BATTERY DETECTION AND USER EXPERIENCE

• US 20130231880A1
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: DUNCAN, RICHARD JENNINGS, KIRTANE, LATIKA, LUENGEN, ROSS NATHANIEL
• Granted Patent: US 9,134,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/36 Arrangements for testing, measuring or monitoring the electrical condition of accumulators or electric batteries, e.g. capacity or state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3646 for indicating electrical conditions or variables, e.g. visual or audible indicators
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3647 for determining the ability of a battery to perform a critical function, e.g. cranking
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable storage media are provided for enabling a reliable indication of the amount of time a battery will provide sufficient charge to power a computing device. One or more profiles of user activity on a computing device are created. A drain rate for each profile of user activity is determined and stored. An analysis of the user activities being engaged in on the computing device is conducted, and a profile of user activity is determined to describe the user activities. An amount of remaining charge stored in the battery is determined, and the period of time that the battery will provide sufficient charge to the computing device is determined based on the amount of remaining charge and on the drain rate at which charge is drained from the battery for the determined profile of user activity.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable storage media storing computer-useable instructions that, when used by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform a method for determining a period of time that a battery will provide sufficient charge to power a computing device, the method comprising:

creating a profile for one or more types of user activity on the computing device;

determining a drain rate for the profile, wherein the drain rate is a rate at which charge is drained from the battery;

storing the drain rate for the profile;

determining an amount of remaining charge stored in the battery;

analyzing one or more types of user activity being engaged in by the user of the computing device;

determining that the profile describes one or more types of user activity being engaged in by the user of the computing device; and

determining the period of time that the battery will provide sufficient power to the computing device based on the amount of remaining charge and on the drain rate at which charge is drained from the battery for the determined profile.

2. The computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the profile comprises information related to internal and external hardware components of the computing device or software processes employed on the computing device.

3. The computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein determining the period of time that the battery will provide sufficient power to the computing device further comprises dividing the amount of remaining charge by the drain rate at which charge is drained from the battery for the determined profile, thereby resulting in the period of time that the battery will provide sufficient power to the computing device.

4. The computer-readable storage media of claim 1, further comprising presenting on the computing device a remaining battery life notification that indicates the period of time that the battery will provide sufficient power to the computing device.

5. The computer-readable storage media of claim 1, further comprising presenting on the computing device a remaining battery life notification that indicates a level of charge remaining in the battery.

6. The computer-readable storage media of claim 5, wherein the remaining battery life notification comprises a graphical representation of the level of charge remaining in the battery.

7. The computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein determining that the profile describes the one or more types of user activity being engaged in by the user of the computing device further comprises determining that a single user activity is being engaged in by the user of the computing device.

8. The computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein determining that the profile describes the one or more types of user activity being engaged in by the user of the computing device further comprises determining that a plurality of user activities are simultaneously being engaged in by the user of the computing device.

9. The computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the drain rate at which charge is drained from the battery is changed from a first drain rate to a second drain rate.

10. The computer-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein changing the drain rate from a first drain rate to a second drain rate comprises deactivating at least one component or software process being employed on the computing device.

11. The computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein a drain rate for the profile is based on a drain rate associated with each of the one or more types of user activity described by the profile.

12. One or more computer-readable storage media storing computer-useable instructions that, when used by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform a method for determining a period of time that a battery will provide sufficient charge to a computing device, the method comprising:

creating a system profile that comprises one or more types of activity automatically executed on a computing device;

determining a drain rate for the system profile, wherein the drain rate is a rate at which charge is drained from the battery;

storing the determined drain rate for the system profile;

determining that the system profile comprises one or more types of activity being automatically executed on the computing device;

determining an amount of remaining charge stored in the battery; and

determining a period of time that the battery will provide sufficient power to the computing device based on the amount of remaining charge and on the drain rate for the system profile.

13. The computer-readable storage media of claim 12, wherein determining the period of time that the battery will provide sufficient power to the computing device further comprises dividing the amount of remaining charge by the drain for the system profile, thereby resulting in the period of time that the battery will provide sufficient power to the computing device.

14. A computerized method for storing a gross profile drain rate for a battery of a computing device based on types of user activity simultaneously being executed on the computing device, wherein the method comprises:

creating a system profile for one or more types of activity automatically executed by the computing device;

determining a drain rate for the system profile, wherein the drain rate for the system profile is a rate at which charge is drained from the battery based on the one or more types of automatically executed activities;

storing the determined drain rate for the system profile;

creating one or more profiles of user activity for one or more types of user activity executed on the computing device;

determining a drain rate for each of the one or more profiles of user activity, wherein the drain rate for the each of the one or more profiles of user activity is a rate at which power is drained from the battery based on the one or more types of user activity;

storing the determined drain rate for the each of the one or more profiles of user activity;

determining that user activity being engaged in by the user of the computing device is described by more than one user profile of the one or more profiles of user activity; and

when the user activity being engaged in by the user of the computing device is described by the more than one user profile, determining a gross profile drain rate, wherein determining a gross profile drain rate comprises;

(1) for each of the one or more profiles of user activity that describe a portion of the user activity being engaged in by the user, subtracting the drain rate for the system profile from a drain rate for the each of the one or more profiles of user activity that describe a portion of the user activity being engaged in by the user, resulting in a net drain rate for the each of the one or more profiles of user activity being engaged in by the user,

(2) summing each of the net drain rates for the each of the one or more profiles of user activity being engaged in by the user, thereby generating a sum net profile drain rate,

(3) adding the drain rate for the system profile to the sum net profile drain rate, resulting in a gross profile drain rate at which charge is drained from the battery for the types of user activity being engaged in by the user, and

(4) storing said gross profile drain rate in a memory component.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining an amount of remaining charge stored in the battery.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining the period of time that the battery will provide sufficient power to the computing device based on the amount of remaining charge stored in the battery and on the gross profile drain rate at which charge is drained from the battery.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the determining the period of time that the battery will provide sufficient power to the computing device based on the remaining charge and on the gross profile drain rate at which charge is drained from the battery further comprises dividing the amount of remaining charge stored in the battery by the gross profile drain rate.

18. The method of claim 16, presenting on the computing device a remaining battery life notification that indicates the period of time that the battery will provide sufficient power to the computing device.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the one or more profiles of user activity is associated with a different processing or power requirement.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the one or more profiles of user activity describes a unique user activity or a unique combination of user activities.