Battery charge reservation for emergency communications

• US 9,565,639 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2013
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ray, Amar Nath, Coppage, Carl M., Greene, Lynne T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sams, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US13/943,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20130301505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0296 switching to a backup power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless communications device and method for establishing a voltage threshold at which to turn off electronics of a wireless communications device includes determining a power threshold level at which a device is to be shut off when a battery of the device reaches or drops below the power threshold level. The determined power threshold level may be offset. The amount of power remaining for the battery in the communications device may be measured. The communication device may be shut off based on the offset power threshold level so as to preserve enough power for an emergency message to be generated and sent in the case of an emergency.

Claims

1. A wireless communications device comprising:

an electronics system configured to provide communications over a communications network;

a primary battery configured to power the electronics system during a power-on mode; and

a secondary battery configured to power the electronics system, in response to an emergency signal being received while said electronics are in a power-off mode;

wherein the electronics system;

uses historical information, about an amount of time a previous battery charge lasted, to determine an estimated amount of time for the primary battery to remain charged;

establishes a voltage threshold of the primary battery, based on the historical information, to ensure that the wireless communications device, at the voltage threshold, has sufficient power for an emergency communication;

establishes an offset power threshold that is a multiplier of the voltage threshold, the multiplier being greater than 1; and

displays, on a display, a battery power meter that indicates both the voltage threshold and the offset power threshold.

2. The wireless communications device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a hard-key configured to generate the emergency signal in response to a user activation.

3. The wireless communications device according to claim 2, wherein said hard-key is powered by said secondary battery.

4. The wireless communications device according to claim 2, wherein said hard-key has a light source that illuminates the hard-key with less light than other hard-keys.

5. The wireless communications device according to claim 2, wherein the emergency signal is identified by pulses generated in response to a user pressing said hard-key in a predefined sequence.

6. The wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said secondary battery is limited to powering said electronics to only when the emergency signal is received while said electronics are in the power-off mode.

7. The wireless communications device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an electronic display, said secondary battery configured to maintain power to a portion of the electronic display while at least a portion of said electronics are in the power-off mode.

8. A method, comprising:

using historical information, about an amount of time a previous battery charge lasted, to determine an estimated amount of time for a primary battery of a wireless communications device to remain charged;

determining an amount of power used by the wireless communications device to perform a powered-down emergency communication;

establishing, based on the historical information, a voltage threshold level of a battery of the wireless communications device that, when measured, causes electronics of the wireless device to turn off so as to ensure that the wireless communications device has sufficient power to perform at least one powered-down emergency communication if activated by a user; and

setting a turn-off voltage threshold parameter in the wireless communications device based on an offset power threshold level, the offset power threshold level based on a multiplier of the voltage threshold level, the multiplier being greater than 1, the turn-off voltage parameter causing the wireless communications device to turn off at a certain battery voltage level to ensure sufficient battery power remains to perform at least one powered-down emergency communication; and

displaying on a battery power meter, both the voltage threshold level and the offset power threshold level.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising storing an offset value in a memory location of the communications device.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising providing a user a selectable option to turn on and off offsetting of the power threshold level.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising in response to receiving an emergency message request, while the wireless communications device is powered-down, utilizing at least a portion of the remaining power in the battery to communicate the emergency message.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising in response to a user attempting to turn on the wireless communications device, after being powered-down, displaying a message notifying the user that emergency message capabilities will be reduced or lost if power-up continues and enables the user to select whether to continue with-power-up.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein communicating the emergency message includes communicating a text message.

14. A method for establishing a power threshold at which to turn off electronics of a wireless communications device, said method comprising:

using historical information, about an amount of time a previous battery charge lasted, to determine an estimated amount of time for a battery of the device to remain charged

determining a power threshold level, based on the historical information, at which a device is to be shut off when the battery of the device reaches or drops below the power threshold level;

establishing an offset power threshold that is a multiplier of the determined power threshold level, the multiplier being greater than 1;

displaying, on a battery power meter, both the power threshold level and the offset power threshold level;

measuring the amount of power remaining for the battery in the communications device; and

shutting off the communication device based on the offset power threshold level.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising storing an offset value in a memory location of the communications device.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the battery comprises a primary battery configured to power the electronics system during a power-on mode and a secondary battery configured to power the electronics system, in response to an emergency signal being received while said electronics are in a power-off mode.

17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising providing a user a selectable option to turn on and off offsetting of the power threshold level.

18. The method according to claim 14, further comprising, in response to receiving an emergency message request, while the wireless communications device is powered-down, utilizing at least a portion of the remaining power in the battery to communicate an emergency message.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising in response to a user attempting to turn on the wireless communications device, after being powered-down, displaying a message notifying the user that emergency message capabilities will be reduced or lost if power-up continues and enables the user to select whether to continue with power-up.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein communicating the emergency message includes communicating a text message.