Optimizing Battery Usage

• US 20120189878A1
• Filed: 01/24/2011
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Basson, Sara H., Hamilton, Rick, Kanevsky, Dimitri, Sainath, Tara N.
• Granted Patent: US 9,306,243 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/50
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• 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: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Techniques for optimizing battery usage are provided. The techniques include sensing energy level of a battery, comparing the sensed energy level of the battery to a predetermined energy threshold for the battery, and controlling energy flow to and from the battery based on the comparison of the sensed energy level and the energy threshold.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing battery usage, wherein the method comprises:

sensing energy level of a battery;

comparing the sensed energy level of the battery to a predetermined energy threshold for the battery; and

controlling energy flow to and from the battery based on the comparison of the sensed energy level and the energy threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling energy flow to and from the battery comprises sending additional energy to the battery when the sensed energy level has a predetermined relationship to the energy threshold calling for additional energy to be sent to the battery.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling energy flow to and from the battery comprises draining energy from the battery when the sensed energy level has a predetermined relationship to the energy threshold calling for energy to be extracted from the battery.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling energy flow to and from the battery can be performed manually or automatically.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a manual setting facilitates user specification that a particular function be accomplished.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein an automatic setting facilitates that a particular function is accomplished upon detection of one or more conditions.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a battery type for the battery, wherein battery type comprises one of re-chargeable and not re-chargeable.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining a battery type for the battery comprises at least one of manually determining a battery type for the battery and automatically determining a battery type for the battery.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein an automatic setting for determining a battery type for the battery comprises using at least one of embedded query logic and visual recognition.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining if the battery has residues of energy if the battery is not re-chargeable.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising one of ejecting the battery for resumption of use and marking the battery for energy extraction if the battery has residues of energy.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining if the energy level of the battery is sufficient to recharge the battery if the battery is re-chargeable.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising marking the battery for a recharge if the energy level in the battery is sufficient to recharge the battery.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising inputting information pertaining to a battery charge process into a personal history database.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a system, wherein the system comprises one or more distinct software modules, each of the one or more distinct software modules being embodied on a tangible computer-readable recordable storage medium, and wherein the one or more distinct software modules comprise a sensor module, a detachable energy redistribution module and a battery manager module executing on a hardware processor.

16. An apparatus for battery usage optimization, wherein the apparatus comprises:

a compartment to house one or more batteries;

a detachable energy redistribution module; and

a battery manager module to control energy flow between a battery in the compartment and the detachable energy module, wherein the battery manager module comprises one or more sensors for reading one or more battery energy levels, and wherein the battery manager module further comprises a component for comparing the one or more battery energy levels to a predetermined energy threshold for each battery and controlling energy flow to and from each battery based on the comparison of the read energy level and the energy threshold.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the battery manager module further comprises one or more temperature sensors.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a personal history database.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, further co p sing a sharing database.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a display component.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the compartment to house one or more batteries can be dynamically adjusted to one or more battery sizes.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the detachable energy redistribution module is connected to one or more additional energy sources.

23. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the battery manager module, in controlling energy flow between a battery in the compartment and the detachable energy module, is operative to:

send additional energy to the battery from the energy redistribution module when a sensed energy level of the battery has a predetermined relationship to an energy threshold calling for additional energy to be sent to the battery; and

extract energy from the battery when a sensed energy level of the battery has a predetermined relationship to an energy threshold calling for energy to be extracted from the battery.

24. A computer program product comprising a tangible computer readable recordable storage medium including computer useable program code for optimizing battery usage, the computer program product including:

computer useable program code for sensing energy level of a battery;

computer useable program code for comparing the sensed energy level of the battery to a predetermined energy threshold for the battery; and

computer useable program code for controlling energy flow to and from the battery based on the comparison of the sensed enemy level and the energy threshold.

25. A system for optimizing battery usage, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and operative to;

sense energy level of a battery;

compare the sensed energy level of the battery to a predetermined energy threshold for the battery; and

control energy flow to and from the battery based on the comparison of the sensed energy level and the energy threshold.