Battery detection and user experience

• US 9,134,380 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Duncan, Richard Jennings, Luengen, Ross Nathaniel, Kirtane, Latika
• Primary Examiner(s): SUGLO, JANET L
• Application Number:
  US13/796,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20130231880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 702/63, 702/182, 702/183
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 storage devices storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computing device having a processor and a memory, cause the computing device to perform a method for determining a gross profile drain rate for a battery of the computing device, the method comprising:

at the processor of the computing device, determining a user activity at the computing device is described by a plurality of user activity profiles, wherein each of the plurality of user activity profiles is associated with a user activity profile drain rate, the user activity profile drain rate corresponding to a first rate at which power is drained from the battery of the computing device based on activities included in each of the plurality of user activity profiles;

determining a net drain rate associated with each of the plurality of user activity profiles by subtracting a system drain rate, which corresponds to a second rate at which charge is drained from the battery based on automatically-executed activity at the computing device, from the user activity profile drain rate for each of the plurality of user activity profiles;

determining a sum net profile drain rate by summing, across the plurality of user activity profiles, the net drain rate associated with each of the plurality of user activity profiles;

determining the gross profile drain rate by adding the system drain rate to the sum net profile drain rate, wherein the gross profile drain rate corresponds to a third rate at which charge is drained from the battery based on the user activity and the automatically-executed activity at the computing device;

storing the gross profile drain rate in the memory of the computing device;

determining an amount of time that the battery will provide power to the computing device based on an amount of remaining charge stored in the battery and on the gross profile drain rate; and

based on determining the amount of time that the battery will provide power to the computing device, deactivating a hardware component at the computing device in order to provide an increased amount of time over which the battery will provide power to the computing device, wherein the hardware component comprises at least one of a peripheral device, an external device, a presentation component, or a communication component.

2. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises determining the amount of remaining charge stored in the battery.

3. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of user activity profiles describes a unique user activity or a unique combination of user activities.

4. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 1, wherein determining the amount of time that the battery will provide power to the computing device comprises dividing the amount of remaining charge stored in the battery by the gross profile drain rate.

5. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises presenting an indication of the amount of time that the battery will provide power to the computing device.

6. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 1, wherein each user activity profile of the plurality of user activity profiles is associated with a unique power requirement.

7. A system for determining an amount of time for which a battery will provide power to a computing device, the system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more computer storage media storing computer-useable instructions that, when used by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

retrieve a profile for a plurality of potential activities that may be executed at the computing device, wherein the profile is associated with a drain rate corresponding to a rate at which charge is drained from the battery when the computing device executes the plurality of potential activities;

receive an indication of a plurality of current activities that are being executed at the computing device;

compare the plurality of current activities that are being executed at the computing device to the plurality of potential activities included in the profile;

based on the comparison, determine the profile describes the plurality of current activities that are being executed at the computing device;

based on the drain rate for the profile and on an amount of remaining charge for the battery, determine the amount of time for which the battery will provide power to the computing device; and

based on the determined amount of time for which the battery will provide power to the computing device, deactivate a hardware component at the computing device in order to provide an increased amount of time for which the battery will provide power to the computing device, wherein the hardware component comprises at least one of a peripheral device, an external device, a presentation component, or a communication component.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of potential activities includes an activity associated with one or more of an internal hardware component of the computing device, an external hardware component of the computing device, or a software application executed by the computing device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the activity comprises executing the software application at the computing device.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of current activities that are being executed at the computing device includes an activity associated with one or more of an internal hardware component of the computing device, an external hardware component of the computing device, or a software application executed by the computing device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the activity comprises executing the software application at the computing device.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are further caused to:

create the profile for the plurality of potential activities that may be executed at the computing device;

determine the drain rate associated with the profile; and

store the profile and the drain rate associated with the profile.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are further caused to present an indication of the amount of time for which the battery will provide power to the computing device.

14. One or more computer storage devices storing computer-useable instructions that, when used by a computing device having a processor and a memory, cause the computing device to perform a method for determining an amount of time for which a battery will provide power to the computing device, the method comprising:

retrieving a profile for a plurality of potential activities that may be executed at the computing device, wherein the profile is associated with a drain rate corresponding to a rate at which charge is drained from the battery when the computing device executes the plurality of potential activities;

receiving an indication of a plurality of current activities that are being executed at the computing device;

comparing the plurality of current activities that are being executed at the computing device to the plurality of potential activities included in the profile;

based on the comparison, determining the profile describes the plurality of current activities that are being executed at the computing device;

based on the drain rate for the profile and on an amount of remaining charge for the battery, determining the amount of time for which the battery will provide power to the computing device; and

based on the determined amount of time for which the battery will provide power to the computing device, deactivating at least one of a hardware component or a software application at the computing device in order to provide an increased amount of time for which the battery will provide power to the computing device.

15. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

creating the profile for the plurality of potential activities that may be executed at the computing device;

determining the drain rate associated with the profile; and

storing the profile and the drain rate associated with the profile.

16. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises determining the amount of remaining charge for the battery.

17. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 14, wherein determining the amount of time for which the battery will provide power to the computing device comprises dividing the amount of remaining charge for the battery by the drain rate for the profile.

18. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises presenting an indication of the amount of time for which the battery will provide power to the computing device.

19. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises presenting an indication of the amount of remaining charge for the battery.

20. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 14, wherein the drain rate associated with the profile is based on an individual drain rate associated with each potential activity of the plurality of potential activities included in the profile.