JP2006287628A - Method of charging portable device system, portable device system and portable device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of charging a portable device system, portable device system and portable device capable of being used as long as possible without sacrificing portability about a method of charging a portable device system, portable device system and portable device which can be used by connecting a plurality of portable devices driven by a battery. <P>SOLUTION: In the portable device system that can be used by connecting the plurality of portable devices driven by a battery, batteries are charged in a two-way manner between a plurality of portable devices. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a charging method for a portable device system, a portable device system, and a portable device, and in particular, a charging method and a portable device system for a portable device system that can be used by connecting a plurality of portable devices driven by a battery. It relates to mobile devices.

  In recent years, with the miniaturization of devices and the increase in capacity of secondary batteries, portable devices are rapidly spreading. In addition, there are many types of operations that have versatility by providing specialized functions in portable devices and controlling them from other devices.

  For example, a combination of a handy terminal and a portable printer, a digital camera and a portable printer, a portable computer, and the like. These are all driven by a battery. In the portable device system operated with such a configuration, when the remaining secondary battery of one of the paired portable devices is exhausted, the other portable device has sufficient remaining battery power and is operable. Nevertheless, one of the portable devices becomes unusable, causing problems in business. For this reason, spare batteries, chargers and the like are carried along with portable devices so as not to hinder business.

  At this time, a system has been proposed for a mobile phone that allows the mobile phone to be charged from a portable personal computer (Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  As for portable printers, a system has been proposed in which power necessary for one printing is supplied from a printer-separated type terminal body to the portable printer for printing (see Patent Document 3).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-300256 JP 2001-34367 A Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 06-11034

  However, in the past, spare batteries and chargers were carried so as not to hinder business, and there was a problem that portability was sacrificed.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides a charging method for a portable device system, a portable device system, and a portable device that can be used for as long as possible without sacrificing portability. Objective.

  The present invention is characterized in that in a portable device system that can be used by connecting a plurality of portable devices driven by a battery, the battery is charged bidirectionally between the plurality of portable devices.

  According to the present invention, the battery of one portable device is charged by the battery of the other portable device even when the remaining battery power of one portable device is exhausted by charging the battery bidirectionally between the plurality of portable devices. By charging the battery, it can be used for a long time.

[First embodiment]
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention.

  A mobile device system 100 according to the present embodiment has a configuration in which a mobile device 101 and a mobile device 102 are connected by a cable 103.

  For example, the portable device 101 includes a portable printer, and includes a connection unit 111, a charging circuit 112, a secondary battery 113, a main circuit unit 114, an operation unit 115, and a printing mechanism 116.

  The connection part 111 is composed of a socket connector or the like, and is connected to a plug connector at one end of the cable 103. The connection unit 111 exchanges data between the main circuit unit 114 and the cable 103, and exchanges power between the cable 103 and the charging circuit 112 or the secondary battery 113. The charging circuit 112 is composed of a regulator, and charges the secondary battery 113 with the power supplied from the portable device 102 via the cable 103.

  The main circuit unit 114 is driven by a power source supplied from the secondary battery 113 according to an instruction from the operation unit 115, and controls the printing mechanism 116 based on data supplied from the connection unit 111 to generate print data. Perform printing according to this.

  The portable device 102 is, for example, a portable information processing apparatus, and includes a connection unit 121, a charging circuit 122, a secondary battery 123, a main circuit unit 124, an operation unit 125, and a display unit 126.

  The connection part 121 is composed of a socket connector or the like, and is connected to the plug connector at the other end of the cable 103. The connection unit 121 exchanges data between the main circuit unit 124 and the cable 103, and exchanges power between the cable 103 and the charging circuit 122 or the secondary battery 123. The charging circuit 122 includes a regulator and the like, and charges the secondary battery 123 with the power supplied from the portable device 102 via the cable 103.

  The main circuit unit 124 is driven by the power supplied from the secondary battery 123, performs data processing by operating the operation unit 125, and displays the data on the display unit 126. Further, the main circuit unit 124 transmits print data to the portable device 101 by operating the operation unit 125.

  At this time, according to the present embodiment, when the secondary battery 113 of the mobile device 101 is exhausted, the secondary battery 123 of the mobile device 102 is charged, and when the secondary battery 123 of the mobile device 102 is exhausted, Charging is performed by the secondary battery 113 of the portable device 101, and charging can be performed bidirectionally between the portable device 101 and the portable device 102, whereby the secondary battery 113 and the portable device 102 of the portable device 101 can be charged. Even when either one of the secondary batteries 123 is exhausted, printing can be performed reliably.

[Modification]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a modification of the first embodiment of the present invention.

  In this embodiment, the charging circuit 112 for charging the secondary battery 113 of the portable device 101 is provided on the portable device 101 side, and the charging circuit 122 for charging the secondary battery 113 of the portable device 102 is provided on the portable device 102 side. 2, a charging circuit 112 for charging the secondary battery 113 of the portable device 101 is provided on the portable device 102 side, and a charging circuit 122 for charging the secondary battery 113 of the portable device 102 is provided on the portable device 101 side. You may do it.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of the second embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the same components as in FIG.

  The mobile device system 200 of the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the mobile devices 201 and 202.

  The portable device 201 of the present embodiment is different from the portable device 101 of the first embodiment in that it has a charge switching circuit 217 and a battery remaining amount detection circuit 221 in the main circuit section 214.

  The charge switching circuit 217 is supplied with a switching control signal from the remaining battery level detection means 221 of the main circuit 214. The charge switching circuit 217 cuts or shorts the path of the power supplied from the secondary battery 113 to the connection unit 111 by the switching control signal.

  The battery remaining amount detecting means 221 detects the remaining amount of the secondary battery 113. The battery remaining amount detecting means 221 detects the remaining amount of the secondary battery 113 by detecting the voltage of the secondary battery 113. Note that the battery remaining amount detecting means 221 may be configured to detect the remaining amount of the secondary battery 113 by integrating the current supplied to the main circuit unit 214. The main circuit unit 214 controls the charge switching circuit 217 based on the detection result of the battery remaining amount detection unit 221.

  FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of the charge switching process of the main circuit unit 214.

  In step S <b> 1-1, the main circuit unit 214 detects the voltage of the secondary battery 113 by the battery remaining amount detection unit 221. The main circuit unit 214 determines that charging is possible if the voltage detected by the remaining battery level detection means 221 is, for example, 7.2 V or more in step S1-2, and the charge switching circuit 217 is determined in step S1-3. Supply charging permission signal. Further, the main circuit unit 214 determines that charging cannot be performed when the voltage detected by the battery remaining amount detecting means 221 decreases to less than 7.2 V in step S1-2, and the charge switching circuit 217 is determined in step S1-4. A charge prohibition signal is supplied to.

  When the charge switching signal is supplied from the main circuit unit 214, the charge switching circuit 217 short-circuits between the secondary battery 113 and the connection unit 111 so that the portable device 202 can be charged by the secondary battery 113. . In addition, when the charge prohibition signal is supplied from the main circuit unit 214, the charge switching circuit 217 opens the space between the secondary battery 113 and the connection unit 111 so that the portable device 202 cannot be charged by the secondary battery 113. To.

  As described above, when the remaining amount of the secondary battery 113 is smaller than the predetermined amount, the charge switching circuit 217 disconnects the connection between the secondary battery 113 and the connection unit 111 and stops the charging of the portable device 202 by the secondary battery 113. be able to.

  The portable device 202 of this embodiment is different from the portable device 102 of the first embodiment in that it has a charge switching circuit 227 and a battery remaining amount detection circuit 232 in the main circuit section 224.

  A switching control signal is supplied to the charge switching circuit 227 from the remaining battery level detection means 222 of the main circuit 224. The charge switching circuit 227 cuts or shorts the path of the power supplied from the secondary battery 123 to the connection unit 121 according to the switching control signal.

  The battery remaining amount detection means 222 detects the remaining amount of the secondary battery 123. The battery remaining amount detecting means 222 detects the remaining amount of the secondary battery 113 by detecting the voltage of the secondary battery 123, similarly to the battery remaining amount detecting means 221. Note that the battery remaining amount detection unit 222 may be configured to detect the remaining amount of the secondary battery 123 by integrating the current supplied to the main circuit unit 224. The main circuit unit 224 controls the charge switching circuit 227 based on the detection result of the battery remaining amount detection unit 222.

  The main circuit unit 224 controls the charge switching circuit 227 by the same processing as the main circuit unit 214 of the mobile device 201 shown in FIG. Thereby, when the remaining amount of the secondary battery 123 is smaller than the predetermined amount, the charge switching circuit 227 disconnects the connection between the secondary battery 123 and the connection unit 121 and stops the charging of the portable device 201 by the secondary battery 123. be able to.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the remaining amount of the secondary batteries 113 and 123 is small, the operation of the portable devices 202 and 201 can be secured by stopping the charging of the other portable devices 202 and 201. It is configured.

[Third embodiment]
FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of a third embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the same components as those in FIG.

  A mobile device system 300 according to this embodiment includes mobile devices 301 to 303. The portable device 301 is configured to be able to connect the portable device 302 and the portable device 303 simultaneously, and is configured to selectively charge from the portable device 302 or the portable device 303.

  In the portable device 301, the portable device 302 is connected to the connection unit 311 via the cable 304, and the portable device 303 is connected to the connection unit 312 via the cable 305.

  The connection unit 311 connects the data line of the cable 304 to the main circuit unit 214 and connects the power supply line to the voltage detection unit 313 and the switching circuit 314. The connection unit 312 connects the data line of the cable 305 to the main circuit unit 214 and connects the power supply line to the voltage detection unit 313 and the switching circuit 314.

  The voltage detection unit 313 compares the power supply voltage of the power supply line of the cable 304 with the power supply voltage of the power supply line of the cable 305. For example, when the power supply voltage of the power supply line of the cable 304 is larger than the power supply voltage of the power supply line of the cable 305 When the power supply voltage of the power supply line of the cable 304 is lower than the power supply voltage of the power supply line of the cable 305, a detection signal that becomes a low level is generated. The detection signal generated by the voltage detection unit 313 is supplied to the switching circuit 314. The switching circuit 314 is connected between the connection unit 311 and the connection unit 312 and the charging circuit 112. When the detection signal supplied from the voltage detection unit 313 is at a high level, the connection unit 311 is connected to the charging circuit 112. When the detection signal is at a low level, the connection unit 312 is connected to the charging circuit 112.

  The switching circuit 314 supplies the power supplied from the portable device 302 via the cable 304 to the charging circuit 112 when the connection unit 311 and the charging circuit 112 are connected. Further, the switching circuit 314 supplies the power supplied from the portable device 303 via the cable 305 to the charging circuit 112 when the connection unit 312 and the charging circuit 112 are connected.

  As described above, charging can be performed from the mobile devices 302 and 303 having the larger remaining amount of the secondary battery 113 among the plurality of connected mobile devices 302 and 303.

  In this embodiment, the mobile devices 302 and 303 have the same configuration as the mobile device 202 shown in FIG.

[Fourth embodiment]
FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the same components as those in FIG.

  A mobile device system 400 according to the present embodiment includes mobile devices 401 and 402 and a cable 403. The portable device 401 and the portable device 402 are connected via a cable 403. The cable 403 includes a data line, a power supply line, and a control line, and one end is connected to the connection unit 411 of the portable device 401 and the other end is connected to the connection unit 421 of the portable device 402.

  The connection unit 411 of the portable device 401 connects the data line of the cable 403 to the main circuit unit 414, connects the power line of the cable 403 to the switching circuit 217, and connects the control line of the cable 403 to the switching circuit 432. The connection unit 421 of the portable device 402 connects the data line of the cable 403 to the main circuit unit 424, connects the power line of the cable 403 to the switching circuit 227, and connects the control line of the cable 403 to the main circuit unit 424.

  The portable device 401 according to the present embodiment has a configuration in which the switching circuit 422 is turned on / off based on a request from the charge request unit 421 provided in the main circuit unit 421 and a charge permission notification supplied from the portable device 402. Has been.

  FIG. 7 shows a process flowchart of the charge request means 421.

  The charge request unit 421 acquires the remaining battery level from the remaining battery level detection unit 212 in step S2-1. The battery remaining amount is, for example, a battery voltage. If the battery voltage is less than the predetermined voltage in step S2-2, the charging request unit 421 issues a charging request to the switching circuit 422 in step S2-3.

  The switching circuit 422 is supplied with a charge request from the charge request unit 421 and a charge permission notification from the connection unit 411. The switching circuit 422 is connected between the connection unit 311 and the charging circuit 112. When the charging request is supplied from the charging request unit 421 and the charging permission notification is supplied from the portable device 402, the switching circuit 422 is connected to the connecting unit 311. The charging circuit 112 is connected. Further, the switching circuit 422 disconnects between the connection unit 311 and the charging circuit 112 when there is no charging request from the charging request unit 421 or no charging permission notification from the portable device 402.

  In the portable device 402, the charging permission unit 441 is provided in the main circuit portion 424.

  FIG. 8 shows a processing flowchart of the charging permission means 441.

  The charging permission unit 441 acquires the remaining battery level from the remaining battery level detection unit 222 in step S3-1. The remaining battery level is the battery voltage. If charging permission means 441 is greater than the predetermined voltage in step S3-2, charging permission notification is supplied to connection unit 421 in step S3-3. In the connection unit 421, the charging permission notification from the charging permission unit 441 is supplied to the control line of the cable 403.

  According to the present embodiment, a charging request is issued when charging is necessary, and charging from the portable device 402 to the portable device 401 or charging from the portable device 401 to the portable device 402 is performed. Since the switching circuits 422 and 442 of the device 401 and the mobile phone 402 are turned off and charging is prohibited, unnecessary charging is performed, and the secondary battery of the other mobile device can be prevented from being consumed. In addition, when the voltage of the secondary battery 123 of the portable device 402 is not sufficient, charging to the portable device 401 can be prohibited, so that unnecessary charging can be prevented.

It is a block block diagram of 1st Example of this invention. It is a block block diagram of the modification of 1st Example of this invention. It is a block block diagram of 2nd Example of this invention. 5 is a flowchart of charge switching processing of the main circuit unit 214. It is a block block diagram of 3rd Example of this invention. It is a block block diagram of 4th Example of this invention. It is a process flowchart of the charge request | requirement means 421. FIG. It is a process flowchart of the charge permission means 441. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

100, 200, 300, 400, 500 Portable device system 101, 102, 201, 202, 301, 302, 303, 401, 402, 501, 502 Portable device 111, 121, 311, 312 Connection unit, 112, 122 Charging circuit 131, 123 Secondary battery 114 Main circuit section, 115 operation section, 116 Printing mechanism 125 Operation section, 126 Display section

Claims (10)

A method of charging a portable device system that can be used by connecting a plurality of portable devices driven by a battery,
A portable device system, wherein the battery is charged bidirectionally between the plurality of portable devices. The charging method of the portable device system according to claim 1, wherein charging / discharging is controlled according to a remaining amount of the battery. Obtaining the remaining battery power of the other portable device;
The method of charging a portable device system according to claim 1, wherein the battery is charged by a portable device having the largest remaining battery level. A portable device system that can be used by connecting a plurality of portable devices driven by a battery,
The mobile device system, wherein the plurality of mobile devices have charging control means for charging the batteries with each other between the mobile devices. The charge control means includes a battery remaining amount detecting unit that detects a remaining amount of the battery,
5. The portable device system according to claim 4, further comprising: a charge switching circuit that prohibits charging of another portable device by the battery according to the remaining amount of the battery detected by the battery remaining amount detecting means. The charge control means includes a voltage detection unit that detects a battery voltage of another portable device,
6. The portable device system according to claim 4, further comprising a switching circuit that prohibits charging of the battery by another portable device in accordance with the battery voltage detected by the voltage detection unit. The charge control means includes a battery remaining amount detecting unit that detects a remaining amount of the battery,
Charging permission means for notifying another portable device of a charge permission notification for permitting charging of the other portable device by the battery according to the remaining amount of the battery detected by the battery remaining amount detecting means. The portable device system according to any one of claims 4 to 6. The portable device system according to claim 7, wherein the charging control unit includes a switching circuit that permits charging of the battery in response to a charging permission notification notified from the charging permission unit. 5. The portable device system according to claim 4, wherein the charge control unit acquires a remaining battery level of the other portable device and charges the battery with a portable device having the largest remaining battery level. A portable device that is driven by a battery and can be used by connecting a plurality of other portable devices,
A portable device comprising charge control means for mutually charging the battery with the plurality of other portable devices.

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