Adaptive low-battery warnings for battery-powered electronic devices

• US 8,816,868 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2011
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Tan, Liquan, Low, Wing Kong, Luong, Alda Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US13/154,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20120306655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/636.1, 340/426.16, 340/426.18, 34063611-63621, 463/37, 463/29, 463/42, 701/1, 701/2, 701/36, 702/63, 702/182, 702/183, 706/2, 706/1, 706/12, 706/15, 706/21, 320/136
• US Class Current: 340/636.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/367 Software therefor, e.g. for battery testing using modelling or look-up tables
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3835 involving only voltage measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates the use of an electronic device. The electronic device may be a keyboard, a mouse, a trackpad, a remote control, a mobile phone, a wireless phone, a toy, a portable media player, a game controller, and/or a camera. During operation, the system monitors a state-of-charge of a battery used to power the electronic device. Next, the system calculates a charge threshold associated with a low-battery warning for the battery based on the monitored state-of-charge. If the state-of-charge of the battery reaches the charge threshold, the system generates the low-battery warning.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating the use of an electronic device, comprising:

monitoring a state-of-charge of a battery used to power the electronic device;

calculating a charge threshold associated with a low-battery warning for the battery based on the monitored state-of-charge by;

calculating an average charge consumption associated with the battery using the monitored state-of-charge; and

multiplying the average charge consumption by a trigger period associated with the low-battery warning; and

if the state-of-charge of the battery reaches the charge threshold, generating the low-battery warning.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the state-of-charge of the battery has not reached the charge threshold, recalculating the charge threshold based on the monitored state-of-charge.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the state-of-charge of the battery involves:

periodically measuring a voltage of the battery;

determining the state-of-charge of the battery based on the measured voltage; and

recording the state-of-charge and a timestamp associated with the measured voltage.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the average charge consumption associated with the battery using the monitored state-of-charge involves:

calculating a total charge consumption associated with a monitoring window of the monitored state-of-charge; and

dividing the total charge consumption by a monitoring period spanned by the monitoring window.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger period corresponds to a pre-specified period of time before the battery is fully depleted.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the low-battery warning involves:

displaying the low-battery warning to a user of the electronic device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is at least one of a keyboard, a mouse, a trackpad, a remote control, a mobile phone, a wireless phone, a toy, a portable media player, a game controller, and a camera.

8. A system for facilitating the use of an electronic device, comprising:

a monitoring apparatus configured to monitor a state-of-charge of a battery used to power the electronic device;

an analysis apparatus configured to calculate a charge threshold associated with a low-battery warning for the battery based on the monitored state-of-charge by;

calculating an average charge consumption associated with the battery using the monitored state-of-charge; and

multiplying the average charge consumption by a trigger period associated with the low-battery warning; and

a notification apparatus configured to generate the low-battery warning if the state-of-charge of the battery reaches the charge threshold.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein monitoring the state-of-charge of the battery involves:

periodically measuring a voltage of the battery;

determining the state-of-charge of the battery based on the measured voltage; and

recording the state-of-charge and a timestamp associated with the measured voltage.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein calculating the average charge consumption associated with the battery using the monitored state-of-charge involves:

calculating a total charge consumption associated with a monitoring window of the monitored state-of-charge; and

dividing the total charge consumption by a monitoring period spanned by the monitoring window.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the trigger period corresponds to a pre-specified period of time before the battery is fully depleted.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the analysis apparatus is associated with at least one of the electronic device and a different electronic device configured to communicate with the electronic device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the electronic device is at least one of a keyboard, a mouse, a trackpad, a remote control, a mobile phone, a wireless phone, a toy, a portable media player, a game controller, and a camera.

14. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for facilitating the use of an electronic device, the method comprising:

monitoring a state-of-charge of a battery used to power the electronic device;

calculating a charge threshold associated with a low-battery warning for the battery based on the monitored state-of-charge by;

calculating an average charge consumption associated with the battery using the monitored state-of-charge; and

multiplying the average charge consumption by a trigger period associated with the low-battery warning; and

if a state-of-charge of the battery reaches the charge threshold, generating the low-battery warning.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein monitoring the state-of-charge of the battery involves:

periodically measuring a voltage of the battery;

determining the state-of-charge of the battery based on the measured voltage; and

recording the state-of-charge and a timestamp associated with the measured voltage.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein calculating the average charge consumption associated with the battery using the monitored state-of-charge involves:

calculating a total charge consumption associated with a monitoring window of the monitored state-of-charge; and

dividing the total charge consumption by a monitoring period spanned by the monitoring window.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the trigger period corresponds to a pre-specified period of time before the battery is fully depleted.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein generating the low-battery warning involves:

displaying the low-battery warning to a user of the electronic device.

19. An electronic device, comprising:

a monitoring apparatus configured to monitor a state-of-charge of a battery used to power the electronic device; and

an analysis apparatus configured to calculate a charge threshold associated with a low-battery warning for the battery based on the monitored state-of-charge by calculating an average charge consumption associated with the battery using the monitored state-of-charge and multiplying the average charge consumption by a trigger period associated with the low-battery warning, wherein the low-battery warning is generated if the state-of-charge of the battery reaches the charge threshold.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the analysis apparatus is further configured to recalculate the charge threshold based on the monitored state-of-charge if the state-of-charge of the battery has not reached the charge threshold.

21. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein calculating the average charge consumption associated with the battery using the monitored state-of-charge involves:

calculating a total charge consumption associated with a monitoring window of the monitored state-of-charge; and

dividing the total charge consumption by a monitoring period spanned by the monitoring window.

22. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the trigger period corresponds to a pre-specified period of time before the battery is fully depleted.