Electronic device system, electronic device, electronic device operation method and program

Abstract

To provide an electronic apparatus capable of extending use time by coping with increase in the number of power sources while suppressing manufacturing cost, an accessory attachable / detachable to / from the electronic apparatus, an operation method and a program of the electronic apparatus, and an operation method and a program of the accessory.SOLUTION: An accessory (2) has batteries Bb and Bc to be charged by power supplied from an external power source to a digital camera (1) and an accessory control unit (25) for controlling charging of the batteries Bb and Bc. The digital camera (1) in which the accessory is detachably attached includes a battery Ba charged by power supplied from the external power source and a power supply management unit (15) for controlling charging of the batteries Bb, Bc, and Ba. The power supply management unit (15) has a communication unit (a terminal P1) for communicating with the accessory control unit (25).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device system, an electronic device, an operation method for an electronic device, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a portable terminal device that can extend battery life by connecting a second battery externally, and that can also charge the second battery using a charging circuit for the built-in battery. The portable terminal device has a charging circuit connectable to a charging adapter and a power line that supplies power from the charging circuit to a regulator. The device has a first switch connected between the output terminal of the built-in battery and the power line, and a second switch connected between the power line and a battery connection terminal connected to an external battery. When the external battery is connected and its voltage is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference voltage (low voltage warning voltage value), only the first switch is controlled to an on state. When the voltage is less than the reference voltage, only the second switch is controlled to an on state, so that power is supplied preferentially from the external battery 5. The device also allows charging of the external battery 5. Patent Document 2 describes an imaging device capable of charging secondary batteries, which can operate while charging the secondary batteries. The imaging device has battery voltage comparison means for comparing remaining charges of multiple secondary batteries, supply time prediction means for predicting available power supply times for the multiple secondary batteries, and target voltage setting means for setting a target voltage for the secondary batteries to be charged based on the available power supply time predicted by the supply time prediction means and the remaining charges of the multiple secondary batteries detected by the battery voltage detection means. One secondary battery is charged to a predetermined voltage, and a target voltage for the other secondary battery to be charged is set based on an operating mode selected by the user and the available power supply time for the one secondary battery to be supplied with power. The other secondary battery is charged to the target voltage, and after charging of the other secondary battery to the target voltage is completed, power supply to the imaging device is switched to resume, and the multiple secondary batteries are charged alternately. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2005-295683 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-086727 Summary of the Invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device, an electronic device system including the electronic device, and an operating method and program for the electronic device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An electronic device system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an accessory having at least one first battery and a first processor that controls charging of the first battery, and an electronic device configured to be detachable from the accessory, wherein the electronic device includes a second processor having a communication unit that communicates with the first processor, a connector connectable to an external power source, a second battery that is charged by power supplied from the external power source, and To operate various hardware a power supply circuit that generates a power supply voltage, and the second processor determines charging power to be supplied from the external power supply to the first battery and charging power to be supplied from the external power supply to the second battery based on the power supplied from the external power supply, the voltage of the second battery, and the voltage of the first battery. The power supply circuit generates the power supply voltage from the power supplied from the external power supply, the voltage of the second battery, and the voltage of the first battery. It is something.

[0006] An electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention is an electronic device configured to be detachable with an accessory having at least one first battery and a first processor that controls charging of the first battery, a second processor having a communication unit that communicates with the first processor, a connector that can be connected to an external power source, a second battery that is charged by power supplied from the external power source, and To operate various hardwarea power supply circuit that generates a power supply voltage, and the second processor determines charging power to be supplied from the external power supply to the first battery and charging power to be supplied from the external power supply to the second battery based on the power supplied from the external power supply, the voltage of the second battery, and the voltage of the first battery. The power supply circuit generates the power supply voltage from the power supplied from the external power supply, the voltage of the second battery, and the voltage of the first battery. It is something. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to provide an electronic device, an electronic device system including the electronic device, and an operating method and program for the electronic device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a general configuration of a camera system 100 including an embodiment of an electronic device and an accessory of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a diagram showing a state in which an accessory 2 is attached to the digital camera 1 shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart for explaining a charging operation when an accessory 2 is attached to a digital camera 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of a camera system 100 including an embodiment of an electronic device and an accessory of the present invention. The camera system 100 includes a digital camera 1 that constitutes an electronic device, and an accessory 2 that is detachably attached to the digital camera 1. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the state in which the accessory 2 is attached to the digital camera 1 shown in Fig. 1.

[0011] The digital camera 1 is an imaging device that includes an image sensor (not shown) and an image processing circuit that processes the output signal of the image sensor to generate image data. The accessory 2 is a so-called external battery that includes batteries Bb and Bc, which are rechargeable secondary batteries such as lithium-ion batteries.

[0012] The digital camera 1 includes a USB connector 11 that complies with the USBPD (Universal Serial Bus Power Delivery) standard, and a USBPD controller 13. The USB connector 11 is connected to an external power source such as an electrical outlet or a mobile battery via a USB cable (not shown).

[0013] The USBPD controller 13 is connected to the USB connector 11 and performs control so that up to 100 W of power can be supplied from an external power source to the digital camera 1. Specifically, the USBPD controller 13 is made up of various processors, which will be described later. Hereinafter, the power supplied from the external power source to the digital camera 1 via the USB connector 11 will also be referred to as external power.

[0014] The digital camera 1 further includes a battery Ba formed by a rechargeable secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery, a power supply circuit 14, a charging IC (Integrated Circuit) 12 which is a circuit that charges the battery Ba, supplies power from the battery Ba to the power supply circuit 14, and supplies external power to the power supply circuit 14, a power supply management unit 15, a system control unit 16, switches SW1 to SW4 whose opening and closing is controlled by the power supply management unit 15, and terminals B1 to B4 for electrical connection with the accessory 2. The switches SW1 to SW4 are each formed by a switching element such as a transistor.

[0015] The switch SW1 is connected to the USB connector 11 and the terminal B1. When the switch SW1 is closed, the USB connector 11 and the terminal B1 are electrically connected, and external power can be supplied to the charging IC 12 and the terminal B1. When the switch SW1 is open as shown in FIG. 1, the USB connector 11 and the terminal B1 are electrically disconnected, and external power can be supplied only to the charging IC 12.

[0016] Switch SW2 is connected to charging IC 12 and power supply circuit 14. Switch SW3 is connected to a connection point between charging IC 12 and switch SW2 and terminal B2. Switch SW4 is connected to a connection point between switch SW2 and power supply circuit 14 and terminal B3. When the switch SW2 is closed and the switches SW3 and SW4 are open, the charging IC 12 and the power supply circuit 14 are electrically connected, and the voltage of the battery Ba can be supplied to the power supply circuit 14.

[0017] The power supply circuit 14 generates a power supply voltage for operating various hardware components such as the USBPD controller 13, power supply management unit 15, system control unit 16, image sensor, and image processing circuit in the digital camera 1, and supplies this power supply voltage to these various hardware components. The power supply circuit 14 is configured to be able to generate power supply voltages from the voltage of the battery Ba, external power, the voltage of the battery Bb of the accessory 2, and the voltage of the battery Bc of the accessory 2.

[0018] The power supply management unit 15 manages the power supply, including charging control of the battery Ba, charging control of the batteries Bb and Bc of the accessory 2, and control of power supply from these batteries to the power supply circuit 14. The power supply management unit 15 is composed of various processors, which will be described later.

[0019] The power management unit 15 is configured to be able to communicate with the USBPD controller 13 and the charging IC 12 via a communication line L1. The power management unit 15 is configured to be able to communicate with the system control unit 16 via a communication line L2. The power management unit 15 is configured to be able to acquire information about the voltage of the battery Ba from the charging IC 12 via the communication line L1. The power management unit 15 is configured to be able to acquire information about external power from the USBPD controller 13 via the communication line L1.

[0020] The power management unit 15 is provided with a terminal P1 that constitutes a communication unit for communicating with an accessory control unit 25 (described later) in the accessory 2. Terminal P1 is connected to terminal B4 by a communication line L3. When the accessory 2 is not attached to the digital camera 1, the power management unit 15 controls to close switch SW2 and open switches SW1, SW3, and SW4. When the accessory 2 is attached to the digital camera 1, the power management unit 15 controls to open switch SW2 and close switches SW3 and SW4. When the accessory 2 is attached to the digital camera 1, the power management unit 15 switches the open / close state of switch SW1 depending on the situation.

[0021] 1, when an external power source is connected to the USB connector 11 without the accessory 2 attached to the digital camera 1, the USBPD controller 13 determines the external power, and the power management unit 15 determines the charging power to be used for charging the battery Ba according to the determined magnitude of the external power. The power management unit 15 then controls the charging IC 12 to start charging the battery Ba with the determined charging power.

[0022] The system control unit 16 is made up of various processors, which will be described later. The system control unit 16 controls the entire digital camera 1, and specifically, is made up of a processor with higher processing power than the power management unit 15.

[0023] The accessory 2 includes a battery Bb, a charging IC 21 which is a circuit that charges the battery Bb and supplies power from the battery Bb to the power supply circuit 14, a battery Bc, a charging IC 22 which is a circuit that charges the battery Bc and supplies power from the battery Bc to the power supply circuit 14, switches SW5 to SW7, a switching IC 23 which controls the opening and closing of each of the switches SW5 to SW7, an accessory control unit 25, and terminals A1 to A4 for electrical connection with the digital camera 1. Each of the switches SW5 to SW7 is formed by a switching element such as a transistor.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, when accessory 2 is attached to digital camera 1, terminals A1 and B1 are electrically connected, terminals A2 and B2 are electrically connected, terminals A3 and B3 are electrically connected, and terminals A4 and B4 are electrically connected.

[0025] Charging IC 21 and charging IC 22 are connected in parallel to terminal A1. When accessory 2 is attached to digital camera 1 and switch SW1 of digital camera 1 is closed, external power supplied to digital camera 1 can be supplied not only to charging IC 12 but also to charging ICs 21 and 22 of accessory 2.

[0026] The switch SW5 is connected to the terminal A2 and the terminal A3. The switch SW6 is connected to the connection point between the switch SW5 and the terminal A3 and the charging IC 21. The switch SW7 is connected to the connection point between the switch SW5 and the terminal A3 and the charging IC 22.

[0027] When switch SW5 is closed and switches SW6 and SW7 are open, terminals A2 and A3 are electrically connected, and charging IC21 and IC22 are electrically disconnected from terminal A3. When switch SW6 is closed and switches SW5 and SW7 are open, charging IC21 and terminal A3 are electrically connected, and terminal A2 and charging IC22 are electrically disconnected from terminal A3. When switch SW7 is closed and switches SW5 and SW6 are open, charging IC22 and terminal A3 are electrically connected, and terminal A2 and charging IC21 are electrically disconnected from terminal A3.

[0028] 2, when accessory 2 is attached to digital camera 1, power supply management unit 15 of digital camera 1 opens switch SW2 and closes switches SW3 and SW4. Therefore, in this state, if only switch SW5 of switches SW5 to SW7 in accessory 2 is closed, the voltage of battery Ba of digital camera 1 can be supplied to power supply circuit 14 of digital camera 1. Also, in this state, if only switch SW6 of switches SW5 to SW7 in accessory 2 is closed, the voltage of battery Bb of accessory 2 can be supplied to power supply circuit 14 of digital camera 1. Also, in this state, if only switch SW7 of switches SW5 to SW7 in accessory 2 is closed, the voltage of battery Bc of accessory 2 can be supplied to power supply circuit 14 of digital camera 1.

[0029] The switching IC 23, under the control of the accessory control unit 25, closes only one of the switches SW5 to SW7, thereby allowing voltage to be supplied to the power supply circuit 14 from one of the batteries Ba, Bb, and Bc.

[0030] The accessory control unit 25 manages the power supply of the accessory 2, including controlling the charging of the battery Bb and the battery Bc and controlling the power supply from each battery to the power supply circuit 14. The accessory control unit 25 is made up of various processors, which will be described later.

[0031] The accessory control unit 25 is configured to be able to communicate with the charging IC 21 via a communication line L4. The accessory control unit 25 is configured to be able to communicate with the charging IC 22 via a communication line L5. The accessory control unit 25 is configured to be able to acquire information about the voltage of battery Bb from the charging IC 21 via the communication line L4. The accessory control unit 25 is configured to be able to acquire information about the voltage of battery Bc from the charging IC 22 via the communication line L5.

[0032] The accessory control unit 25 determines whether or not the battery Bb can be charged based on information related to the voltage of the battery Bb. Specifically, the accessory control unit 25 determines that the battery Bb cannot be charged if the voltage of the battery Bb is equal to or higher than a threshold, and determines that the battery Bb can be charged if the voltage of the battery Bb is less than the threshold.

[0033] The accessory control unit 25 determines whether or not the battery Bc can be charged based on information related to the voltage of the battery Bc. Specifically, the accessory control unit 25 determines that charging is not possible if the voltage of the battery Bc is equal to or higher than a threshold, and determines that charging is possible if the voltage of the battery Bc is less than the threshold.

[0034] The accessory control unit 25 is provided with a terminal P2 that constitutes a communication unit for communicating with the power management unit 15 of the digital camera 1. The terminal P2 is connected to the terminal A4 by a communication line L6. As shown in Fig. 2, when the accessory 2 is attached to the digital camera 1, the terminal P2 of the accessory control unit 25 and the terminal P1 of the power management unit 15 are connected via the communication line L6, the terminal A4, the terminal B4, and the communication line L3.

[0035] The accessory control unit 25 generates the above-mentioned information indicating whether battery Bb can be charged and information indicating whether battery Bc can be charged as first charge control information, and transmits this first charge control information from terminal P2 to the power supply management unit 15. Furthermore, when the accessory control unit 25 acquires second charge control information transmitted from terminal P1 of the power supply management unit 15 and received at terminal P2, it controls the charging of at least one of battery Bb and battery Bc based on this second charge control information.

[0036] The second charge control information includes information for battery Bb including information to instruct the start of charging of battery Bb and information specifying the charging power to be supplied to battery Bb, and information for battery Bc including information to instruct the start of charging of battery Bc and information specifying the charging power to be supplied to battery Bc. The first charge control information and the second charge control information constitute charge control information necessary for charging control of battery Bb and battery Bc.

[0037] The various processors mentioned above include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), which is a general-purpose processor that executes software (programs) and functions as various processing units, a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), which is a processor whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacture, and a dedicated electrical circuit, such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), which is a processor with a circuit configuration designed specifically to execute specific processing.

[0038] The power management unit 15, USBPD controller 13, system control unit 16, and accessory control unit 25 may each be configured with one of various processors, or may be configured with a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (for example, multiple FPGAs, or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). Also, for example, the power management unit 15 and USBPD controller 13 may be configured with a single processor. The hardware structure of these various processors is, more specifically, an electric circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0039] (Operation of camera system 100) The charging operation when the accessory 2 is attached to the digital camera 1 in the camera system 100 configured as above will be described below. Fig. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the charging operation when the accessory 2 is attached to the digital camera 1.

[0040] When an external power source is connected to the USB connector 11 while the accessory 2 is attached to the digital camera 1, the power management unit 15 of the digital camera 1 obtains information about the external power being supplied from the external power source from the USBPD controller 13 (step S1).

[0041] The power supply management unit 15 also acquires information on the voltage of the battery Ba from the charging IC 12, and determines the state of the battery Ba (whether it is chargeable or not) based on this information (step S2). Specifically, the power supply management unit 15 determines that the battery Ba is not chargeable if the voltage of the battery Ba is equal to or higher than a threshold, and determines that the battery Ba is chargeable if the voltage of the battery Ba is lower than the threshold.

[0042] Furthermore, the power supply manager 15 acquires first charge control information indicating the states (whether or not the batteries Bb and Bc are chargeable) from the accessory controller 25 (step S3).

[0043] Based on the result of the processing in step S2 and the first charge control information acquired in step S3, if the power management unit 15 determines that there is no chargeable battery among battery Ba, battery Bb, and battery Bc (step S4: NO), it terminates the charging operation.

[0044] If the power supply management unit 15 determines that there is a rechargeable battery among the batteries Ba, Bb, and Bc (step S4: YES), it determines whether the external power acquired in step S1 is equal to or less than a predetermined value (step S5). The processing of step S5 is performed to determine whether the external power is a value sufficient to charge multiple batteries. The predetermined value is determined to an appropriate value depending on the system, and is set to 7.5 W as an example.

[0045] If the external power is equal to or less than the predetermined value (step S5: YES), the power supply manager 15 selects one of the batteries Ba, Bb, and Bc as the battery to be charged (step S6). The memory of the power supply manager 15 stores information on the priority of charging in association with each of the batteries Ba, Bb, and Bc.

[0046] When two or more of the batteries Ba, Bb, and Bc are chargeable, the power supply management unit 15 selects one of the two or more batteries based on the priority. For example, the priority of battery Ba is set to "high," that of battery Bb is set to "medium," and that of battery Bc is set to "low." The power supply management unit 15 preferentially selects the battery with the highest priority.

[0047] For example, if a plurality of batteries including battery Ba are chargeable among battery Ba, battery Bb, and battery Bc, the power supply manager 15 selects battery Ba, which has the highest priority, in step S6. If batteries Bb and Bc are chargeable among battery Ba, battery Bb, and battery Bc, the power supply manager 15 selects battery Bb, which has the relatively highest priority, in step S6. Note that if only one of battery Ba, battery Bb, and battery Bc is chargeable, the power supply manager 15 selects that one battery regardless of its priority in step S6.

[0048] After selecting one battery in step S6, the power supply manager 15 executes charging control of the selected battery (step S7). Specifically, the power supply manager 15 first determines the charging power Px to be used for charging the selected battery based on the external power. For example, the power supply manager 15 determines the entire external power as the charging power Px, or determines a portion of the external power (e.g., 80%) as the charging power Px.

[0049] When the power supply management unit 15 selects the battery Ba in step S6, it controls the switch SW1 to an open state and instructs the charging IC 12 to charge the battery Ba with the charging power Px. In response to this instruction, the charging IC 12 charges the battery Ba with the charging power Px specified by the power supply management unit 15.

[0050] When the power supply management unit 15 selects the battery Bb (or the battery Bc) in step S6, it performs control to close the switch SW1 and transmits second charge control information including information on the charging power Px and information instructing the start of charging the battery Bb (or the battery Bc) to the accessory control unit 25. The accessory control unit 25 performs charge control of the battery Bb (or the battery Bc) based on this second charge control information.

[0051] Specifically, the accessory control unit 25 instructs the charging IC 21 (or the charging IC 22) to charge the battery Bb (or the battery Bc) with the charging power Px specified in the second charging control information. In response to this instruction, the charging IC 21 (or the charging IC 22) charges the battery Bb (or the battery Bc) with the charging power Px specified by the power management unit 15.

[0052] If the external power exceeds the predetermined value in step S5 (step S5: NO), the power supply management unit 15 allocates the external power to each chargeable battery among the batteries Ba, Bb, and Bc, and determines the charging power Py for each battery (step S8). Note that it is desirable to set an upper limit value for the charging power Py. Below, a detailed example of step S8 will be described for each number of chargeable batteries.

[0053] <If you have one rechargeable battery> The power supply management unit 15 determines the entire external power as the charging power Py, or determines a part of the external power (for example, 80%) as the charging power Py.

[0054] <When there are two rechargeable batteries> The power supply management unit 15 determines the charging power Py as a value obtained by dividing all of the external power in half, or determines the charging power Py as a value obtained by dividing a portion of the external power (for example, 80%) in half. Note that, here, the charging power Py allocated to each of the two batteries is the same value, but the charging power Py may be allocated differently for each battery.

[0055] <When there are three rechargeable batteries> The power supply management unit 15 may determine the charging power Py by dividing all of the external power into thirds, or by dividing a portion (e.g., 80%) of the external power into thirds. Here, the same value of charging power Py is allocated to each of the three batteries, but the charging power Py may be allocated differently for each battery. It is desirable that such determination of charging power Py be performed according to a table stored in the memory of the power supply management unit 15 (a table that associates external power with charging power Py for each number of batteries). This can reduce the cost of the power supply management unit 15.

[0056] After step S8, the power supply management unit 15 executes charging control of each chargeable battery using the charging power Py (step S9). Details of step S9 will be described below for each combination of chargeable batteries.

[0057] <When only battery Ba can be charged> The power supply management unit 15 controls the switch SW1 to an open state and instructs the charging IC 12 to charge the battery Ba with the charging power Py. In response to this instruction, the charging IC 12 charges the battery Ba with the charging power Py specified by the power supply management unit 15.

[0058] <When only battery Bb (or battery Bc) can be charged> The power supply management unit 15 performs control to close the switch SW1, and transmits second charge control information including information on the charging power Py and information instructing charging of the battery Bb (or battery Bc) to the accessory control unit 25. The accessory control unit 25 performs charge control of the battery Bb (or battery Bc) based on this second charge control information.

[0059] Specifically, the accessory control unit 25 instructs the charging IC 21 (or the charging IC 22) to charge the battery Bb (or the battery Bc) with the charging power Py specified in the second charging control information. In response to this instruction, the charging IC 21 (or the charging IC 22) charges the battery Bb (or the battery Bc) with the charging power Py specified by the power management unit 15.

[0060] <When only battery Bb and battery Bc can be charged> The power supply management unit 15 performs control to close the switch SW1, and transmits second charge control information including information on the charging power Py and information instructing the charging of the batteries Bb and Bc to the accessory control unit 25. The accessory control unit 25 performs charge control of the batteries Bb and Bc based on this second charge control information.

[0061] Specifically, the accessory control unit 25 instructs the charging IC 21 and the charging IC 22 to charge the battery Bb and the battery Bc with the charging power Py specified in the second charging control information. In response to this instruction, the charging IC 21 charges the battery Bb with the charging power Py specified by the power management unit 15. Also, the charging IC 22 charges the battery Bc with the charging power Py specified by the power management unit 15.

[0062] <When only battery Ba and battery Bb (or battery Bc) can be charged> The power supply management unit 15 controls to close the switch SW1 and instructs the charging IC 12 to charge the battery Ba with the charging power Py. In response to this instruction, the charging IC 12 charges the battery Ba with the charging power Py specified by the power supply management unit 15.

[0063] Furthermore, the power management unit 15 transmits second charge control information including information on the charging power Py and information instructing charging of the battery Bb (or battery Bc) to the accessory control unit 25. The accessory control unit 25 controls charging of the battery Bb (or battery Bc) based on this second charge control information.

[0064] Specifically, the accessory control unit 25 instructs the charging IC 21 (or the charging IC 22) to charge the battery Bb (or the battery Bc) with the charging power Py specified in the second charging control information. In response to this instruction, the charging IC 21 (or the charging IC 22) charges the battery Bb (or the battery Bc) with the charging power Py specified by the power management unit 15.

[0065] <When battery Ba, battery Bb, and battery Bc are chargeable> The power supply management unit 15 controls to close the switch SW1 and instructs the charging IC 12 to charge the battery Ba with the charging power Py. In response to this instruction, the charging IC 12 charges the battery Ba with the charging power Py specified by the power supply management unit 15.

[0066] Furthermore, the power supply management unit 15 transmits second charge control information including information on the charging power Py and information instructing charging of the battery Bb and the battery Bc to the accessory control unit 25. The accessory control unit 25 controls charging of the battery Bb and the battery Bc based on this second charge control information.

[0067] Specifically, the accessory control unit 25 instructs the charging IC 21 and the charging IC 22 to charge the battery Bb and the battery Bc with the charging power Py specified in the second charging control information. In response to this instruction, the charging IC 21 charges the battery Bb with the charging power Py specified by the power management unit 15. Also, the charging IC 22 charges the battery Bc with the charging power Py specified by the power management unit 15.

[0068] (Effects of the camera system 100) In the camera system 100, the accessory control unit 25 and the power management unit 15 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via the communication unit (terminals P2 and P1). Therefore, as described above, the power management unit 15 can acquire first charge control information related to the states of batteries Bb and Bc from the accessory control unit 25, and can control the charging of batteries Ba, Bb, and Bc based on this second charge control information. Furthermore, the accessory control unit 25 can control the charging of batteries Bb and Bc under the control of the power management unit 15. This eliminates the need to use a power management unit 15 with a large memory or high performance, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the digital camera 1. Furthermore, because the charging of battery Ba and batteries Bb and Bc is controlled by separate processors, charging can be performed efficiently.

[0069] Furthermore, in the camera system 100, the power management unit 15 determines the charging power to be supplied to each of the batteries Ba, Bb, and Bc based on the external power, the state of the battery Ba, and the state of the batteries Bb and Bc based on the first charging control information received from the accessory control unit 25, and controls the charging of each of the batteries Ba, Bb, and Bc based on this charging power. In this way, by changing the number of batteries to be charged depending on the external power situation, flexible charging control is possible. Furthermore, charging efficiency can be improved.

[0070] Furthermore, according to the camera system 100, during charging operation, the accessory control unit 25 only needs to determine whether or not the batteries Bb, Bc can be charged and control the charging of the batteries Bb, Bc under the control of the power management unit 15. This eliminates the need for the accessory control unit 25 to have a high memory or processing power, making it possible to reduce the cost of the accessory 2.

[0071] In the above camera system 100, the accessory 2 is configured to have two batteries, but the number of batteries that the accessory 2 has is not limited to this and may be one or three or more. A digital camera is used as an example of an electronic device, but other electronic devices such as a smartphone may also be used.

[0072] In the camera system 100, communication between the power management unit 15 and the accessory control unit 25 may be performed wirelessly rather than via wired communication via terminals B4 and A4. For example, terminals B4 and A4 may each be replaced with an interface for short-range wireless communication, and these interfaces may be connected to terminals P1 and P2. In this configuration, each interface and the terminals connected thereto constitute a communication unit. Examples of wireless communication methods that can be used include wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), Infrared Data Association (IrDA) (registered trademark), Ultra Wideband (UWB) (registered trademark), and ZigBee (registered trademark). Using wireless communication can avoid communication failures due to poor terminal contacts in wired communication and also makes it easier to select a method that enables faster communication as needed.

[0073] As explained above, this specification describes at least the following items. Note that the elements in parentheses correspond to those in the above-described embodiments, but are not limited to these.

[0074] (1) The electronic device (digital camera 1) is configured to have a detachable accessory (accessory 2) including at least one first battery (battery Bb and battery Bc) that is charged by power supplied to the electronic device from an external power source and a first processor (accessory control unit 25) that controls charging of the first battery, a second battery (battery Ba) that is charged by power supplied from an external power source; a second processor (power management unit 15) that controls charging of the first battery and the second battery, The second processor is an electronic device having a communication unit (terminal P1) for communicating with the first processor.

[0075] (2) The electronic device according to (1), The second processor is an electronic device that transmits and receives charge control information required for charge control of the first battery to and from the first processor via the communication unit.

[0076] (3) The electronic device according to (2), The second processor determines charging power to be supplied to each of the first battery and the second battery based on the power supplied from the external power source, the state of the second battery, and the state of the first battery based on the charging control information (first charging control information) received from the communication unit, and performs charging control of the first battery and the second battery based on the charging power.

[0077] (4) (3) The electronic device according to the present invention, The second processor transmits information about the charging power to be supplied to the first battery and information instructing the charging of the first battery as the charging control information (second charging control information) to the first processor, and causes the first processor to control the charging of the first battery based on the charging control information.

[0078] (5) The electronic device according to (3) or (4), The second processor is an electronic device that, when there are multiple batteries that can be charged based on the state of the first battery and the state of the second battery, and when the power supplied from the external power source is below a predetermined value, controls the supply of power from the external power source to one of the first battery and the second battery in accordance with the priority associated with each of the first battery and the second battery.

[0079] (6) The electronic device according to any one of (3) to (5), The second processor is an electronic device that, when the power supplied from the external power source exceeds a predetermined value, controls the supply of power from the external power source to a rechargeable one of the first battery and the second battery based on the state of the first battery and the state of the second battery.

[0080] (7) The electronic device according to any one of (2) to (6), The second processor receives from the first processor the charging control information (first charging control information) including information indicating whether charging is possible for each of the first batteries, and transmits to the first processor the charging control information (second charging control information) including information instructing the start of charging for each of the first batteries and information on the charging power used for charging.

[0081] (8) The electronic device according to any one of (1) to (7), An electronic device including an imaging element that operates using power from any one of the external power supply, the first battery, and the second battery.

[0082] (9) An accessory (accessory 2) configured to be detachable from an electronic device (digital camera 1), at least one first battery (battery Bb and battery Bc) that is charged by power supplied to the electronic device from an external power source; a first processor (accessory control unit 25) that controls charging of the first battery, The first processor is an accessory having a communication unit (terminal P2) for communicating with the second processor of the electronic device, which has a second battery (battery Ba) that is charged by power supplied from an external power source, and a second processor (power management unit 15) that controls the charging of the first battery and the second battery.

[0083] (10) The accessory according to (9), The first processor transmits and receives charge control information required for charge control of the first battery to and from the second processor via the communication unit.

[0084] (11) The accessory according to (10), the charge control information (first charge control information) transmitted by the first processor to the second processor includes information indicating whether or not each of the first batteries is chargeable; the charge control information (second charge control information) received by the first processor from the second processor includes information instructing the start of charging of each of the first batteries and information indicating charging power to be used for the charging, The first processor controls charging of the first battery based on the charging control information received from the second processor.

[0085] (12) An accessory according to any one of (9) to (11), The electronic device is an accessory that is an imaging device.

[0086] (13) A method for operating an electronic device (digital camera 1) including a detachable accessory (accessory 2) having at least one first battery (battery Bb and battery Bc) charged by power supplied to the electronic device from an external power source and a first processor (accessory control unit 25) that controls charging of the first battery, and the electronic device having a second battery (battery Ba) charged by power supplied from the external power source, comprising: An operating method of an electronic device in which a second processor (power management unit 15) of the electronic device transmits and receives charging control information necessary for charging control of the first battery with the first processor, thereby controlling the charging of the second battery and the first battery.

[0087] (14) (13) A method for operating the electronic device according to the present invention, A method for operating an electronic device in which the second processor determines charging power to be supplied to each of the first battery and the second battery based on the power supplied from the external power source, the state of the second battery, and the state of the first battery based on the charging control information (first charging control information) received from the first processor, and controls charging of the first battery and the second battery based on the charging power.

[0088] (15) (14) A method for operating the electronic device according to the present invention, A method for operating an electronic device in which the second processor transmits information about the charging power to be supplied to the first battery and information instructing the charging of the first battery as the charging control information (second charging control information) to the first processor, and causes the first processor to control the charging of the first battery based on the charging control information.

[0089] (16) A method for operating an electronic device according to (14) or (15), A method for operating an electronic device in which, when there are multiple chargeable batteries based on the state of the first battery and the state of the second battery and the power supplied from the external power source is below a predetermined value, the second processor controls the supply of power from the external power source to one of the first battery and the second battery in accordance with the priority associated with each of the first battery and the second battery.

[0090] (17) A method for operating an electronic device according to any one of (14) to (16), A method for operating an electronic device in which, when the power supplied from the external power source exceeds a predetermined value, the second processor controls the supply of power from the external power source to a rechargeable one of the first battery and the second battery based on the state of the first battery and the state of the second battery.

[0091] (18) A method for operating an electronic device according to any one of (13) to (17), A method for operating an electronic device, in which the second processor receives from the first processor the charging control information (first charging control information) including information indicating whether or not charging is possible for each of the first batteries, and transmits to the first processor the charging control information (second charging control information) including information instructing the start of charging for each of the first batteries and information on the charging power to be used for charging.

[0092] (19) A method for operating an electronic device according to any one of (13) to (18), The method for operating an electronic device, wherein the electronic device is provided with an imaging element that operates using any one of the power from the external power supply, the power from the first battery, and the power from the second battery.

[0093] (20) A method for operating an accessory (accessory 2) that is detachably attached to an electronic device (digital camera 1) and has at least one first battery (battery Bb and battery Bc) that is charged by power supplied to the electronic device from an external power source, and a first processor (accessory control unit 25) that controls charging of the first battery, comprising: A method for operating the second processor of the electronic device, which has a second battery (battery Ba) that is charged by power supplied from an external power source, and a second processor (power management unit 15) that controls the charging of the first battery and the second battery, and an accessory that transmits and receives charging control information necessary for controlling the charging of the first battery.

[0094] (twenty one) (20) A method for operating an accessory according to the present invention, the first processor transmits the charge control information (first charge control information) including information indicating whether each of the first batteries is chargeable to the second processor; the first processor receives, from the second processor, the charge control information (second charge control information) including information instructing the start of charging of each of the first batteries and information indicating charging power to be used for charging; The first processor controls charging of the first battery based on the charging control information received from the second processor.

[0095] (twenty two) A method for operating an accessory according to (20) or (21), The method of operating an accessory, wherein the electronic device is an imaging device.

[0096] (twenty three) An operation program for an electronic device (digital camera 1) including a detachable accessory (accessory 2) having at least one first battery (battery Bb and battery Bc) charged by power supplied from an external power source to the electronic device and a first processor (accessory control unit 25) that controls charging of the first battery, and a second battery (battery Ba) charged by power supplied from the external power source, the operation program comprising: An operating program for an electronic device that causes a second processor (power management unit 15) of the electronic device to execute a step of transmitting and receiving charge control information necessary for charging control of the first battery with the first processor and controlling the charging of the second battery and the first battery.

[0097] (twenty four) An operation program for an accessory (accessory 2) configured to be detachable from an electronic device (digital camera 1) and having at least one first battery (battery Bb and battery Bc) charged by power supplied to the electronic device from an external power source, and a first processor (accessory control unit 25) that controls charging of the first battery, An operating program for an accessory that causes the second processor of the electronic device, which has a second battery (battery Ba) that is charged by power supplied from an external power source and a second processor (power management unit 15) that controls the charging of the first battery and the second battery, to execute a step of transmitting and receiving charging control information necessary for controlling the charging of the first battery.

[0098] Although various embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the components of the above-described embodiments may be combined in any manner without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0099] This application is based on a Japanese patent application (Patent Application No. 2020-026412) filed on February 19, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 1. Digital camera SW1, SW2, SW3, SW4, SW5, SW6, SW7 switches B1,B2,B3,B4 terminals L1,L2,L3,L4,L5,L6 communication line P1, P2 terminals A1,A2,A3,A4 terminal 2 Accessories 11 USB connector 12,21,22 Charging IC 13 USBPD Controller 14 Power circuit 15 Power management section 16 System control section 23 Switching IC 25 Accessory control section 100 Camera System

Claims

1. an accessory having at least one first battery and a first processor that controls charging of the first battery; an electronic device to which the accessory is detachably attached; The electronic device includes: a second processor having a communication unit that communicates with the first processor; A connector that can be connected to an external power source; a second battery that is charged by power supplied from the external power source; a power supply circuit that generates a power supply voltage for operating various hardware components of the electronic device; and the second processor determines charging power to be supplied from the external power source to the first battery and charging power to be supplied from the external power source to the second battery based on the power supplied from the external power source, the voltage of the second battery, and the voltage of the first battery; The power supply circuit generates the power supply voltage from the power supplied from the external power supply, the voltage of the second battery, and the voltage of the first battery.

2. 10. The electronic device system according to claim 1, The second processor controls charging of the first battery and the second battery based on the determined charging power.

3. 3. The electronic device system according to claim 2, The second processor transmits and receives charge control information required for charge control of the first battery to and from the first processor via the communication unit.

4. 4. The electronic device system according to claim 3, The second processor determines the charging power to be supplied to the first battery and the second battery based on the power supplied from the external power source, the voltage of the second battery, and the voltage of the first battery based on the charging control information received from the communication unit.

5. An electronic device system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The second processor controls charging of the second battery, controls charging of the first battery, and controls power supply from the second battery and the first battery to the power supply circuit.

6. An electronic device having a detachable accessory including at least one first battery and a first processor that controls charging of the first battery, a second processor having a communication unit that communicates with the first processor; A connector that can be connected to an external power source; a second battery that is charged by power supplied from the external power source; a power supply circuit that generates a power supply voltage for operating various hardware components of the electronic device; the second processor determines charging power to be supplied from the external power source to the first battery and charging power to be supplied from the external power source to the second battery based on the power supplied from the external power source, the voltage of the second battery, and the voltage of the first battery; The power supply circuit is an electronic device that generates the power supply voltage from the power supplied from the external power supply, the voltage of the second battery, and the voltage of the first battery.

7. An electronic device according to claim 6, The second processor is an electronic device that controls charging of the first battery and the second battery based on the determined charging power.

8. An electronic device according to claim 7, The second processor is an electronic device that transmits and receives charge control information required for charge control of the first battery to and from the first processor via the communication unit.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, The second processor is an electronic device that determines charging power to be supplied to the first battery and the second battery based on the power supplied from the external power source, the voltage of the second battery, and the voltage of the first battery based on the charging control information received from the communication unit.

10. An electronic device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, The second processor is an electronic device that controls charging of the second battery, controls charging of the first battery, and controls power supply from the second battery and the first battery to the power supply circuit.

11. An operation method for an electronic device comprising: a detachable accessory having at least one first battery and a first processor that controls charging of the first battery; a second processor having a communication unit that communicates with the first processor; a connector connectable to an external power source; a second battery that is charged by power supplied from the external power source; and a power supply circuit that generates a power supply voltage for operating various hardware components, the method comprising: A method for operating an electronic device in which the second processor determines the charging power to be supplied from the external power source to the first battery and the charging power to be supplied from the external power source to the second battery based on the power supplied from the external power source, the voltage of the second battery, and the voltage of the first battery, and performs charging control of the second battery, charging control of the first battery, and control of power supply from the second battery and the first battery to the power supply circuit.

12. An operating program for an electronic device comprising: an accessory configured to be detachable, the accessory having at least one first battery and a first processor that controls charging of the first battery; a second processor having a communication unit that communicates with the first processor; a connector connectable to an external power source; a second battery that is charged by power supplied from the external power source; and a power supply circuit that generates a power supply voltage for operating various hardware components, An operating program for an electronic device that causes the second processor to execute the steps of determining charging power to be supplied from the external power source to the first battery and charging power to be supplied from the external power source to the second battery based on the power supplied from the external power source, the voltage of the second battery, and the voltage of the first battery, and performing charging control of the second battery, charging control of the first battery, and power supply control from the second battery and the first battery to the power supply circuit.

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