Multi-cell battery architecture for outdoor mounted computing devices

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a multi-battery cell architecture for an outdoor-mounted computing device. An example outdoor-mounted device includes: a first battery configured to operate in a low temperature range including at least minus 20 degrees Celsius; a second battery configured to operate in a high temperature range; a temperature sensor; and a processing circuit configured to: determine a current temperature based on data received from the temperature sensor; in response to determining that the current temperature is within the low temperature range, cause one or more components of the computing device to operate using power from the first battery; and in response to determining that the current temperature is within the high temperature range, cause one or more components of the computing device to operate using power from the second battery.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a multi-battery cell architecture for outdoor mounted computing devices. Background Art

[0002] Some electronic devices, such as cameras, doorbells, and speakers, may be configured to be mounted (e.g., to a building or other object). When mounted outdoors, such electronic devices may be exposed to outdoor conditions including uncontrolled temperatures. Outdoor mounted electronic devices may operate using power received from a wired power source or power received from a battery. Summary of the invention

[0003] In general, aspects of the present disclosure relate to outdoor-mountable computing devices that include at least two batteries. Outdoor-mounted computing devices may be subject to a wide range of temperatures that may affect battery performance. For example, an outdoor-mounted computing device in Minnesota may be subject to temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius to as high as 46 degrees Celsius. Although an outdoor-mounted computing device may be able to operate within such a temperature range, where the device operates using battery power, a single battery may not be able to provide sufficient power within such a temperature range.

[0004] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, an outdoor installable computing device may include at least two batteries having different temperature operating ranges. For example, a first battery may be configured to operate in a low temperature range, while a second battery may be configured to operate in a high temperature range. In operation, when the outdoor installable computing device is subjected to a temperature within the low temperature range, the outdoor installable computing device may draw power from the first battery. Similarly, when the outdoor installable computing device is subjected to a temperature within the high temperature range, the outdoor installable computing device may draw power from the second battery. In this way, the temperature operating range of the outdoor installable computing device may be increased.

[0005] In one example, a computing device configured to be installed outdoors includes a computing device configured to be installed outdoors, the computing device including: a first battery, the first battery configured to operate in a low temperature range including at least negative 20 degrees Celsius; a second battery, the second battery configured to operate in a high temperature range, wherein an upper limit of the high temperature range is greater than an upper limit of the low temperature range, and wherein a lower limit of the low temperature range is less than the lower limit of the high temperature range; a temperature sensor; and a processing circuit, the processing circuit being configured to: determine a current temperature based on data received from the temperature sensor; in response to determining that the current temperature is within the low temperature range, cause one or more components of the computing device to operate using electrical energy derived from the first battery; and in response to determining that the current temperature is within the high temperature range, cause one or more components of the computing device to operate using electrical energy derived from the second battery.

[0006] In another example, a method includes: determining a current temperature of an outdoor installation device; in response to determining that the current temperature is within a low temperature range, using power from a first battery of the outdoor installation device to operate one or more components of the outdoor installation device, wherein the first battery is configured to operate in the low temperature range, wherein the low temperature range includes at least negative 20 degrees Celsius; and in response to determining that the current temperature is within a high temperature range, using power from a second battery of the outdoor installation device to operate one or more components, wherein the second battery is configured to operate in a high temperature range, wherein an upper limit of the high temperature range is greater than an upper limit of the low temperature range, and wherein a lower limit of the low temperature range is less than a lower limit of the high temperature range.

[0007] In another example, an outdoor installable device includes: a first battery, the first battery being configured to operate in a low temperature range including at least negative 20 degrees Celsius; a second battery, the second battery being configured to operate in a high temperature range, wherein an upper limit of the high temperature range is greater than an upper limit of the low temperature range, and wherein a lower limit of the low temperature range is less than the lower limit of the high temperature range; and a device for determining a current temperature of the outdoor installable device; a device for operating one or more components of the outdoor installation device using electrical energy derived from the first battery in response to determining that the current temperature is within the low temperature range; and a device for operating one or more components using electrical energy derived from the second battery of the outdoor installation device in response to determining that the current temperature is within the high temperature range.

[0008] Additional features, advantages, and embodiments of the disclosed subject matter may be set forth or apparent by consideration of the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Furthermore, it is to be understood that both the foregoing summary and the following detailed description are illustrative and are intended to provide further explanation without limiting the scope of the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating an outdoor-mountable computing device 100 including a battery having different operating temperature ranges according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating example components of a power supply for an outdoor-mountable computing device including multiple batteries having different operating temperature ranges according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 3A and 3B is a graph illustrating a temperature range of a low temperature battery according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 4A and 4B is a graph illustrating a temperature range of a high temperature battery according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating example operations of an outdoor-mountable device including multiple batteries having different temperature operating ranges, in accordance with one or more techniques of this disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating an outdoor-mountable computing device 100 including a battery having different operating temperature ranges in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure. Examples of outdoor-mountable computing devices 100 ("devices 100") include, but are not limited to, cameras, doorbells, doorbells with integrated cameras, locks, speakers, alarm system components (e.g., motion sensors), and the like. A device may be considered "outdoor-mountable" where the device includes components, such as mounting hardware (e.g., screw holes, keyhole fittings, etc.), that are designed to enable the device to be physically attached to a building and to operate in various temperature ranges. Figure 1 As shown, device 100 may include processing circuitry 102 , temperature sensor 104 , power supply 106 , and load assembly 110 .

[0015] Processing circuit 102 may include one or more of the following: a microprocessor, a controller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or equivalent discrete or integrated logic circuits. The functions attributed to processing circuit 102 in the present disclosure may be embodied as software, firmware, hardware, and combinations thereof. Although Figure 1 The example device 100 is illustrated as including one processing circuit 102, but other example computing devices according to the present disclosure may include multiple processors (or multiple so-called "cores", which is another way of referring to processors when packaged together) configured to perform, alone or in different collaborative combinations, one or more functions attributed to the processing circuit 102 of the device 100.

[0016] The temperature sensor 104 may be configured to output a signal representing a temperature. Examples of the temperature sensor 104 include, but are not limited to, a physical temperature sensor (e.g., a thermistor, a thermocouple, a resistance thermometer, a silicon bandgap temperature sensor, etc.) and a virtual temperature sensor (e.g., a component configured to receive a temperature from an external device such as a weather service). The temperature measured by the temperature sensor 104 may be the ambient temperature of the environment in which the device 100 is located, or may be the temperature of one or more components of the device 100 (e.g., the temperature of the battery 108A and / or the temperature of the battery 108B). The temperature sensor 104 may output a signal representing the temperature to one or more other components of the device 100, such as the processing circuit 102.

[0017] Power supply 106 may be capable of supplying power to various components of outdoor device 100. Examples of power supply 106 include, but are not limited to, an onboard power source (e.g., a battery, a solar panel, etc.) and an external power source (e.g., a power outlet configured to receive power from an external device, such as via a transformer via a power grid).

[0018] The load components 110 may be configured to operate using electrical energy provided by the power supply 106. The load components 110 may include, but are not necessarily limited to, cameras, physical buttons, lights, motion sensors, optical sensors, proximity sensors, etc. Each load component 110 may be controllable. For example, the processing circuit 102 may selectively activate (e.g., turn on) or deactivate (e.g., turn off) each load component 110.

[0019] Processing circuitry 102 may control the operation of load assembly 108 to perform various functions. As one example, processing circuitry 102 may control the operation of a camera of load assembly 108 to perform a monitoring function. For example, processing circuitry 102 may control the camera to capture an image and may output a representation of the captured image to an external device (e.g., via a wired or wireless network connection). As another example, processing circuitry 102 may control the operation of a physical button to perform a chime function. For example, in response to receiving user input via the physical button, processing circuitry 102 may trigger a notification at an external device (e.g., via a wired or wireless network connection).

[0020] As a computing device installed outdoors, device 100 can be subjected to a wide range of temperatures. For example, device 100 can be subjected to temperatures as low as minus 40 degC (e.g., degrees Celsius) to temperatures as high as 80 degC. It may be desirable for device 100 to be able to operate over as much of this temperature range as possible. However, where device 100 operates using battery power (i.e., where power supply 106 includes one or more batteries), a single battery may not be able to provide sufficient power over most of such a temperature range. For example, a single lithium ion (Li-ion) battery may only have an operating (discharge) temperature of minus 20 degC to 60 degC and a Japan Electronics and Information Technology (JEITA) charging curve graph within 0 degC to 60 degC.

[0021] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the power supply 106 of the device 100 may include at least two batteries having different temperature operating ranges. Figure 1As shown, power supply 106 may include battery 108A and battery 108B (collectively referred to as "battery 108"). Battery 108A may be configured to operate in a low temperature range, while battery 108B may be configured to operate in a high temperature range. The lower limit of the low temperature range may be less than the lower limit of the high temperature range. Similarly, the upper limit of the high temperature range may be greater than the upper limit of the low temperature range.

[0022] The low temperature range may include / comprise temperatures below which conventional computing devices (and their batteries) are designed to operate (e.g., laptops are designed to operate above 10 degC and have no reason to operate at lower temperatures because the user's hands are too cold to type or have gloves that ineffectively type). As an example, the low temperature range may include at least minus 20 degC to 0 degC. As another example, the low temperature range may include at least minus 40 degC to 15 degC. As another example, the low temperature range may include at least minus 40 degC to minus 20 degC.

[0023] The high temperature range may include / contain temperatures above which conventional lithium-ion batteries may not be designed to operate. As an example, the high temperature range may include at least 40 degC to 70 degC. As another example, the high temperature range may include at least 45 degC to 80 degC. As another example, the high temperature range may include at least 60 degC to 80 degC.

[0024] In operation, processing circuit 102 may select which battery 108 to draw power from (e.g., for operation of processing circuit 102 and / or one or more load components 110). For example, in response to determining that the current temperature (e.g., of battery 108) is within the low temperature range, processing circuit 102 may cause one or more of load components 110 to draw power from battery 108A (i.e., the “low temperature” battery). Similarly, in response to determining that the current temperature (e.g., of battery 108) is within the high temperature range, processing circuit 102 may cause one or more of load components 110 to draw power from battery 108B (i.e., the “high temperature” battery). Because the lower limit of the low temperature range may be less than the lower limit of the high temperature range and the upper limit of the high temperature range may be greater than the upper limit of the low temperature range, including battery 108A and battery 108B may increase the temperature operating range of device 100.

[0025] In some examples, the low temperature range and the high temperature range may partially overlap. For example, the upper limit of the low temperature range may be greater than the lower limit of the high temperature range. The temperature range in which the low temperature range overlaps the high temperature range may be referred to as an intermediate temperature range. The lower limit of the intermediate temperature range may be the lower limit of the high temperature range, and the upper limit of the intermediate temperature range may be the upper limit of the low temperature range. As an example, the intermediate temperature range includes at least 15degC to 40degC. In such an example, in response to determining that the current temperature (e.g., of the battery 108) is within the intermediate temperature range, the processing circuit 102 may cause one or more load components in the load component 110 to draw power from both the battery 108A and the battery 108B. In this way, the device 100 may be able to operate at abnormal temperatures (e.g., low temperature range and high temperature range) while having an extended battery life when operating at normal temperatures.

[0026] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating example components of a power supply for an outdoor-mountable computing device including multiple batteries having different operating temperature ranges according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 2 The outdoor mountable computing device 200 ("device 200") may be considered to be Figure 1 An example of a device 100. For example, Figure 2 The power supply 206 of the device 200 may be Figure 1 An example of a power supply 106 for a device 100 is shown. Figure 2 As shown, the power supply 206 may include power management integrated circuits (PMICs) 212A and 212B (collectively referred to as “PMIC 212”), batteries 208A and 208B (collectively referred to as “batteries 208”), discharge controllers 214A and 214B (collectively referred to as “discharge controllers 214”), power switches 216A and 216B (collectively referred to as “power switches 216”), input 218, and output 220.

[0027] Input 218 may represent any source of electrical energy other than battery 208. Examples of input 218 include, but are not necessarily limited to, a solar panel, a wired external power source (e.g., a wired power signal received via a wire or cable connected to device 200). In some examples, such as where device 200 is entirely battery operated, power may not be received via input 218 and / or input 218 may be omitted. Even when electrical energy is received via input 218, the peak current used by device 200 may exceed the peak current available via input 218. Thus, power from one or both of batteries 208 may be used to supplement power received via input 218 during high peak current operation. Similarly, power received via input 218 may be used to charge battery 208 outside of high peak current operation.

[0028] The PMIC 212 may perform one or more operations to manage the operation of the battery 208. Examples of operations that may be performed by the PMIC 212 include, but are not limited to, battery management, voltage regulation (e.g., DC to DC conversion), and charging (e.g., using power received via input 218). In some examples, the PMIC 212 may be configured to determine the state of charge of its respective battery. For example, the PMIC 212A may determine the state of charge of the battery 208A, while the PMIC 212B may determine the state of charge of the battery 208B. The term state of charge may be a value representing a ratio of a remaining capacity of a battery to a rated capacity of the battery. For example, in a case where the remaining capacity of the battery is 3000 milliampere hours (mAh) and the rated capacity of the battery is 5000 mAh, the state of charge of the battery may be 60%.

[0029] The PMIC 212 may operate a representation of the determined state of charge to an external device. For example, the PMIC 212 may output a first value representing the state of charge of the battery 208A and a second value representing the state of charge of the battery 208B via a wireless connection (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, etc.). The external device (e.g., a mobile computing device) may present these values ​​to a user who may take various actions. For example, in the event that the state of charge of the battery 208A indicates that the battery 208A is almost depleted, the user may replace the battery 208A with another low-temperature battery having a greater state of charge, or may remove the battery 208A for charging, and then return the battery 208A to the device 200.

[0030] Although illustrated as discrete components, in some examples, the PMIC 212 can be a single component. For example, the single PMIC can be a multi-channel PMIC that manages all of the batteries 208.

[0031] The battery 208 may be configured to store electrical energy for subsequent use. The battery 208 may be any type of primary cell (e.g., non-rechargeable) or secondary cell (e.g., rechargeable). Examples of secondary cells that may be used as the battery 208 include, but are not limited to, lithium ion, nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride, lead acid, or lithium ion polymer.

[0032] As described above, according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the battery 208 may be selected to have different temperature operating ranges. For example, the battery 208A may be configured to operate in a low temperature range and may be referred to as a low temperature battery, while the battery 208B may be configured to operate in a high temperature range and may be referred to as a high temperature battery.

[0033] The battery can be configured to operate at a specific temperature range by adjusting the chemical properties or other physical properties of the battery (e.g., electrolyte). As an example, battery 208B (e.g., high temperature battery) may include an electrolyte composed of a high boiling point solvent (such as propylene carbonate) or an equivalent ion conductive electrolyte variant (such as a semi-solid, non-flammable / gel, injected filler or mixture and combination thereof). In this way, battery 208B can operate at high temperatures (e.g., 60degC to 80degC) while being inherently safe because materials and buildings can prevent thermal runaway. As another example, battery 208A (e.g., low temperature battery) may include an electrolyte composed of a low boiling point solvent such as dimethyl carbonate and a stabilizing additive such as ethylene fluoride or a variant including a mixture and a combination thereof. In this way, battery 208A can operate at low temperatures (e.g., 0degC to minus 40degC) without experiencing performance degradation.

[0034] As discussed in further detail below, in addition to having different operating temperature ranges, the batteries 208 may have different charging temperature ranges. For example, the battery 208A may be capable of charging at a lower temperature than the battery 208B. Similarly, the battery 208B may be capable of charging at a higher temperature than the battery 208A. The operating temperature range of the battery may be the same as or different from the charging temperature range of the battery. For example, the battery 208A may be capable of operating at a lower temperature than the temperature at which the battery 208A can be charged at a 1C rate.

[0035] The discharge controller 214 is connected in series with the power switch 216 and can control which of the batteries 208 supplies power to the output 220. For example, in the event that the device 200 determines to draw power from the battery 208A (e.g., in response to determining that the temperature is within the operating range of the battery 208A), the discharge controller 214A can output a signal to close the switch 216A, thereby creating a current path from the battery 208A to the output 220. Similarly, in the event that the device 200 determines to draw power from the battery 208B (e.g., in response to determining that the temperature is within the operating range of the battery 208B), the discharge controller 214B can output a signal to close the switch 216B, thereby creating a current path from the battery 208B to the output 220. Additionally or alternatively, in the event that device 200 determines to draw power from both battery 208A and battery 208B (e.g., in response to determining that the temperature is within the operating range of both battery 208A and battery 208B), discharge controller 214A may output a signal to close switch 216A and discharge controller 214B may output a signal to close switch 216B, thereby creating a current path from battery 208 to output 220. Figure 2 As shown, in some examples, diodes may be included to prevent cross charging between batteries 208 .

[0036] In the case where power is derived from two batteries 208, the batteries 208 may form a 1S2P arrangement. Similarly, in the case where power is derived from only one of the batteries 208, the batteries 208 may form a 1S1P arrangement. Other examples of the present disclosure may have other arrangements, such as 2S2P or 1S4P and any other multi-cell configuration, but utilizing supplemental capacitors / supercapacitors may be used to bridge high battery impedance (internal resistance) states for delivering peak pulse / load currents.

[0037] Output 220 may represent an electronic component configured to operate using power provided by one or both of batteries 208. Examples of output 220 include, but are not limited to: Figure 1 The processing circuit 102 and the load component 110 are provided.

[0038] As described above, battery 208 may have a temperature charging temperature range. In some examples, the availability of power via input 218 may be unpredictable and / or temporary (e.g., where input 218 includes a solar panel). Thus, when power is available via input 218, device 200 may desire to charge one or both of batteries 208 as quickly as possible.

[0039] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, device 200 may include a temperature control device configured to modify the temperature of one or both of batteries 208 in order to increase the available charging rate. As an example, device 200 may include a heating element 230 that may be configured to output heat to at least battery 208A. In operation, in response to determining that a current temperature (e.g., of battery 208A) is less than a threshold temperature of battery 208A, heating element 230 may be activated (e.g., by processing circuitry of device 200). Examples of heating element 230 include, but are not limited to, any resistive heating element or any other device that converts electrical energy into thermal energy. As discussed below and may be described in detail in detail in the accompanying drawings, the heating element 230 may be activated to provide a temperature control device that is configured to modify the temperature of one or both of batteries 208 in order to increase the available charging rate. As discussed below and may be described in detail in the accompanying drawings, the heating element 230 may be activated to provide a temperature control device that is configured to modify the temperature of one or both of batteries 208 in order to increase the available charging rate. Figure 3B As seen in FIG. 1 , heating battery 208A may increase the C-rate of battery 208A. For example, heating battery 208A from 10 degC to 15 degC may increase the C-rate from 0.5C to 1C, thereby doubling the charge rate. The temperature threshold of battery 208A may be any temperature that results in an increase in the charge rate of battery 208A. For example, Figure 3B As can be seen in FIG. 2 , example temperature thresholds for battery 208A include 0 degC and 15 degC.

[0040] As another example, device 200 may include cooling element 232, which may be configured to remove heat from at least battery 208B. In operation, in response to determining that a current temperature (e.g., of battery 208B) is greater than a threshold temperature of battery 208B, cooling element 232 may be activated (e.g., by processing circuitry of device 200). Examples of cooling element 232 include, but are not limited to, fans, thermoelectric coolers, and the like. As discussed below and may be described in detail in detail in the accompanying drawings, the present invention relates to a cooling element 232. Figure 4B As seen in FIG. 1 , cooling battery 208A may increase the C-rate of battery 208A. For example, heating battery 208A from 50 degC to 45 degC may increase the C-rate from 0.5C to 1C, thereby doubling the charge rate. The temperature threshold of battery 208B may be any temperature that results in an increase in the charge rate of battery 208B. For example, Figure 4B As can be seen in FIG. 2 , example temperature thresholds for battery 208A include 70 degC, 60 degC, and 45 degC.

[0041] Figure 3A and 3B is a graph illustrating a temperature range of a low temperature battery according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 3A The diagram is shown in Figure 1 Battery 108A or Figure 2 An example relationship between charging current and temperature in the range of negative 40 degC to 80 degC for a low temperature battery of battery 208A. Figure 3B The diagram is shown in Figure 1 Battery 108A or Figure 2 An example relationship between output voltage and temperature for a low temperature battery of battery 208A in the range of negative 40 degC to 80 degC. Figure 3A and 3B As shown, the low temperature battery may be capable of charging in the 0degC to 45degC range and operating in the negative 40degC to 45degC range.

[0042] As described above, in the case where the temperature is greater than the upper limit of the low temperature range, the low temperature battery may not be used. Figure 3A and 3BAs shown, at temperatures greater than 45degC, the voltage of the low temperature battery can be adjusted to a derated voltage and placed in "storage" mode (disconnected state). The low temperature battery can maintain at least 30% of the energy performance when discharged at 0.2C from -40degC to less than 15degC to the cut-off voltage. The AC impedance and DC internal impedance of the battery can be sized accordingly to limit the voltage drop to less than 300mV. The battery self-discharge rate can not exceed 80 microamperes over the entire voltage range. The cycle life is expected to be at least 50 cycles AC impedance at the end of life and DC internal impedance at 2x. In addition, the low temperature battery may be able to handle at least 2 years of continuous floating voltage time.

[0043] Figure 4A and 4B is a graph illustrating a temperature range of a high temperature battery according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 4A The diagram is shown in Figure 1 Battery 108B or Figure 2 An example relationship between charging current and temperature for a high temperature battery of battery 208B in the range of negative 40 degC to 80 degC. Figure 4B The diagram is shown in Figure 1 Battery 108B or Figure 2 An example relationship between the output voltage and temperature of the high temperature battery of battery 208B in the range of negative 40degC to 80degC. Figure 4A and 4B As shown, high temperature batteries may be able to charge in the 15degC to 70degC range and operate in the 15degC to 80degC range.

[0044] As described above, in the case where the temperature is below the lower limit of the high temperature range, the high temperature battery may not be used. Figure 4A and 4B As shown, at a temperature of less than 15degC, the voltage of the high temperature battery can be adjusted to a derated voltage and placed in a "storage" mode (disconnected state). The high temperature battery can maintain at least 90% of the energy performance when discharged at 0.2C from greater than 15degC to 80degC down to the cut-off voltage. The AC impedance and DC internal impedance of the battery can be sized accordingly to limit the voltage drop to less than 300mV. The battery self-discharge rate can not exceed 120 microamperes over the entire voltage range. The cycle life is expected to be at least 50 cycles AC impedance at the end of life and DC internal impedance at 2x. In addition, the high temperature battery may be able to handle at least 2 years of continuous floating voltage time.

[0045] Figure 3A and 4AThe term C-rate in may be the minimum capacity divided by the current rate in 1 hour. For example, a 1000mAh battery has a 1C current rate of 1000mA (1000mAh / 1h=1000mA).

[0046] Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating an example operation of an outdoor-mountable device including multiple batteries having different temperature operating ranges in accordance with one or more techniques of the present disclosure. For purposes of explanation, reference is made to Figure 1 The device 100 and Figure 2 The device 200 is described Figure 5 technology.

[0047] Device 100 may determine 502 a current temperature T. For example, temperature sensor 104 may output data to processing circuit 102 indicating a temperature of battery 108A, battery 108B, or another temperature of device 100. Processing circuit 102 may determine current temperature T based on the data.

[0048] As described above and in accordance with one or more techniques of this disclosure, processing circuitry 102 may determine which battery, if any, to use to supply power to one or more components of device 100. For example, based on current temperature T, processing circuitry 102 may cause one or more components to not operate at all, to operate using power derived from a low temperature battery, to operate using power derived from both a low temperature battery and a high temperature battery, or to operate using power derived from the high temperature battery.

[0049] As an example, in response to determining that the current temperature T is less than the lower limit of the low temperature range (the "yes" branch of 504), the processing circuit 102 may cause the battery 108A and the battery 108B to operate in the storage mode (506). For example, the PMIC 212 may adjust the voltage of the battery 208 to reduce the voltage and place the battery 208 in a disconnected state (e.g., causing the discharge controller 214 to disconnect the two power switches 216).

[0050] As another example, in response to determining that the current temperature T is within the low temperature range (e.g., between the lower limit of the low temperature range and the lower limit of the intermediate temperature range) (the "yes" branch of 508), the processing circuit 102 may cause the load component 110 to operate using power from the battery 108A (i.e., the low temperature battery) (510). For example, the discharge controller 214A may close the power switch 216A so that current may flow from the battery 208A to the output 220. In some examples, in response to determining that the current temperature T is within the low temperature range, the processing circuit 102 may cause the battery 108B to operate in a storage mode. For example, the PMIC 212B may adjust the voltage of the battery 208B to a derated voltage and place the battery 208B in a disconnected state (e.g., causing the discharge controller 214B to disconnect the power switch 216B).

[0051] As another example, in response to determining that the current temperature T is within the intermediate temperature range (e.g., between the lower limit of the intermediate temperature range and the lower upper limit of the high temperature range) (“Yes” branch of 512), the processing circuit 102 may cause the load component 110 to operate using power from the battery 108A and the battery 108B (i.e., the low temperature battery and the high temperature battery) (514). For example, the discharge controller 214 may close the power switch 216 so that current can flow from the battery 208 to the output 220.

[0052] As another example, in response to determining that the current temperature T is within the high temperature range (e.g., between the upper limit of the intermediate temperature range and the upper limit of the high temperature range) (the "yes" branch of 516), the processing circuit 102 may cause the load component 110 to operate using power from the battery 108B (i.e., the high temperature battery) (518). For example, the discharge controller 214B may close the power switch 216B so that current may flow from the battery 208B to the output 220. In some examples, in response to determining that the current temperature T is within the high temperature range, the processing circuit 102 may cause the battery 108A to operate in a storage mode. For example, the PMIC 212A may adjust the voltage of the battery 208A to a derated voltage and place the battery 208A in a disconnected state (e.g., causing the discharge controller 214A to disconnect the power switch 216A).

[0053] As another example, in response to determining that the current temperature T is greater than the upper limit of the high temperature range (the "No" branch of 516), the processing circuit 102 may cause the battery 108A and the battery 108B to operate in the storage mode (520). For example, the PMIC 212 may adjust the voltage of the battery 208 to a derated voltage and place the battery 208 in a disconnected state (e.g., causing the discharge controller 214 to disconnect the two power switches 216).

[0054] As can be seen above, the amount of battery power may depend on the temperature operating range. For example, more battery power may be available when the current temperature is within the intermediate temperature range (e.g., because both the low temperature battery and the high temperature battery can provide power), then when operating in the low temperature range or the high temperature range (e.g., when only one of the low temperature battery and the high temperature battery provides power).

[0055] According to one or more techniques of the present disclosure, the device 100 may adjust functions based on the current temperature. For example, since a reduced amount of power is available when the device 100 operates in the low temperature and high temperature ranges compared to the intermediate temperature range, the device 100 may perform fewer functions when operating outside the intermediate temperature range. As an example, in response to determining that the current temperature is within the low temperature range, the processing circuit 102 may cause the load component 110 to operate using a first set of functions. As another example, in response to determining that the current temperature is within the intermediate temperature range, the processing circuit 102 may cause the load component 110 to operate using a second set of functions. The second set of functions may be a superset of the first set of functions (e.g., including all functions of the first set of functions and at least one additional function). As another example, in response to determining that the current temperature is within the low temperature range, the processing circuit 102 may cause the load component 110 to operate using a third set of functions. The third set of functions may be a subset of the second set of functions (e.g., including less than all functions included in the second set). In some examples, the third set of functions may be the same as the first set of functions. In other examples, the third set of functions may be different from the first set of functions.

[0056] Functions included in the first set and / or the third set may be selected as core functions of the device 100. For example, in the case where the device 100 is a video doorbell capable of performing a monitoring function (e.g., by operating a camera of the load component 110) and a ringing function (e.g., by operating a ringing button of the load component 110), the ringing function may be designated as a core function and may be included in the first function set and / or the third function set. On the other hand, a monitoring function (e.g., which may consume significantly more power than the ringing function) may not be designated as a core function and may be omitted from the first function set and / or the third function set. Since more power is available when the second function set is executed (e.g., when the current temperature is within the intermediate temperature range), the second function set may include the monitoring function. In this way, the functionality of the device 100 may be prioritized based on the current temperature.

[0057] In some examples, the monitoring function may be subdivided into a full monitoring function and a partial monitoring function. The performance of the partial monitoring function may consume less power than the performance of the full monitoring function. For example, when performing the partial monitoring function, the camera of the load assembly 110 may capture images at a reduced frame rate and / or reduced resolution. In examples where the monitoring function is subdivided, the partial monitoring function may be included in the first function set and / or the third function set, while the full monitoring function may be included in the second function set.

[0058] The following numbered examples may illustrate one or more aspects of the present disclosure:

[0059] Example 1. A computing device configured to be installed outdoors, the computing device comprising: a first battery, the first battery configured to operate in a low temperature range including at least negative 10 degrees Celsius; a second battery, the second battery configured to operate in a high temperature range, wherein an upper limit of the high temperature range is greater than an upper limit of the low temperature range, and wherein a lower limit of the low temperature range is less than the lower limit of the high temperature range; a temperature sensor; and a processing circuit, the processing circuit configured to: determine a current temperature based on data received from the temperature sensor; in response to determining that the current temperature is within the low temperature range, cause one or more components of the computing device to operate using electrical energy derived from the first battery; and in response to determining that the current temperature is within the high temperature range, cause one or more components of the computing device to operate using electrical energy derived from the second battery.

[0060] Example 2. The computing device of Example 1, wherein the low temperature range also includes at least minus 20 degrees Celsius.

[0061] Example 3. A computing device according to Example 1 or Example 2, wherein the high temperature range includes at least 70 degrees Celsius.

[0062] Example 4. A computing device according to any one of Examples 1-3, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: in response to determining that the current temperature is within an intermediate temperature range, cause the one or more components of the computing device to operate using electrical energy derived from the first battery and the second battery.

[0063] Example 5. The computing device of Example 4, wherein a lower limit of the intermediate temperature range is the lower limit of the high temperature range, and wherein an upper limit of the intermediate temperature range is the upper limit of the low temperature range.

[0064] Example 6. The computing device of Example 5, wherein the intermediate temperature range includes at least 15 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius.

[0065] Example 7. A computing device according to any one of Examples 4-6, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: in response to determining that the current temperature is within the low temperature range, cause the one or more components to operate using a first set of functions; and in response to determining that the current temperature is within the intermediate temperature range, cause the one or more components to operate using a second set of functions that is a superset of the first set of functions.

[0066] Example 8. A computing device according to Example 7, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: in response to determining that the current temperature is within the low temperature range, cause the one or more components to operate using a third set of functions that is a subset of the second set of functions.

[0067] Example 9. A computing device according to Example 7 or Example 8, wherein the one or more components include a camera and a ring button, the first set of functions includes operating the ring button, and the second set of functions includes operating the ring button and the camera.

[0068] Example 10. A computing device according to any one of Examples 1-9, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: determine a charging state of the first battery; determine a charging state of the second battery; and output an indication of the charging state of the first battery and an indication of the charging state of the second battery to an external device.

[0069] Example 11. A computing device according to any of Examples 1-10, further comprising: a power source, which is different from the first battery and the second battery; and wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: charge one or both of the first battery and the second battery using electrical energy received via the power source.

[0070] Example 12. The computing device of Example 11 further includes: a heating element configured to output heat to at least the first battery, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: activate the heating element in response to determining that the current temperature is less than a threshold temperature of the first battery.

[0071] Example 13. The computing device of Example 11 or Example 12 further includes: a cooling element configured to remove heat from at least the second battery, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: activate the cooling element in response to determining that the current temperature is greater than a threshold temperature of the second battery.

[0072] Example 14. A method comprising: determining a current temperature of an outdoor installation device; in response to determining that the current temperature is within a low temperature range, using electrical energy from a first battery of the outdoor installation device to operate one or more components of the outdoor installation device, wherein the first battery is configured to operate in the low temperature range, wherein the low temperature range includes at least minus 10 degrees Celsius; and in response to determining that the current temperature is within a high temperature range, using electrical energy from a second battery of the outdoor installation device to operate the one or more components, wherein the second battery is configured to operate in the high temperature range, wherein an upper limit of the high temperature range is greater than an upper limit of the low temperature range, and wherein a lower limit of the low temperature range is less than a lower limit of the high temperature range.

[0073] Example 15. The method according to Example 14 further includes: in response to determining that the current temperature is within an intermediate temperature range, using electrical energy from the first battery and the second battery to operate the one or more components, wherein the lower limit of the intermediate temperature range is the upper limit of the low temperature range, and wherein the upper limit of the intermediate temperature range is the lower limit of the high temperature range.

[0074] Example 16. The method according to Example 14 or Example 15 further includes: in response to determining that the current temperature is within the low temperature range, causing the one or more components to operate using a first set of functions; and in response to determining that the current temperature is within the intermediate temperature range, causing the one or more components to operate using a second set of functions that is a superset of the first set of functions.

[0075] Example 17. The method of any of Examples 14-16, further comprising charging one or both of the first battery and the second battery using power received via a power source different from the first battery and the second battery.

[0076] Example 18. The method of Example 17 further comprising: in response to determining that the current temperature is less than a threshold temperature of the first battery, activating a heating element configured to output heat to at least the first battery.

[0077] Example 19. The method of Example 17 or Example 18 further comprising: in response to determining that the current temperature is greater than a threshold temperature of the second battery, activating a cooling element configured to remove heat from at least the second battery.

[0078] Example 20. An outdoor installable device, comprising: a first battery, the first battery being configured to operate in a low temperature range including at least minus 10 degrees Celsius; a second battery, the second battery being configured to operate in a high temperature range, wherein an upper limit of the high temperature range is greater than an upper limit of the low temperature range, and wherein a lower limit of the low temperature range is less than the lower limit of the high temperature range; and a device for determining a current temperature of the outdoor installable device; a device for operating one or more components of the outdoor installation device using electrical energy derived from the first battery in response to determining that the current temperature is within the low temperature range; and a device for operating the one or more components using electrical energy derived from the second battery of the outdoor installation device in response to determining that the current temperature is within the high temperature range.

[0079] The techniques described in this disclosure may be implemented, at least in part, in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. For example, various aspects of the described techniques may be implemented in one or more processors including one or more microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or any other equivalent integrated or discrete logic circuits, and any combination of these components. The term "processor" or "processing circuit" may generally refer to any of the aforementioned logic circuits, alone or in combination with other logic circuits, or any other equivalent circuit. A control unit including hardware may also perform one or more of the techniques disclosed herein.

[0080] Such hardware, software, and firmware may be implemented within the same device or within separate devices to support the various techniques described in this disclosure. In addition, any of the described units, modules, or components may be implemented together or individually as discrete but interoperable logic devices. Depicting different features as modules or units is intended to highlight different functional aspects and does not necessarily imply that such modules or units must be implemented by separate hardware, firmware, or software components. On the contrary, the functions associated with one or more modules or units may be performed by separate hardware, firmware, or software components, or integrated within common or separate hardware, firmware, or software components.

[0081] The techniques described in the present disclosure may also be embodied or encoded in an article comprising a computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions. Such as when the instructions included or encoded in the computer-readable storage medium are executed by one or more processors, the instructions embedded or encoded in the article comprising the encoded computer-readable storage medium may enable one or more programmable processors or other processors to implement one or more of the techniques described herein. The computer-readable storage medium may include a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a flash memory, a hard disk, a compact disk ROM (CD-ROM), a floppy disk, a cassette, a magnetic medium, an optical medium, or other computer-readable medium. In some examples, the article may include one or more computer-readable storage media.

[0082] In some examples, computer-readable storage media may include non-transitory media. The term "non-transitory" may indicate that the storage medium is not embodied in a carrier wave or propagating signal. In some examples, non-transitory storage media may store data that may change over time (e.g., in RAM or cache).

[0083] Various aspects are described in this disclosure. These and other aspects are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising: a first battery configured to operate in a low temperature range; a second battery configured to operate in a high temperature range having an upper limit greater than an upper limit of the low temperature range; one or more temperature sensors, at least one of the one or more temperature sensors being disposed within the computing device, the one or more temperature sensors being configured to collect measurements indicative of a temperature; a heating element capable of heating at least the first battery in response to measurements received from the one or more temperature sensors, the measurements indicating a temperature less than the low temperature range for the first battery or less than the high temperature range for the second battery; one or more processors; as well as a memory storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: determining a temperature of the computing device based on measurements received from the one or more temperature sensors; In response to determining that the temperature is within the low temperature range, causing one or more components of the computing device to operate using power from the first battery; as well as In response to determining that the temperature is within the high temperature range, causing the one or more components of the computing device to operate using electrical energy from the second battery.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein: The low temperature range includes minus 20 degrees Celsius.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein: The high temperature range includes 70 degrees Celsius.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein: The one or more programs also include instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: In response to determining that the temperature is within the intermediate temperature range, directing the one or more components of the computing device to operate using power from the first battery and the second battery.

5. The computing device of claim 4, wherein: A lower limit of the intermediate temperature range is a lower limit of the high temperature range, and wherein an upper limit of the intermediate temperature range is an upper limit of the low temperature range.

6. The computing device of claim 5, wherein: The lower limit of the intermediate temperature range is 15 degrees Celsius and the upper limit of the intermediate temperature range is 40 degrees Celsius.

7. The computing device of claim 4, wherein: The one or more programs also include instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: In response to determining that the temperature is within the low temperature range, directing the one or more components to operate using a first set of functions; and In response to determining that the temperature is within the intermediate temperature range, the one or more components are caused to operate with a second set of functionality that is a superset of the first set of functionality.

8. The computing device of claim 7, wherein: The one or more programs also include instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: In response to determining that the temperature is within the low temperature range, the one or more components are caused to operate using a third set of functions that is a subset of the second set of functions.

9. The computing device of claim 7, wherein: The computing device is configured to be installed outdoors, and the one or more components include a camera and a ring button, the first set of functions includes operating the ring button, and the second set of functions includes operating the ring button and the camera.

10. The computing device of claim 1, wherein: The one or more programs also include instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: determining a state of charge of the first battery; determining a state of charge of the second battery; as well as An indication of a charging status of the first battery and an indication of a charging status of the second battery are output to an external device.

11. The computing device of claim 1 , further comprising: one or more input components configured to be electrically coupled to a power source that does not include the first battery and the second battery; as well as The one or more programs further include instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: At least one of the first battery or the second battery is charged using electrical energy received via the power source.

12. The computing device of claim 1 , further comprising: A cooling element is configured to remove heat from at least the second battery.

13. The computing device of claim 11, wherein: The power source includes at least one of a solar panel, an external battery, or an external wired power supply.

14. The computing device of claim 11, wherein: The computing device further comprises: A power management integrated circuit having at least one of the one or more processors, the power management integrated circuit operably coupled to the first battery and the second battery.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein: The power management integrated circuit is configured to perform voltage regulation.

16. The computing device of claim 14, wherein: The power management integrated circuit further comprises: a first discharge controller and a second discharge controller; and A first power switch and a second power switch.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein: The at least one processor of the power management integrated circuit uses the first and second discharge controllers and the first and second power switches to control whether one or more components of the computing device operate using power from the first battery, the second battery, or both.

18. The computing device of claim 12, wherein: The one or more programs also include instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: The cooling element is activated in response to determining that the temperature is greater than an upper limit of the high temperature range of the second battery.

19. A method for outdoor installation of equipment, comprising: determining a temperature of the outdoor mounted equipment; In response to determining that the temperature is within a low temperature range, operating one or more components of the outdoor installation device using power from a first battery of the outdoor installation device, wherein the first battery is configured to operate in the low temperature range; as well as In response to determining that the temperature is within a high temperature range, operating the one or more components using power from a second battery of the outdoor mounted device, wherein the second battery is configured to operate in the high temperature range, wherein the high temperature range has an upper limit that is greater than an upper limit of the low temperature range; as well as In response to the temperature being less than the low temperature range for the first battery or less than the high temperature range for the second battery, at least the first battery is heated.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising: In response to determining that the temperature is within the intermediate temperature range, operating the one or more components using electrical energy from the first battery and the second battery, wherein a lower limit of the intermediate temperature range is a lower limit of the high temperature range, and wherein an upper limit of the intermediate temperature range is an upper limit of the low temperature range.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising: in response to determining that the temperature is within the low temperature range, causing the one or more components to operate using a first set of functions; as well as In response to determining that the temperature is within the intermediate temperature range, the one or more components are caused to operate with a second set of functionality that is a superset of the first set of functionality.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising: At least one of the first battery or the second battery is charged using power received via a power source that does not include the first battery and the second battery.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising: In response to determining that the temperature is greater than a threshold temperature of the second battery, a cooling element configured to remove heat from at least the second battery is activated.

24. An outdoor mountable device comprising: a first battery configured to operate in a low temperature range; a second battery configured to operate in a high temperature range having an upper limit greater than an upper limit of the low temperature range; means for determining the temperature of said outdoor-mountable equipment; means for heating at least the first battery in response to an indication that the temperature is less than the low temperature range for the first battery or less than the high temperature range for the second battery; means for operating one or more components of the outdoor installation device using electrical energy from the first battery in response to determining that the temperature is within the low temperature range; as well as Means for operating the one or more components using electrical energy from the second battery in response to determining that the temperature is within the high temperature range.

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