in the first, second or third position, and the battery pack locking based on a detection result of the detecting means. A switch means for shutting off power supply from said first or second battery pack when a member moves from said first position to said second or third position. The electronic device according to 5. 7. A battery pack having a capacity detecting means for detecting capacities of the first and second battery packs, wherein the switch means is configured to shut off power supply according to a detection result of the capacity detecting means. If the capacity of the other battery pack has reached the predetermined capacity,
7. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein power is supplied from the other battery pack. 8. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, wherein the switch unit is configured to switch a power supply of the electronic device when a capacity of the other battery pack of the battery pack to cut off power supply is less than a predetermined capacity according to a detection result of the capacity detection unit. 8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a disconnection process is performed, and power supply from the battery pack is cut off after the completion of the disconnection process. 9. The first detection means is disposed in accordance with the second and third positions of the battery pack locking member, and the first and second detection means are provided in accordance with the presence or absence of the detection of the battery pack locking member. 9. The electronic device according to claim 5, further comprising: a detection signal generating unit configured to generate a signal having a voltage level of: