Dynamic battery advisor

• US 20070226527A1
• Filed: 03/23/2006
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ang, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,600,139 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3647 for determining the ability of a battery to perform a critical function, e.g. cranking
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An electronic equipment is provided that includes a battery, function circuitry that carries out one or more functions using power drawn from the battery, and a power assessment circuit that assesses power requirements of the function circuitry in relation to a function specified to be performed from among the one or more functions. The electronic equipment further includes a battery monitor circuit that monitors power available from the battery, and a battery advisor circuit, operatively coupled to the power assessment circuit and the battery monitor circuit. The battery advisor provides a recommendation indicative of whether the power available from the battery is sufficient for the function circuitry to carry out the specified function.

Claims

1. An electronic equipment, comprising:

a battery;

function circuitry that carries out one or more functions using power drawn from the battery;

a power assessment circuit that assesses power requirements of the function circuitry in relation to a function specified to be performed from among the one or more functions;

a battery monitor circuit that monitors power available from the battery;

a battery advisor circuit, operatively coupled to the power assessment circuit and the battery monitor circuit, that provides a recommendation indicative of whether the power available from the battery is sufficient for the function circuitry to carry out the specified function.

2. The electronic equipment of claim 1, wherein the power assessment circuit assesses the power requirements of the specified function as a function of a predefined time duration of the specified function.

3. The electronic equipment of claim 1, wherein the time duration is estimated.

4. The electronic equipment of claim 3, wherein the time duration is estimated based on an evaluation of past time durations of same or similar functions with respect to the specified function.

5. The electronic equipment of claim 4, wherein the evaluation averaging the past time durations of the same or similar functions.

6. The electronic equipment of claim 1, wherein the power assessment circuit assesses the power requirements of the specified function as a function of a predefined power consumption characteristic associated with the specified function.

7. The electronic equipment of claim 6, wherein the predefined power consumption characteristic comprises an estimated power consumption rate.

8. The electronic equipment of claim 7, wherein the estimated power consumption rate is estimated based on an evaluation of past power consumption rates of same or similar functions with respect to the specified function.

9. The electronic equipment of claim 8, wherein the evaluation comprises averaging the past power consumption rates of the same or similar functions.

10. The electronic equipment of claim 6, wherein the predefined power consumption characteristic comprises an estimated power consumption.

11. The electronic equipment of claim 10, wherein the estimated power consumption is estimated based on an evaluation of past power consumption of same or similar functions with respect to the specified function.

12. The electronic equipment of claim 11, wherein the evaluation comprises averaging past power consumption of the same or similar functions.

13. The electronic equipment of claim 1, further comprising a memory for storing at least one of time duration information or power consumption characteristic information in relation to the one or more functions.

14. The electronic equipment of claim 1, wherein the specified function comprises reproducing a video file.

15. The electronic equipment of claim 14, wherein the video file comprises a streaming video file.

16. The electronic equipment of claim 14, wherein the power assessment circuit assesses the power requirements of the function circuitry in relation to reproducing the video file based on time duration information provided with the video file.

17. The electronic equipment of claim 16, wherein the power assessment circuit assesses the power requirements of the function circuitry in relation to reproducing the video file based further on predefined power consumption rate information associated with the function circuitry when reproducing video files.

18. The electronic equipment of claim 1, wherein the specified function comprises reproducing an audio file.

19. The electronic equipment of claim 1, wherein the specified function comprises capturing video.

20. The electronic equipment of claim 1, wherein the specified function comprises providing game play.

21. The electronic equipment of claim 1, wherein the electronic equipment is a mobile phone.