ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND DETECTION METHOD OF POWER CAPACITY

• US 20160061910A1
• Filed: 12/24/2014
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Acer, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Acer, Inc.
• Inventors: Peng, Shu-Wei
• Application Number:
  US14/582,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20160061910A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3646 for indicating electrical conditions or variables, e.g. visual or audible indicators
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/367 Software therefor, e.g. for battery testing using modelling or look-up tables
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3835 involving only voltage measurements

Abstract

An electronic device and a detection method of power capacity are provided. The electronic device includes a battery and a power management unit coupled to the battery. The power management unit reads an output voltage of the battery, and determines whether a variation of the output voltage of the battery within a time interval is greater than a threshold. When the power management unit determines that the variation of the output voltage of the battery within the time interval is greater than the threshold, the power management unit calculates a remaining power capacity of the battery according to the output voltage and the variation of the output voltage within the time interval.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a battery;

a power management unit, coupled to the battery,

wherein the power management unit reads an output voltage of the battery, and determines whether a variation of the output voltage of the battery within a time interval is greater than a first threshold, and

when the power management determines that the variation of the output voltage of the battery within the time interval is greater than the first threshold, the power management unit calculates a remaining power capacity of the battery according to the output voltage and the variation of the output voltage within the time interval.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the power management unit detects a first instantaneous voltage and a second instantaneous voltage within the time interval, and obtains the variation of the output voltage according to the first instantaneous voltage and the second instantaneous voltage;

and

the power management unit calculates the remaining power capacity of the battery according to the second instantaneous voltage, the variation of the output voltage within the time interval, and a first recovery time.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein

when the power management unit determines that the variation of the output voltage of the battery within the time interval is less than the first threshold, the power management unit converts the second instantaneous voltage in order to obtain the remaining power capacity of the battery.

4. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein

the power management unit determines whether the variation of the output voltage is greater than the first threshold and a second threshold, wherein the second threshold is greater than the first threshold;

when the variation of the output voltage is greater than the first threshold and the second threshold, the power management unit calculates the remaining power capacity of the battery according to the second instantaneous voltage, a first preset variation, a first preset recovery interval, a second preset variation and a second preset recovery interval.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the first threshold corresponds to one percent of a power capacity of the battery.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

when the electronic device is enabled, the power management unit reads the output voltage of the battery, and determines whether the variation of the output voltage of the battery within the time interval is greater than the first threshold.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device further comprises:

a display unit; and

a processing unit, coupled to the display unit and the power management unit,

wherein the processing unit receives the remaining power capacity from the power management unit, and displays the remaining power capacity through the display unit.

8. A detection method of power capacity, adapted for an electronic device having a battery, and comprising:

reading an output voltage of the battery, and determining whether a variation of the output voltage of the battery within a time interval is greater than a first threshold; and

when determining that the variation of the output voltage of the battery within the time interval is greater than the first threshold, calculating a remaining power capacity of the battery according to the output voltage and the variation of the output voltage within the time interval.

9. The detection method of power capacity according to claim 8, wherein

the step of determining whether the variation of the output voltage of the battery within the time interval is greater than the first threshold comprises:

detecting a first instantaneous voltage and a second instantaneous voltage within the time interval, and obtaining the variation of the output voltage according to the first instantaneous voltage and the second instantaneous voltage; and

the step of calculating the remaining power capacity of the battery comprises;

calculating the remaining power capacity of the battery according to the second instantaneous voltage, the variation of the output voltage within the time interval, and a first recovery time.

10. The detection method of power capacity according to claim 9, wherein the step of determining whether the variation of the output voltage of the battery within the time interval is greater than the first threshold comprises:

when determining that the variation of the output voltage of the battery within the time interval is less than the first threshold, converting the second instantaneous voltage in order to obtain the remaining power capacity of the battery.

11. The detection method of power capacity according to claim 9, wherein the step of determining whether the variation of the output voltage of the battery within the time interval is greater than the first threshold further comprises:

determining whether the variation of the output voltage is greater than the first threshold and a second threshold, wherein the second threshold is greater than the first threshold;

when the variation of the output voltage is greater than the first threshold and the second threshold, calculating the remaining power capacity of the battery according to the second instantaneous voltage, a first preset variation, a first preset recovery interval, a second preset variation and a second preset recovery interval.

12. The detection method of power capacity according to claim 8, wherein

the first threshold is corresponding to one percent of a power capacity of the battery.

13. The detection method of power capacity according to claim 8, wherein before the step of reading the output voltage of the battery, and determining whether the variation of the output voltage of the battery within the time interval is greater than the first threshold, the detection method of power capacity further comprises:

determining whether the electronic device is enabled.

14. The detection method of power capacity according to claim 8, wherein after the step of calculating the remaining power capacity of the battery, the detection method of power capacity further comprises:

displaying the remaining power capacity of the battery through a display unit of the electronic device.