Electronic equipment and control methods
The electronic device estimates dischargeable power using a temperature sensor and controller to determine if the host system can start, addressing performance issues and data loss risks in low-temperature environments by ensuring sufficient power is available for startup.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-10-21
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-07
AI Technical Summary
In low-temperature environments, electronic devices face performance issues due to reduced battery power discharge, leading to potential system shutdowns and data loss during startup, as reducing clock frequency slows down processing speed and may not ensure sufficient power for completing the startup process.
An electronic device with a battery pack containing a temperature sensor and controller estimates dischargeable power based on voltage and temperature, determining if the host system can start up, displaying guidance if power is insufficient, and allowing startup only when sufficient power is available, or switching to an external power source.
Reduces the risk of system downtime and data loss by accurately assessing power availability, ensuring the startup process completes successfully and conserving battery power.
Smart Images

Figure 2026074529000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to an electronic device and a control method, for example, control of the clock frequency of a processor.
Background Art
[0002] Portable electronic devices such as notebook personal computers (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "notebook PCs") include a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a battery. The processor always consumes the power stored in the battery to realize the main functions of the electronic device even when power is not constantly supplied from an external power source. Generally, when the temperature decreases, the amount of power discharged from the battery decreases. In a low-temperature environment, the electronic device cannot exhibit the expected performance. Therefore, a lower limit of the operating temperature (for example, 0 to 10 °C) is defined.
[0003] When the temperature at startup is lower than the lower limit of the predetermined operating temperature, the functions of the electronic device may be restricted. For example, the electric device described in Patent Literature 1 includes a microcontroller, and when the temperature detected by a temperature sensor at system startup is lower than the operating guarantee temperature, the CPU operates at a clock frequency lower than normal and starts a self-test operation.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0004]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0005] In general, computer systems temporarily store various parameters and other data in main memory. Furthermore, during system startup, data stored in storage is transferred to main memory. Reducing the clock frequency slows down the processor's processing speed, thus delaying the startup process. There is a risk that the system may unexpectedly shut down due to insufficient or depleted power discharged from the battery before the startup process is complete, resulting in the loss of stored data. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] This invention was made to solve the above problems, and an electronic device according to one embodiment is an electronic device comprising a host system, a first controller and a battery pack, wherein the battery pack comprises a battery module, a temperature sensor for detecting temperature and a second controller, and when the device is instructed to start up, the second controller estimates the amount of dischargeable power which is the amount of power that can be discharged from the battery module based on the voltage and temperature of the battery module, and the first controller determines whether or not to start up the host system based on whether or not the amount of dischargeable power satisfies the amount of power consumption required to start up the host system.
[0007] In the electronic device described above, the second controller may estimate the power consumption based on the system configuration of its own device.
[0008] The above-mentioned electronic device further comprises storage, and the startup process includes data transfer from the storage to the host system.
[0009] In the electronic device described above, the first controller may display guidance information on the display indicating the start or stop of the host system when the amount of dischargeable power does not meet the power consumption required to start the host system.
[0010] In the electronic device described above, the first controller may start the host system regardless of the amount of dischargeable power when power is supplied from an external power source separate from the battery pack.
[0011] A control method according to a second aspect of the present invention is a control method for an electronic device comprising a host system, a first controller, and a battery pack, wherein when the device is instructed to start up, the battery pack comprises a battery module, a temperature sensor for detecting temperature, and a second controller, and the second controller performs the steps of: estimating the amount of power that can be discharged from the battery module based on the voltage and temperature of the battery module; and the first controller determining whether or not to start up the host system based on whether the amount of dischargeable power is sufficient to meet the power consumption required to start up the host system. [Effects of the Invention]
[0012] According to the embodiments of the present invention, the risk of system downtime or data loss can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0013] [Figure 1] This diagram shows an example configuration of the electronic device according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This block diagram shows an example configuration of the battery pack according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This flowchart illustrates the battery status monitoring process according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This flowchart shows a first example of system startup control according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure illustrates a guide screen according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] This flowchart illustrates the system startup control for the comparative example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present application will be described with reference to the drawings. First, an example of the configuration of the electronic device 1 according to the present application will be described. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the electronic device 1 according to this embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 1, electronic device 1 is configured as a general-purpose PC.
[0015] The electronic device 1 comprises a host system 10, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 22, storage 23, a display 24, a communication module 25, an input / output interface 26, an EC 31, an input device 32, a power supply circuit 33, a battery pack 34, and a power switch 36.
[0016] The host system 10 is the core computer system of the electronic device 1. The host system 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, main memory 12, and a chipset 21. In this application, the hardware constituting the host system 10 may be referred to as the "host device."
[0017] The CPU 11 controls the operation of the entire electronic device 1. In other words, the CPU 11 is a core processing unit (processor) that executes arithmetic processing instructed by various commands written in the software (program). The operation of the CPU 11 includes reading and writing data to storage media such as the main memory 12 and storage 23, reading data from the ROM 22, and input / output with other devices. Programs executed by the CPU 11 include, for example, the OS (Operating System), firmware, device drivers (sometimes simply called "drivers" in this application), utility programs, and application programs (sometimes simply called "applications" or "apps" in this application). In this application, the execution of processing instructed by commands written in a program may be referred to as "executing a program" or "program execution."
[0018] The main memory 12 is a writable memory that is used as a loading area for the execution program of the CPU 11 or as a working area for writing the processing data of the execution program. The main memory 12 is composed of, for example, a plurality of DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) chips. The CPU 11 and the main memory 12 are the minimum hardware components that make up the host system 10.
[0019] The chipset 21 includes a plurality of controllers and enables connection so that a plurality of devices and various data can be input and output. The controllers provided in the chipset 21 may be any of, for example, USB (Universal Serial Bus), SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) bus, PCI-Express bus, etc. In the example of FIG. 1, the chipset 21 is connected to the ROM 22, the storage 23, the display 24, the communication module 25, the input / output I / F 26, and the EC 31.
[0020] The ROM 22 mainly stores firmware. The firmware stored in the ROM 22 includes BIOS and other firmware related to individual devices. The ROM 22 is composed of a rewritable non-volatile memory such as EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) or flash ROM.
[0021] The storage 23 is an auxiliary storage device that stores various data used in the processing of the host system 10, various data obtained by those processes, or various programs, etc. The storage 23 may be any of, for example, SSD (Solid State Drive), HDD (Hard-disk Drive), etc.
[0022] The display 24 displays a screen based on display data input from the CPU 11. The display 24 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display.
[0023] The communication module 25 connects to a communication network, enabling it to send and receive various types of data wirelessly or via wired connections. The communication module 25 communicates various types of data with other devices connected to the communication network. The communication module 25 is, for example, a wireless LAN module that connects to a wireless LAN.
[0024] The I / F26 input / output interface connects to various devices for data input and output via wired or wireless connections. For example, the I / F26 includes a connector (USB connector) for wired data input and output in accordance with USB specifications.
[0025] EC31 is a controller that monitors and controls the operation of various devices connected to it, regardless of the operating state of the host system 10. EC31 has a CPU, ROM, RAM, timer, and input / output interface, separate from the host system 10. Devices with a lower data transfer speed than the chipset 21 can be connected to EC31. In the example in Figure 1, an input device 32, a power supply circuit 33, a battery pack 34, and a power switch 36 are connected to EC31.
[0026] The input device 32 detects user operations, generates an operation signal according to the detected operation, and outputs it to EC31. The input device 32 may be, for example, a keyboard, a touchpad, or any other.
[0027] The power supply circuit 33 includes a voltage converter (DC (Direct Current) / DC converter). The voltage converter converts the voltage of the DC power supplied from the AC adapter 35 or battery pack 34 into the voltage required for the operation of each device constituting the electronic device 1, and supplies power with the converted voltage to the target device. The power supply circuit 33 performs power supply to the device according to the control of EC31.
[0028] The power supply circuit 33 detects whether or not a connection to the AC adapter 35 is made. The power supply circuit 33 determines whether or not a connection to the AC adapter 35 is made, for example, based on whether or not the voltage at the connection terminal to the AC adapter 35 is equal to or greater than a predetermined detection voltage. The power supply circuit 33 notifies the EC31 of the connection information indicating whether or not a connection to the AC adapter is made. The EC31 determines whether or not the power state of the device is battery mode or AC mode depending on whether or not a connection to the AC adapter 35 is made. Battery mode is a state in which the device consumes power supplied from the battery pack 34. AC mode is a state in which the device consumes power supplied from an external power source via the AC adapter 35. In AC mode, any surplus power supplied from the AC adapter 35 that is not consumed may be used to charge the battery pack 34.
[0029] The power supply circuit 33 also includes a charger. The charger charges the battery pack 34 with the remaining power from the AC adapter 35 that is not consumed by each device. If power is not supplied from the AC adapter 35, or if the power supplied from the AC adapter 35 does not meet the demand, the charger supplies power discharged from the battery pack 34 to each device.
[0030] The battery pack 34 charges power supplied from the power supply circuit 33 or discharges power stored in itself to the power supply circuit 33, according to the control of EC31. The battery pack 34 notifies EC31 of its temperature and charge / discharge status. An example configuration of the battery pack 34 will be described later.
[0031] The AC adapter 35 converts AC power supplied from an external power source into a DC voltage having a predetermined output voltage. The AC adapter 35 is equipped with a connector that is detachably connected to a connection terminal for the power supply circuit 33. The AC adapter 35 supplies the converted DC voltage to the power supply circuit 33.
[0032] Each time a press operation is received, the power switch 36 controls the power supply state to the host system 10 to either Power ON or Power OFF. When a press operation is received, the power switch 36 outputs a press signal to EC31. When the electronic device 1 is powered off and a press signal is input from the power switch 36, EC31 instructs the power supply circuit 33 to start supplying power to each device of the electronic device 1 (power on). The power supply destinations include peripheral devices as well as the host device. When the electronic device 1 is receiving power and a press signal is input from the power switch 36, EC31 instructs the host system 10 to perform a shutdown process.
[0033] The functions of the host system 10 are realized by the CPU 11 executing various programs in cooperation with the main memory 12, chipset 21, and other hardware. In this application, the firmware relating to the host system 10 is referred to as "system firmware." The system firmware includes a BIOS (Basic Input / Output System). The BIOS is a program for performing input and output with hardware resources. The BIOS includes a system BIOS based on the UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) standard. In this application, the system firmware may sometimes be referred to as BIOS.
[0034] CPU11 starts booting when power is turned on. CPU11 executes the boot loader and reads the BIOS from ROM22. The BIOS is the first thing executed after power is turned on. CPU11 performs the POST (Power On Self Test) process according to the BIOS. The POST process includes basic device initialization, consistency verification, device detection, and system configuration, and is executed in that order. Basic device initialization mainly involves the initialization of the host device and loading the BIOS into main memory 12. Consistency verification verifies the consistency of the entire BIOS. Device detection detects and initializes peripheral devices other than the host device. In system configuration, system configuration information and the OS loader stored in a predetermined storage area of storage 23 are retrieved. System configuration information is referenced when the system starts (OS starts). The OS loader is a program related to system startup. In system configuration, a user interface for system configuration is provided, and a parameter set that constitutes part of the system configuration information may be updated.
[0035] After the POST process is completed, the CPU 11 executes the system startup process. In the system startup process, the CPU 11 executes the OS loader, reads the OS and other programs (e.g., device drivers, utilities, etc.) from the storage 23, and loads them into the main memory 12. Then, the CPU 11 starts the OS and other programs by referring to the system configuration information. In this application, the POST process and the system startup process are collectively referred to as the "startup process".
[0036] Next, an example of the configuration of the battery pack 34 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the battery pack according to this embodiment. The battery pack 34 includes a BMU (Battery Management Unit) 34b, a temperature sensor 34t, and a battery module 34m. In this application, the battery module 34m or the battery pack 34 may be simply referred to as "battery."
[0037] The BMU34b monitors the status of the battery module 34m (sometimes referred to as "battery status" in this application). The EMU34b acquires information indicating the detected battery status as battery information and notifies the EC31 of the acquired battery information. Examples of battery status will be described later. Furthermore, when the BMU34b detects an excessive voltage exceeding a predetermined withstand voltage in the battery module 34m, or an excessive current inflow or outflow exceeding a predetermined withstand current, it isolates the battery module 34m from the power supply circuit 33 to protect the battery module 34m.
[0038] The temperature sensor 34t detects the temperature of the battery module 34m. The battery module 34m charges power supplied from the AC adapter 35 via the power supply circuit 33, or discharges the charged power to the power supply circuit 33, according to the control of the BMU 34b. The battery module 34m comprises N cells 34c (where N is a predetermined integer of 1 or more). When N is 2 or more, the N cells 34c are connected in series or in parallel. In the example in Figure 2, the N cells 34c are connected in parallel and are distinguished as 34c1 to 34cN. The battery module 34m may have a configuration (sometimes referred to as a "battery configuration") comprising two or more layers connected in series, with multiple cells 34c connected in parallel within each layer. Each cell 34c comprises a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator, with the separator between the positive and negative electrodes. A cell 34c is also called a single cell. The separator consists of an insulator that holds the electrolyte. Since the positive and negative electrodes are not directly electrically connected but are connected via the electrolyte, an electromotive force can be generated between the two electrodes.
[0039] Next, an example of the battery status monitoring process of the BMU34b according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the battery status monitoring process of the BMU34b according to this embodiment. The BMU34b repeats the processes in steps S102 to S106. (Step S102) The BMU34b detects the cell voltage, current, and battery temperature as elemental information of the battery state. The BMU34b detects the voltage between the two electrodes of each cell 34c as the cell voltage. The BMU34b also detects the current discharged from the battery module 34m. The BMU34b is notified of the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 34t as the battery temperature.
[0040] (Step S104) The BMU34b calculates the impedance of the battery module 34m from the voltage and current obtained from the cell voltage of each cell 34c, under a preset battery configuration of the battery module 34m. The BMU34b calculates the dischargeable energy of the battery module 34m using a predetermined formula based on the cell voltage, impedance, and battery temperature. (Step S106) The BMU34b stores the newly calculated dischargeable power amount. The dischargeable power amount already stored in the BMU34b is updated with the new dischargeable power amount. Then, the process returns to step S102.
[0041] The dischargeable energy capacity refers to the amount of energy that can be discharged until the voltage of the battery module 34m reaches the discharge termination voltage, resulting in a state where no more power can be drawn. Generally, the dischargeable energy capacity increases with higher cell voltage and higher battery temperature. Also, under a constant cell voltage or battery module 34m voltage, the dischargeable energy capacity decreases with higher impedance.
[0042] Next, an example of the system startup control process for EC31 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the system startup control of EC31 according to this embodiment. (Step S202) When the power switch 36 is pressed, EC31 determines the power state of the device. If the power supply circuit 33 is not connected to the AC adapter 35, EC31 determines the power state to be battery mode and starts the host system 10 startup process. If the power supply circuit 33 is not connected to the AC adapter 35, EC31 determines the power state to be AC mode, terminates the process shown in Figure 4, and starts the host system 10 startup process.
[0043] (Step S204) EC31 calculates the estimated power consumption for the startup process based on the system configuration of the electronic device 1. The system configuration is determined by the types and models of the various devices installed in the electronic device 1. For example, EC31 has a pre-configured information table showing the individual power consumption for the startup process for each type and model of device. EC31 identifies the model for each type of device installed in the electronic device 1 and identifies the individual power consumption corresponding to the identified model by referring to the information table. EC31 calculates the estimated power consumption as the sum of the identified individual power consumptions across the different types of devices.
[0044] (Step S206) EC31 monitors the battery information obtained from the BMU34b of the battery pack 34. At this time, EC31 outputs a battery information request command to the BMU34b indicating a request for battery information. When the BMU34b receives a battery information request command from EC31, it responds to EC31 with battery information indicating the amount of dischargeable power. EC31 determines whether the host system 10 can be started based on the dischargeable power amount and estimated power consumption indicated in the battery information. EC31 can determine whether the host system 10 can be started based on whether the dischargeable power amount is equal to or greater than the estimated power consumption. If it is determined that it can be started (step S206 YES), the process proceeds to step S210. If it is determined that it cannot be started (step S206 NO), the process proceeds to step S208.
[0045] (Step S208) EC31 temporarily starts the host system 10 and initiates the startup process. At this time, EC31 initiates the power supply circuit 33 to supply power to each device (including the host system and peripheral devices) (power on). After detecting the display 24 and before the system starts up, EC31 displays a guidance screen indicating that the startup process has been stopped. The guidance screen may include a message (BIOS prompt message) prompting the user to perform an action to restart the startup process. For example, the user may be instructed to connect the AC adapter 35. Then, EC31 temporarily suspends (postpones) the host system 10 from proceeding to the next process.
[0046] If EC31 detects a connection to the AC adapter 35 within a predetermined period (for example, 15 to 120 seconds) after the start of displaying the guidance screen, it changes the power state to AC mode and instructs the host system 10 to continue the startup process. If EC31 does not detect a connection to the AC adapter 35 within a predetermined period after the start of displaying the guidance screen, it instructs the host system 10 to terminate the startup process and stops the power supply to each device (power off) via the power supply circuit 33. AC mode refers to an operating mode that consumes power supplied from the AC adapter 35. After that, the process shown in Figure 4 is terminated.
[0047] (Step S210) EC31 initiates the startup process on the host system 10. In this step, EC31 completes the startup process without stopping it. In this step, EC31 monitors the battery temperature shown in the battery information at predetermined intervals, and if the battery temperature is lower than a predetermined operating temperature, it may set the clock frequency of the CPU 11 to a frequency lower than a predetermined standard clock frequency (e.g., 1GHz to 4GHz) (e.g., the lowest frequency on which the CPU 11 can operate (typically 250MHz to 600MHz)). After that, the process shown in Figure 4 is terminated.
[0048] Before the host system 10 starts up, the power consumption of the electronic device 1 is zero or negligibly low. Assuming that the current in the battery module 34m is zero, the BMU 34b may calculate the dischargeable power of the battery module 34m in step S104 based on the cell voltage of each cell 34c and the battery temperature. Furthermore, if EC31 determines in step S206 that the host system 10 should not be started (step S206 NO), it may terminate the process shown in Figure 4 without executing the process in step S208.
[0049] Next, an example of a guidance screen according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a guidance screen according to this embodiment. The guidance screen illustrated in Figure 5 displays the message, "Boot is being held due to low battery level," indicating that the startup process has been stopped. The guidance screen also displays messages to warn of an impending power outage after a certain period of time has elapsed since the start of the display and to encourage the connection of the AC adapter 35. The power outage warning message displays, "To protect system data from unexpected shutdowns, the system power will be shut off shortly." The message prompting the connection of the AC adapter 35 displays, "The battery is almost at its limit. Please connect the AC adapter 35 or charge the system battery."
[0050] In the comparative example illustrated in Figure 6, after EC31 starts the startup process in battery mode in step S302, EC31 determines in step S304 whether the battery level is below a predetermined lower limit. For example, RSOC (Relative State of Charge) is used as an indicator of the battery level. RSOC corresponds to the ratio of the charge capacity stored at that time to the charge capacity when fully charged. If it is determined that the battery level is below the predetermined lower limit (step S304 YES), the process proceeds to step S306, and EC31 maintains the stopped state without starting the host system 10. When the battery level exceeds the lower limit (step S304 NO), the process proceeds to step S308, and EC31 starts the host system 10 startup process.
[0051] In step S310, EC31 determines whether the battery temperature is below a predetermined lower limit of operating temperature. If the battery temperature is below the lower limit of operating temperature (step S310 YES), the process proceeds to step S312, where EC31 sets the clock frequency of the CPU 11 to a frequency lower than the standard clock frequency and causes the host system 10 to start up at a slower speed. When the battery temperature is above the lower limit of the operating temperature (step S310 NO), the process proceeds to step S314, where EC31 sets the clock frequency of the CPU 11 to the standard clock frequency and executes the host system 10 startup process at the standard speed.
[0052] Therefore, when the host system 10's startup process is executed at a low speed, even if the power supplied from the battery module 34m can temporarily cover the power required for the host system 10's startup process, the power consumption due to the low-speed execution continues for a long period of time. As a result, there was a risk that the power supplied from the battery module 34m would be depleted before the host system 10 completed its startup process, causing the startup process to stop or the data stored in the main memory 12 to be lost. Furthermore, when using RSOC, it was not possible to accurately determine whether the battery module 34m could actually cover the power consumption required for the startup process. RSOC may not adequately reflect the decrease in discharge capacity due to aging.
[0053] In contrast, the electronic device 1 according to this embodiment comprises a host system 10, a first controller (e.g., EC31), and a battery pack 34. The battery pack 34 comprises a battery module 34m, a temperature sensor 34t for detecting temperature, and a second controller (e.g., BMU34b). When a startup is instructed, the second controller estimates the dischargeable power amount, which is the amount of power that can be discharged from the battery module 34m, based on the voltage and temperature of the battery module 34m, and the first controller determines whether or not to start the host system 10 based on whether or not the dischargeable power amount is sufficient to meet the power consumption required to start the host system 10. In this configuration, the host system 10's startup process is executed only when the dischargeable power of the battery module 34m is sufficient to meet the power consumption required to start the host system 10. Therefore, the risk of the startup process unexpectedly stopping or data loss occurring due to insufficient power discharged from the battery module 34m during the startup process is reduced. Furthermore, by using the dischargeable power, it is possible to accurately determine whether the battery module 34m has sufficient discharge capacity to complete the startup process.
[0054] The second controller may estimate the power consumption required for the startup process based on the system configuration of its own device. Since the necessity of the startup process is determined based on whether the dischargeable power of the battery module 34m meets the power consumption required according to the system configuration, the risk of insufficient power being discharged from the battery module 34m during the startup process can be further reduced.
[0055] The electronic device 1 further includes a storage device 23, and the startup process includes data transfer from the storage device 23 to the host system 10. This configuration reduces the risk of unexpected shutdowns of the startup process, including data transfer, or loss of data during the startup process, due to the battery module 34m's dischargeable power not meeting the power consumption requirements of the system configuration.
[0056] The first controller may display guidance information on the display 24 indicating the start or stop of the host system 10 when the amount of dischargeable power does not meet the power consumption required to start the host system 10. With this configuration, users who encounter the guidance information can be prompted to connect the AC adapter 35 or other external power source, or to charge the battery module 34m, thereby encouraging them to complete the startup process.
[0057] The first controller may start the host system 10 regardless of the dischargeable power capacity of the battery module 34m when power is supplied from an external power source separate from the battery pack. With this configuration, by prioritizing the consumption of power supplied from an external power source, the power charged in the battery module 34m is saved, or excess power is used to charge the battery module 34m.
[0058] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations are not limited to the embodiments described above, and include designs and the like that do not depart from the spirit of this invention. The configurations described in the embodiments described above can be combined in any way. [Explanation of symbols]
[0059] 1...Electronic device, 10...Host system, 11...CPU, 12...Main memory, 22...ROM, 23...Storage, 24...Display, 25...Communication module, 26...Input / Output I / F, 31...EC, 32...Input device, 33...Power supply circuit, 34...Battery pack, 34b...BMU, 34c...Cell, 34m...Battery module, 35...AC adapter, 36...Power switch
Claims
1. An electronic device comprising a host system, a first controller, and a battery pack, The battery pack comprises a battery module, a temperature sensor for detecting temperature, and a second controller. When the device is instructed to start, The second controller is, Based on the voltage and temperature of the battery module, the dischargeable power amount, which is the amount of power that can be discharged from the battery module, is estimated. The first controller is, Whether or not to start the host system is determined based on whether the dischargeable power amount is sufficient to meet the power consumption required to start the host system. electronic equipment.
2. The second controller is, The power consumption is estimated based on the system configuration of the device. The electronic device according to claim 1.
3. With even more storage, The startup process includes data transfer from the storage to the host system. The electronic device according to claim 1.
4. The first controller is, When the amount of dischargeable power does not meet the power consumption required to start up the host system, The system displays guidance information indicating the startup and shutdown of the host system on the display. The electronic device according to claim 1.
5. The first controller is, When power is supplied from an external power source separate from the aforementioned battery pack, Regardless of the amount of dischargeable power, the host system is started. The electronic device according to claim 1.
6. A control method for an electronic device comprising a host system, a first controller, and a battery pack, When the device is instructed to start, The battery pack comprises a battery module, a temperature sensor for detecting temperature, and a second controller. The second controller, The steps include: estimating the amount of power that can be discharged from the battery module based on the voltage and temperature of the battery module; The first controller, The steps include: determining whether or not to start the host system based on whether the dischargeable power amount is sufficient to meet the power consumption required to start the host system; and executing the following steps. Control method.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Electrical device
JP2012177968A