Tracking battery conditions

• US 10,401,436 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2015
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Young, Timothy, Yeschick, John, Havens, Timothy, Cudzilo, Dennis Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Pelton, Nathaniel R
• Assistant Examiner(s): DiBenedetto, Michael N
• Application Number:
  US14/702,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20160327614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,583 Days
• Field of Search: 320127, 320128, 320131, 320132
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3835 involving only voltage measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule

Abstract

A method is described for managing an operating state of a battery energizing a mobile device. Active elements of a “gas gauge” IC component of the mobile device are configured or programmed based on instructions related to tracking capacity aging of the battery. An event is targeted based on the configured or programmed instructions. The targeted event corresponds to reaching an end of a discharge state of the battery, or to reaching a midpoint (relative to full charge) of a charging state of the battery. A relaxation state is induced in the battery upon the targeted event occurring.

Claims

1. A method for managing an operating state of a battery energizing a mobile device, the method comprising:

inducing a first induced relaxation state in the battery upon an occurrence of a first event, wherein the first event corresponds to an end of discharge of the battery;

sensing a first voltage level of the battery during the first induced relaxation state when a rate of change of the first voltage level meets a voltage stability threshold during the first induced relaxation state;

releasing the battery from the first induced relaxation state;

charging the battery to at least 30 percent of an original capacity of the battery over a continuous time span, reaching a midpoint of a charging state of the battery, the midpoint relative to a full charge state of the battery;

inducing a second induced relaxation state in response to occurrence of a second event, wherein the second event corresponds to the charging state of the battery reaching the midpoint;

sensing a second voltage level of the battery during the second induced relaxation state when the rate of change of the second voltage level meets the voltage stability threshold during the second induced relaxation state; and

calibrating a capacity of the battery based on the first voltage level and the second voltage level, wherein the calibration comprises updating or a correcting the capacity of the battery.

2. The method as described in claim 1 further comprises setting a value corresponding to one or more of a full battery charge state or a battery charging state mid-point.

3. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the first event occurs when the mobile device couples to a docking station operable for charging the battery.

4. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising sustaining a relaxation state, wherein the relaxation state corresponds to at least one of the first induced relaxation state or the second induced relaxation state.

5. The method as described in claim 4, wherein the sustaining further comprises:

sensing a voltage level of the battery during the relaxation state;

computing a rate of change of the sensed voltage level; and

deterring a release of the battery from the relaxation state until the computed rate of change of the sensed voltage level meets the voltage stability threshold.

6. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the voltage stability threshold comprises a maximum allowable rate of change of the voltage level.

7. The method as described in claim 6, wherein the voltage stability threshold corresponds to the maximum allowable rate of one Microvolt per second.

8. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the capacity of the battery is calibrated during the second induced relaxation state.

9. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising validating, during the first induced relaxation state and the second induced relaxation state, a voltage level of the battery as comprising a value between, a fifth of a full charge battery voltage level and a half of the full charge battery voltage level, inclusive, wherein the calibrating is performed in response to completion of the validating.

10. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the first voltage level and the second voltage level span a range of, a fifth of a full charge battery voltage level and a half of the full charge battery voltage level, inclusive.

11. An integrated circuit (IC) gas gauge component for a mobile device energized by a battery component, the IC gas gauge component operable for managing an operating state of the battery component and comprising:

a semiconductor substrate; and

a plurality of active elements disposed upon the semiconductor substrate, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of active elements is operable, based on instructions with which the portion is configured or programmed, for tracking a capacity of the battery component, the tracking the battery component capacity comprising;

inducing a first induced relaxation state in the battery component upon a first event, wherein the first event corresponds to an end of discharge of the battery;

sensing a first voltage level of the battery component during the first induced relaxation state when a rate of change of the first voltage level meets a voltage stability threshold during the first induced relaxation state;

releasing the battery component from the first induced relaxation state;

charging the battery component to at least 30 percent of an original capacity of the battery component over a continuous time span, reaching a midpoint of a charging state of the battery component, the midpoint relative to a full charge state of the battery component;

inducing a second induced relaxation state in response to occurrence of a second event, wherein the second event corresponds to the charging state of the battery component reaching the midpoint;

sensing a second voltage level of the battery component during the second induced relaxation state when the rate of change of the second voltage level meets the voltage stability threshold during the second induced relaxation state; and

calibrating a capacity of the battery component based on the first voltage level and the second voltage level, wherein the calibrating the capacity of the battery component comprises updating or correcting the capacity of the battery component.

12. The IC gas gauge component as described in claim 11, wherein the instructions with which the portion of the active elements are configured or programmed to setting a value corresponding to one or more of a full battery charge or a battery charging state mid-point.

13. The IC gas gauge component as described in claim 11, wherein tracking the capacity of the battery component further comprises sustaining a relaxation state, wherein the relaxation state corresponds to at least one of the first induced relaxation state or the second induced relaxation state.

14. The IC gas gauge component as described in claim 13, wherein sustaining the relaxation state comprises:

sensing a voltage level of the battery component during the relaxation state;

computing a rate of change of the sensed voltage level; and

deterring a release of the battery component from the relaxation state until the computed rate of change of the sensed voltage level meets the voltage stability threshold.

15. The IC gas gauge component as described in claim 11 is configured to calibrate the capacity of the battery component during the second induced relaxation state.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a computer processor cause or control a performance of a method for managing an operating state of a battery energizing a mobile device, the method comprising:

inducing a first induced relaxation state in the battery upon an occurrence of a first event, wherein the first event corresponds to an end of discharge of the battery;

sensing a first voltage level of the battery during the first induced relaxation state when a rate of change of the first voltage level meets a voltage stability threshold during the first induced relaxation state;

releasing the battery from the induced relaxation state;

charging the battery to at least 30 percent of an original capacity of the battery over a continuous time span, reaching a midpoint of a charging state of the battery, the midpoint relative to a full charge state of the battery;

inducing a second induced relaxation state upon occurrence of a second event, wherein the second event corresponds to the charging state of the battery reaching the midpoint;

sensing a second voltage level of the battery during the second induced relaxation state when the rate of change of the second voltage level meets the voltage stability threshold during the second induced relaxation state; and

calibrating a capacity of the battery based on the first voltage level and the second voltage level, wherein the calibrating the capacity of the battery comprises updating or

correcting the capacity of the battery.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as described in claim 16, wherein the method further comprises one or more of a full battery charge or a battery charging state mid-point.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as described in claim 16, wherein the method comprises:

sustaining an induced relaxation state until a rate of change of a sensed voltage level meets the voltage stability threshold, wherein the induced relaxation state corresponds to at least one of the first induced relaxation state or the second induced relaxation state.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as described in claim 16, wherein the first voltage level and the second voltage level span in a range of, a fifth of a full charge battery voltage level and a half of the full charge battery voltage level, inclusive.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as described in claim 16, wherein the capacity of the battery is calibrated during the second induced relaxation state.