RTC Battery Charging Control for Cycle Life Extension
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing information processing apparatuses face issues with incorrect time information from real-time clocks (RTC) leading to improper charging circuit control, resulting in battery degradation due to incorrect charging start times and reduced cycle life of secondary batteries.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus with a real-time clock (RTC), a power source unit for charging the battery, a display unit for setting date and time, and a control unit that manages battery charging based on user-set date and time via a user interface, ensuring accurate charging control and minimizing battery degradation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the secondary battery is used for RTC backup power, then the battery can maintain time information when main power is OFF, but the battery degrades faster due to repeated charging/discharging cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by checking whether the battery charge level is above a threshold before enabling RTC backup mode. This prevents the battery from entering discharge/charge cycles when already sufficiently charged, thereby extending battery cycle life while maintaining time backup reliability when needed.
2Productivity
If the battery charge level is not monitored, then the charging circuit operates continuously, but this causes unnecessary battery degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts charging circuit operation based on real-time battery charge level monitoring. When the charge level exceeds the predetermined threshold, the charging circuit is automatically suspended. This dynamic control maintains charging productivity when needed while preventing unnecessary degradation when the battery is already sufficiently charged.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing apparatus is provided with a real-time clock (RTC), a battery that supplies power to the RTC, a power source unit that charges the battery, a display unit that displays a screen for setting date and time of the RTC, on a basis of an output voltage of the battery, and a control unit that performs control so as to charge the battery on the basis of the setting of the date and time of the RTC via the screen.