Accurately indicating a status of consumption of a battery by which an electronic circuit is controllably put into operation

• US 4,914,393 A
• Filed: 08/26/1988
• Issued: 04/03/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshido, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/236,898
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 324/426, 324/427, 324/428, 324/431, 320/48, 340/636
• US Class Current: 324/428
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/21 State of charge of battery

Abstract

In an arrangement for use in an electronic circuit controllably put into operation by a battery and for indicating a consumption status of the battery, a measuring circuit measures a total time interval of operation of the electronic circuit. A processing circuit processes the total time interval into a calculated status for the battery. An indicator indicates the consumption status based on the calculated status. The processing circuit may comprise a memory for memorizing various current rates which are used in the electronic circuit and on which an arithmetic circuit calculates the calculated status. Alternatively, first and second measuring circuits may be used with first and second current rates memorized in the memory for the first and the second measuring circuits. Instead of the measuring circuits, a summing circuit may be supplied with a succession of the current rates repeatedly read out of the memory to sum up a total amount of current consumed by the electric circuit. As a further alternative, a counter counts down to obtain the total time interval in response to a pulse sequence of a pulse repetition period that is variable in proportion to a varying level of electric current supplied from the battery to the electronic circuit.

Claims

1. A battery-status-indicating arrangement for use in an electronic circuit that is controllably put into operation by a battery, said battery-status-indicating arrangement being for indicating a status of consumption of said battery, wherein the improvement comprises, in combination with the foregoing;

measuring means coupled to said electronic circuit for measuring a total time interval during which said electronic circuit is put into operation, said measuring means thereby producing a time-duration signal indicative of said total time interval;

memory means for preliminarily memorizing a current-rate signal representative of a current rate at which said electronic circuit is controllably put into operation;

arithmetic means coupled to said memory means and to said measuring means for multiplying said current-rate signal and said time-duration signal to produce a multiplied signal representative of a product of said current rate and said total time interval as a status signal representative of a calculated status for said battery; and

indicating means responsive to said status signal for indicating said status of consumption based on said calculated status.

2. A battery status indicting arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said measuring means comprises:

integrating means coupled to said electronic circuit for measuring said total time interval to produce said time duration signal; and

resetting means connected to said integrating means for resetting said time duration signal to an initial duration signal indicative of zero as said total time interval.

3. A battery-status-indicating arrangement as claimed in claim 1, said electronic circuit being controllably put into a first and a second mode of operation by said battery, wherein:

said memory means is for preliminarily memorizing a first and a second current-rate signal respectively representative of a first and a second current rate at which said electronic circuit is controllably put into said first and said second modes, respectively;

said measuring means comprising;

first partial-measuring means coupled to said electronic circuit for measuring a first total time interval during which said electronic circuit is put into said first mode, said first partial-measuring means thereby producing a first time-duration signal indicative of said first total time interval; and

second partial-measuring means coupled to said electronic circuit for measuring a second total time interval during which said electronic circuit is put into said second mode, said second partial-measuring means thereby producing a second time-duration signal indicative of said second total time interval;

said arithmetic means comprising;

first multiplying means coupled to said memory means for multiplying said first current-rate signal and said first time-duration signal to produce a first multiplied signal representative of a first product of said first current rate and said first total time interval;

second multiplying means coupled to said memory means for multiplying said second current-rate signal and said second time-duration signal to produce a second multiplied signal representative of a second product of said second current rate and said second total time interval; and

adding means coupled to said first and said second multiplying means for adding said first multiplied signal and said second multiplied signal together to make said status signal represent a sum of said first and said second products.

4. A battery-status-indicating arrangement for use in an electronic circuit which is controllably put into operation by a battery, said battery-status-indicating arrangement being for indicating a status of consumption of said battery, wherein the improvement comprises, in combination with the foregoing:

memory means for preliminarily memorizing a current-rate signal representative of a current rate at which said electronic circuit is controllably put into operation;

reading means for periodically reading said current-rate signal out of said memory means at a predetermined time interval while said electronic circuit is controllably put into operation, said reading means thereby producing a readout signal having a form of a succession of said current-rate signals;

summing means responsive to said read-out signal for summing up said current rates to produce a sum signal representative of a sum of said current rates as a status signal representative of a calculated status for said battery; and

indicating means responsive to said status signal for indicating said status of consumption based on said calculated status.

5. A battery status indicating arrangement as claimed in claim 4, wherein said summing means comprises:

integrating means responsive to said read-out signal for summing up said current rates to produce said sum signal; and

resetting means connected to said integrating means for resetting said sum signal to an initial signal indicative of zero.

6. A battery-status-indicating arrangement as claimed in claim 4, said electronic circuit being controllably put into a first and a second mode of operation by said battery, wherein:

said memory means is for preliminarily memorizing a first and a second current-rate signal respectively representative of a first and a second current rate at which said electronic circuit is controllably put into said first and said second modes, respectively;

said reading means being for periodically reading said first and said second current-rate signals out of said memory means at said predetermined time interval while said electronic circuit is controllably put into said first and second modes, respectively, said reading mean thereby producing a first read-out signal having a first form of a succession of said first current-rate signals and a second read-out signal having a second form of another succession of said second current-rate signals, respectively;

said summing means comprising;

first partial-summing means responsive to said first read-out signal for summing said first current rates to produce a first sum signal representative of a first sum of said first current rates; and

second partial-summing means responsive to said second read-out signal for summing said second current rates to produce a second sum signal representative of a second sum of said second current rates;

said battery-status-indicating arrangement further comprising current-rate adding means coupled to said first and said second partial-summing means for adding said first and said second sum signals together to make said status signal represent a total sum of said first and said second sums.

7. A battery-status-indicating arrangement for use in an electronic circuit that is controllably put into operation by electronic current supplied from a battery at a varying level, said battery-status-indicating arrangement being for indicating a status of consumption of said battery, wherein the improvement comprises, in combination with the foregoing:

pulse-producing means coupled to said electronic circuit and responsive to said electric current for producing a basic pulse sequence of a pulse-repetition period that changes in proportion to said varying level;

temperature-detecting means for detecting an ambient temperature of said battery for producing a detection signal representative of said ambient temperature;

first clock generating means responsive to said detection signal for generating a first clock pulse sequence of a pulse repetition period that increases in proportion to said ambient temperature, each pulse of said first clock-pulse sequence having a pulse width substantially equal to that of each pulse of said basic pulse sequence, the pulse repetition period of said first clock pulse sequence being longer than the pulse repetition period of said basic pulse sequence;

pulse processing means for processing said basic pulse sequence and said first clock pulse sequence into a processed pulse sequence;

counting means coupled to said pulse processing means and given an initial count for counting down said initial count to a reduced count in response to said processed pulse sequence to produce a count signal representative of said reduced count; and

indicating means responsive to said count signal for indicating said status of consumption.

8. A battery-status-indicating arrangement as claimed in claim 7, wherein said pulse processing means comprises OR operation means responsive to both said basic pulse sequence and said first clock pulse sequence for carrying out an OR operation of said basic clock pulse sequence and said first clock pulse sequence to produce an OR'"'"'ed pulse sequence as said processed pulse sequence.

9. A battery-status-indicating arrangement as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

said battery-status-indicating arrangement further comprises second clock generating means responsive to said detection signal for generating a second clock pulse sequence of a predetermined pulse repetition period that is longer than the pulse repetition period of said basic pulse sequence, each pulse of said second clock pulse sequence having a pulse width that increases in proportion to an absolute value of a difference between said ambient temperature and a reference temperature;

said pulse processing means comprising;

AND operation means responsive to said basic pulse sequence and said second clock pulse sequence for carrying out an AND operation of said basic pulse sequence and said second clock pulse sequence to produce an AND'"'"'ed pulse sequence; and

OR operation means responsive to said AND'"'"'ed signal and said first clock pulse sequence for carrying out an OR operation of said AND'"'"'ed pulse sequence and said first clock pulse sequence to produce an OR'"'"'ed pulse sequence as said processed pulse sequence.