Information processing apparatus
View Patent ↗According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus powered by a battery and an external power supply, comprises a power supply circuit which comprises a temperature sensor and converts power obtained from the external power supply and supplies a first charge current to the battery, and a controller which supplies a current to the battery with a second charge current smaller than the first charge current if a temperature received from the temperature sensor has exceeded a threshold, and supplies the current to the battery with the first charge current if both the temperature received from the temperature sensor and a battery level have exceeded corresponding thresholds.
1. An information processing apparatus powered by a battery or an external power supply, comprising:
a power supply circuit comprising a temperature sensor configured to output a value indicative of temperature, and configured to convert power obtained from an external power supply and to supply a first charge current to the battery; and
a controller configured to supply to the battery a second charge current smaller than the first charge current when the value exceeds a temperature threshold during supply of the first charge current to the battery and when a residual battery charge is not more than a residual threshold, and to continue to supply the first charge current to the battery when the value exceeds the temperature threshold during supply of the first charge current to the battery and when the residual battery charge exceeds the residual threshold.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a first temperature threshold and a second temperature threshold higher than the first temperature threshold,
wherein when the value exceeds the second temperature threshold, the controller is configured to stop supplying the current to the battery.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a storage unit configured to store
a charge current value to be supplied to the battery,
a temperature rise rate value corresponding to the charge current value, and
a residual battery charge and a remaining charge time corresponding to the charge current value, and
wherein when the value exceeds the first temperature threshold and the residual battery charge is not more than the residual threshold, the controller is configured to read out a charge current value from the storage unit based on the temperature rise rate value, which does not make the value exceed the second temperature threshold within the remaining charge time, and to control the power supply circuit according to a readout charge current value.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the remaining charge time corresponding to the residual battery charge is set stepwise.
5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to read out a smallest charge current value stored in the storage unit, when the controller determines that the storage unit does not store the charge current value which does not make the value exceed the second temperature threshold.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein upon determining that the battery is fully charged, the controller is configured to stop the supply of the current to the battery.