JP3452136B2 - Information processing device with a built-in secondary battery - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus having a liquid crystal display panel and capable of operating with a secondary battery, and more particularly to an information processing apparatus excellent in portability.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, a personal computer, which is a typical example of an information processing apparatus equipped with a liquid crystal display panel, is portable because of the high performance of various devices mounted therein and the diversification of communication means with the outside. There are many products on the market that are designed to be used anywhere regardless of their gender.
Such a personal computer is also called a notebook PC, and has a secondary battery built-in or detachably mounted so that it can be used in places such as outdoors where AC power cannot be secured.

The information processing apparatus which is not limited to the use place as described above is required to be small and lightweight so that it can be carried without any inconvenience and can be used while being held on a knee or in a hand. As a conventional information processing apparatus of this type, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 000-148297 discloses an electronic device in which a polymer secondary battery pack is built in on the back surface of a liquid crystal display member. According to this publication, the polymer secondary battery pack is
A plurality of polymer secondary batteries connected in parallel, and a protective circuit board for these polymer secondary batteries, housed in a resin package case, the size is smaller than the size of the liquid crystal display member, Thickness is 0.5-5 mm
And, several types are prepared according to the battery capacity.

[0004]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention
The electronic device described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 297 is not a lithium-ion secondary battery pack that is sealed in a plastic case together with a conventional lithium-ion secondary battery and a protection circuit, but a polymer case in which a thin polymer secondary battery is housed in a resin case. By incorporating the secondary battery pack on the back surface of the liquid crystal display member, the electronic device as a whole can be made thinner, but in consideration of portability, further thinning and weight reduction are desired.

By the way, in order to reduce the size and weight of the information processing apparatus,
When it is attempted to save space by saving the battery capacity of the secondary battery and downsizing the battery pack, the life of the secondary battery is shortened. Therefore, when used for a long time, it is necessary to carry an AC adapter, a spare secondary battery, or a charger for the secondary battery together with the information processing device in preparation for exhaustion of the secondary battery. However, A outdoors
There is almost no place where the C power supply can be used, and even if there is, it is impossible to move with the information processing device until charging is completed.

Further, when a plurality of secondary batteries are built in the information processing apparatus in the form of resin packs, if one of the secondary batteries has a defect or abnormality during inspection, it is not necessary to replace all the packs. There is a problem that it does not occur, which hinders cost reduction.

Therefore, a first object of the present invention is to further reduce the thickness and weight of an information processing device that can operate even with a secondary battery.

A second object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus which has a reduced thickness and has improved usability when the secondary battery is consumed.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned first object, an information processing apparatus of the present invention comprises a display section having a liquid crystal display panel, and a control section for controlling display of the liquid crystal display panel. , said liquid crystal display panel and a secondary battery unit for supplying driving power to the control unit, or the control unit
Panel drive that drives the liquid crystal display panel in accordance with
And a liquid crystal display panel is formed in the display unit.
And a printed circuit board for a panel disposed along the side of the liquid crystal display panel, wherein the secondary battery unit is disposed on the back side of the liquid crystal display panel in the display unit with at least one battery cell exposed. , The secondary battery unit,
Secondary battery control circuit for controlling charge / discharge of the battery cell
The printed circuit board for a secondary battery having the formed
The panel print of the liquid crystal display panel of the unit
The substrate is arranged along a side different from the side on which the substrate is arranged .

As described above, by disposing the battery cells on the back side of the liquid crystal display panel with the battery cells exposed, the thickness of the secondary battery unit can be minimized. As a result, the thinning of the information processing device is achieved. Liquid crystal display panel and secondary battery unit
Since it is installed in the display unit, it can drive a liquid crystal display panel.
Circuit is also arranged in the display unit as a printed circuit board. Well
In addition, the circuit that controls the charging and discharging of the battery cells is also printed circuit board.
Is provided in the secondary battery unit. And these
The layout of the printed circuit board is also important for thinning.
Therefore, these printed circuit boards are not subject to drive or control.
Different sides of the liquid crystal display panel or secondary battery unit
Further thinning is achieved by arranging along.

In the present invention, the secondary battery unit is
It means a set of basic configurations as a power supply source including a battery cell and its charge / discharge control circuit. The battery cell means a basic constituent unit of a battery, that is, a single battery.

In order to prevent a short circuit between the secondary battery unit and the liquid crystal display panel, it is preferable to provide an insulating sheet between them. Even if the insulating sheet is provided, the increase in thickness can be almost ignored. In order to reduce the thickness, the liquid crystal display panel is preferably a reflective display panel that does not require a backlight.

[0013]

Further, the information processing apparatus of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned second object is different from the above-mentioned information processing apparatus of the present invention in that it further functions as a power source for operating the liquid crystal display panel and the control section. A dry battery pack capable of accommodating at least one dry battery used is detachably provided.

As a result, the dry battery pack can be used as a power source in addition to the secondary battery unit provided in the display section. In particular, in the case of an information processing device in which the display unit is foldably supported with respect to the main body containing the control unit, the dry battery pack is attached to the main body at this folding unit, so Space is effectively used.

The dry battery pack preferably has a dry battery pack control unit for monitoring the state of the batteries housed in the dry battery pack and controlling the charge / discharge of the battery according to a command from the control unit based on the monitoring result. As a result, it is possible to perform optimal charge / discharge control according to the type and state of the batteries housed in the dry battery pack, and reliable operation of each device of the information processing apparatus.

[0017]

[0018]

[0019]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the outer appearance of an information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Also, in FIG.
2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information processing device shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment, a display unit 4 having a liquid crystal display panel 5 which is an output device is mounted on a main body 1 which has a keyboard 2 which is an input device. The portable personal computer is supported at the end thereof by the hinge portion 3 so as to be openable / closable, that is, foldable.

A schematic configuration of the information processing apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 1 has a built-in HDD unit 8 as a storage device in addition to the keyboard 2 described above. In addition to the liquid crystal display panel 5 described above, the display unit 3 also has a built-in polymer secondary battery unit 7, which is a built-in power source of this information processing apparatus. The liquid crystal display panel 5 is a reflective type that does not require a backlight. The main body 1 is provided with a control unit 9 for controlling the liquid crystal display panel 5, the HDD unit 8, the charge / discharge of the polymer secondary battery unit 7, and the operation control of the entire information processing apparatus. . The program executed by this information processing apparatus is an HDD
It is recorded in at least one of the unit 8 and the memory provided in the control unit 9. The control of each device by the control unit 9 is performed based on the program recorded in the HDD unit 8 or the memory.

The information processing apparatus can also be operated by supplying power from the AC adapter 10. That is, the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment includes the AC adapter 10
, And two types of power sources of the polymer secondary battery unit 7 can be used. Power is supplied to each device via the control unit 9, as indicated by the thick line in FIG.

In the control unit 9, when the AC adapter 10 is connected, the power supply from the polymer secondary battery unit 7 is cut off and the power from the AC adapter 10 is used, and the AC adapter 10 is not connected. Only when
The power supply line is controlled so that the electric power from the polymer secondary battery unit 7 is used. In addition, the control unit 9
Also uses the electric power from the AC adapter 10 to charge the polymer secondary battery unit 7.

The polymer secondary battery unit 7 will be described in detail below.

As described above, the information processing apparatus of this embodiment has the polymer secondary battery unit 7 built therein, and can operate with a polymer secondary battery. Polymer secondary battery unit 7
Is installed inside the display unit 4 on the back surface of the liquid crystal display panel 5.

The internal structure of the display section 4 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the display unit of the information processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 with the cover cut so that the internal structure can be seen. The liquid crystal display panel 5 has a front cover 42.
And it is provided inside the housing constituted by the rear cover 41. An opening for the liquid crystal display panel 5 is formed in the front cover 42, and the liquid crystal display panel 5 is installed with its display surface facing the front cover 42. A metal panel pressing frame 43 is fixed to the back surface (surface opposite to the display surface) of the liquid crystal display panel 5 with a double-sided tape, and the panel pressing frame 43 is not fixed to the liquid crystal display panel 5. The liquid crystal display panel 5 is fixed in the display unit 4 by being screwed to the rear cover 41 at different positions. The polymer secondary battery unit 7 is arranged in the space between the rear cover 41 and the panel pressing frame 43.

In this way, by fixing the liquid crystal display panel 5 to the rear cover 41 via the panel pressing frame 43, the polymer secondary battery unit 7 can be secured while the space required for arranging the polymer secondary battery unit 7 is secured. The battery unit 7 can be securely fixed to the rear cover 41. Further, since the panel pressing frame 43 is interposed between the rear cover 41 and the liquid crystal display panel 5, even if the rear cover 41 is impacted when the display unit 4 is closed or the like, the panel pressing frame 43 is pressed. 43 acts as a kind of damper and can prevent the impact from directly acting on the liquid crystal display panel 5. The damper effect of the panel pressing frame 43 is that the panel pressing frame 43 is fixed to the liquid crystal display panel 5, and the panel pressing frame 43 is fixed to the rear cover 42.
It is more effectively exhibited by fixing and at different positions.

Next, the structure of the polymer secondary battery unit 7 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the configuration of the polymer secondary battery unit shown in FIG. Figure 4
As shown in, the polymer secondary battery unit 7 has twelve battery cells 45 and a polymer secondary battery control circuit board 46 connected to these battery cells 45 by wires 47. On the polymer secondary battery control circuit board 46, the battery cell 4
5, a secondary battery control circuit for monitoring the state of the battery cell 5 and controlling the charging / discharging of the battery cell 45 according to the command from the control unit 9 (see FIG. 2) based on the monitoring result and the state of the battery cell 45 itself is provided. ing. The battery cell 45 has a thin type, for example,
At present, a battery cell of a type generally used as a battery for a mobile phone is used. This kind of battery cell
The thickness is approximately 5 mm or less.

The twelve battery cells 45 are arranged in a matrix of 4 rows × 3 columns, four arranged in the same column are connected in parallel by the wiring 47, and further four are connected in parallel. These three sets are connected in series by wiring (not shown) formed on the polymer secondary battery control circuit board 46. In this way, the plurality of battery cells 45
By arranging in a matrix, the area on the back surface side of the liquid crystal display panel 5 can be effectively utilized. Furthermore, by connecting the battery cells 45 arranged in a matrix by combining parallel connection and series connection, the voltage required for the operation of each device of the information processing apparatus can be minimized while the thickness of the battery cells 45 is minimized. It is possible to secure a capacity that enables long-term operation. Further, in order to simplify the wiring structure between each battery cell 45 and the polymer secondary battery control circuit board 46, each battery cell 45 is arranged so that all the external terminals face the same direction.

The battery cells 45 and the polymer secondary battery control circuit board 46 are not particularly packaged, but are mounted on the base plate 48 in an exposed state. Therefore, when the polymer secondary battery unit 7 is taken out from the display unit 4, each battery cell 45 is installed in a visible state. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, in order to prevent a short circuit between the polymer secondary battery unit 7 and the liquid crystal display panel 5 or the panel holding frame 43, the polymer secondary battery unit 7 and the panel holding frame 43 are arranged. Insulating sheet 44 is interposed between and. in this way,
By installing each battery cell 45 in a bare state, various elements for packaging the battery cell 45 are unnecessary, and the display unit 4 and thus the information processing device can be made thinner and lighter accordingly. . Even if the insulating sheet 44 is interposed, its thickness can be almost ignored. Further, as described above, the liquid crystal display panel used in this embodiment is a reflective display panel and does not require a backlight. This is also advantageous in reducing the thickness and weight of the display unit 4.

As described above, the polymer secondary battery unit 7 has the polymer secondary battery control circuit board 46, which is a printed circuit board, on which the polymer secondary battery is mounted. Various electric components and electronic components that constitute the control circuit are mounted. Therefore, depending on the thickness of the printed circuit board itself and the height of the mounted components,
The polymer secondary battery control circuit board 46 has a certain thickness.

The liquid crystal display panel 5 is also provided with a display panel drive circuit for driving each pixel in response to a signal from the controller 9 (see FIG. 2). Similar to the polymer secondary battery control circuit, this drive circuit is also configured by mounting various electric parts and electronic parts on the printed circuit board, and the display panel drive circuit board on which this drive circuit is formed is also formed. Including the thickness of the printed circuit board itself and the height of the mounted components, it has a certain thickness.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the polymer secondary battery control circuit board 46 and the display panel drive circuit board 5a are arranged at positions where they do not overlap each other in the thickness direction of the display section 4, so that the liquid crystal display panel. By arranging the polymer secondary battery unit 7 on the back surface of 5, the increase in the thickness of the display unit 4 can be suppressed to a minimum. In FIG. 5, in order to facilitate understanding of the positional relationship between the display panel drive circuit board 5a and the polymer secondary battery control circuit board 46, both are shown by diagonal lines with different directions.

The charge / discharge control by the secondary battery control circuit described above will be briefly described. In the secondary battery control circuit,
Check the voltage of the entire battery cell at regular time intervals,
Unless the voltage is equal to or lower than the end voltage, which is a voltage at which each device of the information processing apparatus cannot be operated substantially except the operation during the hibernation processing of the information processing apparatus, no particular processing is performed. If the voltage of the entire battery cell is equal to or lower than the end voltage, a signal indicating that the battery is not charged is communicated to the control unit 9 of the main body 1. The control unit 9 executes the hibernation process based on this signal.

Here, in order to use the electric power of the polymer secondary battery more efficiently, a capacitor is provided in the secondary battery control circuit, and the electric power for the hibernation process is stored in this capacitor in advance. Good. This processing will be described later with reference to FIG. 11 in the second embodiment, but is substantially the same as the processing.

Next, regarding the second embodiment of the present invention,
A portable personal computer similar to that of the first embodiment will be described as an example.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the outer appearance of an information processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information processing apparatus shown in FIG. 6 and 7, the same parts as those in FIGS. 1 and 2 are designated by the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In the present embodiment, a dry battery pack 6 for accommodating a plurality of dry batteries inside is detachably mounted between the hinge parts 3 on both sides which support the display part 4 so as to be openable and closable with respect to the main body 1. It is possible. Further, the display unit 4 is shown in FIG.
The liquid crystal display panel 5 has a structure similar to that shown in FIG. 1 and has a structure in which the polymer secondary battery unit 7 is arranged on the back surface of the liquid crystal display panel 5. In other words, the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment uses the liquid crystal display panel 5 as the power source in addition to the household AC power source.
It is possible to use a polymer secondary battery built in the back surface of the battery or a battery housed in the dry battery pack 6. Therefore, the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the control of charge / discharge of the battery when the dry battery pack 6 is mounted.

Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described focusing on the points different from the first embodiment.

First, the structure of the dry battery pack 6 is shown in FIG.
Will be described with reference to. As shown in FIG. 8, the dry battery pack 6 has a plurality of battery accommodating portions each capable of accommodating two dry batteries 61 as a unit and electrically connected directly to each other. In the present embodiment, there are four battery accommodating portions, and by accommodating the dry batteries 61 in all the battery accommodating portions, a total of eight dry batteries 61 are connected in series.

The hinge portion 3 has a function of supporting the display portion 4 with respect to the main body 1 while protecting the electrical wiring between the main body 1 and the display portion 4. Therefore, the hinge part 3 is
It is not necessary to support the display unit 4 over the entire width of the information processing device, and in the present embodiment as well, it is only supported at both sides. Therefore, by installing the battery in the region between them, it is possible to secure a power source that does not depend on the AC adapter 10 while minimizing the increase in volume. As a result, it is possible to drive the AC adapter 10 for a long time in the outdoors where the AC adapter 10 cannot be used without impairing portability. Further, since the dry battery 61 that is easy to obtain can be used as a power source, the discharge of the built-in secondary battery is ended, and even in an environment where the AC adapter 10 cannot be used,
The information processing device can be operated using the dry battery 61. Since the dry battery 61 is easily available, it is not necessary to always carry a spare battery.

On the front surface of the dry battery pack 6, a connector 62 for electrically connecting the dry battery pack 6 and the main body 1 is provided. By pulling the dry battery pack 6 to the rear of the main body 1, the dry battery pack 6 is formed. It is removed from the main body 1. The connector 62 supplies electric power to and from the main body 1 and a battery housed in the dry battery pack 6 (as will be described later,
The dry battery pack 6 does not necessarily contain the dry battery 61) and has a plurality of pins for transmitting information. By electrically detecting on the main body 1 side that these pins are fitted to the connector on the main body 1 side, it is recognized that the dry battery pack 6 is mounted on the main body 1.

When the dry battery pack 6 is attached to the main body 1, the dry battery pack 6 can be used as a power source, or a polymer secondary battery (hereinafter also referred to as a built-in battery) built in the display unit 4 can be used as a power source. It can also be used. In the present embodiment, in such a case, the built-in battery is preferentially used, and when the capacity of the built-in battery becomes low, the dry battery pack 6 is used (built-in battery priority mode). This is a dry cell
The purpose is to only dispose of used things, and to minimize the generation of waste.

On the contrary, the dry battery pack 6 may be preferentially used, and the built-in battery may be used when the capacity of the dry battery pack 6 becomes small (battery pack priority mode). This is because dry batteries are relatively accessible, so use internal batteries as a last resort, where dry batteries are not available,
Based on the idea. The mode to be used may be preset in the control unit 9 or may be switchable by the user according to preference.

In any case, when the preferentially used battery is exhausted, it is necessary to switch to the other battery. This control is performed on the main body side based on the battery voltage information sent from the control circuit of each battery. At this time, in order to prevent the power supply to each device of the information processing apparatus from being interrupted, the power supply line of the later used one is connected and then the power supply line of the first used one is cut off. . Of course, when the AC adapter 10 is connected, the power of the AC adapter 10 is used.

By the way, the dry battery pack 6 includes the dry battery 61.
Is to be installed inside. Although the dry battery 61 cannot be charged, there are some batteries that can be charged in the same shape as the dry battery 61. Examples thereof include a nicad battery and a hydrogen helium battery. Therefore, the nickel-cadmium battery or the hydrogen helium battery may be mounted on the dry battery pack 6, and in such a case, the dry battery pack 6
It is preferable to be able to charge these dry battery type secondary batteries in the state where the battery is attached to the main body 1.

Since the batteries mounted in the dry battery pack 6 are replaceable, they are mounted in the dry battery pack 6 so that the user can recognize the replacement time or the usable time of these batteries. It is also preferable to inform the user of the remaining battery level.
Furthermore, it is necessary to prepare for the consumption of the battery mounted in the dry battery pack 6 even on the main body 1 side. Particularly, in the built-in battery priority use mode, when the battery in the dry battery pack 6 is exhausted, the power supply to each device of the information processing apparatus becomes unstable, resulting in data destruction or device destruction. In some cases, it is necessary.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, a dry battery pack control circuit for monitoring the state of the batteries mounted in the battery pack 6 and performing such control in response to a command from the control unit 9 based on the result of the monitoring. , In the dry battery pack 6. FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram showing charge control and discharge control by the dry battery pack control circuit.
A flow chart will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 9, a battery 61a is a battery mounted in the dry battery pack 6, and includes both a dry battery and a dry battery type secondary battery. Note that FIG. 9 also shows the main elements of the main body 1 relating to charging and discharging of the battery. Also,
Although omitted in FIG. 9, the power and signal input / output lines on the main body 1 side are connected not only to the dry battery pack 6 but also to the polymer secondary battery unit 7 in parallel.

As shown in FIG. 9, the dry battery pack control circuit includes a charge / discharge control unit 66 for executing the following charge / discharge processing, and a command from the charge / discharge control unit 66 for detecting the voltage of the battery 61a. The dummy resistor 63 connected in series with the battery 61a based on the
A capacitor 64 for storing the electric power of 1a and a battery 61a
The charging circuit 65 for controlling the charging of the battery 61a and the reference value for controlling the charging / discharging by the charging / discharging control unit 66 store the information unique to the battery 61a such as the voltage at the time of full charging and the ending voltage described later. It has an EEPROM 69 and a connector 62 for electrically connecting the secondary battery control circuit to the control unit (see FIG. 2) of the main body 1.

The charging control will be described. A flowchart of charging control is shown in FIG.

First, the internal impedance of the installed battery 61a is measured (step 101), and it is determined whether the battery 61a is a dry battery or a dry battery type secondary battery based on the measurement result (step 101). 102). The internal impedance of the battery 61a can be obtained from the potential difference between the battery 61a when the dummy resistor 63 is connected to the battery 61a and when the dummy resistor 63 is not connected by switching the switch 67a on / off.

As a result of the determination, if the battery 61a is a dry battery, it is determined that the battery 61a cannot be charged, and a charge prohibition signal is sent to the control unit 9 of the main body 1 through the DATA terminal of the connector 62 (step 103). Charge / discharge control unit 66
Waits for the next processing (step 104). While the dry battery pack control circuit is on standby, the switch 67d is on, and power can be supplied to each device via the discharge terminal of the connector 62.

If the result of the determination is that the battery 61a is not a dry battery, the trickle charge is preliminarily performed on the battery 61a by the charge circuit 65 (step 105).
After that, the voltage of the battery 61a is checked (step 10
6) If there is a voltage rise due to trickle charging, main unit 1
The charging prohibition is communicated to (step 103), and the process stands by until the next process is performed (step 104). That is, the trickle charge is to re-check whether the battery 61a judged to be a dry battery in step 102 is really a dry battery, and if the voltage is increased by the trickle charge, the battery 61a is regarded as a dry battery. .

When the voltage increase of the battery 61a due to trickle charging is not observed and it is determined that the battery 61a is a secondary battery, it is determined whether the conditions for starting charging the battery 61a are satisfied (step 107). The charging start conditions include (1) that the temperature of the battery 61a is below a predetermined temperature, and (2) that an AC adapter is connected to the main body 1 side. The temperature of the battery 61a is detected by the temperature sensor 71.

If the charging start condition is not satisfied here,
It does not charge, but waits for the next process (step 104). If the charging start condition is satisfied, rapid charging is performed until the battery is fully charged (steps 108 and 109). At the time of charging, the electric power from the AC adapter 10 is converted into a predetermined voltage and current by the charging circuit 91 on the main body 1 side, and the charging circuit 65 of the dry battery pack 6 is passed through the connector 62.
Is supplied to the battery 61a by being controlled by the charge circuit 65 under a charging condition suitable for charging the battery 61a. The charging circuit 91 is provided also on the main body 1 side because the elements on the main body 1 side shown in FIG. 9 are commonly used not only for the dry battery pack 6 but also for the polymer secondary battery unit 7.

To detect whether or not the battery is fully charged, a known method such as a method of changing the voltage of the battery 61a or a method of changing the temperature can be applied. In addition, the charging may be terminated after a certain period of time irrespective of the change in the state of the battery 61a. When the battery 61a is fully charged, the rapid charging is stopped (step 110), and the process waits until the next process is performed (step 104).

The above is the charging process for the dry battery pack 6. This process is performed at least when the main body 1 recognizes that the dry battery pack 6 is attached.
When it is determined that the battery 61a is a secondary battery, the rapid charging process, that is, the process after step 107 may be arbitrarily performed at regular time intervals or by a user operation.

As described above, charging is permitted only when it is determined that the battery 61a housed in the dry battery pack 6 is a secondary battery, and charging is not permitted otherwise.
A dry battery type rechargeable battery can be charged while it is still attached to the dry battery pack 6, and charging of such a battery can be easily performed, but erroneous charging of the dry battery is prevented and an unexpected accident occurs. You can avoid it.

When the battery 61a housed in the dry battery pack 6 is a secondary battery, it is charged.
In this case, which of the battery in the dry battery pack 6 and the polymer secondary battery unit 7 is to be preferentially charged is opposite to the discharging priority order. That is, when the dry battery pack 6 is preferentially used, the polymer secondary battery unit 7 is preferentially charged, and when the polymer secondary battery unit 7 is preferentially used, the dry battery pack 6 is preferentially charged.

Next, the discharge control will be described. A flow chart of the discharge control is shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, the battery pack control circuit is
Capacitor 6 to secure power for hibernation
Have four. During normal discharge, the switches 67b, 6
7d is turned on, the switch 67c is turned off, and the power of the battery 61a is consumed.

First, the voltage of the capacitor 64 is checked with the switch 67c turned off (step 121). Then, it is determined whether or not the voltage of the capacitor 64 is equal to or higher than a predetermined voltage (step 122). If the voltage is equal to or higher than the predetermined voltage, the main body 1 waits for a hibernation instruction (step 123). here,
The capacity of the capacitor 64 is sufficient to operate each device of this information processing device for hibernation, and the predetermined voltage is the minimum capacity for hibernation stored in the capacitor 64. Is the voltage of.

On the other hand, if the voltage of the capacitor is lower than the predetermined voltage, the voltage of the battery 61a is checked (step 125). It is determined whether or not the voltage of the battery 61a is equal to or lower than the end voltage, which is a voltage at which the battery 61a is exhausted and the devices of the information processing apparatus cannot be substantially operated (step 126). To check the voltage of the battery 61a, the switch 67b is turned off while the switch 67a is turned on.
Is turned on and the dummy resistor 63 is connected to the battery 61a.

If the voltage of the battery 61a is equal to or lower than the end voltage, a signal indicating that the battery 61a has no remaining capacity is sent to the main body 1 (step 127), and the end processing on the main body 1 side requires a large capacity such as suspend. No Change to another data protection mechanism (step 129). Along with this, the main body 1 side issues a visual or audible warning to the user that there is no remaining amount.

If the voltage of the battery 61a is higher than the termination voltage, the switch 67c is turned on to charge the capacitor 64 with the current from the battery 61a (step 128), and the process returns to step 121 again. That is, while the battery 61a does not fall below the termination voltage, the battery 61a charges the capacitor 64 with electric charges.

The capacitor voltage is equal to or higher than a predetermined voltage,
When the voltage of the battery 61a is equal to or lower than the end voltage, the fact is communicated to the main body 1 via the charge / discharge control unit 66, and the main body 1 side receives the signal and instructs the charge / discharge control unit 66 to perform the hibernation instruction. And an audible or visual warning is given to the user.

When there is a hibernation instruction from the main body 1, switching processing to the condenser 64 is performed (step 124). Specifically, the switch 67c is turned on, the switch 67b is turned off, and the discharge path is set to the battery 61a.
Instead of switching to the condenser 64. That is, the power of the capacitor 64 is supplied to the main body 1 via the discharge terminal of the connector 62. On the main body 1 side, the hibernation process is performed using the electric power supplied from the capacitor 64.

As described above, by always ensuring the power for hibernation in the capacitor 64, the power of the battery 61a can be effectively used and the hibernation can be surely performed.

As can be seen from the preparation for hibernation, the above-described discharge processing is processing when the dry battery pack 6 is used as the final power source, that is, in the built-in battery priority mode. In the battery pack priority mode, the power supply may be switched to the polymer secondary battery when the remaining amount of the battery 61a is exhausted, so that the process related to hibernation is unnecessary. Therefore, in this case, for example, the voltage of the battery 61a may be checked at regular time intervals, and if the voltage of the battery 61a is equal to or lower than the end voltage, the fact may be sent to the main body 1. Body 1
On the side, the power supply switching process is performed by notifying that the voltage of the battery 61a is equal to or lower than the end voltage.

The switching process from the dry battery pack 6 to the polymer secondary battery unit 7 will be described. Battery 6
As a result of detecting the voltage of 1a, if the voltage is equal to or lower than the end voltage, the charge / discharge control unit 66 communicates that fact to the power control unit 93 of the main body 1. In response to this, the power control unit 93 turns off the switch 92 in the power supply path from the dry battery pack 6 to the DC / DC converter 94 of the main body 1.
As a result, the power of the dry battery pack 6 is not supplied to the main body 1. The switch 92 is also provided in a power supply path connected to the polymer secondary battery unit 7, and the power supply switching operation described above is performed by switching the switch 92.

A switch 67d is also provided in the discharge path on the dry battery pack control circuit side.
7d is always turned on while the connector 62 is connected to the main body 1 side, and is not used for switching the power supply. The switch 67d is turned off when the charge / discharge control circuit 66 detects an error on the dry battery pack side. The error on the dry battery pack side includes over-discharge and over-current of the battery housed in the dry battery pack 6.

By the way, as described above, the polymer secondary battery unit 7 (see FIG. 2) is also provided with the polymer secondary battery control circuit. This polymer secondary battery control circuit also has substantially the same configuration as the dry battery pack control circuit shown in FIG.

However, the battery cell 45 (see FIG. 4) used in the polymer secondary battery unit 7 can supply a stable electric power as compared with the battery 61a housed in the dry battery pack 6, so that the hibernation can be performed. The capacitor 64 for storing the electric power for processing may not be provided. In this case, the termination voltage of the battery cell 45 is set to a voltage when there is sufficient capacity to supply the power for hibernation, and in the flowchart shown in FIG. 11, the step for charging the capacitor is unnecessary. Become. That is, when the voltage of the battery becomes equal to or lower than the end voltage (step 126), the battery is informed that there is no remaining amount (step 12
7) Finish. When the main body communicates that there is no remaining amount, it performs hibernation using the capacity remaining in the battery cell 45.

Regarding the charge control as well, since it is not necessary to identify the type of battery in the polymer secondary battery unit 7, steps 101, 102, 10 relating to identification of the type of battery in the flowchart shown in FIG.
5,106 are unnecessary. Instead, a step for checking whether or not the battery cell 45 is in a fully charged state is entered, and charging is performed when the battery cell 45 is not fully charged. When the dry battery pack 6 is attached, the control unit 9 causes the dry battery pack 6 as a power source to operate the information processing device during charging of the polymer secondary battery unit 7.

In the battery pack priority mode, the switch 67d of the dry battery pack control circuit is turned off by detecting that the voltage of the battery 61a is equal to or lower than the end voltage. You can also find the quantity. The procedure includes, for example, the procedure shown below. First, this dry battery pack 6
Calculate the cumulative discharge current since the was installed. This is divided by the number of batteries to obtain the average discharge current per battery. Then, this average discharge current is compared with the initial characteristics of the same type of battery, and the remaining amount value of the battery is determined based on the result.

If the dry battery pack 6 is provided with a display function, it is possible to display the determination result of the remaining battery level.
For example, as shown in FIG. 9, if four LEDs 15 are provided, the remaining battery level can be displayed in four levels.
In addition, the remaining amount can be displayed numerically using a small LCD.

In the above charging process and discharging process, the voltage of the battery 61a is measured in order to determine the state of the battery 61a. In this embodiment, as is clear from the circuit diagram of FIG. The two batteries 61a are paired, and the voltage is detected for each pair. When a plurality of batteries 61a are used, one battery is not used, but another battery is in the final stage of discharge, so that all batteries in the same state are not always installed. It is also conceivable that a dry battery and a secondary battery are mixed. In such a case, even if the voltages of all the batteries are measured and it is determined that the voltages of the batteries are low, it is not known whether the voltages of all the batteries are low or only the specific batteries are low.

Therefore, as in the present embodiment, by measuring the voltage with the two batteries 61a as one unit, it is possible to identify a battery having a low voltage to some extent, and it is impossible to use a battery that can be used sufficiently. Less erroneous decisions. The most preferable method is to measure each battery, but in that case, the battery housing portion of the dry battery pack 6 must be partitioned by a wall for each battery, and the layout of the battery must be optimized. Not only does the dry battery pack 6 increase in size, but it also becomes difficult to attach and detach the battery to and from the dry battery pack 6. Considering these points, it is considered appropriate to use two batteries 61a as one unit as in the present embodiment.

The present invention has been described above with reference to the two embodiments. In the above-described embodiment, as the secondary battery unit, the one using the polymer secondary battery cell is described as an example, but the type of the secondary battery used in the secondary battery unit is not limited to this. It is obvious that the same effect can be obtained by using various secondary batteries such as a lithium ion secondary battery. Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a portable personal computer has been described, but the present invention is applicable to any information processing device that can operate with at least a secondary battery. Can be applied.

[0082]

As described above, according to the present invention, the secondary battery unit is arranged on the back side of the liquid crystal display panel with the battery cells exposed , and the liquid crystal display panel
Printed circuit board for drive and secondary battery unit
Printed circuit board for the secondary battery for controlling the
Display panel and secondary battery unit along different sides.
With this arrangement, the thickness of the secondary battery unit can be minimized, and as a result, the information processing device can be made thinner.

Further, by detachably providing a dry battery pack capable of accommodating at least one dry battery used as a power source for the operation of the liquid crystal display panel and the control section,
Since this dry battery pack can be used as a power source in addition to the secondary battery provided in the display unit, it can be driven for a longer period of time. By providing the dry battery pack, the information processing apparatus can be operated using the easily available dry battery even in an environment where the battery cells of the secondary battery unit are consumed and the AC adapter cannot be used.

Particularly, in the case of an information processing device in which the display unit is foldably supported with respect to the main body incorporating the control unit, the dry battery pack is attached to the main body at this foldable unit. The vacant space of the device can be effectively utilized, and the reduction in thickness is not hindered. In addition, by providing the dry battery pack with a dry battery pack control unit that monitors the state of the batteries housed in the dry battery pack and controls charge / discharge of the battery according to a command from the control unit based on the monitoring result, It is possible to perform optimal charge / discharge control according to the type and state of the battery housed in the device, and reliable operation of each device of the information processing apparatus.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of an information processing apparatus that is a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information processing apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the display unit of the information processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 with a cover cut so that the internal structure can be seen.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the configuration of the polymer secondary battery unit shown in FIG.

5 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between a polymer secondary battery control circuit board and a display panel control circuit board in the display unit of the information processing apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the outer appearance of an information processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information processing apparatus shown in FIG.

8A and 8B are views for explaining the structure of the dry battery pack shown in FIG. 6, where FIG. 8A is a plan view showing a part of the main body cut away, and FIG. 8B is a right side view.

9 is a circuit diagram of a dry battery pack control circuit provided in the dry battery pack shown in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of charge control by a dry battery pack control circuit.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of discharge control by a dry battery pack control circuit.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 body 2 keyboard 3 Hinge part 4 Display 5 Liquid crystal display panel 5a Display panel drive circuit board 6 dry battery pack 7 Polymer secondary battery unit 8 HDD unit 9 control unit 10 AC adapter 41 Rear cover 42 front cover 43 Panel holding plate 44 Insulation sheet 45 battery cells 46 Polymer secondary battery control circuit board 47 wiring 48 base plate 61 dry battery 61a battery 62 connector 63 Dummy resistor 64 capacitors 65 charge circuit 66 Charge / Discharge Control Unit 67,58,69,70 switch

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP 2002-110122 (JP, A) JP 2002-100337 (JP, A) JP 2000-36292 (JP, A) JP 2000-215864 (JP, A) Kaihei 11-122650 (JP, A) JP 2000-148297 (JP, A) JP 3-144817 (JP, A) JP 2000-276254 (JP, A) JP 7-319589 (JP, A) JP-A-8-95678 (JP, A) JP-A-11-167432 (JP, A) JP-A-4-155420 (JP, A) JP-A-2-61713 (JP, A) JP-A-8- -115147 (JP, A) JP-A-7-241039 (JP, A) JP-A-7-239734 (JP, A) JP-A-4-109826 (JP, A) JP-A-7-271479 (JP, A) ) (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G06F 1/26-1/32 G06F 1/16

Claims (22)

(57) [Claims] 1. A display unit having a liquid crystal display panel, a control unit for performing display control of the liquid crystal display panel, a secondary battery unit for supplying driving power to the liquid crystal display panel and the control unit , Drives the liquid crystal display panel according to commands from the control unit
A panel drive circuit for forming the liquid crystal is formed in the display unit.
Panel prints arranged along the sides of the crystal display panel
And a substrate, the secondary cell unit, on the display portion, disposed on the back side of the liquid crystal display panel with at least one battery cell is exposed to the secondary battery unit, the battery Control of cell charging / discharging
Secondary battery control circuit for controlling the secondary battery
The lint substrate is the liquid crystal display of the secondary battery unit.
Different from the side of the panel where the panel printed circuit board is placed.
Information processing devices that are arranged along the edge . 2. The secondary battery unit has a plurality of the battery cells, and each battery cell is installed so that each battery cell is visible when the secondary battery unit is taken out from the display section. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an insulating sheet between the liquid crystal display panel and the secondary battery unit. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal display panel is a reflective display panel. 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of battery cells are arranged in a matrix in a row direction and a column direction. Wherein said battery cells, the row direction or between those arranged in either direction of the column direction in parallel contact <br/> connection, set between the parallel-connected battery cells in series The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the information processing apparatus is connected. 7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each of the battery cells is arranged such that all external terminals thereof face the same direction. 8. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1, wherein a back surface of the liquid crystal display panel is fixed to a cover member that constitutes a casing of the display unit via a frame member.
The information processing device according to item. 9. The liquid crystal display panel and the frame member are fixed with a double-sided tape, and the frame member and the cover member are fixed by screws at positions different from the fixing positions of the liquid crystal display panel and the frame member. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, which is stored. 10. the previous SL PCB panel and the secondary battery printed circuit board, the display portion is disposed at a position not overlapping each other in the thickness direction of the display unit, of claims 1 to 9 The information processing apparatus according to any one of items. 11. A dry battery pack capable of accommodating at least one dry battery used as a power source for operating the liquid crystal display panel and the control unit is detachably provided. The information processing device according to item 1. 12. The display unit is foldably supported with respect to a main body containing the control unit, and the dry battery pack is attached to an area of the main body supporting the display unit. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11. 13. The dry battery pack has a connector for electrical connection to the main body, and the control unit electrically detects that the connector is connected to the main body. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, which recognizes that a dry battery pack is attached. 14. The dry battery pack includes a dry battery pack control unit that monitors a state of a battery housed in the dry battery pack and controls charge / discharge of the battery according to a command from the control unit based on the monitoring result. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, which has. 15. The control unit causes the secondary battery unit to be used with priority over the dry battery pack even when the mounting of the dry battery pack is recognized.
4. The information processing device according to item 4. 16. wherein, when the voltage of the battery cell of the secondary battery unit has Tsu Do the following end voltage is a voltage that can not be substantially operate the information processing apparatus, for the drive The information processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein electric power is switched from the secondary battery unit to the dry battery pack. 17. The dry battery pack control unit has a capacitor for securing electric power necessary for hibernation, and the battery stores the electric charge from the battery housed in the dry battery pack to the capacitor. The information processing apparatus according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the information processing apparatus is executed in a state where the information is not consumed. 18. The control unit causes the dry battery pack to be used with priority over the secondary battery unit when the attachment of the dry battery pack is recognized.
The information processing device according to 1. 19. The dry battery pack control unit measures the internal impedance of the accommodated battery and determines whether the battery is a dry battery or a dry battery type secondary battery based on the result. Any one of items 14 to 18
The information processing device according to item. 20. The dry battery pack control unit, as a result of the determination, prohibits charging when the battery is a dry battery, and enables charging when the battery is a dry battery type secondary battery. Item 19. The information processing device according to item 19. 21. The dry battery pack contains a plurality of dry batteries or batteries of a dry battery type, and the dry battery pack control unit uses two batteries to judge a state of the batteries contained in the dry battery pack. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the voltage of the battery is measured as one unit. 22. The information processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the dry battery pack has a battery housing portion that houses the two batteries as one unit.