Patent ID: 7656163

Claim:
A remaining-capacity dispersion detecting apparatus for a battery pack, the battery pack including a plurality of cells capable of being charged and discharged, the remaining-capacity dispersion detecting apparatus comprising: a total voltage sensing section adapted to sense a total voltage, wherein the total voltage is a total sum of terminal voltages of the plurality of cells; a storing section adapted to store a value of the total voltage sensed by the total voltage sensing section when the battery pack is under a no-load condition following an on-load condition; and a dispersion detecting section adapted to detect a value of the total voltage sensed by the total voltage sensing section at a time of activation of the apparatus before the battery pack is under an on-load condition from a no-load condition, to compare a currently-detected total voltage value with a total voltage value previously stored by the storing section, and to detect a dispersion in respective remaining capacities of the plurality of cells in the case where a difference between the currently-detected total voltage value and the previously-stored total voltage value is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value.