Battery management system for determining battery charge sufficiency for a task

• US 7,595,642 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2006
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Doyle, Thomas F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ullah; Akm E
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US11/345,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20070182376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 324/426, 324/435, 320/132, 320/134, 320/136, 340/7.32, 340/7.37, 340/693.3
• US Class Current: 324/426
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3647 for determining the ability of a battery to perform a critical function, e.g. cranking
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network

Abstract

An electronic tool and method to manage a battery includes a processor to monitor a battery charge and estimate a required charge needed by the electronic tool to complete any task or job shift. When the processor determines the battery charge is insufficient, the processor applies business rules to reduce and terminate functions of the electronic tool to conserve power.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining an actual charge for a battery of an electronic device to be powered by the battery;

estimating a power consumption requirement for a task to be performed by the electronic device based on a weighted average of a plurality of historical data points regarding actual power consumption of the electronic device for completing the task, wherein a weight factor assigned to each of the historical data points is inversely correlated to an age of the historical data point;

determining whether the actual charge for the battery is sufficient for the estimated power consumption; and

if it is determined that the actual charge for the battery is not sufficient, providing a warning of insufficient battery charge.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining an initial charge in response to removal of the electronic device from a power source, wherein said determining whether the actual charge for the battery is sufficient for the estimated power consumption further includes determining whether the initial charge is sufficient.

3. The method of claim 2, and further comprising monitoring a discharge rate from a battery to detect said removal of said electronic device from said power source.

4. The method of claim 2, and further comprising detecting said removal of said electronic device from said power source responsive, at least in part, to a switch.

5. The method of claim 2, and further comprising detecting removal of said electronic device from said external power source responsive, at least in part, to a motion sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

estimating charge needed to complete the task to be performed by the electronic device;

determining charge remaining in the battery;

determining whether said charge remaining in the battery is sufficient to power the electronic device based, at least in part, on the estimated power needed; and

if it is determined that sufficient charge does not remain in the battery, reducing the operation of at least one function of the electronic device in response to a determination that sufficient charge does not remain in the battery.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

terminating at least one function of the electronic device in response to a determination that sufficient charge does not remain in the battery.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising identifying essential and non-essential functions and reducing the operation of non-essential functions before reducing the operation of essential functions.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising sending an alert to a dispatch center to deliver a new battery or a new electronic device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

terminating at least one function of the electronic device in response to a determination that sufficient charge does not remain in the battery.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising identifying essential and non-essential functions and reducing the operation of non-essential functions before reducing the operation of essential functions.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the electronic device for unusual power consumption variants; and

flagging the electronic tool for maintenance if power consumption variants are discovered.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein power consumption variants include large power discharges.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein power consumption variants include a history of requiring more power than comparable tools performing comparable tasks.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is powered solely by the battery.

16. A method comprising:

estimating power needed by an electronic device powered by a battery to complete a task based on a weighted average of a plurality of historical data points regarding actual power consumption of the electronic device for completing the task, wherein a weight factor assigned to each of the historical data points is inversely correlated to an age of the historical data point;

determining charge remaining in the battery of the electronic device;

determining whether sufficient charge remains in the battery based, at least in part, on the estimated power needed; and

reducing the power requirements of the electronic device in response to a determination that the battery does not have sufficient charge for the electronic device to complete the task.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

reducing the operation of at least one function of the electronic device in response to a determination that said battery does not have sufficient charge for said electronic device to complete said task.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising identifying essential and non-essential functions and reducing the operation of non-essential functions before reducing the operation of essential functions.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

terminating at least one function of the electronic device in response to a determination that said battery does not have sufficient charge for said electronic device to complete said task.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising identifying essential and non-essential functions and terminating the operation of non-essential functions before reducing the operation of essential functions.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

terminating at least one function of the electronic device in response to a determination that said battery does not have sufficient charge for said electronic device to complete said task.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising sending an alert to a user to deliver a new battery or a new electronic device.

23. An electronic device capable of managing power requirements and monitoring a battery status, the device comprising:

a battery;

a processor that monitors a battery charge and estimates a required charge needed by the electronic device to be powered by the battery to complete a task based on a weighted average of a plurality of historical data points regarding actual power consumption of the electronic device for completing the task, wherein a weight factor assigned to each of the historical data points is inversely correlated to an age of the historical data point; and

the processor further determines whether the battery has sufficient charge to complete the task, wherein the processor reduces functions provided by the electronic device to conserve power in response to the determination that the battery does not have sufficient charge for the electronic device to complete the task.

24. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the processor reduces nonessential functions before essential functions.

25. The electronic device for claim 24, further comprising a sensor to detect removal of the electronic device from an external power source, and if the electronic device is removed from the external power source, the processor determines an estimated charge required to complete the task by the electronic device.

26. The electronic device of claim 25 further comprising a display device so that if power is insufficient to complete the task by the electronic device, the display device displays a warning.

27. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the processor terminates non-essential functions before essential functions.

28. An apparatus comprising:

means for determining an actual charge for a battery of an electronic device to be powered by the battery;

means for estimating a power consumption requirement for a task to be performed by the electronic device based on a weighted average of a plurality of historical data points regarding actual power consumption of the electronic device for completing the task, wherein a weight factor assigned to each of the historical data points is inversely correlated to an age of the historical data point;

means for determining whether the actual charge for the battery is sufficient for the estimated power consumption; and

means for providing a warning of insufficient battery charge if it is determined that the actual charge for the battery is not sufficient.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 further comprising:

means for determining an initial charge in response to removal of the electronic device from a power source, wherein said determining whether the actual charge for the battery is sufficient for the estimated power consumption further includes determining whether the initial charge is sufficient.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, and further comprising:

means for monitoring a discharge rate from a battery to detect said removal of said electronic device from said power source.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, and further comprising:

means for detecting said removal of said electronic device from said power source responsive, at least in part, to a switch.

32. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the electronic device is powered solely by the battery.

33. An article comprising a storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon which, if executed by a computing platform, cause the computing platform to:

determine an actual charge for a battery of an electronic device to be powered by the battery;

estimate a power consumption requirement for a task to be performed by the electronic device based on a weighted average of a plurality of historical data points regarding actual power consumption of the electronic device for completing the task, wherein a weight factor assigned to each of the historical data points is inversely correlated to an age of the historical data point;

determine whether the actual charge for the battery is sufficient for the estimated power consumption; and

provide a warning of insufficient battery charge if it is determined that the actual charge for the battery is not sufficient.

34. The article of claim 33, wherein the machine-readable instructions, if executed by the computing platform, further cause the computing platform to:

determine an initial charge in response to removal of the electronic device from a power source, wherein determining whether the actual charge for the battery is sufficient for the estimated power consumption further includes determining whether the initial charge is sufficient.

35. The article of claim 34, wherein the machine-readable instructions, if executed by the computing platform, further cause the computing platform to:

monitor a discharge rate from a battery to detect the removal of the electronic device from the power source.

36. The article of claim 34, wherein the machine-readable instructions, if executed by the computing platform, further cause the computing platform to:

detect the removal of the electronic device from the power source responsive, at least in part, to a switch.

37. The article of claim 33, wherein the electronic device is powered solely by the battery.