Battery charging metrics and representations

• US 9,218,108 B1
• Filed: 01/17/2013
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Parthasarathy, Rangaprabhu
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fortino, Ashley
• Application Number:
  US13/743,867
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 715/771
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3212 Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

This disclosure describes systems and methods related to determining and providing battery charging metrics for an electronic device. In one embodiment, one or more processors may determine the capacity of the battery of an electronic device and a first battery charge level. A charging rate associated with the battery charger may be determined. A battery charging time may be calculated based at least in part on the battery capacity, the charging rate, the first battery charging time, and a second battery charging time. A representation of a charging status associated with the battery may be generated.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining a capacity associated with a battery of an electronic device;

determining a first battery charge level based at least in part on the capacity associated with the battery and at least an estimate of a present amount of charge associated with the battery;

determining a first charging rate associated with a first battery charger connected to the electronic device;

calculating a battery charging time based at least in part on the battery capacity, the first charging rate, and the first battery charge level, wherein the battery charging time is an estimation of a duration of time to charge the battery from the first battery charge level to a second battery charge level, wherein the second battery charge level is at a level between the first battery charge level and the capacity associated with the battery, wherein the second battery charge level is determined using input received from a user of the electronic device;

receiving input requesting a representation of a charging status associated with the battery;

generating the representation of the charging status, the representation indicative at least of the battery charging time;

displaying the representation of the charging status;

generating a recommendation for a second battery charger based at least in part on the battery charging time, wherein the second battery charger is associated with a second charging rate that is faster than the first charging rate; and

presenting the recommendation to a user of the electronic device.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a notification in response to the battery reaching the second battery charge level, wherein the notification is one of;

i) a text message,

ii) an email message,

iii) a pop-up message,

iv) an audible alarm, or

v) or a vibration alarm.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a notification comprising one or more recommendations for increasing the first charging rate of the battery, wherein the one or more recommendations comprise instructions to a user to at least one of turn off Wi-Fi capabilities associated with the electronic device, terminate one or more applications executing on the electronic device, turn off the electronic device, or turn off cellular capabilities associated with the electronic device.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the representation of the charging status further comprises indications of at least the first battery charge level, the second battery charge level, and the battery charging time.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining the first charging rate associated with the battery charger further comprises determining a charging current associated with the battery charger.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

determining a location of the electronic device;

determining that the location of the electronic device is in a country different than an associated country of residence for the electronic device; and

generating a recommendation for a third battery charger based at least in part on compatibility with power sources in the country different than the associated country of residence.

6. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining, by one or more processors of an electronic device, a capacity associated with a battery of the electronic device;

determining, by the one or more processors, a first battery charge level based at least in part on the capacity associated with the battery and at least an estimate of a present amount of charge associated with the battery;

determining, by the one or more processors, a first charging rate associated with a first battery charger connected to the electronic device;

determining, by the one or more processors and based at least in part on the battery capacity, the first charging rate, and the first battery charge level, a battery charging time, wherein the battery charging time is an estimation of a duration of time to charge the battery from the first battery charge level to a second battery charge level, wherein the second battery charge level is at a level between the first battery charge level and the capacity associated with the battery, and wherein the second battery charge level is determined using input received from a user of the electronic device;

generating, by the one or more processors, a representation of a battery charging status indicative of at least the battery charging time, the first battery charge level, and the second battery charge level;

identifying, by the one or more processors, a second battery charger based at least in part on the battery charging time, wherein a second charging rate associated with the second battery charger is faster than the first charging rate associated with the first battery charger; and

generating, by the one or more processors, a notification, wherein the notification comprises a recommendation associated with the second battery charger.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the notification includes a hyperlink associated with a purchase option for the second battery charger.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the notification is one of:

i) a text message,

ii) an email message,

iii) a pop-up message, or

iv) a log screen advertisement.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the battery charging time is a first battery charging time, the method further comprising:

determining, by the one or more computer processors and based at least in part on the battery capacity, the second charging rate, and the first battery charge level, a second battery charging time associated with the second battery charger, wherein the second battery charging time is an estimation of a duration of time to charge the battery from the first battery charge level to the second battery charge level, wherein the second battery charging time is less than the first battery charging time, and wherein the notification further comprises an indication of the second battery charging time.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising causing, by the one or more processors, the representation of the battery charging status to be displayed.

11. An electronic device, comprising:

at least one memory storing computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to access the at least one memory and to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

determine a capacity associated with a battery of the electronic device and a first battery charge level;

determine a first charging rate associated with a first battery charger connected to the electronic device;

determine a battery charging time based at least in part on the capacity associated with the battery, the first battery charge level, and the first charging rate, wherein the battery charging time is an estimation of a duration of time to charge the electronic device to a second battery charge level, wherein the second battery charge level is at a level between the first battery charge level and the capacity associated with the battery, wherein the second battery charge level is determined using input received from a user of the electronic device;

generate a representation of a charging status of the battery, wherein the representation is indicative of at least the battery charging time;

generate a recommendation for a second battery charger based at least in part on the battery charging time, wherein the second battery charger is associated with a second charging rate that is faster than the first charging rate; and

present the recommendation to a user of the electronic device.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the representation of the charging status of the battery further comprises the first battery charge level, and the second battery charge level.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the representation of the charging status of the battery to be presented via the electronic device, wherein the representation of the charging status of the battery is presented in at least one of:

i) a text message,

ii) a pop-up message,

iii) an email message or

iv) a notification page.

14. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

retrieve information associated with one or more applications associated with the electronic device, wherein the information comprises power consumption data associated with the one or more applications; and

present the retrieved information in association with the representation of the charging status.

15. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the representation of the charging status of the battery is presented to a user in response to receiving an input from the user.

16. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to present a charging display in response to detecting the first battery charger connected to the electronic device.

17. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

generate a notification in response to the electronic device reaching the second battery charge level, wherein the notification is one of;

i) a text message,

ii) an email message,

iii) a pop-up message,

iv) an audible alarm, or

v) a vibration alarm.

18. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the battery charging time is a first battery charging time and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

determine, based at least in part on the battery capacity, the second charging rate, and the first battery charge level, a second battery charging time associated with the second battery charger, wherein the second battery charging time is an estimation of a duration of time to charge the battery from the first battery charge level to the second battery charge level, and wherein the second battery charging time is less than the first battery charging time, and

wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

generate the recommendation for the second battery charger further based at least in part on the second battery charging time being less than the first battery charging time; and

present the recommendation by generating and transmitting a notification comprising the recommendation and a hyperlink associated with a purchase option for the second battery charger.