Electronic apparatus, power feeding control method, and non-transitory recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11108258-B2
Application number	US-201916278523-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2019
Priority date	Mar 8, 2018
Publication date	Aug 31, 2021
Grant date	Aug 31, 2021

Abstract

An electronic timepiece includes a secondary battery, a first power feeder, a second power feeder, and a processor. The first power feeder feeds power to the secondary battery. The second power feeder feeds power to the secondary battery at a current larger than a current fed by the first power feeder. The processor determines remaining power of the secondary battery based on different references that are a reference of when the first power feeder is feeding the power to the secondary battery and a reference of when the second power feeder is feeding the power to the secondary battery.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:
a secondary battery;
a first power feeder that feeds power to the secondary battery;
a second power feeder that feeds power to the secondary battery at a current larger than a current fed by the first power feeder; and
a processor configured to:
detect a voltage of the secondary battery;
when the first power feeder is feeding the power to the secondary battery, determine a remaining power of the secondary battery by comparing the detected voltage with a first reference value; and
when the second power feeder is feeding the power to the secondary battery, determine the remaining power of the secondary battery by comparing the detected voltage with a second reference value that is higher than the first reference value.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a temperature detector that detects a temperature of the secondary battery,
wherein the processor is configured to:
when the first power feeder is feeding the power to the secondary battery, compare the detected voltage and the detected temperature with the first reference value, that is a predetermined value, in accordance with the temperature of the secondary battery to determine the remaining power of the secondary battery; and
when the second power feeder is feeding the power to the secondary battery, compare the detected voltage and the detected temperature with the second reference value, that is a predetermined value, in accordance with the temperature of the secondary battery to determine the remaining power of the secondary battery.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to:
detect the voltage of the secondary battery at a predetermined cycle;
specify, as the remaining power of the secondary battery, one remaining battery level among a plurality of predetermined remaining battery levels in accordance with the remaining power of the secondary battery;
change the present remaining battery level up by one when the remaining battery level higher than the present remaining battery level is specified consecutively a first predetermined number of times when the first power feeder is feeding the power to the secondary battery; and
change the present remaining battery level up by one when the remaining battery level higher than the present remaining battery level is specified consecutively a second predetermined number of times that is smaller than the first predetermined number of times when the second power feeder is feeding the power to the secondary battery.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising a display,
wherein:
in a case where the first power feeder is feeding the power to the secondary battery, when the detected voltage is within a first range, the processor displays, on the display, information indicating that the secondary battery is being charged, and when the detected voltage is lower than the first range, the processor does not display the information on the display; and
in a case where the second power feeder is feeding the power to the secondary battery, when the detected voltage is within a second range having a lower limit that is lower than a lower limit of the first range, the processor displays the information on the display, and when the detected voltage is lower than the second range, the processor does not display the information on the display.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to suspend the power feeding from the second power feeder to the secondary battery when the determined remaining power is a predetermined amount and when a current fed from the second power feeder to the secondary battery is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a display,
wherein:
in a case where the first power feeder is feeding the power to the secondary battery, when the detected voltage is within a first range, the processor displays, on the display, information indicating that the secondary battery is being charged, and when the detected voltage is lower than the first range, the processor does not display the information on the display; and
in a case where the second power feeder is feeding the power to the secondary battery, when the detected voltage is within a second range having a lower limit that is lower than a lower limit of the first range, the processor displays the information on the display, and when the detected voltage is lower than the second range, the processor does not display the information on the display.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to suspend the power feeding from the second power feeder to the secondary battery when the determined remaining power is a predetermined amount and when a current fed from the second power feeder to the secondary battery is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to suspend the power feeding from the second power feeder to the secondary battery when the determined remaining power is a predetermined amount and when a current fed from the second power feeder to the secondary battery is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
detect the voltage of the secondary battery at a predetermined cycle;
specify, as the remaining power of the secondary battery, one remaining battery level among a plurality of predetermined remaining battery levels in accordance with the remaining power of the secondary battery;
change the present remaining battery level up by one when the remaining battery level higher than the present remaining battery level is specified consecutively a first predetermined number of times when the first power feeder is feeding the power to the secondary battery; and
change the present remaining battery level up by one when the remaining battery level higher than the present remaining battery level is specified consecutively a second predetermined number of times that is smaller than the first predetermined number of times when the second power feeder is feeding the power to the secondary battery.

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising a display,
wherein:
in a case where the first power feeder is feeding the power to the secondary battery, when the detected voltage is within a first range, the processor displays, on the display, information indicating that the secondary battery is being charged, and when the detected voltage is lower than the first range, the processor does not display the information on the display; and
in a case where the second power feeder is feeding the power to the secondary battery, when the detected voltage is within a second range having a lower limit that is lower than a lower limit of the first range, the processor displays the information on the display, and when the detected voltage is lower than the second range, the processor does not display the information on the display.

11. The electronic apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to suspend the power feeding from the second power feeder to the secondary battery when the determined remaining power is a predetermined amount and when a current fed from the second power feeder to the secondary battery is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.

12. The electronic apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to suspend the

Assignees

• Casio Computer Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ochiai Fumiaki
• Asami Yoshinori
• Kawaguchi Yohei
• Obata Katsuhiko

Classifications

• H02J7/92

  with prioritisation of loads or sources · CPC title

• H02J7/977

  of the battery · CPC title

• H02J7/90

  Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage · CPC title

• H02J7/82 Primary

  Control of state of charge [SOC] · CPC title

• H02J7/96

  in response to battery voltage · CPC title