JP2007236089A - Information processing apparatus and charge control method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processing apparatus and a charge control method for preventing an overcharge to a secondary battery. <P>SOLUTION: The first secondary battery having a first full charge voltage value or the second secondary battery having a second full charge voltage value is mounted to the information processing apparatus. An overcharge protection circuit 301 indicates a charge state of the first secondary battery in response to a hardware configuration provided in the first secondary battery and identifying the first secondary battery if the first secondary battery is mounted to the information processing apparatus, and indicates a charge state of the second secondary battery in response to a hardware configuration provided in the second secondary battery and identifying the second secondary battery if the second secondary battery is mounted to the information processing apparatus. A reset IC 305 deactivates charging to the secondary battery after the charge state indicated by the circuit is detected and exceeds the full charge voltage value if the first or second secondary battery is mounted to the information processing apparatus. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus capable of incorporating a secondary battery, for example, and a charge control method for a secondary battery built in the information processing apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, battery-driven personal computers (hereinafter referred to as personal computers) have been developed on the premise that they are used when going out or moving. A portable electronic device such as a laptop computer has a secondary battery that can be repeatedly charged and discharged, and various types of charging methods have been developed for charging the secondary battery.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique of reading information necessary for charging a secondary battery in software and performing charging settings for the secondary battery.
JP 2005-65429 A

  In the above-described technique, for example, when there is an error in the value read in software, the secondary battery may be overcharged.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus and a charge control method that prevent overcharge of a secondary battery.

  To achieve the above object, an information processing apparatus according to claim 1 includes a first secondary battery having a first full charge voltage value or a second secondary battery having a second full charge voltage value. In the mountable information processing apparatus, when the first secondary battery is mounted in the information processing apparatus, the first secondary battery is charged, and the second secondary battery is When the information processing device is mounted, the charging means for charging the second secondary battery, and when the first secondary battery is mounted on the information processing device, the first Indicates the state of charge of the first secondary battery according to the hardware configuration indicating the first secondary battery provided in the secondary battery, and the second secondary battery is attached to the information processing apparatus. The second secondary battery is provided in the second secondary battery. A circuit that indicates a charging state of a second secondary battery according to a hardware configuration to be displayed, and when the first secondary battery is attached to the information processing apparatus, the charging state that the circuit indicates is the first When charging to the first secondary battery is stopped after it is detected that the full charge voltage value of the second battery is exceeded, and the second secondary battery is attached to the information processing apparatus And a means for stopping charging of the second secondary battery after detecting that the state of charge indicated by the circuit exceeds the second full charge voltage value. Features.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a charge control method for a secondary battery built in an information processing apparatus, wherein the first secondary battery is attached to the information processing apparatus, When the secondary battery is charged and the second secondary battery is mounted on the information processing apparatus, the second secondary battery is charged, and the first secondary battery is When mounted on the information processing apparatus, the state of charge of the first secondary battery is indicated according to the hardware configuration indicating the first secondary battery provided in the first secondary battery. When the second secondary battery is attached to the information processing apparatus, the second secondary battery is provided in accordance with a hardware configuration indicating the second secondary battery provided in the second secondary battery. The secondary battery is charged, and the first secondary battery The first secondary battery is detected after detecting that the indicated charging state exceeds the first fully charged voltage value of the first secondary battery. When the second secondary battery is mounted on the information processing apparatus, the indicated charging state exceeds the second full charge voltage value of the second secondary battery. The charging of the second secondary battery is stopped after detecting that it is in a state of being present.

  It is possible to provide an information processing apparatus and a charge control method that prevent overcharge of the secondary battery.

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

  With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, an example of a configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The information processing apparatus is an information processing apparatus including a secondary battery capable of charging and discharging electric power, and is realized, for example, as a notebook personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a computer) 1.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a state in which a display unit 3 of a notebook personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a computer) 1 is opened with respect to a main body 2.

  The computer 1 includes a main body 2 and a display unit 3. The display unit 3 incorporates a display device having an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) 4, and the LCD 4 is positioned substantially at the center of the display unit 3.

  The display unit 3 is supported by the main body 2 and is attached to the main body 2 so as to freely rotate between an open position where the upper surface of the main body 2 is exposed and a closed position covering the upper surface of the main body 2. The main body 2 has a substantially box shape, and a keyboard 5 and a power button 6 for turning on / off the computer 1 are arranged on the upper surface of the main body 2. The power button 6 is pushed down when the computer 1 starts to be used. Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the computer 1 will be described.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the computer 1.

  A CPU 10, a main memory 13, a graphics controller 15, and an I / O (Input / Output) hub 20 are connected to the host hub (first bridge circuit) 11.

  The host hub 11 is connected to the CPU 10 via the system bus 12. The host hub 11 incorporates a memory controller that controls access to the main memory 13.

  The CPU 10 is a main processor that controls the system of the computer 1. The CPU 10 executes an operating system, applications, and the like that are loaded from the HDD 21 serving as an external storage device to the main memory 13 via the memory bus 14.

  Further, the CPU 10 executes a system BIOS (Basic Input Output System) loaded from the BIOS-ROM 27 to the main memory 23.

  A graphics controller 15 connected to the host hub 11 via a bus outputs a digital display signal to the LCD 4. A video memory (VRAM) 17 is connected to the graphics controller 15, and the graphics controller 15 displays data drawn on the video memory 17 by the OS / application program on the LCD 4.

  An I / O hub (second bridge circuit) 20 connected to the host hub 11 via a bus such as a hub interface controls each device connected to each device connected to an LPC (Low pin count) bus 26.

  The I / O hub 20 incorporates a serial ATA (AT Attachment) controller for controlling the HDD 117. The I / O hub 20 is an external storage device via a serial ATA bus 21a that supports the serial ATA standard, and is connected to the HDD 21 that supports the serial ATA standard.

  The HDD (magnetic disk device) 21 is a magnetic disk device. The HDD 21 stores an operating system (OS) 13b, data generated by executing an application program, and the like.

  An audio codec 23 and a CMOS 29 are connected to the I / O hub 20.

  The audio codec 23 is connected to the I / O hub 20. The audio codec 23 is a kind of codec for sound input / output. The audio codec 23 includes a codec portion for input / output sound.

  An amplifier (AMP) 25 a is connected to the audio codec 23. The AMP 25a amplifies the sound signal generated by the audio codec 23. The sound signal amplified by the AMP 25a is sent to the speaker, and the speaker outputs sound waves in the audible frequency band.

  A BIOS-ROM 27 and an embedded controller / keyboard controller IC (EC / KBC) 23 are connected to the LPC bus 26.

  The BIOS-ROM 27 is a storage medium that stores the system BIOS 13a and the like. A storage medium used as the BIOS-ROM 27 is a storage medium that can rewrite a program, such as a flash memory.

  The system BIOS 13a is a program that systematizes function execution routines for accessing various hardware.

  The embedded controller / keyboard controller IC (EC / KBC) 28 is a one-chip microcomputer in which an embedded controller for performing power management and a keyboard controller for controlling the keyboard (KB) unit 5 are integrated.

  A keyboard 5, a power button 6, and a PSC (Power Supply Controller) 30 are connected to the EC / KBC 28.

  The EC / KBC 28 has a power sequence control function for controlling on / off of the system power supply in cooperation with the PSC 30, a power status notification function, and the like. Communication between the EC / KBC 28 and the PSC 30 is performed via an I2C bus.

  The PSC 30 that is a power control unit is connected to the charging unit 33. When the power source of the computer 1 is a commercial power source supplied via the AC adapter 31, the charging unit 33 charges the secondary battery 32 using the DC power source supplied from the AC adapter 31. The charging unit 33 will be described in detail later.

  When the user operates the power button 6, the EC / KBC 28 detects that the power button 6 has been operated. When the EC / KBC 28 detects that the power button 6 has been operated, the EC / KBC 28 notifies the PSC 30 to start supplying power to the system of the computer 1, for example. Based on the notification from the EC / KBC 28, the PSC 30 controls the AC adapter 31 or the secondary battery 32 to start power supply to the computer 1 system. Next, a detailed configuration of the charging unit 33 will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a detailed configuration of the charging unit 33.

  The charging unit 33 includes a microprocessor 300, an overcharge protection circuit 301, a DC / DC converter 302, a charge IC 303, an FET switch 304, and a reset IC 305.

  As described with reference to FIG. 2, the charging unit 33 charges the secondary battery 32 using the DC power supplied from the AC adapter 31.

  The microprocessor 300 can communicate with the secondary battery 32 via the SM bus. The secondary battery 32 is provided with a ROM 320, and the charging voltage value of the secondary battery 32 is stored in the ROM 320.

  The microprocessor 300 reads the charge voltage value stored in the ROM 320 and sets the charge voltage value in the charge IC 303.

  A DC / DC converter 302 is connected to the charge IC 303. The DC / DC converter 302 is connected to the AC adapter 31, and the DC / DC converter 302 adjusts the voltage value of the DC power supplied from the AC adapter 31 to a predetermined voltage value.

  The charge IC 303 adjusts the voltage of the DC power supply supplied from the DC / DC converter 320 to the charge voltage value set by the microprocessor 300, and supplies the DC power to the secondary battery 32 via the FET switch 304. The secondary battery 32 is charged.

  The FET switch 304 is on / off controlled by the microprocessor 300. At the start of charging of the secondary battery 32, the FET switch 304 is in an on state. When the microprocessor 300 reads the charge state information stored in the ROM 300 and determines that the secondary battery 32 is fully charged, the microprocessor 300 controls the FET switch 304 to be turned off.

  The overcharge protection circuit 301 is a circuit provided for preventing overcharge of the secondary battery 32.

  The resistors r2, r3, and r4 in the overcharge protection circuit 301 are connected in parallel. The resistor r2, the resistor r3, the resistor r4, and the resistor r1 are connected in series. The DC power from the charge IC 303 is supplied to the resistor r2, the resistor r3, the connection point between the resistor r4 and the resistor r1, and the side located across the resistor r1. A switch sw1 is connected in series with the resistor r4. A switch sw2 is connected in series to the resistor r3.

  The states of the switch sw1 and the switch sw2 are switched between the on state and the off state according to the potential states of the port 1 and the port 2 of the secondary battery 32. The potential states of the port 1 and the port 2 of the secondary battery 32 differ depending on the secondary battery 32 attached to the main body 2.

  For example, when the secondary battery 32 in which the potential states of the port 1 and the port 2 are in the high state is attached to the main body 2, the sw1 and sw2 are turned off. When sw1 and sw2 are turned off, the potential value of dv is a divided voltage value corresponding to the values of the resistors r1 and r2. In addition, when the secondary battery 32 in which the potential state of the port 1 and the port 2 is in the low state is attached to the main body 2, sw1 and sw2 are turned on. When sw1 and sw2 are turned on, the potential value of dv becomes a divided voltage value according to the combined resistance value of the resistor r2, the resistor r3, and the resistor r4 and the value of the resistor r1. Therefore, even if the DC power supplied from the charge IC is the same, the potential value of dv varies depending on the type of the secondary battery 2 attached to the main body 2.

  The reset IC 305 detects the voltage dv at the connection point between the resistor r2, the resistor r3, and the resistor r4 and the resistor r1. Further, the reset IC 305 switches the switch state of the FET 304 from the on state to the off state when the value of the voltage dv reaches a predetermined threshold value. Next, the relationship between the potential value dv and the voltage value Vcc of the DC power supplied from the charge IC 303 according to the type of the secondary battery attached to the computer 1 will be described.

  FIG. 4 is an example of a graph showing the relationship between the potential value dv and the voltage value Vcc of the DC power source supplied from the charge IC 303.

  The graph shown in FIG. 4 shows the relationship between the potential value dv and the voltage value Vcc of the DC power source supplied from the charge IC 303 for each of the secondary batteries having different full charge voltage values such as BatteryType1 and BatteryType2. .

  BatteryType 1 is a secondary battery that turns off sw 1 and sw 2 when attached to the main body 1. Moreover, the fully charged voltage value of BatteryType1 is 12.6v.

  BatteryType 2 is a secondary battery that turns on sw1 and sw2 when attached to the main body 1. Further, the fully charged voltage value of BatteryType 1 is 16.8v.

  When BatteryType 1 is attached to the main body 1 and sw1 and sw2 are turned off, the potential value of dv becomes a divided voltage value corresponding to the values of the resistors r1 and r2. On the other hand, when BatteryType 2 is mounted on the main body 2 and sw1 and sw2 are turned on, the potential value of dv is a divided value corresponding to the value of the parallel combined resistance of resistor r2, resistor r3, and resistor r4 and the value of resistor r1. It becomes. When the value of the resistor r2 is compared with the value of the parallel combined resistor of the resistors r2, r3, and r4, the value of the resistor r2 is larger, so the voltage value of the DC power source supplied from the charge IC 303 is the same. When the potential value of dv when BatteryType1 is attached to the main body 2 and the potential value of dv when BatteryType2 is attached to the main body 2 are compared under the conditions, the dv when the BatteryType1 is attached to the main body 2 is compared. The potential value of is larger than the potential value of dv when BatteryType 2 is attached to the main body 1. Therefore, the graph is as shown in FIG.

  Here, first, consider a case where the BatteryType 1 is attached to the main body 2. As the charging to BatteryType 1 proceeds, the voltage value of the DC power source and the potential value of dv supplied from the charge IC 303 increase. When the voltage value of the DC power source supplied from the charge IC 303 reaches 12.6v, since the full charge voltage value of BatteryType1 has been reached, charging to BatteryType1 is stopped. However, if charging to BatteryType 1 is not stopped even if the voltage value of the DC power source supplied from the charge IC 303 reaches 12.6v or more due to some problem, the voltage value of the DC power source supplied from the charge IC 303 increases. When the increasing potential value of dv reaches dv1, the reset IC 305 detects that the potential value of dv has reached dv1, and switches the FET switch 304 from the on state to the off state. When the FET switch 304 is turned off, charging to BatteryType 1 is stopped.

  On the other hand, the case where BatteryType 2 is attached to the main body 1 is the same as in the case of Battery Type 1, and as the charging to Battery Type 2 proceeds, the voltage value of the DC power source supplied from the charge IC 303 and the potential value of dv increase. When the voltage value of the DC power source supplied from the charge IC 303 reaches 16.8v, it means that the fully charged voltage value of BatteryType2 has been reached, so that charging to BatteryType2 is stopped. However, if charging to BatteryType 2 is not stopped even if the voltage value of the DC power source supplied from the charge IC 303 reaches 16.8 V or more due to some trouble, the voltage value of the DC power source supplied from the charge IC 303 increases. When the increasing potential value of dv reaches dv1, the reset IC 305 detects that the potential value of dv has reached dv1, and switches the FET switch 304 from the on state to the off state. When the FET switch 304 is turned off, the charging to BatteryType 2 is stopped. Next, an example of processing performed by the overcharge protection circuit 301 and the reset IC 305 when the secondary battery 32 is attached to the computer 1 will be described.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing performed by the overcharge protection circuit 301 and the reset IC 305 when the secondary battery 32 is attached to the computer 1.

  When the secondary battery 32 is attached to the computer 1, the on / off states of the switch sw1 and the switch sw2 provided in the overcharge protection circuit 301 are set according to the type of the secondary battery 32 (step S100). When the secondary battery 32 is attached to the computer 1, the charging of the secondary battery 32 is started by the DC power supplied via the AC adapter connected to the computer 1.

  When the reset IC 305 detects dv1 as the potential value of dv (step S101), the reset IC 305 turns off the FET switch 304 (step S102).

  As described above, the type of the secondary battery 32 can be identified by hardware by changing the state of the potential of the port 1 and the port 2 of the secondary battery 32 according to the type of the secondary battery 32. And the overcharge protection circuit according to the type of the secondary battery 32 by changing the resistance of the overcharge protection circuit according to the type of the secondary battery 32, that is, the potential state of the port 1 and the port 2 of the secondary battery 32. Functions can be realized.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the embodiment. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, you may combine suitably the component covering different embodiment.

The perspective view which shows an example of the computer as an information processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The block diagram which shows an example of the hardware constitutions of the computer concerning one Embodiment of this invention. The figure explaining an example of the detailed structure of the charging part 33. FIG. The figure which shows an example of the graph which showed the relationship between the electric potential value dv and the voltage value Vcc of the DC power supply supplied from charge IC303. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by the overcharge protection circuit 301 and the reset IC 305 when the secondary battery 32 is attached to the computer 1.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... computer, 2 ... main body, 3 ... display unit, 4 ... LCD,
5 ... Keyboard, 6 ... Power button, 10 ... CPU,
28 ... EC / KBC, 30 ..., 31 ... AC adapter, 32 ... secondary battery,
300 ... Microprocessor, 301 ... Overcharge protection circuit,
302 ... DC / DC converter, 303 ... Charge IC, 304 ... FET switch,
305 ... Reset IC,

Claims (8)

In the information processing apparatus capable of mounting the first secondary battery having the first full charge voltage value or the second secondary battery having the second full charge voltage value,
When the first secondary battery is attached to the information processing apparatus, the first secondary battery is charged, and the second secondary battery is attached to the information processing apparatus. A charging means for charging the second secondary battery;
When the first secondary battery is attached to the information processing apparatus, the first secondary battery is configured according to a hardware configuration indicating the first secondary battery provided in the first secondary battery. Indicates the state of charge of the secondary battery, and when the second secondary battery is attached to the information processing apparatus, indicates that the second secondary battery is provided in the second secondary battery. A circuit indicating a charge state of the second secondary battery according to a hardware configuration;
When the first secondary battery is attached to the information processing apparatus, the first secondary battery is detected after detecting that the state of charge indicated by the circuit exceeds the first full charge voltage value. When the charging of the secondary battery is stopped and the second secondary battery is attached to the information processing apparatus, the state of charge indicated by the circuit exceeds the second full charge voltage value. Means for stopping the charging of the second secondary battery after detecting that it is in a state;
An information processing apparatus comprising:   A hardware configuration indicating the first secondary battery is a voltage value applied to a terminal provided in the first secondary battery, and hardware indicating the second secondary battery. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the configuration is a voltage value applied to a terminal provided in the second secondary battery.   The circuit is configured based on a resistance value configured according to a hardware configuration indicating that the first secondary battery is the first secondary battery when the first secondary battery is attached to the information processing apparatus. Configuration according to the hardware configuration indicating the state of charge of the first secondary battery, and indicating that the second secondary battery is the second secondary battery when the second secondary battery is attached to the information processing apparatus The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a state of charge of the second secondary battery is indicated based on a resistance value that is applied. The circuit is configured based on a resistance value configured according to a hardware configuration indicating that the first secondary battery is the first secondary battery when the first secondary battery is attached to the information processing apparatus. A first divided voltage obtained by dividing a voltage of a power source supplied to the first secondary battery when the first secondary battery is charged, and the second secondary battery is attached to the information processing apparatus. And supplying the second secondary battery to the second secondary battery when charging the second secondary battery based on a resistance value configured according to a hardware configuration indicating the second secondary battery. Is a circuit showing a second divided value obtained by dividing the voltage of the power supply to be
The stopping means stops charging the first secondary battery when the first partial voltage value reaches a predetermined value when the first secondary battery is attached to the information processing apparatus. When the second secondary battery is attached to the information processing apparatus, the charging of the second secondary battery is stopped when the second partial pressure value reaches the predetermined value. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1. In a charging control method for a secondary battery built in an information processing device,
When the first secondary battery is attached to the information processing device, the first secondary battery is charged, and when the second secondary battery is attached to the information processing device, Charging the second secondary battery;
When the first secondary battery is attached to the information processing apparatus, the first secondary battery is configured according to a hardware configuration indicating the first secondary battery provided in the first secondary battery. Indicates the state of charge of the secondary battery, and when the second secondary battery is attached to the information processing device, indicates the second secondary battery provided in the second secondary battery. Indicates the state of charge of the second secondary battery according to the hardware configuration. When the first secondary battery is mounted on the information processing device, the state of charge indicated is that of the first secondary battery. After detecting that the first full charge voltage value has been exceeded, charging to the first secondary battery is stopped, and the second secondary battery is mounted on the information processing apparatus. And the indicated charging state is the second full charge voltage of the second secondary battery. A charge control method comprising: stopping charging of the second secondary battery after detecting that the value is exceeded.   A hardware configuration indicating the first secondary battery is a voltage value applied to a terminal provided in the first secondary battery, and hardware indicating the second secondary battery. The charge control method according to claim 5, wherein the configuration is a voltage value applied to a terminal provided in the second secondary battery.   When the first secondary battery is attached to the information processing apparatus, the first second battery is based on a resistance value configured in accordance with a hardware configuration indicating the first secondary battery. A resistance value configured according to a hardware configuration indicating a charging state of a secondary battery and indicating that the second secondary battery is the second secondary battery when the second secondary battery is attached to the information processing apparatus The charging control method according to claim 5, wherein the charging state of the second secondary battery is indicated based on the above. When the first secondary battery is attached to the information processing apparatus, the first second battery is based on a resistance value configured in accordance with a hardware configuration indicating the first secondary battery. A case where a first divided value obtained by dividing a voltage of a power source supplied to the first secondary battery at the time of charging the secondary battery is shown, and the second secondary battery is attached to the information processing apparatus A power supply to be supplied to the second secondary battery when the second secondary battery is charged based on a resistance value configured according to a hardware configuration indicating the second secondary battery. The second divided value obtained by dividing the voltage is shown.
When the first secondary battery is attached to the information processing apparatus, when the first partial pressure value reaches a predetermined value, charging to the first secondary battery is stopped, and the second secondary battery is stopped. When the secondary battery is attached to the information processing apparatus, charging to the second secondary battery is stopped when the second partial pressure value reaches the predetermined value. Item 6. The charge control device according to Item 5.

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