Method of detecting battery pack type and mobile electronic device

Abstract

A method of detecting the type of a battery pack in a mobile electronic device is provided, which detects the type of a battery pack connected in a mobile electronic device even if no dedicated terminals are provided to a battery pack. (a) A first battery pack connectable to the body is provided. (b) A second battery pack connectable to the body and different in characteristic from the first pack is provided. Each of the first and second packs has a battery cell, first and second terminals respectively connected to high- and low-potential side terminals of the cell, a third terminal, and a temperature detection element connected across the first and second terminals. (c) The body is provided with fourth, fifth, and sixth terminals connectable respectively to the first, second, and third terminals of the first or second battery pack. The body has a resistive voltage divider circuit connected among the fourth, fifth, and sixth terminals. (d) The first or second pack is connected to the body in such a way that the fourth, fifth, and sixth terminals of the body are connected to the first, second, and third terminals of the first or second battery pack, respectively. (c) An output voltage of the divider is detected to thereby generate a detection result. (f) Whether the first or second pack is connected to the body is detected based on the detection result.