Small electronic device

• US 20040185913A1
• Filed: 03/18/2004
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Maxell Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Aoshima, Yoshinori, Daido, Kazuhiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,133,703 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/367 Software therefor, e.g. for battery testing using modelling or look-up tables
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/371 with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0262 for a battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A small electronic device has a battery level detection unit for real-time detection of the current battery level and a communication unit for transmitting report data on a detected battery level to another small electronic device, such as a pocket PC device. The receiving small electronic device compares the data with data on its own battery level detected therein and displays the lower battery level data.

Claims

1. A small electronic device comprising:

a battery;

a battery level detection unit for detecting a charge level of the battery;

a display unit for displaying various data; and

a communication unit for exchanging data with an external device,

wherein the small electronic device receives battery level data of the external device detected by the external device, compares the data with its own battery level data output from the battery level detection unit, and displays a comparison result on the display unit.

2. A small electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the comparison result comprises lower battery level data selected from the battery level data of the external device and the battery level data of the small electronic device.

3. A small electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the small electronic device is a portable PC device.

4. A small electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the external device is a cellular phone.

5. A small electronic device comprising:

a battery;

a battery level detection unit for detecting a charge level of the battery;

a display unit for displaying various data; and

a communication unit for exchanging data with an external device,

wherein the small electronic device receives operating time data of the external device calculated from a battery level detected by the external device, compares the data with its own operating time data calculated from a battery level output from the battery level detection unit, and displays a comparison result on the display unit.

6. A small electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the comparison result comprises shorter operating time data selected from the operating time data of the external device and the operating time data of the small electronic device.

7. A small electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the small electronic device is a portable PC device.

8. A small electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the external device is a cellular phone.

9. A monitoring method for monitoring a battery level, comprising the steps of:

detecting a battery level at a first small electronic device;

transmitting battery level data from the first small electronic device;

receiving the battery level data at a second small electronic device;

detecting a battery level at the second small electronic device;

comparing the battery level data of the first small electronic device with battery level data of the second small electronic device; and

displaying a comparison result at the second small electronic device.

10. The monitoring method according to claim 9, wherein the transmitting of the battery level data is triggered by satisfying predetermined conditions.

11. The monitoring method according to claim 9, wherein the transmitting of the battery level data is triggered in response to a request from the second small electronic device.

12. The monitoring method according to claim 9, wherein the comparison result in the displaying step comprises lower battery level data selected from the battery level data of the first small electronic device and the battery level data of the second small electronic device.

13. A monitoring method for monitoring a battery level, comprising the steps of:

detecting a battery level at a first small electronic device;

calculating a operating time from the battery level at the first small electronic device;

transmitting operating time data from the first small electronic device;

receiving the operating time data at a second small electronic device;

detecting a battery level at the second small electronic device;

calculating a operating time from the battery level at the second electronic device;

comparing the operating time data of the first small electronic device with operating time data of the second small electronic device; and

displaying a comparison result at the second small electronic device.

14. The monitoring method according to claim 13, wherein the transmitting of the operating time data is triggered by satisfying predetermined conditions.

15. The monitoring method according to claim 13, wherein the transmitting of the operating time data is triggered in response to a request from the second small electronic device.

16. The monitoring method according to claim 13, wherein the comparison result in the displaying step comprises shorter operating time data selected from the operating time data of the first small electronic device and the operating time data of the second small electronic device.

17. A battery housing attached to a small electronic device as a driving power source, comprising:

a battery;

a battery level detection unit for detecting a charge level of the battery; and

a communication unit for transmitting the charge level to an external device to display a comparison result between the charge level of the small electronic device and a charge level of the external device.