Remote sensing of remaining battery capacity using on-battery circuitry

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10698032-B2
Application number	US-201816235704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2018
Priority date	Dec 27, 2012
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

A method of remote sensing a charge includes charging or discharging a first capacitor of a first RC circuit and a second capacitor of a second RC circuit to a predetermined threshold voltage using a power source. When each of the capacitors reach the predetermined threshold voltage, a response signal is provided from a communications module to a handheld computing device comprising a reader system. An amount of time between the response signals is determined. The amount of time is indicative of charge information.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method of remotely sensing a remaining battery capacity, the method comprising:
transmitting, to a remote charge indicator system operatively connected to a battery, an interrogation signal;
responsive to transmitting the interrogation signal:
receiving, from the remote charge indicator system, a first signal transmitted by the remote charge indicator system when a first capacitor charged by the battery reaches a predetermined threshold voltage;
receiving, from the remote charge indicator system, a second signal transmitted by the remote charge indicator system when a second capacitor charged by the battery reaches the predetermined threshold voltage;

determining, by one or more processors, a time period between when the first signal is received and when the second signal is received;
based on the time period, determining, by the one or more processors, a remaining battery capacity of the battery.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the first signal and the second signal comprises:
receiving, from the remote charge indicator system, a pulse having a duration corresponding to the time period;
wherein the first signal corresponds to a beginning of the pulse and the second signal corresponds to an end of the pulse.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying an indication of the remaining battery capacity.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the interrogation signal comprises:
automatically transmitting the interrogation signal based upon a periodic scanning setting.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the interrogation signal is carried out in response to sensing a presence of the remote charge indicator system.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the interrogation signal is carried out in response to receiving a user input via a user interface.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the interrogation signal comprises:
transmitting the interrogation signal to a plurality of remote charge indicator systems operatively connected to a plurality of respective batteries.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein receiving the first signal or the second signal comprises:
receiving, from each of the plurality of remote charge indicator systems, respective unique identification information.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining the remaining battery capacity of the battery comprises:
based on the respective unique identification information, determining, by the one or more processors, the remaining battery capacity for each respective battery.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining, by the one or more processors, a particular battery of the plurality of batteries having the lowest remaining battery capacity; and
displaying, by the one or more processors, an indication of the particular battery.

11. A non-transitory memory storing a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a handheld computing device to:
transmit, to a remote charge indicator system operatively connected to a battery, an interrogation signal;
responsive to transmitting the interrogation signal:
receive, from the remote charge indicator system, a first signal transmitted by the remote charge indicator system when a first capacitor charged by the battery reaches a predetermined threshold voltage;
receive, from the remote charge indicator system, a second signal transmitted by the remote charge indicator system when a second capacitor charged by the battery reaches the predetermined threshold voltage;

determine a time period between when the first signal and when the second signal is received;
based on the time period, determine a remaining battery capacity of the battery.

12. The non-transitory memory of claim 11 , wherein to receive the first signal and the second signal, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the handheld computing device to:
receive, from the remote charge indicator system, a pulse having a duration corresponding to the time period;
wherein the first signal corresponds to a beginning of the pulse and the second signal corresponds to an end of the pulse.

13. The non-transitory memory of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the handheld computing device to:
display an indication of the remaining battery capacity.

14. The non-transitory memory of claim 11 , wherein to transmit the interrogation signal, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the handheld computing device to:
automatically transmit the interrogation signal based upon a periodic scanning setting.

15. The non-transitory memory of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the handheld computing device to transmit the interrogation signal in response to sensing a presence of the remote charge indicator system.

16. The non-transitory memory of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the handheld computing device to transmit the interrogation signal in response to receiving a user input via a user interface.

17. The non-transitory memory of claim 11 , wherein to transmit the interrogation signal, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the handheld computing device to:
transmit the interrogation signal to a plurality of remote charge indicator systems operatively connected to a plurality of respective batteries.

18. The non-transitory memory of claim 17 , wherein to receive the first signal or the second signal, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the handheld computing device to:
receive, from each of the plurality of remote charge indicator systems, respective unique identification information.

19. The non-transitory memory of claim 18 , wherein to determine the remaining battery capacity of the battery, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the handheld computing device to:
based on the respective unique identification information, determine the remaining battery capacity for each respective battery.

20. The non-transitory memory of claim 19 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the handheld computing device to:
determine a particular battery of the plurality of batteries having the lowest remaining battery capacity; and
display an indication of the particular battery.

Assignees

• Duracell Us Operations Inc

Inventors

• Bourilkov Jordan Todorov
• Coronado Hortal Sergio
• Specht Steven Jeffrey

Classifications

• G01R31/371 Primary

  with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers · CPC title

• G01R31/3835

  involving only voltage measurements · CPC title

• G01R31/388

  involving voltage measurements · CPC title

• G01R31/382

  Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC · CPC title

• G01R31/385

  Arrangements for measuring battery or accumulator variables (for monitoring G01R31/382) · CPC title