Electronic device, information output method and program

Abstract

To provide an electronic device, an information output method, and a program capable of presenting information effective for suppressing deterioration of a secondary battery.SOLUTION: An electronic device includes a charging unit that charges a secondary battery according to power supply from the outside, a control unit, and an output unit that outputs a content specified by the control unit, and the control unit determines whether a plurality of deterioration conditions of the secondary battery are satisfied for the charging of the secondary battery, designates the content related to the deterioration condition determined to be satisfied, and causes the output unit to output the content.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device, an information output method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Electronic devices, particularly portable devices, often operate on power supplied from batteries. Rechargeable batteries that can be recharged and reused are widely used as batteries. Rechargeable batteries gradually deteriorate, causing a decrease in the maximum amount of electricity that can be stored (storage capacity) when charged and an increase in internal resistance, making it difficult to obtain the desired output current. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that estimates the degree of deterioration based on the degree of change in the internal resistance of a rechargeable battery, and then appropriately displays and outputs this information.

[0003] The rate at which a rechargeable battery deteriorates varies depending on the battery's environment, usage, charging method, etc. For example, lithium-ion batteries deteriorate more quickly in high temperature and humidity. It is also known that secondary batteries can easily deteriorate when they are deeply discharged, over-discharged, or recharged or used from these states. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-67523 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the different deterioration conditions for each type of rechargeable battery are complicated for the average user, and it is difficult to accurately judge the deterioration conditions by correlating them with the type of battery in the electronic device they are using and their own charging operations. Conventional technologies have not been able to suppress the deterioration of secondary batteries according to the user's charging status.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device, an information output method, and a program that can present information to a user that is effective in suppressing deterioration of a secondary battery. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an electronic device comprising: a charging unit that charges a secondary battery in response to an external power supply; a control unit; and an output unit that outputs content designated by the control unit, wherein the control unit determines whether or not a plurality of deterioration conditions of the secondary battery are satisfied with respect to the charging of the secondary battery, and designates content related to the deterioration conditions that are determined to be satisfied and causes the output unit to output the content. The determining step includes determining whether the external power supply satisfies the rating of the electronic device, and the deterioration condition includes a condition that the external power supply does not satisfy the rating of the electronic device. It is characterized by: [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a user with information that is effective in suppressing deterioration of the secondary battery. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 10 is a table showing examples of items that accelerate deterioration stored as deterioration condition data; [Figure 3] 4 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of a charge monitoring control process. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating examples of displays on a display screen when it is determined that a deterioration condition is met; [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating examples of displays on a display screen when it is determined that a deterioration condition is met; [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of a modified charge monitoring control process. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for a degradation condition update process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an electronic device 1 according to this embodiment.

[0011] The electronic device 1 is, for example, a portable device including a body-worn device, such as a wristwatch or a smartwatch. The electronic device 1 includes a control unit 10 (a computer of the electronic device 1), an operating unit 20, a battery control IC 30, a power supply unit 40 (a charging unit), etc. The electronic device 1 receives power supply from a secondary battery B to operate.

[0012] The control unit 10 controls the overall operation of the electronic device 1. The control unit 10 includes a CPU 11 (Central Processing Unit), a storage unit 12, a timer unit 13, etc. The CPU 11 is a processor that performs various calculations and executes processes related to operational control. The CPU 11 may be a single unit, or multiple CPUs 11 may operate in parallel or selectively.

[0013] The storage unit 12 stores various data. The storage unit 12 includes a volatile memory (RAM; Random Access Memory) and a nonvolatile memory. The RAM, such as a DRAM, provides working memory space for the CPU 11 and stores temporary data. The temporary data includes history data 123, such as the operation and input operations of the electronic device 1 over a recent period of time. The history data 123 also includes data related to charging management, described below, such as data on the remaining charge or charging rate at the start of charging, temperature data, and statistical data on these. The statistical data includes, for example, a frequency distribution obtained by counting the charging rate at the start of charging at each unit charging rate interval, and correspondence data between the temperature at the start of charging and a representative value (such as an average value) of the difference between the temperature at the start of charging and the maximum temperature during charging. The statistical data may be cumulative for the secondary battery B or may be data for the recent period of time. The nonvolatile memory, such as a flash memory, stores control programs, setting data, and the like. The control program includes a program 121 related to management of charging and discharging of secondary battery B. The setting data also includes degradation condition data 122 including a plurality of conditions (degradation conditions) that may accelerate the degradation of secondary battery B when charging secondary battery B.

[0014] The clock unit 13 counts the current date and time (time) by counting a signal of a certain frequency output from a clock circuit (not shown). Note that the counting of date and time may be performed by the CPU 11 using RAM.

[0015] The operation unit 20 performs operations related to the various functions that the electronic device 1 executes. The operating unit 20 includes a display unit 21, an operation receiving unit 22, a communication unit 23, a measurement unit 25, and the like.

[0016] The display unit 21 has, for example, a dot matrix liquid crystal display (LCD) and performs various displays based on control signals from the control unit 10. The operation reception unit 22 has a push button switch and / or a crown, etc., and detects the operation of these and outputs the detected operation to the control unit 10 as a signal.

[0017] The communication unit 23 controls communication with external devices. The communication standard controlled by the communication unit 23 is, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark). The operation of the communication unit 23 may be controlled independently from other components of the electronic device 1.

[0018] The measurement unit 25 measures a physical quantity and outputs the measurement result to the control unit 10 and / or the battery control IC 30. The measurement unit 25 has a voltage measurement unit 251, a current measurement unit 252, a temperature measurement unit 253 (first measurement unit), an illuminance measurement unit 254, and the like.

[0019] Of these, the voltage measurement unit 251, the current measurement unit 252, and the temperature measurement unit 253 each perform measurements on the secondary battery B. The voltage measurement unit 251 measures the output voltage of the secondary battery B. The current measurement unit 252 measures the discharge current from the secondary battery B to the control unit 10 and the operating unit 20 and the charge current from an external power source to the secondary battery B (collectively, the output current of the secondary battery B. The output current may be negative). The temperature measurement unit 253 measures the temperature of the secondary battery B. Specifically, the temperature measurement unit 253 measures the temperature on or near the surface of the secondary battery B. The voltage measurement unit 251 and the current measurement unit 252 constitute a second measurement unit of this embodiment. The voltage measurement unit 251, the current measurement unit 252, and the temperature measurement unit 253 may be controlled by the battery control IC 30 and operated separately from other components of the operation unit 20 of the electronic device 1.

[0020] The illuminance measuring unit 254 measures the illuminance of light incident on a specific position of the electronic device 1, for example, on at least a partial range of the display screen of the display unit 21. The measuring unit 25 may also have a sensor or the like that measures other physical quantities according to the function of the electronic device 1 or the like.

[0021] The battery control IC 30 causes the power supply unit 40 to switch between charging and discharging the secondary battery B depending on the measurement results of the voltage measurement unit 251 and the current measurement unit 252, and whether an external power source is connected or not. When an external power source is not connected to a connection terminal or the like, the battery control IC 30 may continue discharging from the secondary battery B. When an external power source is connected to a connection terminal or the like, the battery control IC 30 causes the external power source to charge the secondary battery B depending on the output voltage of the secondary battery B, and also causes the power supplied from the external power source to be supplied to each unit of the electronic device 1.

[0022] The power supply unit 40 outputs (discharges) power from the secondary battery B and supplies it to each unit of the device, in this case, the control unit 10 and the operating unit 20. Furthermore, the power supply unit 40 can switch to charging the secondary battery B in response to power supply from an external power source (external) through the charge / discharge switching control by the battery control IC 30 as described above, and operate as a charging unit for the secondary battery B. The power supply unit 40 may have an analog switch such as an FET, and the switching may be controlled by the battery control IC 30. Furthermore, the power supply unit 40 may have a transformer unit that appropriately changes and adjusts the input voltage from the external power source to an output voltage.

[0023] The secondary battery B is a battery that can be recharged and reused. The secondary battery B is, for example, a lithium ion battery. The secondary battery B may be a fixed battery provided in the electronic device 1, or may be a detachable and replaceable battery. Furthermore, the secondary battery B may be dedicated to the electronic device 1, or may be a general-purpose battery.

[0024] The external power supply here may include an adapter that converts input from an AC power source such as a commercial power source into an appropriate DC voltage and outputs it. It may also be a device that can directly output the DC voltage, such as a mobile battery.

[0025] Next, the charge management of the secondary battery B will be described. The charging and discharging of the secondary battery B is switched by the power supply unit 40 under the control of the battery control IC 30. The control of the battery control IC 30 may be mechanical, for example, depending on the output voltage of the secondary battery B, but if the charging conditions of the secondary battery B are poor, the deterioration of the secondary battery B may be accelerated more than usual. When the above deterioration conditions are met during charging, the control unit 10 (CPU 11) notifies the user so that the user is aware of the details of the deterioration conditions that have been met, thereby educating the user not to charge the battery more than necessary when such deterioration conditions are met.

[0026] FIG. 2 is a table showing examples of items that accelerate deterioration stored in the deterioration condition data 122. An example of a deterioration condition factor is the temperature during charging. If charging is performed when the temperature of secondary battery B measured by temperature measurement unit 253 is too high (for example, above upper limit value TH) or too low (for example, below lower limit value TL), secondary battery B is likely to deteriorate.

[0027] Furthermore, maintaining secondary battery B in a nearly fully charged state can also hasten the deterioration of secondary battery B. In other words, if secondary battery B is continuously connected to an external power source while at a charge rate (the ratio of remaining charge to the maximum charge capacity of secondary battery B) that is close to a fully charged state or higher, and if secondary battery B is frequently charged every time the charge rate drops slightly, secondary battery B is likely to deteriorate.

[0028] Furthermore, if the remaining charge Q or charging rate of secondary battery B at the start of charging is too high (for example, above the upper limit QH of the remaining charge) or too low (for example, below the lower limit QL of the remaining charge), this can easily lead to deterioration of secondary battery B. Charging secondary battery B when it has a low remaining charge Q and is already discharged places a load on it, accelerating its deterioration. As mentioned above, it is not desirable to maintain a high charging rate, and if charging is started frequently in such a state, this can cumulatively accelerate the deterioration of secondary battery B.

[0029] Furthermore, if the time that has elapsed (for example, a reference time tth or more) since the remaining charge Q fell below the reference lower limit (for example, below the lower limit QL) before the start of charging has been long (for example, is longer than the reference time tth), the deterioration of the secondary battery B will also be accelerated. If the secondary battery B is almost completely used up and remains in a deep discharge state with a very small remaining charge Q, or if it is completely used up and continues for a long time, it will likely become difficult to charge it sufficiently thereafter.

[0030] Furthermore, if the external power supply is not a genuine product, particularly if the charging current or voltage does not meet the rated value, a large load will be placed on the secondary battery B, accelerating its deterioration. Therefore, it is preferable that the external power supply is a genuine product, or at least that it charges in accordance with the genuine product.

[0031] Also, the illuminance E measured by the illuminance measurement unit 254 may be referenced. When the illuminance E is equal to or greater than the specified level Eth for direct sunlight, if the temperature T of the secondary battery B during charging is greater than a reference value TH2 that is slightly lower than the upper limit TH, a significant temperature rise during charging is expected, and therefore it may be determined that the deterioration condition exists at an early stage before the upper limit TH is reached.

[0032] The notification contents of the notification operation to be performed as described below when each of the items of the deterioration conditions is met are stored in association with each of the items of the deterioration conditions.

[0033] Furthermore, determining whether the above-described deterioration conditions are met does not necessarily have to be based on current actual measurement data. For example, the temperature rise of secondary battery B is not limited to external factors such as charging operation and ambient temperature. For example, when executable functions are being executed in electronic device 1, causing a heavy load and discharging from secondary battery B, the temperature of secondary battery B is likely to rise, whereas when the electronic device is left unused, the temperature rise of secondary battery B is suppressed. Therefore, the usage status (usage history) of electronic device 1 may be acquired to predict the temperature rise during charging, and whether the predicted result meets the above-described deterioration conditions may be determined. The operation history may include the contents of operations within a recent period of time, as long as it does not overwhelm the storage capacity of memory unit 12 of electronic device 1. In this case, the operations stored as history may include not only functional operations by application programs, etc., but also the reception of input operations by operation reception unit 22 and the detection of physical movements of electronic device 1 associated with user use, such as the detection of acceleration by an acceleration sensor (not shown).

[0034] Regarding external environmental factors, for example, if it is determined that charging is being performed outdoors, the temperature rise during charging may be predicted based on the local weather forecast and temperature forecast for the day charging is performed. Current location information, weather forecast data, and temperature forecast data may be periodically acquired from an external device by, for example, the communication unit 23. Furthermore, if the electronic device 1 has a configuration capable of performing satellite positioning, the current location may be acquired directly by the device itself.

[0035] The deterioration conditions for secondary battery B exemplified above do not necessarily cause significant deterioration in a single occurrence under conditions in which electronic device 1 can generally be used, but repeated occurrences result in significant cumulative deterioration. Therefore, these deterioration conditions are not limited to a single occurrence of a bad condition, and may include criteria such as the cumulative number of occurrences or the number of occurrences (frequency of occurrence) in a recent predetermined period.

[0036] Furthermore, since charging may be necessary even in unfavorable conditions depending on the usage conditions of a portable electronic device 1, it is not necessarily desirable to uniformly prohibit or halt charging when the above-described degradation conditions are met. In the electronic device 1 of this embodiment, when the above-described degradation conditions are met, an operation is performed to notify the user that the degradation conditions have been met, thereby informing the user that charging is being attempted in unfavorable conditions along with the circumstances. This encourages the user to avoid charging when the degradation conditions are met when it is not necessary. The charging operation itself may be temporarily interrupted, but even in this case, if the user does not interrupt charging, i.e., does not disconnect the external power source, charging may be resumed automatically after a predetermined waiting time has elapsed or upon an input operation indicating the user's consent. This prevents a situation in which charging does not progress at all and the required amount of power is not obtained, even if the user does not notice the notification operation for a while while the device is connected to an external power source.

[0037] The notification operation (output) is performed, for example, by specifying content corresponding to (related to) the corresponding degradation condition under the control of the control unit 10, and displaying this specified content on the display screen by the display unit 21. At this time, the electronic device 1 may also make it easier for the user to quickly become aware of the condition by generating vibrations, sounds, etc. in a specific pattern, in accordance with the corresponding degradation condition, or in a uniform pattern using a vibration generating unit and / or a sound generating unit (not shown). The notification content may also be output to the outside via the communication unit 23 as in a modified example described later. The display unit 21 and the communication unit 23 constitute the output unit in this embodiment.

[0038] In order to reliably inform the user of the corresponding deterioration condition, the notification operation may be continued until an input operation to cancel the notification operation is detected via the operation receiving unit 22. That is, the control unit 10 (CPU 11) can perform control to cancel the notification operation in response to the input operation so that the notification operation does not end without the user being aware of the condition.

[0039] 3 is a flowchart showing the control procedure by the CPU 11 of the charge monitoring control process executed in the electronic device 1 of this embodiment. This charge monitoring control process includes the information output method of this embodiment, and is activated at predetermined intervals, for example, when the CPU 11 acquires information indicating that charging has started from the battery control IC 30, until it acquires information indicating that charging has ended.

[0040] When the charge monitoring control process is started, the CPU 11 acquires battery information such as the voltage, current value, remaining charge or charging rate, and temperature of the secondary battery B measured by the measurement unit 25 from the battery control IC 30 (or directly) (step S101). The CPU 11 acquires location information and environmental information such as a weather forecast acquired via the communication unit 23 (step S102). If information corresponding to the expected charging period has not been acquired by the communication unit 23, the CPU 11 may acquire this location information and environmental information from an external device via the communication unit 23. The CPU 11 acquires history data 123 (step S103).

[0041] The CPU 11 reads the degradation condition data 122 (step S104). The CPU 11 updates the history data 123 related to each degradation condition of the read degradation condition data based on the acquired battery information, location information, and environmental information (the location information may be converted into weather information, etc., and included in the environmental information) (step S105). The CPU 11 adds the above-mentioned data related to charge management to the history data 123, and also counts, calculates, and updates its statistical data (including the number of occurrences of situations that accelerate degradation or the number of occurrences in the most recent predetermined period, etc.). If the data related to charge management includes the remaining amount of storage Q or the charging rate, these values ​​may be stored in advance in association with the output voltage of the secondary battery B, or may be calculated by integrating the output current of the secondary battery B. Alternatively, these values ​​may be appropriately determined by a combination of these.

[0042] The CPU 11 selects each item of the read degradation condition data 122 in order, and determines whether or not the condition of the selected degradation condition item (degradation condition) is met by referring to the battery information, location information, environmental information, and history data corresponding to the selected degradation condition item (step S106; determination step, determination means). As described above, the CPU 11 may determine not only whether a degradation condition is met at present, but also whether a situation that meets the condition is expected to occur during the charging period. Furthermore, when this process is executed for the second time or later after the start of charging, the determination of the degradation condition based on information at the start of charging, i.e., the remaining amount of stored power (charging rate) at the start of charging, may be omitted.

[0043] If it is determined that none of the items of the deterioration conditions is met (and is not expected to be met) ("NO" in step S106), the CPU 11 ends the charge management control process.

[0044] If it is determined that the selected deterioration condition item is met (or is expected to be met) (“YES” in step S106), the CPU 11 causes the display unit 21 to display display content corresponding to the corresponding deterioration condition item (step S107; output step, output means). As described above, the CPU 11 may also cause other notification actions such as vibration and / or sound to be performed. In this case, the other notification action may be terminated after continuing for a certain period of time (e.g., 2-3 seconds). Note that, as described below, if it is determined that the same deterioration condition is met when the previous display remains without being erased, the display related to the same deterioration condition does not need to be displayed repeatedly, or may be displayed repeatedly.

[0045] The CPU 11 determines whether or not a display erasure operation has been accepted by the operation acceptance unit 22 (step S108). The erasure operation may be the pressing of a specific push button switch, or may be any operation. In addition, some specific operations, such as an operation to light the display screen, may be excluded from the arbitrary operations. If it is determined that the erasure operation has not been accepted ("NO" in step S108), the CPU 11 repeats the processing of step S108.

[0046] If it is determined that the display deletion operation has been accepted ("YES" in step S108), the CPU 11 determines whether there is display content related to other relevant deterioration conditions that have not yet been displayed (step S109). If it is determined that there is display content related to other relevant deterioration conditions that have not yet been displayed ("YES" in step S109), the processing of the CPU 11 returns to step S107, and the display unit 21 displays the display content related to the other relevant deterioration conditions.

[0047] If it is determined that there is no display content related to other corresponding deterioration conditions that have not been displayed ("NO" in step S109), the CPU 11 erases the display content and returns to the display content before the display content was displayed (the specific display itself may change over time) (step S110). Then, the CPU 11 ends the charge management control process.

[0048] Depending on the size and display resolution of the display screen of the electronic device 1, in the process of step S107, the CPU 11 may cause the display unit 21 to display the display contents relating to a plurality of corresponding deterioration conditions at once.

[0049] 4 and 5 are diagrams showing examples of what is displayed on the display screen when it is determined that the deterioration condition of the selected item is met.

[0050] 4(a), when charging is started under scorching sun or other conditions where the temperature is expected to rise above the upper limit value TH or to exceed the upper limit value TH, these deterioration conditions are met, and the display unit 21 displays a message recommending that charging be performed under conditions that avoid such deterioration conditions. Note that the upper limit value TH may be specifically displayed, but if the temperature of secondary battery B is higher than the ambient temperature, the temperature may be converted into the ambient temperature and displayed, taking into account the temperature difference, etc.

[0051] Conversely, as shown in FIG. 4(b), if charging is started at a temperature below the lower limit TL, this also corresponds to a deterioration condition, and the display unit 21 displays a message recommending charging at a normal temperature. Here, a specific normal environment temperature is shown as an example, but the lower limit TL or the like may also be displayed. The displayed normal environment temperature may also be changed depending on the season.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 4(c), if an operation is received by operation receiving unit 22 while an external power source is connected to the connection terminal, and charging is resumed while the battery remains near full charge (a lower limit charge rate such as 98% may be set), display unit 21 displays the details of the deterioration condition and a message recommending that the charging cable be removed.

[0053] Here, we have explained the case where the display is made based on the time when charging resumes, but the control may also be such that such a display is made if, after charging is completed, the charging cable remains connected and input operations continue to be accepted for a predetermined frequency and duration.

[0054] As shown in Figure 5(a), if the charging rate or amount of stored electricity at the start of charging is below a standard (lower limit value QL of the amount of stored electricity) and this state continues for a standard time tth or more, the display unit 21 will indicate this and recommend charging the rechargeable battery as soon as possible before it runs out.

[0055] As shown in Figure 5(b), if an external power source is connected to the connection terminal via an unauthorized charging adapter and the supply voltage or charging current during charging is too high compared to the standard value, the display unit 21 will display a message to recommend using an adapter that complies with the standard. Note that differences in charging adapters may appear not only at the start of charging but also when switching between constant voltage control, which charges at a constant voltage, and constant current control, which charges at a constant current, or when charging is completed, so these may be detected and displayed at other times in addition to the start of charging.

[0056] 5(c) shows an example of a display in which the number of times charging has started since the remaining charge Q at the start of charging fell below the lower limit QL is detected a predetermined number of times, rather than a single detection. Here, the display is based on a charging rate of 20%, but this may be changed depending on the type and state of the secondary battery B.

[0057] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a modified example of the charge monitoring control process. In the charge monitoring control process of this modification, the process of step S107 in the charge monitoring control process of the above embodiment is replaced with the process of step S107a, and the processes of steps S108 and S110 are replaced with the processes of steps S111 to S115. The other processes are the same, and the same process contents are assigned the same reference numerals and detailed explanations are omitted.

[0058] If the determination process in step S106 branches to "YES," the CPU 11 outputs and transmits all display contents corresponding to the corresponding deterioration condition to the external device via the communication unit 23 (step S107a). The external device may be, for example, a smartphone or a tablet terminal, and may be an external device to which the electronic device 1 is mainly connected.

[0059] After the process of step S107a, CPU 11 determines whether the corresponding deterioration condition is a target for temporary suspension of charging (step S111). A target for temporary suspension may be determined based on whether the deterioration condition can be resolved. That is, when the remaining amount of stored power Q is less than the lower limit QL, the deterioration condition will not improve unless charging is performed, so the charging may not be a target for temporary suspension. On the other hand, when the temperature of secondary battery B is greater than the upper limit TH, the deterioration condition will improve by changing the charging environment, so the charging may be a target for temporary suspension.

[0060] If it is determined that the corresponding deterioration condition is not subject to temporary suspension (or all of the deterioration conditions if there are multiple conditions) (“NO” in step S111), the CPU 11 ends the charging monitoring control process. If it is determined that the corresponding deterioration condition is subject to temporary suspension (deterioration conditions that are subject to temporary suspension are included) (“YES” in step S111), the CPU 11 causes the battery control IC 30 to temporarily suspend charging (step S112).

[0061] The CPU 11 determines whether the connection from the battery control IC 30 to the external power supply has been released (step S113). If it is determined that the connection has been released ("YES" in step S113), the CPU 11 ends the charge monitoring control process.

[0062] If it is determined that the connection to the external power supply has not been released ("NO" in step S113), the CPU 11 determines whether or not the reference waiting time has elapsed (step S114). If it is determined that the reference waiting time has not elapsed ("NO" in step S114), the processing of the CPU 11 returns to step S113. If it is determined that the reference waiting time has elapsed ("YES" in step S114), the CPU 11 causes the battery control IC 30 to resume charging (step S110). Then, the CPU 11 ends the charging monitoring control processing.

[0063] In the above, the deterioration conditions are fixed, but they may be changed depending on the situation, such as the degree of deterioration. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a control procedure by the CPU 11 in the deterioration condition update process. This process may be invoked periodically, or may be invoked at the end of charging to update the criteria for subsequent charging, since frequent updates are not required.

[0064] When the degradation condition update process is started, CPU 11 acquires history data of the voltage, current value, and remaining charge amount of secondary battery B based on measurements by voltage measurement unit 251 and current measurement unit 252 (step S201). CPU 11 calculates the degree of degradation of secondary battery B based on this history data (step S202). The degree of degradation may be determined, for example, based on the amount of voltage drop within a specified period of time, and in particular, based on the internal resistance estimated based on the number of days and the condition in which no operation other than display is performed.

[0065] The CPU 11 sets new degradation conditions according to the current degree of degradation (step S203). The degradation conditions may be set using, for example, a calculation formula or table data between the degree of degradation and each value that serves as a reference for the degradation conditions. Generally, the more the degree of degradation progresses, the more frequently charging occurs. Therefore, the degradation conditions may be relaxed to avoid frequent display, or conversely, the more the degree of degradation progresses, the stricter the conditions may be made so that a notification operation is performed to suppress the progression of degradation even if only slightly. The CPU 11 overwrites the set degradation conditions into the degradation condition data 122 to update it (step S204). Then, the CPU 11 ends the degradation condition update process.

[0066] As described above, the electronic device 1 of this embodiment includes a power supply unit 40 as a charging unit that charges the secondary battery B in response to an external power supply, a control unit 10 (CPU 11), and a display unit 21 (communication unit 23) as an output unit that outputs content specified by the control unit 10. The control unit 10 determines whether or not a plurality of deterioration conditions are satisfied with respect to the charging of the secondary battery B, and designates the deterioration conditions that are determined to be satisfied as content to be output, causing the output unit to output the information. In this way, electronic device 1 controls output so that the user can know which of the multiple charging-related deterioration conditions for secondary battery B actually applies, and can therefore present the user with information that is effective in suppressing deterioration of secondary battery B. This allows the user to know the conditions that are likely to cause deterioration of secondary battery B in the charging that the user was actually going to perform (has performed), and the user will subsequently try to avoid these conditions to some extent when performing charging, thereby actually suppressing deterioration of secondary battery B.

[0067] The output unit also has a display unit 21. The output includes displaying the content of the output target by the display unit 21. By displaying the corresponding deterioration condition of the secondary battery B in text or the like, the electronic device 1 can more reliably present to the user information that is effective in suppressing deterioration of the secondary battery B.

[0068] The electronic device 1 also includes an operation reception unit 22. The output is canceled in response to an input operation to the operation reception unit 22. In other words, the user needs to intentionally cancel the output, and therefore it is possible to prevent the output operation, particularly the notification operation such as display, from being canceled before the user is aware of the notification content.

[0069] The deterioration conditions may also include a condition related to the number of occurrences of a situation that accelerates the deterioration of the secondary battery B. The control unit 10 counts the number of occurrences of the situation, and determines whether the counted number of occurrences satisfies the condition related to the number of occurrences. In this way, the determination criterion can be not only a simple real-time situation determination but also the recurrence of situations that accelerate the deterioration of secondary battery B. Deterioration of secondary battery B does not usually progress rapidly after one or two charges, and there are also cases where charging is unavoidable even when the situation is not good. Therefore, by performing an output operation to indicate that such a situation has occurred multiple times, it is possible to provide the user with appropriate information to suppress the deterioration of secondary battery B while minimizing the decrease in user convenience.

[0070] The number of occurrences may be within the most recent predetermined period. If the cumulative judgment range is too long, past charging in conditions that do not match the current situation will also be taken into account, and the output content may not be very useful to the user. Therefore, by limiting data from a recent period to calculate the number of occurrences (frequency) of poor charging conditions and using this as a basis to judge the deterioration conditions, it is possible to obtain output that is more suited to the current charging environment.

[0071] Furthermore, the electronic device 1 may include a temperature measurement unit 253 that measures the temperature of the secondary battery B. In this case, the deterioration conditions may include conditions regarding the temperature measured by the temperature measurement unit 253. Since the temperature of the secondary battery B is an important factor in the deterioration of the secondary battery B, by measuring the surface temperature of the secondary battery B directly or near the surface in this manner, the electronic device 1 can more accurately determine whether or not there is an effect on deterioration and output this information so that the user can be notified.

[0072] The electronic device 1 may also include at least one of a voltage measurement unit 251 that measures the output voltage of the secondary battery B and a current measurement unit 252 that measures the output current. The deterioration conditions may include a condition regarding the remaining amount of electricity stored at the start of charging, which is obtained based on the measurement results of the voltage measurement unit 251 and / or the current measurement unit 252. If the remaining amount of electricity (charging rate) at the start of charging is too low, a heavy load is placed on the secondary battery B. Furthermore, it is not ideal for the secondary battery B to start charging with a high remaining amount of electricity (charging rate) and maintain this high state for too long. Therefore, by using the remaining amount of electricity (charge amount) at the start of charging as an element of the deterioration conditions, the electronic device 1 can appropriately determine a situation that accelerates the deterioration of the secondary battery B related to charging of the secondary battery B and output the information in a manner that is recognizable to the user.

[0073] Furthermore, the control unit 10 may determine the degree of deterioration of the secondary battery B based on the measurement results of the voltage measurement unit 251 and / or the current measurement unit 252, and change the deterioration conditions according to the degree of deterioration. If the deterioration conditions are fixed, the frequency of output increases as the deterioration progresses, which can be bothersome to the user, or conversely, it may become necessary to provide the user with more detailed information in order to suppress the progression of deterioration. Therefore, by changing the deterioration conditions according to the degree of deterioration, the user can be made aware of the details of the corresponding deterioration conditions at a more appropriate frequency in accordance with either of the above.

[0074] The deterioration conditions may also include a condition related to the time elapsed since the remaining charge of secondary battery B fell below the reference lower limit. If secondary battery B is left in a deeply discharged state with only a small amount of remaining charge, or in an over-discharged state with the rechargeable battery completely used up, this can seriously deteriorate the charge and discharge performance of secondary battery B. Therefore, as described above, by taking into consideration not only the remaining charge (charge rate) at the start of charging but also the time elapsed since the remaining charge fell below the reference lower limit, it is possible to output an output that informs the user to charge the electronic device 1 promptly even if the user is forced to use the electronic device 1 until the remaining charge falls below the reference lower limit.

[0075] Furthermore, the control unit 10 determines whether the external power source meets the rated specifications of the electronic device 1, and the deterioration conditions may include an external power source that does not meet the rated specifications. Charging adapters and the like are often provided specifically for each electronic device 1, but general-purpose products may also be used for multiple electronic devices 1. However, the rated charging voltage and charging current may differ depending on the electronic device 1, and charging at a charging voltage or charging current greater than the rated specifications may place an excessive load on the secondary battery B. Therefore, the electronic device 1 can output a signal to appropriately notify the user of such an inappropriate external power source, such as an inappropriate charging adapter, thereby encouraging the user to use an appropriate external power source and suppressing deterioration of the secondary battery B.

[0076] Furthermore, the deterioration conditions may include those based on environmental information surrounding the device (electronic device 1), i.e., the season, time, temperature (room temperature), exposure to direct sunlight, etc. (and may also include geographical location information (corresponding climate)). These are not limited to being used alone, but may also be used for integrated determination together with measurement results such as the temperature of secondary battery B. This enables electronic device 1 to determine whether a deterioration condition exists based not only on the current state of secondary battery B, but also on a certain degree of prediction. It is thought that in the middle of charging, the user often puts electronic device 1 down and does not notice until charging is about to finish or has finished, but by making it possible to make a determination based on the prediction results at the start of charging, the user can be made aware of situations that are not appropriate for charging in real time.

[0077] Furthermore, the electronic device 1 may have a communication unit 23 as an output unit. In this case, the control unit 10 causes the communication unit 23 to transmit data relating to the corresponding deterioration condition to the external device. That is, the output related to the corresponding deterioration condition may be output to an external device instead of being directly displayed on the display unit 21. In the external device, the output content may be displayed as a pop-up on the display screen via a dedicated application program (app) or may be displayed in a form inserted into the display screen of another communication app (SNS, etc.). Alternatively, the output may be notified by email, SMS, etc.

[0078] Furthermore, the control unit 10 may cause the power supply unit 40 to temporarily suspend charging of the secondary battery B when the deterioration condition is met. Depending on the usage conditions of the electronic device 1, charging may be unavoidable even when the deterioration condition is met, and uniformly suspending charging may be inconvenient. Temporarily suspending charging allows the user to understand the output content and, if possible, provides a grace period for resuming charging (restarting charging) after the situation has shifted to an appropriate situation for charging (a situation that does not meet the deterioration condition), thereby making it possible to prevent charging from being performed in a bad situation.

[0079] In addition, the information output method of this embodiment includes a determination step of determining whether or not multiple deterioration conditions of secondary battery B are satisfied with respect to the charging of secondary battery B, and an output step of outputting the deterioration conditions that are determined to be satisfied as specified content. In this way, rather than stopping the charging operation itself or displaying the results of deterioration depending on the deterioration conditions, by outputting the details of the relevant deterioration conditions from among multiple deterioration conditions, it is possible to provide the user with information that is effective in suppressing the deterioration of secondary battery B.

[0080] Furthermore, program 121 of this embodiment causes the computer of electronic device 1 to function as a determination means for determining whether or not a plurality of deterioration conditions for secondary battery B are satisfied with regard to charging of secondary battery B, and as an output means for outputting the deterioration conditions that are determined to be satisfied as specified content. By installing and running such program 121, it is possible to easily present to the user information that is effective in suppressing deterioration of secondary battery B. Since the user can learn the content of their own charging operation that actually corresponds to deterioration of secondary battery B, it is possible to appropriately educate the user and encourage them to charge under more appropriate circumstances.

[0081] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, in the above embodiment, the content indicating that a deterioration condition exists is output to the display unit 21 or output to an external device by the communication unit 23, but this is not limited to this. If a communication connection with an external device is established by the communication unit 23, the content may be output to the external device, and if a communication connection is not established, the content may be displayed and output to the display unit 21. Alternatively, the display output to the display unit 21 and the transmission output by the communication unit 23 may be performed in parallel. Furthermore, these output destinations may be selectable in advance by a user setting or the like.

[0082] In the above embodiment, it is determined whether the charging adapter satisfies the rated specifications, but it may be possible to determine whether the product is genuine more strictly. Furthermore, if it is possible to determine not only the charging adapter but also the charging cable, etc., it may also be possible to determine whether the charging cable satisfies the rated specifications.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the display when the deterioration condition is met is not erased until a user operation is received, but this is not limited to this. The display may be automatically erased after a certain time has passed. Alternatively, the display may only indicate that there is information to be notified, and specific details may be displayed when the user calls it.

[0084] In the above embodiment, the charge management control process is periodically initiated at a certain time interval after the start of charging. However, the certain time interval does not have to be uniform. For example, the time interval from the second time onward may be varied depending on whether the deterioration condition is satisfied in the first process. Furthermore, the time interval may be dynamically set depending on the operating status of the electronic device 1.

[0085] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the CPU 11 and the battery control IC 30 are provided separately, but the CPU 11 may also perform overall control of charging and discharging.

[0086] In the above embodiment, although it has been described that charging is automatically resumed when a reference standby time has elapsed even if charging is temporarily suspended for convenience's sake, this is not limiting. Charging may not be resumed until a predetermined user operation is actively accepted, or charging may be automatically stopped when the reference standby time has elapsed without accepting this user operation.

[0087] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, it has been described that charging is started once and then the charging monitoring control process is started, and charging may be interrupted depending on the situation. However, when an external power source is connected to the connection terminal, the battery control IC 30 may not immediately start charging, but the charging monitoring control process may be activated, and charging may start after it is determined that the battery is not subject to charging interruption, or after a standard waiting time has elapsed since it is determined that the battery is subject to interruption.

[0088] Furthermore, among the deterioration conditions exemplified above, some or all of the conditions that may be subject to charging interruption in the modified example may be subject to additional conditions for charging. For example, if an external power source is connected to the connection terminal in a fully charged state and operations are continuously accepted, recharging may not be performed until the output voltage drops to a predetermined reference voltage. In this case, for example, recharging may be started before the output voltage drops to the reference voltage by disconnecting the external power source from the connection terminal and then reconnecting it to the connection terminal.

[0089] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, it has been described that all judgments stored in the deterioration condition data 122 (in the case of the second or subsequent times, all of the deterioration conditions set to be judged from the second or subsequent times onward) are made every time, but if any of the deterioration conditions (items) is met during the judgment operation, the charging management control process may be terminated at the stage of performing the output operation for that deterioration condition without making judgments for the remaining items.

[0090] Furthermore, even when all the determinations stored in the degradation condition data 122 have been performed, it is not necessary to output all the corresponding degradation conditions. When multiple conditions are simultaneously met, for example, some of the conditions with the highest priority may be selectively output. The priority may be determined in advance (it may simply be the order of determination), or may be determined according to the degree of meeting the conditions.

[0091] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, battery information such as the output voltage and / or output current of secondary battery B, environmental information such as temperature and / or operation, and location information of electronic device 1 are described as being acquired, but only information corresponding to the stored deterioration conditions needs to be acquired. For example, if future temperature predictions are not performed, location information, weather forecast information, and the like do not need to be acquired. Furthermore, measurement unit 25 may have only one of voltage measurement unit 251 and current measurement unit 252.

[0092] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the electronic device 1 has been described as determining whether a deterioration condition exists for charging the secondary battery B that supplies power to the electronic device 1 itself, but the electronic device 1 may also be a device dedicated to charging. In this case, the charging environment (battery information and environmental information) may be determined not only when the same secondary battery B is repeatedly charged, but also when a user generally charges the battery, and output information indicating that a deterioration condition exists.

[0093] In the above description, a nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory in the storage unit 12 is used as an example of a computer-readable medium for storing the charge monitoring control program 121 according to the information output method of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this. Other computer-readable media include other nonvolatile memories such as MRAM and SSD, HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), and portable recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVD discs. Furthermore, a carrier wave is also used as a medium for providing data of the program according to the present invention via a communication line. In addition, the specific configurations, contents and procedures of the processing operations, etc. shown in the above embodiments can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

[0094] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents. The inventions described in the claims originally attached to this application are as follows. The claim numbers described in the appendix are the same as those of the claims originally attached to this application.

[0095] [Note] <Claim 1> a charging unit that charges the secondary battery in response to an external power supply; A control unit; an output unit that outputs the content specified by the control unit; Equipped with The control unit determines whether a plurality of deterioration conditions of the secondary battery are satisfied with respect to charging of the secondary battery, and specifies details of the deterioration conditions that are satisfied and causes the output unit to output the details. An electronic device characterized by: <Claim 2> the output unit has a display unit, The output includes displaying the content on the display unit. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: <Claim 3> An operation reception unit is provided, 3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the output is cancelled in response to an input operation to the operation receiving unit. <Claim 4> the deterioration condition includes a condition related to the number of occurrences of a situation that accelerates deterioration of the secondary battery; The control unit counts the number of occurrences of the situation and determines whether the number of occurrences satisfies a condition related to the number of occurrences. 4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a semiconductor device. <Claim 5> 5. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the number of occurrences is the number of occurrences in a recent predetermined period. <Claim 6> a first measurement unit that measures a temperature related to the secondary battery; The deterioration condition includes a condition regarding the temperature measured by the first measurement unit. 5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a semiconductor device. <Claim 7> a second measurement unit that measures at least one of an output voltage and an output current of the secondary battery; The deterioration condition includes a condition regarding the remaining amount of stored electricity at the start of charging, which is obtained based on the measurement result of the second measurement unit. 7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a semiconductor device. <Claim 8> a second measurement unit that measures at least one of an output voltage and an output current of the secondary battery; The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the control unit determines the degree of deterioration of the secondary battery based on the measurement result of the second measurement unit, and changes the deterioration condition according to the degree of deterioration. <Claim 9> a second measurement unit that measures at least one of an output voltage and an output current of the secondary battery; The deterioration condition includes a condition relating to the elapsed time since the remaining charge amount of the secondary battery fell below a reference lower limit value. 9. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a semiconductor device. <Claim 10> The control unit determines whether the external power supply satisfies the rating of the electronic device, The deterioration condition includes an external power supply that does not satisfy the rating. 10. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a semiconductor device. <Claim 11> 11. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the deterioration conditions include conditions based on environmental information surrounding the device. <Claim 12> the output unit has a communication unit, The control unit causes the communication unit to transmit the data of the content to an external device. 12. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a semiconductor device. <Claim 13> 13. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the power supply unit to temporarily suspend charging of the secondary battery when the deterioration condition is satisfied. <Claim 14> 1. An information output method for an electronic device having a charging unit that charges a secondary battery in response to an external power supply, comprising: a determining step of determining whether or not a plurality of deterioration conditions of the secondary battery are satisfied with respect to charging of the secondary battery; an output step of designating and outputting details related to the deterioration conditions that have been determined to be satisfied; An information output method comprising: <Claim 15> A computer of an electronic device having a charging unit that charges a secondary battery in response to an external power supply, a determination means for determining whether or not a plurality of deterioration conditions of the secondary battery are satisfied with respect to charging of the secondary battery; an output means for designating and outputting the details related to the deterioration that have been determined to satisfy the criteria; A program characterized by functioning as [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 1 Electronic equipment 10 Control Unit 11 CPU 12 Storage section 121 Programs 122 Degradation Condition Data 123 Historical Data 13 Timing section 20 Operating unit 21 Display section 22 Operation reception section 23 Communications Department 25 Measurement section 251 Voltage measurement unit 252 Current measurement unit 253 Temperature measurement unit 254 Illuminance measurement unit 30 Battery control IC 40 Power supply section B Secondary battery Q Remaining battery capacity

Claims

1. An electronic device, a charging unit that charges the secondary battery in response to an external power supply; A control unit; an output unit that outputs the content specified by the control unit; Equipped with The control unit determining whether or not a plurality of deterioration conditions of the secondary battery are satisfied with respect to charging of the secondary battery; specifying details relating to the deterioration condition that has been determined to be satisfied and outputting the details by the output unit; the determining step includes determining whether the external power supply satisfies a rating of the electronic device; The deterioration condition includes a condition that the external power supply does not meet the rating of the electronic device. An electronic device characterized by:

2. a charging unit that charges the secondary battery in response to an external power supply; A control unit; an output unit that outputs the content specified by the control unit; Equipped with The control unit determining whether or not a plurality of deterioration conditions of the secondary battery are satisfied with respect to charging of the secondary battery; specifying details relating to the deterioration condition that has been determined to be satisfied and outputting the details by the output unit; determining a degree of deterioration of the secondary battery based on a measurement result of at least one of an output voltage and an output current of the secondary battery, and changing the deterioration condition in accordance with the degree of deterioration; An electronic device characterized by:

3. the output unit has a display unit, The output includes displaying the content on the display unit.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. An operation reception unit is provided, 4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the output is cancelled in response to an input operation to the operation receiving unit.

5. the deterioration condition includes a condition related to the number of occurrences of a situation that accelerates deterioration of the secondary battery; The control unit counts the number of occurrences of the situation and determines whether the number of occurrences satisfies a condition related to the number of occurrences.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are electrically connected to the first and second electrodes.

6. 6. The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the number of occurrences is the number of occurrences in a recent predetermined period.

7. a first measurement unit that measures a temperature of the secondary battery; 7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the deterioration condition includes a condition regarding the temperature measured by the first measurement unit.

8. a second measurement unit that measures at least one of an output voltage and an output current of the secondary battery; The deterioration condition includes a condition regarding the remaining amount of stored electricity at the start of charging, which is obtained based on the measurement result of the second measurement unit.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are electrically connected to the first and second electrodes.

9. a second measurement unit that measures at least one of an output voltage and an output current of the secondary battery; The deterioration condition includes a condition relating to the elapsed time since the remaining charge amount of the secondary battery fell below a reference lower limit value.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are electrically connected to the first and second electrodes.

10. 10. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the deterioration conditions include conditions based on environmental information surrounding the device.

11. the output unit has a communication unit, The control unit causes the communication unit to transmit the data of the content to an external device.

11. The electronic device according to claim 1.

12. 12. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the charging unit to temporarily suspend charging of the secondary battery when the deterioration condition is satisfied.

13. 1. An information output method for an electronic device having a charging unit that charges a secondary battery in response to an external power supply, comprising: a determining step of determining whether or not a plurality of deterioration conditions of the secondary battery are satisfied with respect to charging of the secondary battery; an output step of designating and outputting details related to the deterioration conditions that have been determined to be satisfied; Including, the determining step includes determining whether the external power supply satisfies a rating of the electronic device; The information output method, wherein the deterioration condition includes a condition that the external power supply does not meet the rated capacity of the electronic device.

14. 1. An information output method for an electronic device having a charging unit that charges a secondary battery in response to an external power supply, comprising: a determining step of determining whether or not a plurality of deterioration conditions of the secondary battery are satisfied with respect to charging of the secondary battery; an output step of designating and outputting details related to the deterioration conditions that have been determined to be satisfied; a changing step of determining a degree of deterioration of the secondary battery based on a measurement result of at least one of an output voltage and an output current of the secondary battery, and changing the deterioration condition in accordance with the degree of deterioration; An information output method comprising:

15. A computer of an electronic device having a charging unit that charges a secondary battery in response to an external power supply, a determination means for determining whether or not a plurality of deterioration conditions of the secondary battery are satisfied with respect to charging of the secondary battery; an output means for designating and outputting details relating to the deterioration conditions that have been determined to be satisfied; It functions as the determining means determines whether the external power supply satisfies the rating of the electronic device; The deterioration condition includes a condition that the external power supply does not meet the rated value of the electronic device.

16. A computer of an electronic device having a charging unit that charges a secondary battery in response to an external power supply, a determination means for determining whether or not a plurality of deterioration conditions of the secondary battery are satisfied with respect to charging of the secondary battery; an output means for designating and outputting details relating to the deterioration conditions that have been determined to be satisfied; a change means for determining a degree of deterioration of the secondary battery based on a measurement result of at least one of an output voltage and an output current of the secondary battery, and changing the deterioration condition in accordance with the degree of deterioration; A program characterized by functioning as

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