VARYING-TEMPERATURE OPERATION OF BATTERY-POWERED ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20080136653A1
• Filed: 12/08/2006
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Owens, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 7,898,221 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/636.1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]

Abstract

In one embodiment, a consumer electronic device has a rechargeable battery, battery safety circuitry, and consumer electronic device circuitry with a controller. The rechargeable battery has a present temperature and a presently available effective capacity, and provides power to the electronic device via the battery safety circuitry. The controller determines whether the rechargeable battery might have, at a battery temperature greater than the present battery temperature, a potential effective capacity greater than the presently available effective capacity and, upon such determination, provides an indication to the user that additional effective capacity might become available if the battery temperature were raised.

Claims

1. An electronic device adapted to be powered by a battery having a present temperature and a presently available effective capacity, the electronic device comprising a controller adapted to:

receive a first indication of the present temperature of the battery; and

provide a second indication designed to inform a recipient of the second indication that a potentially available effective capacity greater than the presently available effective capacity would be available at a different battery temperature.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further adapted to determine the potentially available effective capacity.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the controller is adapted to:

receive a third indication of the presently available effective capacity; and

determine the potentially available effective capacity for the different battery temperature based on the third indication.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the controller is adapted to provide the second indication only if the controller determines that the potentially available effective capacity is greater than the presently available effective capacity by a set threshold.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the different battery temperature is greater than the present battery temperature, and the present battery temperature is below a specified threshold temperature.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a battery safety circuitry adapted to measure and provide to the controller the present battery temperature.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the battery is rechargeable.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the battery is one of Li-ion type and Li-poly type.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the second indication comprises an audible alert.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the second indication includes an audible message that warming the battery would provide the potentially available effective capacity greater than the presently available effective capacity.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the second indication comprises a visible alert.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the second indication comprises a display showing the presently available effective capacity and potentially available total effective capacity.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the second indication comprises a display showing the presently available effective capacity and potentially available additional effective capacity.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the second indication includes a visual message that warming the battery will provide the potentially available effective capacity.

15. A method for a controller in an electronic device adapted to be powered by a battery having a present battery temperature and a presently available effective capacity, the method comprising:

receiving a first indication of the present temperature of the battery; and

providing a second indication designed to inform a recipient of the second indication that a potentially available effective capacity greater than the presently available effective capacity would be available at a different battery temperature.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining the potentially available effective capacity.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of determining comprises:

receiving a third indication of the presently available effective capacity; and

determining the potentially available effective capacity for the different battery temperature based on the third indication.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising providing the second indication only after determining that the potentially available effective capacity is greater than the presently available effective capacity by a set threshold.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the different battery temperature is greater than the present battery temperature, and the present battery temperature is below a specified threshold temperature.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the second indication comprises an audible alert.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the second indication includes an audible message that warming the battery would provide the potentially available effective capacity greater than the presently available effective capacity.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the second indication comprises a visible alert.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the second indication comprises a display showing the presently available effective capacity and potentially available total effective capacity.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the second indication comprises a display showing the presently available effective capacity and potentially available additional effective capacity.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the second indication includes a visual message that warming the battery will provide the potentially available effective capacity.

26. An electronic device adapted to be powered by a battery having a battery temperature and a presently available effective capacity, the electronic device comprising:

means for receiving a first indication of a present temperature of the battery; and

means for providing a second indication designed to inform a recipient of the second indication that a potentially available effective capacity greater than the presently available effective capacity would be available at a different battery temperature.