JPH0819187A - Charging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a charging apparatus by which a plurality of kinds of batteries can be charged respectively most properly by a method wherein battery information which has been acquired from a secondary battery is compared with battery information from a storage means so as to judge their coincidence and a charging operation is controlled on the basis of a judgment result. CONSTITUTION:A secondary battery 5 is charged, and battery information on a battery voltage, a charging current, a battery temperature or the like at this time is acquired by an acquisition means 6. A judgment means 4 judges the kind of a battery on the basis of a relationship between the acquired battery information and battery information stored in a storage means 2. When their coincidence is judged, whether they coincide or do not coincide may be judged, or the probability of their coincidence may be judged so as to control a charging operation on the basis of the probability of the coincidence. Thereby, even when the kind of the battery does not coincide completely, the charging operation can be performed properly according to the degree of the probability of the coincidence. Thereby, the charging operation of a plurality of kinds of batteries can be performed respectively most properly.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a secondary battery charging device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional general charging device,
It is known to charge the battery with a relatively small electric power of about 1/10 of the battery capacity [mAh], taking about 8 to 15 hours. Further, in view of the problem that such a general charging device takes too long a charging time, a relatively large amount of power is supplied to the battery capacity, and a full charge detection method such as −ΔV or ΔT / Δt is used. There is also known a rapid charging type charging device which is configured to be charged in a short time.

Further, in view of the problem that the types of batteries to be targeted are limited in such a rapid charging type charging device,
It is possible to support multiple types of batteries by providing battery type identification information in the battery pack or by specifying the type of battery in the charging device with a switch etc. before charging and switching the charging method based on these. A charging device based on the above is also proposed. In addition, in order to facilitate control in this case, a charging device is also proposed in which a plurality of types of information are stored in a memory, information corresponding to the above identification information, etc. is selected from this, and charging is performed in accordance with this. Has been done.

[0004]

The conventional general charging device as described above is practically applicable to some extent even if the manufacturer of the battery to be charged and the capacity thereof are slightly different from the originally intended battery. However, there is a problem that the charging time is extremely long as described above.

Further, although the conventional rapid charging type charging device as described above can shorten the charging time, it has to be a charging device dedicated to a specific battery due to the difficulty of the control method, the problem of safety and the like. Therefore, there is a problem that it is not versatile. If you try to forcibly charge a non-target battery with such a conventional rapid charging type charging device, not only will you not be able to charge the battery satisfactorily, but also the battery life will be shortened, and in some cases there is a risk of the battery exploding. . As described above, the conventional charging device has a problem that the target battery is limited if the rapid charging is attempted and the charging time is long if the versatility is required.

As a solution to such a problem, a method of switching the charging method based on the identification information of the battery type as described above has been proposed, but the information amount of the identification information is naturally limited. Yes, so there are limits to the types of batteries that can be charged. Furthermore, there was no way to deal with a secondary battery that was not considered at the time of designing or a secondary battery that was newly developed after the charging device was manufactured. In this way, even if new high-performance secondary batteries emerge due to technological improvements, conventional charging devices cannot handle them, so if you do not replace the charging device or the set, you will not be able to benefit from it, and the industrial and economic The above disadvantage was enormous.

A charging device has also been proposed in which a plurality of types of information are stored in a memory as described above, information corresponding to the identification information or the like is selected, and charging is performed according to the selected information. There is a limit to the capacity of the memory that can be prepared, and a large amount of such information cannot be stored. Therefore, the types of batteries that can be charged are naturally limited.

Further, new information cannot be added to such a charging device, and accordingly, there is no way to deal with a newly developed battery or the like.

Further, such information is fixedly determined at the time of shipping of the charging device, and the information cannot be changed thereafter. Therefore, the battery characteristics may be changed due to the variation among the lots of the battery or a small improvement. However, we were unable to respond to changes in characteristics, changes in characteristics due to aging, etc.

[0010]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a charging device according to a first aspect of the present invention has an acquisition means for acquiring battery information, a storage means for storing battery information, and a battery acquired by the acquisition means. It is provided with a determining unit that determines a match in the relationship between the information and the battery information regarding at least one type of battery stored in the storage unit, and a control unit that performs charge control based on the determination result of the determining unit.

Further, the charging device according to the second invention is the first device.
In addition to the charging device according to the invention, it further comprises discharging means.

A charging device according to a third invention is the charging device according to the first invention or the second invention,
The determining means determines the probability of coincidence, and the control means is configured to perform the charging control based on the probability of coincidence.

A charging device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the charging device according to the first to third aspects of the present invention, wherein the determining means includes the battery information acquired by the acquiring means.
The control unit is configured to perform a charging control based on a plurality of determination results of the determination unit, for determining whether the battery information matches a plurality of types of battery information stored in the storage unit.

The charging device according to the fifth aspect of the invention is the first aspect.
In the charging device according to any one of the invention to the fourth invention and from the sixth invention to the eighth invention, the storage means can be added.

A charging device according to a sixth aspect of the invention is the first aspect.
In the charging device according to any one of the inventions to 5th and 7th to 8th inventions, the battery information of the storage means can be added.

The charging device according to a seventh aspect of the invention is the first aspect.
From the invention to the sixth invention and the eighth invention, the battery information of the storage means can be replaced.

A charging device according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the charging device according to the first aspect.
In the charging device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the battery information in the storage means can be modified.

[0018]

[Function] The secondary battery is charged, and battery information such as battery voltage, charging current and battery temperature at this time is acquired. Based on the relationship between the acquired battery information and the battery information stored in the storage unit, the battery type coincidence determination is performed. Appropriate charging can be performed by performing charging control based on this determination result.

Similarly, by discharging the secondary battery, it is possible to perform the battery type coincidence determination in the same manner, and the same effect can be obtained.

The coincidence determination may be made to determine whether they are coincident or non-coincident, or the probability (probability) of coincidence may be determined and the charging control may be performed based on the probability of coincidence. . By doing so, even when the battery types do not completely match, appropriate charging can be performed according to the degree of probability of matching.

Further, it is possible to deal with a large number of types of batteries by making a match determination with the battery information corresponding to a plurality of types of batteries. Furthermore, by performing charging control according to the probability of matching corresponding to a plurality of types of batteries, even if the types of batteries do not completely match, the degree of probability of matching each of a plurality of types of batteries can be adjusted. It can be charged properly.

Further, by making it possible to add a storage means, it is possible to deal with various types of secondary batteries, and to cope with newly developed secondary batteries and the like by adding a storage means. You can In addition, it is possible to increase the storage capacity for additional storage as described below, and it is possible to support various types of secondary batteries.

Further, by allowing the obtained battery information to be additionally stored in the storage means, for example, a new battery can be charged based on the additionally stored battery information after the second time. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately charge a new battery.

Further, by making it possible to replace the battery information stored in the storage means, for example, when there is no room to add new battery information in the storage means, for example, the stored battery information can be stored. It is possible to select the battery information with the lowest frequency of use and replace it with new battery information, and to effectively use the storage means.

Further, by making it possible to correct the battery information in the storage means, it is possible to cope with, for example, individual battery variations and aging characteristics changes.

[0026]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a charging device according to the present invention. Examples of the power supply means 1 include a solar cell, a generator, a storage battery such as an on-vehicle battery, a rectified AC power source and a direct current, and a series regulator, a switching regulator, a DC-DC converter, and the like. And preferably stabilized.
The power supply means may be provided outside the charging device.

The memory means 2 may be a semiconductor memory device, a magnetic memory device, an optical memory device or the like, and the semiconductor memory device is preferable because it is easy to handle. Further, it is preferable that the storage means retain the stored contents even after the power is turned off.
It is preferable to back up a volatile memory such as AM or DRAM or use a non-volatile memory. Moreover, among nonvolatile memories, PRO is more preferable than mask ROM.
M is more preferable because it allows additional storage of battery information. Also, among PROMs, fuse ROM, O
It is more preferable to use a flash memory, an EEPROM, or the like that can be rewritten a plurality of times rather than a one-time type such as TP.

It is more preferable to use a removable form such as a semiconductor memory card, a memory cartridge, a magnetic card, or an optional ROM because information can be easily added and exchanged. Further, it is more preferable to combine a plurality of types of storage devices as described above to take advantage of each of them. Further, the storage means may also store the CPU program or the like, and in this case, the battery information and the program may be separately arranged, for example, the battery information is incorporated in the program code. You may do it. The storage means may be provided on the battery pack side.

Examples of the secondary battery 5 include a nickel-cadmium battery, a nickel-hydrogen battery, a lead storage battery, and a lithium-ion secondary battery, and any of the batteries can provide preferable results. The secondary battery may be independent of the charging device in the form of a battery pack or the like, or may be integrated with the charging device.

The acquisition means 6 acquires battery information. Battery information will be described later, but mainly about battery voltage, charging current, battery temperature,
And those extracted from these are targeted. The battery information may be acquired directly on the charging device side,
What is acquired on the secondary battery side may be acquired via a signal terminal, a transmission line, or the like.

The information may be in any form such as an analog voltage, a digital data, an electric signal or a frequency, pulse width, amplitude, phase, etc. of a light beam. Also, information conversion such as encoding / decoding, multiplexing, modulation / demodulation may be performed during transmission.

The determination means 4 determines the match based on the relationship between the acquired battery information and the stored battery information. The determination result of the determination unit may be a match or mismatch, or a probabilistic one indicating the probability of match.

The control means 2 controls the charging of the secondary battery. The contents of control include those related to the supply mode of charging power such as constant voltage charging / constant current charging, switching of these, switching of charging power amount and charging power supply time, switching of quick charging / complementary charging Examples thereof include those relating to a uniform charging mode, those relating to a full-charge detection method such as switching between -ΔV and ΔT / Δt, and changes in detection sensitivity. By controlling a plurality of these types, excellent effects can be obtained.

The discharging means 7 discharges the electric power stored in the secondary battery. The discharge power may take any form such as resistance discharge or constant current discharge. When the actual load can be used, such as when the device is built in, the actual load may be used without preparing the discharging means.

Next, the principle of the charging device according to the present invention will be described. When a secondary battery is charged or discharged, the secondary battery responds to this and exhibits specific behaviors related to the type of the battery. An example thereof is shown in FIG. FIG. 2 shows the relationship between charging time and battery voltage when a constant charging current is applied to various secondary batteries.

When charging is started, with the passage of time,
The battery voltage draws a curve peculiar to the battery type as shown in FIG. This charging characteristic curve varies depending on the operating principle of a battery such as a NiCd battery or a lead storage battery, and even if the operating principle is the same, for example, it varies depending on the manufacturer. Even if the manufacturer is the same, the battery capacity and the number of series cells differ. different. Therefore, by charging the secondary battery, measuring the battery voltage, and comparing this curve or the characteristic element (for example, the rate of change) extracted from this curve with those stored in advance, it is determined whether the battery type is the same or not. You can judge whether

The charging power supply mode is not necessarily limited to the constant current charging as described above, and other modes such as quasi-constant current charging and constant voltage charging are also applicable.
Also, the behavior peculiar to such a battery type appears
Not only the battery voltage but also the charging current under quasi-constant current charging or constant voltage charging, for example. Therefore,
By measuring the charging current and comparing it with the battery information stored in advance, it is possible to similarly determine whether or not the battery type is the same.

Another example is shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the discharge time and the battery voltage when various secondary batteries are discharged with a predetermined discharge current. As shown in the figure, the battery voltage draws a curve specific to the battery type. Therefore, by discharging the secondary battery, measuring the battery voltage, and comparing this curve or the characteristic elements extracted from this curve with those stored in advance, it is possible to determine whether or not the battery types are the same.

There are many other unique behaviors related to the type of battery that appear upon charging or discharging as described above. For example, even when charging power is applied intermittently, the battery voltage draws a curve peculiar to the battery type.
Therefore, the battery voltage at this time is measured, and this curve or the characteristic elements extracted from this curve (peak, rise time, rise rate, voltage value after a lapse of a predetermined time, etc.)
By comparing with those stored in advance, it is possible to determine whether or not the battery types are the same.

Further, for example, the rising waveform of the battery voltage in the transitional period when charging power is applied to the battery shows behavior peculiar to the type of the battery. Therefore, the battery type can be determined by measuring the battery voltage and comparing the waveform or characteristic elements extracted from the waveform with those stored in advance. Such a peculiar behavior related to the type of battery due to charging or discharging appears not only in the battery voltage and the charging current, but also in the rising trend of the battery temperature.

As a method of detecting such a behavior,
Various methods are conceivable for each of the charging / discharging mode at the time of detection (changing the current stepwise, passing a large current in pulses, etc.), the detection method (detection content, detection timing, etc.), and the determination method. , The effective combinations of these are innumerable, but the gist of the present invention is to detect the behavior peculiar to the battery type that appears with such charging or discharging, and to check the relationship with the battery information stored in advance. It is to determine the battery type. The greatest feature of the present invention is that the battery type can be selected based on the electrochemical characteristics of the secondary battery itself, regardless of the external battery type instruction or incidental items such as the battery type identification information of the battery pack. It is in the judgment, and in this respect, it is completely different from the prior art and is innovative.

The battery information includes information on the battery voltage as described above, information on the charging current, information on the battery temperature, and the like, and information extracted from these information, for example, the amount of change per hour, Examples include the time required to change the predetermined value and the value after the predetermined time has elapsed. Further, the battery information acquired from the battery and the battery information stored in the storage unit do not necessarily have to be in the same form. For example, the battery information acquired from the battery is the battery voltage and is stored in the storage unit. The battery information may be information extracted from the battery voltage (for example, voltage change rate per time).

As the battery information, for example, a battery voltage sampled at regular time intervals (curve with time)
If it is to be stored, the number of stored battery information (sampling points) immediately means time, so providing the time information separately from this does not make any difference in terms of battery information, rather. It is preferable to provide them separately because the labor of checking the number of data can be saved.

Similarly, the amount of change such as −ΔV and ΔT / Δt is also extracted by the CPU at the time of execution based on the stored sampling value, and is also extracted and stored separately before the execution of the CPU. And there is no difference in meaning,
Rather, it is preferable in terms of processing to store it separately. Similarly,
For example, if the time-dependent change curve is applied to an approximate function formula such as a quadratic curve or a cubic curve, and the information such as the function formula or the coefficient is stored, the significance of the battery information does not change at all and is rather large. It is preferable in that the storage capacity can be reduced.

Similarly, it is preferable to store the battery information by compressing the data by, for example, a method of difference or the like, since the storage capacity can be reduced. Therefore, when we say battery information,
For example, time information, −ΔV change amount, ΔT / Δt change amount, Δ
V / Δt change amount, extracted information such as the coefficient of the approximation function,
Information obtained by compressing the battery information is also included in this.

Next, a first embodiment according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The timer 42 uses the CPU 40 at predetermined time intervals.
Generate an interrupt for In the memory 41, a battery voltage curve for one type of battery from the end of discharge to full charge is sampled and recorded at 1-minute intervals. At the end of this data (full-charge position), the value 0 indicating the final address is recorded.

When the charging is started, the CPU 40 supplies a predetermined charging power to the secondary battery 50 by the output circuit 30.
Along with this, the battery voltage rises and converges on the curve as shown in FIG. 2 in about 1 minute. After waiting for this convergence, the CPU 40 takes in the battery voltage and the output voltage of the temperature sensor 60 from the A / D converter 61. This battery voltage is temperature-corrected based on the output voltage of the temperature sensor so that the battery voltage will be 25 ° C. below. This is compared with the battery voltage on the memory 41.

If there is no match, the secondary battery is not of the same type as the battery stored in the table, and therefore the CPU 40 sets the charging power to a small value by the output circuit 30 and performs safe charging. On the other hand, if a match is found, the memory address where the matched data is stored (this is assumed to be A0) is stored in the register.
One minute later, the CPU 40 fetches the battery voltage again in the same manner and compares it with the data stored in the address A0 on the memory 41, which is +1. If the difference between these two values is within a predetermined value, it is considered that the battery types are the same, charging is continued, and the above process is repeated every minute thereafter.

When a match is always detected and the final address is reached in this way, the CPU 40 detects that the value read from the memory 41 is 0, recognizes that this is the final address, and terminates charging. On the other hand, if the difference between the above two values exceeds a predetermined value, it is considered that the battery types do not match, and C
The PU 40 sets the charging power to a small value and performs safe charging.

As described above, the charging device according to the present embodiment determines whether the battery voltage acquired under charging matches the battery voltage stored in the memory, and if it is determined that the battery voltage is the same, a rapid response is made. Charging was performed, and if it was determined that there was a mismatch, charging was performed with a small amount of power.Therefore, when a previously envisioned battery was connected, the most appropriate rapid charging for that battery could be performed, and it was envisioned. The excellent effect that the battery can be safely charged even when a battery that has not been used is connected.

Next, a second embodiment according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the second exemplary embodiment according to the present invention. In the memory 41, a battery voltage curve for one type of battery from full charge to end of discharge is sampled and recorded at 1-minute intervals. At the end of this data (the position where the discharge ends), the value 0 indicating the final address is recorded.

When the secondary battery is connected, the CPU 40 turns on the discharge switch 71 such as a semiconductor switch or a relay.
Then, the secondary battery 50 is discharged by a discharge load 70 such as a resistance load or a constant current load. Along with this, the battery voltage drops and converges on the curve as shown in FIG. 3 in about 1 minute. After waiting for this convergence, the CPU 40 takes in the battery voltage and the output voltage of the temperature sensor 60 from the A / D converter 61. The battery voltage is temperature-corrected so that the battery voltage becomes 25 ° C. This is compared with the battery voltage on the memory 41 to determine a match. The determination method is the same as in the first embodiment.

When it is determined that the battery types are the same, the discharge is continued until the end of the discharge, and when it is determined that the battery types are not the same, the CPU 40 turns off the discharge switch 71 and ends the discharge at that time. Even if it is determined that they do not match, the discharging may be continued until the battery voltage reaches a predetermined value. Further, in this case, the discharge power may be changed according to the result of the match determination. When the discharging is completed in this way, the CPU 40 supplies charging power to the secondary battery 50 by the output circuit 30 and starts charging. When it is determined that the battery types match in the above discharge, the CPU 4
0 performs optimal quick charging for the battery. On the other hand, when it is determined that they do not match, the CPU sets the charging power to a small value by the output circuit 30 and performs safe charging.

As described above, the charging device according to the present embodiment determines whether the battery voltage acquired under discharge matches the battery voltage stored in the memory, and if it is determined that the battery voltage is the same, the charging device determines whether the battery voltage is rapid. Charging was performed, and if it was determined that there was a mismatch, charging was performed with a small amount of power.Therefore, when a previously envisioned battery was connected, the most appropriate rapid charging for that battery could be performed, and it was envisioned. The excellent effect that the battery can be safely charged even when a battery that has not been used is connected.

Next, a third embodiment according to the present invention will be described. The configuration is similar to that of the first embodiment. In the memory 41, a voltage change rate corresponding to a battery voltage, charge control information, and a charge control parameter are recorded corresponding to a plurality of types of batteries.

When the charging is started, the CPU supplies a predetermined charging power to the secondary battery. 1 minute later, CPU 40 is A / D
The battery voltage and the output voltage of the temperature sensor are fetched from the converter 61, the battery voltage is temperature-compensated to be a voltage under 25 ° C., and stored in the memory 41. Thereafter, similarly, the battery voltage is sequentially stored in the memory 41 every one minute, but if this storage area is configured as a ring buffer, memory resources can be saved.

The CPU 40 calculates the voltage change rate by calculating the difference between the battery voltage 3 minutes before stored in the memory 41 and the new battery voltage every one minute, and obtains this voltage change rate in the memory 41. Compare with the rate of voltage change corresponding to the new battery voltage. If the difference between the two is within a predetermined range, it is determined that the battery types match. This is repeated by the number of types of the battery information stored in the memory 41 to determine a match.

As a result, if no match is found, the CPU 40 sets the charging current to a small value by the output circuit 30 and performs safe charging. If a match is found, the CPU 40 reads the charge control information from the area of the memory 41 corresponding to the battery. If this represents a NiCd battery, the optimum charging current value, −ΔV detection sensitivity, and charging timer value stored in the memory 41 for this battery are read out, and thereafter full charge detection is performed by −ΔV control. Also,
If this represents a NiMH battery, the optimum charging current value, ΔT / Δt detection sensitivity and charging timer value stored in the memory 41 are read out, and thereafter full charge detection is performed by ΔT / Δt control.

As described above, the charging device according to the present embodiment compares the acquired battery information with a plurality of battery information in the memory, and if a match is found, the battery in the memory is handled. Charge control is performed according to the control information
If a match is not found, charging is performed with a small current, so if a battery that corresponds to one of the multiple types of batteries assumed in advance is connected, it is most suitable for that battery. This has an excellent effect that quick charging can be performed and safe charging can be performed even when an unexpected battery is connected.

Next, a fourth embodiment according to the present invention will be described. The configuration is similar to that of the first embodiment. The memory 41 stores a charging characteristic curve, a proper charging time of the battery, a proper charging current of the battery, a probability table, etc. for each of a plurality of types of batteries. The battery type coincidence determination is almost the same as in the first or second embodiment described above, but in these embodiments, whether the difference between the acquired battery voltage and the voltage value of the memory is within a predetermined value or not. Instead of performing the match determination in, in the present embodiment, the absolute value of the difference between the acquired battery voltage and the value of the memory is converted into a table by the probability table corresponding to the battery type,
Probability (match probability) is obtained.

This is performed for each of a plurality of types of battery information, and based on the results, the charging current I,
Obtain the charging time T. I = (1 / N) * Σ (P (n) * I (n)) T = (1 / N) * Σ ((1 / P (n)) * (T (n)-
t (n)) where N is the total number of battery types compared, n is a number representing the battery type, P (n) is the probability of matching between the battery n and the battery to be charged, and I (n) is the battery n. Appropriate charging current, T (n) is the proper charging time from the completely discharged state of the battery n, and t (n) is the current charging stage (charging rate) of the battery n as the elapsed time from the start of charging. .

Note that t (n) can be known from the address where the acquired battery voltage and the voltage of the charge characteristic curve on the memory match. Further, although the full charge detection method of these plural batteries is variously different, such as −ΔV control and ΔT / Δt control, these detection methods are used together, and the detection outputs are weighted and synthesized according to the above equation according to the probability of coincidence. , Full charge detection is performed based on this. In this way, charging is performed by setting the optimum charging conditions for this secondary battery.

As described above, the charging device according to the present embodiment is configured to change the charging method based on the probability of matching the acquired battery information with the battery information in the memory, so that the charging device is not a battery to be charged. Even if the battery information related to the same battery is not stored in the memory, the charging condition suitable for the battery to be charged can be set from the battery information related to the similar battery, and thus the unexpected battery Even in this case, it has an excellent effect that quick charging can be performed.

Next, a fifth embodiment according to the present invention will be described. The configuration is shown in FIG. The memory card 44 is composed of a nonvolatile memory such as a mask ROM or a RAM and a backup battery, and a signal terminal for transmitting information, a power supply terminal, and a card insertion detection terminal internally connected to the (-) side of the power supply terminal. Etc. to the charging device. CPU
Similarly to the first embodiment or the third embodiment, the reference numeral 40 determines the battery type match based on the battery information stored in the built-in memory 43.

Further, the CPU 40 checks whether or not the memory card 44 is inserted by checking the voltage level of the card insertion detecting terminal. When the memory card 44 is inserted, the CPU 40 reads the header part of the card. The header includes an identification code for identifying whether the card can be used in the charging device (for example, manufacturing company name, format, product number, etc.), type of the card (ROM / RAM, etc.), storage capacity. Information such as the type of storage content (battery information only / battery information and program / program only) and storage format (fixed length / variable length, partition size, partition number, start address, etc.) is stored.

The CPU 40 first checks the identification code to determine whether the card is compatible with the charging device. As a result, if the card can be used, the type of the card is next determined. If it is RAM, it is confirmed by a checksum or the like whether or not the stored contents are lost. If these conditions are satisfied, the CPU further reads the format information, reads the memory contents in accordance with the format information, and sequentially compares the battery information as in the case of the built-in memory.

If a match is found, CP
U40 reads the header portion of the control information corresponding to the battery information. When the header indicates “control information only”, the control information on the card is stored in the internal memory 43.
Copy to and charge based on this information. If the header indicates "control information and program", then C
The PU 40 copies the control information and the program from the card to the internal memory 43, and transfers the execution to the program on the internal memory 43.

As described above, the charging device according to the present embodiment allows the memory card to be mounted in addition to the built-in memory 43, and the charging is performed based on the battery information of the memory card in addition to the battery information of the built-in memory. Since it can be performed, a new battery can be coped with by mounting the memory card, and by replacing the memory card, various batteries can be dealt with. Furthermore, the memory card stores not only the battery information but also the control program, so even if a new secondary battery whose charging control method is completely different from that of the conventional secondary battery, the control on the memory card is performed. This can be done by transferring execution to the program.

Although the contact-type memory card is used, the contact-type one can avoid the problem of contact reliability. In addition, the presence or absence of the card was checked using a dedicated terminal, but the bus line was pulled up,
If the data read from the card is FFH, a simple method such as determining that the data has not been inserted may be used. In addition to the memory card, a memory cartridge, a magnetic card, a magnetic cartridge, an optional ROM, or the like may be adopted.

Next, a sixth embodiment according to the present invention will be described. The configuration is similar to that of the fifth embodiment. With the start of charging, the CPU 40 supplies a predetermined charging power to the secondary battery. The CPU 40 determines the match of the battery type based on the battery information of the built-in memory 43, similarly to the first embodiment or the third embodiment.

When it is determined that the battery is new, the CPU 40
Checks whether the memory card 44 is inserted. If the memory card 44 is inserted,
The CPU 40 reads the header portion of the memory card 44. The CPU 40 first checks the identification code to determine whether the card is compatible with the charging device. As a result,
If the card can be used, the type of the card is next determined. If it is RAM, the CPU 40 further reads the memory allocation table and checks the free size.

Here, the memory in the card is logically divided into small sections of the same size, and the usage status of each section is stored at a position corresponding to each section in the memory allocation table. That is, the link information (the number of the next section) is stored in the position corresponding to the section being used, and the value 0 is stored in the unused section. Therefore, the free capacity can be determined by counting the number of unused partitions. If the memory has enough free space, the CPU stores the battery information stored every minute in the memory card and operates the memory allocation table to register the usage.

As described above, in the charging device according to the present embodiment, since the new battery information can be added to the memory card, the battery information is stored even for the new battery, and the charging after that is performed. It has an excellent effect that it can be used in an appropriate charging.

Next, a seventh embodiment according to the present invention will be described. The configuration is similar to that of the first embodiment. The memory 41 is divided into a plurality of sections, and each section stores battery information corresponding to each battery. Further, a priority order table is provided for priority order management. The priority table is configured as an array having the same number of elements (nodes) as the number of memory sections, and each element stores the section number of the section in which the battery information is stored, in descending order of frequency of use. . Unused partitions are distinguished by setting the most significant bit of the partition number to 1, and unused partitions are managed so that they are always placed at the end of the array. That is, the most significant bit of the last element of the array being 1 means that all partitions are in use.

When the charging is started, the CPU 40 acquires the battery voltage every predetermined time and sequentially stores it in the memory. In addition, the CPU 40 sequentially reads the priority order table from a higher priority order at predetermined time intervals to obtain a partition number, and the battery information stored in the partition and the battery information of the rechargeable secondary battery indicate a match. Probability is calculated. By repeating this, if the most significant bit of the partition number reaches 1, that is, an element that is an empty partition, or if the probability of a match corresponding to the last element of the array ends, the processing ends.

In this way, the probability of coincidence is determined for each of a plurality of pieces of battery information, and if the probability of coincidence for any piece of battery information is less than or equal to a predetermined value, it is determined that the battery is a new battery. If it is determined that it is not a new battery,
While charging is performed as in the third embodiment, the priority order table is rearranged, the priority is advanced in the direction of higher priority by an amount according to the degree of probability, and charging is terminated.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the battery is a new battery, the CPU 40 performs the charging which seems to be most suitable for this battery as in the third embodiment, and the charging is performed as in the third embodiment. Detects full charge. Further, the CPU 40 performs the following processing in order to newly register the battery information of the new battery in the memory 41. First, the partition number is read from the last element of the priority order table. This section is a section to be newly registered. Next, after the block contents of the partition indicated by the partition number are erased, the battery information that has been sequentially stored is copied at predetermined time intervals. Further, the charging current, charging time, type of full-charge detection method, weight combination information, and the like at this time are stored.

As described above, the priority table is arranged such that the partition numbers are arranged in descending order of frequency of use, and when there is a free partition, the free partition is always placed at the end of the table. When there is an empty partition, the empty partition is always selected by the above processing, and new battery information is added. On the other hand, when there is no empty partition, the battery information having the lowest priority (frequency of use) is deleted, and new battery information is stored in place of this. It should be noted that if the memory 41 is backed up or configured with a non-volatile memory, it is convenient because the stored contents are retained even when the power is cut off. Further, the CPU 40 performs a rearrangement operation of the priority order table, and raises the priority order of the partition from the lowest order to a predetermined order (for example, fifth from the last).

As described above, since the charging device according to the present embodiment is configured so that new battery information can be added to the memory, it is possible to support a new battery which was not expected at the time of development. . When adding new battery information, if the memory is already full and there is no room for addition, select the battery information with the least frequency of use from the battery information stored in the memory and replace it with this. Since the new battery information is stored, the limited memory resources can be effectively utilized.

Since the size of the required memory section differs depending on the battery type, if the memory section is set to a variable length, the memory can be used more effectively. In this case, the memory may be constructed as in the fifth embodiment. Further, as the priority order determination method, other algorithms such as LRU and FIFO may be used in addition to the methods listed above.

As the priority order management method, a method such as a ring buffer queue or a list may be used in addition to the method based on the above arrangement. Further, for example, priority data is provided corresponding to each partition, and the value is increased or decreased each time the battery is used, so that the priority data becomes larger as the frequency of use increases, and new battery information is obtained. When allocating, the partition having the smallest value of the priority order data may be allocated.

Next, an eighth embodiment according to the present invention will be described. The configuration is similar to that of the first embodiment. When the charging is started, the CPU 40 acquires the battery voltage every predetermined time and sequentially stores it in the memory 41. Also, CPU4
For 0, the battery type is determined in the same manner as in the first embodiment and the like, and charging is performed in the same manner as in the fourth embodiment according to the determination result. Further, at the time of this matching determination, the absolute value of the deviation between the acquired battery voltage and the battery information on the memory 41 is cumulatively stored in the memory 41.

When the full charge is detected, the CPU 40 stops the supply of the charging power by the output circuit 30 to end the charging, and makes a final coincidence determination based on the accumulated and stored deviation. As a result, if the matching probability is equal to or higher than the predetermined value, the battery information in the memory 41 is corrected based on the newly stored battery information according to the matching probability. For example, if the probability of a match is 90%, then 3:
If it is 7, 80%, the new battery information and the battery information on the memory 41 are weighted and combined at a ratio of 2: 8, and the battery information on the memory is replaced with the combined value. Memory 41
The new battery information stored in is used for charging the next and subsequent times.

As described above, since the charging device according to the present embodiment is configured to correct the battery information stored in the memory based on the newly acquired battery information, only uniform charging is possible. Unlike the conventional charging device that I did not get,
Each battery is handled in a finely tuned manner, allowing the most appropriate charging for each battery.

For example, even in the case of batteries of the same type, there is a difference in characteristics between the battery used in the development of the charger and the battery used by the user due to variations among lots. In some cases, the charging device according to the present embodiment corrects the battery information so as to match the battery used by the user, and thus can perform the most appropriate charging for the battery used by the user. Further, even if the batteries are exactly the same, the characteristics may change due to aging, etc., but since the charging device according to the present embodiment corrects the stored contents by following the characteristic changes of the secondary battery. , The most appropriate charging can be performed throughout the life of the secondary battery.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but may be configured as follows, for example. (1) In the above embodiment, only one type of battery information is stored for one type of battery, but a plurality of types of battery information may be stored. For example, for one type of battery, battery information for battery type determination and battery information for charging may be stored separately. For example, 1
Battery information corresponding to two types of charging currents may be stored for each type of battery, and the battery information for an arbitrary charging current may be calculated based on the stored battery information. On the other hand, for example, the battery information corresponding to one type of charging current may be converted into the battery information corresponding to another charging current.

(2) The charging or discharging for determining the battery type may be performed only for the purpose of determining the battery type, or the charging / discharging for other purposes may be diverted. For example, the charge for the purpose of charging may be diverted to the charge for determining the battery type, or the discharge for the purpose of completely discharging before the start of charging may be diverted to the discharge for determining the battery type. You may

(3) The battery type determination may be performed during the entire charging / discharging period, or may be performed during a part of the charging / discharging period. For example, discharge before charging,
After determining the battery type based on the battery information at this time,
You may make it charge with the optimal charging current based on a determination result. Alternatively, for example, predetermined charging may be performed for a predetermined period from the start of charging, the battery type may be determined based on the battery information at this time, and then the charging may be performed with an optimum charging current based on the determination result. Further, for example, constant-current charging is continued until the battery voltage reaches a predetermined voltage, and when the predetermined voltage is reached, the battery type is determined based on the battery information acquired up to that point. The constant current charging may be continued, and if it is determined to be a lead storage battery, control such as switching to constant voltage charging may be performed.

[0089]

Since the battery information obtained from the secondary battery is compared with the battery information in the storage means to determine whether they match and the charging control is performed based on the determination result, the battery type identification information is added to the battery pack. It is not necessary to provide a battery, and it is not necessary to instruct the battery type from the outside, and the most appropriate charging can be performed for each of a plurality of types of batteries.

Further, since the charging control is performed based on the probability of matching of the batteries, even if the battery types do not completely match, the charging control can be performed with a certain degree of certainty according to the probability of matching. It can be carried out.

Further, the probability of matching with a plurality of types of battery information is determined, and charging is performed based on the plurality of types of battery information according to the degree of probability, so that the battery is completely matched with the battery to be charged. Even if the battery information of the battery is not registered in the memory, the characteristics of the battery to be charged are inferred based on the battery information of a plurality of batteries having similar characteristics, and the charging control can be performed based on this result. . Therefore, it is possible to appropriately charge a new battery.

Since the storage means can be added, a new battery can be easily dealt with by adding the storage means.

Since the battery information in the storage means can be added, a new battery can be dealt with by adding the acquired battery information.

Since the battery information of the storage means can be replaced, the limited storage capacity of the storage means can be effectively used.

Further, since the battery information in the storage means can be corrected, it is possible to deal with the variation between lots of batteries of the same type, the variation of individual batteries within the same lot, and the like. Even if there is, it is possible to cope with characteristic changes due to aging and the like.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of the present invention.

[Figure 2] Charging characteristic diagram

[Fig. 3] Discharge characteristic diagram

FIG. 4 is a first embodiment, a third embodiment, a fourth embodiment,
Configuration diagrams of the seventh and eighth embodiments

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a fifth embodiment and a sixth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Power Supply Means 2 Storage Means 3 Control Means 4 Judgment Means 5 Secondary Batteries 6 Acquisition Means 7 Discharge Means

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An acquisition unit for acquiring battery information, a storage unit for storing battery information, a relationship between the battery information acquired by the acquisition unit and battery information relating to at least one type of battery stored in the storage unit. A charging device comprising: a determination unit that determines whether or not there is a match; and a control unit that performs charging control based on the determination result of the determination unit. 2. A discharge means is further provided.
The charging device according to. 3. The charging according to claim 1, wherein the determining means determines the probability of coincidence, and the control means performs charge control based on the probability of coincidence. apparatus. 4. The determination means determines whether the battery information acquired by the acquisition means matches a plurality of types of battery information stored in the storage means, and the control means controls the determination means. The charging device according to claim 1, wherein the charging control is performed based on a plurality of determination results. 5. The storage means can be added.
To claim 4 and the charging device according to claim 6 to claim 8. 6. The charging device according to claim 1, wherein the battery information of the storage means can be added. 7. The charging device according to claim 1, wherein the battery information in the storage means is replaceable. 8. The charging device according to claim 1, wherein the battery information in the storage means can be modified.