JP3104977B2 - Battery power display - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for displaying a remaining power amount of a battery provided in an electronic device.

[Related Art] In recent years, a portable small facsimile apparatus using a battery as an operation power supply has been put to practical use.

In general, an apparatus using a battery as a power supply has a function of displaying the remaining power of the battery.

As one method of determining the remaining power of the battery, a method of detecting a battery voltage is well known.

By the way, nickel cadmium batteries are often used for such various electronic devices.

Nickel cadmium batteries, for example, have a rated voltage
In the case of 12 V, as shown in FIG. 7, when the battery voltage drops to about 10 V, there is a discharge characteristic in which the battery voltage drops sharply thereafter. Therefore, in the above-described method of determining the remaining power, when the battery voltage drops to, for example, 10.5 V or less, a warning is displayed indicating that the remaining power has decreased.

By the way, in the case of a facsimile apparatus that records an image with a thermal head, the current consumption increases several times during the image recording as compared with other states.

For this reason, when the battery is consumed to a certain extent, as shown in FIG. 8, a phenomenon occurs in which the voltage drops to less than 10.5 V only during a period L for recording the received image line by line.

[Problem to be Solved] In this case, since the warning display of the remaining power is performed after the reception operation is started, there is a disadvantage that the operator cannot know the battery consumption state until that point.

In this case, conventionally, when the recording operation is completed and the battery voltage recovers to 10.5 V or more, the warning display is stopped. For this reason, when the operator does not see the warning display during the recording operation, there is a problem that the user does not notice the consumption of the battery.

On the other hand, as a method for determining the remaining power of the battery, a method that does not depend on the battery voltage is known. This method
The operable time of the device corresponding to the capacity of the battery is obtained in advance, and the operating time is integrated every time the device is operated,
The ratio of the actual operation time to the operable time is displayed as a bar graph.

This method is used in electric razors and the like in which the current consumption is always constant. According to this, there is an advantage that the operator can correctly grasp the battery consumption state. However, this method cannot be applied to a facsimile apparatus in which the consumption current changes greatly as described above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned inconveniences and to provide an apparatus for displaying a remaining power amount of a battery, which enables an operator to correctly and reliably know a battery consumption state.

[Means for Solving the Problems] For this purpose, the present invention provides at least a recording device, a rechargeable battery as an operating power supply, and a nonvolatile memory for storing the amount of power stored in the battery. In the remaining battery power display device of the electronic device having different power consumption, stored power storage means for storing the stored power of the battery in the memory when the battery is charged, and power consumption when various operations are executed. The power consumption of the recording operation is calculated based on the ratio of black dots to the total number of recorded dots, while the power consumption during other operations is calculated based on the continuous operation time at that time. Remaining power calculating means for subtracting the power consumption from the stored power stored in the memory to calculate a battery stored power as a remaining power And a remaining power display means for displaying the remaining power.

[Operation] Since the remaining power calculated by the calculation is displayed, the display state does not change due to the fluctuation of the current consumption. As a result, the operator can correctly and reliably know the battery consumption state.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a facsimile apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, a jack 11 for connecting a charging power supply is fixed to a box 1 of the facsimile apparatus, and a power supply unit 12 is provided inside the box 1.
And a main body 13 are provided.

The pin P _{1 of the} jack 11 is connected to one end of a capacitor C in the power supply unit 12, the input of the input voltage detection circuit 121, and the switch circuit 1.
Each of them is connected to one end of 22 contacts. When an input voltage is applied, the input voltage detection circuit 121
The timer circuit 123 sets the output to a low level for a certain period of time after the activation.

The other end of the contact of the switch circuit 122 is connected to the input of a constant current circuit 124, and the output thereof is connected to a battery 125 having a rated voltage of 12V.
If, and to the DC / DC converter 126 via the diode D _1. The DC / DC converter 126 has an input voltage of 5V, ± 1
The power is converted into each power supply voltage of 2 V, and the power supply voltage is applied to the main body unit 13.

The output of the timer circuit 123 includes a switch circuit 122, is connected to the base of the transistor Tr ₁ and Tr _2. The collector of the transistor Tr ₁ is connected to the base of the transistor Tr _3, the collector of the transistor Tr ₁ in the emitter and the transistor Tr _3, and is connected to the red end of the light-emitting diodes D _2. The collector of the transistor Tr ₂ is connected to one end of the green light-emitting diode D _3.

The light-emitting diode D ₂ is connected via a resistor R ₁ , and the light-emitting diode D ₃ is connected via a resistor R ₂ to a DC / DC converter 126.
Are connected to one line of the output power supply. The line of the pin P ₃ of the jack 11 is connected to one of its output power through the resistor R _3.

On the other hand, the pin P _2, the other end of the capacitor C, the transistors Tr ₃ and Tr2 of the emitter, the battery 125 and the other end, the input voltage detection circuit 121 of the jack 11, the timer circuit 123, the constant current circuit 12
4 and the DC / DC converter 126 are connected to ground.

The communication processing unit 131 in the main unit 13 executes facsimile communication via a telephone line. The scanner 132 reads a document image, and the plotter 133 records an image by a thermal recording method.

The display 134 displays a bar graph of the amount of power stored in the battery 125, and is an electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM).
Reference numeral 135 stores data indicating the amount of remaining power of the battery 125. The operation unit 136 is used by an operator to perform various operations, and the control unit 137 is a microcomputer, which controls each unit in the main unit 13. The control unit 137, the line of contact signal pins P ₃ and timer circuit 123 of the jack 11 is connected.

With the above configuration, in the facsimile apparatus of the present embodiment, only the control unit 137 always operates regardless of whether a power switch (not shown) is turned on or off.

When using this facsimile machine, the operator first charges the battery 125. In this case, the plug 2 at the tip of the output cord of the charger (not shown) is inserted into the jack 11.

However, the prior insertion thereof plug 2, line pins P ₃ of the jack 11 is grounded through the P _2, the control unit 137
Is input a low level signal. When the plug 2 is inserted, the input signal goes high.
The control unit 137 determines insertion of the plug 2 based on the input signal.

That is, when there is operable stored power in the battery 125, the control unit 137, as shown in FIG.
Monitor the insertion (N loop of process 1001). When the jack 11 is inserted (Y in the process 1001), the process waits for a predetermined time T, for example, 5 minutes (process 1002).

On the other hand, when the jack 11 is inserted, charging power is supplied to the power supply unit 12. The input voltage detection circuit 121 detects the voltage and activates the timer circuit 123. When the timer circuit 123 is started, the output signal is set to a low level for a prescribed time such as eight hours. The switch circuit 122 when the output signal of the timer circuit 123 becomes low level is closed, while the charging of the battery 125 is started, the red light-emitting diode D ₂ transistor Tr ₃ is turned on is turned on. The specified time is for preventing the battery 125 from being overcharged, and the required charging time when the longest time is required is set.

After waiting for a predetermined time T, the control unit 137 calculates the charging power amount P as P = a · T based on the time T and the coefficient a. This coefficient a is calculated by the
This is set to calculate the amount of power charged in 5. Since the charging current to the battery 125 changes with the passage of time, the actual charging power is not proportional to the time, but is calculated in this embodiment as proportional (the above is the process 1003).

Further, in this embodiment, data accumulated power amount P _B of the battery 125 is adapted to be stored in the EEPROM 135. Accordingly, next, adding the charge power P in the accumulating power amount P _B in the EEPROM 135 (process 1004).

Then, the addition was accumulated power amount P _B is checked or not exceed the capacity of the battery 125 (step 1005). Then, if not exceed the capacity (N process 1005), displays the battery power amount P _B on the display unit 134, the display 134,
As shown in FIG. 3, a graph displays the accumulated power amount P _B of that time with respect to the capacity of the battery 125 as a percentage by bar display a (processing 1006).

Next, the elapse of the specified time is checked by the output signal of the timer circuit 123 (process 1007). If the time has not elapsed (N in process 1007), the above process is repeated (process 1007).
1002). Thus, gradually power is accumulated in the battery 125 also increases gradually accumulated amount of power P _B that is displayed.

Therefore, when after some time, the accumulated power amount P _B is exceeding the capacity of the battery 125 calculated in the processing 1004. In this case (Y in process 1005), the battery 12
5 volume set as accumulated amount of power P _B (processing 100
8).

Further, the timer circuit 123 returns the output signal to the high level after the specified time has elapsed. This allows the switch circuit
The contact at 122 opens and charging stops. The transistor Tr ₃ is a light emitting diode D ₂ is turned off and turned off, the transistor Tr ₂ is turned on, green light-emitting diode D ₃ is turned.

The control unit 137 controls the timer circuit 123 after the specified time has elapsed.
When the output signal returns to the high level (Y in process 1007), the above-described charge display operation is terminated.

The operator, remove the plug 2 when the green light-emitting diode D ₃ is turned. Then, by a predetermined operation, a transmission / reception process of the document image, a copy process, etc. are arbitrarily performed.

FIG. 4 shows an operation of displaying the remaining power of the battery 125 during execution of such various processes.

When starting various processes, the control unit 137 determines the type of the operation (process 2001). For example, assuming that the transmission operation has been started (“transmission” in process 2001), the operation time T is measured (process 2002). Then, the transmission operation is completed operation time T and the coefficients a ₁ and a power consumption P, P =
It is calculated as a ₁ · T (process 2003). Note that this coefficient a ₁
Are determined based on the average current consumption during the transmission operation.

Thereafter, subtracting the accumulated amount of power P _B that is stored in the EEPROM135 only the power consumption P (processing 2004), the same display by the display unit 134 the calculated accumulated amount of power P _B as the remaining power amount (Processing 2005).

Next, when the receiving operation is started (“reception” in the processing 2001), after the received image is recorded, the number N of the recorded lines is counted (processing 2006). A ratio R is obtained (process 2007).

Since the plotter 133 of this embodiment is of the thermal recording type, most of the power consumption is consumed by the plotter 133 when receiving an image. The power consumption of the plotter 133 is almost proportional to the number of black dots in the recorded image.

Therefore, next, the power consumption P ₁ is calculated as P ₁ = a ₂ · N · R from the number N of recording lines, the ratio R of black dots, and the coefficient a ₂ (process 2008), and the above process is performed (process 2008). Processing 2004)
What.

On the other hand, when the copy operation of the original image is started (“copy” in the processing 2001), the operation time T is measured (processing 2009), and the power consumption P is calculated by using the coefficient a ₁ as P ₁ = a ₁・
It is calculated as T (process 2010).

Moreover, while counting the line number N of image recording (processing 20011), obtains the ratio R of the black dots to the total number of dots (step 2012), the power P _2, P ₂ using the coefficients a ₁
= A ₂ · N · R (process 2013). Next, the total value P of the power consumption is calculated as P = P ₁ + P ₂ (process 201).
4) The above processing is performed (to processing 2004).

As described above, in this embodiment, when the battery 125 is charged, the accumulated electric energy is sequentially displayed, so that the operator can correctly know the state of charge. In this case, when the plug 2 is inserted into the jack 11, it is determined that the battery is charging, and
Since the stored power amount is displayed, the operator does not need to perform a switching operation such as switching the device to a charged state during charging.

When the facsimile apparatus operates, the power consumption is calculated, the stored power stored in the EEPROM 135 is updated, and the display 134 displays the power. As a result, the display state does not change due to the fluctuation of the current consumption unlike the related art, so that the operator can correctly and reliably know the state of the battery consumption.

In the above embodiment, the charging is stopped under the control of the timer circuit 123 after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the charging. However, the charging may be stopped under the program control of the control unit 137.

FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of a facsimile apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1 denote the same parts.

In the figure, a battery case 3 is formed on the box 1 so as to be detachable. Inside the battery case 3, a battery 125 and an EEPROM 135 are accommodated, and a jack 11 is attached. The EEPROM 135 of this embodiment is a known type that performs writing / reading of data by a serial signal, and is a small type having, for example, eight pins.

Pin P ₁ and P ₂ of the jack 11 is connected to both ends of the battery 125. When the battery case 3 is mounted on the box 1, a pair of connectors 4 fixed to both are connected. At this time, the positive side of the battery 125 is
Connected to voltage detection circuit 127 and DC / DC converter 126. The negative terminal of the battery 125 and the ground terminal of the EEPROM 135 are connected to the ground of the box 1, and the other terminal of the EEPROM 135 is connected to the control unit 137.

With the above configuration, when charging the battery 125, the operator removes the battery case 3 from the box 1 and
11 is connected to a charger (not shown). When charging for a predetermined time is completed, the battery case 3 is mounted on the box 1.

The battery 125 has a rated voltage of 12 V, but when charging is completed, the battery voltage increases to 13.2 V to 13.8 V.

Voltage detection circuit 127 determines whether the input voltage is 13.2 V or more. As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 137 monitors the rise of the input voltage based on the detection result of the voltage detection circuit 127 (N loop of the process 3001). And the input voltage is
When the voltage rises to 13.2 V or more (Y in process 3001), EEPRO
And so as to store the accumulated amount of power P _B corresponding to the capacity of the battery 125 to the M135 (processing 3002).

The operator then optionally uses the facsimile machine. The facsimile apparatus performs a remaining power display operation in various operations in the same manner as in the case of FIG.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the EEPROM 135 is provided in the battery case 3 together with the battery 125. Accordingly, when a plurality of battery cases 3 are provided and used after replacing them, the accumulated power amount can be correctly displayed for each battery 125.

In each of the above embodiments, the EEPROM is used to store the amount of power stored in the battery, but it goes without saying that other nonvolatile memories can be used in the same manner.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, since the power consumption of the printing apparatus which is consumed most in the electronic device is calculated based on the ratio of black dots in the print image, the current consumption of the printing apparatus can be reduced. Despite significant fluctuations, accurate power consumption can be calculated, stable remaining power is displayed by stable calculation of remaining power, and the state of battery consumption can be accurately grasped.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a facsimile apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a display operation of stored power during charging, FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a remaining power amount display operation at various operations, FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a facsimile apparatus in the second embodiment, FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a stored power amount storage operation in the embodiment, FIG. FIG. 7 is a graph showing the discharge characteristics of a nickel cadmium battery, and FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a change in battery voltage. 1 ... box, 2 ... plug, 3 ... battery case, 4
…… Connector, 11… Jack, 12… Power supply, 13…
Main unit, 121: Input voltage detection circuit, 122: Switch circuit, 123: Timer circuit, 124: Constant current circuit, 125:
Battery, 126 DC / DC converter, 127 Voltage detection circuit, 131 Communication processor, 132 Scanner, 133
Plotter, 134 Display unit, 135 EEPROM, 136 Operation unit, 137 Control unit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G01R 31/36 H02J 7/00 H01M 10/42-10/48 B41J 29 / 38,29 / 20,29 / 42

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] An electric device comprising at least a recording device, a rechargeable battery as an operating power source, and a non-volatile memory for storing the amount of power stored in the battery, and displaying the remaining battery power of an electronic device having different power consumption for various operations. In the apparatus, when the battery is charged, the stored power amount storage means for storing the stored power amount of the battery in the memory, and the power consumption when performing various operations, the power consumption during the recording operation is recorded. A power consumption calculating means for calculating based on the ratio of black dots to the total number of dots, while calculating the power consumption during the other operations based on the continuous operation time at that time; and storing the power stored in the memory. Means for calculating the remaining power amount by subtracting the power consumption amount from the power amount, and calculating the remaining power amount stored in the memory by the remaining power amount calculation means. A remaining battery power display device comprising: a battery storage power amount updating unit that stores and updates the remaining power amount based on the remaining power amount calculated in the step; and a remaining power amount displaying unit that displays the remaining power amount. 2. A connector for connecting a power supply for charging to the battery when the battery is fixed in the electronic device, a determination means for determining whether charging is being performed based on a mechanically coupled state of the connector, 2. The remaining battery power display device according to claim 1, further comprising: display means for sequentially displaying the amount of power stored in the battery when it is determined that the battery is being charged. 3. The remaining battery power display device according to claim 1, wherein when the battery is detachable from the electronic device, the memory is fixed to the battery.