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: To obtain an electric power unit, an electric power controller, and an electric power controlling method that can know a date for starting use of an electric power unit respectively, as well as to obtain a computer that can know a date for starting the use of the built-in electric power unit. There is provided a main battery 64A, which is an electric power unit, with a memory 104 for storing data denoting a date for starting the use of the main battery 64A so as to store the data of the battery use starting date in the memory 104 via a CPU 102 just once when using of the main battery 64A is started actually by the embedded controller 80. To know the date on which using of the main battery is started, the embedded controller 80 is used to read the date from the memory 104.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electrical apparatus, program and method for a user to display a preliminary charging state in a battery. In one aspect, the present invention provides an electrical apparatus that is capable of receiving a battery for supplying electric power to a main unit by discharging after charging, comprising preliminary charge judging means for judging whether or not the battery is in a preliminary charging state that is a recovery from over-discharge, and display means for displaying an indication of preliminary charging if the preliminary charge judging means judges that the battery is in the preliminary charging state.

Abstract: An intelligent battery pack in an electronic device such as a PC, sends such information as a voltage, a current, etc. related to power consumption to a controller via a line when the PC is driven by a battery. When the AC adapter is supplying electrical power to the device, the power source is changed to the battery pack once only during the measuring time so as to display data using both measuring and communicating functions of the battery pack. Consequently, no special electric power detector is provided in the power supply system of the AC adapter.

Abstract: To guide a user in making a suitably timed start on refreshment of a battery for supplying power to a main unit by being discharged after being charged. There are provided a CPU for executing a program for diagnosis of an intelligent battery 52, an embedded controller 41 which receives an identifier from the intelligent battery 52 and outputs the identifier to the CPU, an information file in which information on dates of refreshment in a plurality of batteries are stored, and an AC adapter power stop circuit 80 for supplying/stop supplying power from an AC adapter 51 to the main unit. The CPU obtains from the information file the date information corresponding to an identifier output from the embedded controller 41 and makes determination as to necessity to perform refreshment. The AC adapter power stop circuit 80 is controlled on the basis of a refreshment instruction from the CPU to stop supply of power from the AC adapter 51 to the system main unit.

Abstract: A power supply apparatus is described in which one can suppress deterioration thereof when in preservation at a relatively low cost and with high reliability, obtain a charge control apparatus and charge control method which can suppress the deterioration thereof when in preservation of the power supply apparatus at a relatively low cost and with high reliability, and obtain a computer and an electric automobile suitable to which the charge control method can be applied.

Abstract: An intelligent battery comprising a battery cell for charging and discharging; a voltage detection circuit for detecting voltage of the battery cell; a current detection circuit for detecting charging current; a charging-stop FET for stopping charging for the battery cell; and a CPU for activating the charging-stop FET based on voltage detected by the voltage detection circuit, wherein before the voltage reaches a voltage for activation of the charging-stop FET, when the charging current value detected for the battery capacity by the current detection circuit is larger than a reference, the CPU determines that an abnormal state occurs, and activates the charging-stop FET. The present invention provides, in part, a battery, which is safer even if dual accidental malfunctions occur.

Abstract: An intelligent battery pack in an electronic device such as a PC, sends such information as a voltage, a current, etc. related to power consumption to a controller via a line when the PC is driven by a battery. When the AC adapter is supplying electrical power to the device, the power source is changed to the battery pack once only during the measuring time so as to display data using both measuring and communicating functions of the battery pack. Consequently, no special electric power detector is provided in the power supply system of the AC adapter.

Abstract: A system main body, which is constructed to be able to be equipped with an AC adapter for converting alternative current to direct current and receives power supply from the AC adapter, and an intelligent battery, which is charged by receiving electric power from the AC adapter and supplies electric power to the main body by discharge. A CPU within the intelligent battery outputs to an embedded controller disposed to the system main body information indicating that the AC adapter is not regular when charging current supplied by the AC adapter and measured by a current measurement circuit becomes a level lower than a predetermined value indicating completion of charge and when voltage of a cell measured by a voltage measurement circuit and calculated accumulated capacity doesn't reach each specified value allowing to be judged that sufficient charge level is obtained.

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: 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: 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 hang-up 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 being charged, has trouble recognition means for recognizing a trouble of the battery and resetting means for resetting the battery in accordance with the recognition by the trouble recognition means.

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: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for controlling power consumption of the PC, which is provided with base loads comprising a plurality of components, as well as a CPU including operation modes of “throttling” and “clock-down”. Actual power consumption 103 of the CPU in a certain operation mode varies heavily or widely within a range of maximum power consumption of the CPU. A variation of actual power consumption 101 of the base loads is relatively gentle or mild. Predicted maximum power consumption (Pmax) of the PC is obtained from actual power consumption of the base loads and maximum power consumption in the current operation mode of the CPU. Reference power vales 121, 123, 125 are set up such that they are compared with the Pmax for changing an operation mode to another operation mode. When the Pmax exceeds a reference power vale, the operation mode of the CPU is changed for controlling actual power consumption of the PC.

Abstract: A computer equipment for connecting with an intelligent battery 52 to supply power from the intelligent battery 52 to a system, in which the intelligent battery 52 comprises a cell (battery cell) 61 for supplying power by discharging after being charged, a high-capacity capacitor 73 connected to a power line for supplying power from the cell 61 to a system in parallel with the cell 61, a switch (SW1) 74 for turning on/off the connection of the high-capacity capacitor 73 to the power line, and a CPU 62 for controlling the switch (SW1) 74, and the CPU 62 controls on/off of the switch (SW1) 74 based on a connection state with the system and/or a power consumption state of the system.

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: 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: 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: To accurately determine whether a battery has a trouble by a unit provided with a battery for supplying power to the body while repeating charge and discharge.

Abstract: A power supply unit includes a rechargeable battery for supplying power to a body circuit of an electrical apparatus, a current measurement circuit for measuring a currently-discharged current value, a voltage measurement circuit for measuring a currently-discharged voltage value, and a controller for detecting whether a memory effect occurs by determining whether a currently-discharged voltage value measured at a currently-discharged current value is lower than a predetermined voltage value when a detected battery capacity is equal to or less than a predetermined capacity.