JPH09232004A - Intelligent battery system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily load a battery management program into a personal computer. SOLUTION: In an intelligent battery unit 20, a battery cell 21, a battery CPU 23 for managing the state of the battery cell 21, and a ROM 26 attendant up on the battery CPU 23 are housed in the same case body. A file of a program so described that a host CPU 31 of a personal computer main body 30 using an intelligent battery unit 20 may be carried out is written in the ROM 26. This program is loaded into the personal computer main body 30, and the data relating to the intelligent battery unit 20 is displayed on a display 35 of the personal computer main body 30.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a so-called intelligent battery system in which a microcomputer (CPU) is built in a battery.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There are many well-known technologies for an intelligent battery system, and it has already been proposed, for example, in the specification and drawings of Japanese Patent Application No. 6-510883 by the present applicant. In addition, the intelligent battery is also called a smart battery. In short, it means a battery that has a microprocessor (microcomputer (CPU)) built therein and that self-manages the state of the battery.

FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of a portable personal computer using such an intelligent battery.

In FIG. 3, the system 100 constitutes a personal computer as a whole, and the inside thereof is roughly divided into an intelligent battery section 120 and a personal computer main body 130. The intelligent battery unit 120 can be attached to and detached from the personal computer main body 130. Also intelligent
The battery section 120 is further connected to an external AC / DC converter 140.

The intelligent battery unit 120 comprises a battery cell 121, a charging circuit 122, and a battery CPU 123 for controlling them inside.

The battery CPU 123 is a battery cell 121.
The appropriate operation and maintenance of the battery cell 121 is performed while monitoring the voltage of the above, the inflow current from the charging circuit 122, and the outflow current to the personal computer main body 130.

This is done because, in general, a high performance battery cell such as a lithium ion battery is deteriorated due to overcharging or halfway charging.

The personal computer main body 130 comprises a host CPU 131, a hard disk device 132, a memory 133, an interface 134, a display device 135, a keyboard 136 and the like.

Programs such as an operating system (OS) and applications are stored in the hard disk device 132, and are read and written by commands from the host CPU 131.

The memory 133 is a semiconductor memory such as a RAM. Display data from the host CPU 131 is displayed on the display device 135 via the interface 134.

Input data and commands from the keyboard 136 are fetched by the host CPU 131 via the interface 134.

The application programs written in the hard disk device 132 include, for example, a battery monitoring program. This is the battery CPU1
This is for the user to confirm the state of the battery by analyzing the monitoring operation of 23 on the host CPU 131 side and displaying the analysis result on the display device 135.

Regarding such an intelligent battery, for example, Nikkei Electronics magazine 1995 2
It is introduced on pages 148 to 153 of the 13th issue of the month. In particular, as an example of the display by the battery monitoring program, two examples are disclosed in FIG. 2 on page 149 of the above-mentioned Nikkei Electronics magazine, and both display the state of the battery in an easy-to-understand manner using graphics.

[0014]

By the way, the battery CPU 123 of the intelligent battery unit 120 configured as described above has a drawback that the scale becomes large when an attempt is made to highly monitor the battery cells 121.

Further, the personal computer main body 13
0 must have an application program to display the data from the intelligent battery unit 120.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and enables advanced monitoring of battery cells without increasing the size of the battery CPU of the intelligent battery section, and It is an object of the present invention to provide an intelligent battery system capable of displaying data even if the personal computer main body does not have an application program for displaying data from the intelligent battery unit.

[0017]

An intelligent battery system according to the present invention has a battery cell and a microprocessor for managing the state of the battery cell housed in the same housing, and is connected to a personal computer. The problem described above is solved by providing a ROM in which a program file written in a format executable by the host CPU of the computer is written in association with the microprocessor.

That is, in the intelligent battery system of the present invention, a ROM in which a program file written in a format executable by the host CPU of a connected personal computer is written is provided in association with the microprocessor. Enables advanced battery cell monitoring without the need for a large microprocessor, and without the personal computer having an application program to display data from the intelligent battery. Data can be displayed.

[0019]

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

FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a personal computer system incorporating the intelligent battery system of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the system 100 constitutes a personal computer system as a whole,
The inside is roughly divided into an intelligent battery section 20 and a personal computer main body 30. The intelligent battery unit 20 is attachable to and detachable from the personal computer main body 30. The intelligent battery unit 20 is further connected to an external AC / DC converter 40.

The intelligent battery unit 20 has a battery cell 21, a charging circuit 22 and a battery CPU 23 for controlling them, and a ROM 26 therein.

In the ROM 26, programs for confirming the operation of the intelligent battery section 20 and for realizing various functions are written in a so-called executable file. This file is a battery CPU
It is not executed by the computer 23 but by the host CPU 31 of the personal computer main body 30.

Therefore, the functions of the battery CPU 23 are to detect the states of the battery cells 21 and the charging circuit 22, and to detect the ROM.
It only needs to have a function of transferring the 26 files to the host CPU 31.

On the other hand, the personal computer main body 30
Comprises a host CPU 31, a hard disk device 32, a memory 33, an interface 34, a display device 35, a keyboard 36 and the like.

Programs such as various operating systems and applications are stored in the hard disk device 32, and read and written by instructions of the host CPU 31. Memory 33 is RA
It is a semiconductor memory such as M. Display data from the host CPU 31 is sent to the display device 3 via the interface 34.
5 is displayed.

Input data and commands from the keyboard 36 are sent to the host C via the interface 34.
It is taken into PU31.

In the system 1 described above, when the intelligent battery section 20 is mounted on the personal computer main body 30 and the power of the personal computer main body 30 is turned on, the battery CPU 23 causes the battery CPU 23 to send a control signal from the personal computer main body 30. Based on, the operation is started. As a control signal, a personal
A command or clock from the computer main body 30 can be used.

First, the battery CPU 23 is a host CPU.
A command is issued to 31 to return the type of CPU and the type of operating system (OS).
If there is no response from the host CPU 31 to this command, it is determined that the intelligent battery unit 20 and the personal computer main body 30 should not be connected, and the supply of current to the host CPU 31 is stopped.

The battery CPU 23 is the host CPU 31.
CPU type and operating system (O
If the ID indicating the type S) is returned, it is determined whether the type is supported by the intelligent battery unit 20.

In the current personal computer market,
The mainstream CPU is Intel's 486 or Pentium (trademark), and in many cases, it suffices to support these. Also, as the operating system, Windows (trademark) or Windows 95 (trademark) of Microsoft Corporation is the mainstream, and in many cases, it suffices to be able to support them.

Normally, in this type of application program, it does not matter whether it is 486 or Pentium, but the type of operating system. Windows 95 is an application for Windows.
Since the program is supported, the file should be developed as an application program for Windows.

Therefore, one kind of file is used as the R
It will be written on OM26.

Next, the battery CPU 23 is a host CPU.
31, the file having the same file name as the file in the ROM 26 is the hard disk device 32 or the memory 33.
To see if it is in.

If there is a file with the same file name, the battery CPU 23 tells the host CPU 31
Send a command to rename this file to something else. As another file name, it is desirable to use a backup file such as "-.. BAK".

When there is no file having the same file name, or when the file name of the file having the same file name is rewritten, the battery CPU 23 reads the file from the ROM 26 and transfers it to the host CPU 31. The host CPU 31 stores the file in the hard disk device 32.
Write to.

When the transfer of the file from the ROM 26 to the hard disk device 32 is normally completed, the battery CPU 23 records the transfer in the internal register.

Therefore, the intelligent battery unit 2
The record is maintained until 0 is exchanged, and the file is not transferred every time the personal computer main body 30 is turned on / off.

Further, the file is described in the execution format, and is handled by the personal computer main body 30 in the same manner as other application programs. Therefore, the execution command causes the operation state. Various functions can be considered for this file.

First, the display 35 is intelligently
There is a GUI (graphic user interface) for displaying the state of the battery unit 20. FIG. 2 is an example of the GUI.

That is, in FIG. 2, on the display screen, the remaining charge of the battery cells 21 is charged in the display area 50, the usable time of the personal computer is charged in the display area 52, and the display area 53 is charged 100%. The internal temperature of the battery cell 21 is displayed in the display area 54 for the time required for Furthermore, various intelligent battery units 20
It is possible to display the information of.

Listed below are the terminal voltage of the battery cell 21, charge / discharge current, average current for 1 minute, number of charge / discharge cycles so far, manufacturing date, manufacturing number, manufacturer name, product name,
For example, the type of battery cell. Further, the battery CPU 23
The status of is also displayed.

The GUI also has a command generation key for confirming the operation of the battery CPU 23. That is, even if the current is supplied to the personal computer main body 30, the battery CPU 23 may run away. If the battery CPU 23 is out of control, the battery cells 21 may not be managed normally and may be destroyed due to overcharge.

Therefore, when the command generation key is operated, the host CPU 31 sends to the battery CPU 23 a command for returning a predetermined command string, for example. On the other hand, when the battery CPU 23 does not return an appropriate command sequence, it is determined that the battery CPU 23 has an abnormality.

When it is determined that the battery CPU 23 is abnormal, the personal computer main body 30 immediately displays a warning by the GUI. Or battery CPU
23 is forcibly reset.

The command for confirming the operation of the battery CPU 23 can be arbitrarily issued by the user via the GUI, but even during the execution of another application program, a predetermined command is given at a time interval. It is also possible to interrupt at time intervals.

As described above, in the intelligent battery system of the configuration example of the present invention, the intelligent battery section 20 is provided with the personal computer main body 3
0 has a built-in ROM 26 in which an application program for displaying data from the intelligent battery unit 20 is written, and when the intelligent battery unit 20 is connected to the personal computer main body 30, An application program is downloaded from the ROM 26 of the intelligent battery unit 20 to the hard disk device 32 of the personal computer main body 30 so that the host CPU 31 of the personal computer main body 30 functions as the application program.

In addition, a charging program corresponding to the type of the battery cell 21 is described in this application program, and even if the structure and material of the battery cell 21 are different,
I am trying to charge it safely.

Further, the application program of the intelligent battery unit 20 currently loaded and the application program downloaded to the hard disk device 32 of the personal computer main body 30 are compared with each other, and the same application program is obtained. If not, there is a description that charging is prohibited, and further, the personal computer main body 30
There is a description to replace the application program downloaded to the hard disk device 32 with the application program of the intelligent battery unit 20 currently loaded.

That is, the intelligent battery system according to the configuration example of the present invention enables advanced monitoring of the battery cells 21 without increasing the size of the battery CPU 23 of the intelligent battery unit 20. Data can be displayed even if the personal computer main body 30 does not have an application program for displaying the data from the intelligent battery unit 20.

[0051]

The intelligent battery of the present invention
According to the system, by providing a ROM in which a file of a program written in a format executable by a host CPU of a connected personal computer is written in association with the microprocessor, the microprocessor can be made large-scale. Without the need for advanced monitoring of battery cells, and data display is possible without the personal computer having an application program to display data from the intelligent battery.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block circuit diagram showing a configuration example of a personal computer system using an intelligent battery system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a GUI for battery management suitable for the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block circuit diagram showing a configuration example of a personal computer system using a conventional intelligent battery system.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Personal Computer System, 20 Intelligent Battery Unit, 26 ROM, 30
Personal computer body, 40 AC / DC converter

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A battery cell and a microprocessor for managing the state of the battery cell are housed in the same housing.
In the intelligent battery system, a ROM is provided along with the microprocessor, and a program file written in a format executable by the host CPU of the connected personal computer is written in the ROM. Intelligent battery system featuring. 2. The intelligent battery system according to claim 1, wherein the program is a program for displaying data relating to the intelligent battery system on the personal computer. 3. The intelligent battery system according to claim 1, wherein the program includes a function for confirming an operating state of the microprocessor on the personal computer.