Electronic apparatus

Abstract

To break passivation coat formed on an electrode of a battery.SOLUTION: An electronic apparatus has: an operation circuit including a thionyl chloride-lithium battery, a coat peeling circuit including a first switching element, energizing the first switching element at an ON state, and peeling coat formed on an electrode of the thionyl chloride-lithium battery by energization, and an operation part including a second switching element, and operated by supplying current from the thionyl chloride-lithium battery when the second switching element is in an ON state; and a switchover part making the second switching element the ON state from an OFF state after making the ON state of the first switching element the OFF state. In a presence of instructions from a user after making the second switching element the OFF state from the ON state, the switchover part makes the first switching element the ON state according to a predetermined condition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to electronic devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Lithium thionyl chloride batteries are sometimes used in electronic devices. Lithium thionyl chloride batteries are prone to forming films on their electrodes, and if current from the battery is not constantly supplied to the operating section, films may form on the electrodes. Such a film is also called a passivation film.

[0003] In the battery holder device described in Patent Document 1, in order to peel off the film formed on the electrodes of the lithium thionyl chloride battery loaded in the battery holder, current is supplied to the discharge circuit until the fuse is blown (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-124511 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, once the film is removed in the discharge circuit, the fuse is blown, and unless the fuse is replaced, if a film forms again on the electrodes of the lithium thionyl chloride battery, the film cannot be removed repeatedly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, one aspect is an electronic device comprising: a thionyl chloride lithium battery; a film removal circuit including a first switch element that is energized when the first switch element is in an on state and that removes a film formed on an electrode of the thionyl chloride lithium battery by energizing; an operation circuit including a second switch element; and an operation unit that is operated by receiving current from the thionyl chloride lithium battery when the second switch element is in an on state; and a switching unit that changes the second switch element from an off state to an on state after changing the on state of the first switch element to an off state, wherein the switching unit changes the first switch element to an on state in accordance with a predetermined condition when a user gives an instruction after changing the second switch element from an on state to an off state. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of an information processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of functional blocks of a first electronic device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a circuit of a first electronic device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of state transition of the first electronic device according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating an example of the discharge characteristics and circuit operable threshold of a battery according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment. The information processing system 1 includes a plurality of N electronic devices, ie, a first electronic device 11-1 to an N-th electronic device 11-N, and a server device 12.

[0010] In this embodiment, the information processing system 1 is applied to a tracking system that tracks logistics materials. The first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N are each attached to a predetermined part of a logistics material to be tracked, and transmit location information, operation status information, and the like to the server device 12. The predetermined part may be, for example, a packing material such as a cardboard box for packing goods, a pallet on which goods are placed, or a truck for transporting goods. The server device 12 receives information transmitted from the first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N and manages the information, thereby enabling the server device 12 to manage the locations and operating conditions of the first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N. For example, communication of information from the first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N to the server device 12 may be called uploading.

[0011] Each of the first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N and the server device 12 can communicate with each other. In this embodiment, each of the first electronic devices 11-1 to the Nth electronic devices 11-N communicates with a base station device (not shown) via LTE wireless communication, and the base station device communicates with the server device 12 via wired or wireless communication, thereby allowing each of the first electronic devices 11-1 to the Nth electronic devices 11-N to communicate with the server device 12. It is also possible to use a configuration in which each of the first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N directly communicates with the server device 12. In this case, in this embodiment, the communication is wireless communication, but when applied to other systems, the communication may be wired communication.

[0012] In this embodiment, the first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N have the same configuration and perform the same operation. In this embodiment, the server device 12 communicates with each of the first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N and manages each of them in the same manner. In this way, in this embodiment, one server device 12 manages the first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N, which are multiple electronic devices. In this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the first electronic device 11-1 will be used as a representative example.

[0013] The server device 12 is, for example, an example of an information processing device, and may be called by another name. Furthermore, the first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N may be called by other names, such as communication devices, communication terminals, or communication devices.

[0014] 2 and 3, functional blocks and circuit configuration examples of the first electronic device 11-1 are shown. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of functional blocks of the first electronic device 11-1 according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a circuit of the first electronic device 11-1 according to the embodiment. Here, Fig. 2 shows an example of functional blocks of the portion other than the power supply line, and Fig. 3 shows an example of functional blocks of the portion of the power supply line. That is, the first electronic device 11-1 has the configuration shown in both Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. Note that some components are the same between Fig. 2 and Fig. 3.

[0015] With reference to FIG. The first electronic device 11-1 includes a control CPU 111 which is a control CPU (Central Processing Unit), an LTE module 112 which performs LTE (Long Term Evolution) communication, a GNSS receiving IC 113 which is an IC (Integrated Circuit) which receives GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), a sensor unit 114 which includes various sensors, a memory 115, a button 151, and an LED unit 152. The LTE module 112 includes an LTE antenna 121 . The GNSS receiver IC 113 includes a GNSS antenna 122 .

[0016] The control CPU 111 executes various processes and controls in the first electronic device 11-1. In this embodiment, the control CPU 111 executes a predetermined control program to execute various processes and controls. The control CPU 111 is connected to the LTE module 112, the GNSS receiving IC 113, the sensor unit 114, the memory 115, the button 151, and the LED unit 152, and controls each of them. In this embodiment, the control CPU 111 controls the operation of the first electronic device 11-1, and stores in the memory 115 operation status information indicating the operation status of the first electronic device 11-1.

[0017] The LTE module 112 performs LTE wireless communication using the LTE antenna 121. The LTE module 112 performs external transmission and external reception. In this embodiment, the LTE module 112 performs LTE wireless communication with a base station device (not shown), and communicates with the server device 12 via the base station device.

[0018] The GNSS reception IC 113 uses a GNSS antenna 122 to receive GNSS signals. The GNSS reception IC 113 acquires location information based on the received GNSS signal. The location information may be, for example, information on latitude and longitude, and may also be information on altitude. In real-time situations, the location information may be, for example, information on the current location of the first electronic device 11-1. Here, GNSS signals are transmitted from one or more GNSS satellites.

[0019] As the GNSS, for example, one or more of GPS (Global Positioning System), GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, etc. may be used.

[0020] The sensor unit 114 includes one or more sensors, each of which detects a predetermined physical quantity. Here, various sensors may be used as each of the multiple sensors, such as an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a gyro sensor that detects angular velocity, or a temperature sensor that detects temperature.

[0021] Here, the observed acceleration corresponds to the acceleration of the logistics material on which the first electronic device 11-1 is installed. The observed angular velocity corresponds to the angular velocity of the logistics material on which the first electronic device 11-1 is installed. The observed temperature corresponds to the temperature of the logistics material in which the first electronic device 11-1 is installed. These observed physical quantities may be approximate values ​​to the actual values, as long as they do not cause any practical problems. For example, information regarding one or more of these observed physical quantities may be uploaded to server device 12 .

[0022] In this embodiment, for the sake of simplicity, even when the sensor unit 114 includes two or more sensors, the sensor unit 114 will be collectively described as a single processing unit. As another example, if the sensor unit 114 includes two or more sensors, each sensor may be considered to have a separate processing unit, and processing similar to the processing related to the sensor unit 114 in this embodiment may be performed separately for each sensor.

[0023] The memory 115 stores information. The memory 115 stores various types of information, and may store, for example, a control program executed by the control CPU 111. In this embodiment, the memory 115 may store, for example, location information acquired by the GNSS reception IC 113, information detected by the sensor unit 114, information on the operating status, and the like. Instead of storage, it may be called, for example, recording.

[0024] The button 151 changes state between being pressed and not being pressed. In this embodiment, button 151 is in an unpressed state when no external force is applied, and is in a pressed state when a force is applied in the pressing direction manually by a user (not shown). The control CPU 111 is configured to be able to grasp whether the button 151 is pressed or not. In this way, the button 151 can be operated by the user.

[0025] In this embodiment, the first electronic device 11-1 is provided with the button 151 as an example of an operation unit that accepts operations from the user, but as another example, any operation unit other than a button may be provided.

[0026] The LED section 152 includes one or more LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) and emits a predetermined light. In this embodiment, the light can be used to provide a predetermined notification to the user. Here, the lighting mode of the light may be blinking. Furthermore, when the LED unit 152 has a plurality of LEDs, the manner in which the light is lit may be changed by, for example, the number of lit LEDs, the number of flashing LEDs, the arrangement of lit LEDs, the arrangement of flashing LEDs, the color of lit LEDs, the color of flashing LEDs, or a combination of two or more of these.

[0027] With reference to FIG. FIG. 3 shows an example of the configuration of a power supply circuit B1, which is a circuit of the power supply system portion of the first electronic device 11-1. The example in FIG. 3 is an example for the purpose of explanation, and is not limited to this example, and other configurations may be used.

[0028] The power supply circuit B1 includes a circuit group mounted on a substrate 311 and a battery housing portion 312. In this embodiment, the battery accommodating section 312 is disposed outside the substrate 311, but as another example, it may be disposed on the substrate 311.

[0029] The substrate 311 is provided with a discharge circuit C1, an EDLC circuit C2, a first power supply IC 141-1, a second power supply IC 141-2, a third power supply IC 141-3, a control CPU 111, an LTE module 112, a GNSS receiving IC 113, and a sensor unit 114. Here, the control CPU 111, the LTE module 112, the GNSS receiving IC 113, and the sensor unit 114 are the same as those shown in FIG.

[0030] Furthermore, the substrate 311 is provided with a first ground portion g1 to a sixth ground portion g6 that are connected to the ground potential. Here, in the example of Figure 3, for the sake of convenience of explanation, the first grounding portion g1 to the sixth grounding portion g6 are shown separately, but for example, all of the first grounding portion g1 to the sixth grounding portion g6 may be a common grounding portion.

[0031] The discharge circuit C1 includes a discharge resistor 211, a first switch element SW1, and a fifth ground part g5. The EDLC circuit C2 includes an EDLC (Electric Double Layer Capacitor) 231, which is an electric double layer capacitor, a third switch element SW3, and a sixth ground part g6. Here, the first switch element SW1 and the third switch element SW3 are each, for example, an Nch MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor) which is a switching element, but other switch elements may also be used.

[0032] The battery accommodating section 312 has a positive terminal and a negative terminal, and is an accommodating section into which the battery 131 can be attached by matching the positive and negative terminals to these terminals. The container may be called a holder or the like. When the battery 131 is attached to the battery accommodating section 312, the positive electrode of the battery 131 is connected to one end of each of the discharge resistor 211, the EDLC 231, the first power supply IC 141-1, the second power supply IC 141-2, and the third power supply IC 141-3. The negative electrode of the battery 131 is connected to the ground part of the substrate 311. This allows the battery 131 to be used as a power source that enables the operation of the first electronic device 11-1.

[0033] Here, the battery 131 may be attached to the battery accommodating section 312 in a state where it cannot be removed, for example, by welding, etc. In this case, the battery 131 will not fall out of the battery accommodating section 312.

[0034] The first power supply IC 141-1 is provided between the battery 131 and the control CPU 111 and the sensor unit 114, and controls the power supply to the control CPU 111 and the sensor unit 114. The control CPU 111 is connected to the first ground portion g1, and the sensor portion 114 is connected to the second ground portion g2. Here, the example in Figure 3 shows a case where a common first power supply IC 141-1 is used for the control CPU 111 and the sensor unit 114, but as another example, separate power supply ICs may be used for the control CPU 111 and the sensor unit 114.

[0035] The second power supply IC 141-2 is provided between the battery 131 and the LTE module 112, and controls the power supply to the LTE module 112. The LTE module 112 is connected to the third ground portion g3. The third power supply IC 141-3 is provided between the battery 131 and the GNSS reception IC 113, and controls the power supply to the GNSS reception IC 113. The GNSS reception IC 113 is connected to the fourth ground portion g4. In the example of FIG. 3, power supply ICs are not shown for the memory 115, the button 151, and the LED unit 152, but for example, a power supply IC may be provided for one or more of these.

[0036] In this embodiment, the power supplies to the LTE module 112 and the GNSS reception IC 113 can be individually controlled to be switched on and off by their respective power supply ICs. Here, as a configuration for switching on and off, for example, a switching element such as a FET (Field Effect Transistor) may be used instead of each power supply IC.

[0037] In this embodiment, the second power supply IC 141-2 is controlled by inputting a first control signal a1 from the control CPU 111 to a control terminal (CE), and switches the power supply on and off. In this embodiment, the third power supply IC 141-3 is controlled by inputting a second control signal a2 from the control CPU 111 to a control terminal (CE), and switches the power supply on and off.

[0038] In this embodiment, the second power supply IC 141-2 has a function similar to that of a switch element, and for convenience of explanation, it is also referred to as the second switch element SW2. In this embodiment, the third power supply IC 141-3 has a function similar to that of a switch element, and for convenience of explanation, is also referred to as a 2a switch element SW2a. In this embodiment, in order to distinguish between the two second switch elements, they are referred to as the second switch element SW2 and the 2a-th switch element SW2a.

[0039] In this embodiment, the control CPU 111 is always powered on and maintained in a running state, so the first power supply IC 141-1 is always in an on state. In this embodiment, the power supply state of the sensor unit 114 is also common to that of the control CPU 111. It should be noted that, for example, when the first electronic device 11-1 is initialized, the power supply of the control CPU 111 may be turned off.

[0040] The connections of the discharge circuit C1 will be described. One end of the discharge resistor 211 is connected to the positive electrode of the battery 131 housed in the battery housing portion 312 . One end of the discharge resistor 211 is connected to the drain terminal of the first switch element SW1. The source terminal of the first switch element SW1 is connected to the fifth ground portion g5. In this way, the discharge resistor 211 and the first switch element SW1 are connected in series to the battery 131.

[0041] An eleventh control signal a11, which is a control signal from the control CPU 111, is input to the gate terminal of the first switch element SW1, and the first switch element SW1 is switched between on and off. In this way, the control IC 111 can switch the first switch element SW1 between on and off.

[0042] The connections of the EDLC circuit C2 will be described. One electrode of the EDLC 231 is connected to the positive electrode of the battery 131 housed in the battery housing portion 312 . The other electrode of the EDLC 231 is connected to the drain terminal of the third switch element SW3. The source terminal of the third switch element SW3 is connected to the sixth ground portion g6.

[0043] The third switch element SW3 is switched on and off by receiving a twelfth control signal a12, which is a control signal from the control CPU 111, at its gate terminal. In this way, the control IC 111 can switch the third switch element SW3 on and off.

[0044] The operation of the discharge circuit C1 will now be described. When the second power supply IC 141-2 and the third power supply IC 141-3 are off and the third switch element SW3 is off, if the first switch element SW1 of the discharge circuit C1 is switched from off to on, the discharge circuit C1 causes a current to flow through the battery 131. This allows, for example, if a passivation coating of a lithium thionyl chloride battery has formed on the battery 131, to be destroyed. Destroying the passivation film in this manner may also be called film peeling. The resistance value of the discharge resistor 211 is set to a value that allows a current sufficient to destroy the passivation film of the battery 131 to flow.

[0045] In this embodiment, when the eleventh control signal a11 from the control CPU 111 is at a high level, the first switch element SW1 is turned on, and a current flows through the discharge resistor 211. On the other hand, when the eleventh control signal a11 from the control CPU 111 is at a low level, the first switch element SW1 is turned off, and the discharge resistor 211 is not performing a discharge operation.

[0046] The operation of the EDLC circuit C2 will now be described. For example, when one or more of the operating units, such as the control CPU 111, the sensor unit 114, the LTE module 112, and the GNSS receiving IC 113, are operating, if the third switch element SW3 of the EDLC circuit C2 is switched from off to on, the EDLC 231 is connected in parallel to the battery 131. This stabilizes the power supply voltage.

[0047] The state transition of the first electronic device 11-1 will be described. In this embodiment, the first electronic device 11-1 can be in three modes: a standby mode, a discharge mode, and an operating mode. Note that these mode names are examples for the purpose of explanation, and other names may be used. Furthermore, the first electronic device 11-1 may also be capable of taking other modes.

[0048] In this embodiment, the first electronic device 11-1 switches the lighting state of the LED section 152 by the control CPU 111 in accordance with the mode of the first electronic device 11-1. As an example, the control CPU 111 may cause the LED section 152 to blink only in the discharge mode. As another example, the control CPU 111 may change the lighting state of the LED section 152 in each mode. In this manner, in this embodiment, the LED unit 152 is used as an indicator for notifying the state of the first electronic device 11-1. The user can grasp the state of the first electronic device 11-1 from the lighting state of the LED unit 152.

[0049] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of state transition of the first electronic device 11-1 according to the embodiment. In the example of FIG. 4, a standby mode M1, a discharge mode M2, an operating mode M3, a first operation b1, a second operation b2, a third operation b3, and a first transition c1 are schematically shown.

[0050] The standby mode M1 is a mode in which the first electronic device 11-1 waits for an instruction to operate. In the standby mode M1, the power supply ICs other than the first power supply IC 141-1, that is, the second power supply IC 141-2 and the third power supply IC 141-3, are turned off. In the standby mode M1, the first switch element SW1 of the discharge circuit C1 is turned off. In addition, in the standby mode M1, the third switch element SW3 of the EDLC circuit C2 is turned off.

[0051] In the standby mode M1, the control CPU 111 of the first electronic device 11-1 waits for an operation instruction given by the user. In this embodiment, the instruction to operate is a first operation b1 performed on the button 151 by the user. The first operation b1 may be, for example, a long press of the button 151, or may be some other operation. When the control CPU 111 detects that a first operation b1 has been performed in the standby mode M1, the first electronic device 11-1 transitions to the discharge mode M2.

[0052] The discharge mode M2 ​​is a mode in which the first electronic device 11-1 enables the discharge circuit C1. In the discharge mode M2, the power supply ICs other than the first power supply IC 141-1, that is, the second power supply IC 141-2 and the third power supply IC 141-3, are turned off. In addition, in the discharge mode M2, the third switch element SW3 of the EDLC circuit C2 is turned off.

[0053] In the discharge mode M2, the first electronic device 11-1 uses the control CPU 111 to turn on the first switch element SW1 to pass a current through the discharge resistor 211. As a result, if a passivation film has formed on the battery 131, the passivation film is destroyed. When the control CPU 111 determines that a predetermined condition for completing discharge is satisfied, the first electronic device 11-1 turns off the first switch element SW1 to complete discharge and performs a first transition c1 to transition to the operating mode M3. The first transition c1 is, for example, automatically performed by the first electronic device 11-1.

[0054] Here, the predetermined condition for completing the discharge is set in advance, for example. The predetermined condition for completing the discharge is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a condition for completing the discharge when the discharge has been carried out for a predetermined time.

[0055] In the example of FIG. 4, a second operation b2 is shown instructing a transition from the discharge mode M2 ​​to the standby mode M1 by the user. The second operation b2 may be, for example, a long press of the button 151, or may be some other operation. When the control CPU 111 detects that the second operation b2 has been performed in the discharge mode M2, the first electronic device 11-1 transitions back to the standby mode M1. It should be noted that such a second operation b2 can be used, for example, to cancel the first operation b1 when the user mistakenly performs it, but is not necessarily provided.

[0056] The operating mode M3 is a mode in which the first electronic device 11-1 operates. In the standby mode M1, the first switch element SW1 of the discharge circuit C1 is turned off. In the operating mode M3, the first electronic device 11-1 is controlled by the control CPU 111, and performs, for example, positioning by the GNSS receiving IC 113, sensing by the sensor unit 114, and communication with the server device 12 by the LTE module 112, each at a predetermined timing. At this time, the control CPU 111 switches the second power supply IC 142-2 on and off and the third power supply IC 142-3 on and off at the required timing.

[0057] In the example of FIG. 4, a third operation b3 is shown in which the user instructs a transition from the active mode M3 to the standby mode M1. The third operation b3 may be, for example, a long press of the button 151, or may be some other operation. When the control CPU 111 detects that a third operation b3 has been performed in the operating mode M3, the first electronic device 11-1 transitions back to the standby mode M1.

[0058] In this embodiment, for example, the first electronic device 11-1 is attached to a predetermined location, such as a logistics material to be tracked, in a standby mode M1. After that, when a first operation b1 is performed by a user, the first electronic device 11-1 enters a discharging mode M2 ​​to discharge, and then transitions to an operating mode M3. In the conventional example, for example, there is no discharge mode and the mode transitions between the standby mode and the operating mode, but in this embodiment, the discharge mode is used when transitioning from the standby mode to the operating mode.

[0059] In the operating mode M3, the third switch element SW3 of the EDLC circuit C2 is turned on or off. As an example, in the first electronic device 11-1, in the operating mode M3, the control CPU 111 determines whether to enable the EDLC circuit C2, and if it determines that the EDLC circuit C2 should be enabled, the control CPU 111 turns on the third switch element SW3 to enable the EDLC circuit C2. In this mode, if it determines that the EDLC circuit C2 should not be enabled, the control CPU 111 turns off the third switch element SW3.

[0060] Here, the condition for enabling the EDLC circuit C2 may be, for example, that a predetermined switch element among the second switch elements that are switched on / off is on and the temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature. The predetermined switch element may be, for example, at least one of the second switch elements that are switched on / off, or may be one or more predetermined specific switch elements. In the example of Fig. 3, the second switch elements include the second switch element SW2 and the 2a switch element SW2a. Furthermore, the temperature used is the temperature at the location where the first electronic device 11-1 is managed, and may be, for example, the temperature of any location in the first electronic device 11-1, and as an example, may be the temperature of the battery 131 or the temperature near the battery 131. The temperature may be detected by, for example, a temperature sensor in the sensor unit 114 .

[0061] In addition, the condition for enabling the EDLC circuit C2 may be, for example, that a predetermined switch element among the second switch elements that are switched on / off is on and the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 is equal to or less than a predetermined value. Any value may be used as the predetermined value. The remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 may be calculated by the control CPU 111 using a predetermined calculation formula, for example.

[0062] As another example, the first electronic device 11-1 may use a mode in which the control CPU 111 always turns on the third switch element SW3 in the active mode M3 to enable the EDLC circuit C2.

[0063] As yet another example, the first electronic device 11-1 may use a mode in which, in the operation mode M3, the control CPU 111 always turns off the third switch element SW3 and does not enable the EDLC circuit C2. In this embodiment, the example of FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of the power supply circuit B1 provided with the EDLC circuit C2, but as another example, a power supply circuit not provided with the EDLC circuit C2 may be used. A power supply circuit that does not include the EDLC circuit C2 may have a circuit configuration in which the EDLC circuit C2 is removed from the circuit configuration of the power supply circuit B1 shown in FIG. 3, for example.

[0064] As another example, a power supply circuit may be used that keeps the EDLC circuit active at all times in all modes. For example, such a power supply circuit may have a circuit configuration in which the third switch element SW3 of the EDLC circuit C2 is removed from the circuit configuration of the power supply circuit B1 shown in FIG.

[0065] Referring to FIG. 5, an example of the predetermined condition for completing the discharge is shown. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the discharge characteristics 1111 and the circuit operable threshold Vth of the battery according to the embodiment. In the graph shown in FIG. 5, the horizontal axis represents the discharge time, and the vertical axis represents the voltage [V] of the battery 131. The graph shows the discharge characteristics 1111 of the battery 131.

[0066] In this embodiment, the battery 131 is a lithium thionyl chloride battery. A feature of lithium thionyl chloride batteries is that they have little self-discharge, and even after ten years of storage, they retain more than 80% of their charge. The reason for this is that a thin film forms on the surface of the negative electrode of the lithium thionyl chloride battery, which prevents the battery from self-discharge. However, due to this membrane, when a lithium thionyl chloride battery is discharged after long storage, the initial voltage drops suddenly. This phenomenon is called delayed decay. In this delayed decay phenomenon, the lower the temperature, the greater the voltage drop. The greater the discharge current, the greater the voltage drop. As such, the voltage drop increases with the current load, and this can lead to circuit inoperability when high-load operations, such as LTE communications, are performed.

[0067] The example of FIG. 5 shows such an initial discharge characteristic. The initial voltage V0 of the battery 131 is the open circuit voltage (OCV). When a load is applied to the battery 131, it starts to discharge. During the first discharge time T1 after a load is applied to the battery 131, a phenomenon occurs in which the initial voltage V0 of the battery 131 suddenly drops. At this time, the voltage of the battery 131 is lower than the circuit operation threshold Vth, which is the voltage threshold at which the circuit can operate. Thereafter, the voltage of the battery 131 gradually rises, reaches the circuit operation threshold Vth during the second discharge time T2, and then becomes higher than the circuit operation threshold Vth.

[0068] Here, as an example of the predetermined condition for completing the discharge, a condition that the discharge is completed when the discharge is performed for a time corresponding to the second discharge time T2 may be used. Such a condition may be set in advance based on, for example, experimental values ​​or theoretical values. Furthermore, as such a condition, for example, a condition based on both the value of the flowing current and the discharge time may be set.

[0069] As a specific example, when the first operation b1 is performed by the user in the standby mode M1, the first electronic device 11-1 transitions to the discharge mode M2, but may be configured to set a short discharge time in the discharge mode M2 ​​based on a predetermined condition, and transition to the operation mode M3 after that time has elapsed. For example, the shortest settable time may be used as this time, or a value close to zero may be used.

[0070] As an example, the predetermined condition may be a condition based on the determination result of the voltage of the battery 131 during discharging. 5, when discharging in discharge mode M2, the voltage of battery 131 drops most significantly at the beginning of discharge, and then gradually recovers as the discharge progresses. Therefore, a method can be considered in which the time until discharge is completed is set based on the voltage value at the start of the discharge operation or the recovered voltage value.

[0071] 5, if the voltage of the discharging battery 131 is equal to or greater than the circuit operable threshold Vth, the first electronic device 11-1 is deemed to be operable normally, and the discharging mode M2 ​​may be immediately terminated. That is, in this case, the first electronic device 11-1 immediately turns off the discharging mode M2 ​​and transitions to the operating mode M3. The immediate turning off of the discharging mode M2 ​​may be achieved, for example, by setting the remaining time of discharging to zero or a value close to zero.

[0072] Here, the circuit operable threshold value Vth is, for example, evaluated and set in advance based on experimental or theoretical values. Based on the results of such evaluation, if the voltage when the first electronic device 11-1 performs a discharge operation by the discharge circuit C1 in the discharge mode M2 ​​is equal to or higher than the circuit operable threshold Vth, the first electronic device 11-1 may immediately turn off the discharge circuit C1 and transition to the operation mode M3, thereby reducing unnecessary operation of the discharge circuit C1.

[0073] An example of how the first electronic device 11-1 is used is shown. First, the first electronic device 11-1 is manufactured in a manufacturing factory and then stored in a standby mode M1. Next, the first electronic device 11-1 is stored, shipped, and handed over to a user. If the user immediately switches the first electronic device 11-1 to the operating mode M3 and uses it after storage, the passivation film formed is small, so the problem of the passivation film does not occur. In the example of Figure 4, even in this case, the discharge mode M2 ​​is selected, in which the discharge circuit C1 performs a discharge operation.

[0074] On the other hand, if the first electronic device 11-1 is stored in standby mode M1 and then takes a long time to be shipped, or if it is shipped immediately but takes a long time to be used by the user, the formation of a passivation film on the battery 131 progresses and the passivation film becomes larger. In this case, if the first electronic device 11-1 transitions to the active mode M3 while the passivation coating of the battery 131 is thick, the greater the current consumed in the active mode M3, the greater the drop in the initial voltage. In particular, the current consumed by the communication operation of the LTE module 112 is large, and the drop in initial voltage may prevent the circuit from operating properly.

[0075] 4, when the first electronic device 11-1 transitions from standby mode M1 to active mode M3, it is effective to pass through discharge mode M2. In this embodiment, in standby mode M1, the first electronic device 11-1 transitions to discharge mode M2 ​​and activates discharge circuit C1, triggered by the user long-pressing button 151. Activating discharge circuit C1 allows the battery 131 to discharge to discharge resistor 211, destroying the passivation coating of battery 131.

[0076] The first electronic device 11-1 ends the discharge mode M2 ​​and transitions to the operation mode M3 when a predetermined condition is met, for example, when a current of {a predetermined current value [mA] x a predetermined time [s]} flows. In the example of Figure 4, the first electronic device 11-1 performs GNSS positioning, sensing, or LTE communication operations only after discharging in discharge mode M2 ​​is completed, thereby avoiding malfunctions due to voltage drop caused by the passivation coating.

[0077] A modified example of the state transition of the first electronic device 11-1 will be described with reference to the example of FIG. In the example of FIG. 4, when the first operation b1 is performed by the user in the standby mode M1, the first electronic device 11-1 always transitions to the discharge mode M2.

[0078] In the modified example, when the first operation b1 is performed by the user in the standby mode M1, the first electronic device 11-1 determines, by the control CPU 111, whether or not to transition to the discharge mode M2. As a result of this determination, if the control CPU 111 determines that the first electronic device 11-1 should transition to the discharging mode M2, the first electronic device 11-1 transitions to the discharging mode M2 ​​and then to the operating mode M3. That is, in this case, similar to the example of Fig. 4, the first electronic device 11-1 transitions from the standby mode M1 to the operating mode M3 via the discharging mode M2. On the other hand, as a result of this determination, if the control CPU 111 determines not to transition to the discharge mode M2, the first electronic device 11-1 transitions directly from the standby mode M1 to the operation mode M3. That is, in the modified example, if the discharge operation by the discharge circuit C1 is not necessary, the discharge mode M2 ​​is omitted. Other than the above, for example, the state transition according to the modified example is the same as that in the example of FIG.

[0079] The modified example will now be described in more detail. 4, the first electronic device 11-1 transitions from standby mode M1 to discharge mode M2 ​​and then to operating mode M3, thereby destroying the passivation coating while also consuming the battery 131. For example, when a primary battery is used as the battery 131, it is desirable to minimize unnecessary battery consumption because it cannot be recharged. In other words, when there is no need to destroy the passivation coating, it is desirable to omit discharge mode M2. Therefore, in a modified example, when the first operation b1 is performed by the user in the standby mode M1, if a predetermined condition is met, the first electronic device 11-1 is configured to skip the discharge mode M2 ​​and transition to the operation mode M3.

[0080] Here, the predetermined conditions are not particularly limited, and any conditions that are deemed to be unnecessary or to have little need for destroying the passivation film may be used. For example, the predetermined condition may be that the time elapsed since the last discharge operation in discharge mode M2 ​​is less than a predetermined time. In other words, if the time elapsed since the last discharge operation is short, it is considered that the passivation coating has just been destroyed and there is no need or little need for a discharge operation. The predetermined time may be, for example, one month. For example, in the first electronic device 11-1, if the time that has elapsed since the previous discharge operation is within one month, it is possible to eliminate the effect on the battery 131 by omitting the discharge operation.

[0081] As another example, the predetermined condition may be a condition that the temperature is less than a predetermined first temperature, or a condition that the temperature is greater than a predetermined second temperature, or both of these. Here, the temperature used is the temperature at the location where the first electronic device 11-1 is managed. The temperature may be detected by a temperature sensor of the sensor unit 114. The temperature sensor is an example of a temperature detection unit. In general, when the temperature of the battery 131 is low, the voltage is likely to decrease, and conversely, when the temperature of the battery 131 is high, a film is likely to form. Therefore, whether or not to use the first temperature condition and whether or not to use the second temperature condition may be set in advance based on, for example, experimental values ​​or theoretical values.

[0082] An example of operations such as positioning, detection, and uploading in the first electronic device 11-1, and control of the first electronic device 11-1 by the server device 12 will be described. In this embodiment, the control CPU 111 of the first electronic device 11-1 controls processing units such as the LTE module 112, the GNSS receiving IC 113, the sensor unit 114, and the memory 115 based on predetermined operating conditions. The operating conditions include, for example, the timing of positioning by the GNSS reception IC 113, the timing of detection by the sensor of the sensor unit 114, and the timing of uploading to the server device 12 by the LTE module 112.

[0083] Here, the timing at which the GNSS reception IC 113 performs positioning and the timing at which the sensor of the sensor unit 114 performs detection may be the same or different. Furthermore, at the timing when the GNSS reception IC 113 performs positioning, for example, a process of storing information on the result of the positioning in the memory 115 may occur. Furthermore, at the timing when the sensor of the sensor unit 114 performs detection, for example, a process of storing information on the detection result in the memory 115 may occur. Furthermore, at the timing when the LTE module 112 performs uploading to the server device 12, for example, a process of reading the information to be uploaded from the memory 115 may occur. The control CPU 111 switches the power supply to a necessary processing unit from off to on when necessary, and switches the power supply to the processing unit from on to off after the necessary processing is completed.

[0084] These timings may be set using the time each day when the operation should be performed, for example. As a specific example, if the operation is performed at 10:00 every day, it will be performed once a day, and if the operation is performed from midnight to exactly midnight every day, it will be performed 24 times a day. As an example, the timing for positioning by the GNSS receiving IC 113 and the timing for detection by the sensor of the sensor unit 114 can be set to the same timing of once per hour, and the timing for uploading to the server device 12 by the LTE module 112 can be set to once per 24 hours. In this case, the first electronic device 11-1 performs positioning and detection every hour every day, and this information for 24 hours is compiled and uploaded from the first electronic device 11-1 to the server device 12.

[0085] Here, as an example of information uploaded from the first electronic device 11-1 to the server device 12, information about the remaining battery power of the battery 131 may be used. As the information regarding the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131, for example, information on the remaining battery capacity itself may be used, or information that serves as a reference for understanding the remaining battery capacity may be used. In this embodiment, for example, the first electronic device 11-1 may calculate the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 by the control CPU 111 constantly or at predetermined timings. The remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 may be calculated based on, for example, the number of communications of the LTE module 112 and the number of times that a current flows through the discharge circuit C1, which is a film peeling circuit. As another example, the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 may be calculated by further taking into account information on other operations. The number of times that a current flows through the discharge circuit C1 may be called, for example, the number of times of film peeling or the number of times of discharge.

[0086] As an example, the first electronic device 11-1 may use the control CPU 111 to acquire the number of times the operating unit has operated, indicating the number of times the operating unit has transitioned from a first state in which no current is supplied from the battery 131 to a second state in which current is supplied from the battery 131 to the operating unit, and the operating time of the operating unit, indicating the time the operating unit was in the second state, and calculate the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 taking into account the number of times the operating unit operated and the operating time. As a specific example, in the example of Figure 3, when calculating the remaining battery capacity, one or more of the operating time of the control CPU 111, the operating time of the sensor unit 114, one or both of the number of times and operating time of the LTE module 112, one or both of the number of times and operating time of the GNSS receiving IC 113, one or both of the number of times and operating time of the discharge circuit C1, and one or both of the number of times and operating time of the EDLC circuit C2 may be taken into consideration.

[0087] As described above, the first electronic device 11-1 in the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment includes a first switch element SW1 for supplying current to the discharge circuit C1, which is a film removal circuit for removing a film formed on an electrode of the battery 131, and a second switch element SW2 for supplying current to an operating circuit including an operating unit that operates with current from the battery 131. In the first electronic device 11-1, by controlling the on / off of the first switch element SW1 and the on / off of the second switch element SW2, it is possible to perform film removal from a lithium thionyl chloride battery, which is prone to film formation on its electrodes. Also, in the first electronic device 11-1, it is possible to perform such film removal repeatedly. In the example of FIG. 3, the second switch element SW2 may be turned on / off while the second switch element SW2 is being controlled, or the 2a switch element SW2a may be turned on / off instead of the second switch element SW2.

[0088] In this embodiment, for example, when the first electronic device 11-1, which is the product, starts to be used, a temporary high load is applied to the battery 131, which can destroy the passivation coating, thereby enabling stable operation of the product. Here, the time for applying a temporary high load to the battery 131 may be, for example, a preset fixed time, or may be a time determined based on the period of time that has elapsed since the previous application of a high load to the battery 131, or may be a time determined based on the amount of voltage drop that occurs when a high load is applied. In this embodiment, by shortening the discharge time, the impact on the life of the battery 131 can be reduced. It should be noted that a period can be expressed as time and may be expressed as time. Conversely, a time may be expressed as a period.

[0089] In this embodiment, the first electronic device 11-1 is triggered by a first operation b1 performed by the user to start use, and the control CPU 111 enables the discharge circuit C1 to discharge power from the battery 131 to the discharge resistor 211. After a certain period of time has elapsed, the first electronic device 11-1 disables the discharge circuit C1 and transitions to an operating mode M3 that can be used by the user. By using this type of control, even if a battery 131 is built into a product and a passivation film forms on the electrodes of the battery 131 due to long-term storage, it is possible to destroy and remove the passivation film, thereby avoiding malfunctions due to a drop in initial voltage. In addition, in this embodiment, it is also possible to configure the discharge circuit C1 to operate in such a way as to minimize the consumption of battery capacity.

[0090] In this embodiment, in the first electronic device 11-1, for example, the battery 131 is fixedly attached to the battery holder 312. For example, when a battery is stored in a manner that loads it into the contact points of the positive and negative electrodes, in a product that is subject to vibrations during logistics, etc., it is conceivable that the battery may fall off due to vibrations during transportation or impacts during collisions, or that the contact between the battery and the contact points may be momentarily released, resulting in a momentary power outage. In view of this, one possible method for making the battery 131 resistant to vibrations or shocks during distribution is to strengthen the connection between these electrodes by, for example, welding the battery 131 to the electrodes of the battery housing portion 312. However, in the prior art technology described in Patent Document 1, for example, when a battery is loaded during product manufacturing, discharging is triggered by the loading of the battery, so it was not possible to enable the discharge circuit immediately before the user used the product after the product had been shipped. In contrast to this, in this embodiment, it is possible to enable the discharge circuit after the product has been shipped and immediately before the user uses the product.

[0091] Here, in this embodiment, the battery 131 is fixedly attached to the battery accommodating section 312 to improve applicability to logistics, etc., but as another example, a configuration in which the battery 131 is detachably attached to the battery accommodating section 312 may be used as long as there is no practical problem.

[0092] In this embodiment, the EDLC circuit C2 may be used in the first electronic device 11-1, and for example, the discharge circuit C1 and the EDLC circuit C2 may be used in combination. In the first electronic device 11-1, the EDLC circuit C2 is enabled and the battery 131 and the EDLC 231 are connected in parallel, thereby making it possible to stabilize the circuit. As a specific example, even if the passivation film is destroyed in the discharge circuit C1, the discharge characteristics of the battery 131 may deteriorate at low temperatures, possibly causing a further voltage drop. However, by connecting the EDLC 231, the voltage drop of the battery 131 can be prevented. The effect of a single EDLC is generally known.

[0093] For example, an electronic device can be provided. Here, the first electronic device 11-1 will be described as an example among the first electronic device 11-1 to the N-th electronic device 11-N. The first electronic device 11-1 according to this embodiment includes a battery 131 that is a lithium thionyl chloride battery, a first switch element SW1, a discharge circuit C1 that is a film stripping circuit that is energized when the first switch element SW1 is in an on state and that strips off a film formed on an electrode of the battery 131 by energizing, an operating circuit that includes a second switch element SW2 and an operating unit that is supplied with current from the battery 131 when the second switch element SW2 is in an on state, and a switching unit that changes the second switch element SW2 from an off state to an on state after changing the on state of the first switch element SW1 to an off state. When a user gives an instruction after the second switch element SW2 has been changed from the on state to the off state, the switching unit changes the first switch element SW1 to the on state according to a predetermined condition.

[0094] Therefore, in the first electronic device 11-1 according to this embodiment, for example, the passivation coating formed on the electrode of the battery 131 can be destroyed when instructed by the user, thereby reducing the effect of the passivation coating. The predetermined condition may be any of various conditions, for example, a predetermined condition for completing discharge, or a predetermined condition for starting a discharge operation, or both.

[0095] 3, the operating units that are switched on / off are exemplified by the LTE module 112 corresponding to the second switch element SW2 and the GNSS receiver IC 113 corresponding to the 2a switch element SW2a. Here, the on / off of the second switch element SW2 is exemplified, but the same applies to the 2a switch element SW2a. In the example of FIG. 3, the control CPU 111 is illustrated as an operating unit that is always on. In this embodiment, the control CPU 111 is an example of a switching unit.

[0096] In one configuration example of the first electronic device 11-1 according to this embodiment, the switching section measures the time elapsed since the most recent timing at which the operating section operated. The predetermined condition is that the elapsed time exceeds a predetermined time. Therefore, in the first electronic device 11-1 according to this embodiment, it is possible to determine whether or not a film has formed on the electrode of the battery 131 based on the time the operating unit has been operating, and to control whether or not to remove the film depending on the result of the determination. Here, the latest timing at which the operating unit operated is, for example, the timing at which the operating unit last operated. The predetermined time may also be set based on, for example, experimental values ​​or theoretical values. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0097] In the first electronic device 11-1 according to this embodiment, as one configuration example, the operation unit communicates with an external device. The latest timing is the timing at which the operation unit communicates with the external device. Therefore, in the first electronic device 11-1 according to this embodiment, the latest timing is the timing of operation of the communication unit, which consumes a large amount of current from the battery 131, thereby improving the accuracy of determining whether a film has formed. In this embodiment, the external device is a communication target with which the LTE module 112, which is an example of an operating unit, performs wireless communication. In this embodiment, the communication target is a base station device (not shown), but other examples may include a server device having an LTE communication function or a router device performing LTE communication. In other words, the LTE module 112 may directly communicate wirelessly with the server device 12, or may communicate wirelessly with the base station device or the router device, and then communicate with the server device 12 via the base station device or the router device. The latest timing may be, for example, the timing when communication ends, or another timing. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0098] As one configuration example, the first electronic device 11-1 according to this embodiment includes a positioning unit that is included in the operating circuit and that measures the position of the first electronic device 11-1. The latest timing is the timing at which the operation unit transmits the position information relating to the position of the first electronic device 11-1 to the external device. Therefore, in the first electronic device 11-1 according to this embodiment, the accuracy of determining whether or not a film has formed can be improved by using the timing of the operation of transmitting the position information as the latest timing. The latest timing may be, for example, the timing when communication ends, or another timing. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0099] In the first electronic device 11-1 according to this embodiment, as one configuration example, the switching unit turns off the second switch element SW2 during a period when the operating unit is not operating. Therefore, in the first electronic device 11-1 according to this embodiment, consumption of the battery 131 can be reduced. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0100] In the first electronic device 11-1 according to this embodiment, as one configuration example, the switching unit changes the first switch element SW1 from an on state to an off state when the voltage of the film peeling circuit becomes equal to or higher than the voltage required to operate the operating unit. Therefore, in the first electronic device 11-1 according to this embodiment, it is possible to suppress the decrease in the battery 131 by not performing unnecessary discharge. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0101] As one configuration example, the first electronic device 11-1 according to this embodiment includes a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature at the location where the first electronic device 11-1 is managed. The switching unit switches the first switch element SW1 from an OFF state to an ON state when the temperature is outside a predetermined range, which is a predetermined condition. Therefore, in the first electronic device 11-1 according to this embodiment, since the characteristics of the battery 131 change depending on the temperature, by controlling the on / off of the first switch element SW1 depending on the temperature, it is possible to control discharge taking the temperature into consideration. In this embodiment, the function of the temperature detection unit is realized by the sensor of the sensor unit 114. The temperature detection unit may be disposed at any location, for example, at any location inside the housing of the first electronic device 11-1. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0102] As one configuration example, the first electronic device 11-1 according to this embodiment includes a third switch element SW3 and an EDLC 231 that is an electric double capacitor to which current is supplied from the battery 131 when the third switch element SW3 is in an on state. The switching unit changes the third switch element SW3 to the on state when the second switch element SW2 is in the on state and the temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature. Therefore, in the first electronic device 11-1 according to this embodiment, the EDLC 231 is applied to the operating circuit, thereby making the operating circuit more stable. Furthermore, by applying the EDLC 231 when the temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature, the influence of heat generation by the EDLC 231 can be reduced. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0103] In the first electronic device 11-1 according to this embodiment, as one example of the configuration, the latest timing is the timing at which the operating unit transmits to an external device information regarding the remaining battery charge of the battery 131 based on the number of communications by the operating unit and the number of membrane peelings indicating the number of times current has flowed through the membrane peeling circuit. Therefore, in the first electronic device 11-1 according to this embodiment, the timing at which information on the number of communications and the number of discharges of the operating unit is transmitted can be set as the latest timing.

[0104] In the example of FIG. 3, the number of communications by the operating unit is the number of communications performed by the LTE module 112. In the example of FIG. 3, the number of times the film is peeled off is the number of times a discharge occurs in which a current flows through the discharge circuit C1. The number of communications and the number of membrane peelings may be, for example, the number of times since the first electronic device 11-1 was first used, as long as the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 can be calculated with sufficient accuracy for practical use. As the information relating to the remaining battery capacity, for example, information on the remaining battery capacity may be used, or information that can be used to determine the remaining battery capacity may be used. Here, the remaining battery capacity does not necessarily have to be determined only from the number of communications and the number of times the film has been peeled off, but may also take into consideration, for example, the status of other operations of the operating unit. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0105] In the first electronic device 11-1 according to this embodiment, as one configuration example, the switching unit reduces the number of times per day the second switch element SW2 changes from the off state to the on state when the remaining battery charge of the battery 131 is equal to or less than a predetermined value, compared to the number of times per day the second switch element SW2 changes from the off state to the on state when the remaining battery charge of the battery 131 is greater than the predetermined value. Therefore, in the first electronic device 11-1 according to this embodiment, when the remaining battery power of the battery 131 becomes low, the number of times the operating section performs an operation is reduced, thereby making it possible to extend the life of the battery 131. Here, any value may be set as the predetermined value relating to the remaining battery capacity. Furthermore, various modes may be used as the number of times the second switch element is switched on per day. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0106] As one configuration example, the first electronic device 11-1 according to this embodiment includes a third switch element SW3 and an EDLC 231 that is an electric double capacitor to which current is supplied from the battery 131 when the third switch element SW3 is in an on state. The switching unit changes the third switch element SW3 to the on state when the second switch element SW2 is in the on state and the remaining battery power of the battery 131 is equal to or less than a predetermined value. Therefore, in the first electronic device 11-1 according to this embodiment, the operating circuit can be made more stable by applying the EDLC 231 to the operating circuit. Also, when the remaining battery power is low, a current flows through the EDLC 231. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0107] A program for implementing the functions of any of the components of any of the above-described devices may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium and loaded into a computer system for execution. Here, "computer system" includes hardware such as an operating system or peripheral devices. "Computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, optical magnetic disks, ROMs (Read Only Memory), and CDs (Compact Discs)-ROMs, as well as storage devices such as hard disks built into computer systems. "Computer-readable recording medium" also includes devices that retain a program for a certain period of time, such as volatile memory within a computer system that acts as a server or client when a program is transmitted over a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. Such volatile memory may be RAM. The recording medium may also be non-transitory.

[0108] The above program may be transmitted from a computer system that stores the program in a storage device or the like to another computer system via a transmission medium or by transmission waves in the transmission medium. The "transmission medium" that transmits the program refers to a medium that has the function of transmitting information, such as a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. The above program may be for realizing some of the above functions. The above program may be a so-called differential file that can realize the above functions in combination with a program already recorded in a computer system. The differential file may also be called a differential program.

[0109] The functions of any of the components in any of the above-described devices may be implemented by a processor. Each process in the embodiments may be implemented by a processor operating based on information such as a program and a computer-readable recording medium storing information such as the program. The functions of each unit of the processor may be implemented by separate hardware, or may be implemented by integrated hardware. The processor includes hardware, and the hardware may include at least one of a circuit for processing digital signals and a circuit for processing analog signals. The processor may be configured using one or more circuit devices mounted on a circuit board, or one or both of one or more circuit elements. An integrated circuit (IC) or the like may be used as the circuit device, and a resistor or a capacitor may be used as the circuit element.

[0110] The processor may be a CPU. However, the processor is not limited to a CPU, and various types of processors such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) may be used. The processor may be a hardware circuit using an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The processor may be configured with multiple CPUs, or may be configured with a hardware circuit using multiple ASICs. The processor may be configured with a combination of multiple CPUs and a hardware circuit using multiple ASICs. The processor may include one or more of an amplifier circuit or a filter circuit that processes analog signals.

[0111] Although the embodiments have been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and includes designs within the scope of the gist of this disclosure.

[0112] [Note] Below, <Configuration Example 1> to <Configuration Example 11> are shown. Note that the lower-level configuration example may or may not be applied to the higher-level configuration example. Furthermore, a lower-level configuration example that is applicable to any of the two or more higher-level configuration examples may be applied to any of the two or more higher-level configuration examples, and furthermore, when two or more application examples arise in this way, a configuration example that is even lower than the lower-level configuration example may be applied to any of these two or more application examples.

[0113] <Configuration example 1> a lithium thionyl chloride battery; a film removal circuit including a first switch element, which is energized when the first switch element is in an on state, and which removes a film formed on an electrode of the lithium thionyl chloride battery by energizing; an operating circuit including a second switch element and an operating unit that operates when current is supplied from the lithium thionyl chloride battery when the second switch element is in an on state; a switching unit that changes the second switch element from an off state to an on state after changing the on state of the first switch element to an off state, When a user gives an instruction after the second switch element is changed from an on state to an off state, the switching unit changes the first switch element to an on state according to a predetermined condition. electronic equipment.

[0114] <Configuration example 2> the switching unit measures the elapsed time from the most recent timing at which the operation unit operated; the predetermined condition is that the elapsed time exceeds a predetermined time. The electronic device described in <Configuration Example 1>.

[0115] <Configuration example 3> The operation unit communicates with an external device, the latest timing is the timing at which the operation unit communicates with the external device; The electronic device described in <Configuration Example 2>.

[0116] <Configuration Example 4> a positioning unit included in the operation circuit and configured to measure the position of the electronic device; the latest timing is the timing at which the operation unit transmits location information regarding the location of the electronic device to the external device; The electronic device according to <Configuration Example 3>.

[0117] <Configuration example 5> the switching unit turns off the second switch element during a period when the operation unit is not operating. The electronic device according to any one of <Configuration Example 1> to <Configuration Example 4>.

[0118] <Configuration Example 6> the switching unit switches the first switch element from an on state to an off state when the voltage of the film peeling circuit becomes equal to or higher than a voltage required to operate the operation unit. The electronic device according to any one of <Configuration Example 1> to <Configuration Example 5>.

[0119] <Configuration Example 7> a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature at a location where the electronic device is managed; the switching unit sets the predetermined condition to be the temperature being outside a predetermined range, and switches the first switch element from an off state to an on state. The electronic device described in <Configuration Example 1>.

[0120] <Configuration Example 8> a third switch element; an electric double capacitor to which current is supplied from the lithium thionyl chloride battery when the third switch element is on, the switching unit changes the third switch element to an on state when the second switch element is in an on state and the temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature. The electronic device according to <Configuration Example 7>.

[0121] <Configuration Example 9> The latest timing is the timing when the operation unit transmits to the external device information about the remaining battery capacity of the lithium thionyl chloride battery based on the number of communications of the operation unit and the number of film removals indicating the number of times a current has flowed through the film removal circuit. The electronic device according to <Configuration Example 3>.

[0122] <Configuration Example 10> the switching unit reduces the number of times per day that the second switch element changes from an OFF state to an ON state when the remaining battery charge of the thionyl chloride lithium battery is equal to or less than a predetermined value compared to the number of times per day that the second switch element changes from an OFF state to an ON state when the remaining battery charge of the thionyl chloride lithium battery is greater than the predetermined value; The electronic device according to <Configuration Example 9>.

[0123] <Configuration Example 11> a third switch element; an electric double capacitor to which current is supplied from the lithium thionyl chloride battery when the third switch element is on, the switching unit changes the third switch element to an on state when the second switch element is in an on state and the remaining battery charge of the lithium thionyl chloride battery is equal to or less than the predetermined value. The electronic device according to <Configuration Example 10>. [Explanation of symbols]

[0124] 1...information processing system, 11-1...first electronic device, 11-2...second electronic device, 11-3...third electronic device, 11-N...Nth electronic device, 12...server device, 111...control CPU, 112...LTE module, 113...GNSS receiving IC, 114...sensor unit, 115...memory, 121...LTE antenna, 122...GNSS antenna, 131...battery, 141-1...first power supply IC, 141-2...second power supply IC, 143-1...third power supply IC, 151...button, 152...LED unit, 211...discharge resistor, 231...EDLC, 311...substrate, 1111...discharge characteristics, a1...first control signal, a2...third 2 control signal, a11...eleventh control signal, a12...twelfth control signal, B1...power supply circuit, b1...first operation, b2...second operation, b3...third operation, C1...discharge circuit, C2...EDLC circuit, c1...first transition, g1...first ground part, g2...second ground part, g3...third ground part, g4...fourth ground part, g5...fifth ground part, g6...sixth ground part, M1...standby mode, M2...discharge mode, M3...operation mode, SW1...first switch element, SW2...second switch element, SW2a...seconda switch element, SW3...third switch element, T1...first discharge time, T2...second discharge time, V0...initial voltage, Vth...circuit operation enable threshold

Claims

1. a lithium thionyl chloride battery; a film removal circuit including a first switch element, which is energized when the first switch element is in an on state, and which removes a film formed on an electrode of the lithium thionyl chloride battery by energizing the first switch element; an operating circuit including a second switch element and an operating unit that operates when current is supplied from the lithium thionyl chloride battery when the second switch element is in an on state; a switching unit that changes the second switch element from an off state to an on state after changing the on state of the first switch element to an off state, the switching unit switches the first switch element to the on state in accordance with a predetermined condition when a user gives an instruction after switching the second switch element from the on state to the off state. electronic equipment.

2. the switching unit measures the elapsed time from the most recent timing at which the operation unit operated; the predetermined condition is that the elapsed time exceeds a predetermined time. The electronic device according to claim 1 .

3. The operation unit communicates with an external device, the latest timing is the timing at which the operation unit communicates with the external device; The electronic device according to claim 2 .

4. a positioning unit included in the operation circuit and configured to measure the position of the electronic device; the latest timing is the timing at which the operation unit transmits location information regarding the location of the electronic device to the external device; The electronic device according to claim 3 .

5. the switching unit turns off the second switch element during a period when the operation unit is not operating; 5. The electronic device according to claim 4.

6. the switching unit switches the first switch element from an on state to an off state when the voltage of the film peeling circuit becomes equal to or higher than a voltage required to operate the operation unit. The electronic device according to claim 2 .

7. a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature at a location where the electronic device is managed; the switching unit sets the predetermined condition to be the temperature being outside a predetermined range, and switches the first switch element from an off state to an on state; The electronic device according to claim 1 .

8. a third switch element; an electric double capacitor to which current is supplied from the lithium thionyl chloride battery when the third switch element is in an on state; the switching unit changes the third switch element to an on state when the second switch element is in an on state and the temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature; 8. The electronic device according to claim 7.

9. The latest timing is the timing when the operation unit transmits to the external device information about the remaining battery capacity of the lithium thionyl chloride battery based on the number of communications of the operation unit and the number of film removals indicating the number of times a current has flowed through the film removal circuit. The electronic device according to claim 3 .

10. the switching unit reduces the number of times per day that the second switch element changes from an OFF state to an ON state when the remaining battery charge of the thionyl chloride lithium battery is equal to or less than a predetermined value compared to the number of times per day that the second switch element changes from an OFF state to an ON state when the remaining battery charge of the thionyl chloride lithium battery is greater than the predetermined value; 10. The electronic device according to claim 9.

11. a third switch element; an electric double capacitor to which current is supplied from the lithium thionyl chloride battery when the third switch element is in an on state; the switching unit changes the third switch element to an on state when the second switch element is in an on state and the remaining battery charge of the lithium thionyl chloride battery is equal to or less than the predetermined value. The electronic device according to claim 10.

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