Patent Application
20060226807
This invention relates generally to battery charging systems, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for maximizing battery charge.
A large percentage of cell phone users attach their phone to a charger before bed, and remove the phone from the charger in the morning. When attached to the charger, the battery is charged to full capacity, but over time the battery discharges to some degree and either no further charging occurs so that the battery is not fully charged, or charging resumes until the battery again reaches full capacity. This cycle may occur several times during the night. If the user happens to remove the phone from the charger just after a recharge cycle, the battery will likely be fully charged. On the other hand, if the user removes the phone just before a recharge cycle, the battery will not be fully charged, and may be as low as 80% charged. This problem is also apparent in other battery-operated devices.
Embodiments in accordance with the invention provide a method and apparatus for maximizing battery charge.
In a first embodiment of the present invention, a device comprises a charging system supplying a source voltage and a source current to one or more battery cells. The device operates according to a method including the steps of tracking when a user removes a charger from the charging system, determining a charging profile from the tracking step, and applying the charging profile to the charging system to maximize charging of the one or more battery cells.
In a second embodiment of the present invention, a device has a computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions for tracking when a user removes a charger from the charging system, determining a charging profile from the tracking step, and applying the charging profile to a charging system of the device to maximize charging of one or more battery cells coupled to the charging system.
In a third embodiment of the present invention, a device has a charging system for supplying a source voltage and a source current to one or more battery cells, and a processor for controlling functions of the charging system. The processor is programmed to track when a user removes a charger from the charging system, determine a charging profile from the track step, and apply the charging profile to a charging system of the device to maximize charging of one or more battery cells coupled to the charging system.
While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of embodiments of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the embodiments of the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward.
The charging system 102 includes, for example, a conventional regulation circuit (not shown) with conventional charge pumps if needed. The charging system 102 is coupled to the cells 104 for supplying an adjustable source voltage and source current for charging said cells 104. To enable charging of the battery cells 104, a conventional charger 103 is coupled to the charging system 102. Once the charger 103 is removed, charging of the battery cells 104 is no longer possible.
In a supplemental embodiment, the device 100 can include a conventional wireless transceiver 108 for exchanging messages with a communication system, a conventional display 110 for conveying interactive images to a user of the device 100, an audio system 112 for conveying audible signals to the user, and a conventional memory 114 for storage. This embodiment can represent, for instance, a cell phone operating according to the present invention.
The method 200 begins in step 202 by tracking removal(s) of the charger 103 from the charging system 102. Entry into step 202 can be performed in real-time by detection of a conventional software interrupt triggered by the removal of the charger 103. Alternatively, step 202 can be performed with conventional polling techniques. Upon detecting a removal, in step 204 a day of the week, and time of day is recorded. Alternatively, step 204 can track removals at an arbitrary time reference, which has no relation to a conventional calendar. Thus, a seven day period measured from a chosen reference can provide a time of day, or day of the week, inconsistent with a conventional calendar used in the area where the device 100 is being operated. All that is required by the present invention is for step 204 to track time consistently from a chosen point of reference. The reference can be conventional or arbitrary. For illustration purposes only, methods 200-300 track time according to a conventional calendar.
In step 206, a charging profile is determined from a detected pattern of removals for each day of the week. From each charging profile a restart time is established in step 208. The restart time can be derived from a running average of removals detected each day of the week, or by way of a more sophisticated algorithm involving statistical and probabilistic analysis of the removals tracked in step 202. In step 210 the battery capacity of the battery cells 104 is determined for each time of removal. From the cell capacity readings, a determination can be made for each day of the week as to how much more time would have been needed to charge the battery cells 104 prior to the premature removal. The additional charge times can be used to adjust the restart times of step 208 in step 212 so as to allow time for the one or more battery cells 104 to fully charge before an anticipated removal of the charger 103.
Where there are multiple users of the device 100, method 200 can be repeated for each user of the device 100. This repetition can be selectively chosen per user through, for example, a menu provided in a UI (User Interface) conveyed by the display 110. Accordingly, each user would have a charging profile for each day of the week and corresponding restart times as described in method 200. Method 200 can be further supplemented by providing a means to bypass an active charging profile when a user knows s/he isn't going to follow their normal routine and just wants the device 100 to be charged immediately.
Accordingly, for example, it may be that the charging profile of a particular user of the device 100 shows that the user removes the charger Monday through Friday (M-F) on average at 6 AM and on the weekend at 7:30 AM. Additionally, it may be that the capacity of the batteries 104 at time of removal is determined to be on average 85% from M-F and 95% on weekends. This in turn may lead to an adjusted restart time of 5 AM (one hour before average removal time M-F) and 7 AM (one-half hour before average removal time on weekends). The foregoing example can be applied to each user of the device 100 based on observed behavior per user. Note, each day of the week can have different results than the ones provided above, which were chosen for illustration purposes only. Additionally, less granularity than day-to-day restart times can be used without departing from the scope and spirit of the claims below.
Thus, if the capacity of the battery cells 104 at decision block 308 is determined to be above the restart voltage threshold, then a removal near the restart voltage can reduce the battery performance of the device 100. To avoid this, method 300 proceeds to steps 310-312 which apply the charging profile(s) of method 200. In these steps, the restart times measured in method 200 can be utilized to anticipate a removal and thereby prevent a below full capacity charge of the battery cells 104. Thus, if in step 310 the time of day is at or after the adjusted restart time of a particular day of the week, a decision block 312 returns the method to step 302 which engages the charging system 102 for recharging the battery cells 104. Otherwise, at decision block 312, steps 306-312 are repeated in whole or in part until such time it is appropriate to recharge the cells 104.
It should be evident to the reader that the present invention can be realized in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. Thus, the present invention can be embedded in a computer program product, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods described herein, and which when loaded in a computer system is able to carry out these methods as computer instructions. A computer program in the present context means any expression, in any language, code or notation, of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following: a) conversion to another language, code or notation; b) reproduction in a different material form.
It should be also evident that the present invention may be used in many arrangements. Thus, although the description is made for particular arrangements and methods, the intent and concept of the invention is suitable and applicable to other arrangements not described herein. For example, method 200 as described can adjusted to perform a single running average per week, or can perform more granular calculations per day, or can use statistical analysis for more accurate predictions. Any of these modifications to the flow charts of
Accordingly, the described embodiments ought to be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. It should also be understood that the claims are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents. Therefore, equivalent structures that read on the description are to be construed to be inclusive of the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. Thus, reference should be made to the following claims, rather than to the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope of the invention.
