Methods and Apparatus for Battery Powered Devices

• US 20080170666A1
• Filed: 01/12/2007
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Coombs, Kevin Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 7,822,180 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/101
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4405 the apparatus being movable or portable, e.g. handheld or mounted on a trolley
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/508 for non-human patients
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/56 Details of data transmission or power supply, e.g. use of slip rings
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3647 for determining the ability of a battery to perform a critical function, e.g. cranking
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/367 Software therefor, e.g. for battery testing using modelling or look-up tables
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A method includes automatically determining a specific mobile device to use from a plurality of mobile devices based on at least one of a battery metric, a patient procedure, and a location of the devices or of the patient.

Claims

1. A method comprising automatically determining a specific mobile device to use from a plurality of mobile devices based on at least one of a battery metric, a patient procedure, and a location of the devices or of the patient.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the devices are imaging devices.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein the automatically determining is performed by a central controller.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the automatically determining is formed by the plurality of devices themselves.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4 wherein the devices are x-ray imaging devices.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising notifying a user that it is time to start the procedure.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

receiving from a user a selection of battery metric; and

using the selected battery metric to perform the automatically determining.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

receiving from a user an indication that an exam needs to be rescheduled; and

automatically rescheduling the exam and re-determining, which specific device to use.

9. A computer readable medium embedded with a program configured to instruct a computer to:

receive indications of a plurality of imaging systems'"'"' battery'"'"'s statuses; and

schedule examinations and re-chargings at least partially based on the received indications.

10. A medium in accordance with claim 9 wherein said program further configured to instruct the computer to receive indications of a plurality of imaging systems'"'"' battery'"'"'s statuses.

11. A medium in accordance with claim 9 wherein said program further configured to instruct the computer to perform said scheduling at least partially based on data regarding exam length, drive time remaining values, locations, and/or idle time remaining values.

12. A medium in accordance with claim 11 wherein said program further configured to receive an additional exam indication and to work the additional exam into the existing schedule from said scheduling step.

13. A medium in accordance with claim 9 wherein said program further configured to instruct the computer to send the scheduled examinations and recharging instructions to a mobile imaging unit.

14. A medium in accordance with claim 9 wherein said program further configured to instruct the computer to negotiate with another computer which computer would perform the scheduled examination.

15. A medium in accordance with claim 9 wherein said program further configured to instruct the computer to notify a user that it is time to start the examination.

16. A mobile x-ray imaging system comprising:

an x-ray source;

an x-ray detector positioned to receive x-rays emitted from said source;

a computer operationally coupled to said x-ray detector and said x-ray source; and

a battery providing power to said x-ray source, said x-ray detector, and said computer, said computer configured to determine a status of the battery and communicate the determined status to at least one of another mobile x-ray imaging system and a central controller.

17. A system in accordance with claim 16 wherein said computer further configured to alert a user it is time to start an examination.

18. A system in accordance with claim 16 wherein said computer further configured to:

receive from a user an indication that an exam needs to be rescheduled; and

automatically reschedule the exam.

19. A system in accordance with claim 18 wherein said computer further configured to negotiate with another system which system will perform the rescheduled examination.

20. A system in accordance with claim 16 wherein said computer further configured to negotiate with another system which system will perform an examination.

21. A mobile device comprising:

a rechargeable battery; and

a display indicating the remaining life of the rechargeable battery in a plurality of application-specific units;

wherein a specific application-specific unit may be selected by a user for display from the plurality of application-specific units displayable on the display.

22. A mobile device in accordance with claim 21 wherein the specific application-specific unit is selected from a group consisting of number of exams remaining, amount of drive time remaining, amount of idle time remaining, and any combinations thereof.

23. A mobile device in accordance with claim 21 wherein the display also indicates the remaining time to recharge a discharged battery in application-specific units.