Data processing device, electronic device, data processing method, and storage medium

Abstract

The present invention provides a data processing device, electronic device, data processing method, and storage medium capable of more appropriately processing data representing the state of a storage battery. The data processing device acquires data representing the state of the storage battery, repeatedly and continuously counts a set time, determines whether a predetermined event has occurred, and, if it is determined that no event has occurred between the start and end of counting the set time, performs predetermined processing based on data acquired within the set time. If it is determined that an event has occurred between the start and end of counting the set time, performs at least one of processing based on data acquired up to a stop timing based on the occurrence of the event and processing based on data acquired after a start timing based on the occurrence of the event.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a data processing device, an electronic device, a data processing method and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Portable electronic devices have built-in batteries and operate on power supplied by these batteries. By measuring various parameters related to monitoring the battery's status, obtaining and analyzing the measured data, and obtaining information on degradation, it is possible to improve the battery or the battery-related operation of electronic devices. Furthermore, there are technologies that monitor the ratio (charging rate) of the amount of energy actually stored in a secondary battery (battery) relative to the amount of energy that can be stored (storage capacity) in the secondary battery (battery) to control charging and discharging.

[0003] In electronic devices, especially small and lightweight electronic devices used for specific purposes, there is no performance that is necessary for the purpose of the electronic device, and it is not necessarily equipped with a structure sufficient to process these measurement data that are not directly used in the operation of the electronic device. Therefore, there are cases where part or all of the analysis processing related to the state of the battery of such electronic devices is performed by an external server device with high data processing and computing capabilities. The data obtained from the storage device, electronic device, etc. having a battery is temporarily stored and maintained in the memory of the electronic device, and is sent to the outside as appropriate or in response to a request from the server device (for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-517983, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-61872).

[0004] However, when performing pre-processing while obtaining data indicating the status of a battery in existing electronic devices, the data is only processed mechanically at fixed intervals, resulting in the problem that appropriate processing results corresponding to the operating status, environmental status, etc. that may change irregularly cannot be obtained in the electronic device. Summary of the Invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a data processing device, an electronic device, a data processing method, and a storage medium capable of more appropriately processing data indicating the state of a storage battery.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the data processing device of the present invention comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires data indicating the state of a storage battery; a timing unit that repeatedly and continuously counts a set time; a determination unit that determines whether a predetermined event has occurred; a first execution unit that, when it is determined that the event has not occurred during the period from the start to the end of counting of the set time by the timing unit, executes a predetermined process based on the data acquired within the set time; and a second execution unit that, when it is determined that the event has occurred during the period from the start to the end of counting of the set time by one time, performs at least one of a first action and a second action, wherein in the first action, the process is performed based on the data acquired during the period from the start of the counting to the stop timing based on the occurrence of the event, and in the second action, the process is performed based on the data acquired during the period from the start timing based on the occurrence timing of the event to the end of counting of the set time by the timing unit.

[0007] Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, there is an effect that data indicating the state of a storage battery can be processed more appropriately. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing the functional structure of an electronic device.

[0010] Figure 2 This is a diagram explaining how to obtain measurement data.

[0011] Figure 3 This is a diagram explaining how to obtain measurement data.

[0012] Figure 4 This is a diagram explaining how to obtain measurement data.

[0013] Figure 5A 、 Figure 5B This is a diagram showing an example of the contents of setting data.

[0014] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing the control procedure of summary data acquisition control processing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0016] Figure 1 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an electronic device 1 including a data processing device according to the present embodiment.

[0017] The electronic device 1 is a portable device, such as a terminal device that can be mounted on the body, such as an arm. Alternatively, the electronic device 1 can operate continuously or intermittently for a certain period of time in a situation where it is impossible (difficult) to connect to an external power source such as a commercial power source (for example, outdoors). The electronic device 1 includes a power supply connection unit 10, a charging control IC 20 (Integrated Circuit), a microcomputer 30, a charge and discharge switching unit 40, a control unit 50, and an operating unit 60. In addition, a secondary battery B (storage battery) is built into the electronic device 1. When the charge and discharge switching unit 40 is in a discharged state, power from the secondary battery B is supplied to the control unit 50 and the operating unit 60.

[0018] The power supply connection unit 10 is connected to wiring from an external power source. For example, the power supply connection unit 10 includes an input terminal to which DC power of a predetermined voltage for charging is input via a voltage converter (adapter) located midway in the wiring, converting AC power from a commercial power source. Alternatively, the power supply connection unit 10 may include a USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminal, etc., to receive USB power.

[0019] The charge control IC 20 switches and controls the power supply to the control unit 50 and the operation unit 60 in the charge / discharge switching unit 40 and the charging of the secondary battery B. The charge control IC 20 switches the current path open and closed based on information such as whether an external power source is connected to the power supply connection unit 10 and measurement information from the voltage measurement unit 641.

[0020] The microcomputer 30 controls the operation of the charge control IC 20 based on the measurement data of the voltage measurement unit 641 and the current measurement unit 642. The microcomputer 30 includes a control unit 31 including a hardware processor for performing control operations.

[0021] The charge / discharge switching unit 40 opens and closes current paths, including the power supply path from the secondary battery B to the control unit 50 and the operation unit 60, and the charging path from the power supply connection unit 10 to the secondary battery B. The charge / discharge switching unit 40 includes, for example, an analog switch, and opens and closes the current paths by switching the analog switch on and off using the charge control IC 20.

[0022] The control unit 50 performs various control operations related to the operation of the operating unit 60 and other units. Furthermore, it operates the operating unit 60 to acquire and process measurement data. The control unit 50 includes a first control unit 51 and a second control unit 52 (forming the data processing device or computer of this embodiment). The second control unit 52 has lower performance and consumes less power than the first control unit 51. When the electronic device 1 is only continuously performing basic minimum functions (basic functions), such as counting and displaying the current time, power consumption can be reduced by stopping at least part of the operation of the first control unit 51 and having the second control unit 52 control the execution of the basic functions. On the other hand, when executing functions other than the basic functions (extended functions), the required performance can be achieved by operating the first control unit 51 in normal mode to control the execution of the extended functions. Regarding the basic functions (counting and displaying the time), for example, in power saving mode, the second control unit 52 can only display the hour and minute in black and white, while in normal mode, the first control unit 51 can display the date and hour, minute, and second in color.

[0023] The first control unit 51 includes a main CPU 511 (Central Processing Unit), a first storage unit 512, a timer unit 513, and the like. The main CPU 511 performs computations, activates various application programs related to extended functions that can be executed in normal mode, and controls the operation of the electronic device 1 related to the extended functions being executed. The main CPU 511 includes registers. The main CPU 511 ceases operation in power saving mode.

[0024] The first storage unit 512 includes volatile memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and non-volatile memory such as flash memory. The volatile memory provides operating memory space for the main CPU 511 and temporarily stores data. In power saving mode, the RAM can continue to perform minimal operations to maintain data stored in the volatile memory, such as refreshing the DRAM and supplying voltage to the SRAM. It can also back up temporary data in the volatile memory to the non-volatile memory and cease operations during power saving mode.

[0025] The timekeeping unit 513 counts signals of a given frequency and outputs the current date and time. The date and time counted can be the date and time (local time) in the time zone where the electronic device 1 (secondary battery B) is currently located, or it can be fixed to a specific time zone. Time zone information can be stored separately in the first storage unit 512 and used to display the time zone information. Alternatively, when counting the date and time in a specific time zone, it can be used to convert it to the local time in the time zone of the current location. The date and time output by the timekeeping unit 513 is accurate enough to be used in a clock function, with a deviation from the correct date and time of less than 0.5 seconds per day. The timekeeping unit 513 can be a dedicated hardware circuit, or the main CPU 511 can count and store the date and time in the RAM of the first storage unit 512. Furthermore, the date and time counted by the timekeeping unit 513 can be appropriately corrected based on date and time data externally obtained by the operation unit 60 (communication unit 63, measurement unit 64, etc., described later).

[0026] The second control unit 52 includes: a sub-CPU 521 (acquisition unit, determination unit, first execution unit, second execution unit, initialization unit, storage control unit, and setting unit) as at least one processor; a second storage unit 522 (storage unit) as at least one memory; and a timer 523 (timing unit). The sub-CPU 521 performs various calculations to control the operation of the electronic device 1 in power saving mode. The sub-CPU 521 includes registers. The operation of the electronic device 1 in power saving mode includes the aforementioned date and time counting and display operations; and the processing related to obtaining the status of the secondary battery B, which will be described later. Furthermore, if the communication unit 63 is capable of short-range wireless communication, such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy, which can primarily operate at low load, it may also perform minimal communication control with external communication devices, such as periodically receiving date and time information and notifications of events occurring in the external communication device. In power saving mode, the sub-CPU 521 may be suspended at regular intervals other than the regular operation of the electronic device 1.

[0027] The second storage unit 522 includes volatile memory and non-volatile memory. The volatile memory, such as RAM, provides working memory space for the sub-CPU 521 and temporarily stores data. The non-volatile memory stores programs 5221 for controlling basic operations and summary data representing measurement data of the status of the secondary battery B.

[0028] Timer 523, for example, is an OS timer that repeatedly counts a preset time (set time T0). Basically, from the start of counting, timer 523 outputs a given notification signal each time set time T0 passes (each time the elapsed time since counting began reaches set time T0). Furthermore, the count result, which is the count result, is initialized and counts again from zero. Set time T0 is not particularly limited and, as described later, is, for example, 20 minutes, and can be changed through settings. The clock signal that serves as the source of timer 523's counting has lower time accuracy than the clock signal used by the timer unit 513 to count the date and time. Therefore, the accumulated elapsed time counted by timer 523 deviates from the actual elapsed time. The magnitude of this deviation varies depending on the state of electronic device 1, such as the temperature environment and the operating load of sub-CPU 521 (for example, it can be from one minute to several minutes during a day, i.e., counting 72 times the set time T0 of 20 minutes).

[0029] The operation unit 60 performs operations related to various functions of the electronic device 1. The operation unit 60 includes, for example, a display unit 61, an operation receiving unit 62, a communication unit 63, and a measurement unit 64.

[0030] The display unit 61 includes a display screen capable of displaying various characters, logos, patterns, and the like. The display screen is, for example, a liquid crystal display screen, but may also be another display screen, such as an organic EL (electroluminescent) display screen. The display unit 61 may be configured to change its display state between normal operation and power saving mode, so that power consumption associated with display in power saving mode is lower than power consumption associated with display in normal operation.

[0031] The operation receiving unit 62 receives input operations from the outside such as users, and outputs input signals based on the input operations to the control unit 50. The operation receiving unit 62 includes, for example, a touch panel and a button switch. The touch panel is located at a position overlapping with the display screen of the display unit 61, detects contact operations, and outputs information about the contact position during the detection. In addition, the input detection of the touch panel can be temporarily stopped (simply inputting information about the contact position to the first control unit 51) when a given input operation is received or when the power saving mode is in operation. The button switch can accept operations regardless of the operation mode. For example, the power saving mode can be restored to the normal operation mode by pressing the button switch (which can be a long press for a set time or longer). In this case, for example, the second control unit 52 detects the recovery operation and restarts the operation of the first control unit 51 in response to the detection of the recovery operation.

[0032] The communication unit 63 controls wireless communications with external devices in accordance with communication standards. Examples of communication standards that the communication unit 63 can control include wireless LAN (Local Area Network) communication and Bluetooth communication. Furthermore, if the electronic device 1 is connectable to a wired cable, the communication unit 63 can also control communications via the wired cable, such as LAN communication and USB (Universal Serial Bus) communication.

[0033] The measuring unit 64 measures various physical quantities, generates measurement data corresponding to the measurement results, and outputs it to the control unit 50 and the like. The various measurement targets are determined according to the functions of the electronic device 1 and the like. Here, the measuring unit 64 includes a voltage measuring unit 641, a current measuring unit 642, and a temperature measuring unit 643 as components for measuring the state of the secondary battery B. Furthermore, for example, corresponding to the direction measurement and display function, the measuring unit 64 may include a sensor for measuring the geomagnetic field, an acceleration sensor for measuring motion, an air pressure sensor for measuring altitude and / or weather conditions, and an illumination sensor for measuring the surrounding conditions of the electronic device 1.

[0034] The voltage measurement unit 641 measures the output voltage corresponding to the charge level of the secondary battery B and generates and outputs measurement data corresponding to the measurement result. The measurement result may be output to the microcomputer 30 in addition to the control unit 50, and used for estimating the remaining charge level (charge rate) of the secondary battery B (which can be estimated by the control unit 50), switching driving related to charge and discharge of the charge / discharge switching unit 40 by the charge control IC 20, and the like.

[0035] The current measurement unit 642 measures the charging current to and discharging current from the secondary battery B (collectively referred to as the charge and discharge current), generates and outputs measurement data corresponding to the measurement results. The measurement results are output to the control unit 50. Furthermore, the measurement results may be output to the microcomputer 30 and utilized for purposes such as determining the end of charging during charging and controlling path blocking when an abnormality occurs in the current flow. Furthermore, the current measurement unit 642 may not only measure the current but also calculate the internal resistance of the secondary battery B based on the current value.

[0036] Temperature measurement unit 643 measures the temperature at a certain location on electronic device 1 and generates and outputs measurement data corresponding to the measurement result. The certain location is a location where the surface temperature of secondary battery B can be measured, such as, but not limited to, a location in contact with secondary battery B. The certain location can also be a location where the surface temperature of secondary battery B can be estimated (e.g., around secondary battery B).

[0037] Secondary battery B is not particularly limited and is a lithium-ion battery in this case. When the charge / discharge switching unit 40 is enabled for discharge, secondary battery B supplies power to the control unit 50 and the operating unit 60. Furthermore, when the charge / discharge switching unit 40 is enabled for charging, power is supplied from an external power source via the power supply connection unit 10 to charge secondary battery B. Secondary battery B may be a secondary battery included in electronic device 1 or may be a removable and replaceable secondary battery in electronic device 1.

[0038] Next, acquisition and processing of measurement data related to monitoring of secondary battery B in this embodiment will be described.

[0039] Figures 2 to 4 This is a diagram explaining how to obtain measurement data. Figure 2 As shown, the measurement data (data indicating the state of the battery) of the voltage measurement unit 641, the current measurement unit 642, the temperature measurement unit 643, etc. are sampled and acquired at predetermined intervals, such as 1-minute intervals, and temporarily stored and maintained in registers of the sub-CPU 521. Furthermore, the stored and maintained measurement data is not limited to the acquired values ​​themselves, but may also be values ​​that have undergone mechanical corrections, or values ​​that have undergone predetermined calculations or conversions. The above-mentioned sampling intervals are determined corresponding to the measurements of the timer 523. Multiple measurement data may be acquired at different intervals. Alternatively, rather than being acquired at fixed intervals, it may be acquired irregularly.

[0040] In this case, since storing all acquired measurement data in a register would significantly occupy the register's memory capacity, after acquiring a number of measurement data corresponding to the sampling interval (e.g., the 1-minute interval described above) and the set time T0 (e.g., 20 minutes) (here, 20; the number acquired may increase or decrease due to measurement failures, measurement deviations by timer 523, etc., and the same applies hereinafter), a summary process (a process based on a predetermined data set) is performed on the 20 measurement data. In this summary process, a representative value, such as the average value, is calculated from these 20 measurement data and acquired as summary data. This representative value (summary data) can be classified according to the measurement content or as needed, or it can be classified into multiple categories. For example, it is possible to acquire not only the average value but also the maximum and minimum values, or calculate the variance or standard deviation as a measure of the degree of variation. Furthermore, it is possible to convert the data into other values ​​corresponding to the content of the measurement data. For example, the remaining charge of secondary battery B can be obtained based on the average voltage value or the total discharge current (which may also take into account the temperature). After the summary data is calculated, the measurement data from which the calculation was made is deleted. Summary data is stored in the order in which it was obtained, but no information such as date and time (time stamp) is added.

[0041] The summary data stored in the register is further written to the flash memory of the second storage unit 522 every time a predetermined reference number (a reference number of times greater than or equal to 2), for example, three times, is obtained and retained. The number of writes to the flash memory is limited, and since higher voltage is required compared to writing to RAM (registers), etc., by writing multiple times in a batch, it is possible to reduce time and extend the life of the flash memory.

[0042] In such a summary process, if the summary includes both measurement data before and after the occurrence of an event (state change event) in which the state of the secondary battery B, such as the usage status, changes, then it is difficult to appropriately classify the resulting summary data when analyzing it. Furthermore, as mentioned above, since the timing accuracy of the timer 523 is not very high, if the data is continuously accumulated, the deviation from the actual date and time counted by the timing unit 513 will become larger. Information on the time, particularly the local time of the location where the electronic device 1 (and its user) is located, can also be helpful in analysis. Therefore, the timer 523 can be adjusted by periodically initializing the data at a specific time, such as a date change time (0 hours, 0 minutes, 0 seconds), when the date and time counted by the timing unit 513, which is more accurate than the timer 523, reaches a specific time. It is preferable that the event categories that distinguish the measurement data before and after the event into different summary data during the summary, i.e., the event categories that include state change events and events at specific times (here, date change events), are predetermined and stored in the second storage unit 522 as specific events (predetermined events). The data of a specific event may include additional information as described later. When the sub-CPU 521 receives notification of the occurrence of an event during interrupt processing or the like, it determines whether the event corresponds to the predetermined event.

[0043] like Figure 3 As shown, if the date and time counted by the timer 513 changes while continuously acquiring summary data at time intervals T1 (equal to the set time T0), an interrupt signal is input from the first control unit 51 or the second control unit 52, generating a date change event. If the aforementioned specific event occurs between the start and end of counting of a single set time T0 (here, count time T2), even if the count is midway through the set time T0 (here, count time T2), the measurement data acquired up to that timing (the stop timing) is aggregated (the aforementioned process), thereby acquiring the Nth summary data (first operation). The summary data held up to that point, including the newly acquired summary data, information indicating the occurrence of the date change event, and information on the date and time of the event (at least the time of occurrence and the timestamp) are written to the flash memory of the second storage unit 522.

[0044] Alternatively, the count number in the middle of counting may be initialized at the pause timing, and the timer 523 may be restarted from zero (restarted) at this timing. Furthermore, there may be a slight time difference between the pause timing and the restart timing of counting. Once the count number is initialized, measurement data is acquired again at the sampling interval, and new summary data after the event (date change) is calculated again every time T1 (set time T0) (the initial processing (summary) after restarting is the second operation).

[0045] like Figure 4 As shown, specific events that interrupt the counting of a single count at set time T0 are considered from the start to the end. Examples include the start and end of charging of secondary battery B. Since the charging current of secondary battery B increases during charging, and voltage fluctuations also increase, set time T0 can be changed from time T1 to time T4, which is shorter than time T1. This change in set time T0 can be performed from the occurrence of the charging start event until the occurrence of the charging end event. Information on set time T0 is pre-stored in flash memory, ROM, etc. in the second storage unit 522 and can be read and used as needed. If a charging start event occurs after acquiring the N-1th summary data for a particular day, the Nth summary data from time T3 up to that time (end timing) is acquired (first action). Furthermore, set time T0 is switched to time T4, counting and measurement are restarted (start timing), and a new summary is performed (the initial processing (summary) after restart is the second action). If a charging termination event occurs after M-1 summary data have been acquired since the start of charging, the measurement data from time T5 up to that point (the interruption timing) is summarized to generate the Mth summary data (the first action). After that, time T0 is set back to time T1, counting and measurement are restarted (the start timing), and a new summary is performed (the first processing (summary) after the restart is the second action). Furthermore, if the charging method is further divided into constant current charging and constant voltage charging, the charging method switching event can be included in the interruption event.

[0046] Figure 5A 、 Figure 5B This is a diagram showing an example of the contents of setting data.

[0047] exist Figure 5A Shows the correspondence between set time and events.

[0048] As with the charging start and end events described above, after a specific event occurs indicating the start of execution of a function of electronic device 1 that is performed continuously or intermittently for a certain duration, the set time T0 can be set to a different length than usual for the period until the specific event occurs indicating the end of execution of that function. Other similar functions, such as the communication unit 63's wireless LAN communication execution function, can include operations that consume more power than usual. Information about the set time T0 corresponding to the event type can be additionally stored in the specific event information. Here, the normal set time T0 is 20 minutes, while the set time T0 is set to 5 minutes during charging and to 10 minutes during wireless LAN communication. Furthermore, the period during which the first control unit 51 operates in normal mode can be set to normal mode, while the period during which the first control unit 51 is stopped in power saving mode can be set to a longer time than usual. Furthermore, since "normal" indicated by event ID 000 is not an event, it does not need to be set. Alternatively, for example, it can be set only to the period until the first event after startup occurs. When an event occurs, the information about the set time T0 is also read and the set time T0 is changed. If the set time T0 is fixed and does not change, there is no need to attach information about the set time T0 to specific event information. For example, the set time T0 can be stored as a constant within program 5221.

[0049] exist Figure 5B A graph showing the correspondence between measurement data and summary data obtained from the measurement data is shown.

[0050] When obtaining summary data of voltage based on voltage measurement data, for example, a simple average value and a variance value indicating the degree of deviation thereof may be obtained. On the other hand, when obtaining summary data based on current measurement data, the data can be divided into charging current and discharging current to obtain the respective total amounts and average values. In addition, as described above, the internal resistance value, the remaining amount of power, etc. can be obtained based on the current measurement data. As an example, the internal resistance value can be obtained by obtaining an average value based on the total discharge current of the current, etc., and the remaining amount of power can be obtained by obtaining a final value based on the magnitude of the total discharge current (or the final voltage value as described above). When obtaining summary data based on temperature measurement data, in addition to the average value, the maximum and minimum values ​​between the set time T0 can also be obtained instead of the degree of deviation.

[0051] Figure 6This flowchart shows the control procedure of the sub-CPU 521, including the summary data acquisition control process of the data processing method of this embodiment executed by the second control unit 52. Here, this summary data acquisition control process is started at the initial startup of the control unit 50 (when the secondary battery B is connected) and continues to operate.

[0052] After the summary data acquisition control process begins, the sub-CPU 521 sets the number of measurement data acquired and the number of summary data stored to 0. The sub-CPU 521 causes the timer 523 to start counting the set time T0 (step S101, timing step). The sub-CPU 521 acquires the measurement data from the measuring unit 64 (as the action of the acquisition unit, the acquisition step), and adds 1 to the number of measurement data acquired (step S102). In addition, for example, in the case where the category of the summary data, i.e., the representative value, is a value involved in accumulation, such as a total value, it is also possible that instead of performing the summary processing after the set time T0 has passed in step S105 described later, the sub-CPU 521 performs the summary processing each time in the processing of step S102.

[0053] The sub-CPU 521 determines whether an event occurrence, that is, the occurrence of a certain event is detected (determination of occurrence or not) (step S103; determination means, determination step).

[0054] When it is determined that no event has occurred ("No" in step S103), the sub-CPU 521 determines whether the time counted by the timer 523 (hereinafter referred to as "timer count time") has reached the set time T0 (whether the set time T0 has passed since the start of counting) (step S104). When it is determined that the timer count time has not reached the set time T0 ("No" in step S104), the processing of the sub-CPU 521 returns to step S102. When it is determined that the timer count time has not reached the set time T0 ("Yes" in step S104), the sub-CPU 521 calculates a representative value based on the obtained measurement data and the number of measurement data obtained, generates summary data, and adds 1 to the storage number of the summary data (step S105; first execution unit, first execution step, second execution unit and second action of the second execution step).

[0055] The sub-CPU 521 deletes the original measurement data for generating the summary data (which can be included in the processing content of the first execution unit), initializes the counting time to restart the counting of the timer 523 (as the action of the initialization unit, the initialization step), and also returns the number of measurement data obtained to 0 (step S106).

[0056] The sub-CPU 521 determines whether the number of stored summary data is equal to a predetermined reference number (step S107 ). If it is determined that the number of stored summary data is not equal to the reference number (No in step S107 ), the sub-CPU 521 returns to step S102 .

[0057] When it is determined that the storage number of the summary data is equal to the reference number ("Yes" in step S107), the sub-CPU 521 writes the data (information) stored in the register to the flash memory of the second storage unit 522 (step S108; storage control unit). The data to be written includes, in addition to the summary data stored as described above, event identification information described later and information on the date and time of occurrence of the event represented by the event identification information. The sub-CPU 521 deletes the data written to the flash memory from the register and initializes the storage number to 0 (step S109). Then, the processing of the sub-CPU 521 returns to step S102.

[0058] If it is determined ("YES" in step S103) that an event has occurred during the determination process in step S103, the sub-CPU 521 generates summary data using the measurement data acquired up to that point in time, and adds 1 to the number of times the summary data is stored (step S111; second execution means and first action of the second execution step). The sub-CPU 521 deletes the measurement data used to generate the summary data, resets the number of times the measurement data has been acquired to 0, initializes the count time, and restarts counting from the beginning at that time (step S112).

[0059] The sub-CPU 521 determines the category of the detected event and sets event identification information corresponding to the content (step S113). The event identification information can be expressed with a small number of bits (bytes) that are pre-established to correspond to tag data, etc. Independent variables, etc. can also be added to the event identification information. As independent variables, for example, a value representing the local time (time zone) of the place in the event of a change in the place where the electronic device 1 (i.e., the secondary battery B) is located can be included. In this way, the local time (the moment involved in the battery) at the place where the secondary battery B is located and its switching can be determined. In addition, as described above, when the set time T0 is changed in response to the event, the sub-CPU 521 reads out the set time to be counted next with reference to the second storage unit 522 and sets it (step S114, as the action of the setting unit).

[0060] The sub-CPU 521 sets the date and time associated with the event (step S115). The date and time may be the timing of the event occurrence or the timing of the event detection. The event identification information and date and time data are also included in the stored data of the register in step S108. Then, after executing the processing of step S114, the sub-CPU 521 executes the processing after step S108.

[0061] The data indicating the battery status, including the summary data stored and held in the flash memory of the second storage unit 522, can be transmitted to a predetermined external device at appropriate intervals, such as once a day, or upon the most recent communication connection after a predetermined capacity has been stored. The external device can be a server device that analyzes the summary data, or a terminal device that can further forward the data to the server device. After the data is forwarded, the transmitted data stored in the second storage unit 522 can be deleted.

[0062] As described above, the data processing device of the electronic device 1 of this embodiment, i.e., the second control unit 52, comprises: a sub-CPU 521; and a timer 523 that repeatedly and continuously counts the set time T0. The sub-CPU 521 serves as an acquisition unit to acquire data representing the state of the storage battery (secondary battery B) (for example, the temperature, voltage, charge and discharge current, and / or internal resistance value of the secondary battery B), and serves as a determination unit to determine whether a predetermined event (specific event) has occurred. In addition, the sub-CPU 521 serves as a first execution unit, and when it is determined that no specific event has occurred during the period from the start to the end of the count of the set time T0, which is one amount of the timer 523, the sub-CPU 521 executes a predetermined process (summary process) based on the data acquired within the set time T0 ( Figure 6 "No" in step S103, steps S104 to S106). The sub-CPU 521 as the second execution unit executes at least one of the first action and the second action when it is determined that a specific event has occurred during the period from the start to the end of the counting of the set time T0 of one time, wherein in the first action, the above-mentioned processing (summary processing) is performed based on the data obtained during the period from the start of the counting to the termination timing based on the occurrence of the specific event ( Figure 6 In step S103 of "Yes", steps S111 to S112), in the second action, the data obtained during the period from the start timing based on the occurrence timing of the event to the end of the counting of the set time T0 of the timer 523 for one time is used to perform the above-mentioned processing (summary processing) ( Figure 6In step S109, "No" in step S103, "Yes" in step S104, step S105, and in addition, the processing involved in the initialization of step S112 may also be included in the second action instead of the first action).

[0063] In this way, since the measurement data is appropriately separated according to the occurrence of a specific event, the measurement data before and after the specific event is not processed (aggregated), making it clearer what state the processed measurement data was obtained in. Therefore, the electronic device 1 (second control unit 52) ​​can more appropriately process data indicating the battery status.

[0064] Furthermore, the sub-CPU 521 may function as a second execution unit. When it is determined that a specific event has occurred during the period from the start to the end of counting of a single set time T0, the sub-CPU 521 may perform the aforementioned processing (first action) based on data acquired during the period from the start of counting to the termination timing based on the occurrence of the specific event, and may perform the aforementioned processing (second action) based on data acquired during the period from the start timing based on the occurrence timing of the event to the end of counting of a single set time T0 by the timer 523. Since the measurement data separated before and after the occurrence of the specific event are processed separately, it is possible to obtain appropriate processing results based on data representing the battery status immediately before and immediately after the occurrence of the specific event.

[0065] Alternatively, the sub-CPU 521 of the electronic device 1 may execute the first operation when a specific event occurs, and may serve as initialization means to initialize the count of the set time T0 of the timer 523 at the pause timing and restart the count from zero.

[0066] As a result, the acquisition period for the measurement data separated as the processing object is not the set time T0, but is segmented and limited to the period immediately before the occurrence of a specific event. Therefore, the results of each processing can be obtained evenly in the period shortly after the timing of the state change, etc. (until the period before the processing period separated by the occurrence of the next specific event). In particular, when the state change is discontinuous and the transition period immediately following the state of the battery is generated, it is preferable to obtain processing results for the data that are evenly separated. Furthermore, when the specific event includes an event at a specific time, such as a date change event, the initialization timing of timer 523 is adjusted based on the event, making it easier to synchronize the set times T0 repeatedly counted in timer 523 with the actual time.

[0067] Alternatively, the sub-CPU 521 of the electronic device 1 may execute the second operation when a specific event occurs, and as initialization means, initialize the count of the set time T0 of the timer 523 at the start timing and restart it from zero.

[0068] This allows for uniformly distributed processing results to be obtained shortly after a state change occurs (until the period immediately preceding the processing period separated by the occurrence of the next specific event). This is particularly advantageous in cases where the state change is discontinuous, or where there is a transition period immediately following the battery's state. Furthermore, when specific events include events at specific times, such as date changes, the initialization timing of timer 523 can be adjusted based on these events, making it easier to synchronize the set times T0 repeatedly counted by timer 523 with the actual time.

[0069] Furthermore, specific events include the start and end of charging of secondary battery B, which serves as a storage battery. In electronic device 1, which stores secondary battery B, a rechargeable and reusable storage battery, voltage change characteristics significantly differ between charging and discharging. By including the start and end of charging in specific events, data to be processed (summarized) can be separated before and after these specific events, resulting in data that can more appropriately determine the battery's condition. By adding this appropriate separation to a minimum, more appropriately processed data can be obtained.

[0070] Furthermore, the specific moment includes the moment involving secondary battery B, such as the moment at the location of secondary battery B. When the set time T0 (summary interval) is determined using a timer 523 that counts the passage of time independently of the timing unit 513, a deviation constantly occurs between the elapsed time counted by the timing unit 513 and the elapsed time counted by the timer 523. Therefore, by appropriately adjusting the interval at the correct moment, synchronization can be achieved before the deviation becomes large, eliminating the need to explicitly attach large-data-size date and time information (timestamps) to all processed data. Consequently, the second control unit 52 can save storage capacity for register data, allowing for more appropriate processing of data representing the battery status while taking into account the time information.

[0071] Furthermore, the acquired data includes at least one of data related to the temperature of the secondary battery B obtained through measurements related to the secondary battery B as a storage battery, data related to the output voltage of the secondary battery B, data related to the charge and discharge current of the secondary battery B, and data related to the internal resistance value of the secondary battery B. The charge and discharge characteristics of the secondary battery B as a storage battery are often greatly affected by the temperature of the secondary battery B. In addition, the output voltage, the charge and discharge current, and the internal resistance value are parameters that appropriately characterize the characteristics of the secondary battery B. In the electronic device 1, at least a portion of this data can be more appropriately processed and a processing result can be obtained. In particular, by obtaining data related to the temperature of the secondary battery B, a processing result that more accurately represents the state of the storage battery can be obtained.

[0072] In addition, the sub-CPU 521, as an acquisition unit, acquires data representing the state of the battery at intervals shorter than the set time T0. The predetermined processing executed by the sub-CPU 521 as the first execution unit and the second execution unit includes summary processing of the acquired data (measurement data). That is, by appropriately dividing the acquired data with the stop timing involved in the set time T0 or the occurrence of a specific event as described above and performing summary processing, the situation when the original acquired data involved in the obtained summary data is obtained can be made clearer. In addition, compared with simple measurement data, summary data that is aggregated into information that characterizes the state of the secondary battery B during the summary period can be obtained. In particular, when the sampling interval is narrower than the set time T0, the overall state of the secondary battery B in the set time T0 can be appropriately obtained with a small number of representative values ​​(i.e., a small size).

[0073] Furthermore, during the summary process, a representative value corresponding to the measurement data is obtained. This allows electronic device 1 to obtain a summary result that more appropriately represents the measurement results. In particular, when multiple types of measurement data are acquired, by determining the optimal representative value for each type of acquired data, optimal information corresponding to the characteristics of each type of acquired data can be obtained.

[0074] Furthermore, sub-CPU 521, as an acquisition unit, deletes data that has undergone processing, including summary processing. As described above, after the summary data collectively displays the state of secondary battery B represented by multiple measurement data, each measurement data item can no longer be stored in the register. This reduces the amount of data stored in the register in electronic device 1.

[0075] Furthermore, the second control unit 52 includes a second storage unit 522 having a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory for storing the results of the summary processing. When the results of the summary processing for two or more reference times (e.g., three times) are stored and retained via the register of the sub-CPU 521 as the acquisition unit, the sub-CPU 521, acting as a storage control unit, causes the retained information including the results to be stored in a lump in the second storage unit 522. In this manner, by reducing the frequency of writing to the second storage unit 522, the power consumption associated with the writing operation can be reduced. Furthermore, by reducing the number of periodic writes to a storage unit such as a flash memory with a limited number of writes, the product life of the electronic device 1 can be extended.

[0076] Furthermore, sub-CPU 521, as a setting unit, sets a set time T0 according to the type of event that occurs. In electronic device 1, the speed of charging and discharging of secondary battery B varies significantly depending on the content of the processing being executed and whether or not it is being charged. Therefore, by shortening set time T0, particularly when charging and discharging are frequent, more accurate information representing the state of secondary battery B can be obtained. Furthermore, by not presetting set time T0 to a uniformly short value, the amount of data not essential to analysis is reduced, allowing for efficient storage and retention of summary data.

[0077] Alternatively, the set time T0 may be a fixed value regardless of the type of event, etc. Thus, the control of the execution timing of the predetermined process becomes easier. In this case, the electronic device 1 (second control unit 52) ​​can also process the data representing the state of the battery more appropriately.

[0078] Furthermore, the sub-CPU 521, acting as a second execution unit, obtains information regarding the type of specific event and the time of occurrence of the specific event, and stores this information in association with information obtained from predetermined processing. Specifically, by storing information regarding the time (date and time) when a specific event occurs at irregular intervals, the time (date and time) at which each processed data item was acquired can be determined. In particular, since the date and time of data that was regularly processed at set time T0 without the occurrence of a specific event can be roughly reverse-calculated, even without explicitly attaching time information to data that has been regularly processed, the time can be determined with an accuracy at least comparable to set time T0. Furthermore, since date and time synchronization is adjusted even when a specific event includes a date change, the time can be determined with even more appropriate accuracy for data that has been regularly processed. Therefore, in the electronic device 1, the sub-CPU 521 eliminates the need to obtain the date and time information counted by the timer 513 from the first control unit 51 each time it executes a predetermined process. In particular, since the first control unit 51 does not need to be activated individually when it is not in operation, power consumption can be reduced.

[0079] Furthermore, the electronic device 1 of this embodiment includes a second control unit 52, which serves as the aforementioned data processing device, and a measurement unit 64 that measures the state of the secondary battery B and generates data. By having the second control unit 52 perform the aforementioned processing, data representing the state of the secondary battery B can be appropriately processed without placing a significant load or limiting the inherent operation of the electronic device 1.

[0080] In addition, the data processing method of this embodiment includes: an acquisition step of acquiring data representing the state of the secondary battery B; a timing step of repeatedly and continuously counting the set time T0; a determination step of determining whether a predetermined event has occurred; a first execution step of executing a predetermined processing (summary processing) based on the measurement data obtained within the set time T0 when it is determined that no specific event has occurred during the period from the start to the end of the counting of the set time T0; and a second execution step of performing at least one of the first action and the second action when it is determined that an event has occurred during the period from the start to the end of the counting of the set time T0, wherein in the first action, the above-mentioned processing is performed based on the data obtained from the start of the counting to the termination timing based on the occurrence of the event, and in the second action, the above-mentioned processing is performed based on the measurement data obtained during the period from the start timing based on the occurrence timing of the event to the end of the counting of the set time T0 for one time.

[0081] In this way, this data processing method divides the data representing the battery status into separate sections corresponding to the occurrence of specific events, and continuously processes (summarizes) each of the divided measurement data. This makes it easier to understand the state in which the processed measurement data was obtained. Consequently, this data processing method enables more appropriate processing of measurement data.

[0082] Furthermore, by installing and executing the program 5221 related to the summary data acquisition control process of this embodiment on a computer, the processor is controlled to perform operation, thereby minimizing the use and processing of hardware and enabling more appropriate processing of measurement data indicating the battery status.

[0083] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications can be made.

[0084] For example, in the above embodiment, in the control unit 50 having two CPUs (a main CPU 511 and a sub-CPU 521), the sub-CPU 521 is caused to obtain and process data indicating the state of the battery, but this is not limited to this. Alternatively, the main CPU 511 may perform the processing, or the processing may be distributed among multiple CPUs. In addition, it may be executed by a single CPU of an electronic device 1 (data processing device) that does not have two CPUs. Alternatively, the various processing involved in this embodiment and the storage and maintenance of data may be performed by other CPUs, such as the CPU of the control unit 31 of the microcomputer 30, separately from the processing of the CPU involved in the operation of the original electronic device 1. In addition, part of the processing may be performed by a dedicated hardware logic circuit, etc. instead of the CPU.

[0085] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, summary data is stored in flash memory as a collection of multiple times, but this is not limiting. Alternatively, summary data may be stored each time it is obtained. In particular, if there are no concerns about the maximum number of writes or if there are no issues with power consumption associated with the write process, the obtained summary data may be stored sequentially.

[0086] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, summary processing is described as being performed at the event occurrence timing and at the elapse of the set time T0. However, the predetermined processing (performed by program 5221) at these timings is not limited to summary processing. For example, data arranged within a period may be compressed in a predetermined format, or measurement data (parameters) or summary data may be transmitted to an external device via a predetermined communication unit. Furthermore, when summarizing data, rather than obtaining a representative value, a frequency distribution at a predetermined step may be obtained, for example, by histogramming.

[0087] In the above embodiment, measurement data is acquired at intervals shorter than the set time T0. However, depending on the type of data, data measurement and acquisition may be performed once within the set time T0. Furthermore, a parameter may include a case where data measurement is not performed depending on the operating status of the electronic device 1.

[0088] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the occurrence of an event is determined in approximately real time, with the pause timing being approximately the same as the event occurrence timing. However, this is not limiting. In practice, the occurrence of an event can also be determined intermittently, for example, at the same time as data acquisition. In this case, the simultaneously acquired data can be treated as data before or after the event. Furthermore, the data can be determined to be either before or after the event, depending on the data type.

[0089] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, specific examples of interruption events are given, including date change events, charging start / end / mode switching events, and wireless communication execution events. However, interruption events are not limited to these. Other events may also include the start / end of execution of other power-intensive applications. Furthermore, the presence or absence of operation of the first control unit 51, i.e., switching between normal operating mode and power saving mode, may also be included in the events. Furthermore, if the secondary battery B is removed, such as for battery replacement, processing may be restarted from the time of restart accompanying the removal.

[0090] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, voltage, current, and temperature are measured as data indicating the state of the battery. However, other data may be included, or only part of these three may be included.

[0091] In addition, in the above embodiment, as a storage battery, a secondary battery B such as a lithium-ion battery is cited as an example for description, but the invention is not limited to this. Even if it is a non-rechargeable storage battery (primary battery) such as a dry cell, data corresponding to the usage status and status of the storage battery can be obtained more appropriately. In this case, as a specific event (state change event), a charging start event and a charging end event may not be included. In addition, in the case of an electronic device 1 that can replace and use a secondary battery B and a primary battery, it is also possible to determine whether charging is possible and whether a charging start event / charging end event has occurred by automatic determination by a microcomputer 30 or the like, or by user input operation on the operation receiving unit 62.

[0092] In addition, in the above embodiment, the event occurrence timing is described as the date change, but it does not need to be this timing. For example, a specific time in the middle of the night may be determined as the event occurrence timing so as not to overlap with the processing related to the date and time change or other processing.

[0093] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, once summary data is generated, the measurement data from which the summary originated is deleted. However, this active deletion is not necessarily required. Alternatively, a predetermined number of data can simply be stored, with older data being deleted by sequentially overwriting. In this case, position data indicating the data from which the next summary is to be generated, up to the most recent data, may also be retained.

[0094] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, after the summary data is stored in the reference number(s) of flash memories, the summary data for that reference number is transmitted externally. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, the summary data may be transmitted externally as soon as it is obtained. Alternatively, the summary data may be transmitted externally only sequentially in normal mode, or the summary data may be transmitted externally to the external device at the transmission destination between the start event and the end event of communication with the external device.

[0095] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the count value of timer 523 is initialized to zero at the stop timing based on the occurrence of a specific event, but it is not necessary to return to zero. Alternatively, the above timing may be used as the start timing, and timer 523 may continue counting, and a predetermined process (summary process) may be performed based on the measurement data acquired from the start timing equal to the stop timing to the count end timing (second action).

[0096] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when a specific event occurs midway between the start and end of the count of timer 523 for a certain amount, processing (summarizing, first action) of the segmented time data up to the stop timing associated with the occurrence of the specific event is performed. For example, if the segmented time is shorter than the reference time, the measurement data acquired during the segmented time can be simply deleted without performing the first action. In this case, only the second action based on the measurement data acquired after the start timing can be performed. Conversely, if the value counted by timer 523 is not initialized and does not return to zero at the stop timing, or if the remaining time is shorter than the reference time, the measurement data acquired during the remaining time can be simply deleted without performing the second action. In this case, only the first action is performed.

[0097] Furthermore, in the above description, nonvolatile memory such as flash memory included in the second storage unit 522 is used as an example of a computer-readable medium for storing the program 5221 for controlling the acquisition of data indicating the battery status of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this. Other computer-readable media include nonvolatile memories such as HDDs (Hard Disk Drives) and MRAMs, and removable recording media such as mask ROMs, CD-ROMs, and DVDs. Furthermore, carrier waves are also used in the present invention as a medium for providing data of the program of the present invention via a communication line.

[0098] Furthermore, the specific configurations, contents and orders of processing operations shown in the above embodiments can be appropriately modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0099] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and the scope equivalent thereto.

Claims

1. A data processing device, characterized in that: have: an acquisition unit that acquires data indicating a state of the battery; A timing unit that repeatedly and continuously counts the set time; a determination unit that determines whether a predetermined event has occurred; a first execution unit for executing a predetermined process based on the data acquired within the set time, when it is determined that the event has not occurred during a period from the start to the end of counting of the set time by the timer; and A second execution unit, which performs at least one of a first action and a second action when it is determined that the event has occurred during the period from the start to the end of counting the set time for one time, wherein in the first action, the processing is performed based on the data obtained during the period from the start of the counting to the termination timing based on the occurrence of the event, and in the second action, the processing is performed based on the data obtained during the period from the start timing based on the occurrence timing of the event to the end of counting the set time for one time of the timing unit.

2. The data processing device according to claim 1, wherein The second execution unit performs the first action and the second action when it is determined that the event has occurred during a period from the start to the end of counting of the set time for one time.

3. The data processing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The second execution unit performs the first action and includes an initialization unit that initializes the count of the set time of the timer unit at the pause timing and restarts the count from zero.

4. The data processing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The second execution unit performs the second action and includes an initialization unit that initializes the count of the set time by the timer unit at the start timing and restarts the count from zero.

5. The data processing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The events include the start and end of charging of the battery.

6. The data processing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The event includes a time point involving the battery becoming a specific time point.

7. The data processing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The data includes at least any one of data related to the battery temperature, data related to the battery output voltage, data related to the battery charge and discharge current, and data related to the battery internal resistance value obtained by measurement related to the battery.

8. The data processing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The acquiring unit acquires the data at intervals shorter than the set time. The processing includes summarizing the acquired data.

9. The data processing device according to claim 8, characterized in that In the summary processing, a representative value corresponding to the data is obtained.

10. The data processing device according to claim 8, characterized in that The acquisition unit deletes the data that has been processed including the summary process.

11. The data processing device according to claim 8, characterized in that The data processing device comprises: a nonvolatile storage unit that stores a result of the summarization process; and a storage control unit that, when the results of the summary processing are held by the acquisition unit for a reference number of times or more, stores the held information including the results in the storage unit in a lump sum; The reference number of times is 2 or more.

12. The data processing device according to claim 8, characterized in that The data processing device comprises: A setting unit sets the set time according to the type of the event that occurs.

13. The data processing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The set time is a fixed value.

14. The data processing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The second execution unit obtains information on the type of the event and the time of occurrence of the event, and stores the information in association with the information obtained in the processing.

15. An electronic device, characterized in that: have: The data processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 14; and A measuring unit performs measurement related to the state of the storage battery and generates the data.

16. A data processing method, characterized in that: Include: an acquisition step of acquiring data indicating a state of the battery; Timing step, repeating and continuously counting the set time; a determination step, determining whether a predetermined event has occurred; a first execution step of executing a predetermined process based on the data acquired within the set time, if it is determined that the event has not occurred during the period from the start to the end of counting the set time for one time in the timing step; and The second execution step is to perform at least one of the first action and the second action when it is determined that the event has occurred during the period from the start to the end of the counting of the set time for one time, wherein in the first action, the processing is performed based on the data obtained from the start of the counting to the termination timing based on the occurrence of the event, and in the second action, the processing is performed based on the data obtained during the period from the start timing based on the occurrence timing of the event to the end of the counting of the set time for one time in the timing step.

17. A storage medium, which is a non-temporary storage medium, characterized in that: A program is stored that causes the computer to function as the following means: an acquisition unit that acquires data indicating a state of the battery; A timing unit that repeatedly and continuously counts the set time; a determination unit that determines whether a predetermined event has occurred; a first execution unit for executing a predetermined process based on the data acquired within the set time, when it is determined that the event has not occurred during a period from the start to the end of counting of the set time by the timer; and A second execution unit, when it is determined that the event has occurred during the period from the start to the end of the counting of the set time, performs at least one of the first action and the second action, wherein in the first action, the processing is performed based on the data obtained during the period from the start of the counting to the termination timing based on the occurrence of the event, and in the second action, the processing is performed based on the data obtained during the period from the start timing based on the occurrence timing of the event to the end of the counting of the set time of one time of the timing unit.

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