Device and method for displaying charge capacity information of smart battery

• US 6,483,274 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2002
• Issued: 11/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Lee, Chang-Hum
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIBBITS, PIA FLORENCE
• Application Number:
  US10/057,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20020113575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 294 Days
• Field of Search: 320/132, 320/128, 320/107, 324/432
• US Class Current: 320/132
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]

Abstract

A device and a method for displaying an exact charge capacity of a smart battery includes a portable electric device including a control unit for power management. The portable electric device includes a battery for providing a relative state of charge (RSOC), a control unit for controlling the device to display battery residual capacity information by receiving the RSOC from the battery, and a display unit for displaying the battery residual capacity information. Here, the control unit detects an output voltage of the battery, compares the detected voltage with the RSOC, and controls the device to display the battery residual capacity information in response to data corresponding to the detected voltage, when the battery is in a period of a first low battery and the detected voltage is different from the RSOC, or controls the device to display the battery residual capacity information in response to the RSOC when the battery is in a period of a second low battery lower than the first low battery. Thus, the portable electric device can display the exact battery residual capacity information by correcting a period where an error is generated between the RSOC and the detected voltage.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a battery providing a power source to said portable electric device;

a display unit; and

a control unit controlling a display on said display unit of battery residual capacity information by receiving a relative state of charge from said battery, said control unit detecting an output voltage of said battery, comparing the detected voltage with the relative state of charge, and controlling said portable electronic device to display the battery residual capacity information in response to data corresponding to the output voltage when the battery is in a period of a first low battery and the detected voltage is different from the relative state of charge, said control unit controlling said portable electronic device to display the battery residual capacity information in response to the relative state of charge when the battery is in a period of a second low battery lower than the first low battery period.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, with the first low battery period being in a residual capacity state of 15% to 20% of a full charge capacity of said battery, and the second low battery period is in a residual capacity state of 3% to 10% of the full charge capacity of said battery.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1, with said control unit controlling said portable electronic device to store present data being processed, and to block the power source of said portable electronic device, when the second low battery period is detected.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1, with said control unit being formed of a microcontroller.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1, with said control unit comprising:

a function key for calling to display the battery residual capacity information;

a microcontroller receiving the relative state of charge from said battery;

a basic input/output system for controlling said portable electronic device to provide the relative state of charge to the microcontroller in response to the calling of said function key; and

a memory including an operating system program for displaying the battery residual capacity information in response to the relative state of charge and a control provided from said microcontroller.

6. A method for displaying battery residual capacity information of a portable electronic device having a battery, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a relative state of charge from said battery;

identifying whether said battery is in a period of a first low battery from the relative state of charge;

detecting a voltage of said battery when said battery is in the first low battery period;

comparing the detected voltage with the relative state of charge;

controlling said portable electronic device to display the battery residual capacity information by using data corresponding to the detected voltage, when the detected voltage is different from the relative state of charge;

identifying whether the battery is in a period of a second low battery lower than the first low battery from the relative state of charge; and

controlling said portable electronic device to display the battery residual capacity information by using the relative state of charge, when said battery is in the second low battery period.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of controlling said portable electronic device to store present data being processed by said portable electronic device, and to block a power source of said portable electronic device, when said battery is in the second low battery period.

8. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a battery providing a power source to said portable electric device; and

a control unit controlling an output of battery residual capacity information by receiving a relative state of charge from said battery, said control unit detecting an output voltage of said battery, comparing the detected voltage with the relative state of charge, and controlling said portable electronic device to output the battery residual capacity information in response to data corresponding to the output voltage when the battery is in a period of a first low battery and the detected voltage is different from the relative state of charge, said control unit controlling said portable electronic device to output the battery residual capacity information in response to the relative state of charge when the battery is in a period of a second low battery lower than the first low battery period.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 8, with said control unit controlling said portable electronic device to store present data being processed, and to block the power source of said portable electronic device, when the second low battery period is detected.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 8, with said control unit comprising:

a function key for calling to output the battery residual capacity information;

a microcontroller receiving the relative state of charge from said battery;

a basic input/output system for controlling said portable electronic device to provide the relative state of charge to the microcontroller in response to the calling of said function key; and

a memory including an operating system program for outputting the battery residual capacity information in response to the relative state of charge and a control provided from said microcontroller.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 8, with said control unit comprising:

a function key for calling to output the battery residual capacity information;

a microcontroller receiving the relative state of charge from said battery in response to the function key; and

a memory including an operating system program for outputting the battery residual capacity information in response to the relative state of charge and a control provided from said microcontroller.

12. A method, comprising the steps of:

receiving a relative state of charge from a battery powering an electric device;

identifying whether said battery is in a period of a first low battery from the relative state of charge;

detecting a voltage of said battery when said battery is in the first low battery period;

comparing the detected voltage with the relative state of charge;

controlling said electric device to output the battery residual capacity information by using data corresponding to the detected voltage, when the detected voltage is different from the relative state of charge;

identifying whether the battery is in a period of a second low battery lower than the first low battery from the relative state of charge; and

controlling said electric device to output the battery residual capacity information by using the relative state of charge, when said battery is in the second low battery period.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of controlling said electric device to store present data being processed by said electric device, and to block a power source of said electric device, when said battery is in the second low battery period.

14. A method, comprising the steps of:

receiving a relative state of charge from a battery powering an electric device;

detecting a battery voltage from said battery;

comparing the detected voltage with the relative state of charge;

identifying whether said battery is in a period of a first low battery from the relative state of charge or in a second low battery, the second low battery being lower than the first low battery;

outputting the battery residual capacity information by using data corresponding to the detected voltage, when the detected voltage is different from the relative state of charge and during the time from the detection of the battery voltage to the detection of a first low battery from the relative state of charge; and

outputting the battery residual capacity information by using the relative state of charge from the detection of the first low battery to the detection of a second low battery.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of controlling said portable electric device to display the battery residual information.