JPH05181430A - Device and method for power source control for computer system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To control electric power supplied to a plasma display(PD) to a constant value even if the display rate of the. PDP increases by switching the display brightness of the PDP from high brightness to normal brightness when the electric power supplied to the PDP exceeds a reference value. CONSTITUTION:A power control CPU 306 switches the display brightness of the plasma display unit 37 from the high brightness to the normal brightness when the electric power supplied to the plasma display unit 37 exceeds the reference value to control the electric power supplied to the plasma display unit 37 to the constant value even if the display rate of the plasma display unit 37 increases, and uses excessive electric power obtained by switching the display brightness from the high brightness to the normal brightness to charge the battery.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a power supply control device and method for a computer system having a rechargeable battery in addition to an AC power supply as a system power supply.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a small (laptop, etc.) personal computer is equipped with a rechargeable battery,
There is a system driven by this battery power supply. In this type of computer, when an AC power source is used as the system power source, power other than the amount of power supplied to the system is used to charge the battery.

By the way, a display for displaying data on a computer (for example, a plasma display; P
DP) is mounted, but a display capable of displaying in a high brightness display mode (see FIG. 9) has been developed. The high-brightness display mode has higher display performance than the normal brightness display mode, but requires a large amount of power.

Therefore, when the display operation in the high-brightness display mode is executed, the amount of electric power that can be used for charging the battery may be significantly reduced. In reality, when data is displayed on the display in the high-brightness display mode, the display ratio on the screen of the display (that is, the total number of pixels forming the display screen (for example, 640 × 48).
0 pixel) to the ratio of the number of lit pixels)
Is increased, extra power is consumed for display, power for charging the battery cannot be obtained, and charging of the battery becomes impossible.

[0005]

Among the amounts of power used by the system power supply, there is a system in which, for example, the amount of power other than the amount of power used for the display operation of the display is automatically used for charging the battery. .. However, when the display state of the display is in the high-brightness display mode, the amount of power that can be used to charge the battery is significantly reduced, and charging may be substantially impossible.

In such a case, the system automatically executes the charging operation of the battery and notifies the user of that fact, although the effective charging operation is not actually performed. ..

Therefore, the charging time of the battery is apparently long. In addition, the user has a low battery LED
The lamp does not change from red (low battery) to green (fully charged), and there is the inconvenience of erroneously recognizing that a system failure has occurred. Also, in order to fully charge the battery,
A long charging time is required, which can overheat the battery and damage the system.

An object of the present invention is to switch the display brightness of the plasma display from high brightness to normal brightness when the power supplied to the plasma display exceeds a reference value, so that the display rate of the plasma display increases. An object of the present invention is to provide a power supply control device and method for a computer system capable of controlling the power supplied to a plasma display constantly.

Another object of the present invention is to use, in a computer system having a rechargeable battery and a plasma display, surplus power obtained by switching the display brightness of the plasma display from high brightness to normal brightness for charging the battery. It is an object of the present invention to provide a power supply control device and method for a computer system.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means for selecting a charge mode (battery charge in normal brightness display) or a non-charge mode (battery charge not displayed in high brightness display) on the setup menu screen. When specified, a power supply control device and method for a computer system that switches from high-brightness display to normal-brightness display with a value obtained by subtracting the power required for battery charging from the power required for high-brightness display as a reference value. Is to provide.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a computer system having a rechargeable battery with a first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the battery pack and a second temperature sensor for detecting the outside air temperature, and The temperature difference between the temperature and the outside temperature, the temperature of the battery pack at a certain time and the temperature after a predetermined time has passed, and further,
A power supply control device and method for a computer system that detects the full charge of a battery from the outside air temperature at a certain time and the temperature after a lapse of a predetermined time.

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a portable computer power supply control comprising an AC adapter for supplying power, a rechargeable battery, and a charging circuit for charging the battery. A device, wherein the above-mentioned A
Selection means for selecting whether or not to charge the battery based on power supply from the C adapter, storage means connected to the selection means for storing the selection contents, and when the portable computer is powered on. A means for reading the selected content stored in the storage means, creating and transmitting a command instructing the read content, and a control means for controlling the charging circuit based on the content of the transmitted command. The first feature is to do so.

The invention further provides an AC for supplying power.
A discharge voltage is generated from an adapter, a rechargeable battery, the power supply supplied from the AC adapter and the battery, and the discharge voltage is applied to cells provided for each pixel to display brightness of characters and graphics. And a designating unit for designating whether or not to charge the battery based on the power supply from the AC adapter. When the specified contents of the means are judged and the battery is charged, the detecting means for detecting the voltage value and the current value supplied to the display, the storing means for storing the reference value, the detecting means and the storing means. Means for comparing the detected value with a reference value, and the detected value is based on the comparison result of the comparing means. If larger, means for generating brightness control information for reducing the discharge voltage, and means for controlling the discharge voltage applied to the cell for controlling the brightness of the pixel based on the brightness control information. The second characteristic is that

Furthermore, the present invention is a power control device for a portable computer, comprising an AC adapter for supplying power and a rechargeable battery pack connected to the AC adapter, the power control device being provided in the battery pack. A first temperature sensor provided, a first temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature state inside the battery by the first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor provided outside the battery pack, and a second temperature sensor. The second temperature detecting means for detecting the ambient temperature state outside the battery pack by the first temperature value obtained from the first temperature detecting means and the second temperature value obtained from the second temperature detecting means. However, when the first temperature value is larger than the second temperature value by a set reference value, the battery pack is determined to be fully charged. It is a feature of the.

The invention further provides an AC for supplying power.
What is claimed is: 1. A power control method for a portable computer, comprising: an adapter, a rechargeable battery, a charging circuit for charging the battery, and a power controller controlling the charging circuit. Based on the power supply, step a for selecting whether or not to charge the battery, step b for storing the contents selected in step a, and the stored information when the portable computer is turned on. Read the selected content,
Step c for creating a command instructing the read content, step d for transmitting the command to the power supply circuit, and step e for controlling the charging circuit based on the content of the transmission command. The fourth feature is that the structure has.

The invention further provides an AC for supplying power.
A method for controlling a power supply of a portable computer including an adapter and a rechargeable battery, the method comprising: step a, which specifies whether or not to charge the battery based on a power supply from the AC adapter. A step of generating a discharge voltage from a power source supplied from the AC adapter and the battery, applying the discharge voltage to a cell provided for each pixel, and displaying brightness of characters and graphics on a flat panel display unit b. Then, when the contents specified in step a are judged to charge the battery, step c of detecting the voltage value and current value supplied to the flat panel display unit, and step c detected in step c The step d of comparing the value with the set reference value, and the step d
If the detected value is larger than the reference value, the step e of generating the brightness control information for reducing the discharge voltage; and the brightness of the pixel based on the brightness control information. And a step f of controlling the discharge voltage applied to the cell in order to control the voltage.

Further, the present invention is a power control method for a portable computer including an AC adapter for supplying power and a rechargeable battery pack connected to the AC adapter, wherein A step a for detecting a temperature state inside the battery by a first temperature sensor provided, a step b for detecting an ambient temperature state outside the battery pack by a second temperature sensor provided outside the battery pack; When the first temperature value obtained in step a and the second temperature value obtained in step b are compared, and the first temperature value is larger than the second temperature value by a first reference value, the battery pack is full. A sixth feature is that the method has a step c of judging that the battery is charging.

[0018]

According to the present invention, when the power of the portable computer is turned on, the selection contents of the selection means for selecting whether or not to charge the battery based on the power supply from the AC adapter are read out and read out. A command instructing the contents is transmitted to the power supply controller, and the charging circuit is controlled based on the contents of the command.

As a result, in the setup menu screen, the charge mode (battery charge in normal brightness display)
Alternatively, by providing means for selecting the non-charging mode (battery charging is not performed in high-brightness display), charging control according to the selected content can be realized, and when the charging mode is designated, it is necessary for high-brightness display. With the value obtained by subtracting the power required for battery charging from the power as the reference value,
It is possible to switch from high-brightness display to normal-brightness display.

When the power supplied to the plasma display exceeds the reference value, the display brightness of the plasma display is switched from the high brightness to the normal brightness, so that the plasma display can be displayed even if the display rate of the plasma display increases. It is possible to realize a computer system that can control the supplied power constantly. Further, surplus power obtained by switching the display brightness of the plasma display from high brightness to normal brightness can be used for charging the battery.

As described above, according to the present invention, when the display rate of the plasma display exceeds the rated maximum power of the plasma display, the display of the plasma display is switched from the high brightness display to the normal brightness display. be able to. Also, by providing an item as to whether or not to enable battery recharge on the setup menu screen, the user can perform charging mode (battery charging in normal brightness display) or non-charging mode (battery charging not in high brightness display). )
Can be arbitrarily selected, and when the charging mode is selected, the power value obtained by subtracting the power required for recharging the battery from the rated maximum power of the plasma display is set as the reference value and exceeds this reference value. When the display rate requires such power, it is possible to switch from the high-brightness display to the normal-brightness display.

[0022]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 10 is a system bus, and 11 to 28 are components connected to the system bus 10, respectively. Of these components, 11 is the C that controls the entire system.
This is a PU (main CPU), and here, when the power is turned on, the BIOS-ROM 12 is accessed to execute the IRT routine and the setup routine as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Reference numeral 12 denotes a BIOS-ROM in which a fixed program is stored, and here, an IRT routine and a setup routine shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 are stored.

Reference numeral 13 is a RAM constituting a main memory for storing programs, data, etc. to be processed, and 14
Is a DMA controller for direct memory access control (DMAC; Direct Memory Access Controller)
). 15 is an interrupt controller (PIC; Programmable Interrupt
16) is a programmable interval timer (PIT; Programmable Interval Timer)
).

Reference numeral 17 is a clock module (RTC; Real-time Clock) having its own battery for operation, and whether to enable the charging mode selected by a setup menu described later in addition to date and time information. The selection information of is stored.

Reference numeral 18 is a large-capacity expansion RAM that can be inserted into and removed from a dedicated card slot of the main body, and here, 1 MB, 2
It is possible to mount any 4 types of memory cards, including new memory cards of 4 MB and 8 MB to the existing memory card of MB.

Reference numeral 19 is a backup RAM serving as a data storage area for realizing the resume function, and is supplied with a backup power supply (VBK). This backup R
The AM 19 stores the contents of the memory and the register when the power is turned off in the resume mode.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a floppy disk controller (FDC). In this embodiment, two floppy disk drives 32A and 32B are controlled, but one floppy disk drive (for example, 32).
Instead of B), a 2.5-inch hard disk can be mounted so that the system can be easily upgraded.

Reference numeral 21 is a printer controller (PRT-C).
ONT), for example, a 5-inch external floppy disk drive 33, a printer 34, or the like is selectively connected via a connector.

22 is an input / output interface (UAR
T: Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter)
The RS-232C interface device 35 and the like are connected as necessary. Reference numeral 23 denotes a keyboard controller (KBC), which controls the input of a keyboard 36 provided integrally with the main body of the apparatus on which the CPU board is mounted.

Reference numeral 24 is a display controller (DISP-CO
NT) and only the plasma display unit (PDP) 37 is displayed here, but it is also possible to control the display drive of the CRT display unit as an external display.

Reference numeral 27 is a video RAM (VRAM) to which a backup power supply (VBK) is supplied and which is used for display drive to a display device such as a plasma display unit (PDP) 37 or the like, a display controller (DISP-CON).
T) is accessed under the control of 24.

Reference numeral 28 denotes a power supply control interface (PS-IF) for connecting a power supply circuit (intelligent power supply) 30 described later to the main CPU 11 via the system bus 10. Here, the power control CPU of the power supply circuit 30 is used. It has a serial-parallel conversion function for performing data transfer with the (PC-CPU) 306 through a serial interface.

Reference numeral 29 is a power supply adapter (hereinafter referred to as an AC adapter) for rectifying and smoothing a commercial AC power supply (AC) to obtain a DC operation power supply of a predetermined potential, which is plug-in connected to the main body of the portable computer.

30 is a power control CPU (PC-
It is a power supply circuit (intelligent power supply) equipped with a CPU. Reference numeral 33 is a power switch for turning on / off the power of the portable computer main body (PC main body).

31L and 31R are main batteries (M-BATA, B-BA) in the form of a pack, each of which is composed of a rechargeable battery and is attachable to and detachable from the apparatus body (PC body).
TB), and here, in driving, the power supply circuit 3
Under the control of 0, when one of the batteries is selected as a usage target (power supply target) and the battery is discharged to the usage limit, the usage target battery is switched and the other battery becomes the usage target. 31S is a sub-battery (S-BAT) with a built-in main body, which is also composed of a rechargeable battery, and includes RAM 13 and additional RAM 1
8. The backup power supply (VBK) is supplied to the memory such as the video RAM 27 that needs to be backed up.

Reference numeral 40 denotes an expansion bus connector (EBC) for expanding functions, which is, for example, an external hard disk (external H).
DD) etc. are selectively connected as needed, or various components (eg keyboard,
It is selectively mounted in an expansion unit equipped with a CRT display, a large capacity memory, a personal computer mounting mechanism, etc.) and connected to a circuit.

Reference numeral 41 is an HDD mounting type (HDD, FDD
When mounting the system to 1 each), the built-in HDD
It is a built-in HDD interface (HDD-IF) for interface connection (with HDC), and when the system is upgraded, the built-in HDD is interfaced via the connector 42 instead of the floppy disk drive (FDD) 32B. ..

Reference numeral 50 denotes a status display section including a plurality of status display LEDs (L1 to L9) which are display drive controlled under the control of the power control CPU 306 of the power supply circuit 30. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the power supply circuit 30 shown in FIG.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 306 is a power control CPU (PC-CP) for centrally managing the power supply of the entire apparatus.
U), inputting information of each part of the power supply circuit 30 and instruction information of the main CPU 11 via the internal bus 51,
The main CPU 11 controls the power supply to each part in the device according to an instruction, an internal state, an external operation state, and the like. Here, the left and right batteries (M-BATA,
M-BATB) 31L and 31R have a power supply control processing function including charge control according to charge setting data (charge control parameter) and battery drive control. Further, the power control CPU 306 is provided with a register 306a for storing the brightness setting value of the plasma display unit (PDP) 37.

Reference numeral 53 is a main battery switch (SL1) which is ON / OFF controlled by the output of the IO driver under the control of the power control CPU 306 and which is interposed in the current supply path of the left main battery (M-BATA) 31L.

55a and 55b are also main batteries (M-BA) which are on / off controlled by the output of the IO driver.
TB) 31R is a main battery switch (SRI, SRO) interposed in the current supply circuit and current output path.

Reference numeral 57 is a main battery (M-BATA, M-BAT) under the control of the power control CPU 306.
B) A charge unit (charging circuit) that charges 31L and 31R. 59 is the main battery (M-BA
(TA, M-BATB) 31L, 31R is a current detector for detecting the output current. 61 and 63 are main batteries (M-BATA, M-BATB) 31L and 31R, respectively.
Is a diode for preventing backflow, which is interposed in the current output path.

Reference numeral 65 denotes a power source for the left main battery (M-BATA) 31L that passes through the main battery switch 53, or a power source for the right main battery (M-BATB) 31R that passes through the main battery switches 55a and 55b. Is a DC-DC converter that obtains

67 is a sub battery (S-BAT) 31S
, 69 is a charging unit for charging the sub battery (S-BAT) 31S to the backup power supply (V
It is a DC-DC converter that obtains BK).

Reference numeral 71 is a current value detected by the current detector 59, main batteries (M-BATA, M-BATB) 31L, 3
It is an A / D converter for performing analog / digital conversion for supplying the output voltage of 1R, the output voltages of the DC-DC converters 65 and 69, etc. as digital data to the power control CPU 306.

Reference numeral 73 is a serial I / O for transmitting and receiving information between the power control CPU 306 and the main CPU 11, and converts the data received from the power control CPU 306 into serial data and a power supply control interface (PS-IF). 28 and sends this serial data to the power supply control interface (PS-IF) 2
In step 8, the parallel data is restored and sent to the main CPU 11. Plasma display (PDP) 37 is DC-D
The display operation is executed by the power source from the C converter 65.

The PDP brightness controller 75 controls the brightness of the plasma display unit (PDP) 37 according to the brightness control signal from the D / A converter 77.

The D / A converter 77 is a register 306a of the power control CPU (PC-CPU) 306.
The brightness setting value stored in is converted into an analog brightness control signal.

The ammeter 79 detects the current supplied to the plasma display unit (PDP) 37 and the power control CPU (PC) via the A / D converter 71.
-CPU) 306.

FIG. 3 shows the power control CPU.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a circuit for detecting a battery full charge of (PC-CPU) 306. The same parts as those in FIG. 2 are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

In FIG. 3, the battery pack 31L (3
1R) is a power control CPU (PC-CPU) 3
06, and DC / DC converter 65, and DC
DC power is supplied to the / DC converter 65.

Power control CPU (PC-CP
The U) 306 is connected to the main CPU 11 via the power supply control interface (PS-IF) 28 shown in FIG. 1 and the system bus 10, and the battery pack 31L (3).
1R) power supply, current and temperature depending on battery pack 31L
The overcharge state and the low battery state of (31R) are detected, and the main CPU 11 is notified of the voltage capacity state of the battery pack 31L (31R).

Power control CPU (PC-CP
U) 306 has a built-in 4-bit CPU 321 and a RAM
The power control CPU (PC-CPU) 306 shown in FIG. 1 is also configured including the ROM 323 and the ROM 325.

The DC-DC converter 65 generates a constant-voltage DC power supply (system power supply) required to operate the apparatus main body from the DC power supply supplied from the battery pack 31L (31R).

Further, an AC charger (AC adapter) 29
Is connected to a household AC power supply (AC 100V) and supplies a rated DC voltage to a charging circuit (charging unit) 57. This AC adapter 29 is arranged outside the main body of the personal computer.

The charging circuit 57 supplies the power source voltage of +18 V to D
It is supplied to the C / DC converter 65. + Of charging circuit 57
The voltage detection circuit 83a is connected in parallel to the 18V output terminal. The voltage detection circuit 83a is configured to charge the charging circuit 5 at a constant cycle.
The output voltage of 7 is detected. The voltage value detected by the voltage detection circuit 83 is the power control CPU (PC-C
It is supplied to the A / D converter 71 of the PU) 306.

The charging circuit 57 is a power control CPU
Based on the charging control signal 56 from the (PC-CPU) 306, the charging current to the battery pack 31L (31R) is controlled.

Reference numeral 85 is a p-channel field effect transistor (FET), which is a protection circuit for forcibly stopping the charging of the battery pack 31L (31R). The battery pack 31L (31R) includes a Ni-H battery 89 for driving the portable computer as a battery and a first temperature sensor 87a for detecting the temperature inside the battery pack 31L (31R).

When the AC adapter 29 is not connected to the apparatus main body (when it is not plug-in connected), the DC voltage is supplied from the battery pack 31L (31R) to the DC / DC converter 65.

Reference numeral 89 denotes a Ni-H battery, which has 12 cells built in the battery pack 31L (31R). The current detection circuit 59 is connected in series with the negative (−) terminal of the battery of the battery pack 31L (31R), and the voltage detection circuit 83b is connected in parallel with the positive (+) terminal of the battery. The voltage detection circuit 83b detects the charge / discharge current of the battery pack 31L (31R) at a constant cycle.

Further, the current detection circuit 59 detects the charge / discharge current of the battery pack 31L (31R) at a constant cycle. The voltage value and the current value detected by the current detection circuit 59 and the voltage detection circuit 83b are the power control CPU.
It is supplied to the A / D converter 71 of the (PC-CPU) 306. A reverse current prevention transistor 91b is connected in series with the positive (+) terminal of the battery pack 31L (31R).

The first temperature sensor 87a detects the temperature of the battery 89 and serves as an element for determining whether the battery pack 31L (31R) is fully charged or low. The temperature value detected by the first temperature sensor 87a is the power control CP.
It is supplied to the A / D converter 71 of the U (PC-CPU) 306. The negative (-) terminal of the first temperature sensor 87a is grounded (grounded) to the ground (GND). 87b
Is a second temperature sensor and is used to accurately determine the resistance value of the first temperature sensor 87a that depends on the ambient temperature. Power control CPU (PC-CPU) 306
The battery temperature recognition method of is performed by the voltage value output from the first temperature sensor 87a.

The resistance value of the first temperature sensor 87a also depends on the temperature condition generated from the peripheral equipment outside the battery pack. For example, when the resistance temperature of the first temperature sensor 87a is 0 degree, the power control CPU (PC-CPU) 306.
The voltage value supplied to the A / D converter 71 is 3.65.
It is V. When the resistance temperature is 40 degrees, the voltage value supplied to the A / D converter 71 of the power control CPU (PC-CPU) 306 is 0.78V. Considering the fluctuation of the output voltage value due to the ambient temperature, the first temperature sensor 87a is detected by the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor 87b.
By correcting the voltage drop value of, the power control CPU (PC-CPU) 306 can recognize the accurate temperature inside the battery pack 31L (31R).

The correction value is the power control CPU (P
It is stored in the ROM 325 of the C-CPU) 306.
The second temperature sensor 87b gives a correction value for the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor 87a and detects whether or not each unit is within the operating temperature range value. Each unit here is a high-density mounting board (PCB), FDD, HDD, or the like.

Power control CPU (PC-CP
U) 306 reads the temperature value detected by the second temperature sensor 87b and compares it with the operating temperature range value of each unit stored in the ROM 325.

If each unit exceeds the operating temperature range value, the power control CPU (PC-CPU) 3
06 informs the user of the state by a warning sound, and automatically stops the power supply to the main body after the resume is executed. The A / D converter 71 for inputting the signals from the temperature sensors 87a and 87b is connected to the CPU 321 via the internal bus 304.

The internal bus 304 has a parallel I
A / O interface (PIO) 333, a programmable interrupt timer (PIT) 331, etc. are connected.

Software counter 3 in RAM 323
When the interrupt signal is generated from the PIT 331, the reference numeral 23a measures the time by 1 second. Software counter 3
The default value of 23a is "0".

The ROM 325 stores a table 325a for detecting the low battery reference voltage and a table 325b for correcting the reference voltage. further,
The ROM 325 also stores a table for temperature-correcting the voltage value output from the first temperature sensor 87a.

The CPU 321 converts the analog value from the current detection circuit 59 into a digital value by the A / D converter 71 and fetches it, and the conversion table 325a of the ROM 325.
To obtain a low battery reference voltage corresponding to the detected current value.

Further, the CPU 321 recognizes connection / disconnection of the detachable battery pack 31L (31R) by the following method. That is, when the battery pack 31L (31R) is not connected to the main body, the voltage value pulled up to + 5V by the pull-up resistor 93 is the power control CPU (P
C-CPU) 306. At this time, CPU3
21 determines that the battery pack 31L (31R) is not connected to the main body. When the battery pack 31L (31R) is connected to the main body, a current flows from the positive (+) terminal via the first temperature sensor 87a. A voltage drop (analog value) occurs due to the resistance of the first temperature sensor 87a. This analog value is input to the A / D converter 71 and converted into a digital value.

Based on this converted digital value, C
The PU 321 refers to the table in the ROM 325 and detects that the battery pack 31L (31R) is connected to the main body and the temperature value in the battery pack 31L (31R). The CPU 321 programs the PIT 331 so that an interrupt is generated every 1 second, and responds to the interrupt from the PIT 331.

The CPU 321 is provided with a software counter 323a in the RAM 323 and increments the software counter 323a by 1 second each time an interrupt signal is generated. The CPU 321 controls the charging circuit 57 and the DC / DC converter 65 based on the information from the voltage detection circuits 83a and 83b, the current detection circuits 59 and 79, and the temperature sensors 87a and 87b.

Further, when the CPU 321 determines that the battery pack 31L (31R) is currently being charged, the P
The DC / DC converter 65 is controlled via the IO333 to stop the power supply to the main body.

When the charging current cannot be turned off due to the disconnection of the charging control signal line to the charging circuit 57, the CPU 3
Numeral 21 designates a signal of logic level "1" by the D / A converter 3
It outputs to FET85 via 29, and a charge current is forcibly stopped.

The low-battery correction table 325b indicates the difference in charging time and the resolution (1d) of the A / D converter 71.
igit = 98 mv), the value calculated in advance is stored. The CPU 321 reads the battery temperature, and the low battery correction table 325b of the ROM 325.
Refer to.

With this structure, when some of the battery cells 89 fail, the battery pack 3
The first temperature sensor 87a built in 1L (31R) detects heat generated from the defective cell of the battery cell 89, and the power supply controller stops charging. As a result, an accident caused by overcharging the battery pack 31L (31R) can be prevented.

Further, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, a second temperature sensor 87b for detecting the outside air temperature is provided. The second temperature sensor 87b detects the difference between the temperature inside the battery and the ambient temperature outside the battery pack 31L (R),
In addition, it is used to determine whether the temperature rise in the battery is not due to the full charge but the ambient temperature outside the battery pack 31L (R).

FIG. 3 shows the case where there is one battery. In the case of two batteries, the third temperature sensor corresponding to the first temperature sensor 87a is built in the second battery pack. The first temperature sensor 87a is also connected to the A / D converter 71. 2 and 3 constitute a fundamentally different device.

That is, the voltage and current detection circuit of FIG. 2 is installed before inputting to the plasma display unit (PDP). In this case, it cannot be determined whether the power is supplied from the AC adapter or the battery. On the other hand, in FIG. 3, the power supply from the AC adapter is detected by the voltage detection circuit 83a. If the power is supplied from the battery, the voltage detection circuit 83b detects it. With the device configuration of FIG. 3, the power control CPU (PC-CPU) can recognize whether the power is supplied from the charging circuit or the battery. Next, a method for detecting the full charge of the battery pack 31L (31R), which is the first feature of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIG.

Power control CPU (PC-CP
U) 306 detects the temperature from the first (in-battery) temperature sensor 87a in the battery pack 31L (31R) in step S31.

Further, in step S33, the power control CPU (PC-CPU) 306 detects the ambient temperature value outside the battery pack from the second (external) temperature sensor 87b. Then, in step S35, it is determined whether or not there is a temperature difference of 15 degrees or more between the temperature inside the battery pack 31L (31R) and the external temperature. At this time, if there is a temperature difference of 15 degrees or more, step 45
Then, the charging operation is stopped by determining that the battery pack 31L (31R) is fully charged.

On the other hand, when there is no temperature difference of 15 degrees or more in step S35, the power control CPU (P
The C-CPU) 306 proceeds to step S37, and reads the temperature value (c) in the battery pack 4 minutes before the time point when the temperature value (a) was detected. Then, step S39
Power control CPU (PC-CPU)
306 determines whether the temperature inside the battery has risen more than twice. In the judgment of this step S39, 2
If it is determined that the power control CPU (PC-CPU) 306 has not risen more than once, the process returns to step S31.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S39 that the temperature inside the battery pack has risen by 2 degrees or more,
In step S41, the power control CPU (PC-CPU) 306 reads the ambient temperature (d) outside the battery pack four minutes ago.

Then, in step S43, if it is assumed that the external temperature has risen more than 2 degrees within 4 minutes, it is judged that the temperature inside the battery pack has risen more than 2 degrees due to the increase in the external temperature. , Power control CPU (P
The C-CPU) 306 returns to step S31.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S43 that the external temperature has not risen by 2 degrees or more within 4 minutes,
The power control CPU (PC-CPU) 306 is
It is determined that the temperature rise in the battery is due to the battery being fully charged. Therefore, power control C
The PU (PC-CPU) 306 determines in step S45 that the battery is fully charged, and stops the charging operation. The values of 15 degrees, 2 degrees, and 4 minutes described above are based on the experimental values of the inventor.

Next, the power control CP when the charge mode, which is the second feature of the present invention, is set
The operation of the U (PC-CPU) 306 will be described with reference to FIG.

Power control CPU (PC-CP
In step S1, the U) 306 checks the remaining capacity of the battery pack and the presence / absence of the main body connection of the AC adapter to determine whether the battery needs to be charged.

Here, if it is not necessary to charge the battery, the power control CPU (PC-CP
U) 306 maximizes the step voltage (1 step = 5V / 128) in step S17.

Therefore, the power control CPU (PC
-CPU) 306 outputs the maximum step value to the D / A converter 77. As a result, the D / A converter 77 outputs the brightness control signal of the maximum brightness voltage to the PDP brightness controller 75. Therefore, the plasma display unit (PDP) 37 displays data with high brightness.

On the other hand, when it is necessary to charge the battery in step S1, the process proceeds to step S5,
Whether or not a command (normal brightness display mode) indicating the charging mode is received is determined. There are two types of charge mode setting commands sent from the main CPU 11, namely "BFH (do not enter charge mode)" and "BCH (enter charge mode).
The charging mode in this embodiment is a mode in which the display brightness is lowered and the charging is prioritized when the power consumption exceeds a certain level. If it is not the charging mode, that is, if it is the high-brightness display mode, the process proceeds to step S17 and the above-described control is performed. On the other hand, in the normal brightness display mode, step S7
Then, the current value and the voltage value are detected by the ammeter 79 and the voltmeter 83b, respectively. Next, in step S9, power consumption is calculated from the current value and voltage value detected in step S7. Next, power control CPU
The (PC-CPU) 306 determines whether the power consumption calculated in step S11 is equal to or higher than the reference power.

When it is determined that the power consumption is higher than the reference value, the power control CPU (PC-CPU) 306
Reduces the step voltage by one step. That is, the brightness setting value of the register 306a is lowered by one step.

On the other hand, if the power consumption is less than the reference value, the power control CPU (PC-CPU) 306 raises the step voltage by one step. After the processing of step S13 or S15, the power control CPU (PC-
The CPU) 306 returns to step S1 and repeats the processing of steps S1 to S17 again.

As described above, according to the present invention, the power consumption is compared with the reference value, and the power consumption is reduced to 1 according to the comparison result.
Incrementing or decrementing step by step. This is for the following reason.

That is, in the plasma display device (PDP), the amount of electric power to be input is predetermined. When the power more than the determined value is supplied, the inverter in the plasma display device is destroyed. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, the power consumption increases proportionally as the display rate increases. However, if the display rate continues to increase, the power consumption will exceed the specified power at some point.

Therefore, in the present invention, when the power consumption reaches a predetermined power value, it is controlled so as not to increase any more. In order to keep the power value constant while increasing the display rate,
Reduce the brightness voltage. That is, the high brightness display is switched to the normal brightness display.

Furthermore, when the charging mode is designated, in order to secure the current of the battery, step S1
The value of W1 of 1 is set to a value (for example, 6 W) obtained by subtracting the power required for charging the battery from the rated maximum power (for example, 8 W).

Next, the charging mode selection method which is the third feature of the present invention, that is, when the power consumption exceeds a certain level,
An embodiment will be described in which the user can arbitrarily select a mode in which the display brightness is reduced and charging is prioritized.

The user can arbitrarily select the mode in which the display brightness is lowered and the charging is prioritized. Some users can display the data with high brightness even if the battery cannot be charged. Because some people want it. ROM when the computer system is powered on
The IRT routine in the BIOS stored in 12 is executed.

That is, as shown in FIG. 6, step S
At 51, a predetermined bit for setting the charging mode stored in the CMOS memory in the RTC 17 is read.

If the bit is set in step 53, the main CPU 11 determines the power control CPU (PC-CPU) 306 in step 55.
To the charging mode setting command “BCH”.

On the other hand, in step 53, when the charge mode is not set, the main CPU 11
In step 57, a command for not setting the charging mode "
BFH "is a power control CPU (PC-CPU)
Output to 306. In response to this command, power control CPU (PC-CPU) 306 performs the charging control as described above. The setting of the charging mode is performed by the setup processing routine. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a part of the setup processing routine.

First, the main CPU 11 causes the step S61.
At this time, a setup menu screen as shown in FIG. 8 is displayed on the plasma display unit (PDP) 37.

At step S63, the user selects from among the various setting items displayed on the setup menu screen.
Use the vertical arrow keys to “Recharge Battery” 101
Move the cursor to. When switching to charging mode,
If you select “Enable” and do not activate charging mode, click “Disa
"ble". "Enable" and "Disable" are selected using the horizontal arrow keys.
In step 65, the charging mode information set is set to R
Store in the CMOS memory of TC17.

As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the electric power supplied to the plasma display unit (PDP) 37 exceeds the reference value, the display brightness of the plasma display unit (PDP) 37 becomes high. Even if the display rate of the plasma display unit (PDP) 37 increases, the electric power supplied to the plasma display unit (PDP) 37 can be controlled to be constant by switching from to normal brightness. Further, the surplus power obtained by switching the display brightness of the plasma display unit (PDP) 37 from high brightness to normal brightness can be used for charging the battery. In addition, by providing means for selecting the charging mode (battery charging in normal brightness display) or non-charging mode (battery charging not performed in high brightness display) on the setup menu screen, when the charging mode is specified, It is possible to switch from the high-brightness display to the normal-brightness display by using the value obtained by subtracting the power necessary for the battery charge from the power required for the brightness display as the reference value.

[0107]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, when the display rate of the plasma display exceeds the rated maximum power of the plasma display, the display of the plasma display is changed from the high luminance display to the normal luminance. It is possible to switch to the display, and thus, even if the display rate of the plasma display is increased, the electric power supplied to the plasma display can be controlled to be constant. Further, surplus power obtained by switching the display brightness of the plasma display from high brightness to normal brightness can be used for charging the battery.

Also, on the setup menu screen,
The charging mode (battery charging in normal brightness display) or non-charging mode (battery charging not performed in high brightness display) can be arbitrarily selected. When the charging mode is specified, the power required for high brightness display It is possible to switch from high-brightness display to normal-brightness display with a value obtained by subtracting the electric power required for battery charging as a reference value.

Further, a first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the battery pack and a second temperature sensor for detecting the outside air temperature are provided to detect the temperature difference between the temperature inside the battery pack and the outside air temperature.
It is possible to detect the full charge of the battery from the temperature of the battery pack at a certain time and the temperature after a lapse of a predetermined time, and further, the temperature of the outside air at a certain time and the temperature after the lapse of a predetermined time, and to charge the battery with high reliability. Control can be performed efficiently.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a power supply control device of the embodiment shown in FIG.

3 is a block diagram showing an example of a circuit for detecting a full charge of a battery in the power supply control device shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for detecting the full charge of the battery in the above embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a PC-C in the power supply control device in the above embodiment.
The flowchart which shows control of PU306.

6 is a flowchart showing a process of an IRT routine included in the BIOS in the ROM 12 shown in FIG.

7 is a flowchart showing a process of a setup routine included in the BIOS in the ROM 12 shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 shows the PD in the setup process of the above embodiment.
The figure which shows an example of the setup menu screen displayed on P37.

FIG. 9 is a characteristic diagram showing a relationship between electric power and display rate in the plasma display unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... System bus, 11 ... Main CPU, 12 ... BI
OS-ROM, 13 ... RAM, 14 ... DMA controller (DMAC; Direct Memory Access Controller),
15 ... Interrupt controller (PIC; Programmable I
nterrupt controller), 16 ... Interval timer (PIT; Programmable Interval Timer), 17 ... Clock module (RTC; Real-time Clock), 18 ... Expansion RAM, 19 ... Backup RAM, 20 ... Floppy disk controller (FDC), 21 ... A printer controller (PRT-CONT), 22 is an input / output interface (UART; Universal Asynchronous Recei
ver / Transmitter), 23 ... Keyboard controller (KBC), 24 ... Display controller (DISP-CO)
NT), 27 ... Video RAM (VRAM), 28 ... Power control interface (PS-IF), 29 ... Power adapter (hereinafter referred to as AC adapter), 30 ... Power circuit (intelligent power supply), 33 ... Power switch, 31L , 31R ... Main battery (M-BATA,
B-BATB), 31S ... Sub battery (S-BA)
T), 37 ... Plasma display unit (PD
P), 40 ... Expansion bus connector (EBC), 41 ... Built-in HDD interface (HDD-IF), 50 ... Status display section, 53 ... Main battery switch (SL1), 5
4 ... AC charger (AC adapter), 55a, 55b ... Main battery switch (SRI, SRO), 57 ... Charge unit (charging circuit), 59 ... Current detector, 61,
63 ... Backflow prevention diode, 65 ... DC-DC converter, 67 ... Charge unit, 69 ... DC-DC converter, 71 ... A / D converter, 73 ... Serial I /
O, 75 ... PDP brightness controller, 77 ... D / A converter, 79 ... Ammeter, 83a, 83b ... Voltage detection circuit, 85 ... P-channel field effect transistor (FE)
T), 87a ... 1st temperature sensor, 87b ... 2nd temperature sensor, 89 ... Ni-H battery, 91b ... Reverse current prevention transistor, 93 ... Pull-up resistor, 304 ... Internal bus, 30
6 ... Power control CPU (PC-CPU), 30
6a ... Register for storing brightness setting value, 321 ...
4-bit CPU, 323 ... RAM, 323a ... RAM3
Software counter in 23, 325 ... ROM, 32
5a ... Conversion table for detecting reference voltage of low battery, 325b ... Conversion table for correcting reference voltage, 329 ... D / A converter, 331 ... Programmable interrupt timer (PIT), 333 ... Parallel I / O interface (PIO).

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location H02J 7/00 302 A 9060-5G

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An AC adapter for supplying power,
A power supply control device for a portable computer, comprising a rechargeable battery and a charging circuit for charging the battery, wherein the battery is charged based on power supply from the AC adapter. Selection means for selecting whether or not to select, a storage means connected to the selection means for storing the selection content, and a selection content stored in the storage means when the portable computer is powered on and read out. A power supply control device for a computer system, comprising: a means for creating and transmitting a command instructing the content; and a control means for controlling the charging circuit based on the content of the transmission command. 2. An AC adapter for supplying power,
A flat panel that generates a discharge voltage from a rechargeable battery, the AC adapter, and a power supply supplied from the battery, applies the discharge voltage to a cell provided for each pixel, and displays the brightness of characters and graphics. A power supply control device for a portable computer, comprising a panel display unit, designating means for designating whether or not to charge the battery based on power supply from the AC adapter, and designation of the designating means. When the contents are judged and the battery is designated to be charged, the detecting means for detecting the voltage value and the current value supplied to the display, the storing means for storing the reference value, the detecting means and the storing means are connected. Based on the comparison result of the comparing means for comparing the detected value with the reference value, and the comparison result of the comparing means, the detected value is higher than the reference value. In the case of a threshold, means for generating the brightness control information for reducing the discharge voltage, and means for controlling the discharge voltage applied to the cell for controlling the brightness of the pixel based on the brightness control information. A power supply control device for a computer system, comprising: 3. A power control device for a portable computer, comprising an AC adapter for supplying power and a rechargeable battery pack connected to the AC adapter, the power control device being provided in the battery pack. A first temperature sensor; a first temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature condition in the battery by the first temperature sensor; a second temperature sensor provided outside the battery pack; and a battery by the second temperature sensor. The second temperature detecting means for detecting the ambient temperature state outside the pack and the first temperature value obtained by the first temperature detecting means and the second temperature value obtained by the second temperature detecting means are compared, And a determining unit that determines that the battery pack is fully charged when the first temperature value is larger than the second temperature value by a set reference value. Power supply control device of the computer system. 4. An AC adapter for supplying power,
A power control method for a portable computer, comprising a rechargeable battery, a charging circuit for charging the battery, and a power supply controller for controlling the charging circuit, wherein the power supply from the AC adapter is provided. First, step a for selecting whether or not to charge the battery, and step b for storing the content selected in step a.
A step c of reading the stored selection contents and creating a command instructing the read contents when the portable computer is powered on; a step d of transmitting the command to the power supply circuit; A method of controlling the power supply of a portable computer, comprising the step e of controlling the charging circuit according to the content of the command. 5. An AC adapter for supplying power,
A method for controlling a power supply of a portable computer including a rechargeable battery, comprising: step a for designating whether or not to charge the battery based on power supply from the AC adapter; A step b of generating a discharge voltage from a power source supplied from the adapter and the battery, applying the discharge voltage to a cell provided for each pixel, and displaying brightness of characters and graphics on the flat panel display unit.
In the case of designating the contents to be charged in the battery by judging the designation contents in the step a, step c of detecting the voltage value and the current value supplied to the flat panel display unit, and the step c detected in the step c. When the detected value is larger than the reference value based on the comparison result of the step d and the step d for comparing the value with the set reference value, the brightness control information for decreasing the discharge voltage is generated. A power control method for a portable computer, comprising: step e; and step f of controlling a discharge voltage applied to the cell in order to control the brightness of the pixel based on the brightness control information. 6. A power control method for a portable computer, comprising: an AC adapter for supplying power; and a rechargeable battery pack connected to the AC adapter, which is provided in the battery pack. Step a in which the first temperature sensor detects the temperature state inside the battery, step b that detects the ambient temperature state outside the battery pack by the second temperature sensor provided outside the battery pack, and step a The first temperature value obtained is compared with the second temperature value obtained in step b, and the first temperature value is the second temperature value.
A power control method for a portable computer, comprising the step c) of determining that the battery pack is fully charged when the temperature is larger than the temperature value by the first reference value.