Software battery gauge for portable computers
First Claim
1. In a computer comprising a display and a processor and connectable to at least one battery for deriving power therefrom, a method for providing to a user a charge condition of each of said at least one battery comprising, for each of said at least one battery:
- displaying on said display a user interface indicating a charge condition of said battery, said user interface comprising a graphical status indicator portion and a textual status indicator portion;
upon each elapse of a preselected time period, eliciting battery status information for said battery;
updating said graphical and textual status indicators displayed on said display using said elicited battery status informationprior to said eliciting, determining whether said charge condition of said battery changed during said preselected time period and responsive to a determination that said charge condition of said battery has not changed during said preselected time period, omitting performance of said eliciting and updating.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for transparently executing in a graphical operating system environment a battery gauge utility that provides accurate battery status information adaptable to different users'"'"' needs. In a preferred embodiment, a software battery gauge of the present invention utilizes the primary display of a PC on which it is executing to present information on the exact current charge status of each of one or more batteries of the PC without relying on the presence of a Microsoft/Intel Advanced Power Management driver and compatible BIOS and without continually impinging on the APM or XBIOS interfaces to derive such status information. The battery gauge interfaces with a user through a user interface comprising an animated graphical status indicator and a textual status indicator, which display battery status information continuously such that changes therein can be immediately and conveniently perceived by a user. In addition, the battery gauge comprises a conventional windows system menu, which can be accessed by using the mouse or pointing device, for controlling the appearance of the user interface.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. In a computer comprising a display and a processor and connectable to at least one battery for deriving power therefrom, a method for providing to a user a charge condition of each of said at least one battery comprising, for each of said at least one battery:
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displaying on said display a user interface indicating a charge condition of said battery, said user interface comprising a graphical status indicator portion and a textual status indicator portion; upon each elapse of a preselected time period, eliciting battery status information for said battery; updating said graphical and textual status indicators displayed on said display using said elicited battery status information prior to said eliciting, determining whether said charge condition of said battery changed during said preselected time period and responsive to a determination that said charge condition of said battery has not changed during said preselected time period, omitting performance of said eliciting and updating. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for indicating to a user a charge status of each of at least one battery connected to a computer for providing power thereto, the apparatus comprising, for each of said at least one battery:
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displaying on a display of said computer a user interface indicating said charge status of said battery, said user interface comprising a graphical status indicator portion and a textual status indicator portion; periodically determining whether said charge status of said battery has changed from a previous charge status; responsive to a determination that said charge status has changed, obtaining comprehensive battery status information for said battery; and updating said user interface using said comprehensive battery status information; and prior to said obtaining; determining whether said comprehensive battery status information is available; and responsive to a determination that said comprehensive battery status information is not available, indicating to said user via said user interface that no battery status information is available. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. In a computer comprising a display and a processor and connectable to at least one battery for deriving power therefrom, an apparatus for providing to a user a charge condition of each of said at least one battery comprising:
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means for displaying on said display for each of said at least one battery a user interface associated with said battery, said user interface indicating a charge condition of said battery and comprising a graphical status indicator portion and a textual status indicator portion; means for eliciting battery status information for each of said at least one battery upon each elapse of a preselected time period; means for updating said graphical and textual status indicators for each of said at least one battery using said elicited battery status information for said battery; and for each of said at least one battery; means for determining whether said charge condition of said battery changed during said preselected time period prior to said eliciting; and means responsive to a determination that said charge condition of said battery has not changed during said preselected time period for skipping said eliciting and updating. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A computer program stored on a computer-readable medium and executable in a computer having a display and a processor and connectable to at least one battery for deriving power therefrom, the computer program for providing to a user a charge condition of each of said at least one battery, the computer program comprising:
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instructions for displaying on said display a user interface indicating a charge condition of said battery, said user interface comprising a graphical status indicator portion and a textual status indicator portion; instructions for eliciting battery status information for said battery upon each elapse of a preselected time period; instructions for updating said graphical and textual status indicators displayed on said display using said elicited battery status information; and instructions for, prior to said eliciting, determining whether said charge condition of said battery changed during said preselected time period and, responsive to a determination that said charge condition of said battery has not changed during said preselected time period, omitting performance of said eliciting and updating. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification