METHOD OF MEASURING RESIDUAL AMOUNT IN BATTERY, SMALL ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT USING THE MEASURING METHOD, AND BATTERY PACK

摘要

PPROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately estimate a present residual amount in a battery, while supplying all the time electric power from a secondary battery 32 to a functional means 1, in a small electric equipment 9 using the secondary battery 32 as a driving source. PSOLUTION: In this method, a plurality of secondary batteries 32, 32 are provided in a secondary battery group 11, and the respective secondary batteries 32, 32 are used switchedly to stop power supply from at least one secondary battery 32. An open-circuit voltage is measured in the secondary battery 32 under the stop of the power supply, and the residual amount in the battery is estimated based on an open-circuit voltage characteristic for showing a preliminarily measured relation between an open-circuit voltage and a battery capacity. PCOPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO