International Business Machines Corporation

Hiroshi Nakagawa

Shigefumi Odaohhara

Tetsuji Nakamura

Toshitsugu Mito

Atsushi Kumaki

Noboru Tsurukawa

Tomonori Nishio

Shigefumi Odeohhara

A power supply unit includes a rechargeable battery for supplying power to a body circuit of an electrical apparatus, a current measurement circuit for measuring a currently-discharged current value, a voltage measurement circuit for measuring a currently-discharged voltage value, and a controller for detecting whether a memory effect occurs by determining whether a currently-discharged voltage value measured at a currently-discharged current value is lower than a predetermined voltage value when a detected battery capacity is equal to or less than a predetermined capacity.

Power supply unit, battery electrical apparatus, and memory effect detection method

A charge control method by which batteries can be efficiently charged, even if the charging is aborted, as well as a computer which employs such a charge control method is provided. The charge to the main battery is started and then the charge to the,main battery is stopped when the amount of electric energy in the main battery reaches a predetermined value (steps to ). Next, the charge to the second battery is started and then the charge to the second battery is stopped when the amount of electric energy in the second battery reaches a predetermined value (steps to ). Next, the charge to the main battery is restarted and then the charge to the main battery is stopped when the amount of electric energy in the main battery reaches 100%. Thereafter, the charge to the second battery is restarted and then the charge to the battery is stopped when the amount of electric energy in the second battery reaches 100% (steps to ).

Charge control method and computer

Growing community of inventors

Yamato, Japan

Hiroshi Nakagawa