KR20030078288A - Uninterrupted power supply for laptop computer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An external power unit of a laptop computer is provided to improve a portable characteristic by enlarging a capacity as two times or three times compared with that of a conventional battery and minimizing a size thereof. CONSTITUTION: A battery(20) is charged by receiving an external power through an input terminal in a charging operation. The battery(20) supplies an operating power to a system through an output terminal in a discharging operation. A DC/DC converter(60) is connected to the output terminal of the battery(20) and outputs a DC voltage of a plurality of levels necessary in each component of the system. A protection circuit unit(40) senses a voltage, a temperature, and a load current of the battery(20). A switching unit blocks a line for preventing an external power from being supplied to the battery(20) or for preventing a discharge power from being supplied to the DC/DC converter(60) from the battery(20). A microprocessor(30) calculates the remaining amount of the battery(20) in accordance with a voltage sensed from the protection circuit unit(40) and corrects a calculated remaining amount in accordance with a temperature and a load current. A display unit(35) displays the remaining amount of the battery(20) corrected in the microprocessor(30) for enabling a user to check the remaining amount.

Description

External Power Supply for Laptop Computers {UNINTERRUPTED POWER SUPPLY FOR LAPTOP COMPUTER}

The present invention relates to an external power supply for a laptop computer, and more particularly, to an external power supply for a laptop computer improved to be used in a laptop computer including a notebook computer by increasing its capacity and minimizing its size.

In general, the power supply for the notebook computer is 2600mAh, which is designed to be used for about 3 hours. When the notebook computer is old and its battery life is almost expired, the user's time is reduced and users feel uncomfortable. There are also many users who do not like the battery life. This problem of use time is easily solved by carrying a power supply adapter. However, carrying a separate power supply adapter increases the weight of the notebook computer system and requires users to find and connect the power cord wherever they go. It can also be another cause of dissatisfaction.

In order to solve the above problems, more and more users are carrying a large battery (Battery), but even in this case, a separate charger is required and a fatal weakness that requires shutting down a system in operation to replace the battery exists. There is this.

Due to the above reasons, the need for an external power supply device is increasing.

Recently, sheet-type batteries using lithium polymers, that is, batteries that are placed on the bottom of a notebook computer, have been proposed. However, since lithium polymers are expensive, general users may feel burdened to purchase them. As a result, there is a demand for a technology that allows a notebook computer to be used for a long time using a low-cost external charger.

1 is a view schematically showing the configuration of an external power supply for supplying power to a laptop computer according to the prior art.

Referring to FIG. 1, an input / output end 1 is provided to receive external power supplied from the outside or to supply driving power to each component of the system, and to supply the external power to the input / output end 1. A battery 2 for receiving charge or supplying driving power to each component of the system is connected, and a microprocessor (CPU) 3 for supplying rectified DC power to control the overall operation of the system is connected. At this time, the battery 2 is made of a plurality of single cells are connected in series.

In addition, the protection circuit unit 4 which senses the voltage of the battery 2 and informs the result of the result to the microprocessor 3 and controls the charging or discharging operation according to the control signal of the microprocessor 3 is provided. . At this time, the protection circuit unit 4 is connected to the charging element and the discharge element to perform the charge and discharge. In addition, according to a control signal of the protection circuit unit 4, the switching unit 5 for blocking the line so that external power is not supplied to the battery 2 or for preventing the driving power from being supplied from the battery 2 to each component of the system. ) Is provided.

Referring to the operation of the external power supply according to the prior art configured as described above are as follows.

First, when the user connects the input / output terminal 1 with an external power source for charging the battery 2, power is supplied, and the supplied power is supplied to the battery 2 and the microprocessor 3. At this time, the input / output terminal 1 and the battery 2 form a closed loop to charge the battery 2.

While the charging is performed, the state of charge for each unit cell in the battery 2 is determined by the protection circuit unit 4, and the state of charge is converted into data and input to the microprocessor 3. On the other hand, when the charging is completed and the capacity of the unit cell inside the battery 2 exceeds, the switching unit 5 operates according to the control signal of the protection circuit unit 4 so that the closed loop is shorted so that the charging operation is terminated. do.

At this time, the discharge element is operated to discharge the discharge, and when the discharge continues to reach the preset recharge set value to form a closed loop for charging again to be recharged. As such, when the battery 2 is charged or discharged, the microprocessor 3 automatically adjusts the charge amount by operating the charging element and the discharge element through the protection circuit unit 4.

On the other hand, when the user disconnects the input / output terminal 1 from the external power source, the power supplied to the microprocessor 3 is turned off, and all data related to each unit cell in the battery 2 are deleted. As a result, when the user uses the battery 2, since there is no data on the unit cell, the capacity of the battery 2 becomes inaccurate. Therefore, when the user uses the notebook computer while checking only the remaining amount of the unit cell, the notebook computer may suddenly be in use. A problem may occur that may be down.

In addition, since the input / output terminal 1 is formed integrally, the operation of charging the battery 2 by receiving external power and the operation of supplying driving power to each component of the system from the battery 2 are simultaneously performed. There is a problem that can not occur because of the inconvenience.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, the object is to provide an external power supply of a laptop computer to increase the capacity of about 2 to 3 times and to minimize the size compared to the existing battery to be convenient to carry. have.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to separate the input terminal receiving the external power and the output terminal for supplying the driving power in each configuration of the system by the external power supply of the laptop computer to enable the charging operation of the battery and the driving power supply operation at the same time To provide.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to correct the remaining amount according to the voltage, temperature and load current of the battery, and by providing a remaining amount indicator on the outside of the battery to allow the user to easily check the correct remaining amount during the use of the laptop computer To provide a power supply.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide an external power supply for a laptop computer to continuously monitor the battery voltage to alert the user when the low voltage is a predetermined time to complete the work by the user to protect the data. have.

According to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, the battery is supplied with an external power supply through the input terminal during the charging operation, and supplies a driving power to the system through the output terminal during the discharge operation, and is connected to the output terminal of the battery A DC / DC converter for outputting a plurality of levels of DC voltages required in each system of the system, a protection circuit unit for detecting voltage, temperature, and load current of the battery, and overcharge or overdischarge of the battery is detected by the protection circuit unit. Is switched off to prevent external power from being supplied to the battery or to disconnect the power supply from the battery to the DC / DC converter, and the remaining portion of the battery according to the voltage detected by the protection circuit. A microprocessor for calculating and correcting the calculated remaining amount according to the temperature and the load current; Including the remaining capacity of the battery corrected by the microprocessor to display a display so that the user can view provides an external power supply unit of the laptop computer is configured.

At this time, according to an additional feature of the present invention, the battery is preferably composed of a plurality of single cells are connected in series and in parallel, the display unit is provided with a remaining amount indicator that can display the remaining amount of the battery in a number of steps It is desirable to be.

In addition, according to another additional feature of the present invention, in order to protect the data by finishing the user's work, the microprocessor is configured to be connected to an alarm unit that alarms a predetermined time before the battery voltage is less than the reference voltage It is preferable.

1 is a view schematically showing a connection state of an external power supply device applied to a laptop computer according to the prior art;

Figure 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the technical configuration of an external power supply applied to a laptop computer according to the present invention

3 is a view showing a connection state of an external power supply according to the present invention;

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

10: AC adapter 15: charging unit

20: battery 25: dummy

30: microprocessor 35: display unit

40: protection circuit 41: temperature detector

42: voltage detector 43: current detector

50: switching unit 60: DC / DC converter

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

2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a technical configuration of an external power supply device applied to a laptop computer according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a connection state of the external power supply device according to the present invention.

2 and 3, reference numeral 10 denotes an AC adapter that receives external power and converts the voltage into a voltage usable by the power supply device. 20 denotes an AC adapter that receives power output from the AC adapter 10. Represents a battery that is charged or supplies drive power to each component of the system.

At this time, the charging unit 15 for outputting a constant voltage and a constant current is provided between the AC adapter 10 and the battery 20. In addition, the battery 20 is composed of a plurality of single cells are connected in series and in parallel, the input terminal is supplied with external power and the output terminal for supplying the driving power to each configuration of the system is provided separately charging operation and driving power supply operation This can be done at the same time. In addition, the battery 20 is provided with a dummy 25 for outputting a resistance value inversely proportional to temperature.

In addition, reference numeral 30 denotes a microprocessor (CPU) that controls the overall operation of the system by receiving the output power of the AC adapter 10 or the battery 20, and 40 denotes the voltage of the battery 20. The protection circuit unit detects and outputs a signal for determining a charging or discharging operation, and 50 indicates that a power line is blocked to prevent external power from being supplied to the battery 20, or driving power is supplied from the battery 20 to each component of the system. A switching unit which cuts off the line so as not to be prevented, and 60 denotes a DC / DC converter which receives a DC voltage from the battery 20 to output a plurality of levels of DC voltages and provides power to each load thereof. Indicates.

In this case, the microprocessor 30 receives information signals related to the battery 20 and outputs a corresponding remaining amount information display signal, and calculates the remaining amount of the battery 20 according to the voltage detected by the protection circuit unit 40. And correct the calculated remaining amount according to the temperature and the load current. In addition, the microprocessor 30 is provided with a display unit 35, which is composed of LEDs and displays a remaining value corresponding to the remaining amount information display signal. At this time, the remaining amount indicator (not shown) that can display the remaining amount of the battery 20 in a plurality of stages is provided integrally or separately with the display unit 35. In addition, the microprocessor 30 is connected to an alarm unit (not shown) that alerts a predetermined time before the battery 20 voltage is less than the reference voltage to protect the data by finishing the user's work.

In addition, the protection circuit 40 includes a temperature detector 41, a voltage detector 42, and a current detector 43. The temperature detector 41 detects a temperature according to the output signal of the dummyster 25, compares a reference temperature with a detected temperature through a comparator (not shown), and outputs a temperature signal corresponding to the result of the microprocessor. Provided by 30. In addition, the voltage detector 42 detects voltages of both terminals of the battery 20 and provides a voltage signal corresponding to the detected voltage to the microprocessor 30. In addition, the current detector 43 detects an amount of current discharged from the battery 20 and provides a current signal corresponding to the detected discharge current or load current to the microprocessor 30.

Referring to the operation of the present invention having the configuration as described above in detail.

The battery 20 is charged by a constant voltage and a constant current from the charging unit 15, and at this time, the dummyster 25 outputs a resistance value inversely proportional to temperature. During the above operation, the voltage detector 42 detects voltages of both terminals of the battery 20 and provides a voltage signal corresponding to the detected voltage to the microprocessor 30. In addition, the temperature detector 41 detects the temperature of the battery 20 according to the output resistance of the dummyster 25, compares the reference temperature with the detected temperature, and generates a temperature signal corresponding to the detected temperature. Provided to the processor 30.

In the case of rapid charging during the charging operation, a rapid temperature increase may occur after the full charge, and thus, when the temperature of the battery 20 is detected and the predetermined temperature is reached, the protection circuit unit 40 controls the switching unit 50. By stopping charging, the circuit is protected.

After charging is performed by the above operation, the DC / DC converter 60 receives a DC voltage from the battery 20 and outputs a plurality of levels of DC voltages. do. In this case, the current detector 43 detects the amount of current discharged from the battery 20 and provides a current signal corresponding to the detected discharge current or load current to the microprocessor 30.

In the present invention, when the load current, for example, 1C, is used larger than when the discharge current is 0.5C, the voltage of the battery 20 is lowered. In this case, as the voltage of the battery 20 decreases, the remaining amount displayed on the display unit 35 is lower than the actual remaining amount. On the contrary, when the magnitude of the discharge current is smaller than 0.5C, for example, when 0.2C is used, the voltage of the battery 20 is increased, and as the voltage of the battery 20 is increased, the display unit 35 displays the actual remaining amount. The remaining amount will be displayed high.

In the above, the current during charging or discharging of the battery 20 is generally expressed as a multiple of the rated capacity. For example, the amount of discharge current is 0.5C means that it is discharged with the amount of current 0.5 times the rated capacity (C).

In the above, the microprocessor 30 receives information signals related to the battery 20 and outputs a corresponding remaining amount information display signal to the display unit 35. The microprocessor 30 receives a voltage signal to calculate a corresponding remaining amount, and then a temperature signal. And correcting the residual value of the battery 20 calculated by receiving the current signal. In more detail, in the microprocessor 30, when the temperature signal from the temperature detector 41 is large, that is, when the detected temperature of the battery 20 is higher than the reference temperature 25 ??, the battery 20 As the terminal voltage of) increases, the remaining amount displayed is displayed in an increased amount than the actual remaining amount. Therefore, the microprocessor 30 decreases the residual value by a value corresponding to the deviation between the reference temperature and the detected temperature. On the contrary, when the detected temperature is lower than the reference temperature, the microprocessor 30 decreases the residual value by the value corresponding to the deviation between the two temperatures. To increase.

In addition, when the load current signal from the current detector 43 is large, that is, when the detected load current amount is larger than the current (0.5C) when a normal load is applied (1C), the battery 20 As the terminal voltage decreases, the remaining amount displayed is displayed in a reduced amount than the actual remaining amount. Accordingly, the microprocessor 30 increases the residual value by a value corresponding to the deviation between the current 0.5C and the detected load current value 1C when the general load is applied, and the detected load current is a general load. When the current is smaller than the applied current, the residual value is decreased by a value corresponding to the deviation of the two load currents.

On the other hand, the microprocessor 30 may be configured by adding a timer for measuring the time left until the full charge of the battery 20 until the start of its discharge. At this time, the microprocessor 30 corrects the remaining amount value by a value corresponding to the idle time information signal from the timer. That is, as the length of time left from the full charge of the battery 20 to the start of its discharge is measured longer, the voltage remaining of the battery 20 decreases and the displayed remaining amount decreases than the actual remaining battery amount. Therefore, the microprocessor 30 increases the remaining value by a value corresponding to the leaving time, and conversely, the shortening time decreases the remaining value.

As a result, the microprocessor 30 calculates a residual value of the battery 20 according to the voltage signal of the voltage detector 42, and stores the battery 20 from the temperature detector 41, the current detector 43, and a timer. Residual correction factors such as the temperature, the magnitude of the load current, and the amount of time left after full charge are detected and compared with the predetermined reference values (for example, the temperature is 25 ° and the magnitude of the load current is 0.5C). If there is a difference from the reference value, that is, if the remaining amount is lower than the actual remaining amount, or if the remaining amount is higher than the actual remaining amount, the displayed remaining amount is corrected by a value corresponding to each difference. Alternatively, a low level correction signal of the battery 20 corresponding to the corrected value is generated and displayed on the display unit 35.

In addition, the microprocessor 30 outputs a control signal to an alarm unit (not shown) when the voltage of the battery 20 sensed by the protection circuit unit 40 is lower than the reference voltage to alert the user before a predetermined time. Finish the work so you can protect your data.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and changes can be made by those skilled in the art, which are included in the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

As described above, when the external power supply of the laptop computer of the present invention is applied, the remaining power is corrected according to the voltage, temperature, and load current of the battery, and the remaining power indicator is provided on the outside of the battery, so that the user can correct the remaining power during the use of the computer. There is an effect that can be easily confirmed.

In addition, the battery voltage is continuously monitored and when the low voltage is reached, an alarm is given for a predetermined time so that the user can finish the work being done, thereby protecting the data.

Claims (4)

The battery is supplied with external power through the input terminal during the charging operation and charged with driving power to the system through the output terminal during the discharging operation, and is connected to the output terminal of the battery to supply a plurality of levels of DC voltage required in each component of the system. A DC / DC converter for outputting, a protection circuit unit for detecting the voltage, temperature, and load current of the battery, and a line is blocked so that external power is not supplied to the battery when overcharge or overdischarge of the battery is detected in the protection circuit unit; Or a switching unit which cuts off a line so that discharge power is not supplied from the battery to the DC / DC converter, and calculates the remaining amount of the battery according to the voltage sensed by the protection circuit and corrects the calculated remaining amount according to the temperature and the load current. A user of the microprocessor and the battery level corrected by the microprocessor. An external power supply unit of a laptop computer, characterized in that configured to include a display for displaying to be resolved. The method of claim 1, The battery is an external power supply of a laptop computer, characterized in that a plurality of single cells are configured in series and in parallel. The method of claim 1, The display unit includes a remaining power indicator for displaying the remaining power of the battery in a number of steps, the external power supply of a laptop computer. The method of claim 1, In order to protect the data by finishing the user's work, the external power supply of the laptop computer, characterized in that the microprocessor is configured to be connected to the alarm unit that alarms a predetermined time before the battery voltage falls below the reference voltage.