JPH0367191A - Battery life detecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate a waste of battery electric power and to detect the life of a battery by actuating an abnormality actuation switch when the voltage of a battery actuating circuit drops below a specific value while a normal actuation switch wherein an infinite-load resistance is inserted. CONSTITUTION:The battery 10 is actuated normally with the normal actuation switch 22 where the infinite load resistance is inserted in series and the voltage is detected 24. Then when the opening/closing operation of the switch 22 is repeated and the battery 10 approaches the end of its life and drops in voltage, a voltage drop is caused through the operation of the infinite load resistance earlier than the original life of the battery 10. When this voltage is detected 24, a voltage detecting circuit 24 actuates the abnormality actuation switch 20 to raise the voltage from the battery 10 temporarily and while the device is actuated with the remaining electric power, an abnormality signal is sent out. Consequently, the voltage drop is detected 24 before the original life comes to the end to predict the life end of the battery 10, so no unnecessary current need not be supplied artificially for the life end detection and the waste of the battery electric power can be eliminated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a battery life detection method that detects the life of a battery whose current consumption changes significantly depending on the time and operation in normal standby mode by comparing the voltage. Regarding equipment.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a battery life detection device as shown in FIG. 3 has been used. The battery 10 is connected to a stabilized power supply circuit via a switch 12, and power is supplied from the stabilized power supply circuit 14 to the load circuit.

The battery starting circuit constructed in this manner is provided with a pseudo load switch 16 and a battery voltage detection circuit 18.

Next, the operation of the above conventional example will be explained. The dummy load switch 16 is turned on periodically or in connection with other predetermined operations. This predetermined operation refers to, for example, an operation of preparatoryly turning on a switch (not shown) for the entire device including a load circuit to which power is supplied by a battery. When the dummy load switch 16 is turned on and current flows, the voltage at this time is measured by the battery voltage detection circuit 18, and if the measured voltage is lower than the specified value, an abnormality signal is sent out and the abnormality is notified by a notification circuit (not shown). do.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, the conventional battery life detection device described above cannot accurately detect the voltage unless the voltage is detected while a load current equivalent to that of the actual load is flowing through the dummy load. In other words, for battery startup circuits where the current consumption changes significantly depending on the time and operation of the standby button, correct voltage detection cannot be performed unless the battery voltage-load characteristics are taken into consideration. This is because it is necessary to flow a load current of . Therefore, there is a problem in that the battery life cannot be detected unless some of the power stored in the battery is wasted.

The present invention is intended to solve such conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a battery life detection device that can detect the life of a battery without wasting the power stored in the battery.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a batch+)-starting circuit with an abnormal start switch and a normal start switch in which an infinite load resistor is inserted in series, and A voltage detection circuit is provided which detects the voltage of the battery starting circuit when the normal starting switch is turned on, and when the voltage falls below a predetermined value, starts the abnormality switch and simultaneously sends out an abnormality signal.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the battery is normally started by a normal starting switch in which a limiting load resistor is inserted in series, and the voltage detected by the voltage detection circuit due to the action of this limiting load resistor is within the original battery life. Therefore, when this low voltage is detected, the abnormal start switch is activated to temporarily increase the voltage from the battery and start the device with the remaining power, while at the same time receiving the abnormal signal. Other notification circuits notify abnormalities. This allows notification of the end of the battery's lifespan before the end of its original lifespan, and eliminates the need to flow a pseudo-wasteful current as in the past, so battery power is not wasted.

Embodiment FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. The battery 10 is connected to a stabilized power supply circuit 14 via two switches 22.
Power is supplied to the load circuit from 4.

The two switch connections 22 are provided in parallel; one is an abnormal start switch in which no resistor is specially provided, and the other is a normal start switch in which a limiting load resistor is inserted in series. The battery starting circuit configured in this manner is provided with a voltage detection circuit 24.

Note that the stabilized power supply circuit 14 includes a DC-DC converter and the like.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained. In the above embodiment, the two switches 22 are turned off during normal standby, and the start switch 22 is turned on during normal operation of the device. A voltage detection circuit M detects the voltage at this time. As the normal starting switch η is repeatedly turned on, the life of the battery 10 approaches and the voltage detection circuit 24 detects a drop in voltage. At this time, a limiting load resistor is inserted in series with the normal starting switch η,
Due to the action of this limiting load resistance, a voltage drop occurs quickly before the original lifespan of the Shibanote IJ-10 ends. When this voltage drop is detected, the voltage detection circuit activates the abnormality activation switch and simultaneously sends out an abnormality signal. No resistance is provided for the abnormal start switch, so the supplied voltage becomes temporarily high.

This supplies a high voltage to the load circuit, and Panote!
The device may be activated with a remaining power of /-10. Further, an alarm circuit (not shown) is activated by the abnormality signal, and an abnormality is notified by a light emitting diode or an alarm buzzer.

In this way, according to the above embodiment, the original battery 10
The end of the battery life can be detected by the voltage detection circuit detecting a voltage drop before the life of the battery 10 has expired.After this, the abnormal start switch is activated and a high voltage can be temporarily supplied, so that the remaining capacity of the battery 10 can be reduced. The device can be activated by electrical power. Therefore, there is no unnecessary current flowing to detect the life of the battery as in the conventional case, and the battery power is not wasted.

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of another embodiment. Note that the same parts as in FIG. 1 showing the first embodiment are given the same numbers. In this embodiment, a switching element having a ready-made resistor such as a transistor is used as the normal starting switch B in which a limiting load resistor is inserted in series. Although not shown in the drawings, the base voltage of the transistor can be changed by, for example, being touched by a human hand, and current can be passed or cut off to the collector side. Note that since various configurations of such switching elements are known, detailed explanations will be omitted. This embodiment has the advantage that a normal starting switch in which a limiting load resistor is inserted in series can be realized at low cost.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above embodiments, the present invention normally supplies power from a battery through a normal start switch in which a limiting load resistor is inserted in series, and a voltage detection circuit detects this state. When the voltage drops, the abnormal start switch that does not have a load resistance is activated to temporarily supply high voltage from the battery to start the device, without flowing unnecessary current to a pseudo load like in the past. No need to waste battery power.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a battery life detection device according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of a conventional battery life detection device. 10...Battery, 12...Switch, 14...
- Stabilized power supply circuit, 16...pseudo load switch, 18
...Bassoterie voltage detection circuit, A...Abnormal start switch, E...Normal start switch, Fuchi...Voltage detection circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] An abnormal start switch and a normal start switch with an infinite load resistor inserted in series are provided in the battery start circuit in parallel, and the voltage of the battery start circuit is detected when the normal start switch is turned on. A battery life detection device comprising: a voltage detection circuit that activates the abnormality switch and simultaneously sends an abnormality signal when the voltage falls below a predetermined value.