JP2001155784A - Communication device of battery pack - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a communication device of battery pack that can shorten communication processing time as data communication is carried out with simple communication protocol and reduce a cost as inexpensive microcomputer is used. SOLUTION: A communication device of battery pack includes condensing elements 3 provided at a battery pack 1, memory elements 6 for storing information of the condensing elements 3, a monitoring circuit 5 for detecting voltage, current or temperature of the condensing elements 3, a microcomputer 4 for calculating remainder of condensing elements 3 from detected value of the monitoring circuit 5, and a decoder 7 for converting command code to data. The command code is sent from a communication host 8 of a outer device 2 and converted the information stored in the memory elements 6 to address data by the decoder 7 to directly indicate an address of the memory elements 6. The memory elements 6 transmit the indicated address data to the communication host 8.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a battery pack having a data communication function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an external device using a battery pack as a power source, if the external device wants to obtain information related to the battery, such as the remaining battery level of the battery pack and ID information, a circuit built in the battery pack is used. Communication was taking place.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a battery pack 1 having such a communication function. The battery pack 1 includes a power storage element 3 (for example, a secondary battery) that is a power supply source, and an outflow / inflow current or voltage of the power storage element 3 or a power storage element 3.
A remaining amount monitoring circuit 5 for detecting the temperature and the like of the storage device, and calculating the remaining amount of the storage element 3 from the detection data of the remaining amount monitoring circuit
Microprocessor 4 for controlling communication with external device 2
(Hereinafter, referred to as a microcomputer) and a memory element 6 for storing a calculation result, and data communication is performed with a communication host 8 provided in the external device 2.

That is, according to the above configuration, the external device 2
The communication host 8 on the side transmits an instruction code corresponding to desired battery information to the battery pack 1. The microcomputer 4 in the battery pack 1 decodes the received instruction code, determines the requested data content, reads out the target data stored in the memory element 6, and transfers the data to the external device 2 (reply). I do. Note that serial communication is generally employed for data communication in such a battery pack.

[0005]

However, in such an interactive data communication form, the microcomputer processing becomes complicated and the processing speed is required, so that the expensive microcomputer 4 having a high processing capability is used exclusively. It had been.
Further, as described above, since the control mode in which the instruction code is decoded and the target data is read from the memory element 6 involves a lot of microcomputers, it takes a certain time (from the data request to the transfer of the target data). Delay time). Further, in order to distinguish between waiting for a data response and non-attachment of the battery, it is necessary to provide a considerable waiting time, for example, one minute, during which an extremely inconvenient communication protocol such that the communication host 8 is occupied. Was taken.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, reduces the communication processing time by performing data communication using a simple communication protocol, and reduces the cost of a battery pack using an inexpensive microcomputer. It is intended to provide a communication device.

[0007]

That is, a communication device for a battery pack according to the present invention comprises a storage element (3) provided in a battery pack (1) and a memory element (3) for storing information of the storage element (3). 6), a remaining amount monitoring circuit (5) for detecting the voltage, current, temperature, etc. of the storage element (3), and calculating the remaining amount of the storage element (3) from the detection value of the monitoring circuit (5). And a decoder (7) for converting the instruction code into data. The memory element (6) and the memory element (6) are transmitted by the instruction code transmitted from the communication host (8) of the external device (2). Communication host (8)
It is characterized in that data communication is performed between them. In such a configuration, the microprocessor does not need to be involved in controlling the data transfer, so that the load on the microprocessor is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to use an inexpensive microprocessor having a low processing capability.

The communication device for a battery pack according to the present invention is characterized in that the instruction code is converted into address data of the memory element (6) to be subjected to a data write / read operation. Furthermore, the communication device for a battery pack according to the present invention is characterized in that the decoder (7)
Is characterized in that the instruction code is converted into address data of the memory element (6) to be subjected to a data read / read operation. In such a configuration, since the communication host can directly access the memory element without using a microprocessor, a quick response (transfer of target data) to a data request from the communication host becomes possible. In addition, the communication protocol can be simplified because no interactive data communication is performed as in the related art.

The communication device for a battery pack according to the present invention is characterized in that the microprocessor (4) calculates the remaining amount at an arbitrary timing irrespective of the instruction code. Further, in the communication device for a battery pack according to the present invention, the calculation result of the remaining amount is obtained at an arbitrary timing regardless of the instruction command.
It is characterized by being stored in. In such a configuration, since the latest information is always stored in the memory element, the delay time until the target data is transferred in response to the data request from the communication host can be minimized.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. Incidentally, in order to simplify the explanation,
In the following description, the same parts as those of the related art are denoted by the same reference numerals.

A communication device for a battery pack according to the present invention comprises a power storage element 3, a memory element 6, a remaining amount monitoring circuit 5, a microprocessor 4 (microcomputer 4), and a decoder 7 provided in the battery pack 1. Data communication is performed between the memory element 6 and the communication host 8 by an instruction code transmitted from the communication host 8 on the external device 2 side. As a data transfer means at this time, a serial communication system, a parallel communication system, a synchronous communication system, an asynchronous communication system, and the like can all be applied. Reference numeral T1 denotes a power supply terminal, reference numeral T3 denotes a GND terminal, and reference numeral T2 denotes a data communication terminal through which battery information is exchanged.

The power storage element 3 is a power source for driving a load device 9 (for example, a personal computer) on the external device 2 side, and may be a secondary battery, a capacitor, or the like. The remaining amount monitoring circuit 5 is a circuit for detecting the voltage, the inflow / outflow current, and the temperature of the storage element 3. The microcomputer 4 is configured to output the voltage data or current data, or the voltage data and the current data input from the remaining amount monitoring circuit 5. Then, the remaining amount (remaining capacity) of the electric storage element 3 is sequentially calculated. The temperature data can be used for correcting the calculated remaining amount. The memory element 6 is a nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM or a flash memory for storing the remaining amount of the power storage element 3 and the ID information of the battery pack 1. The decoder 7 directly converts the instruction code from the communication host 8 into address data of the memory element 6.

[First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of a communication device for a battery pack according to the present invention. In this configuration, the memory element 6, the remaining amount monitoring circuit 5, the microcomputer 4, and the decoder 7 all include the battery pack 1
This is an embodiment incorporated in a personal computer.

In the first embodiment, the microcomputer 4 in the battery pack 1 calculates the remaining amount of the storage element 3 based on the input detection data (voltage, current, temperature) from the remaining monitoring circuit 5, and calculates The result is stored at a predetermined address of the memory element 6. Incidentally, the calculation processing of the remaining amount by the microcomputer 4 is not limited to the case where the data request command is received from the communication host 8, but can be performed at an arbitrary timing irrespective of the command, and the calculation result is sequentially stored in the memory element 6. Is done.

Here, when the external device 2 obtains the battery information, first, the communication host 8 transmits an instruction code corresponding to the necessary battery information to the battery pack 1 side.
The decode 7 in the battery pack 1 receives the instruction code, converts the instruction code into predetermined address data to be read by the memory element 6, and directly specifies the address of the memory element 6. The memory element 6 transfers (replies) the data (battery information) stored at the specified address to the communication host 8. The communication host 8 receives the transferred data and, for example, performs a process of displaying the fact on the load device 9 if the battery capacity is low. still,
Here, it is of course possible to substitute the microcomputer 7 in the battery pack 1 for the decode 7.

As described above, in this configuration, since the microcomputer 4 can perform data communication without being involved in the communication control processing with the communication host 8, the communication host 8 is involved in the arithmetic processing and the like on the battery back 1 side in response to the data request. The target data can be received immediately without waiting time. In addition, microcomputer 4
Even if the communication host 8 itself issues an instruction code, there is no need to stop the operation being processed, and it is not necessary to notify the communication host 8 that the operation is being performed. Therefore,
The communication protocol can be greatly simplified as compared with the conventional interactive communication mode. Further, the load on the microcomputer 4 is greatly reduced as compared with the conventional case.

[Second Embodiment] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of a communication device for a battery pack according to the present invention. In this configuration, the memory element 6 and the remaining amount monitoring circuit 5 are built in the battery pack 1 and the other microcomputers 4
And the decoder 7 are disposed on the external device 2 side.

In the second embodiment, on the battery pack 1 side, the remaining amount monitoring circuit 5 detects the voltage, current, and temperature of the storage element 3 at an arbitrary timing, and sequentially stores the detected data in a predetermined address of the memory element 6. It is controlled to save.

Here, when the communication host 8 of the external device 2 sends an instruction code corresponding to the necessary battery information to the decoder 7 in the external device 2, the decoder 7 sends the received instruction code to the target address of the memory element 6. The memory device 6 in the battery pack 1 is directly addressed by the converted data. The memory element 6 transfers the data at the designated address to the external device 2 side.

The microcomputer 4 in the external device 2 calculates the remaining amount of the electric storage element 3 based on the received data (voltage data, current data, temperature data). If necessary, the communication host 8 transmits another instruction code and transfers the operation result to the corresponding address of the memory element 6 in the battery pack 1.
You can also save. Further, the communication host 8 performs processing such as display on the load device 9 in the same manner as described above according to the calculation result of the microcomputer. Here, it is of course possible to substitute the decoder 7 of the external device 2 with the communication host 8 or the microcomputer 4.

As described above, in the present configuration, unlike the first embodiment, since the arithmetic processing of the remaining amount is performed on the external device 2 side, the communication host 8 responds to a data request from the communication host 8. The target data can be obtained immediately without waiting for the side 8. Also, on the battery pack 1 side, the load on the microcomputer 4 is reduced and high-speed processing is not required, so that an expensive microcomputer like the conventional one is not required. The cost of the pack 1 can be reduced.

[Third Embodiment] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment of a communication device for a battery pack according to the present invention. This configuration is an embodiment in which only the memory element 6 is built in the battery pack 1 and the remaining amount monitoring device 5, the microcomputer 4, and the decoder 4 are provided on the external device 2 side.

In the third embodiment, the microcomputer 4 in the external device 2 controls the voltage supplied through the power terminal T1,
The current is detected by the remaining amount monitoring circuit 5, and the remaining amount of the storage element 3 is calculated based on the detected data. If necessary, the operation result can be transferred to the memory element 6 of the battery pack 1 according to the instruction code from the communication host 8. For example, it is convenient to store the remaining amount of the power storage element 3 on the battery pack 1 side before turning off the power, since the external device 2 can immediately obtain the latest battery information at the time of startup. Here, the decoder 7 in the external device 2 can of course be replaced by the communication host 8 or the microcomputer 4 as in the second embodiment.

As described above, in this configuration, since the battery pack 1 does not need to be provided with the microcomputer 4 and the remaining amount monitoring circuit 5, the number of parts can be reduced accordingly, and the cost of the battery pack 1 can be reduced. It becomes possible.

[0025]

As described above, in the communication device for a battery pack according to the present invention, a power storage element provided in the battery pack, a memory element for storing information of the power storage element, and
A remaining amount monitoring circuit that detects the voltage, current, temperature, etc. of the storage element, a microcomputer that calculates the remaining amount of the storage element from a detection value of the monitoring circuit, and a decoder that converts an instruction code into data, Since the data communication is performed between the memory element and the communication host by the instruction code transmitted from the communication host of the external device, the microcomputer itself does not need to be involved in controlling the data transfer. The load on the microcomputer is reduced as compared with the above, and the need for high-speed processing is eliminated. Therefore, an expensive microcomputer as in the related art is not required, and an inexpensive microcomputer with low processing capacity can be used, so that the cost of the battery pack can be reduced.

In the communication apparatus for a battery pack according to the present invention, the instruction code is converted into address data of a memory element to be subjected to data write / read operation using a decoder. Since the memory element can be directly accessed without using a microcomputer, the battery pack can quickly respond (transfer target data) to a data request from a communication host. Further, such a data communication mode is extremely simple as compared with the conventional interactive communication mode, and thus the communication protocol can be greatly simplified.

In the communication device for a battery pack according to the present invention, the microcomputer performs a calculation of the remaining amount at an arbitrary timing irrespective of the instruction code, and sequentially stores the calculation result in a memory element. Therefore, the latest battery information is always stored in the memory element, and the delay time until the target data is transferred in response to the data request from the communication host can be minimized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication device of a battery pack according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a communication device for a battery pack according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a communication device for a battery pack according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a conventional communication device for a battery pack.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Battery pack 2 External device 3 Electric storage element (secondary battery, capacitor) 4 Microprocessor 5 Remaining amount monitoring device 6 Memory element 7 Decoder 8 Communication host

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Toshikazu Urata 5-36-11 Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo Inside Fuji Electric Chemical Co., Ltd. (72) Tomoyuki Akaya 5-36-11 Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo Fuji F-term (reference) in Electrochemical Co., Ltd. 5G003 BA01 DA02 EA05 FA08 GC05 5H030 AA09 AS20 FF22 FF42 FF43 FF44

Claims (5)

[Claims] An electric storage element (3) provided in a battery pack (1) and a memory element (6) for storing information of the electric storage element (3).
A remaining amount monitoring circuit (5) for detecting the voltage, current, temperature and the like of the storage element (3); and a micro-computer for calculating the remaining amount of the storage element (3) from the detection value of the monitoring circuit (5). A processor (4); and a decoder (7) for converting the instruction code into data. The instruction code transmitted from the communication host (8) of the external device (2) causes the communication with the memory element (6). A communication device for a battery pack, wherein data communication is performed between hosts (8). 2. The communication device for a battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the instruction code is converted into address data of the memory element to be subjected to a data write / read operation. 3. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the decoder (7) converts the instruction code into address data of the memory element (6) to be subjected to a data read / read operation. Communication device in pack. 4. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the microprocessor (4) calculates the remaining amount at an arbitrary timing irrespective of the instruction code. Communication device. 5. The memory device according to claim 1, wherein an operation result of the remaining amount is stored in the memory element at an arbitrary timing irrespective of the instruction command. Battery pack communication device.