System and method of determining standby time for mobile stations by connecting a simulator to the mobile station, measuring average current consumption, and determining actual battery capacity usage

• US 8,423,095 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Jin, Xin, Mallalieu, Jennifer Anne Elizabeth, Shearer, Fiona
• Primary Examiner(s): Addy, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sarwar, Babar
• Application Number:
  US13/245,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20120015647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 455423-425, 455/550.1, 455/556.2, 455572-5751, 4553431-3435, 455/127.1, 455/522, 455/127.5, 370/311, 370/318, 320/106, 320/127, 320/132, 320/134, 320/149, 324/426, 324/428, 324/433
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/24 Arrangements for testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and system for determining standby time for a mobile station uses a battery simulator, a base station emulator, a computer to control the test equipment and MSUT for testing a mobile station. The computer includes a module for determining a radio off battery voltage, a module for deriving a battery capacity in dependence upon the radio off battery voltage, a module for measuring battery capacity usage in a predetermined time while the mobile station is in standby mode and a module for determining a standby time for the mobile station in dependence upon the battery capacity and the battery capacity usage, where the predetermined time is less than the standby time.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

coupling a battery simulator to a mobile station, the battery simulator configured to provide the mobile station with a simulated battery voltage;

measuring, for a predetermined time period, a plurality of current measurement data points of the mobile station in standby mode;

calculating, from the plurality of current measurement data points, an average current consumption associated with the mobile station in the standby mode;

determining an actual battery capacity of a battery for the mobile station; and

determining a standby time of the mobile station based on the average current consumption and the actual battery capacity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined time period is less than the standby time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the average current consumption measured is an average value determined over the predetermined time period.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a battery cut off voltage for the mobile station.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the actual battery capacity comprises:

deriving the actual battery capacity in dependence upon the battery cut off voltage of the mobile station.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the actual battery capacity is an amount of discharge from a fully charged battery to the battery cut off voltage.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

fully-charging the battery; and

determining the fully-charged voltage of the battery after being fully charged, and wherein the actual battery capacity is determined based on a difference between the fully-charged voltage and the battery cut off voltage.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the battery cut off voltage for the mobile station is determined by stepping down the simulated battery voltage until a radio of the mobile station turns off.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining the battery cut off voltage comprises:

adjusting the simulated battery voltage provided to the mobile station;

determining a voltage level at which a mobile station radio turns off as the battery cut off voltage.

10. A system comprising:

a battery simulator coupled to a mobile station, the battery simulator configured to provide the mobile station with a simulated battery voltage;

a computer configured to

measure, for a predetermined time period, a plurality of current measurement data points of the mobile station in standby mode;

calculate, from the plurality of current measurement data points, an average current consumption associated with the mobile station in the standby mode;

determine an actual battery capacity of a battery for the mobile station; and

determine a standby time of the mobile station based on the average current consumption and the actual battery capacity.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the predetermined time period is less than the standby time.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the average current consumption measured is an average value determined over the predetermined time period.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer is configured to determine a battery cut off voltage for the mobile station.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer is configured to derive the actual battery capacity in dependence upon the battery cut off voltage of the mobile station.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the actual battery capacity is an amount of discharge from a fully charged battery to the battery cut off voltage.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer is configured to determine a fully-charged voltage of the battery after being fully charged, and wherein the actual battery capacity is determined based on a difference between the fully-charged voltage and the battery cut off voltage.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the battery cut off voltage for the mobile station is determined by stepping down the simulated battery voltage until a radio of the mobile station turns off.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer is configured to adjust the simulated battery voltage provided to the mobile station;

and determine a voltage level at which a mobile station radio turns off as the battery cut off voltage.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium configured with code executable by a computer to cause the computer to:

measure, for a predetermined time period, a plurality of current measurement data points of a mobile station in standby mode;

calculate, from the plurality of current measurement data points, an average current consumption associated with the mobile station in the standby mode;

determine an actual battery capacity of a battery for the mobile station; and

determine a standby time of the mobile station based on the average current consumption and the actual battery capacity,

wherein the mobile station is coupled to a battery simulator, the battery simulator configured to provide the mobile station with a simulated battery voltage.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the predetermined time period is less than the standby time.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the average current consumption measured is an average value determined over the predetermined time period.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the code further causes the computer to:

determine a battery cut off voltage for the mobile station.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the code further causes the computer to:

derive the actual battery capacity in dependence upon the battery cut off voltage of the mobile station.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the actual battery capacity is an amount of discharge from a fully charged battery to the battery cut off voltage.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the code further causes the computer to

determine a fully-charged voltage of the battery after being fully charged, and wherein the actual battery capacity is determined based on a difference between the fully-charged voltage and the battery cut off voltage.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the battery cut off voltage for the mobile station is determined by stepping down the simulated battery voltage until a radio of the mobile station turns off.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the code further causes the computer to:

adjust the simulated battery voltage provided to the mobile station;

determine a voltage level at which a mobile station radio turns off as the battery cut off voltage.