Patent ID: 8816646
Filing Date: 2014-08-26
Classification: H02J

Abstract:
1. A secondary battery controller for controlling a plurality of batteries of an electronic apparatus, comprising: a plurality of temperature detectors that detect temperatures of the plurality of batteries; a switching device that connects to an output of any one of the plurality of batteries to a load; a control portion that selects one of the plurality of batteries for use, and controls the switching device to switch connection of the load to the one of the plurality of batteries based on temperature information of each of the plurality of batteries obtained by the temperature detectors; and an operating power control portion that limits an operation of the load, wherein the control portion controls the switching device to connect a first selected battery to the load to operate at a first operating power, and when the first selected battery reaches a first threshold temperature, the control portion controls the switching device to connect another one of the plurality of batteries in sequence to the load, and then when the last selected battery reaches the first threshold temperature after all the plurality of batteries have been selected to being connected to the load in sequence, the control portion controls the switching device to reconnect the first selected battery to the load, wherein when the first selected battery is reconnected to the load and the temperature of the first selected battery is not less than the first threshold temperature and is less than a second threshold temperature that is higher than the first threshold temperature, the control portion controls the operating power control portion to limit operating power of the load to a second operating power that is less than the first operating power, and then when the first selected battery reaches the second threshold temperature, the control portion controls the switching device to connect another one of the plurality of batteries in sequence to the load, and then when the last selected battery reaches the second threshold temperature after all the plurality of batteries have been selected in sequence, the control portion controls the switching device to reconnect the first selected battery to the load, wherein when the first selected battery is reconnected to the load and the temperature of the first selected battery is not less than the second threshold temperature and is less than a third threshold temperature that is higher than the second threshold temperature, the control portion controls the operating power control portion to limit operating power of the load to a third operating power that is less than the second operating power, and then when the first selected battery reaches the third threshold temperature, the control portion controls the switching device to connect another one of the plurality of batteries in sequence to the load, wherein the operating power of the load is limited by the operating power control portion only when the temperatures of all of the plurality of batteries are not less than the first threshold temperature, and when one of the plurality of batteries has a temperature which is not more than the first threshold temperature, the control portion does not allow the operating power control portion to limit the operating power of the load.