To provide an apparatus and a method for battery protection and electronic equipment equipped with the battery protection apparatus wherein since one MOSFET can be eliminated from a line through which a large current is passed during discharging, the loss of MOSFETs can be reduced and a discharge time of a lithium ion battery pack can be lengthened, and space saving and cost reduction can be accomplished.

The battery protection apparatus includes a battery pack and a motor drive circuit. The battery pack is constructed of: a charge/discharge control circuit connected in parallel with a chargeable/dischargeable battery; and a first switching element controlled by the charge/discharge control circuit. The motor drive circuit is constructed of: a motor that can be coupled with the battery pack; a speed control circuit that controls the speed of the motor; and a second switching element controlled by the speed control circuit. When the battery is overdischarged, an overdischarge control signal is sent out from the charge/discharge control circuit to the speed control circuit. Thus, the second switching element is driven to bring the motor into a non-driving state and protect the battery pack from overdischarge.