Light activated power indicator

• US 9,235,044 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2014
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duracell U.S. Operations, Inc. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Gillette Company (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Specht, Steven Jeffrey, Bourilkov, Jordan Todorov
• Primary Examiner(s): WU, DANIEL J
• Application Number:
  US14/167,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20150212315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 340/815.4, 340/636.1, 340/636.13, 320/132, 320/DIG.18, 320/DIG.19, 200/61.02, 200/DIG.36, 429/93
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/005 based on electrowetting
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/15165 Polymers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/488 Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5044 Cells or batteries structurally combined with cell condition indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A light activated power indicator includes an indicator and a receptor circuit with a light sensitive device electrically connected to the indicator. The light activated power indicator further includes a first terminal electrically coupled to a first end of the receptor circuit and a second terminal electrically coupled to a second end of the receptor circuit wherein the indicator indicates a state of charge of an electrical storage device when the light sensitive device is exposed to one or more wavelengths lying within a response spectrum.

Claims

1. A light activated power indicator, comprising:

an indicator;

a receptor circuit comprising a light sensitive device electrically coupled to the indicator, the light sensitive device comprises electrical characteristics that change when the light sensitive device is exposed to one or more wavelengths lying within a response spectrum;

a first terminal electrically coupled to a first end of the receptor circuit;

a second terminal electrically coupled to a second end of the receptor circuit

wherein the first terminal and the second terminal are coupled to an electrical storage device and the indicator indicates a state of charge of the electrical storage device when the light sensitive device is exposed to the one or more wavelengths lying within the response spectrum;

wherein the receptor circuit further comprises a leakage resistor in parallel with the indicator, the light sensitive device is in series with the indicator, and wherein the light sensitive device is a high resistance photoresistor.

2. The light activated power indicator of claim 1, wherein the response spectrum comprises either one or more non-visible wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum or one or more visible wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum.

3. The light activated power indicator of claim 1, further comprising a substrate wherein the receptor circuit is coupled to a first side of the substrate and a second side of the substrate is coupled to the electrical storage device.

4. The light activated power indicator of claim 1, wherein the light sensitive device is printed on the indicator.

5. The light activated power indicator of claim 1, wherein the indicator includes at least one of the following:

an electrochromic display, a thermochromic display, an electro-wetting display, a structural color display, an electrophoretic display, and an electrostatic display.

6. The light activated power indicator of claim 1, wherein the receptor circuit further comprises an op-amp in an inverting amplifier configuration and the light sensitive device comprises a photodiode, the photodiode is part of a negative feedback loop of the op-amp.

7. The light activated power indicator of claim 1, wherein the receptor circuit further comprises a signal conditioner or a comparator circuit.

8. The light activated power indicator of claim 1, wherein the receptor circuit further comprises a display resistor that limits an amount of current to the indicator so that the indicator deactivates when the light sensitive device is not exposed to the one or more wavelengths of the response spectrum, and the display resistor is in series with the indicator.

9. The light activated power indicator of claim 1, wherein the receptor circuit further comprises a display resistor that limits an amount of current to the indicator so that the indicator deactivates when the light sensitive device is exposed to the response spectrum but an intensity of the response spectrum is not strong enough for the light sensitive device to change its electrical characteristics, and the display resistor is in series with the indicator.

10. The light activated power indicator of claim 1, wherein the electrical storage device is a battery, and the first terminal is electrically coupled to a first electrode of the battery and the second terminal is electrically coupled to a second electrode of the battery.

11. The light activated power indicator of claim 1, wherein the electrical storage device is a capacitor, and the first terminal is electrically coupled to a positive terminal of the capacitor and the second terminal is electrically coupled to a negative terminal of the capacitor.

12. A method of observing a state of charge of an electrical storage device, comprising:

powering a light activated power indicator from an electrical storage device;

deactivating the light activated power indicator when a light sensitive device is not exposed to one or more wavelengths lying within a response spectrum to reduce a power consumption of the light activated power indicator, the light activated power indicator comprises;

an indicator,

a receptor circuit comprises the light sensitive device electrically coupled to the indicator, the light sensitive device comprises electrical characteristics that change when the light sensitive device is exposed to the one or more wavelengths lying within the response spectrum; and

a leakage resistor in parallel with the indicator, the light sensitive device is in series with the indicator, and wherein the light sensitive device is a high resistance photoresistor wherein the leakage resistor prevents a low leakage current through the light sensitive device to activate the indicator;

responding to exposure to the one or more wavelengths lying within the response spectrum by changing the electrical characteristics of the light sensitive device;

determining a state of charge of the electrical storage device through an electrical potential provided across the indicator; and

indicating the state of charge of the electrical storage device on the indicator.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the response spectrum comprises either one or more non-visible wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum or one or more visible wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the receptor circuit further comprises a display resistor and the method further comprises limiting an amount of current to pass through the indicator using the display resistor so that the indicator deactivates when the indicator is not exposed to the response spectrum.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the receptor circuit further comprises a display resistor and the method further comprises limiting an amount of current to the indicator so that the indicator deactivates when the response spectrum is present but not strong enough to activate the light sensitive device.

16. A light activated power indicator that operates in a presence of visible light to indicate a state of charge of a battery, comprising:

an indicator;

a receptor circuit comprising;

a leakage resistor electrically coupled to the indicator,

a display resistor electrically coupled to the indicator, and

a light sensitive device electrically coupled to the indicator, the light sensitive device comprises electrical characteristics that change when the light sensitive device is exposed to one or more wavelengths lying within a response spectrum;

a battery comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, the first electrode is electrically coupled to a first end of the receptor circuit and the second electrode electrically coupled to a second end of the receptor circuit;

wherein the indicator indicates a state of charge of the battery when the light sensitive device is exposed to the one or more wavelengths lying within the response spectrum.