Information processing apparatus, and charging method

Abstract

Efficiently charging the battery. 【Solution means】The information processing apparatus includes a power supply control unit that controls the amount of power supplied from the AC adapter, a power supply unit that generates power to be supplied to the secondary battery and the system load based on the power supplied from the AC adapter, and monitors the value of the system power supplied to the system load and the voltage value of the secondary battery when charging the secondary battery. A processor that controls the current value for charging the secondary battery by instructing the power supply control unit to control the amount of power supplied from the AC adapter based on the preset charging power value and the system power value according to the voltage value of the secondary battery.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and a charging method.

Background Art

[0002] A portable information processing apparatus such as a notebook or tablet personal computer generally has a battery and can charge the battery with power supplied from an AC adapter by connecting the AC adapter. Further, the information processing apparatus not only operates with a system power supply generated from the power supplied from the battery, but can also operate with a system power supply generated from the AC adapter in parallel with charging the battery when the AC adapter is connected.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Conventionally, when charging a battery with power supplied from an AC adapter, the remaining amount of the battery has been monitored to control the charging current. However, when the system load fluctuates during charging of the battery, the power loss generated when generating the system power supply fluctuates, so that the power conversion efficiency may deteriorate depending on the remaining amount of the battery.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention has been made, and one of the objects is to provide an information processing apparatus and a charging method capable of efficiently charging a battery.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an information processing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a power supply control unit that controls the amount of power supplied from an AC adapter, a power supply unit that generates power to be supplied to a secondary battery and a system load based on the power supplied from the AC adapter, and when charging the secondary battery, monitors a value of system power supplied to the system load and a voltage value of the secondary battery, and based on a value of charging power predetermined according to the voltage value of the secondary battery and the value of the system power, instructs the power supply control unit to control the amount of current for charging the secondary battery by instructing the amount of power supplied from the AC adapter.

[0007] In the above information processing apparatus, a target value of a charging current is preset for each of a plurality of voltage values corresponding to the degree of charge of the secondary battery, and the value of charging power predetermined according to the voltage value of the secondary battery may be calculated based on the target value of the charging current preset for each of the plurality of voltage values.

[0008] In the above information processing apparatus, when charging the secondary battery, the processor may instruct the power supply control unit to control the amount of power supplied from the AC adapter based on a value obtained by adding the value of charging power predetermined according to the voltage value of the secondary battery and the value of the system power.

[0009] In the above information processing apparatus, when the value obtained by adding the value of charging power predetermined according to the voltage value of the secondary battery and the value of the system power exceeds the maximum value of the amount of power that can be supplied from the AC adapter, the processor may instruct the power supply control unit so that the amount of power supplied from the AC adapter becomes the maximum value.

[0010] In the above information processing apparatus, the processor monitors the value of the system power and the voltage value of the secondary battery to control the current value for charging the secondary battery in a first charging mode, and monitors the voltage value of the secondary battery without using the value of the system power to control the current value for charging the secondary battery in a second charging mode. The first charging mode and the second charging mode may be switched based on a user operation on a UI (User Interface) that can switch between the two charging modes.

[0011] In the above information processing apparatus, the system load may include the load of processing executed by an OS (Operating System) or a program operating on the OS.

[0012] Also, in an information processing apparatus including a power supply control unit that controls the amount of power supplied from an AC adapter and a power supply unit that generates power to be supplied to a secondary battery and a system load based on the power supplied from the AC adapter, a method for charging the secondary battery includes: a step in which a processor monitors the value of the system power supplied to the system load and the voltage value of the secondary battery when charging the secondary battery; and a step in which, based on a preset charging power value according to the voltage value of the secondary battery and the value of the system power, the processor controls the current value for charging the secondary battery by instructing the power supply control unit to control the amount of power supplied from the AC adapter.

Advantages of the Invention

[0013] According to the above aspect of the present invention, the battery can be efficiently charged.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, with reference to FIG. 1, an overview of the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is an external view showing an example of the configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment.

[0016] The illustrated information processing apparatus 10 is a clamshell-type (notebook-type) PC (Personal Computer). Note that the information processing apparatus 10 may be a tablet-type PC, a smartphone, or the like. The information processing apparatus 10 includes a battery 20 inside. An AC adapter 30 is also connected to the information processing apparatus 10. The AC adapter 30 converts a commercial alternating current (AC) power supply into a direct current (DC) power supply that is input to the information processing apparatus 10.

[0017] The battery 20 is a secondary battery for supplying power to the information processing apparatus 10, and can be repeatedly used by being charged from the AC adapter 30. For example, the battery 20 can be exemplified by a lithium ion battery. Note that the battery 20 may be chargeable from a charger in addition to being charged from the AC adapter 30. The information processing apparatus 10 can operate with the power supplied from the AC adapter 30 or the power supplied from the battery 20.

[0018] The information processing apparatus 10 generates the power to be supplied to the battery 20 and the system load based on the power supplied from the AC adapter 30. The system load is a load that consumes power in system processing executed by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like in the information processing apparatus 10 by an OS (Operating System) and programs operating on the OS. The system load varies depending on the operating state of the system, and becomes small, for example, when waiting in an idle state.

[0019] The battery 20 is charged by the power supplied from the AC adapter 30. The larger the charging current when charging the battery 20, the shorter the charging time. However, the range of charging current with high power conversion efficiency is not wide, and the efficiency decreases when the charging current is large or small.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the charging current and the power conversion efficiency. In this figure, the horizontal axis represents the charging current (Current (A)), and the vertical axis represents the power conversion efficiency (Efficiency (%)). As shown in the figure, the optimal range (Sweet spot) with good power conversion efficiency is only a limited range (for example, about 0.5 to 1.0 A) as indicated by the solid circle 〇. As indicated by the broken circle 〇, when the charging current deviates from the optimal range and becomes larger or smaller, the power conversion efficiency decreases (that is, the charging efficiency decreases).

[0021] Here, the conventional charge control will be described. Conventionally, when charging the battery 20 with the power supplied from the AC adapter 30, the remaining amount of the battery 20 was monitored to control the charging current. However, when the system load fluctuates during charging of the battery, the power loss generated when generating the system power fluctuates, so the power conversion efficiency may deteriorate depending on the remaining amount of the battery 20.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of conventional charging current control when the system load fluctuates. In this figure, the relationship between the power values (Power (w)) of the power (ADP Power) supplied from the AC adapter 30, the system power (Psys) consumed by the system load, and the charging power (Battery charge) for charging the battery 20 is shown.

[0023] In the conventional charge control, since the fluctuation of the system load is not considered, when the system is in the idle state (System idle), the system load is small, so the amount of power supplied from the AC adapter 30 used for the system power is small, and the charging power for charging the battery 20 becomes large. On the other hand, when the system has a high workload (High workload), the amount of power supplied from the AC adapter 30 used for the system power increases, and the charging power for charging the battery 20 becomes small. Thus, in the conventional charge control, since the charging power of the battery 20 changes according to the fluctuation of the system load, it may deviate from the optimal range (Sweet spot) with good power conversion efficiency, and the charging efficiency may decrease.

[0024] Therefore, in the present embodiment, the remaining amount of the battery 20 (for example, the voltage of the battery 20) and the system power value are monitored, and the power supplied from the AC adapter 30 is also monitored, and the charging current for charging the battery 20 is controlled so as to be in the optimal range (Sweet spot) with good power conversion efficiency.

[0025] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of charging current control according to the present embodiment. In this figure, similar to FIG. 3, it shows the relationship of the respective power values (Power (w)) of the power (ADP Power) supplied from the AC adapter 30, the system power (Psys) consumed by the system load, and the charging power (Battery charge) for charging the battery 20.

[0026] In the charging current control according to the present embodiment, even if the system power fluctuates in response to fluctuations in the system load, instead of changing the charging power of the battery 20 accordingly, the charging current for charging the battery 20 is controlled so that it falls within the optimal range (Sweet spot) with good power conversion efficiency. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the system has a high workload, the charging power becomes small because there is an upper limit to the power that can be supplied from the AC adapter 30. However, when the system load is small, such as in the system idle state, even if there is a margin up to the upper limit of the power that can be supplied from the AC adapter 30, the charging current is controlled so that it falls within the optimal range (Sweet spot) with good power conversion efficiency.

[0027] That is, the information processing apparatus 10 controls such that the sum of the value of the system power (Psys) and the value of the charging power at the charging current in the optimal range (Sweet spot) with good power conversion efficiency is equal to the value of the supply power (power amount) of the AC adapter 30. Thereby, the information processing apparatus 10 can efficiently charge the battery 20.

[0028] As an example, assuming it is applied to charging a battery with a capacity of 57 Wh up to 80%, the power conversion efficiency is improved to about 91% to 95%. As a result, the improvement effect of 2.1 Wh can be expected because the charging per time is improved from "(57 Wh × 0.8) / 0.91 = 50.1 Wh" to "(57 Wh × 0.8) / 0.95 = 48 Wh".

[0029] Hereinafter, the configuration of the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail. FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment. The information processing apparatus 10 includes a display unit 110, a USB connector 120, an input device 130, a communication unit 140, a storage unit 150, an EC (Embedded Controller) 160, a system processing unit 170, a power supply circuit 180, and a PD controller 185.

[0030] The display unit 110 is configured to include a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, etc. The display unit 110 displays an image based on display data generated by system processing executed by the system processing unit 170.

[0031] The USB connector 120 is a connector for connecting peripheral devices using USB (Universal Serial Bus). For example, the USB connector 120 is a USB Type-C connector. By connecting the AC adapter 30 to the USB connector 120, power can be supplied from the AC adapter 30. Note that the information processing apparatus 10 may further include a USB Type-A connector as the USB connector 120.

[0032] The input device 130 is an input unit that receives user input, and is configured to include, for example, a keyboard 131 and a touch pad 133. The input device 130 outputs an operation signal indicating the operation content to the EC 160 in response to receiving an operation on the keyboard 131 and the touch pad 133.

[0033] The communication unit 140 is communicably connected to other devices via a wireless or wired communication network and transmits and receives various types of data. For example, the communication unit 140 includes communication devices such as a wired LAN interface such as Ethernet (registered trademark) and a wireless LAN interface such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Note that the communication unit 140 may include a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface or a Bluetooth (registered trademark) interface.

[0034] The storage unit 150 includes storage media such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a ROM (Read Only Memory). The HDD or SSD stores various programs such as an OS, a device driver, and an application, and various data acquired by the operation of the programs.

[0035] The EC 160 is a microcomputer including a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and an I / O (Input / Output) logic circuit. The CPU of the EC 160 reads out a control program stored in advance in its own ROM and executes the read control program to exhibit its functions. For example, the EC 160 operates independently of the system processing unit 170, instructs the transition of the operating state of the system (such as startup and transition to the standby state), and manages the operating state. In addition, the EC 160 is connected to the input device 130 and the power supply circuit 180. The EC 160 transmits operation information corresponding to the operation to the system processing unit 170 and the like based on the operation information input to the input device 130 according to the user's operation.

[0036] Also, by communicating with the power supply circuit 180, the EC 160 acquires information on the state (remaining amount, voltage, etc.) of the battery 20 from the power supply circuit 180, and performs charging control when the power supply circuit 180 charges the battery 20 using the power supplied from the AC adapter 30. Further, the EC 160 outputs to the power supply circuit 180 a control signal or the like for controlling the supply of system power according to the operating state of the system.

[0037] The power supply circuit 180 generates power to be supplied to each part of the information processing apparatus 10 based on the power supplied from the AC adapter 30 or the battery 20. For example, the power supply circuit 180 includes a DC / DC converter or the like, converts the voltage of the power supplied from the AC adapter 30 or the battery 20 into a specified voltage, and generates system power to be supplied to the system processing unit 170 or the like. Further, the power supply circuit 180 includes a charging circuit, and generates charging power to be supplied to the battery 20 based on the power supplied from the AC adapter 30.

[0038] The PD controller 185 executes control corresponding to USB PD (Power Delivery). When the AC adapter 30 is connected to the USB connector 120, the PD controller 185 manages an external power supply function that supplies power via the VBUS (power line) terminal of the USB. Further, the PD controller 185 determines, for example, whether or not the AC adapter 30 is connected to the USB connector 120, and controls the amount of power supplied from the AC adapter 30.

[0039] The system processing unit 170 includes a CPU 171, a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit) 172, a memory controller 173, an I / O (Input-Output) controller 174, and a system memory 175, and various application software can be executed on the OS by system processing by an operating system (OS). The CPU 171 and the GPU 172 may be collectively referred to as a processor.

[0040] Based on the instruction information from the EC 160, the CPU 171 controls the operating states such as the startup and transition to the standby state (sleep) of the system. For example, when the operating state of the system is the standby state and instruction information instructing startup is input from the EC 160 in response to a user operation, the CPU 171 causes a transition from the standby state to the normal operating state. For example, at startup, when the CPU 171 receives power supply from the power circuit 180 and instruction information instructing startup is input from the EC 160, the CPU 171 starts the startup process. In the startup process, the CPU 171 detects and initializes the minimum devices such as the system memory 175 and the storage unit 150 (pre-boot). The CPU 171 loads the system firmware from the storage unit 150 into the system memory 175 and detects and initializes other devices such as the communication unit 140 and the display unit 110 (post-processing). Initialization includes processes such as setting initial parameters. Note that in the transition (resume) from the standby state (sleep) to the normal operating state, part of the post-processing may be omitted. After the startup process is completed, the CPU 171 starts the execution of system processing by the OS.

[0041] The GPU 172 is connected to the display unit 110. The GPU 172 executes image processing based on the control of the CPU 171 to generate display data. The GPU 172 outputs the generated display data to the display unit 110. Note that the CPU 171 and the GPU 172 may be integrated and formed as one core, or the load may be shared between the CPU 171 and the GPU 172 formed as individual cores. The number of processors is not limited to one and may be plural.

[0042] The memory controller 173 controls the reading and writing of data from the system memory 175, the storage unit 150, etc. by the CPU 171 and the GPU 172. The I / O controller 174 controls the input / output of data from the communication unit 140, the display unit 110, and the EC 160. The system memory 175 is used as a reading area for the execution programs of the processor and a working area for writing processing data.

[0043] Next, with reference to FIG. 6, the configuration related to the charging control in the information processing apparatus 10 will be described in detail. In this FIG. 6, the same reference numerals are assigned to the configurations corresponding to the respective parts in FIG. 5. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration related to the charging control in the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment.

[0044] When charging the battery 20, the EC 160 monitors the value of the system power (system power value) supplied to the system load and the remaining amount (battery voltage value) of the battery 20. For example, the EC 160 acquires information on the system power value from the power supply circuit 180. Further, the EC 160 acquires information on the battery voltage value from the battery 20.

[0045] In addition, the EC 160 includes a charging control table TB1 in which a plurality of battery voltage values (Battery voltage) corresponding to the charging degree (remaining amount) of the battery 20 are associated with a set value of the charging current (Setting current). The set value of the charging current is the target value of the charging current with good power conversion efficiency for each battery voltage value. By multiplying the battery voltage value and the set value of the charging current associated with each battery voltage value, the charging power with good power conversion efficiency when charging the battery 20 can be calculated. That is, the charging control table TB1 predetermines the value of the charging power with good power conversion efficiency for each battery voltage value.

[0046] Note that in the charging control table TB1, as a plurality of battery voltage values corresponding to the charging degree (remaining amount) of the battery 20, battery voltage values in ranges obtained by dividing the range from the remaining amount of 0 to full charge into a plurality of parts are set, but the number of divisions in the range from the remaining amount of 0 to full charge can be arbitrarily determined.

[0047] When the EC160 acquires the information on the system power value and the battery voltage value, it instructs the PD controller 185 on the amount of adapter power supplied from the AC adapter 30 based on the charging power predetermined according to the system power value and the battery voltage value. Here, as described above, the value of the charging power predetermined according to the battery voltage value is calculated based on the set value (target value) of the charging current preset for each of a plurality of battery voltage values in the charging control table TB1.

[0048] For example, as described with reference to FIG. 4, the EC160 instructs the PD controller 185 on the amount of power supplied from the AC adapter 30 based on the value obtained by adding together the value of the charging power predetermined according to the battery voltage value and the value of the system power.

[0049] Note that when the value obtained by adding together the value of the charging power predetermined according to the battery voltage value and the value of the system power exceeds the maximum value of the amount of power that can be supplied from the AC adapter 30, the EC160 instructs the PD controller 185 so that the amount of power supplied from the AC adapter 30 becomes the maximum value.

[0050] The PD controller 185 controls the supply power of the AC adapter 30 in response to the instruction from the EC160. Thereby, the EC160 controls the current value for charging the battery 20 (that is, controls the charging power).

[0051] As described above, in the charging control according to the present embodiment, the system power value and the battery voltage value (battery remaining amount) are monitored to control the current value for charging the battery 20. Since this charging control is more efficient than the conventional charging control, it is hereinafter referred to as the "high-efficiency charging mode". On the other hand, the conventional charging control that monitors the battery voltage value (battery remaining amount) without using the system power value to control the current value for charging the battery 20 is hereinafter referred to as the "normal charging mode".

[0052] The EC160 switches between the normal charging mode and the high-efficiency charging mode based on the user's operation on the UI (User Interface). For example, the system processing unit 170 causes the display unit 110 to display a UI that accepts an operation for switching the charging mode by executing a specific application program. This UI can, for example, switch between enabling or disabling the function of performing charge control in the high-efficiency charging mode, and is displayed as an icon including a function name and a switch SW for switching between Enable (effective) and Disable (ineffective).

[0053] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the charge control process in the high-efficiency charging mode according to the present embodiment.

[0054] (Step S101) The EC160 acquires information on the system power value from the power supply circuit 180. Also, the EC160 acquires information on the battery voltage value from the battery 20. Then, the process proceeds to the process of step S103.

[0055] (Step S103) The EC160 refers to the charge control table TB1 (FIG. 6), selects a set value (target value) of the charging current based on the battery voltage value acquired in step S101, and calculates a value of the charging power based on the battery voltage value and the set value (target value) of the charging current. Then, the process proceeds to the process of step S105.

[0056] (Step S105) The EC160 calculates the amount of power of the adapter power supplied from the AC adapter 30 based on the sum of the system power value acquired in step S101 and the value of the charging power calculated in step S103, and instructs the PD controller 185.

[0057] The PD controller 185 controls the power supplied from the AC adapter 30 in response to the instruction from the EC160. Thereby, the EC160 controls the current value for charging the battery 20 (that is, controls the charging power).

[0058] As described above, the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment includes a PD controller 185 (an example of a power supply control unit), a power supply circuit 180 (an example of a power supply unit), and an EC 160 (an example of a processor). The PD controller 185 controls the amount of power supplied from the AC adapter 30. The power supply circuit 180 generates power to be supplied to the battery 20 (an example of a secondary battery) and the system load based on the power supplied from the AC adapter 30. When charging the battery 20, the EC 160 monitors the value of the system power supplied to the system load and the voltage value of the battery 20. Then, the EC 160 controls the current value for charging the battery 20 by instructing the PD controller 185 to control the amount of power supplied from the AC adapter 30 based on the preset charging power value and the system power value according to the battery voltage value of the battery 20.

[0059] Thereby, the information processing apparatus 10 can control to charge the battery 20 with a charging current having good power conversion efficiency even when the system load fluctuates, so that the battery 20 can be efficiently charged. In addition, the information processing apparatus 10 can reduce the amount of heat generated by efficiently charging the battery 20, and can suppress unnecessary power requests to the AC adapter 30, so that it can be an environmentally considerate product.

[0060] Here, target values of the charging current are preset for each of a plurality of battery voltage values corresponding to the state of charge of the battery 20 (see FIG. 4). And the preset charging power value according to the battery voltage value of the battery 20 is calculated based on the target values of the charging current preset for each of the plurality of battery voltage values.

[0061] Thereby, when charging the battery 20, the information processing apparatus 10 can efficiently charge the battery 20 by changing to an efficient charging current according to the change in the remaining amount of the battery 20.

[0062] For example, when charging the battery 20, the EC 160 instructs the PD controller 185 to set the amount of power supplied from the AC adapter 30 based on a value obtained by adding together a preset charging power value corresponding to the battery voltage value and the system power value.

[0063] As a result, the information processing apparatus 10 controls the amount of power supplied from the AC adapter 30 according to fluctuations in the system load (fluctuations in the system power value) so that the efficiency of the charging current when charging the battery 20 is improved even when the system load fluctuates. Thus, the battery 20 can be efficiently charged.

[0064] Note that when the value obtained by adding together the preset charging power value corresponding to the battery voltage value and the system power value exceeds the maximum value of the amount of power that can be supplied from the AC adapter 30, the EC 160 instructs the PD controller 185 so that the amount of power supplied from the AC adapter 30 becomes the maximum value.

[0065] As a result, the information processing apparatus 10 can charge the battery 20 within the range of the amount of power that can be supplied from the AC adapter 30 even when the system load is large.

[0066] The EC 160 switches between a high-efficiency charging mode (an example of a first charging mode) in which the system power value and the battery voltage value of the battery 20 are monitored to control the current value for charging the battery 20, and a normal charging mode (an example of a second charging mode) in which the battery voltage value of the battery 20 is monitored without using the system power value to control the current value for charging the battery 20, based on a user operation on a UI that can switch between the two modes.

[0067] As a result, the user of the information processing apparatus 10 can easily select whether to prioritize charging the battery 20 for efficiency or prioritize charging in a short time.

[0068] Also, the system load includes the load of processes executed by the OS or programs operating on the OS.

[0069] As a result, even if the load of the processing executed by the user by the OS or a program operating on the OS fluctuates, the information processing apparatus 10 can control to charge the battery 20 with a charging current having good power conversion efficiency, so that the battery 20 can be efficiently charged.

[0070] In addition, the method for charging the battery 20 in the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment includes a step in which the EC 160 monitors the value of the system power supplied to the system load and the voltage value of the battery 20 when charging the battery 20, and based on the value of the charging power and the system power value predetermined according to the battery voltage value of the battery 20, a step of controlling the current value for charging the battery 20 by instructing the PD controller 185 of the amount of power supplied from the AC adapter 30.

[0071] As a result, the method for charging the battery 20 in the information processing apparatus 10 can control to charge the battery 20 with a charging current having good power conversion efficiency even if the system load fluctuates, so that the battery 20 can be efficiently charged. Further, the method for charging the battery 20 in the information processing apparatus 10 can reduce the amount of heat generated by efficiently charging the battery 20, and can also suppress unnecessary power requests to the AC adapter 30, so that a product considerate of the environment can be provided.

[0072] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and designs and the like within a range not departing from the gist of the present invention are also included. For example, the respective configurations described in the above embodiments can be arbitrarily combined.

[0073] Note that, in the above embodiment, an example in which the AC adapter 30 is connected to the information processing apparatus 10 via the USB connector 120 (USB Type-C connector) has been shown, but the connection method is not limited to this.

[0074] Incidentally, the information processing apparatus 10 described above has a computer system inside. Then, a program for realizing the functions of each component included in the information processing apparatus 10 described above is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on this recording medium is read into the computer system and executed, so that the processing in each component included in the information processing apparatus 10 described above may be performed. Here, "reading the program recorded on the recording medium into the computer system and executing it" includes installing the program in the computer system. The "computer system" as used herein is assumed to include hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. Also, the "computer system" may include a plurality of computer devices connected via a network including a communication line such as the Internet, WAN, LAN, or dedicated line. Further, the "computer-readable recording medium" refers to a portable medium such as a flexible disk, magneto-optical disk, ROM, CD-ROM, or a storage device such as a hard disk built into the computer system. Thus, the recording medium storing the program may be a non-transitory recording medium such as a CD-ROM.

[0075] Also, the recording medium includes an internal or external recording medium provided so as to be accessible from a distribution server for distributing the program. Note that the program may be divided into a plurality of parts, downloaded at different timings, and then combined in each component included in the information processing apparatus 10, or the distribution servers for distributing the divided programs may be different. Furthermore, the "computer-readable recording medium" also includes a volatile memory (RAM) inside a computer system that becomes a server or a client when a program is transmitted via a network, and that holds the program for a certain period of time. Also, the above program may be for realizing a part of the above-described functions. Further, it may be a so-called difference file (difference program) that can realize the above-described functions in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system.

[0076] Further, part or all of each function provided in the information processing apparatus 10 in the above-described embodiment may be realized as an integrated circuit such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration). Each function may be individually processed by a processor, or part or all of them may be integrated and processed by a processor. Further, the method of integrating into a circuit is not limited to an LSI, and may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. Also, when a circuit integration technology that replaces an LSI appears due to the progress of semiconductor technology, an integrated circuit using such technology may be used.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0077] 10 Information processing apparatus, 20 Battery, 30 AC adapter, 110 Display unit, 120 USB connector, 130 Input device, 131 Keyboard, 133 Touch pad, 140 Communication unit, 150 Storage unit, 160 EC, 170 System processing unit, 171 CPU, 172 GPU, 173 Memory controller, 174 I / O controller, 175 System memory, 180 Power supply circuit, 185 PD controller

Claims

1. A power supply control unit that controls the amount of power supplied from an AC adapter; A power supply unit that generates power to be supplied to a secondary battery and a system load based on the power supplied from the AC adapter; When charging the secondary battery, the value of the system power supplied to the system load and the voltage value of the secondary battery are monitored, and based on the preset charging power value corresponding to the voltage value of the secondary battery and the value of the system power, the amount of power supplied from the AC adapter is instructed to the power supply control unit, thereby controlling the current value for charging the secondary battery. A processor; An information processing apparatus comprising the same.

2. Target values of charging current are preset for each of a plurality of voltage values corresponding to the degree of charge of the secondary battery. The preset charging power value corresponding to the voltage value of the secondary battery is calculated based on the target values of the charging current preset for each of the plurality of voltage values. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The processor: When charging the secondary battery, based on the value obtained by adding the preset charging power value corresponding to the voltage value of the secondary battery and the value of the system power, the amount of power supplied from the AC adapter is instructed to the power supply control unit. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

4. The processor: When the value obtained by adding the preset charging power value corresponding to the voltage value of the secondary battery and the value of the system power exceeds the maximum value of the amount of power that can be supplied from the AC adapter, the amount of power supplied from the AC adapter is set to the maximum value. Instruct the power supply control unit so that The information processing apparatus according to claim 3.

5. The processor: Based on a user operation on a UI (User Interface) that can switch between a first charging mode in which the value of the system power and the voltage value of the secondary battery are monitored to control the current value for charging the secondary battery, and a second charging mode in which the voltage value of the secondary battery is monitored without using the value of the system power to control the current value for charging the secondary battery, switch between the first charging mode and the second charging mode. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

6. The system load: Includes the load of processing executed by an OS (Operating System) or a program operating on the OS. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

7. A method for charging a secondary battery in an information processing apparatus including a power supply control unit that controls the amount of power supplied from an AC adapter, and a power supply unit that generates power to be supplied to the secondary battery and a system load based on the power supplied from the AC adapter, comprising: a processor monitoring, when charging the secondary battery, a value of system power supplied to the system load and a voltage value of the secondary battery; controlling a current value for charging the secondary battery by instructing the power supply control unit to control the amount of power supplied from the AC adapter based on a preset charging power value according to the voltage value of the secondary battery and the value of the system power; A charging method including the above steps.

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