REMOTE SENSING OF REMAINING BATTERY CAPACITY USING ON-BATTERY CIRCUITRY

• US 20140188413A1
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duracell U.S. Operations, Inc. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Gillette Company (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Bourilkov, Jordan Todorov, Specht, Steven Jeffrey, Coronado Hortal, Sergio
• Granted Patent: US 9,551,758 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/371 with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3835 involving only voltage measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/385 Arrangements for measuring battery or accumulator variables for monitoring G01R31/382
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/388 involving voltage measurements

Abstract

A method of remote sensing a charge includes charging or discharging a capacitor of an RC circuit to a predetermined threshold voltage using a power source. A response signal is provided from a communications module to a handheld computing device comprising a reader system once the capacitor reaches the predetermined threshold voltage. An amount of time taken for the handheld computing device to receive the response signal is determined using a processor. The processor determines charge information using the amount of time.

Claims

1. A method of remote sensing a remaining battery capacity, comprising:

charging or discharging a capacitor of an RC circuit to a predetermined threshold voltage using a power source;

providing a response signal from a communications module to a handheld computing device comprising a reader system once the capacitor reaches the predetermined threshold voltage;

determining an amount of time taken for the capacitor to charge or discharge to the predetermined threshold voltage using a processor; and

the processor determining remaining battery capacity information using the amount of time.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising initiating the charging or discharging of the capacitor using the reader system of the handheld computing device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the amount of time includes measuring a time difference between when the reader system initiates the charging or discharging of the capacitor and when the handheld computing device receives the response signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the capacitor is a first capacitor of a first RC circuit portion having a first time constant, the RC circuit comprising a second RC circuit portion including a second capacitor having a second time constant different than the first time constant.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising providing a response signal to the handheld computing device once the second capacitor reaches the predetermined threshold voltage.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the amount time includes measuring a time difference between the response signals received by the handheld computing device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the remaining battery capacity information on a display device.

8. The method of claim 1 comprising charging the capacitor using a battery, the communications module carried by the battery.

9. A remote charge indicator system operatively connected to a battery, the remote charge indicator system comprising:

a communications module comprising an antenna that receives an interrogation signal from a reader system; and

a voltage sensing module comprising an RC circuit comprising a resistor and a capacitor, the voltage sensing module providing an output to the communications module when the capacitor charges to a predetermined threshold voltage using the battery, the voltage sensing module comprising a switch that closes when the communications module receives the interrogation signal.

10. The remote charge indicator system of claim 9, wherein the communications module comprises an RFID tag.

11. The remote charge indicator system of claim 9, wherein the voltage sensing module comprises a comparator that sends the output to the communications module when the capacitor charges to a predetermined threshold voltage.

12. The remote charge indicator system of claim 9, wherein the RC circuit includes a first RC circuit portion and a second RC circuit portion, the resistor and capacitor being a first resistor of the first RC circuit portion and the capacitor being a first capacitor of the first RC circuit portion having a first time constant, the second RC circuit portion including a second resistor and a second capacitor and having a second time constant different than the first time constant.

13. A method of remote sensing remaining battery capacity of a battery, comprising:

charging or discharging a capacitor of an RC circuit operatively connected to a battery to a predetermined threshold voltage;

providing a response signal using a communications module on the battery to a handheld computing device comprising a reader system once the capacitor reaches the predetermined threshold voltage;

determining a battery voltage using an amount of time taken for the capacitor to charge or discharge to the predetermined threshold voltage using a processor;

determining remaining battery capacity information using the battery voltage; and

displaying the remaining battery capacity information using a display device of the handheld computing device.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising initiating the charging or discharging of the capacitor using the reader system of the handheld computing device.

15. The method of claim 14 comprising measuring a time difference between when the reader system initiates the charging or discharging of the capacitor and when the handheld computing device receives the response signal to determine the amount of time.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the capacitor is a first capacitor of a first RC circuit portion having a first time constant, the RC circuit comprising a second RC circuit portion including a second capacitor having a second time constant different than the first time constant.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising providing a response signal once the second capacitor reaches the predetermined threshold voltage.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising determining the amount of time by measuring a time difference between the response signals received by the handheld computing device.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the processor determines remaining battery capacity information using the battery voltage.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of displaying the remaining battery capacity information using the display device of the handheld computing device includes displaying graphical indicia indicative of remaining battery capacity determined using the battery voltage.