System and method for managing battery slump during wireless communications using signal triggered voltage monitoring

• US 8,718,719 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2011
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Guthrie, Martin George Albert, Madter, Richard C., Veselic, Dusan, Book, Christopher Simon, Nickerson, Kent Arnold
• Primary Examiner(s): Hua, Quan M
• Application Number:
  US13/246,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20120021709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 455/573, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/305 in the event of power-supply fluctuations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for managing battery slump in a battery-powered communications device including: an input configured for receiving battery voltage level information; an output configured for sending a signal for terminating a transmission; and a controller connected to the input and the output and configured to receive the battery voltage level information from the input; monitor the battery voltage level information; and send a signal via the output to terminate a transmission if the battery voltage level information crosses a predetermined threshold during the transmission. In particular, the system and method may further include an input connected to the controller and configured for receiving a signal indicating when a transmission is beginning or occurring and the controller is further configured to receive and monitor the battery voltage level information only when the transmission is occurring.

Claims

1. A system for managing battery slump in a wireless communication device powered by a battery, the system comprising:

an input signal terminal for receiving a battery voltage signal representing a battery voltage level of the battery;

a trigger input terminal for receiving a trigger signal indicating a start of a given wireless transmission of the wireless communication device;

an output signal terminal for sending an interrupt signal to terminate the given wireless transmission;

a controller connected to each of the input signal terminal, the trigger input terminal and the output signal terminal, the controller being implemented as a processor, in circuitry or combination thereof and configured to;

monitor the battery voltage level via the input signal terminal during the given wireless transmission after applying a delay for a predetermined period of time after the trigger signal is received via the trigger input terminal, wherein the predetermined period of time is set to a timer value that is configured to expire before the battery voltage level'"'"'s slump at the start of the given wireless transmission stabilizes and the value is less than a duration of a pulse of the given wireless transmission;

if the battery voltage level has crossed a first threshold voltage during the given wireless transmission after the delay, send an output for notifying of difficulties with the given wireless transmission; and

if the battery voltage level has crossed a second threshold voltage during the given wireless transmission after the delay, generate and

send the interrupt signal via the output signal terminal to terminate the given wireless transmission;

wherein the first threshold voltage is higher than the second threshold voltage.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second threshold voltage is variable depending upon a transmit power level required for the given wireless transmission.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the wireless communication device comprises an amplifier for amplifying the given wireless transmission of the wireless communication device, and wherein the second threshold voltage corresponds to a minimum power supply voltage required by the amplifier for the given wireless transmission.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the trigger signal comprises an enable signal for the amplifier.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to resume monitoring of the battery voltage level after the interrupt signal is sent.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to continue monitoring of the battery voltage level during the given wireless transmission so long as the trigger signal is active and so long as the battery voltage level has not crossed the second threshold voltage.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to send the interrupt signal without powering down the wireless communication device.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to monitor the battery voltage level by receiving periodic voltage readings of the battery via the input signal terminal, and averaging the periodic voltage readings to determine the battery voltage level.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to provide notification that the given wireless transmission has been terminated.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the period of time that the monitoring of the battery voltage level is delayed corresponds to a period following the start of the given wireless transmission in which the battery slump is unlikely to occur.

21. The system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined period of time is in the range of 200-300 μ

sec.

11. A method for managing battery slump in a wireless communication device powered by a battery, the method comprising:

receiving an indication that a given wireless transmission of the wireless communication device is occurring;

monitoring a battery voltage level of the battery during the given wireless transmission after applying a delay for a predetermined period of time after receiving the indication that the given wireless transmission is occurring, wherein the predetermined period of time is set to a timer value that is configured to expire before the battery voltage level'"'"'s slump at the start of the given wireless transmission stabilizes and the value is less than a duration of a pulse of the given wireless transmission;

comparing the battery voltage level with a first threshold voltage during the given wireless transmission after the delay, if the battery voltage level has crossed the first threshold voltage during the given wireless transmission after the delay, send an output for notifying of difficulties with the given wireless transmission; and

comparing the battery voltage level with a second threshold voltage during the given wireless transmission after the delay, if the battery voltage level has crossed the second threshold voltage during the given wireless transmission after the delay, terminating the given wireless transmission if the battery voltage level has crossed the second threshold voltage level;

wherein the first threshold voltage is higher than the second threshold voltage.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the second threshold voltage is variable depending upon a transmit power level required for the given wireless transmission.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the wireless communication device comprises an amplifier for amplifying the given wireless transmission of the wireless communication device, and wherein the second threshold voltage corresponds to a minimum power supply voltage required by the amplifier for the given wireless transmission.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the indication that the given wireless transmission is occurring comprises an indication that the amplifier is enabled.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the method further comprises resuming the monitoring of the battery voltage level after the given wireless transmission is terminated.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the method further comprises continuing to monitor the battery voltage level during the given wireless transmission so long as the indication that the given wireless transmission is occurring is received and so long as the battery voltage level has not crossed the second threshold voltage.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the given wireless transmission is terminated without powering down the wireless communication device.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein the monitoring of the battery voltage level comprises receiving periodic voltage readings of the battery, and averaging the periodic voltage readings to determine the battery voltage level.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein the method further comprises providing notification that the given wireless transmission has been terminated.

20. The method according to claim 11, wherein the period of time that the monitoring of the battery voltage level is delayed corresponds to a period at the beginning of the given wireless transmission in which the battery slump is unlikely to occur.

22. The method according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined period of time is in the range of 200-300 μ

sec.

23. A system for managing battery slump in a communication device powered by a battery, the system comprising:

an input signal terminal for receiving a battery voltage signal representing a battery voltage level of the battery;

a trigger input terminal for receiving a trigger signal indicating a start of a given transmission of the communication device;

an output signal terminal for sending an interrupt signal to terminate the given transmission;

a controller connected to each of the input signal terminal, the trigger input terminal and the output signal terminal, the controller being implemented as a processor, in circuitry or combination thereof and configured to;

monitor the battery voltage level via the input signal terminal during the given transmission after applying a delay for a predetermined period of time after the trigger signal is received via the trigger input terminal;

wherein the predetermined period of time is set to a timer value that is configured to expire before the battery voltage level'"'"'s slump at the start of the given wireless transmission stabilizes and the value is less than a duration of a pulse of the given wireless transmission;

if the battery voltage level has crossed a first threshold voltage during the given wireless transmission after the delay, send an output for notifying of difficulties with the given wireless transmission; and

if the battery voltage level has crossed a second threshold voltage during the given transmission after the delay, generate and send the interrupt signal via the output signal terminal to terminate the given transmission,

wherein the second threshold voltage is variable depending upon a transmit power level required for the given transmission; and

wherein the first threshold voltage is higher than the second threshold voltage.