Abstract: A computer provided with an intelligent battery 52 for charging/discharging, the intelligent battery 52 supplying power to a main system unit, wherein the intelligent battery 52 includes: a voltage measuring circuit 70 for measuring a battery voltage of the intelligent battery 52; a current measuring circuit 63 for measuring a charging/discharging current of the intelligent battery 52; a temperature measuring circuit 90 for measuring a temperature of the intelligent battery 52; and a CPU 62 for periodically reading the battery voltage measured by the voltage measuring circuit 70, the charging/discharging current measured by the current measuring circuit 63, and the temperature measured by the temperature measuring circuit 90 so as to manage a capacity deterioration of the battery due to a storage deterioration and a cycle deterioration, and wherein the main system unit includes an embedded controller 41 for receiving information about the capacity deterioration from the CPU 62 of the battery.

Abstract: An electrically powered apparatus having a system body obtains power from an AC adapter connected to the system body. The system body and AC adapter are powered from a commercial power source. A battery connected to the system body is charged, then discharged to power the system body. An embedded controller suppresses power supplied from the AC adapter on a predetermined condition while both the AC adapter and the battery are connected to the system body. In a peak shifting time zone, switches are opened to enable the battery to power the system body. When the capacity of the battery is insufficient, a switch is closed to enable the AC adapter to power an inverter. When the capacity of the battery is still insufficient, another switch is closed to enable the AC adapter to power the CPU.

Abstract: In general, the present invention provides a computer apparatus, power supply control method and program for reducing the standby power requirements in a computer supporting a wake-up function. The present invention reduces standby power requirements on power off by three types of control: a wake-up function being set by a user, existence of a device actually capable of realizing the wake-up function, and supplying the power from the auxiliary source only to the device capable of realizing the wake-up function.

Abstract: A wireless network communication card usable with a host apparatus is disclosed. The wireless network communication card includes an access point detection circuit that detects a wireless access point through a wireless antenna. A power inlet to which power is supplied in response to an access point detection request from a user when the power of the host apparatus is suspended, the power inlet being connected to the access point detection circuit is included, as is an indicator coupled to said access point detection circuit that indicates a presence of an available wireless access point in response to a detection by said access point detection circuit.

Abstract: An electrical apparatus including an AC adapter 51; a battery 52 that repeats charging and discharging to power the apparatus; an AC/DC enable circuit 61 that switches between stop and start of power source from the AC adapter 51 to the body; a charger utilization circuit 62 that charges an output capacitor (Cout) of a charger 60 while the power source from the AC adapter 51 stops; and a battery detection circuit 63 that detects disconnection of the battery 52. If the battery 52 is disconnected from the body and the battery detection circuit 63 detects the disconnection while the power source from the AC adapter 51 stops and the body is powered by the battery 52, the AC/DC enable circuit 61 starts power source to the body while the body is powered by the output capacitor (Cout).

Abstract: Electric apparatus, computer apparatus, controller, and battery switching method and program is provided to prevent a system shutdown caused by a reduction of electric power from a battery. A computer apparatus is constructed to be able to accept and be powered by a rechargeable main battery and a rechargeable sub-battery. An embedded controller in the computer apparatus monitors a remaining capacity at a pre-specified temperature of the sub-battery under discharge by receiving information from CPU. When the monitored temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature and when the monitored remaining capacity becomes less than a predetermined capacity, the embedded controller receives electric power from the main battery by switching the power supply circuit to provide power from the main battery instead of the sub-battery.

Abstract: A network system in which an electrical apparatus having a battery which performs charges and discharges to supply electric power to the electrical apparatus and a managing server are connected by the network and perform a diagnosis of the battery provided for the electrical apparatus. The electrical apparatus accesses a Web page provided by the managing server through the network and then transmits an information file about the battery to the managing server. The managing server reads the information file to analyze the information about the battery and then transmits the analytical results to the electrical apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, apparatus an device for reducing power loss by lowering an operating frequency of a power supply device in a standby state such as soft-off state, suspend state, or a state in which a line is not connected. In one aspect of the present invention, an AC adaptor connectable to a main body of an apparatus through a power line, comprising a rectifying and smoothing unit, a switching unit, and an operating frequency supplying unit, is provided for.

Abstract: A battery pack includes overcurrent limiting transistors and respective sensors in proximity to battery cell and the transistors. A CPU in the battery pack receives temperature signals from the sensors and selects an action to control temperature based on the temperature signals.

Abstract: To obtain a power source switching unit that is capable of cost and size reduction, and also supplying electric power reliably even when external power supply is intercepted, and to obtain a computer that is capable of avoiding shutdown that results from the interception of the external power supply. The power source switching unit is equipped on a power supply line with an AC adapter detection circuit and outputting a #AC-ADAP signal, and a temporary power supply circuit for temporarily supplying electric power to a DC-DC converter when the power supply is intercepted. The switching unit is further equipped with a battery switching circuit for switching the states of FET1, FET2, FET3, and FET4 so that main and second batteries are both connected to the DC-DC converter in response to a change in the #AC-ADAP signal when the AC adapter is disconnected from the switching unit.

Abstract: A main battery used as an electric power unit for a computer is provided with a memory that stores capacity information denoting the total capacity of a battery and compensation information representing the total capacity of the battery as a function of a battery charging cycle count. A CPU detects a cycle count of the battery according to an integrated charged capacity of the battery, thereby obtaining the total capacity with respect to this cycle count from the compensation information so as to compensate the capacity information according to the obtained total capacity.

Abstract: In an electrical instrument to which a plurality of battery blocks and/or a plurality of batteries are detachably connectable, to prevent a phenomenon that only specific battery and battery block are deteriorated. A hybrid battery connectable to a body of an electrical instrument consuming electrical power includes: a cell block which includes one or more battery cells, and supplies electrical power to the body of the electrical instrument by discharging after being charged; and a cell block which includes one or more battery cells, supplies electrical power to the body of the electrical instrument by discharging after being charged, and becomes active selectively with the former cell block. In the hybrid battery, a CPU selects a cell block becoming active based on the number of charge/discharge cycles of the former cell block and the number of charge/discharge cycles of the latter cell block.

Abstract: In a power supply protection circuit, a FET and a diode are connected to a power line so as to protect an inner circuit from an excessive voltage caused by a device connected to an IEEE1394 bus. A switching circuit connected to the power line turns off the FET when the voltage of a port exceeds a reference voltage, which is lower than the withstand voltage of the inner circuit.

Abstract: An electric supply system and device therefor including an AC adapter for supplying electric power received from external thereto; a battery being charged with electric power supplied from this AC adapter and enabled to supply electric power to the system by discharging the charged electric power; and a controller for controlling the supply of the electric power to the system from the AC adapter and the battery. The controller stops the supply of the electric power to the system from the AC adapter so as to supply the electric power to the system from the battery while the AC adapter connected to the system is powered off or loaded lightly.

Abstract: Apparatus includes a main body having a function of reducing performance of the apparatus during operation, an AC adapter which is connectable to the main body and supplies power to the main body from a commercial power source, and a rechargeable battery which is connectable to the main body and discharges to supply power to the main body. Apparatus operates without reducing the performance even while the power supplied from the AC adapter is turned off and the power is supplied from the battery during a peak shift period (e.g. mid-day summer where limiting the power supplied by the AC adapter is desirable) in a state where both the AC adapter and the battery are connected to the main body, and thereafter, the power supplied from the AC adapter is turned on and power is supplied to the main body from the AC adapter even during the peak shift period.

Abstract: A method and apparatus in accordance with the present invention determines the life of a battery which is repeatedly charged and discharged while providing power to one or more electronic devices. The battery is provided with a circuit for measuring current while the battery is charged, another circuit for stopping the charging of the battery, a circuit for measuring the voltage of the battery while charged and while charging is stopped. A CPU is included for computing an internal impedance depending on the measured battery voltage, the current under charge and the battery voltage while charging is stopped. An embedded controller is also included for determining the life of the battery depending upon the information about the internal impedance calculated by the CPU. Finally, information about the battery life can be displayed or delivered to a user at a predetermined time or continuously during use.

Abstract: To obtain a method for controlling power of a computer, a power control apparatus, and the computer which can prevent a user from feeling uneasy unnecessarily and inhibit a power-on problem from arising again. When the power switch is depressed, the power-on self test (POST) starts and if there is no error detected by that test in connection with the initialization of the IC, the operating system OS is loaded to make the computer operative (steps 200 through 208). If there is any error detected, a determination is made whether that error occurs as frequently as or more frequently than a predetermined number of times. If that error occurs as frequently as or more frequently than the predetermined number of times, an error indication is displayed and then the process ends. If that error occurs less frequently than the predetermined number of times, the error history is stored and then a setup for stabling the hardware operation is selected.

Abstract: A method of calculating capacity of an intelligent battery is provided for, whereby an intelligent battery and a portable electronic device are capable of allowing for power consumption by a minute current undetectable by a conventional circuit without any special cost required so as to consequently allow an error of capacity data to be smaller.

Abstract: A method of calculating capacity of an intelligent battery is provided for, whereby an intelligent battery and a portable electronic device are capable of allowing for power consumption by a minute current undetectable by a conventional circuit without any special cost required so as to consequently allow an error of capacity data to be smaller.

Abstract: The apparatus of this invention has a resetting function for software- or hardware-resetting a battery when a CPU in the battery hangs up and becomes inoperable or inoperative to make it possible to recover the CPU of the battery from a hung state. An electrical apparatus having a body for consuming power and constituted so as to be able to connect with a battery for supplying power to the body by discharging after the battery has been charged. The apparatus has a trouble recognition mechanism for recognizing trouble in the battery and a resetting mechanism for resetting the battery in accordance with the recognition by the trouble recognition mechanism.