JP2014176103A - Apparatus and charge control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus capable of suppressing a battery from going dead in the course of use of an apparatus even when an amount of usage is large, while the service life of a battery is suppressed from being shortened.SOLUTION: A portable terminal device (apparatus) 100 includes: a lithium ion battery 3 that is used as a drive power supply and capable of being charged; an arithmetic control section 1 that computes an amount of charge by predicting a predicted amount of usage on the basis of a predetermined schedule; and a charge control section 21 that controls so that the battery is charged, on the basis of the computed amount of charge.

Description

  The present invention relates to a device and a charge control method, and particularly to a device including a rechargeable battery and a charge control method.

  Conventionally, a device including a rechargeable battery and a charge control method are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  Patent Document 1 discloses a portable electronic device including a rechargeable battery. In this portable electronic device, in order to prevent the life of the battery (battery) from being shortened, an upper limit value lower than the fully charged state is provided for the amount of power of the battery. The portable electronic device is configured to continue charging the battery until it reaches an upper limit value, and to end the charging when the upper limit value is reached.

JP 2008-43186 A

  However, in the portable electronic device disclosed in Patent Document 1, by setting an upper limit value for the amount of battery power that can be charged, it is possible to suppress overcharging of the battery (battery) and suppress a reduction in battery life. On the other hand, there is an inconvenience that the portable electronic device can be used for less time than the fully charged state of the battery. Therefore, there is a problem that the battery runs out during use of the device when the usage amount is large and exceeds the upper limit value.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and one object of the present invention is to use a device even when the amount of use is large while suppressing the shortening of the battery life. It is providing the apparatus and charge control method which can suppress that a battery runs out inside.

  The device according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a rechargeable battery used as a drive power source, a calculation control unit that calculates a charge amount by predicting a predicted use amount based on a set schedule, and a calculated charge amount And a charge control unit that controls the battery to be charged based on the above.

  In the device according to the first aspect of the present invention, as described above, the calculation control unit predicts the predicted usage amount based on the set schedule and calculates the charging amount, so that the usage is expected from the schedule. Since only the necessary charge amount is charged to the battery, it is possible to prevent the battery from running out during use of the device even when the amount of use is large. In addition, by calculating the charge amount by predicting the predicted use amount based on the set schedule by the calculation control unit, only the necessary charge amount expected to be used from the schedule is charged to the battery. Unlike the case where the battery is charged to the fully charged state, excessive charging is suppressed, so that the battery life can be prevented from being shortened. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the battery from running out during use of the device even when the usage amount is large, while suppressing the battery life from being shortened.

  In the device according to the first aspect described above, preferably, a lower limit value is set for the battery power amount, and the charge amount is a value obtained by subtracting the lower limit value from the remaining battery amount in the calculation control unit, from the predicted usage amount. Is also set to a value calculated by subtracting a value obtained by subtracting the lower limit value from the remaining battery level from the predicted usage amount. With this configuration, when the battery is used for the estimated usage after charging, the remaining battery level becomes the lower limit value, so that the remaining battery level is prevented from becoming excessively low. It is possible to suppress the shortening of the lifetime.

  In this case, preferably, an upper limit value is set for the amount of power of the battery, and the charge control unit determines that the lower limit value is greater than the upper limit value when the predicted usage amount is added to the lower limit value. The battery is configured to be charged up to a value obtained by adding the predicted usage amount. With this configuration, when the expected usage is greater than the upper limit value, the battery will be charged to a value greater than the upper limit value. Can be suppressed.

  In the configuration in which the upper limit value is set for the amount of power of the battery, preferably, when the value obtained by adding the predicted usage calculated by the calculation control unit to the lower limit value is smaller than the upper limit value, Control is performed to charge the battery to at least the upper limit value. If configured in this way, the battery will be charged up to an upper limit value with a margin for the estimated battery usage, so that the battery usage is less than expected from the schedule while suppressing the battery life from being shortened. Even when the number of batteries increases, it is possible to prevent the battery from running out during use of the device.

  In the device according to the first aspect, preferably, the schedule includes at least one of a departure time and an arrival time to the destination, and a location of the destination, and the calculation control unit uses the usage time predicted from the schedule. The predicted usage is calculated based on at least one of the movement distance. By configuring in this way, the calculation control unit calculates the predicted usage based on the expected travel time and the travel distance predicted by the destination location, based on the departure time and arrival time to the destination. The predicted usage can be calculated with a value close to the usage of the battery in actual use.

  In the device according to the first aspect, preferably, the device further includes a storage unit that stores at least one of a charging history and a usage history of the device, and the arithmetic control unit includes a storage unit in addition to the schedule. The predicted usage is calculated based on at least one of the charging history and the usage history stored in. With this configuration, the predicted usage is calculated based not only on the schedule but also on the charging history and usage history, so the predicted usage can be accurately determined according to the user in consideration of the past charging status and usage status. Can be calculated well.

  In the device according to the first aspect, preferably, the device further includes a storage unit that stores at least one of a charging history and a usage history of the device, and the calculation control unit has no schedule set. In addition, it is configured to estimate the predicted usage based on at least one of the charging history and the usage history stored in the storage unit. If configured in this way, even if the schedule is not set, the estimated usage is estimated based on at least one of the charging history and the usage history, so the charging amount is calculated based on the estimated predicted usage. can do.

  In the configuration including the storage unit, preferably, the charging history includes at least information on the time and day of the week at the start of charging, the current location, and the remaining battery level. With this configuration, it is possible to easily obtain the predicted usage amount from the time and day of the week when charging starts, the current location, and the remaining battery level.

  In the configuration including the storage unit, the usage history preferably includes at least one information of a time when used, a day of the week, a current location, a usage application, and a usage function. With this configuration, it is possible to obtain a predicted usage amount according to the actual usage state of the user based on at least one of the time of use, day of the week, current location, used application, and used function.

  The device according to the first aspect is preferably configured such that the charge amount is notified to the user and can be changed by the user. By configuring in this way, even when the schedule is changed, the predicted usage can be arbitrarily changed so that the battery is charged with the amount of charge desired by the user, thus improving the convenience for the user. be able to.

  A charge control method according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a step of predicting and calculating a predicted use amount based on a set schedule for a charge amount to a rechargeable battery used as a drive power source, and a calculated charge amount Charging the battery based on

  In the charge control method according to the second aspect of the present invention, as described above, the required charge that is expected to be used from the schedule by calculating the charge amount by predicting the predicted use amount based on the set schedule. Since only the amount is charged to the battery, it is possible to prevent the battery from running out during use of the device even when the amount of use is large. In addition, by calculating the charge amount by predicting the predicted use amount based on the set schedule by the calculation control unit, only the necessary charge amount expected to be used from the schedule is charged to the battery. Unlike the case where the battery is charged to the fully charged state, excessive charging is suppressed, so that the battery life can be prevented from being shortened. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the battery from running out during use of the device even when the usage amount is large, while suppressing the battery life from being shortened.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it can suppress that a battery runs out in the middle of using an apparatus, even when the usage-amount is large, suppressing that the lifetime of a battery becomes short.

It is the perspective view which showed the structure of the portable terminal device by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the block diagram which showed the structure of the portable terminal device by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the flowchart which showed the determination process of the charge amount of the portable terminal device by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the flowchart which showed the determination process of the charge amount of the portable terminal device by 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is the block diagram which showed the structure of the vehicle by the modification of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the structure of the portable terminal device 100 by 1st Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. The mobile terminal device 100 is an example of the “device” in the present invention.

  As illustrated in FIG. 1, the mobile terminal device 100 according to the first embodiment includes an arithmetic control unit 1, a power source control unit 2, a rechargeable lithium ion battery 3, an input unit 4, a display unit 5, and a storage. A unit 6, a GPS (Global Positioning System) antenna 7, and a speaker 8 are provided. Further, power for driving the mobile terminal device 100 is supplied from the outside via the charger 9. In addition, the mobile terminal device 100 is configured such that the calculation control unit 1 calculates the amount of charge to charge the lithium ion battery 3 based on the schedule, and the charge control unit 21 performs charging. The lithium ion battery 3 is an example of the “battery” in the present invention.

  Here, in the first embodiment, the arithmetic control unit 1 is connected to the power supply control unit 2, the input unit 4, the display unit 5, the storage unit 6, the GPS antenna 7, and the speaker 8, and the entire mobile terminal device 100. It is comprised so that operation | movement may be controlled. In addition, the calculation control unit 1 is configured to predict a predicted usage amount from a schedule set by the user and to calculate a necessary charge amount based on the predicted predicted usage amount. As the schedule, departure and arrival times to the destination and the location of the destination are set. Here, the calculation control unit 1 is configured to calculate the charge amount in consideration of the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the electric energy of the lithium ion battery 3. The upper limit value is a value that increases the possibility of shortening the life when the battery is charged beyond this value (for example, 80% of full charge), and the lower limit value is when the battery is discharged to a value below this value. It is a value that increases the possibility of shortening the lifetime (for example, 20% with respect to full charge). And the charge control part 21 is comprised so that it may charge exceeding an upper limit only when the estimated usage-amount is a value larger than an upper limit.

  Here, a description will be given of a configuration in which the calculation control unit 1 calculates (predicts) a predicted usage amount based on a set schedule and calculates a charge amount. First, the schedule includes the departure time and arrival time to the destination and the location of the destination, and the calculation control unit 1 calculates the predicted usage based on the usage time and arrival time predicted from the schedule. It is configured. At this time, the prediction (calculation) of the predicted usage is configured to be able to be calculated based on the usage history stored in the storage unit 6 in addition to the schedule. This usage history includes information regarding the time, day of the week, current location, application used, and function used when the mobile terminal device 100 is used. In addition, the use function includes a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) function, a GPS (Global Positioning System) function, and a Bluetooth (registered trademark) function. Further, for example, when a company is connected to a wireless LAN on weekdays, the predicted usage amount can be calculated from the power consumption of the wireless LAN connection based on the usage history.

  And the calculation control part 1 is comprised so that the amount of charge may be calculated by further subtracting the value calculated by subtracting the lower limit from the battery remaining amount from the calculated predicted usage. . That is, the calculation control unit 1 is configured to calculate the charge amount by the following equation.

  Ac = Aa− (Ar−L) (1)

  Here, Ac represents the amount of charge [mAh], Aa represents the predicted usage [mAh], Ar represents the remaining battery level [mAh], and L represents the lower limit [mAh].

  In addition, the calculation control part 1 can cover the estimated usage amount calculated when the predicted usage amount in which the power amount of the lithium ion battery 3 after charging is smaller than the upper limit value, or the remaining battery level before charging. If the value obtained by adding the estimated usage to the lower limit value is smaller than the upper limit value, such as when the estimated usage is less than the battery level minus the lower limit value, The charging amount is not calculated based on the above formula (1), but is calculated to a value obtained by subtracting the remaining battery level from the upper limit value.

  When the schedule is not set, the arithmetic control unit 1 is configured to be able to estimate (obtain) the predicted usage based on the charging history and usage history of the mobile terminal device 100. In addition, the charging history includes information related to the time, day of the week, current location, and remaining battery level when the mobile terminal device 100 starts to be charged. Also, for example, when charging on a weekday night, since the remaining battery level is always high, it can be estimated that the mobile terminal device 100 is not used much on weekdays. And can be estimated from the charging history. If the predicted usage amount cannot be obtained (estimated) based on the charging history or usage history, the calculation control unit 1 sets the charging amount to a value that charges the upper limit value of the lithium ion battery 3. It is comprised so that it may calculate.

  When the calculation control unit 1 is configured to calculate the charging amount based on the predicted usage amount, when the charging amount is not based on the predicted usage amount, the calculation control unit 1 In this way, the charge amount is calculated. First, it is assumed that the destination location is set in the schedule. And when the place of the destination is estimated that charging is possible from the charge history, the calculation control unit 1 is configured to calculate the charge amount to a value charged to the upper limit value of the lithium ion battery 3. Has been.

  The display unit 5 is configured to display the charge amount set based on the schedule by the arithmetic control unit 1, the charge end time, and the target power amount by charging. The display unit 5 is configured so that the display content is grasped by the user when the display content is visually recognized by the user. At this time, the arithmetic control unit 1 is configured so that the charge amount can be freely changed by a user operation. When the charge amount is changed, a new charge amount is calculated again by the calculation control unit 1 and the value of the charge amount is determined accordingly. Thereby, charge of the lithium ion battery 3 is performed. A series of controls from the calculation of the charge amount by the calculation control unit 1 to the display of the charge amount on the display unit 5 are automatically performed without any user operation.

  The storage unit 6 is configured to store a schedule input by the user. In addition to the schedule, the storage unit 6 is configured to store a charging history at the start of charging, a usage history, and the like.

  The GPS antenna 7 is configured to be able to receive a signal from a satellite and acquire information on the current location of the mobile terminal device 100. Moreover, the information on the present location acquired by the GPS antenna 7 is acquired when processing related to charging is started. Further, the current location information is used in the calculation control unit 1 to calculate the predicted usage amount.

  The speaker 8 is connected to the arithmetic control unit 1 via an audio codec 81 and an amplifier 82. The audio digital signal output from the arithmetic control unit 1 is converted into an audio analog signal by the audio codec 81. Furthermore, the analog signal is amplified by the amplifier 82, so that sound is output from the speaker 8. In addition, the mobile terminal device 100 is configured to be able to inform the user of information related to the charging status of the lithium ion battery 3 by the sound output from the speaker 8.

  The power supply control unit 2 supplies the power supplied from the charger 9 to each component of the mobile terminal device 100. In addition, the power supplied from the charger 9 to the power supply controller 2 is converted into a DC voltage by an AC / DC converter built in the charger 9 from an AC voltage from an external power source. After being stepped down or boosted by a DC / DC converter, it is supplied to the power supply controller 2. In addition, the power supply control unit 2 is provided with a charge control unit 21. The charge control unit 21 of the power supply control unit 2 is connected to the lithium ion battery 3 and controls to be charged based on the charge amount obtained by the calculation in the calculation control unit 1. Further, the power supply control unit 2 acquires information on the remaining battery level from the lithium ion battery 3 and transmits it to the calculation control unit 1.

  The lithium ion battery 3 is used as a driving power source for the mobile terminal device 100 and is configured to be rechargeable. Moreover, since the lithium ion battery 3 can be configured as a battery that is small, light, and has a high energy density as compared with other rechargeable batteries, the lithium ion battery 3 is suitable for a battery that is used as a driving power source for the mobile terminal device 100. . Moreover, the electric energy of the lithium ion battery 3 can be grasped by SOC (State Of Charge). The SOC is a unit that indicates the state of charge of the battery, and indicates how much the remaining amount of the battery is with respect to the amount of power in the fully charged state, expressed as a ratio (%).

  Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the process for determining the charge amount to the lithium ion battery 3 performed by the calculation control part 1 of the portable terminal device 100 by 1st Embodiment is demonstrated.

  First, in step S1, the calculation control unit 1 acquires information on the current time, current location, and remaining battery level at the start of the charging process. At this time, the current location is acquired from the GPS antenna 7, and the remaining battery level is acquired from the lithium ion battery 3 via the power control unit 2. Information on the current time, current location, and remaining battery level at the start of the charging process is stored in the storage unit 6 as a charging history. Then, the process proceeds to step S2.

  Next, in step S <b> 2, it is determined whether or not the schedule is stored (set) in the storage unit 6 by the arithmetic control unit 1. If it is determined that the schedule is stored (set) in the storage unit 6, the process proceeds to step S3. If the schedule is not stored (set) in the storage unit 6, the process proceeds to step S7.

  Next, in step S3, a schedule is acquired by the arithmetic control unit 1. Specifically, the departure time, arrival time, and destination location to the destination are acquired as a schedule. And after a schedule is acquired, it progresses to step S4.

  Next, in step S4, the arithmetic control unit 1 determines whether or not the destination location can be charged based on the charging history and the destination location acquired in step S2. If it is determined that the destination location can be charged, the process proceeds to step S5. If the destination location is not rechargeable, the process proceeds to step S6.

  Next, in step S <b> 5, the calculation control unit 1 calculates the charge amount to a value that charges the lithium ion battery 3 to the upper limit value. That is, the charge amount is calculated as a value obtained by subtracting the remaining battery amount from the upper limit value. However, charging is not performed when the remaining battery level is already greater than the upper limit. Then, after the amount of charge is calculated, the process proceeds to step S13.

  In step S6, the calculation control unit 1 calculates the predicted usage based on the current time, the departure time and arrival time to the destination, the current location, and the location of the destination. In addition to the current time, the departure time and arrival time to the destination, the current location, and the location of the destination, the predicted usage amount may be calculated based on the usage history. Then, after the predicted usage amount is calculated, the process proceeds to step S9.

  In step S7, the arithmetic control unit 1 determines whether the predicted usage amount can be estimated based on at least one of the charging history and the usage history. If the predicted usage cannot be estimated, the process proceeds to step S8. If it is determined that the predicted usage can be estimated, the process proceeds to step S9.

  Next, in step S8, similarly to step S5, the calculation control unit 1 calculates the charge amount to a value that charges the lithium ion battery 3 to the upper limit value. However, charging is not performed when the remaining battery level is already greater than the upper limit. Then, after the charge amount is calculated by calculation control, the process proceeds to step S13.

  Further, in step S9, whether or not the predicted use amount obtained by the calculation control unit 1 in either one of step S6 or step S7 is greater than the value obtained by subtracting the lower limit value from the remaining battery level. Is judged. When the calculation control unit 1 determines that the predicted usage amount is larger than the value calculated by subtracting the lower limit value from the remaining battery level, the process proceeds to step S10.

  Next, in step S10, the calculation control unit 1 determines whether or not the predicted usage amount is larger than a value calculated by subtracting the lower limit value from the upper limit value. If the calculation control unit 1 determines that the predicted usage amount is larger than the value calculated by subtracting the lower limit value from the upper limit value, the process proceeds to step S11.

  Next, in step S11, the charge amount is calculated by the calculation control unit 1. The amount of charge is calculated by subtracting the value obtained by subtracting the lower limit value from the remaining battery level from the predicted usage amount. In this case, the lithium ion battery 3 is charged to an amount of power that is larger than the upper limit value. And after the amount of charge is calculated by the calculation control part 1, it progresses to step S13. Note that the charge amount is calculated to a value equal to or less than the value obtained by subtracting the remaining battery amount from the fully charged power amount.

  Also, when the predicted usage is smaller than the value calculated by subtracting the lower limit from the remaining battery level, and when the predicted usage is smaller than the value calculated by subtracting the lower limit from the upper limit The process proceeds to step S12.

  Next, in step S12, similarly to step S5 and step S8, the calculation control unit 1 calculates the charge amount to a value that charges the lithium ion battery 3 to the upper limit value. However, when the remaining battery level is already larger than the upper limit value, the calculation is performed so as not to charge the battery. And after the amount of charge is calculated by the calculation control part 1, it progresses to step S13.

  Next, in step S13, the charge amount calculated in step S5, step S8, step S11, or step S12, the charge end time, and the target power amount by charging are displayed on the display unit 5. At this time, the electric energy is displayed by SOC. Therefore, the user can grasp the charge amount and the target power amount by charging. And after the said predetermined information is displayed on the display part 5, it progresses to step S14.

  Next, in step S14, it is determined whether or not the user has performed an operation to change the charge amount. When the arithmetic control unit 1 determines that the user has performed an operation of changing the charge amount via the input unit 4, the process proceeds to step S15. If the user has not performed an operation to change the charge amount, the process proceeds to step S16.

  Next, in step S15, the charge amount calculated in step S5, step S8, step S11, or step S12 is calculated and changed to a new charge amount set by the user. Then, after the charge amount is changed by the user, the process proceeds to step S16.

  Next, in step S16, when the user has not performed an operation for changing the charge amount in step S14, it is determined that the battery is charged with the charge amount calculated in step S5, step S8, step S11, or step S12. To do. If it is determined in step S16 that the user has performed an operation to change the charge amount, the new charge amount changed in step S15 is determined. The process flow for determining the charge amount is thus completed. After the completion, charging of the lithium ion battery 3 by the charge control unit 21 is executed with the amount of charge determined in step S16.

  In the first embodiment, the calculation control unit 1 calculates the charge amount by predicting the predicted use amount based on the set schedule. As a result, only the necessary amount of charge expected to be used from the schedule is charged to the lithium ion battery 3, so that the lithium ion battery 3 is disconnected during use of the mobile terminal device 100 even when the amount of use is large. Can be suppressed. In addition, since the calculation control unit 1 calculates the charge amount by predicting the predicted use amount based on the set schedule, only the necessary charge amount expected to be used from the schedule is charged to the battery. Unlike the case where the lithium ion battery 3 is always charged to the fully charged state, excessive charging is suppressed, so that the life of the lithium ion battery 3 can be suppressed from being shortened. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the lithium ion battery 3 from running out during use of the mobile terminal device 100 even when the usage amount is large, while suppressing the life of the lithium ion battery 3 from being shortened.

  In the first embodiment, a lower limit value is set for the electric energy of the lithium ion battery 3, and the value obtained by subtracting the lower limit value from the battery remaining amount in the arithmetic control unit 1 is smaller than the predicted usage amount. In this case, a value obtained by subtracting a value obtained by subtracting the lower limit value from the remaining battery level is set from the predicted usage amount. As a result, when the lithium ion battery 3 is used for the estimated usage after charging, the remaining battery level becomes the lower limit value, so that the remaining battery level is prevented from becoming excessively low. It can suppress that the lifetime of the battery 3 becomes short.

  In the first embodiment, when an upper limit value is set for the electric energy of the lithium ion battery 3 and the charge control unit 21 adds the predicted usage amount to the lower limit value, the value is larger than the upper limit value. The control is performed so that the lithium ion battery 3 is charged to a value obtained by adding the predicted usage amount to the lower limit value. Thereby, when the expected usage is larger than the upper limit value, the lithium ion battery 3 is charged to a value larger than the upper limit value. Therefore, even when the mobile terminal device 100 is used a lot, the use of the mobile terminal device 100 is used. It is possible to prevent the lithium ion battery 3 from running out.

  In the first embodiment, when the value obtained by adding the predicted usage calculated by the calculation control unit 1 to the lower limit value is smaller than the upper limit value, the charging control unit 21 moves the lithium ion battery 3 to at least the upper limit value. It is configured to perform charging control. As a result, the battery is charged up to an upper limit value with a margin with respect to the predicted usage amount of the lithium ion battery 3, so even when the usage amount is larger than expected from the schedule, the mobile terminal device 100 is being used. It can suppress that the lithium ion battery 3 runs out.

  In the first embodiment, the schedule includes at least one of the departure time and arrival time to the destination, and the location of the destination, and the calculation control unit 1 uses the usage time and travel distance predicted from the schedule. The predicted usage is calculated based on at least one of the above. As a result, the calculation control unit 1 calculates the predicted usage based on the estimated usage time based on the departure time and arrival time to the destination and the travel distance expected based on the destination location. The predicted usage can be calculated with a value close to the usage of the lithium ion battery 3 above.

  Moreover, in 1st Embodiment, the portable terminal device 100 is further equipped with the memory | storage part 6 in which at least one of a charge log | history and the use log | history of the portable terminal device 100 is memorize | stored, and the calculation control part 1 is added to a schedule. The predicted usage is calculated based on at least one of the charging history and the usage history stored in the storage unit 6. As a result, the predicted usage is calculated based not only on the schedule, but also on the charging history and usage history, so the predicted usage can be accurately calculated according to the user in consideration of the past charging status and usage status. Can do.

  In the first embodiment, the mobile terminal device 100 further includes a storage unit 6 that stores at least one of a charging history and a usage history of the mobile terminal device 100, and the operation control unit 1 is set with a schedule. If not, the predicted usage amount is estimated based on at least one of the charging history and the usage history stored in the storage unit 6. Thereby, even when the schedule is not set, since the predicted usage amount is estimated based on at least one of the charging history and the usage history, the charging amount can be calculated based on the estimated predicted usage amount. .

  In the first embodiment, the charging history includes information on at least the time and day of the week at the start of charging, the current location, and the remaining battery level. Thus, the predicted usage amount can be easily obtained from the time and day of the week when charging starts, the current location, and the remaining battery level.

  Further, in the first embodiment, the use history includes at least one information among the time at the time of use, the day of the week, the current location, the use application, and the use function. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain the predicted usage amount according to the actual usage state of the user based on at least one of the time of use, day of the week, current location, usage application, and usage function.

  Moreover, in 1st Embodiment, while being notified to a user of charge amount, it comprises so that a user can change. Thereby, even when the schedule is changed, the predicted usage amount can be arbitrarily changed so that the lithium ion battery 3 is charged with the charging amount desired by the user, so that the convenience of the user is improved. Can do.

  In the first embodiment, the amount of charge is calculated by predicting the predicted usage based on the set schedule. As a result, only the necessary amount of charge expected to be used from the schedule is charged to the lithium ion battery 3, so that the lithium ion battery 3 is disconnected during use of the mobile terminal device 100 even when the amount of use is large. Can be suppressed. In addition, since the calculation control unit 1 calculates the charge amount by predicting the predicted use amount based on the set schedule, only the necessary charge amount expected to be used from the schedule is charged to the battery. Unlike the case where the lithium ion battery 3 is always charged to the fully charged state, excessive charging is suppressed, so that the life of the lithium ion battery 3 can be suppressed from being shortened. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the lithium ion battery 3 from running out during use of the mobile terminal device 100 even when the usage amount is large, while suppressing the life of the lithium ion battery 3 from being shortened.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, the structure of the portable terminal device 100 by 2nd Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. The mobile terminal device 100 is an example of the “device” in the present invention.

  In the second embodiment, the predicted usage amount calculated from the remaining battery level in the state before charging or when the predicted usage amount in which the power amount of the lithium ion battery 3 after charging is smaller than the upper limit value is calculated. Unlike the first embodiment in which the lithium ion battery 3 is charged up to the upper limit value when the amount used can be covered (when the predicted usage is smaller than the value obtained by subtracting the lower limit value from the remaining battery level), The portable terminal device 100 configured not to be charged when the estimated usage calculated from the remaining battery level can be covered in the state will be described.

  The calculation control unit 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is configured to perform charging when the predicted usage is smaller than a value obtained by subtracting the lower limit value from the remaining battery level.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the process for determining the charge amount to the lithium ion battery 3 of the portable terminal device 100 by 2nd Embodiment is demonstrated. In addition, since the operation | movement in step S1-step S8 and step S13-step S16 in 1st Embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is the same also in 2nd Embodiment, the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  After calculating the charge amount in step S6 or after determining that the charge amount can be estimated in step S7, in step S9a, the calculation control unit 1 sets the predicted usage amount to the lower limit value from the remaining battery level. It is determined whether or not the value is larger than the subtracted value. If it is determined that the predicted usage amount is greater than the value calculated by subtracting the lower limit value from the remaining battery level, the process proceeds to step S11a. If it is not determined that the value is larger than the calculated value, the process proceeds to step S11a.

  In step S11a, the calculation control unit 1 calculates the charge amount by subtracting a value obtained by subtracting the lower limit value from the battery remaining amount from the predicted usage amount. In addition, when charge is performed by the calculated charge amount, the lithium ion battery 3 is charged to an electric energy larger than the upper limit value. Note that the value obtained by adding the remaining battery level to the calculated charge amount may be smaller than the upper limit value unlike the first embodiment. Further, the charge amount is calculated to a value equal to or less than the value obtained by subtracting the remaining battery amount from the fully charged power amount.

  Next, in step S12a, the calculation control unit 1 is set not to charge. That is, the charge amount is set to zero.

  In addition, the other structure of 2nd Embodiment is the same as that of the said 1st Embodiment.

  In the second embodiment, the calculation control unit 1 is configured not to charge when the predicted usage is smaller than the value obtained by subtracting the lower limit value from the remaining battery level. Thereby, the amount of charge according to the predicted usage amount is charged, and the life of the lithium ion battery 3 can be prevented from being shortened.

  The remaining effects of the second embodiment are similar to those of the aforementioned first embodiment.

  The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above description of the embodiments but by the scope of claims for patent, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims for patent.

  For example, in the first and second embodiments, the portable terminal device is shown as an example of the device of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, for example, as shown in FIG. The vehicle 300 uses a rechargeable lithium-ion battery 303 used as a driving power source of the vehicle 300, a storage unit 306 that stores a schedule, and predicts a predicted usage amount based on the stored (set) schedule, thereby calculating a charging amount. An arithmetic control unit 301 that performs calculation, and a charge control unit 321 that controls the lithium ion battery 303 to be charged based on the calculated charge amount. Moreover, you may comprise a vehicle so that charging is possible by connecting to a household power source.

  Moreover, in the said 1st and 2nd embodiment, although the example which uses a lithium ion battery was shown as a rechargeable battery of this invention, this invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, for example, a battery other than a lithium ion battery such as a nickel metal hydride battery, a lead storage battery, and a nickel cadmium battery may be used as a rechargeable battery.

  In the first embodiment, the charge control unit is configured to perform charging up to the upper limit value when the value obtained by adding the predicted usage amount to the lower limit value is smaller than the upper limit value. Although shown, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the charge control unit may be configured to charge to a value exceeding the upper limit value.

  In the first and second embodiments, an example is shown in which the schedule includes the departure time and arrival time to the destination and the location of the destination, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the schedule may include at least one of the departure time and arrival time to the destination and the location of the destination.

  Moreover, in the said 1st and 2nd embodiment, although the calculation control part showed the example comprised so that a prediction usage amount might be calculated based on the use time and movement distance of a portable terminal device, this invention is shown. It is not limited to this. In the present invention, the calculation control unit may be configured to calculate the predicted usage based on at least one of the usage time and the movement distance of the mobile terminal device.

  In the first and second embodiments, an example is shown in which the prediction (calculation) of the predicted usage amount can be calculated based on the usage history of the mobile terminal device in addition to the schedule. The invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the prediction of the predicted usage amount can be calculated based on at least one of the usage history and the charging history in addition to the schedule.

  Moreover, although the said 1st and 2nd embodiment showed the example which calculates an estimated usage-amount based on a charge log | history and a use log | history, this invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, it is only necessary to calculate the predicted usage based on at least one of the charging history and the usage history.

  In the first and second embodiments, the charging history includes an example of time, day of the week, current location, and remaining battery level. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the charging history only needs to include information on at least the time, the day of the week, the current location, and the remaining battery level, and may include other information.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, the usage history includes an example including information on the time, day of the week, current location, usage application, and usage function when the mobile terminal device is used. Not limited to. In the present invention, the use history only needs to include at least one information among the time, day of the week, current location, use application, and use function when the mobile terminal device is used.

  Moreover, in the said 1st and 2nd embodiment, although the charge log | history showed the example containing the information at the time of charge start, this invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, for example, the charging history may include information other than at the start of charging, such as information during charging or at the end of charging.

  In the first and second embodiments, an example is shown in which it is necessary for the user to determine whether or not to change the charge amount in order to execute charging. However, the present invention is not limited to this. . In the present invention, for example, when the charging end time is displayed on the display unit, the charging control unit is configured to perform charging from that time regardless of whether or not the user performs an operation to change the charging amount. May be.

1,301 Operation control unit 3,303 Lithium ion battery (battery)
6,306 Storage unit 21,321 Charge control unit 100 Portable terminal device (device)
300 Vehicle (equipment)

Claims (11)

A rechargeable battery for use as a drive power source;
A calculation control unit that calculates a charge amount by predicting a predicted use amount based on a set schedule;
A device comprising: a charge control unit that controls the battery to be charged based on the calculated charge amount. A lower limit is set for the electric energy of the battery,
The charge amount is obtained by subtracting the lower limit value from the remaining battery amount from the predicted usage amount when a value obtained by subtracting the lower limit value from the remaining battery amount in the calculation control unit is smaller than the predicted usage amount. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the value is set to a value calculated by subtracting the value. An upper limit is set for the amount of power of the battery,
When the value obtained by adding the predicted usage amount predicted to the lower limit value is larger than the upper limit value, the charge control unit is configured to add the predicted usage amount predicted to the lower limit value to the battery value. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the apparatus is configured to perform control for charging the battery.   The charging control unit performs control to charge the battery to at least the upper limit value when a value obtained by adding the predicted usage calculated by the arithmetic control unit to the lower limit value is smaller than the upper limit value. The device according to claim 3, which is configured as follows. The schedule includes at least one of a departure time and an arrival time to the destination, and a location of the destination,
5. The calculation control unit according to claim 1, wherein the calculation control unit is configured to calculate the predicted usage based on at least one of a usage time and a movement distance predicted from the schedule. 6. Equipment. A storage unit that stores at least one of a charging history and a usage history of the device;
The calculation control unit is configured to calculate the predicted usage based on at least one of the charging history and the usage history stored in the storage unit in addition to the schedule. Item 6. The device according to any one of Items 1 to 5. A storage unit that stores at least one of a charging history and a usage history of the device;
The arithmetic control unit is configured to estimate the predicted usage based on at least one of the charging history and the usage history stored in the storage unit when the schedule is not set. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.   The device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the charging history includes information on at least a time and day of the week when charging is started, a current location, and a remaining battery level.   The device according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the use history includes at least one piece of information among time of use, day of week, current location, use application, and use function.   The device according to claim 1, wherein the charge amount is notified to a user and configured to be changeable by the user. A step of predicting and calculating a predicted usage based on a set schedule for the amount of charge to a rechargeable battery used as a drive power source;
Charging the battery based on the calculated charge amount.

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