Battery capacity indicator in a portable computing device

• US 7,109,876 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2004
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kaloustian, Curt, Smith, Steven G., Morton, Roland T. Jr., Willis, Robert H. Jr., Ertley, Lawrence E.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAI T
• Application Number:
  US10/966,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20050062612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 340/636, 340/691.1, 340/391.3, 340/5.74, 340/636.1, 702/6
• US Class Current: 340/636.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision

Abstract

Systems and methods for indicating the status of a battery in a portable computing device are disclosed. The methods include retrieving battery status data from a basic input-output system (BIOS) on the computing device, and comparing the retrieved battery status data to a predefined battery status threshold stored on the computing device. Based on the comparison of the battery status data to the predefined battery status threshold, a battery status indicator may be provided to an applications program on the computing device. The battery status data is reflective of a characteristic of the battery, such as battery capacity. A system according to the present invention includes a computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing a method according to the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for indicating the status of a battery in a portable computing device, the method comprising:

retrieving battery status data from a basic input-output system (BIOS) on the computing device by an applications program initiating a BIOS interrogating routine to retrieve the battery status from the BIOS, the battery status data reflective of a power capacity of the battery;

comparing the retrieved battery status data to a predefined battery status threshold stored on the computing device; and

based on the comparison of the battery status data to the predefined battery status threshold, providing a battery status indicator to the applications program executing on the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a user perceptible battery status indicator via the applications program on the computing device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the user perceptible-battery status indicator comprises displaying a low battery alert when the comparison indicates that the battery status data is less than the predefined status threshold.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the user perceptible battery status indicator comprises displaying a gauge representative of a current battery status.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the user perceptible battery status indicator is integrated into the applications program.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing the user perceptible battery status indicator continuously during execution of the applications program.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined battery status threshold is user-definable.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined battery status threshold comprises a variable parameter.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the variable parameter is associated with an environment in which the computing device is operating.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the variable parameter is user-definable.

11. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing a method for indicating the status of a battery in a portable computing device, the method comprising:

retrieving battery status data from a basic input-output system (BIOS) on the computing device by an applications program initiating a BIOS interrogating routine to retrieve the battery status from the BIOS, the battery status data reflective of a power capacity of the battery;

comparing the retrieved battery status data to a predefined battery status threshold stored on the computing device; and

based on the comparison of the battery status data to the predefined battery status threshold, providing a battery status indicator to the applications program on the computing device.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for providing a user perceptible battery status indicator.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for providing the user perceptible battery status indicator continuously during execution of the applications program.

14. A system for indicating the status of a battery in a portable computing device, the system comprising:

a basic input-output system (BIOS) comprising battery status data reflective of a power capacity of the battery;

an applications program comprising means for interrogating the BIOS to retrieve the battery status data from the BIOS; and

a battery status indicator associated with the applications program.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a predefined battery status threshold, wherein the applications program further comprises means for comparing the battery status data to the predefined battery status threshold, and

wherein the battery status indicator reflects the results of a comparison of the battery status data to the predefined battery status threshold.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the predefined battery status threshold is user-definable.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the predefined battery status threshold comprises a variable parameter associated with an environment in which the system is operating.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the variable parameter is user-definable.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the battery status indicator is user perceptible.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the user perceptible battery status indicator is integrated into the applications program.