Method of self-tuning the voltage of a rechargeable battery of an electronic device and an electronic device operating according to such method

• US 9,913,049 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2016
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonova AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Sonova AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Hgberg, Jonas, Aazami, Sahba
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sharief, Mohammed J
• Application Number:
  US15/099,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20170303051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 320130, 320132, 320135, 320149, 324 7611, 324500
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/31 Aspects of the use of accumulators in hearing aids, e.g. rechargeable batteries or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/33 Aspects relating to adaptation of the battery voltage, e.g. its regulation, increase or decrease
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/30 Monitoring or testing of hearing aids, e.g. functioning, settings, battery power

Abstract

An exemplary method of compensating for a circuit offset error to a measure of a battery voltage of a rechargeable battery of an electronic device is described wherein the battery powers an electronic circuitry of the device and the electronic circuitry introduces the circuit offset error to the measure of the battery voltage. A corresponding electronic device is also described.

Claims

1. A method of compensating for a circuit offset error to a measure of a battery voltage of a rechargeable battery of a hearing aid, wherein the battery powers an electronic circuitry of the hearing aid, the electronic circuitry introducing the circuit offset error to the measure of the battery voltage, the method comprising:

assuming a nominal value for the battery voltage at full charge (V_BATT) and a correlated output function of the battery voltage at full charge (f(V_BATT));

iteratively measuring a supply voltage (VD_meas) to the device over a series of booting operations of the device, comprising for each booting operation the steps of;

turning on and booting the hearing aid;

measuring, with a voltage detection unit, a new value of the supply voltage (VD_meas) to the device, wherein

if the new measured value of supply voltage (VD_meas) to the device is larger than a maximum (Max-VD_meas) of values of the supply voltage measured in connection with previous booting operations, storing the new measured value of supply voltage (VD_meas) as new maximum value of the supply voltage (Max-VD_meas);

if the new measured value of supply voltage (VD_meas) to the device is smaller than the maximum (Max-VD_meas) of values of the supply voltage measured in connection with previous booting operations, keeping the maximum (Max-VD_meas) of values of the supply voltage measured in connection with previous booting operations stored for use in a next iteration; and

calculating the circuit offset error as the difference between;

the maximum value of the supply voltage (Max-VD_meas) over the series of booting operations; and

the output function of the battery voltage at full charge (f(V_BATT)); and

charging the battery to maximize charging cycle based on calculated circuit offset in order to enhance operation of the hearing aid device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a number (n) of charging cycles the hearing aid has undergone at a respective booting operation, after turning on and booting the hearing aid; and

assessing whether the number (n) exceeds a set minimum number of charging cycles (n*).

3. The method of claim 2, wherein

if the number (n) of charging cycles does not exceed the set minimum number of charging cycles (n*), the step of measuring a new value of supply voltage (VD_meas) to the device is further performed, wherein

if the new measured value of supply voltage (VD_meas) to the device is larger than the maximum (Max-VD_meas) of values of the supply voltage measured in connection with previous booting operations, the new measured value of supply voltage (VD_meas) is stored as new maximum value of the supply voltage (Max-VD_meas);

if the new measured value of supply voltage (VD_meas) to the device is smaller than the maximum (Max-VD_meas) of values of the supply voltage measured in connection with previous booting operations, the maximum (Max-VD_meas) of values of the supply voltage measured in connection with previous booting operations is kept stored for use in a next iteration;

whereas, if the number (n) of charging cycles exceeds the set minimum number of charging cycles (n*), a further iteration of measuring a new value of supply voltage (VD_meas) to the device is skipped and the circuit offset error is calculated as the difference between;

the maximum value of the supply voltage (Max-VD_meas) over the series of booting operations; and

the output function of the battery voltage at full charge (f(V_BATT)).

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the detection of, and the assessment on, the number (n) of the charging cycles is carried out at the end of the iterative measuring process of a supply voltage (VD_meas) to the device and before performing the calculation of the circuit offset error, such that

the iterative measuring of a supply voltage (VD_meas) to the device is always carried out, in connection with each booting operation;

and

only if the number (n) of charging cycles exceeds the set minimum number of charging cycles (n*), the iterative measuring process is stopped and the circuit offset error is calculated as the difference between;

the maximum value of the supply voltage (Max-VD_meas) over the series of booting operations; and

the output function of the battery voltage at full charge (f(V_BATT)).

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising maximizing a usage per charging cycle of the rechargeable battery by taking into account the calculated the circuit offset error.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting an initial value of the supply voltage, before any measuring thereof is executed, equal to a pre-set trial value and/or to zero.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising deriving a state of charge of the battery based on the nominal value for the battery voltage at full charge (V_BATT) and on the calculated circuit offset error.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the turning on and booting the hearing aid is carried out by an end user of the device.

9. A hearing aid, the hearing aid comprising:

a rechargeable battery that powers an electronic circuitry of the hearing aid, the electronic circuitry introducing a circuit offset error to a measure of a battery voltage of the rechargeable battery; and

a voltage tuning system configured to compensate for the circuit offset error to the measure of the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery by;

assuming a nominal value for the battery voltage at full charge (V_BATT) and a correlated output function of the battery voltage at full charge (f(V_BATT));

iteratively measuring a supply voltage (VD_meas) to the device over a series of booting operations of the device, comprising for each booting operation the steps of;

turning on and booting the hearing aid;

measuring a new value of the supply voltage (VD_meas) to the device, wherein

if the new measured value of supply voltage (VD_meas) to the device is larger than a maximum (Max-VD_meas) of values of the supply voltage measured in connection with previous booting operations, storing the new measured value of supply voltage (VD_meas) as new maximum value of the supply voltage (Max-VD_meas);

if the new measured value of supply voltage (VD_meas) to the device is smaller than the maximum (Max-VD_meas) of values of the supply voltage measured in connection with previous booting operations, keeping the maximum (Max-VD_meas) of values of the supply voltage measured in connection with previous booting operations stored for use in a next iteration; and

calculating the circuit offset error as the difference between;

the maximum value of the supply voltage (Max-VD_meas) over the series of booting operations; and

the output function of the battery voltage at full charge (f(V_BATT)), wherein the voltage tuning system uses the calculated circuit offset error for compensation for operating the hearing device, and wherein the voltage tuning system includes voltage detection unit to measure voltage; and

charging the battery to maximize charging cycle based on calculated circuit offset in order to enhance operation of the hearing aid device.

10. The hearing aid of claim 9, wherein the voltage detection unit is further configured to cooperate with an electronic processing unit of the device to calculate the circuit offset error.

11. The hearing aid of claim 9, further comprising a charging cycle detection means to detect a number of charging cycles undergone by the rechargeable battery.