Electronic Device and Methods Therein

• US 20140368205A1
• Filed: 06/16/2014
• Published: 12/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Svensson, Jan-Olof, Wolf, Mats
• Granted Patent: US 9,356,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/426
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/00 Measuring force or stress, in general measuring force due to impact G01L5/00
• 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 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery cell is configured to operate in within an electronic device. Determining the status of the battery cell includes using a strain gauge attached to the battery cell. A value of the dimension of the battery cell is established by use of the strain gauge. The status of the battery cell is determined based on the established dimension value compared to a reference value and a threshold related to the dimension of the battery cell. Related methods, devices and/or computer program products are described.

Claims

1. A method in an electronic device for determining a status of a battery cell wherein the battery cell operates within the electronic device, wherein the electronic device comprises the battery cell, and wherein a strain gauge is attached to the battery cell, the method comprising:

establishing a value of the-a dimension of the battery cell by use of the strain gauge;

determining the status of the battery cell based on the dimension value that was established compared to a reference value and a threshold related to the dimension of the battery cell.

2. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

computing a change in dimension of the battery cell based on the dimension that was established, wherein the determining status of the battery cell is based on the change of dimension that was computed.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a threshold related to the dimension of the battery cell is defined, wherein the computing comprises computing a change in dimension of the battery cell by comparing the value that was established with the reference value, wherein the determining of the status of the battery cell further is based on the computed change of dimension, the method further comprising

indicating status based on to the change in dimension compared to the threshold.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the indicated status is set to one of:

uncharged when the dimension is below a first threshold, wherein the threshold is represented by the first threshold,

charged when the dimension is above a second threshold, wherein the threshold is represented by the second threshold,

overcharged when the dimension is above a third threshold, wherein the threshold is represented by the third threshold,

over-discharged when the dimension is below a fourth threshold, wherein the threshold is represented by the fourth threshold, and

old when the dimension is above a fifth threshold, wherein the threshold is represented by the fifth threshold.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the computing a change in dimension of the battery cell is performed per time unit, and wherein the determining of the status of the battery cell is based on the change in dimension that was computer per time unit of the battery cell.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein a sixth threshold related to the change of the dimension per time unit is defined, wherein the indicating comprises indicating status short circuited when the change of the dimension per time unit exceeds the sixth threshold, and wherein the threshold is represented by the sixth threshold.

7. An electronic device arranged to determine status of a battery cell, wherein the battery cell operates within the electronic device,

wherein the electronic device comprises the battery cell, and wherein a strain gauge is attached to the battery cell, the electronic device comprising:

an establishing unit configured to establish a value of the dimension of the battery cell using the strain gauge;

a determining unit configured to determine status of the battery cell based on the value of the dimension compared to a reference value and a threshold related to the dimension of the battery cell.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, further comprising:

a computing unit configured to compute a change in dimension of the battery cell based on the dimension, wherein determining the status of the battery cell is based on the change in dimension.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8,

wherein the threshold related to the dimension of the battery cell is defined,

wherein the computing unit is further configured to compute a change in dimension of the battery cell by comparing the value of the dimension with the reference value,

wherein the determining unit is configured to determine the status of the battery cell based on the change of dimension, and

wherein the status is indicated according to the computed change in dimension compared to the threshold, and

wherein the electronic device further comprises an indicating unit configured to indicate status according to the change in dimension compared to the threshold.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the indicated status is set to one of:

uncharged when the dimension is below a first threshold, wherein the threshold is represented by the first threshold,

charged when the dimension is below a second threshold, wherein the threshold is represented by the second threshold,

overcharged when the dimension is below a third threshold, wherein the threshold is represented by the third threshold,

over-discharged when the dimension is below a fourth threshold, wherein the threshold is represented by the fourth threshold, and

old when the dimension is below a fifth threshold, wherein the threshold is represented by the fifth threshold.

11. The electronic device according to claim 7,

wherein the computing unit is arranged to compute a change in dimension of the battery cell per time unit, and

wherein the determining unit (150) is configured to determine the status of the battery cell based on the computed change in dimension per time unit of the battery cell.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein a sixth threshold related to the change of the dimension per time unit is defined,

wherein the indicated status is set to short circuited when the change of the dimension per time unit exceeds the sixth threshold, wherein the threshold is represented by the sixth threshold.

13. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the strain-gauge is based on graphene.