Hybrid battery system for portable electronic devices

• US 8,509,861 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2011
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Eaton, Eric Thomas, Veselic, Dusan, Bos, Jeffrey Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Daniel, Jr., Willie J
• Application Number:
  US13/286,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20130109443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0248 dependent on the time of the day, e.g. according to expected transmission activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0296 switching to a backup power supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A power management method with a portable electronic device (100) includes identifying, with a controller (202) of the portable electronic device, a power consumption event in the portable electronic device, the power consumption event having a power consumption requirement. The method further includes selecting (818), in response to the identifying, one of a collection of energy storage devices (304, 306, 308, 320) in an energy storage device farm (218) for the portable electronic device, the selecting being based at least on the power consumption requirement of the power consumption event and on one or more characteristics of the one of the plurality of energy storage devices. The portable electronic device executes the power consumption event using energy stored in the selected one of the plurality of energy storage devices. The portable electronic device (100) may be a mobile phone or other wireless communication device.

Claims

1. A method for power management of a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

observing, with a controller of a portable electronic device, a pattern of past occurrence of a particular power consumption event in the portable electronic device;

forecasting, with the controller, a likely future occurrence of the particular power consumption event in the portable electronic device, the particular power consumption event having an anticipated power consumption requirement, the forecasting being based upon the controller having observed the pattern of past occurrence of the particular power consumption event in the portable electronic device,

the observed pattern of past occurrence of the particular power consumption event being identified based upon monitoring over time, with the controller, at least one user'"'"'s usage pattern of the portable electronic device to identify the pattern of past occurrence of the particular power consumption event;

selecting, in response to the forecasting, one of a plurality of energy storage devices in an energy storage device farm for the portable electronic device, the selecting being based at least on the anticipated power consumption requirement of the particular power consumption event upon its likely future occurrence and on one or more characteristics of the one of the plurality of energy storage devices that meet the anticipated power consumption requirement; and

executing, upon its occurrence, the forecasted particular power consumption event in the portable electronic device using energy stored in the selected one of the plurality of energy storage devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the forecasting comprises forecasting the likely future occurrence of the particular power consumption event in the portable electronic device based at least on at least one user'"'"'s usage pattern of the portable electronic device stored as use history information in a user profile in the portable electronic device, the use history information being updated over time in the user profile based on monitoring, by the controller, the at least one user'"'"'s use of the portable electronic device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user profile comprises a steady state user profile of the monitored at least one user'"'"'s long term use of the portable electronic device and a dynamic user profile of the monitored at least one user'"'"'s short term use of the portable electronic device, and the forecasting is based on a determination, by the controller, of anticipated user'"'"'s future use of the portable electronic device determined from use history information stored in at least one of the steady state user profile and the dynamic user profile.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting is based at least on a determined reserve power or energy level of the selected one of the plurality of energy storage devices.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring energy to one of the plurality of energy storage devices to a stored energy level at the energy storage device that matches a power consumption requirement of the future power consumption event.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics of the one of the plurality of energy storage devices comprises any one or more of the following:

1) a stored energy level of the energy storage device;

2) a power output discharge rate of the energy storage device;

3) energy density of the energy storage device;

4) a charge time of the energy storage device; and

5) a nominal operating voltage of the energy storage device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transferring, in response to the forecasting, electrical energy between at least two of the plurality of energy storage devices in the energy storage device farm, one of the at least two of the plurality of energy storage devices being the selected one of the plurality of energy storage devices.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein one of the plurality of energy storage devices comprises a fuel cell, and the transferring comprises transferring electrical energy to the fuel cell from the selected one of the plurality of energy storage devices in the energy storage device farm.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the selected one of the plurality of energy storage devices comprises a higher leakage current or self discharge current than the fuel cell, and wherein the future power consumption event comprises a low-activity interval having no or little use by a user of the portable electronic device.

10. A method for power management of a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

observing, with a controller of a portable electronic device, a pattern of past occurrence of a particular power consumption event in the portable electronic device;

forecasting, with the controller, an imminent occurrence of the particular power consumption event in the portable electronic device, the particular power consumption event demanding a high amount of energy from an energy storage device of the portable electronic device, wherein the forecasting comprises

monitoring over time, with the controller, a user'"'"'s usage pattern of the portable electronic device to identify the pattern of past occurrence of the particular power consumption event; and

forecasting the imminent occurrence of the particular power consumption event in the portable electronic device, based at least on the monitored user'"'"'s usage pattern of the portable electronic device;

transferring and storing energy in a capacitor in response to the forecasting; and

executing, upon its occurrence, the forecasted particular power consumption event in the portable electronic device using the energy stored in the capacitor.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the particular power consumption event comprises a wireless transmission event, and

wherein executing the forecasted particular power consumption event comprises executing the wireless transmission event that includes wirelessly transmitting a radio frequency signal from a wireless transmitter circuit of the portable electronic device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the imminent occurrence of the particular power consumption event comprises wirelessly transmitting a text message.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the forecasting comprises detection at the portable electronic device of a composition of a text message, and

wherein executing the forecasted particular power consumption event comprises wirelessly transmitting the text message from a wireless transmitter circuit of the portable electronic device.

14. A portable electronic device comprising:

a first energy storage device, the first energy storage device having a first storage capacity and a first power output;

a second energy storage device, the second energy storage device having a second storage capacity and a second power output,

wherein the second storage capacity is less than the first storage capacity and the second power output is greater than the first power output; and

a third energy storage device, the third energy storage device having a third storage capacity and a third power output,

wherein the third storage capacity is less than the first storage capacity and greater than the second storage capacity, and

wherein the third power output is greater than the first power output and less than the second power output; and

a controller that directs energy to a load in the portable electronic device from one of the first, second and third energy storage devices, the load comprising an occurrence of a particular power consumption event, and wherein the controller directs the energy to the load in response to determining the occurrence of the particular power consumption event based on;

observing, with the controller, a pattern of past occurrence of the particular power consumption event in the portable electronic device; and

forecasting, with the controller, a likely future occurrence of the particular power consumption event in the portable electronic device, based upon the controller having observed the pattern of past occurrence of the particular power consumption event in the portable electronic device.

15. The portable electronic device of claim 14, wherein the first energy storage device comprises a fuel cell.

16. The portable electronic device of claim 14, wherein the second energy storage device comprises a capacitor.

17. The portable electronic device of claim 16, wherein the capacitor comprises a SuperCapacitor.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 14, wherein the third energy storage device comprises a battery.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 18, wherein the battery comprises a lithium battery.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 14, further comprising a display screen, the display screen configured to display a first indicator indicative of energy stored in the first energy storage device, a second indicator indicative of energy stored in the second energy storage device, and a third indicator indicative of energy stored in the third energy storage device.

21. The portable electronic device of claim 14, further comprising an input device, wherein the input device is configured to receive an indication of a pending imminent occurrence of the particular power consumption event in the portable electronic device, and

wherein the controller is configured to direct energy to the second energy storage device in response to detecting the indication and with determining the forecasted imminent occurrence of the particular power consumption event,

followed by the controller directing energy from the second energy storage device to the load.

22. The portable electronic device of claim 21, further comprising a wireless transmitter, the wireless transmitter configured to receive energy from the second energy storage device directed by the controller in response to determining the occurrence of the particular power consumption event.

23. A non-transitory computer program product for power management of a portable electronic device, the non-transitory computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising instructions for performing a method comprising;

observing, with a controller of a portable electronic device, a plurality of patterns of past occurrence of a corresponding plurality of particular power consumption events in the portable electronic device, each particular power consumption event being associated with a corresponding pattern of past occurrence in the portable electronic device;

forecasting, with the controller, a likely future occurrence of the each particular power consumption event, the forecasting being based upon the controller having observed the corresponding pattern of past occurrence of the each particular power consumption event in the portable electronic device, the controller anticipating the plurality of particular power consumption events to contemporaneously occur in a respective plurality of loads in the portable electronic device, each of the particular power consumption events having an anticipated power consumption requirement;

selecting, in response to the forecasting, at least one of a plurality of energy storage devices in an energy storage device farm for the portable electronic device, the selecting of each of the at least one of the plurality of energy storage devices being based at least on the anticipated power consumption requirement of the forecasted plurality of particular power consumption events and on one or more characteristics of the at least one of the plurality of energy storage devices that meet the anticipated power consumption requirement; and

contemporaneously executing the forecasted plurality of particular power consumption events in the respective plurality of loads in the portable electronic device using energy stored in the selected at least one of the plurality of energy storage devices.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the forecasting comprises

monitoring over time, with the controller, at least one user'"'"'s usage pattern of the portable electronic device, to identify the corresponding pattern of past occurrence of the each particular power consumption event;

and

forecasting, with the controller, the likely future occurrence of the each particular power consumption event, based at least on the monitored at least one user'"'"'s usage pattern of the portable electronic device.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the forecasting of the likely future occurrence of the each particular power consumption event of the plurality of particular power consumption events in the portable electronic device is based at least on the monitored at least one user'"'"'s use of the portable electronic device stored as use history information in a user profile in the portable electronic device, the use history information being updated over time in the user profile based on the at least one user'"'"'s use of the portable electronic device.

26. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein

the plurality of particular power consumption events comprises first and second particular power consumption events;

the at least one of the plurality of energy storage devices in the energy storage device farm comprises first and second energy storage devices;

the selecting comprises

selecting the first energy storage device based at least on the anticipated power consumption requirement of the forecasted first particular power consumption event; and

selecting the second energy storage device based at least on the anticipated power consumption requirement of the forecasted second particular power consumption event; and

the contemporaneously executing comprises

contemporaneously executing the forecasted first particular power consumption event in the portable electronic device using energy stored in the selected first energy storage device; and

contemporaneously executing the forecasted second particular power consumption event in the portable electronic device using energy stored in the selected second energy storage device.