JP5178094B2 - Battery, control method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to Battery operating the mobile equipment.

  Conventionally, various battery devices that use a battery to cause a camera or a portable device to perform a desired operation have been proposed. There has been proposed a technique for detecting and displaying whether or not a battery connected to a device is usable and how much is remaining in the battery. In addition, a technique has been proposed that restricts the operation of the device or prohibits the operation when the battery is low.

  By the way, the battery has a low discharge capability when the temperature is low, and for example, in an environment of 0 ° C. or less, the device is often disabled and cannot be used.

  Therefore, conventionally, when switching from the idle state to the operating state at a low temperature, a technique has been proposed in which a large amount of current is supplied for a predetermined time to warm the battery and then operate, so that it can operate even at a low temperature ( Patent Document 1).

Further, a technique has been proposed in which the temperature is detected in an electrically assisted bicycle and when the temperature is low, the battery is heated by a heater near the battery (Patent Document 2).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 03-177911 JP 2004-362949 A

  However, in the method of supplying a current for a predetermined time when switching to the operation state shown in Patent Document 1 described above, it takes time until the battery is sufficiently heated, and it cannot be operated quickly.

  Moreover, the method of heating a battery with a heater shown in the above-mentioned Patent Document 2 assumes that the regenerative electric power is used in a manual operation or the like, and there is a problem that the apparatus becomes large.

  There is also a proposal to use the battery's own power to heat it, but in that case, the heating itself uses most of the battery's discharge capacity, resulting in the use of equipment at low temperatures. There was a problem that there were many things that could not be done.

An object of the present invention is to provide a good Battery convenient at low temperatures.

Battery according to the present invention, meet a battery, a detection means that detect the temperature, pre-SL was detected me by the detecting means the temperature is at a first temperature or higher, and the first Less than a second temperature higher than the temperature of the battery, the remaining capacity of the battery is greater than or equal to the first remaining capacity, and less than a second remaining capacity greater than the first remaining capacity , Control means for performing a predetermined control for raising the temperature of the battery, and the control means , when the temperature detected by the detection means is lower than the first temperature or higher than the second temperature, The control means does not perform the predetermined control when the remaining capacity of the battery is less than the first remaining capacity or more than the second remaining capacity .

The control method according to the present invention is a control method for controlling a battery-over, the detection step that detect the temperature, the temperature detected by said detecting step is at a first temperature or higher, And less than a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature, the remaining capacity of the battery is greater than or equal to the first remaining capacity, and less than a second remaining capacity that is greater than the first remaining capacity. If it is, and performing a predetermined control for raising the temperature of the battery, the case where the temperature detected by the detecting step is the first temperature or less than the second temperature or more, the predetermined control line And the step of preventing the predetermined control from being performed when the remaining capacity of the battery is less than the first remaining capacity or greater than or equal to the second remaining capacity. Feature To.

The program according to the present invention includes a detection step of detecting a temperature, before Symbol temperature detected by the detecting step is at a first temperature or more, higher than said first temperature second temperature If the remaining capacity of the battery is greater than or equal to the first remaining capacity and less than the second remaining capacity that is greater than the first remaining capacity , predetermined control is performed to raise the temperature of the battery. A step of preventing the predetermined control from being performed when the temperature detected by the detection step is less than the first temperature or greater than or equal to the second temperature; A program for causing a computer to execute the step of preventing the predetermined control from being performed when the capacity is less than the first remaining capacity or greater than the second remaining capacity .
The battery according to the present invention is a battery, and includes a detection means for detecting a temperature, and a temperature detected by the detection means is not less than a first temperature and higher than the first temperature. Control means for performing a predetermined control to raise the temperature of the battery when the temperature is less than 2, the control means has a temperature detected by the detection means less than the first temperature or the first When the temperature is equal to or higher than 2, the predetermined control is not performed.
Further, the battery according to the present invention is a battery, and when the remaining capacity of the battery is not less than the first remaining capacity and less than the second remaining capacity that is larger than the first remaining capacity, Control means for performing a predetermined control for raising the temperature of the battery, and the control means, when the remaining capacity of the battery is less than the first remaining capacity or greater than or equal to the second remaining capacity, The control is not performed.

According to the present invention, Ru can provide good battery convenient at low temperatures.

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

  FIG. 1 is an overall block diagram of a state in which a battery device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is connected to a digital camera.

  In FIG. 1, a battery pack 200 as a battery device is connected to a camera body 100 of a digital camera. The camera body 100 is connected to a removable lens 300 and recording means 401 such as a compact flash (registered trademark) memory for recording image data.

  The connection terminal 101a of the camera body 100 is connected to the positive electrode 201a of the battery pack 200, 101b is connected to the communication terminal 201b with the battery pack 200, and 101c is connected to the negative electrode 201c of the battery pack 200.

  In the camera body 100, a microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as a camera microcomputer) 102 functions as an operation of each unit, a communication unit that performs communication with the battery pack 200, a calculation unit, a control unit, and a determination unit. The display means 103 displays the remaining capacity of the batteries 202a and 202b, and displays various settings of the camera body 100.

  The driving means 104 is connected to the positive electrode 201a of the battery pack 200, and drives the motor M1 (105) by the OUT-M1 terminal of the camera microcomputer 102. The power source of the driving unit 104 is connected to the positive electrode 201a of the battery pack 200, but may be a power source via a DC / DC converter.

  The motor M1 (105) charges a spring for driving a shutter of a camera (not shown) and raises / lowers a quick return mirror of a single-lens reflex camera. Further, the camera microcomputer 102 may have a plurality of OUT-M1 terminals, and the motor M1 (105) may be rotated forward or backward.

  The image pickup means 106 is an existing device composed of an image pickup device or the like. The boosting means 107 uses the positive electrode 201 a of the battery pack 200 as a power source, starts operation at the CHG terminal of the camera microcomputer 102, and stores the boosted charge in the capacitor 108. A flashing means (illuminating means) 109 illuminates the subject at the time of photographing and discharges the capacitor 108.

  The connection terminal 110a is a terminal that applies a power source via the positive electrode 201a of the battery pack 200 or a DC / DC converter to the lens 300, and is connected to the terminal 301a on the lens 300 side.

  The connection terminal 101b is a terminal that connects the communication terminal COM_LENS terminal of the camera microcomputer 102 and the communication terminal of the lens microcomputer 302, and is connected to the lens-side 301b terminal. The connection terminal 110 c is a terminal connected to the negative electrode 201 c of the battery pack 200 and is connected to the terminal 301 c on the lens 300 side.

  Although the lens 300 is connected to the camera body 100, the camera body and the lens may be integrated.

  The batteries 202a and 202b in the battery pack 200 are secondary batteries such as lithium ions, and the current detection resistor 203 connected in series is connected between the battery 202b and a connection terminal (negative electrode) 201c. The current detection resistor 203 may be configured to be connected between the positive electrode of the battery 202a and the connection terminal 201a (the positive electrode 201a of the battery pack 200). Further, although the battery has a configuration of two, it may have a configuration of more than that.

  The current detection means 204 is an existing one that detects the current charged and discharged by the batteries 202a and 202b from the current detection resistor 203, and includes a microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as a battery microcomputer) 206 as communication means, calculation means, storage means, and determination means. Connected.

  The battery microcomputer 206 performs current measurement and current integration based on the current detection value by the current detection means 204, stores the charge capacity when the batteries 202a and 202b are fully charged, and further processes such as communication with the camera microcomputer 102 I do.

  The voltage detection means 205 detects the voltages of the batteries 202a and 202b, and the output is connected to a VIN terminal which is an A / D conversion terminal (converter) of the battery microcomputer 206.

  The temperature detection means 207 detects the temperature in the batteries 202a, 202b or the battery pack 200, and the output is connected to TEMP which is an A / D conversion terminal of the battery microcomputer 206.

  The current detection unit 204, the voltage detection unit 205, and the like may be built in the battery microcomputer 206. As for the current integration method, existing techniques such as a method in which current is A / D converted at a predetermined interval and calculated by the battery microcomputer 206, a method using a coulomb counter, and the like can be used.

  The heater means 208 is disposed beside the batteries 202a and 202b, and can heat the batteries 202a and 202b at a low temperature in accordance with instructions from the battery microcomputer 206.

  The driving means 303 in the lens 300 is supplied with electric power from the connection terminal 301a, drives the motor M2 (304), and drives a focusing lens (not shown) in the lens 300.

  A microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as a lens microcomputer) 302 that performs various operations of the lens 300 includes a driving unit 303 for driving the above-described focusing lens, driving a diaphragm (not shown), and the like by communication from the camera microcomputer 102. Control.

  The communication wiring between the camera microcomputer 102 and the lens microcomputer 302 may be composed of a plurality of lines.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a procedure of battery control processing including battery remaining amount detection, which is executed by the battery pack of FIG.

  This process is executed by the battery microcomputer 206 in FIG.

  In FIG. 2, after starting the battery microcomputer 206, initialization is performed in step S201, and a timer that periodically performs temperature detection, voltage detection, current detection, and current integration is started.

  In step S202, the voltage detector 205 detects the voltages of the batteries 202a and 202b. In step S203, the discharge current integration and the discharge power are calculated from the currents detected by the current detection resistor 203 and the current detection means 204. The discharge current integration can be achieved by accumulating the product of the time component and the current by periodically repeating the current detection result.

  In step S204, the temperature is detected by the temperature detecting means 207.

  In step S205, remaining capacity detection means (detection) is performed.

The remaining capacity is calculated (calculated) by the following formula.
Remaining capacity = (Total capacity x Discharge efficiency / 100-Discharge current integrated value) (Formula 1)

  Here, the total capacity is the amount of current that can be discharged until the battery 202a, 202b is in a normal full charge state (a new state if it is a primary battery) and reaches a final voltage at room temperature. Is remembered. This total capacity is written at the time of manufacture or at the time of charging.

  The discharge efficiency represents the amount of current that can be discharged by the batteries 202a and 202b depending on the temperature condition and the discharge power, and therefore represents the amount of current that can be discharged in each condition as a percentage of the total capacity.

  FIG. 4 is a graph in which values at each temperature are plotted with the horizontal axis representing discharge power (W) and the vertical axis representing discharge efficiency (%).

  For example, when the temperature of the batteries 202a and 202b is −10 ° C. and the discharge power is 15 W, the discharge efficiency is required to be 74%.

  The discharge current integrated value is the discharge current integrated value integrated in step S203.

  The remaining capacity is displayed on the display means 103 in the camera body 100 so that the photographer can estimate how much battery capacity will remain. Further, when the remaining capacity becomes zero or less, the batteries 202a and 202b have no discharge capability. Therefore, in order to prevent malfunction of the camera, a display prompting prohibition of operation is displayed on the display means 103.

  Next, in step S206, a subroutine for battery warming determination is called.

  In FIG. 3, a subroutine for battery warming determination will be described.

  When the battery warming determination subroutine is called, in step S301, it is determined whether the temperature detected in step S204 is a temperature at which the battery should be heated, that is, whether the temperature is within a predetermined range. Do. For example, if it is between −15 ° C. and 0 ° C., the process proceeds to step S302 with YES.

  In step S302, it is determined whether or not the battery should be heated based on the remaining capacity of the batteries 202a and 202b calculated in step S205, that is, whether or not the remaining capacity is within a predetermined range.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of determining whether or not the battery should be heated.

The horizontal axis represents the battery temperature detected in step S204, and the vertical axis represents the discharge current. Curve A shows the amount of current that can be discharged at each battery temperature. The amount of current that can be discharged is the total capacity of (Equation 1) x discharge efficiency / 100
Is equivalent to

  Assuming that the battery discharge current integrated value is at position B, the distance from B to the curve of A is the remaining capacity.

  Therefore, it is determined whether or not the battery should be heated. The lower limit of YES is, for example, a remaining capacity of 50 MAh. For the upper limit, the discharge current integrated value is uniformly set to, for example, 1500 MAh (as a total capacity of 2000 MAh).

  As a result of such determination, even when the battery is heated to −15 ° C. or lower, it is not heated when large energy is used until the discharge characteristics are improved. Even when the battery is heated to 0 ° C. or higher, the remaining capacity does not improve so much (determination NO) (step S303).

  If the remaining capacity is sufficient, it is not heated if it can be used as it is even if the temperature is low. Conversely, heating is not performed even when the remaining capacity is negative and the accumulated discharge current value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (step S304). That is, for the photographer, if the temperature is a little higher, the camera can be used only by heating the battery (determination YES) (step S305) only when the camera can be used more.

  In step S206, as described above, whether or not the battery can be heated is determined from the detection result of the remaining capacity detection means (battery microcomputer) by the battery microcomputer 206 as the determination means.

  Step S207 branches depending on the result of battery warming determination (whether warming is possible). That is, when the determination is NO, in step S208, if there is a battery warming display, it is turned OFF. This display indicates to the photographer that the battery is being heated. If there is no heating means, the photographer may be prompted to warm the battery. In that case, the photographer himself warms the battery by some means.

  When the heater means 208 for heating the battery is ON in step S209, it is turned OFF (heating stop means).

  In step S210, the battery microcomputer 206 is shifted to a standby state. This is because the detection of the remaining amount of the battery may be performed every predetermined time, so that useless energy consumption is prevented during that time. It stays at step S211 until the timer counts the predetermined time. When the predetermined time has elapsed, the process returns to step S202, and the above operation is repeated.

  If YES in step S207, the process proceeds to step S212 and step S213 to display battery warming and turn on the heater 208 for warming the battery (warming).

  In this embodiment, the heater means (heating means) for heating the battery is specially used. However, the electric circuit is arranged beside the battery and heated by the heat without using the heater. (Warming).

  Also. The electric circuit may be an operation circuit of the battery microcomputer 206 and may not be heated when the standby state is set, or may be heated with the heat when the battery microcomputer 206 is operated. In that case, an electric circuit becomes a heating means. Furthermore, even if the heat of the circuit is not used, since the battery itself discharges and self-heats, it may be heated using the self-heat. In that case, the battery itself becomes the heating means.

  As a second embodiment, an example is shown in which the remaining battery level is detected not by measuring the discharge current but by the battery voltage.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a battery pack as a battery device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 6, the same parts as those in the first embodiment in FIG.

  Instead of the current detection unit 204 in the first embodiment, a load circuit 209 is provided. The load circuit 209 stably detects the voltage by applying a certain load to the batteries 202a and 202b when the voltage detection unit 205 detects the voltage in order to detect the remaining amount of the batteries 202a and 202b. Is for.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically illustrating battery warming determination.

  The horizontal axis indicates the battery temperature detected by the temperature detection means 207, and the vertical axis indicates the battery voltage detected by the voltage detection means 205.

  A curve C is a threshold value for determining whether or not the batteries 202a and 202b are usable based on the battery voltage. The camera is determined to be unusable when the battery voltage is below the C curve.

  In the battery warming determination, the temperature range is the same as that in the first embodiment, and the warming determination has a threshold value, for example, around plus or minus 0.5 V in the vicinity of the voltage of the curve C.

  In the first and second embodiments, the battery microcomputer 206 arranged in the battery pack 200 performs calculations and other determinations, but the present invention is not limited to this. The temperature determination may be performed, or the battery microcomputer 206 and the camera microcomputer 102 may share the work.

  According to the present invention, when a battery device is used (installed) in a portable device such as a camera in a low temperature environment, power is not wasted, and it is possible to start up quickly and to be easy to use. A good battery device can be realized.

  The object of the present invention is achieved by executing the following processing. That is, a storage medium that records a program code of software that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or apparatus, and a computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or apparatus is stored in the storage medium. This is the process of reading the code.

  In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the program code and the storage medium storing the program code constitute the present invention.

  Moreover, the following can be used as a storage medium for supplying the program code. For example, floppy (registered trademark) disk, hard disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD + RW, magnetic tape, nonvolatile memory card, ROM or the like. Alternatively, the program code may be downloaded via a network.

  Further, the present invention includes a case where the function of the above-described embodiment is realized by executing the program code read by the computer. In addition, an OS (operating system) running on the computer performs part or all of the actual processing based on an instruction of the program code, and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing. Is also included.

  Furthermore, a case where the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized by the following processing is also included in the present invention. That is, the program code read from the storage medium is written in a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer. Thereafter, based on the instruction of the program code, the CPU or the like provided in the function expansion board or function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing.

1 is an overall block diagram of a state in which a battery device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is connected to a digital camera. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the battery control process including the battery remaining amount detection performed by the battery pack of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the battery warming determination process performed by step S206 of FIG. It is a figure which shows the discharge efficiency of each temperature of the battery in FIG. It is a figure which shows typically 1st Embodiment of the heating determination of the battery in FIG. It is a block diagram of the battery pack as a battery apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically 2nd Embodiment of the warming determination of the battery in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

200 battery pack 202a, 202b battery 204 current detection means 205 voltage detection means 206 battery microcomputer 207 temperature detection means 208 heater means 209 load circuit

Claims (11)

A battery,
Detecting means for detecting temperature;
The temperature detected by the detection means is equal to or higher than the first temperature and lower than a second temperature higher than the first temperature, and the remaining capacity of the battery is equal to or higher than the first remaining capacity; And a control means for performing a predetermined control for raising the temperature of the battery when the battery capacity is less than a second remaining capacity that is greater than the first remaining capacity,
The control means does not perform the predetermined control when the temperature detected by the detection means is lower than the first temperature or higher than the second temperature,
The control unit does not perform the predetermined control when the remaining capacity of the battery is less than the first remaining capacity or more than the second remaining capacity. Voltage detection means for detecting the voltage of the battery,
The battery according to claim 1, wherein the remaining capacity of the battery is a voltage detected by the voltage detection unit. A current detecting means for detecting a current amount that the battery can discharge;
The battery according to claim 1, wherein the remaining capacity of the battery is a dischargeable current amount detected by the current detection unit.   While the predetermined power is supplied from the battery to the predetermined device, the temperature detected by the detection means is equal to or higher than the first temperature and lower than the second temperature. 4. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein when the remaining capacity is equal to or greater than the first remaining capacity and less than the second remaining capacity, the control unit performs the predetermined control. 5. The battery according to item 1.   The battery according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined device includes a device having an imaging unit.   6. The battery according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined device includes a device to which a recording unit for recording image data is connected. When the predetermined control is performed, the control unit causes the display unit to display a display related to the predetermined control,
7. The battery according to claim 1, wherein when the predetermined control is not performed, the control unit prevents a display related to the predetermined control from being displayed on the display unit. . In a case where the predetermined control is not performed, after a predetermined time has elapsed, the control unit determines whether the temperature detected by the detection unit is equal to or higher than the first temperature, and the detection Determining whether the temperature detected by the means is greater than or equal to the second temperature;
In the case where the predetermined control is not performed, after the predetermined time has elapsed, the control means determines whether or not the remaining capacity of the battery is greater than or equal to the first remaining capacity, The battery according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein it is determined whether or not a remaining capacity is equal to or greater than the second remaining capacity. In a control method for controlling a battery,
A detection step for detecting the temperature;
The temperature detected by the detection step is equal to or higher than a first temperature and lower than a second temperature higher than the first temperature, and the remaining capacity of the battery is equal to or higher than the first remaining capacity; And, if the second remaining capacity is larger than the first remaining capacity and less than the second remaining capacity, performing a predetermined control to raise the temperature of the battery;
Preventing the predetermined control from being performed when the temperature detected by the detection step is lower than the first temperature or higher than the second temperature;
And a step of preventing the predetermined control from being performed when the remaining capacity of the battery is less than the first remaining capacity or greater than or equal to the second remaining capacity. A detection step for detecting the temperature;
The temperature detected by the detecting step is equal to or higher than a first temperature and lower than a second temperature higher than the first temperature; the remaining capacity of the battery is equal to or higher than the first remaining capacity; and Performing a predetermined control to raise the temperature of the battery when the battery capacity is less than a second remaining capacity that is greater than the first remaining capacity;
Preventing the predetermined control from being performed when the temperature detected by the detection step is lower than the first temperature or higher than the second temperature;
A program for causing a computer to execute the step of preventing the predetermined control when the remaining capacity of the battery is less than the first remaining capacity or greater than or equal to the second remaining capacity. A battery,
Remaining capacity of the battery is at a first remaining capacity or more, and the first is less than larger second remaining capacity than the remaining capacity, the control hand stage for performing a predetermined control for raising the temperature of the battery have,
The control unit does not perform the predetermined control when the remaining capacity of the battery is less than the first remaining capacity or more than the second remaining capacity.

Images