Detecting subtle short circuits at the charging interface of electronic devices

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for detecting a micro-short at a charging interface of an electronic device is provided. The method includes obtaining an initial voltage measurement of a reference voltage electrically connected to the charging interface of the electronic device. The method includes obtaining multiple additional voltage measurements of the reference voltage. The method includes detecting the micro-short at the charging interface based at least in part on the initial voltage measurement and one voltage measurement of the multiple additional voltage measurements that is most recent in time. The method further includes causing the electronic device to perform one or more control actions in response to detecting the micro-short at the charging interface.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to electronic devices having energy storage devices (e.g., rechargeable batteries). More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a method for detecting a virtual short circuit in a charging interface of an electronic device. [Background technology]

[0002] An electronic device (e.g., a smartphone, a smartwatch, a laptop, a tablet, etc.) may include a rechargeable battery that provides DC power to its electronic components. For example, the rechargeable battery may be disposed within the housing of the electronic device. Additionally, the electronic device may include a charging interface (e.g., a charging port) to easily connect the rechargeable battery to an external power source (e.g., a wall outlet) via a charging cable. In this manner, the electronic device can draw charging current from the external power source to charge the rechargeable battery. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will be set forth in part in the description that follows, or may be learned from the description, or may be learned by practice of the embodiments.

[0004] In one aspect, a computer-implemented method for detecting a soft short at a charging interface of an electronic device is provided. The method includes obtaining, via one or more processors, an initial voltage measurement of a reference voltage electrically connected to the charging interface of the electronic device. The method includes obtaining, via the one or more processors, additional voltage measurements of the reference voltage. The method includes detecting, via the one or more processors, the soft short at the charging interface based at least in part on the initial voltage measurement and the additional voltage measurement. The method includes, via the one or more processors, causing the electronic device to perform one or more control actions in response to detecting the soft short at the charging interface of the electronic device.

[0005] In some embodiments, detecting the soft short includes determining, via one or more processors, that an additional voltage measurement of the reference voltage is less than the first voltage measurement by a threshold value that indicates the presence of a soft short in the charging interface. In some embodiments, the threshold value is at least 0.5 volts.

[0006] In some implementations, causing the electronic device to perform one or more control actions includes automatically powering down the electronic device via the one or more processors.

[0007] In some embodiments, causing the electronic device to perform one or more control actions includes causing, via the one or more processors, a display screen of the electronic device to display a notice prompting a user to perform a maintenance action on the electronic device. In some embodiments, the maintenance action includes manually powering off the electronic device.

[0008] In some embodiments, taking the initial voltage measurement and taking the additional voltage measurement occurs while the rechargeable battery of the electronic device is not being charged via an external power source.

[0009] In some embodiments, the micro-short corresponds to a resistance in the range of 2 ohms to 100 ohms.

[0010] In some implementations, the method includes storing, via one or more processors, the initial voltage measurements in one or more memory devices.

[0011] In some embodiments, the electronic device is a wearable computing device.

[0012] In another aspect, an electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes an energy storage device and a charging interface configured to electrically connect an external power source to the energy storage device. The electronic device further includes a power management circuit. The power management circuit includes a reference voltage electrically connectable to the charging interface. The electronic device includes one or more processors configured to obtain an initial voltage measurement of the reference voltage while the reference voltage is electrically connected to the charging interface. The one or more processors are further configured to obtain additional voltage measurements of the reference voltage. The one or more processors are configured to detect a micro-short at the charging interface based, at least in part, on the initial voltage measurement of the reference voltage and the additional voltage measurements of the reference voltage. The one or more processors are configured to cause the electronic device to perform one or more control actions in response to detecting a micro-short at the charging interface of the electronic device.

[0013] In some implementations, the power management circuit includes a switching device electrically connected between the reference voltage and the charging interface. The switching device is configured to selectively connect the reference voltage to the charging interface. In some implementations, the switching device is a transistor.

[0014] In some implementations, to detect a fine short at the charging interface, the one or more processors are configured to determine that an additional voltage measurement of the reference voltage is less than the initial voltage measurement of the reference voltage by a threshold value that indicates the presence of a fine short.

[0015] In some implementations, the one or more control actions include automatically powering down the electronic device.

[0016] In some embodiments, the electronic device further includes a display screen. Further, in such embodiments, the one or more control actions include causing the display screen to display a notice prompting a user to perform a maintenance action on the electronic device. In some embodiments, the maintenance action includes manually powering off the electronic device.

[0017] In some implementations, the one or more processors are configured to obtain the initial voltage measurement and the additional voltage measurement while the energy storage device is not being charged via the external power source.

[0018] In some embodiments, the charging interface includes a universal serial bus (USB) charging port.

[0019] In some embodiments, the energy storage device includes a rechargeable battery. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of various embodiments of the present disclosure will become better understood with reference to the following detailed description and the appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain the associated principles.

[0020] Detailed descriptions of embodiments directed to those skilled in the art are set forth herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an external power supply connected to an electronic device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 shows a schematic diagram of a power interface for an electronic device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 illustrates a microscopic short circuit at a charging interface of an electronic device, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for detecting a micro-short circuit in a charging interface of an electronic device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 1 shows a perspective view of an electronic device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a wearable computing device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 6 illustrates a rear view of the electronic device of FIG. 5 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 6 shows a block diagram of components of the electronic device of FIG. 5 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present disclosure, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the disclosure, and not as a limitation thereof. Indeed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present disclosure without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with other embodiments to yield still further embodiments. It is therefore intended that the present invention cover such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0023] Exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are directed to electronic devices having an energy storage device (e.g., a rechargeable battery) that provides DC power to various electronics of the electronic device (e.g., sensors, processors, displays, etc.). For example, an electronic device according to the present disclosure may include a wearable computing device that can be worn, for example, on a user's wrist. The wearable computing device may include a charging interface that can connect to an external power source (e.g., a wall charger, laptop, etc.) via a conductor (e.g., a charging cable). In this manner, the wearable computing device can draw charging current from the external power source to charge the energy storage device.

[0024] The charging interface is connected to the input voltage (e.g., V BUS ) and electrical ground (e.g., GND). Over time, a micro-short may develop between the input voltage and electrical ground. For example, water infiltration inside the housing of an electronic device may cause a micro-short at the opening of the charging interface. As another example, a micro-short may be caused by a broken solder joint in a capacitor electrically connected between the input voltage and electrical ground. As used herein, a "micro-short" refers to a non-zero resistance between the input voltage and electrical ground. For example, in some implementations, a micro-short may range from 2 ohms to 100 ohms.

[0025] A microscopic short circuit at the charging interface of an electronic device can cause a large, uncontrolled current to flow through the electronic device when the electronic device is connected to an external power source. The large, uncontrolled current flowing through the electronic device can be problematic. For example, the large, uncontrolled current can cause the electronic device to heat up to a dangerous temperature.

[0026] An exemplary aspect of the present disclosure is directed to detecting the presence of a micro-short at a charging interface of an electronic device. The electronic device may include a power management circuit configured to control charging of an energy storage device. The power management circuit may include a reference voltage electrically connected to the charging interface. The electronic device may include a processor configured to read the reference voltage. The processor may obtain an initial voltage measurement of the reference voltage. For example, the processor may obtain an initial voltage measurement of the reference voltage before the electronic device leaves a factory. At this time, because no micro-short is present at the charging interface, the initial voltage measurement should correspond to the voltage that the reference voltage is configured to provide. After the electronic device leaves a factory, the processor may obtain multiple additional voltage measurements of the reference voltage. In some implementations, the processor may be configured to obtain multiple additional voltage measurements at predetermined time intervals. For example, in some implementations, the processor may be configured to obtain an additional voltage measurement once per day. In alternative implementations, the processor may be configured to obtain additional voltage measurements more frequently or less frequently.

[0027] It should be understood that the voltage measurements can be stored in one or more memory devices. For example, in some implementations, the electronic device can include one or more memory devices, and the processor can be configured to write the voltage measurements to the one or more memory devices. In some implementations, an initial voltage measurement can be stored in a first location (e.g., a memory cell) of the one or more memory devices. Additionally, additional voltage measurements can be stored in second locations (e.g., memory cells) different from the first location of the one or more memory devices. In some implementations, the processor can be configured to write each of the multiple additional voltage measurements to a different memory cell of the one or more memory devices. In an alternative implementation, the processor can overwrite the same memory cell with the most recent voltage measurement of the multiple additional voltage measurements. In this manner, memory space in one or more memory devices of the electronic device can be conserved.

[0028] The processor may be configured to detect a soft short at the charging interface based on the initial voltage measurement and a most recent voltage measurement of the plurality of additional measurements. For example, the processor may be configured to detect a soft short when the most recent voltage measurement is less than the initial voltage measurement by a threshold value. In some implementations, the initial voltage measurement may be 1 volt and the threshold value may be 0.5 volts. Thus, in such implementations, the processor may detect a soft short when the most recent voltage measurement of the reference voltage is less than or equal to 0.5 volts.

[0029] The processor can be configured to perform one or more control actions in response to detecting a micro-short at the charging interface. For example, in some implementations, the one or more control actions can include automatically powering down the electronic device. In alternative implementations, the processor can be configured to cause a display screen of the electronic device to display a notice prompting the user to perform a maintenance action on the electronic device. In some implementations, the maintenance action can include taking the electronic device to a certified technician. Additionally, the maintenance action can include manually powering down the electronic device.

[0030] An electronic device according to exemplary aspects of the present disclosure may provide numerous technical effects and advantages, such as detecting a micro-short in its charging interface and performing one or more control actions in response to detecting the micro-short to protect the electronic device from uncontrolled large currents that may occur when the electronic device is being charged via an external power source.

[0031] Referring now to the figures, Figure 1 shows an electronic device 100 connected to an external power source 110 via a conductor 120 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the external power source 110 can be an alternating current (AC) wall outlet. In alternative embodiments, the external power source 110 can include other electronic devices (e.g., laptops) configured to output direct current (DC) power.

[0032] It should be appreciated that conductor 120 can provide an electrical path from external power source 110 (e.g., an alternating current wall outlet, e.g., an approximately 120V AC wall outlet, a USB charging source, or other suitable power source) to electronic device 100. In this manner, electronic device 100 can draw charging current 122 from external power source 110. In some implementations, conductor 120 can be a charging cable. For example, in some implementations, the charging cable can include a Universal Serial Bus (USB) charging cable. However, it should be appreciated that the charging cable can include any suitable type of charging cable.

[0033] Electronic device 100 may include a charging interface 130. Charging interface 130 may connect electronic device 100 to ends of conductors 120. In some implementations, charging interface 130 may include multiple charging pins, each capable of electrically connecting to a corresponding contact on conductors 120. In alternative implementations, charging interface 130 may include a charging port into which ends of conductors 120 are inserted. Other suitable charging interfaces may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0034] The electronic device 100 may include a power management circuit 140. The power management circuit 140 may be electrically connected between the charging interface 130 and an energy storage device 150 of the electronic device 100. In some implementations, the energy storage device 150 may include a rechargeable battery. The power management circuit 140 may be configured to control the charging of the energy storage device 150. In some implementations, the power management circuit 140 may be implemented as an integrated circuit.

[0035] 2 and 3, the power management circuit 140 may be located within a housing 160 of the electronic device 100. For example, the power management circuit 140 may be located within an interior 162 defined by the housing 160. As shown, the power management circuit 140 may be configured to provide a reference voltage V REF For example, in some implementations, a reference voltage V REF can be a 1 volt reference, where the reference voltage V REF It should be understood that V may have any suitable voltage.

[0036] The power management circuit 140 controls the reference voltage V REF and the input voltage 132 of the charging interface 130. In some implementations, the switching device 142 may include a transistor (e.g., a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), etc.). The power management circuit 140 may include a switching device 142 electrically connected between the switching device 142 and a reference voltage V REF and a resistor 144 electrically connected between the resistor 144 and the ground. In some implementations, the resistor 144 can have a resistance in the range of about 800 ohms to about 2 kilohms. However, it should be understood that the resistor 144 can have any suitable resistance value.

[0037] The electronic device 100 may include a processor 170 communicatively coupled to the power management circuitry 140 of the electronic device 100. In this manner, the processor 170 may control the reference voltage V REF is electrically connected to the charging interface 130 through the switching device 12, the reference voltage V REF For example, the processor 170 may obtain a voltage measurement of a reference voltage V REF A drive signal 172 may be sent to the switching device 142 that electrically connects the charging interface 130 , and in particular the input voltage 132 of the charging interface 130 .

[0038] In some implementations, the power management circuit 140 may include a multiplexer 146 having multiple inputs and a single output. For example, one of the multiple inputs of the multiplexer 146 may be a reference voltage V REF is electrically connected to the input voltage 132 of the charging interface 130 through the switching device 142; REF Therefore, the reference voltage V REF is electrically connected to the input voltage 132 of the charging interface 130, the reference voltage V REF The single output of the multiplexer 146 can be an analog signal 180 when the processor 170 sends a drive signal 172 to the switching device 142 to obtain an analog signal 180 .

[0039] In some implementations, power management circuit 140 may include an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 148 electrically connected between the single output of multiplexer 146 and processor 170. In such implementations, ADC 148 may be configured to convert an analog signal 180 output by multiplexer 146 into a digital signal 182 that can be processed by processor 170.

[0040] In some implementations, the processor 170 may be configured to generate a reference voltage V REF is electrically connected to the input voltage 132 of the charging interface 130, the reference voltage V REF For example, the processor 170 may be configured to obtain an initial voltage measurement of the reference voltage V before the electronic device 100 leaves the factory. REF The first voltage measurement can be taken at the reference voltage V REF In some implementations, the processor 170 may correspond to a reference voltage V REFFor example, in some implementations, processor 170 may store the initial voltage measurements in one or more memory devices (not shown) of electronic device 100.

[0041] After the electronic device 100 leaves the factory, the processor 170 REF is electrically connected to the input voltage 132 of the charging interface 130, the reference voltage V REF In some implementations, processor 170 may be configured to obtain multiple additional voltage measurements at predetermined time intervals. For example, in some implementations, processor 170 may be configured to obtain additional voltage measurements once per day. In alternative implementations, processor 170 may be configured to obtain additional voltage measurements more frequently or less frequently.

[0042] In some implementations, processor 170 may be configured to store one or more of the plurality of additional voltage measurements in one or more memory devices of electronic device 100. For example, in some implementations, processor 170 may store each of the plurality of additional voltage measurements. In alternative implementations, processor 170 may store one or more of the plurality of additional voltage measurements in one or more memory devices of electronic device 100. REF is electrically connected to the input voltage 132 of the charging interface 130, the reference voltage V REF For example, the processor 170 may store the most recent voltage measurement of a previously stored reference voltage V REF The voltage measurement of is compared with the current reference voltage V REF In this manner, one or more memory devices can be freed up to store other information regarding the operation of electronic device 100.

[0043] In some implementations, the processor 170 may be configured to generate a reference voltage V REFThe processor 170 may be configured to communicate the plurality of additional voltage measurements to a remote computing device. For example, in some implementations, the processor 170 may be configured to communicate the plurality of additional voltage measurements over one or more networks to a cloud computing device (e.g., a server) configured to store the plurality of additional voltage measurements.

[0044] It should be appreciated that processor 170 may be configured to discard any additional voltage measurements taken while electronic device 100 is being charged. More specifically, processor 170 may be configured to discard any additional voltage measurements taken while electronic device 100 is electrically connected to external power source 110 (FIG. 1) via conductor 120 (FIG. 1). This may be achieved by discarding the reference voltage V REF In this situation, the voltage measurement of REF This is because the charging voltage can be different from the reference voltage V (for example, 5 volts). REF It can be larger than

[0045] Over time, a micro-short 134 may develop between the input voltage 132 and the electrical ground 136 of the charging interface 130. In some implementations, the micro-short 134 may develop, at least in part, due to the ingress of fluid (e.g., water) into the interior 162 of the housing 160. More specifically, the fluid may enter the interior 162 through one or more openings defined for the charging interface 130. In alternative implementations, the micro-short 134 may develop, at least in part, due to the degradation of the performance of a capacitor (not shown) electrically connected between the input voltage 132 and the electrical ground 136 of the charging interface 130. For example, the connection (e.g., solder joint) between the capacitor and the input voltage 132 or the connection (e.g., solder joint) between the capacitor and the electrical ground 136 may deteriorate over time, potentially causing the micro-short 134.

[0046] The processor 170 controls the reference voltage V REF is electrically connected to the input voltage 132. REF The first voltage measurement of V and the reference voltage V REF is electrically connected to the input voltage 132. REF For example, the processor 170 may be configured to detect the micro-short circuit 134 based at least in part on a current voltage measurement of the reference voltage V REF The micro-short 134 may be configured to detect a micro-short 134 when the current voltage measurement is less than the initial voltage measurement by a threshold value (e.g., 0.5 volts).

[0047] Processor 170 may be configured to cause electronic device 100 to perform one or more control actions in response to detecting micro-short 134 in charging interface 130. For example, in some implementations, the one or more control actions may include automatically powering down electronic device 100. In alternative implementations, processor 170 may be configured to cause display device 190 of electronic device 100 to display a notice prompting the user to perform a maintenance action on electronic device 100. In some implementations, the maintenance action may include taking electronic device 100 to a certified technician. Additionally, the maintenance action may include manually powering down electronic device 100.

[0048] Referring now to FIG. 4, a flow diagram of an exemplary method 200 for controlling charging of an electronic device is provided, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Method 200 may be implemented, for example, by processor 170 of electronic device 100 described above with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 4 shows steps performed in a particular order for purposes of illustration and explanation. Those skilled in the art, using the disclosure provided herein, will understand that the various steps of method 200, or any of the other methods disclosed herein, may be adapted, modified, rearranged, performed simultaneously, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0049] At 202, the method 200 determines a reference voltage V REF is electrically connected to the input voltage 132 of the charging interface 130 through the switching device 142, the reference voltage V of the power management circuit 140 of the electronic device 100 REF For example, in some implementations, the processor 170 of the electronic device 100 may send a drive signal 172 to the switching device 142 to obtain an initial voltage measurement of the reference voltage V REF to the input voltage 132 of the charging interface 130. The processor 170 can stop sending the drive signal 172 to the switching device 142 and can electrically connect the reference voltage V REF can be configured to decouple.

[0050] At 204, the method 200 calculates a reference voltage V REF is electrically connected to the input voltage 132 of the charging interface 130, the reference voltage V REF For example, in some implementations, the processor 170 of the electronic device 100 may send a drive signal 172 to the switching device 142 to obtain an additional voltage measurement of the reference voltage V REFto the input voltage 132 of the charging interface 130. The processor 170 can stop sending the drive signal 172 to the switching device 142 and can electrically connect the reference voltage V REF can be configured to decouple.

[0051] At 206, method 200 may include determining whether energy storage device 150 of electronic device 100 is being charged by external power source 110. For example, processor 170 may be configured to compare the additional voltage measurement obtained at 204 to a charging voltage (e.g., 5 volts) of electronic device 100. In some implementations, the charging voltage may be determined by comparing the additional voltage measurement obtained at 204 to a reference voltage V REF This corresponds to any voltage greater than the initial measurement of . If the processor 170 determines that the additional reference voltage obtained at (204) corresponds to a charging voltage, then the method 200 may proceed to (212). Otherwise, the method 200 may continue.

[0052] At 208, method 200 may include comparing the additional voltage measurement obtained at 204 to the initial voltage measurement obtained at 202 to detect the presence of a soft short 134 at charging interface 130. For example, processor 170 may be configured to detect the presence of a soft short 134 when the additional voltage measurement is less than the initial voltage measurement by a threshold value indicating the presence of a soft short 134 between input voltage 132 and electrical ground 136. Processor 170 may compare the reference voltage V obtained at 204 to the reference voltage V REF An additional voltage measurement of REF If it is determined that the first voltage measurement is less than the threshold value, then the method 200 may proceed to (210). Otherwise, the method 200 may proceed to (212).

[0053] At (210), method 200 may include causing the electronic device to perform one or more control actions in response to detecting the presence of micro-short 134 at charging interface 130. In some implementations, the one or more control actions may include automatically powering down electronic device 100. In an alternative implementation, processor 170 may be configured to cause a display screen (not shown) of electronic device 100 to display a notice prompting the user to perform a maintenance action on electronic device 100. In some implementations, the maintenance action may include taking electronic device 100 to a certified technician. Additionally, the maintenance action may include manually powering down electronic device 100.

[0054] At 212, the method 200 may continue. For example, in some implementations, the method 200 may include adjusting the reference voltage V REF The method may return to (204) after a predetermined time has elapsed since the most recent voltage measurement was taken at (204). In some implementations, the predetermined time may be one day (e.g., 24 hours).

[0055] 5-7, a wearable computing device 300 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is provided. It should be understood that the wearable computing device 300 may be the electronic device 100 that receives power from an external power source 110, as described above with reference to FIG. 1. As shown, the wearable computing device 300 may be worn, for example, on a user's arm (e.g., wrist). For example, the wearable computing device 300 may include a band 302 and a housing 310. In some embodiments, the housing 310 may include a conductive material (e.g., metal). In alternative embodiments, the housing 310 may include a non-conductive material (e.g., a plastic material, a ceramic material).

[0056] The housing 310 can be connected to the band 302. In this manner, the band 302 can be fastened around a user's wrist to secure the housing 310 to the user's wrist. Additionally, the housing 310 can define a cavity 311 for one or more electronic components (e.g., arranged on a printed circuit board) of the wearable computing device 300. For example, the one or more electronic components can include the power management circuit 140 described above with reference to FIG. 1 .

[0057] In some implementations, the wearable computing device 300 may include a display screen 312. The display screen 312 may display content (e.g., the time, date, biometrics, etc.) for a user to view. In some implementations, the display screen 312 may include an interactive display screen (e.g., a touchscreen or a touchless screen). In such implementations, the user may interact with the wearable computing device 300 via the display screen 312 to control the operation of the wearable computing device 300.

[0058] In some implementations, the wearable computing device 300 may include one or more input devices 314 that may be manipulated (e.g., pressed) by a user to interact with the wearable computing device 300. For example, the one or more input devices 314 may include mechanical buttons that may be manipulated (e.g., pressed) to interact with the wearable computing device 300. In some implementations, the one or more input devices 314 may be manipulated to control the operation of a backlight (not shown) associated with the display screen 312. It should be understood that the one or more input devices 314 may be configured to enable a user to interact with the wearable computing device 300 in any suitable manner. For example, in some implementations, the one or more input devices 314 may be manipulated by a user to navigate content (e.g., one or more menu screens) displayed on the display screen 312.

[0059] The wearable computing device 300 may include an energy storage device 316 positioned within a cavity 311 defined by the housing 310. The energy storage device 316 may be configured to provide DC power to one or more electronic devices of the wearable computing device 300. For example, in some implementations, the energy storage device 316 may be a rechargeable battery (e.g., lithium ion). It should be understood that the rechargeable battery may have any suitable voltage rating. For example, in some implementations, the voltage rating of the rechargeable battery may range from approximately 1.2 volts to approximately 3 volts.

[0060] In some implementations, the wearable computing device 300 may include a first electrode 340 and a second electrode 342. It should be understood that in alternative implementations, the wearable computing device 300 may include more or fewer electrodes. As shown, the first electrode 340 and the second electrode 342 are positioned within respective openings (e.g., cutouts) defined by the housing 310. Furthermore, because the first electrode 340 and the second electrode 342 are both on the wrist-facing side of the wearable computing device 300, the first electrode 340 and the second electrode 342 can each contact (e.g., touch) the user's wrist when the user is wearing the wearable computing device 300. In this manner, the first electrode 340 and the second electrode 342 can obtain data indicative of one or more biometrics of the user (e.g., electrodermal activity, electrocardiogram).

[0061] The wearable computing device 300 may include a charging interface 350 configured to connect the wearable computing device 300 to an external power source (e.g., a wall outlet) via a conductor (e.g., a charging cable). In some implementations, the charging interface 350 may include multiple charging pins positioned on a wrist-facing side of the wearable computing device 300. Each charging pin on the wrist-facing side may be electrically connected to a corresponding contact of a conductor. In alternative implementations, the charging interface 350 may be configured as a charging port. For example, in some implementations, the charging interface 350 may be configured as a USB charging port.

[0062] It should be understood that the wearable computing device 300 may include the power management circuitry 140 described above with reference to Figure 1. For example, the power management circuitry 140 of the wearable computing device may be connected between the charging interface 350 and the energy storage device 316. It should also be understood that the power management circuitry 140 may be configured to implement the method 200 described above with reference to Figure 2 to control the charging rate (e.g., charging current) of the wearable computing device 300 to avoid damaging (e.g., tripping a circuit breaker) the external power source (e.g., a wall outlet).

[0063] 6, components of an exemplary computing system 400 of a wearable computing device 300 that can be utilized in accordance with various embodiments are illustrated. In particular, as shown, the computing system 400 may also include at least one controller 402 communicatively connected to the electrodes (e.g., first electrode 340 and second electrode 342) described above with reference to FIG. 5. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the controller(s) 202 can be a central processing unit (CPU) or a graphics processing unit (GPU) for executing instructions that can be stored in a memory device 404, such as flash memory or DRAM, among other such options. For example, in one embodiment, the memory device 404 may include RAM, ROM, FLASH memory, or other non-transitory digital data storage and may include a control program including sequences of instructions that, when loaded from the memory device 404 and executed using the controller(s) 402, cause the controller(s) 402 to perform the functions described herein.

[0064] The computing system 400 can include many types of memory, data storage, or computer-readable media, such as data storage for program instructions for execution by a controller or any suitable processor. The same or separate storage can be used for images or data, removable memory can be available for sharing information with other devices, and any number of communication approaches can be utilized for sharing with other devices. Additionally, as shown, the computing system 400 includes a display 406, which can be a touchscreen, organic light-emitting diode (OLED), or liquid crystal display (LCD). However, the device could communicate information through other means, such as through audio speakers, a projector, or by casting the display or streaming data to another device, such as a mobile phone, where an application on the mobile phone displays the data.

[0065] Computing system 400 may include one or more wireless network components 412 operable to communicate with one or more electronic devices within communication range of a particular wireless channel. The wireless channel may be any suitable channel used to allow devices to communicate wirelessly, such as a Bluetooth, cellular, NFC, ultra-wideband (UWB), or Wi-Fi channel. It should be understood that computing system 400 may have one or more conventional wired communication connections known in the art.

[0066] Computing system 400 also includes one or more power components 408, such as an energy storage device 316 operable to be recharged via a conventional plug-in approach. In some implementations, computing system 400 also includes at least one additional input / output device 410 capable of receiving conventional input from a user. This conventional input may include, for example, push buttons, a touchpad, a touchscreen, a wheel, a joystick, a keyboard, a mouse, a keypad, or any other such device or element, by which a user can enter commands into computing system 400. In some implementations, input / output device(s) 410 may be connected by a wireless infrared or Bluetooth or other link. In some implementations, computing system 400 may include a microphone or other audio capture element that accepts voice or other audio commands. For example, in some implementations, computing system 400 may not include any buttons at all, but may be controlled solely by a combination of visual and voice commands, such that a user can control wearable computing device 300 without having to come into contact with the wearable computing device. In some implementations, the input / output device(s) 410 may include one or more of an electrode (e.g., first electrode 340, second electrode 342), an optical sensor, a barometric sensor (e.g., an altimeter, etc.), and the like.

[0067] The computing system 400 may include a driver 414 and at least some combination of one or more emitters 416 and one or more detectors 418 to measure data for one or more metrics of the human body, such as data for a person wearing the wearable computing device 300. In some embodiments, this may include at least one imaging element, such as one or more cameras capable of capturing images of the surrounding environment and imaging a user, people, or objects in the device's vicinity. The image capture element may include any suitable technology, such as a CCD image capture element having sufficient resolution, focusing range, and viewing area to capture images of a user as the user operates the device. Additional image capture elements may also include depth sensors. Methods for capturing images using camera elements with computing devices are well known in the art and will not be described in detail herein. It should be understood that image capture may be performed using a single image, multiple images, periodic imaging, continuous image capture, image streaming, etc. Additionally, the computing system 400 may include the ability to start and / or stop image capture, for example, upon receiving a command from a user, an application, or another device.

[0068] The emitter 416 and detector 418 may also be used to obtain photoplethysmogram (PPG) measurements, in one example. Some PPG techniques rely on detecting light at a single spatial location or on adding signals obtained from two or more spatial locations. Both of these approaches result in a single spatial measurement from which a heart rate (HR) estimate (or other physiological metric) can be determined. In some embodiments, the PPG device uses a single light source (i.e., a single optical path) connected to a single detector. Alternatively, the PPG device may use multiple light sources connected to a single detector or multiple detectors (i.e., two or more optical paths). In other embodiments, the PPG device uses multiple detectors connected to a single light source or multiple light sources (i.e., two or more optical paths). In some cases, the light source(s) may be configured to emit one or more of green, red, infrared (IR) light, and any other suitable wavelengths in the spectrum (e.g., long IR for metabolic monitoring). For example, the PPG device may use a single light source and two or more photodetectors, each configured to detect a specific wavelength or range of wavelengths. In some cases, each detector is configured to detect a different wavelength or wavelength range. In other cases, two or more detectors are configured to detect the same wavelength or wavelength range. In still other cases, one or more detectors are configured to detect a particular wavelength or wavelength range that is different from one or more other detectors. In embodiments using multiple optical paths, the PPG device may determine an average of the signals resulting from the multiple optical paths before determining an HR estimate or other physiological metric.

[0069] Additionally, in one embodiment, the emitter 416 and the detector 418 may be directly or indirectly connected to the controller 402 using driver circuits that enable the controller 402 to drive the emitter 416 and obtain signals from the detector 418. The host computer 422 may communicate with the wireless network component 412 via one or more networks 420, which may include one or more local area networks, wide area networks, UWB, and / or internetworks using either terrestrial or satellite links. In some embodiments, the host computer 422 executes control and / or application programs configured to perform some of the functions described herein.

[0070] While the present subject matter has been described in detail with respect to various specific exemplary embodiments thereof, each example is provided by way of explanation and not as a limitation of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art, upon understanding the foregoing, will readily be able to make modifications, variations, and equivalents to such embodiments. Accordingly, the present disclosure does not exclude the inclusion of such modifications, variations, and / or additions to the present subject matter as would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with other embodiments to yield yet a further embodiment. Accordingly, the present disclosure is intended to cover such modifications, variations, and equivalents.

Claims

1. 1. A computer-implemented method for detecting a micro-short in a charging interface of an electronic device, comprising: obtaining, via one or more processors, an initial voltage measurement of a reference voltage electrically connected to the charging interface of the electronic device; obtaining, via the one or more processors, additional voltage measurements of the reference voltage; detecting the minor short at the charging interface via the one or more processors based at least in part on the initial voltage measurement and the additional voltage measurement of the reference voltage; and via the one or more processors, causing the electronic device to perform one or more control actions in response to detecting the micro-short at the charging interface of the electronic device.

2. 2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein detecting the fine short at the charging interface includes determining, via the one or more processors, that the additional voltage measurement is less than the first voltage measurement by a threshold value indicating the presence of the fine short at the charging interface.

3. 3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the threshold is at least 0.5 volts.

4. 2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein causing the electronic device to perform the one or more control actions includes, via the one or more processors, automatically powering down the electronic device.

5. 2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein causing the electronic device to perform the one or more control actions includes causing, via the one or more processors, a display screen of the electronic device to display a notification prompting a user to perform a maintenance action on the electronic device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the maintenance action includes manually powering down the electronic device.

7. 10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the taking of the initial voltage measurement and the taking of the additional voltage measurement occur while a rechargeable battery of the electronic device is not being charged via an external power source.

8. 2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the micro-short at the charging interface corresponds to a resistance in the range of 2 ohms to 100 ohms.

9. 10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, via the one or more processors, storing the initial voltage measurements in one or more memory devices.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is a wearable computing device.

11. 1. An electronic device comprising: an energy storage device; a charging interface configured to electrically connect an external power source to the energy storage device; a power management circuit including a reference voltage electrically connectable to the charging interface; one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors: obtaining an initial voltage measurement of the reference voltage while the reference voltage is electrically connected to the charging interface of the electronic device; obtaining an additional voltage measurement of the reference voltage; Detecting a minor short at the charging interface based at least in part on the initial voltage measurement and the additional voltage measurement; an electronic device configured to cause the electronic device to perform one or more control actions in response to detecting the micro-short at the charging interface of the electronic device;

12. 12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the power management circuitry includes a switching device electrically connected between the reference voltage and the charging interface, the switching device configured to selectively connect the reference voltage to the charging interface.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the switching device is a transistor.

14. 12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein to detect the fine short, the one or more processors are configured to determine that the additional voltage measurement of the reference voltage is less than the first voltage measurement of the reference voltage by a threshold value that indicates the presence of the fine short in the charging interface.

15. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the one or more control actions include automatically powering down the electronic device.

16. further including a display screen; The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the one or more control actions include causing the display screen to display a notice prompting a user to perform a maintenance action on the electronic device.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the maintenance action comprises manually powering down the electronic device.

18. 12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are configured to obtain the initial voltage measurement and the additional voltage measurement while the energy storage device is not being charged via the external power source.

19. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the charging interface includes a Universal Serial Bus (USB) charging port.

20. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the energy storage device comprises a rechargeable battery.

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