Method and apparatus for detecting abnormal power consumption of a battery in mobile devices

• US 20100001870A1
• Filed: 04/30/2009
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Postech Academy-Industry Foundation
• Original Assignee: Postech Academy-Industry Foundation
• Inventors: KANG, Joon-Myung, HONG, James Won-Ki
• Granted Patent: US 8,089,368 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/636.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/367 Software therefor, e.g. for battery testing using modelling or look-up tables
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• 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: H01M 10/488 Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A method for detecting abnormal power consumption of respective batteries in mobile devices includes defining one or more operational states affecting power consumption of the batteries; collecting time-series data on an amount of the power consumption and use time of each battery in each of the operational states; calculating a power consumption rate, usage patterns, and an actual use time of the individual batteries based on the time-series data; estimating an amount of an available time remaining on the individual batteries based on average power consumption rate of all of the batteries; and comparing the estimated available time with the actual use time of the individual batteries to judge whether a power of the individual batteries is being consumed abnormally.

Claims

1. A method for detecting abnormal power consumption of respective batteries in mobile devices, comprising:

defining one or more operational states affecting power consumption of the batteries;

collecting time-series data on an amount of the power consumption and use time of each battery in each of the operational states;

calculating a power consumption rate, usage patterns, and an actual use time of the individual batteries based on the time-series data;

estimating an amount of an available time remaining on the individual batteries based on average power consumption rate of all of the batteries; and

comparing the estimated available time with the actual use time of the individual batteries to judge whether a power of the individual batteries is being consumed abnormally.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational states include a standby state, a voice communication state, and a data communication state of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage pattern is defined as a ratio of actual use time of the battery for each of the operational states.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the average power consumption rate of all of the batteries is updated based on the calculated power consumption rate of the individual batteries.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the average power consumption rate of all of the batteries includes an average power consumption rate of batteries by categorized groups.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the categorized groups include a group by a type of the mobile devices and a type of the batteries, a group by usage patterns, and a group of the mobile devices used recently.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reporting to a user the judgment result on whether a power of the battery is being consumed abnormally.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the report is conveyed to the user through at least one of image, audio or vibration.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the available time is estimated by dividing an actual capacity of the battery by the average power consumption rate of all of the batteries.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the available time is estimated by dividing an actual capacity of the battery by the power consumption rate, and

wherein the power consumption rate is obtained based on the average power consumption rate of all of the batteries or the average power consumption rate of each group.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said comparing the actual use time of the battery with the estimated available time of the battery includes:

diagnosing, on the basis of the time-series data, changes of a value of the power consumption rate in respective status where a power of the battery is being consumed normally or abnormally;

setting, on the basis of the changes, a measurement time period and a threshold value required for judging whether a power of the battery is being consumed abnormally;

executing, on the basis of both the measurement time period and the threshold value, a diagnosis of power consumption of the battery in each of the operational states; and

if abnormality in power consumption of the battery is detected from at least one operational state in a result of the diagnosis, determining that the power of the battery is being consumed abnormally.

12. An apparatus for detecting abnormal power consumption of respective batteries in mobile devices, comprising:

a collector for collecting time-series data on an amount of a power consumption and use time of each battery in one or more operational states affecting the power consumption of the batteries;

an analyzer for calculating a power consumption rate, usage patterns, and an actual use time of the individual batteries based on the time-series data;

a planner for estimating an amount of available time remaining on the individual batteries on the basis of an average power consumption rate of all of the batteries, and for comparing the estimated available time with the actual use time of the individual batteries to judge whether a power of the individual batteries is being consumed abnormally; and

an executor for reporting to a user the judgment result on whether the power of the battery is being consumed abnormally.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

an external knowledge-information storage storing the average power consumption rate of all of the batteries,

wherein the average power consumption rate of all of the batteries stored in the external knowledge-information storage is updated based on the calculated power consumption rate of the individual batteries.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising internal knowledge-information storage, located in the mobile device, for storing the same average power consumption rate of all of the batteries as that stored in the external knowledge-information storage.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a sensor, connected to the battery, for detecting the time-series data on the power consumption amount and the use time of the battery.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising an actuator, connected to the executor, for reporting to a user the judgment result on whether a power of the battery in the mobile device is being consumed abnormally.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the actuator includes at least one of a display for informing the abnormality of the user by using a visual image, a speaker for informing the abnormality of the user by using an aural sound, and a vibration motor for informing the abnormality of the user by using a vibration.