JPH10172583A - Battery residual quantity notification device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a circuit to sense the residual quantity of a battery and notify the result without requiring additional fitting of any pseudo-load. SOLUTION: A notification device is composed of a distinguishing means 7 to judge the type of the battery connected with an electric appliance and an open circuit voltage sensing means 5 to sense the open circuit voltage predetermined depending upon the appliance in use, and the sensing value of the open circuit voltage is varied in accordance with the type of the battery in connection, and thereby notification can be issued when the left time till the end of the battery life becomes below the specified value irrespective of the battery type in connection.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus using a primary battery as a power source, particularly a manganese dry battery or an alkaline manganese dry battery, for detecting the remaining amount of the battery and notifying the user when the remaining capacity is low. The present invention relates to a battery remaining amount notification device belonging to the technical field of detection.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, primary batteries such as alkaline manganese batteries (hereinafter referred to as alkaline batteries) and chargeable / dischargeable secondary batteries such as lithium ion batteries have been used as power sources for mobile communication devices and various portable devices. Widely used. In order to improve usability, these devices are required to have a means for indicating the usable time. Also, in devices such as flashlights that mainly use dry batteries as power sources, it is necessary to know the state of the built-in battery in order to prevent the device from becoming unusable when necessary. Various means for determining have been proposed. In a device using a primary battery as a power source, generally, the remaining capacity of the battery is detected based on only the discharge voltage of the battery, and when this value falls below a predetermined reference value, the remaining capacity decreases. Judge,
Notify the user.

In FIG. 4 showing a circuit configuration of a known device for detecting a remaining capacity of a primary battery, reference numeral 1 denotes a power source using a primary battery such as a dry battery, 12 denotes an operation state (on, off) of the device, and remaining battery power. A changeover switch for switching the capacity detection (check), 3 is a load serving as an operation source of the device, 10 is a pseudo load for detecting remaining capacity, 11 is a closed circuit voltage detecting means for detecting remaining capacity, and 6 is this detection. This is a notifying means that operates with the output of the means.

When the changeover switch 12 is turned off to the channel
When the switch is switched to the eak position, the pseudo load 10
Is supplied to the power supply 1, and at the same time, the closed circuit voltage detecting means 11 monitors the closed circuit voltage of the power supply 1. When the closed-circuit voltage detecting means 11 detects a value lower than a predetermined voltage value for notifying the user of the decrease in the remaining capacity (hereinafter referred to as a notification voltage value), the notification means 6 is activated. This allows the user to recognize that the remaining capacity of the dry battery connected to the device that is the power supply 1 is low.

Normally, the pseudo load 10 is set to a value larger than the original load 3 of the device, and the changeover switch 12
The closed circuit voltage value at the time of detecting the voltage at the “heak” position is lower than the closed circuit voltage at the “on” position when the device is used. The user switches the changeover switch 12 to the on position again, and while constantly confirming that the function of the device is normally operating, the device can be continuously used for a while, but the user falls into an unusable state. Before, new batteries need to be prepared urgently.

[0006]

However, in the remaining capacity detecting device having the above-described known configuration, not only is the user forced to perform a switching operation every time the remaining capacity is checked, but also the device is required to perform its own operation. It is necessary to detect the remaining capacity while the operation is stopped, which has a problem that the usability of the device is impaired. In addition, there is a problem that the configuration in which a pseudo load is added to the inside of the device impairs miniaturization of the device.

Further, when a manganese dry battery and an alkaline dry battery are respectively discharged, the discharge characteristics indicating the relationship between the discharge voltage and the discharge time differ between the two, and reach the final voltage at which the function of the equipment connected to each battery is stopped. There will be a difference in the usable time up to. Further, even with the same type of dry battery, the discharge characteristics vary depending on various factors including the internal resistance of the battery and the resistance of the contact portion such as a battery lead, but are also affected by the discharge current of the connected device. .

[0008] As described above, the discharge characteristics of a battery differ depending not only on its type and configuration, but also on the discharge conditions of connected equipment. Therefore, in the known configuration in which the voltage is uniformly set regardless of the type of battery connected to the device, the difference in the period from when the notification voltage value is reached to when the voltage value at which the device stops operating is reached. Will happen.

On the other hand, from the point of view of the user of the device, it is desirable not to suddenly notify the battery of running out of capacity, but to notify it in advance with an appropriate margin, and more preferably, regardless of the type of dry battery used. It is desirable to notify that the usable time has reached a predetermined value.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks, and provides a circuit for detecting and notifying the remaining capacity of a battery without adding a pseudo load.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, an apparatus for informing a battery remaining amount used in a device powered by a primary battery, particularly a dry battery, of the present invention comprises an open circuit voltage detecting device for detecting an open circuit voltage value of the device. A detecting means is provided to notify the user when the open circuit voltage value reaches a notification voltage value which is a value predetermined according to the device.

The invention described in claim 1 of the present invention is
Identification means for identifying the type of dry battery used as a power supply, that is, manganese or alkaline batteries, various factors such as current consumption and operating characteristics of each device, and the type of dry battery identified by the identification means are determined in advance. Open-circuit voltage detection means for detecting that the open-circuit voltage has reached a predetermined notification voltage value, and notification means for notifying a user of a decrease in the capacity of the battery by an output of the open-circuit voltage detection means. Things.

The device for notifying the remaining amount of battery in a device using a dry battery as a power source having the above-described configuration operates in a state where a power switch is opened, measures an open circuit voltage of the battery, and is connected to the device. The detection voltage of the open circuit voltage detecting means is switched in accordance with the type of the dry battery, and at this time, the open circuit voltage detecting means and the notifying means also start operating.
According to the above configuration, it is possible to notify the user when the remaining battery life (the usage time until the device cannot perform its main function) becomes equal between the case of using a manganese dry battery and the case of using an alkaline battery. This makes it possible to provide devices that are easy to use.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, similarly to the first aspect of the present invention, the identification means for identifying the type of the connected battery and the open circuit voltage value are measured, and this value is determined by the device. And a notifying means for notifying the user of a decrease in the capacity of the battery, and an output of the open-circuit voltage detecting means. Is provided, and the notifying means is driven by the output of the oscillating means.

[0015] In an apparatus using a dry battery as a power supply and having the battery remaining amount notification device having the above-described configuration, the open circuit voltage is detected when the power switch is opened. At this time, the current flowing out of the dry battery via the load included in the open-circuit voltage detection means is extremely small, and the open-circuit voltage is applied to the open-circuit voltage detection means, the oscillation means, and the notification means. When the open circuit voltage of the device decreases to a predetermined value by the intermittent driving of the notifying means by the transmitting means controlled in accordance with the output of the open circuit voltage detecting means, the open circuit voltage detecting means detects this. Then, the oscillation circuit is stopped, and the intermittent notification is also stopped. That is, when the battery life is shorter than the predetermined value, the intermittent operation of the notification means is stopped, thereby allowing the user to recognize that the battery life is running short.

[0016]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of a battery remaining amount informing device used in a device using a dry battery as a power supply according to the present invention. Components having the same functions as those described with reference to FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

Reference numeral 7 denotes identification of the type of battery connected to the equipment, that is, identification means for identifying whether the connected dry battery is a manganese dry battery or an alkaline dry battery. Reference numeral 5 measures the open circuit voltage of the battery, and the voltage value is transmitted to the equipment. Open-circuit voltage detection means for outputting a signal when the voltage drops to a predetermined value accordingly. Reference numeral 2 denotes a power switch that controls only the operation state of the device.

When the power switch 2 is in the open state, the power
, Through the load 3, the identification means 7, the open-circuit voltage detection means 5
The current is supplied to a battery remaining amount detection circuit including the notification unit 6. The input impedance of the notification circuit is larger than the load 3 and the absolute value is extremely large. Therefore, when the power switch 2 is in the open state, the value of the current flowing out of the power supply 1 becomes negligible compared to the battery capacity, and the open circuit voltage of the power supply 1 is applied to the open circuit voltage detecting means 5. .

The identification means 7 determines the type of battery in the power source 1,
That is, it discriminates whether the battery connected to the device is a manganese dry battery or an alkaline dry battery, and informs the open circuit voltage detecting means 5 of the result of this discrimination. The open circuit voltage detecting means 5 switches the notification voltage value to a value determined for each battery according to the identification result. When the measured open circuit voltage value falls below the notification voltage value, the open circuit voltage detection means 5 outputs to the notification means that the open circuit voltage value has reached the notification voltage value or less. Based on this output, the notification means 6 is activated, and the user can know that the remaining battery level is low. It corresponds to the type of dry batteries that can be used, and the usable time until the end of the life of any of the batteries is equal.

In FIG. 2 showing an example of a specific configuration of the battery remaining amount detection circuit, reference numerals 101, 102, 103, 105,
106, 107 and 108 are resistors;
02 and 203 are transistors, 30 is a visible light emitting diode, and 31 is a changeover switch.

The resistors 102, 103 and 105 form an open circuit voltage divider network. Generally, in a region near the final voltage, the open circuit voltage of the alkaline dry battery is lower than that of the manganese dry battery. When the identification means 7 determines that the dry battery being used in the device is an alkaline dry battery, the changeover switch 31 is closed, the divided voltage is increased, and the voltage value input to the open circuit voltage detection circuit is corrected. The divided voltage is discriminated by the non-linear characteristic of the base-emitter voltage of the transistor 201, and generates an output at the collector.

The resistor 106 is the load resistance of the transistor 201. The voltage dividing network and the transistor 201 are circuits corresponding to the open-circuit voltage detecting means 5 in FIG.

On the other hand, when the open circuit voltage value falls below the notification voltage value, the transistor 201 is turned off, the transistors 202 and 203 are both turned on, and the visible light emitting diode 10 is turned on. In FIG. 2, transistors 202 and 203, resistors 107, 108 and 10
1 and the visible light emitting diode 30 are the notification means 6 of FIG.
Is a circuit corresponding to.

[0025] With this configuration, it is possible to notify that the useable time of the device has reached a predetermined battery life, regardless of the type of dry battery connected to the device.

By providing a diode connected in series to the resistor 103 in FIG. 2, the temperature characteristic of the base-emitter voltage in the transistor 201 is compensated by the temperature characteristic of the diode 14.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 3 is a view showing an embodiment of a battery remaining amount informing device of the present invention provided with an oscillating means. Portions having the same functions as those described in the known circuit shown in FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

The battery level notification device according to the second embodiment is different from the notification device according to the above-described first embodiment in that a notification is made when the remaining battery level is low. Occasionally, the notification unit is made to blink so as to notify the user that the device is ready for use, and this is realized by the oscillating unit 8 intermittently driving the notification unit 6.

Hereinafter, the operation of the battery level notification device shown in FIG. 3 will be described in detail. When the power switch 2 is opened and the device is in a non-operation state, the power supply 1
A current is supplied to the identification means 7, the open circuit voltage detection means 5, the oscillation means 8, and the notification means 6, which constitute the apparatus, via the.

Since the input impedance of the entire notification means is extremely large, the current flowing out of the power supply 1 is negligible compared to the capacity of the power supply 1, and the open circuit voltage of the power supply 1 is supplied to the open circuit voltage detection means 5. Will be done.
The open circuit voltage detecting means detects an open circuit voltage of the power supply 1, that is, a voltage of a dry battery connected to the device. At this time, if the open circuit voltage is equal to or higher than the notification voltage, the open circuit voltage detecting means does not output a signal as in the first embodiment.

As described above, the oscillating means 8 receives the supply of power from the power supply 1 and starts oscillating at the same time that the power switch 2 is opened, and outputs an intermittent output to the notifying means 6. By this output, the notifying means 6 is driven to notify the user, so that the user can determine that the capacity of the dry battery is sufficient.

The identification means 7 determines whether the type of the power supply 1 connected to the device is a manganese dry battery or an alkaline dry battery. Based on this result, the open-circuit voltage detection means 5 switches the detection voltage to a predetermined value as in the first embodiment.

The open-circuit voltage detecting means 5 generates an output when the open-circuit voltage value falls below the notification voltage value,
To stop. This allows the user to know that the remaining battery capacity is running low, but this corresponds to the type of dry battery used, and the remaining battery capacity can be used for both manganese and alkaline batteries. The time will be equal.

In this embodiment, the type of the battery connected to the device is identified by the identification means, and the output of the oscillation means 8 is stopped based on the identification result. In a limited device, for example, a device that uses only a manganese dry battery, a battery remaining amount notification device having a simple configuration can be realized by omitting the identification unit.

[0035]

According to the present invention, there is provided a battery remaining power notifying device for use in a device using a primary battery as a power source, an identification means for determining the type of the battery connected to the device, and an open circuit predetermined in accordance with the device. And an open circuit voltage detecting means for detecting a voltage value.By changing the open circuit voltage detection value according to the type of the connected battery, the user can be notified of the battery life. It is possible, and the practical effect is extremely large. Further, since the remaining capacity is calculated by measuring the open circuit voltage, the user does not need to switch the switch to perform the remaining capacity detection, and the usability is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit configuration diagram of a battery remaining amount notification device according to the present invention in Embodiment 1.

FIG. 2 is a circuit configuration diagram showing a specific configuration of the battery remaining amount notification device.

FIG. 3 is a circuit configuration diagram of a battery remaining amount notification device according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a known battery level notification device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Primary power supply 2 Power switch 3 Load 5 Open circuit voltage detection means 6 Notification means 7 Identification means 8 Oscillation means

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An identification means for identifying a type of a primary battery used as a power supply, an open-circuit voltage detection means for measuring an open-circuit voltage of a device and setting a plurality of predetermined detection voltage values, A notification device that operates in response to an output of the voltage detection device, wherein the open circuit voltage detection device is configured to detect one of the plurality of detected voltage values in response to the identification result of the identification device. A battery level notification device having a configuration for selecting one. 2. The open-circuit voltage detecting means includes an open-circuit voltage dividing circuit comprising a plurality of resistors, and a transistor for discriminating a divided voltage of the voltage dividing circuit.
Battery level notification device according to the above. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notifying unit includes a visible light emitting diode driven by an output of the open circuit voltage detecting unit. 4. An identification means for identifying a type of a primary battery used as a power supply, and measuring an open circuit voltage of a device.
Open circuit voltage detecting means in which a plurality of predetermined detection voltage values are set, oscillating means operating according to the output of the open circuit voltage detecting means, and notifying means driven by the output of the oscillating means. A battery remaining amount notifying device, wherein the open circuit voltage detecting means selects one from the plurality of detected voltage values in accordance with a result of identification by the identifying means. 5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the oscillating means comprises a CMOS device.