Charged control device and battery pack employing it

Abstract

A battery pack employing a charge control device includes a charge detection circuit for checking whether a secondary cell is in a charged state or not based on at least a charge voltage or a charge current of the secondary cell; a control circuit for controlling feeding of electric power to the secondary cell according to an output of the charge detection circuit; and a setting circuit for setting a level of the charge voltage or the charge current at which the charge detection circuit recognizes the charged state according to control information.

1 . A battery pack employing a charge control device, comprising:
 a charge detection circuit for checking whether a secondary cell is in a charged state or not based on at least a charge voltage or a charge current of the secondary cell;   a control circuit for controlling feeding of electric power to the secondary cell according to an output of the charge detection circuit; and   a setting circuit for setting a level of the charge voltage or the charge current at which the charge detection circuit recognizes the charged state according to control information.   
     
     
         2 . The battery pack as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a control information generation circuit receiving a control signal and generating the control information,   wherein the setting circuit receives the control information and, according to the control information, sets the level of the charge voltage or the charge current at which the charge detection circuit recognizes the charged state.   
     
     
         3 . The battery pack as claimed in  claim 2 ,
 wherein the control signal is an analog signal.   
     
     
         4 . The battery back as claimed in  claim 2 ,
 wherein the control information generation circuit generates the control information based on an output of the control circuit.   
     
     
         5 . The battery pack as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a detection circuit incorporated in the charge control device and detecting a state of the charge control device,   wherein, according to a result output from the detection circuit, the setting circuit sets the level of the charge voltage or the charge current at which the charge detection circuit recognizes the charged state.   
     
     
         6 . The battery pack as claimed in  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a control information generation circuit receiving a signal from the detection circuit and, according to the signal from the detection circuit, generates the control information.