Operational mode-based battery monitoring for a battery-powered electronic device

• US 7,123,155 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2002
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Schinner, Charles E.
• Primary Examiner(s): GOINS, DAVETTA WOODS
• Application Number:
  US10/116,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20030189418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: 340/636.1, 340/636.11, 340/636.12, 340/636.15, 340/636.16, 340/636.2, 340/636.17, 320/132, 320/103, 320/139, 320/107, 320/134, 320/427, 429/90, 429/61
• US Class Current: 340/636.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm

Abstract

A method and an electronic device monitor a battery of the device with respect to device operational mode in one or both of battery charge level monitoring and battery cut-off determination. Mode-based monitoring employs a mode-specific wait period prior to performing a measurement used to determine a remaining charge level of a battery. The mode-specific wait period depends on the operational mode immediately preceding the measurement and therefore, accounts for battery recovery effects on measurement accuracy. Mode-based cut-off determination employs information regarding an impending operational mode to determine whether or not a remaining charge level of the battery is sufficient to support the mode. Only those operational modes for which there is sufficient remaining charge are enabled while operational modes for which there is insufficient remaining power are disabled.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a remaining charge level of a battery in an electronic device after an operational mode is performed by the device, the operational mode comprising one or more operations of the device, the device obtaining at least some power from the battery, the method comprising:

waiting a mode-specific period of time after the performed operational mode before determining the remaining charge level of the battery, the mode-specific period of time being based on a recovery time for the battery, the recovery time being specific to the operational mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mode-specific period of time is further based on a chemistry of the battery.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein waiting a mode-specific period of time comprises:

determining the operational mode that was performed, each determined operational mode having an associated power consumption, the recovery time being based on the power consumption.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein waiting a mode-specific period of time comprises:

determining a load experienced by the battery while the operational mode is performed, the recovery time being associated with the load, the recovery time being a time for the battery to recover from the load.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the load is determined from power consumed during the operational mode, the power consumed being different for each operational mode.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a chemistry of the battery prior to waiting the mode-specific period of time, the determined chemistry being employed to determine the mode-specific period of time.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring a characteristic of the battery after waiting the period of time to determine the remaining charge level of the battery.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing the operational mode prior to waiting, the operational mode being any one of a plurality of operational modes normally performed by the device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the mode-specific wait period of time is one or more of greater than, less than and equal to the recovery time depending on the operational mode.

10. A method of determining a cut-off point of a battery used in an electronic device, the electronic device obtaining at least some power from the battery, the cut-off point being a point in a discharge profile of the battery at which there is insufficient power to perform an operational made of the device, the method comprising:

determining whether a remaining charge level of the battery is insufficient to perform an operational mode, the remaining charge level being insufficient when the operational mode utilizes more power than that associated with the remaining charge level;

measuring a characteristic of the battery;

computing a remaining charge from the measured battery characteristic; and

using a look-up table to relate the measured battery characteristic to the remaining charge, the look-up table having a plurality of values for the characteristic and corresponding remaining charge values.

11. A method of determining a cut-off point of a battery used in an electronic device, the electronic device obtaining at least some power from the battery, the cut-off point being a point in a discharge profile of the battery at which there is insufficient power to perform an operational mode of the device, the method comprising;

determining whether a remaining charge level of the battery is insufficient to perform an operational mode, the remaining charge level being insufficient when the operational mode utilizes more power than that associated with the remaining charge level; and

disabling the operational mode of the device when the remaining charge level of the battery is determined to be insufficient to perform the operational mode;

wherein disabling the operational mode of the device comprises one or both of;

setting a software flag to disable a particular operational mode when it is determined that the battery has an insufficient remaining charge level associated with the particular operational mode; and

asserting a hardware-based logic line to disable a particular operational mode when it is determined that the battery has an insufficient remaining charge level associated with the particular operational mode,

wherein whether the software flag is set and the hardware-based logic line is asserted depend on the electronic device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

a performing a requested operational mode if the requested operational mode is not disabled.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the requested operational mode is performed when one or both of a software flag corresponding to the associated operational mode is not set and a hardware-based logic line corresponding to the associated operational mode is not asserted.

14. A method of mode based monitoring and cut-off determination of a battery used in an electronic device, the electronic device obtaining at least some power from the battery, the method comprising:

waiting a mode-specific period of time after an operational mode is performed, the mode-specific period of time being based on a recovery time for the battery, the recovery time being specific to the performed operational mode; and

determining a remaining charge level of the battery after waiting the period of time.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein one or both of the mode-specific period of time and the determined remaining charge level are a function of a chemistry of the battery.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

disabling an operational mode of the device when the determined remaining charge level of the battery is insufficient to perform the operational mode; and

performing a requested operational mode if the requested operational mode has not been disabled.

17. A method of mode-based monitoring and cut-off determination of a battery used in an electronic device, the electronic device obtaining at least some power from the battery, the method comprising:

determining a remaining charge level of the battery;

disabling an operational mode of the device when the determined remaining charge of the battery is insufficient to perform the operational mode;

performing a requested operational mode if the requested operational mode has not been disabled; and

waiting a mode-specific period of time after performing the requested operational mode, the mode-specific period of time being based on a recovery time for the battery, the recovery time being specific to the performed operational mode.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein one or both of the mode-specific period of time and the determined remaining charge level are a function of a chemistry of the battery.

19. An electronic device having a plurality of operational modes and obtaining at least seine power from a battery, the device comprising:

a battery monitor that measures a characteristic of a battery installed in the electronic device;

a memory;

a control program stored in the memory, the control program comprising a set of instructions; and

a controller, wherein the battery monitor communicates a measured result to the controller, the controller executing the control program, the control program, when executed by the controller, implementing mode-based battery cut-off point determination, and wherein the set of instructions of the control program comprises determining whether a remaining charge level of the battery is sufficient to perform an operational mode of the plurality based on the measured result.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the mode-based cut-off point is a function of a battery chemistry of the battery.

21. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the set of instructions of the control program further comprises:

disabling an operational mode of the device when the remaining charge of the battery is insufficient to perform the operational made; and

performing a requested operational mode if the requested operational mode has not been disabled.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the control program, when executed by the controller, further implements mode-based battery monitoring, the set of instructions further comprising:

waiting a mode-specific period of time after the performed operational made, the period of time being based on a recovery time for the battery, the recovery time being specific to the performed operational mode.

23. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the mode-specific period of time is further specific to a chemistry of the battery.

24. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the set of instructions further comprises:

determining a remaining charge level of the battery after waiting the mode-specific period of tune.

25. The electronic device of claim 24, wherein the determined remaining charge level is a function of a battery chemistry of the battery.

26. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the control program, when executed by the controller, further implements mode-based battery monitoring, the set of instructions further comprising:

waiting a mode-specific period of time after an operational mode is performed, the mode-specific period of time being based on a recovery time for the battery, the recovery time being specific to the performed operational mode.

27. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the set of instructions further comprises notifying a user of the device of any disabled operational modes comprising one or more of displaying the disabled operational mode on a status display of the electronic device, displaying one or bath of a list of disabled operational modes and a list of enabled operational modes on the stats display, and using a ‘

Low Bat’

display for each disabled operational mode.

28. An electronic device having a plurality of operational modes and obtaining at least some power from a battery, the device comprising:

a battery monitor that measures a characteristic of a battery installed in the electronic device;

a memory;

a control program stored in the memory, the control program comprising a set of instructions; and

a controller, wherein the battery monitor communicates a measured result to the controller, the controller executing the control program, the control program, when executed by the controller, implementing mode-based battery monitoring,

wherein the set of instructions of the control program comprises waiting a mode-specific period of time after an operational mode is performed, the mode-specific period of time being based on a recovery time for the battery, the recovery time being specific to the performed operational mode.

29. The electronic device of claim 28, wherein the control program, when executed by the controller, further implements mode-based battery cut-off point determination, wherein the set of instructions of the control program further comprises determining a remaining charge level of the battery after waiting the mode-specific period of time.

30. The electronic device of claim 29, wherein the set of instructions of the control program further comprises:

disabling an operational mode of the device when the determined remaining charge of the battery is insufficient to perform the operational mode; and

performing a requested operational mode if the requested operational mode has not been disabled.

31. The electronic device of claim 30, wherein the set of instructions of the control program further comprises:

waiting another mode-specific period of time after the performed operational mode, the other mode-specific period of time being based on a recovery time for the battery, the recovery time being specific to the performed operational mode; and

further comprises repeating;

determining a remaining charge level of the battery after waiting the other mode-specific period of time;

disabling those operational modes for which the repeated remaining charge level determination indicates insufficient remaining charge level; and

performing other operational modes for which the repeated remaining charge level determination indicates sufficient remaining charge level.

32. The electronic device of claim 29, wherein the set of instruction further comprises determining a chemistry of the battery prior to waiting a mode-specific period of time after an operational mode is performed, the determined chemistry being used to modify the mode-specific wait time into a mode-specific and chemistry-specific wait time, and the determined chemistry being used in determining a remaining charge level of the battery.

33. The electronic device of claim 30, wherein the set of instructions further comprises notifying a user of the device of any disabled operational modes comprising one or more of displaying the disabled operational mode on a status display of the electronic device, displaying one or both of a list of disabled operational modes and a list of enabled operational modes on the status display, and using a ‘

Low Bat’

display for each disabled operational mode.