Small electronic device having battery level detection unit

• US 7,133,703 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2004
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Maxell Limited (Maxell, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Aoshima, Yoshinori, Daido, Kazuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US10/802,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20040185913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/418, 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455572-574, 455/559, 455/551, 320112-115, 713/340, 307/22, 307/35
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/367 Software therefor, e.g. for battery testing using modelling or look-up tables
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/371 with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers
• 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: H01M 50/569 Constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements G01R31/364
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0262 for a battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A small electronic device has a battery level detection unit for real-time detection of the current battery level and a communication unit for transmitting report data on a detected battery level to another small electronic device, such as a pocket PC device. The receiving small electronic device compares the data with data on its own battery level detected therein and displays the lower battery level data.

Claims

1. A small electronic device comprising:

a battery;

a battery level detection unit for detecting a charge level of the battery;

a display unit for displaying various data; and

a communication unit for exchanging data with an external device; and

a comparison unit for comparing a battery level data of the external device detected by external device with its own battery level data output from the battery level detection unit,

wherein the small electronic device displays a comparison result on the display unit, said comparison result comprising lower battery level data selected from the battery level data of the external device and the battery level data of the small electronic device.

2. The small electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the small electronic device is a portable PC device.

3. The small electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the external device is a cellular phone.

4. A small electronic device comprising:

a battery;

a battery level detection unit for detecting a charge level of the battery;

a display unit for displaying various data; and

a communication unit for exchanging data with an external device; and

a comparison unit for comparing a operating time data of the external device calculated from a battery level of the external device detected by the external device with its own operating time data calculated from a battery level output from the battery level detection unit, wherein the small electronic device displays a comparison result on the display unit, said comparison result comprises shorter operating time data selected from the operating time data of the external device and the operating time data of the small electronic device.

5. The small electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the small electronic device is a portable PC device.

6. The small electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the external device is a cellular phone.

7. A monitoring method for monitoring a battery level, comprising the steps of:

detecting a battery level at a first small electronic device;

transmitting battery level data from the first small electronic device;

receiving the battery level data at a second small electronic device;

detecting a battery level at the second small electronic device;

comparing the battery level data of the first small electronic device with battery level data of the second small electronic device; and

displaying a comparison result at the second small electronic device, wherein the transmitting of the battery level data is triggered in response to a request from the second small electronic device.

8. The monitoring method according to claim 7, wherein the comparison result in the displaying step comprises lower battery level data selected from the battery level data of the first small electronic device and the battery level data of the second small electronic device.

9. A monitoring method for monitoring a battery level, comprising the steps of:

detecting a battery level at a first small electronic device;

calculating an operating time from the battery level at the first small electronic device;

transmitting operating time data from the first small electronic device;

receiving the operating time data at a second small electronic device;

detecting a battery level at the second small electronic device;

calculating an operating time from the battery level at the second electronic device;

comparing the operating time data of the first small electronic device with operating time data of the second small electronic device; and

displaying a comparison result at the second small electronic device, wherein the transmitting of the operating time data is triggered in response to a reciuest from the second small electronic device.

10. The monitoring method according to claim 9, wherein the transmitting of the operating time data is triggered by satisfying predetermined conditions.

11. A monitoring method for monitoring a battery level, comprising the steps of:

detecting a battery level at a first small electronic device;

transmitting battery level data from the first small electronic device;

receiving the battery level data at a second small electronic device;

detecting a battery level at the second small electronic device;

comparing the battery level data of the first small electronic device with battery level data of the second small electronic device; and

displaying a comparison result at the second small electronic device,

wherein the comparison result in the displaying step comprises lower battery level data selected from the battery level data of the first small electronic device and the battery level data of the second small electronic device.

12. A monitoring method for monitoring a battery level, comprising the steps of:

detecting a battery level at a first small electronic device;

calculating an operating time from the battery level at the first small electronic device;

transmitting operating time data from the first small electronic device;

receiving the operating time data at a second small electronic device;

detecting a battery level at the second small electronic device;

calculating an operating time from the battery level at the second electronic device;

comparing the operating time data of the first small electronic device with operating time data of the second small electronic device; and

displaying a comparison result at the second small electronic device, wherein the comparison result in the displaying step comprises shorter operating time data selected from the operating time data of the first small electronic device and the operating time data of the second small electronic device.