Sony Corporation

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Limited

Hiroyuki Arakawa

Toshio Nakamura

Hideyuki Sato

Yoshinari Higuchi

Toshio Koyama

Hidero Mitsui

Shuji Okegawa

Toshitaka Takei

Koichi Uchida

Keiichi Shiraishi

Yasuharu Chuman

Kazuma Matsuo

Taiji Tezuka

Apparatus and method for displaying menu lists and activating applications in conjunction with electronic devices that respectively load contents and an information device that reproduces the contents stored in the electronic devices. Connection to the electronic devices is detected, and a menu list is generated. The menu list automatically updates to include additional applications corresponding to electronic devices when connections to the electronic devices are respectively detected. This provides an updated menu list from which selection is made to activate a predetermined application to perform an operation related to the relevant electronic device.

Application display apparatus and application display system

Necessary information is obtained without connecting a signal line between an electronic device and a charging device, so that it becomes possible to provide a highly value-added function without deteriorating convenience and portability of the charging device and the electronic device.

Battery system featuring transmission of battery data from a battery pack

An electronic equipment having a rechargeable battery in combination with a power source adapter. A rechargeable battery is detachably mounted in the electronic equipment. The power source adapter is adapted for supplying power to the electronic equipment from outside, and includes a first battery loading unit for loading a rechargeable battery, a charging voltage generating unit for generating a charging voltage for charging both the loaded rechargeable battery and the rechargeable battery mounted in the electronic equipment, a switching unit for switching between supplying the charging voltage to the charging unit and supplying the charging voltage to the electronic equipment, a detection unit for detecting completion of charging of the rechargeable battery loaded on the power source adapter, and a switching control unit for controlling the switching of the switching unit responsive to the output of the detection unit.

Charging battery system for video camera

The present invention is directed to a battery pack in which it can be detected with ease whether a battery pack is properly attached to a battery charger or a power supply of electrical machinery and apparatus. A battery pack (10) that accommodates therein a battery includes at its central bottom surface a detection aperture (104) that is engaged with an engagement portion formed at a connection portion of a battery charger or electrical machinery and apparatus to which the battery pack is connected to thereby detect the kind of the battery. Also, the battery pack (10) includes on its bottom surface a detection aperture (106) that is engaged with an engagement portion formed at a connection portion of the battery charger or electrical machinery and apparatus to which the battery pack is connected to thereby detect an electric power output amount of the battery.

Battery pack having identification recesses and terminals

A battery pack composed of an array of secondary cells includes first and second electrodes for charging and discharging the battery pack. The battery pack has a temperature detecting element disposed below the first and second electrodes. The temperature detecting element is electrically connected through a lead to a third electrode in the form of a thin sheet disposed between the side of one of the cells and a lower casing member of a battery pack casing. The first and second electrodes remains in the same position as those of conventional battery packs. The battery pack can be charged by a battery charger which has a third terminal for receiving a temperature signal supplied from the temperature detecting element through the third electrode. The charging process for charging the battery pack is controlled based on the temperature of the cells as detected by the temperature detecting element. The battery charger is compatible for use with different types of battery packs such as battery packs of nickel-cadmium and nickel-hydrogen cells.

Battery pack with temperature detecting element and battery charger

Growing community of inventors

Tochigi, Japan

Hiroyuki Arakawa