Battery capacity indicator

Abstract

The present technology relates to a capacity indicator for use with a battery. One aspect of the present technology provides an improved activation circuit for a capacity indicator that is easy to use and reduces the likelihood of false alarms. Another aspect of the present technology provides an improved indicator that can indicate battery capacity without requiring the use of expensive battery labels such as thermochromic strips. Another aspect of the present technology provides a capacity determination circuit housed within the battery that can provide a more accurate indication of battery capacity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a capacity indicator for use within a battery. This technology can find particular application in rechargeable batteries or intelligent batteries. However, this should not be considered as limiting the scope of the technology.

Background Art

[0002] Batteries are required and used in almost every household around the world. In total, it is thought that 350 AA batteries and 150 AAA batteries are purchased every second, every day. The main types of household batteries available are alkaline batteries, lithium batteries, nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, and nickel-cadmium (NiCD) batteries. There are primary batteries that are non-rechargeable and secondary batteries that can be recharged from an external power source.

[0003] Batteries have a rated capacity, usually expressed in milliampere-hours (mAh) or ampere-hours (Ah). This rated capacity can be used to estimate the run time of a device when the current draw of the device is known. However, this requires a certain degree of knowledge on the part of the battery user. Further, in devices that require multiple batteries, the user must be able to determine whether the batteries are connected in series or in parallel in order to accurately estimate the remaining run time.

[0004] Also, using the rated capacity to determine the run time of a device is only valid when the battery is new and has not yet been used. Even unused batteries self-discharge over time. This means that the available energy can be significantly less than the rated capacity of the battery.

[0005] A battery tester is available to determine the remaining capacity of a battery. These devices are typically much larger than the battery being tested and have an LED or display to indicate the battery capacity to the user. These battery testers typically operate by monitoring the terminal voltage of the battery and, in some cases, applying a load to the battery to see how the terminal voltage changes. This approach can be used to estimate the capacity of the battery.

[0006] These battery testers are often costly, bulky, and inconvenient to use. Also, the accuracy of these testers depends on how well the chemical properties of the battery being tested match the reference chemical property data inside the tester. Unless the battery tester is compatible with the type of battery being tested, there is a high likelihood that the accuracy of the battery tester will be limited.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need to provide a simple means for indicating the capacity or operating time of a battery to the average battery user.

[0008] One approach has been patented by Duracell in U.S. Patent No. 5,612,151. This uses a thermochromic liquid crystal strip that changes color when heated. This thermochromic strip is activated when pressure is applied to a specific area of the battery. By applying pressure to these areas, a resistive element is connected between the heated battery terminals, thereby heating the thermochromic strip. The result is a color change within the thermochromic strip, which can be used to provide a rough indication of the remaining capacity of the battery.

[0009] The advantage of the Duracell approach is that each battery has a built-in tester of its own, eliminating the need to use a bulky external battery tester. However, this approach has a number of limitations. For one, since the capacity indication is temperature-dependent, the resulting indication may vary depending on the temperature of the ambient environment. Additionally, since this approach relies on heating a thermochromic strip, there may be a short delay while the temperature of the strip rises. Also, heating the thermochromic strip in this way places a load on the battery, causing the battery to discharge during the test. As a result, batteries that employ this technology typically have an activation region that requires being strongly pressed to activate, thereby reducing the likelihood that the test circuit will accidentally activate and drain the battery when not needed. Another disadvantage of requiring a strong press on the activation region is that the test circuit may be difficult to activate by children, the infirm, or the elderly.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0010]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0011] An object of the present invention is to provide an improved battery capacity indicator and / or a battery provided with a battery capacity indicator.

[0012] Alternatively, an object of the present invention is to provide a battery capacity indicator and / or a battery provided with a battery capacity indicator that at least partially addresses one or more of the problems outlined above.

[0013] Alternatively, an object of the present invention is to provide at least a useful option for the public.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0014] According to a first aspect of the present technology, a battery capacity indicator is provided.

[0015] According to a second aspect of the present technology, a battery including a battery capacity indicator is provided.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present technology, a battery including an electronic device configured to convey one or more parameters of the battery to a user is provided.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present technology, a startup circuit, a capacity determination circuit, an indicator, and a battery capacity indicator comprising: the startup circuit is configured to activate the capacity determination circuit when receiving an external input, the capacity determination circuit is configured to determine the capacity of the battery power supply and relay a signal representing the capacity to the indicator, the indicator is configured to indicate the capacity to the user, a battery capacity indicator is provided, wherein the capacity determination circuit is configured to be housed within the battery.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present technology, a battery comprising: a power supply, a housing having a positive terminal and a negative terminal, at least one electronic circuit operably connected between the battery power supply and the positive terminal and / or the negative terminal, is provided. A battery is provided, wherein the electronic circuit is configured to communicate at least one parameter of the battery from the outside to the housing when receiving an external input.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present technology, a startup circuit, a capacity determination circuit, and an indicator comprise a battery capacity indicator, wherein the startup circuit is configured to activate the capacity determination circuit when receiving a series of external inputs, the capacity determination circuit is configured to determine the capacity information of the battery power supply and relay a signal representing the capacity to the indicator, the indicator is configured to indicate the capacity information to the user, and a battery capacity indicator is provided, wherein the capacity determination circuit is configured to be housed within the battery.

[0020] According to another aspect of the present technology, a housing, a power supply, and a capacity determination circuit comprise a housing, a startup circuit, an indicator, comprise a battery, wherein the startup circuit is configured to activate the capacity determination circuit when receiving a series of external inputs, the capacity determination circuit is configured to determine the capacity information of the power supply and relay a signal representing the capacity to the indicator, and an indicator is configured to indicate the capacity information to the user, and a battery is provided.

[0021] In one form of the present technology, at least one electronic circuit comprises the battery capacity indicator of the above-described aspect of the present technology, and at least one parameter of the battery includes the capacity of the power supply.

[0022] Preferably, the battery may be a rechargeable battery. That is, the power source may be a rechargeable power source. For example, the battery can include lithium-based or nickel-based chemistry such as Li-ion, Li-po, NiMH, or NiCD. In one embodiment, the power source can include one or more lithium-ion batteries.

[0023] Preferably, the housing can have an AA or AAA form factor. However, this should not be considered as limiting the scope of the present technology.

[0024] Preferably, the startup circuit can be configured to switch the electronic circuit / capacitance determination circuit between a low-power state or an off state and a startup state. For example, the startup circuit can be configured to provide an interrupt to the processor or to change one or more power rails within the electronic circuit / capacitance determination circuit.

[0025] Preferably, in the low-power state, the current draw of the electronic circuit / capacitance determination circuit can be less than 10 μA.

[0026] Preferably, the startup circuit can include input means for receiving an external input. The input means can include sensors such as an accelerometer, a microphone, an optical sensor, a pressure sensor, or a gyroscope, or a combination of sensors. Alternatively, the input means can be touch-based, such as a mechanical, capacitive, inductive, or resistive touch interface or button, for example.

[0027] Preferably, the startup circuit may require a plurality of external input devices before startup.

[0028] Preferably, the indicator may be a visual indicator such as a light emitting diode (LED). However, in alternative embodiments, the indicator may be an auditory or tactile indicator such as a buzzer, a speaker, or a vibration motor. In some embodiments, the indicator may be configured to indicate the capacity through a plurality of indication modes.

[0029] Preferably, the indicator can be located inside the housing. However, in alternative embodiments, the indicator can be located outside the housing, for example, embedded in a label on the outside of at least a portion of the housing or located under the label.

[0030] Preferably, the housing can include a translucent region or a transparent region. The transparent region or the translucent region can be configured to make the light from the visual indicator visible from outside the battery housing. Further, it should be recognized that the label can have a transparent region or a translucent region to enable the light from the visual indicator to be visible with higher reliability.

[0031] Preferably, the electronic circuit / capacity determination circuit can include a processor. However, in alternative embodiments, the electronic circuit / capacity determination circuit can include a separate electronic device.

[0032] Preferably, the electronic circuit / capacity determination circuit can be configured to determine the capacity of the battery by one or more of the following methods: - Measuring the voltage of the power supply, - Accumulating the charge discharged from or charged to the power supply (e.g., Coulomb counting), - Calculating the internal resistance of the power supply by measuring the voltage of the power supply at one or more load currents, for example, - Estimating the capacity of the battery based on time, that is, approximating the self-discharge of the battery, and - Comparing the discharge reaction of the battery with the known discharge curve for the given chemistry of the battery.

[0033] Preferably, at least one parameter / quantity may be one or more of the following: - The remaining capacity of the battery (e.g., relative or absolute remaining capacity), - The rated capacity of the battery, - The voltage of the power source, such as instantaneous voltage, average voltage, or historical voltage, e.g., the maximum or minimum value observed, - The current flowing into or out of the power source, such as instantaneous current, average current, or historical current, e.g., the maximum or minimum value observed, - The temperature of the power source, such as instantaneous temperature, average temperature, or historical temperature, e.g., the maximum or minimum value observed, - An estimate of the amount of time the battery will continue to operate based on the most recent or average discharge current, - An estimate of the amount of time until the battery is charged, - An indication of the health state of the battery. For example, in a rechargeable battery, the electronic device can provide an indication of how much the maximum capacity of the battery has deteriorated from the rated capacity over time / over multiple charge cycles. - Historical data about the battery, such as the age of the battery, the number of charge / discharge cycles, etc.

[0034] The advantages of the technology will become apparent from the present disclosure. However, these advantages can include a battery capacity indicator that is easy to use, low cost, small in size, and / or has higher accuracy than existing product offerings.

[0035] Another aspect of the technology, which will be considered in all novel aspects of the technology, will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description that provides at least one example of the practical use of the technology.

[0036] With reference to the following drawings, and without intending to be limiting, one or more embodiments of the present technology will be described below merely by way of example.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0037]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0038] Overview of the Battery In a broad sense, preferred embodiments of the present technology relate to a battery capacity indicator. To assist in the above considerations, first, the components of this embodiment will be highly considered below with reference to FIG. 1.

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a simplified diagram of a battery 100 according to an embodiment of the present technology. For the sake of simplicity of the above considerations, the battery 100 is depicted as an AA battery such as is known to those skilled in the art. However, this should not be considered as limiting the scope of the present technology, and other battery sizes may be used without departing from the scope of the present technology. For example, the battery 100 can have any other form factor known to those skilled in the art, including, for example, in the form of AA, AAA, C, D, 9V, coin cells, button cells, or, for example, the batteries of mobile phones, drones, and vehicles.

[0040] The battery 100 includes a power source 102 that can include one or more primary (non-rechargeable) or secondary (rechargeable) batteries. The power source 102 is operably connected to the positive terminal 104 and the negative terminal 106 of the battery 100 to provide an output voltage to the battery. The positive terminal 104 and the negative terminal 106 are included as part of the housing 108. The power source 102 is housed inside the housing 108.

[0041] Another aspect of the present technology is the inclusion of an electronic device 110 within the housing 108 of the battery 100. The inclusion of the electronic device 100 within the battery 100 can provide a number of advantages, including the ability to: - provide an output voltage different from the voltage of the power source 102, - regulate the charging of the internal power source 102, - monitor the health and capacity of the internal power source 102, - provide other sophisticated features described herein.

[0042] Throughout this specification, reference to an "intelligent" or "smart" battery is to be understood as having a battery incorporating an electronic device 110 for complementing the battery or providing additional functionality to the battery in other ways, not just for power supply. One use for the contents of the electronic device 110 within the battery housing 108 is described in PCT Publication WO2017 / 043979, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. One embodiment described in WO2017 / 043979 relates to the use of an electronic device 110 for regulating the voltage of an internal power source to provide a constant or substantially constant output voltage. Thus, a battery employing this technology is not compatible with existing capacity determination circuits that rely on measuring the output voltage as an indication of the battery's capacity.

[0043] Although the electronic device 110 is shown as being fully located within the housing 108 of the battery 100, it should be appreciated that one or more components of the electronic device 110 may instead or in addition be located within separate portions of the battery 100, such as the terminals 104, 106, or may be embedded within or otherwise disposed beneath the label 112. The label 112 is outside at least a portion of the housing 108 and may, for example, surround the outer surface of the housing 108 or be attached to the outer surface of the housing 108 in various embodiments.

[0044] Overview of the Electronic Product FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an electronic component 110 according to a preferred embodiment of the present technology. The electronic component 110 can include a battery capacity indicator configured to provide an indication of the battery 100 in which the electronic component 110 is housed.

[0045] As shown, the electronic component 110 can have one or more of the following: - A capacity determination circuit 200, - An activation circuit 202, - An indicator 204, and - An input / output electronic device 206.

[0046] Each of these components may be operably connected to the internal power source 102 and / or the terminals 104, 106 of the battery 110. The functions of each of these components are considered below.

[0047] Capacity determination circuit The capacity determination circuit 200 is configured to determine the capacity of the power source 102 of the battery 100. This information is relayed to the indicator 204 through a signal representing the determined capacity of the power source 102, as will be considered in more detail later.

[0048] Throughout this specification, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, references to "determining" or "determined" capacity shall be understood to include both an exact measurement of the capacity of the power source (or a parameter indicative of the capacity of the power source) and also an approximation or estimation of the capacity of the power source.

[0049] The capacity determination circuit 200 may be configured to determine the capacity of the battery 100 in a number of different ways. For example, the capacity determination circuit 200 may be able to determine the capacity of the battery 100 using one or more of the following methods: - Measuring the voltage of the power source 102, - Accumulating the charge discharged from or charged to the power source 102 (e.g., Coulomb counting), - Calculating the internal resistance of the power source 102 by measuring the voltage of the power source 102 at one or more load currents (e.g., the capacity determination circuit 200 may be able to measure the voltage of the power source 102 under substantially zero load conditions and then apply a known load such as a 50 mA load and measure the voltage again to determine how much the voltage has dropped across the internal resistance of the battery 100), - Estimating the capacity of the battery 100 based on time, i.e., approximating the self-discharge of the battery, and - Comparing the discharge reaction of the battery 100 with the known discharge curve for the given chemistry of the battery.

[0050] Those skilled in the art will appreciate the components suitable for determining the capacity of the battery 100 using these methods.

[0051] It should be understood that the capacity determination circuit 200 may be configured to determine the capacity of the battery 100 using one or more of the above methods. For example, in cost-sensitive applications, it may be sufficient to simply estimate the capacity based only on the measurement of the voltage of the power source 102. In contrast, in applications that require accurate measurements, the capacity determination can include a combination of voltage measurement, Coulomb counting, and calculation of the internal battery resistance.

[0052] The capacity determination circuit 200 need not be capable of achieving an absolute determination of the capacity, and in some applications, a relative measurement such as a percentage indication of the total rated capacity may be sufficient. For example, in a battery 100 that includes a lithium-ion power source 102, a measured voltage of 4.2V may be related to approximately 100% capacity, 3.9V may be related to approximately 75% charge capacity, 3.75V may be related to approximately 50% capacity, 3.7V may be related to approximately 25% capacity, and 3V may be related to approximately 0% capacity.

[0053] This discussion is made in relation to a capacity determination circuit 200 configured to determine battery capacity through direct determination methods, but this should not be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments of the present technology. In some embodiments, the capacity determination circuit 200 may be configured to determine, alternatively and / or in addition, the battery capacity or one or more parameters of the battery 100 that can be considered as indirectly representing the following: - The remaining capacity of the battery 100 (e.g., relative or absolute remaining capacity), - The rated capacity of the battery 100, - For example, the voltage of power supply 102, such as instantaneous voltage, average voltage, or historical voltage, such as the maximum or minimum value observed. - For example, the current flowing into or out of power supply 102, such as instantaneous current, average current, or historical current, such as the maximum or minimum value observed. - For example, the temperature of power supply 102, such as instantaneous temperature, average temperature, or historical temperature, such as the maximum or minimum value observed. - An estimated value of the amount of time that battery 100 will continue to operate based on the latest or average discharge current. - An estimated value of the amount of time until battery 100 is charged. - An indication of the health state of battery 100. For example, in a rechargeable battery, the electronic device 110 can provide an indication of how much the maximum capacity of the battery has deteriorated from the rated capacity over time / over multiple charge cycles. - Historical data about battery 100, such as, for example, the age of the battery, the number of charge / discharge cycles.

[0054] In one embodiment of the present technology, the capacity determination circuit 200 has a processor 300 shown in FIG. 3. Preferably, the processor 300 includes one or more electrical connections 302 to the power supply 102. For example, the processor 300 can be configured to measure the voltage of one or more batteries of the power supply 102 by operably connecting these batteries to an analog input device on the processor 300 (either directly or via an intermediate electronic device 110 such as a voltage divider). Thus, the processor 300 can be configured to implement an analog-to-digital conversion of the voltage to determine the capacity of the battery 100.

[0055] It should be recognized that the capacitance determination circuit 200 can further include one or more current sensing elements that are in series with the power supply 102. For example, these current sensing elements can be resistors such as the current sensing resistor 304. The current sensing resistor 304 typically has a resistance on the order of milliohms so as not to adversely affect the performance of the battery 100. By measuring the differential voltage across the current sensing resistor 304, it may be possible to determine the magnitude of the current flowing in the circuit. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the differential voltage can first be amplified, for example, by an operational amplifier for providing a larger voltage signal to the processor 300.

[0056] In one embodiment of the present technology, the processor 300 can be configured to enter one or more low power states or a power off state, such as a sleep state. By using the low power state, advantageously, the total power draw on the battery 100 can be reduced, thereby extending the useful life of the battery 100. For example, it may be advantageous to reduce the current draw of the electronic device 110 to less than 10 μA during the low power state. This low power state can be achieved by reducing the clock speed of the processor 300, removing power to certain peripherals of the processor 300, reducing the voltage of one or more power rails that supply the processor 300, and combinations of the above measures. Alternatively, in some embodiments, it may be advantageous to completely turn off the power supply of the processor 300 when not in use to further reduce the current draw in the low power state.

[0057] One means of transitioning the processor 300 from the low-power state to the active state is to provide a startup circuit 202, which will be discussed in more detail later. For example, this startup circuit 202 can be configured to generate an interrupt that switches the processor 300 back to its normal power state, or alternatively, to simply provide a signal that instructs the processor 300 that it must relay information regarding the battery 100 via the indicator 204.

[0058] In applications where power is to be completely removed from the processor 300, it may be advantageous for the startup circuit 202 to latch power to the processor 300 for a predetermined time or until a signal indicating that the task of the processor 300 has been completed is received from the processor 300.

[0059] In an alternative embodiment of the present technology, it may be advantageous to implement the capacitance determination circuit 200 using a separate electronic device 110. This can advantageously provide a low-cost solution and / or reduce the footprint compared to alternative embodiments that include the processor 300. A circuit diagram illustrative of one means of providing a low-cost capacitance determination circuit 200 that operates using a separate electronic device 110 is shown in FIG. 4.

[0060] In this embodiment, a series of operational amplifiers or comparators 400 are used to indicate one or more LEDs 402 for providing an indication of battery voltage and thus capacity. Briefly, this circuit operates by establishing a fixed reference value 404 at each conversion input 406 of the comparator 400 and comparing these fixed reference values 404 with the voltage of the power supply 102 provided at the non-conversion input 408 on the comparator 400. When the voltage at the non-conversion input 408 exceeds the voltage at the conversion input 406, the output of the comparator 400 goes high and the LED 402 lights up. Thus, the specific threshold for enabling each LED 402 can be set by varying the values of the resistors within the resistor divider chain 410 or alternatively by providing different fixed voltage reference values 404.

[0061] It will be recognized that this example is provided merely as an example and that alternative means for implementing capacity determination using a separate electronic device 110 will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Further, specific aspects of this design, such as generating appropriate voltage reference values, are well known to those skilled in the art and can be achieved, for example, by using a Zener diode or similar reference. Further, it will be recognized that the divider chain 410 shown in FIG. 4 is provided merely as an example. In an alternative embodiment, each non-conversion input 408 can be integrally joined and can have a common connection to the power supply 102. In this embodiment, the switching threshold is defined by the reference voltage used only at the conversion input 406. Further, it will be recognized that the connections to the conversion input 406 and the non-conversion input 406 are somewhat arbitrary, similar to the output state of the comparator 400. For example, instead, a fixed reference value may be provided at the non-conversion input 408 or the reference value of the power supply 102 may be provided at the conversion input 406. Similarly, indicating with an LED can be reconfigured to be possible when the output of the comparator 400 goes low.

[0062] Furthermore, it is advantageous for the capacity determination circuit 200 to have low power consumption. By doing so, the battery capacity is not advantageously reduced by the determination of the battery capacity itself. This can be achieved by a number of techniques according to various embodiments of the present technology.

[0063] In one embodiment, the electronic components 110 of the capacity determination circuit 200 can be selected and / or configured to reduce the total power consumption of the circuit. For example, low-power consumption components can be selected, and the voltage divider network can be configured to have high-impedance components to reduce the total power draw.

[0064] In an alternative embodiment, it may be advantageous to avoid powering the capacity determination circuit 200 when it is not in use. By doing so, when the battery capacity is not actively determined, the capacity determination circuit 200 draws little or no power. For example, the capacity determination circuit 200 can be powered by a common power rail that can be switched off and on as needed.

[0065] In an embodiment including the processor 300, it may be advantageous to switch the processor 300 to a low-power operating mode when the capacity determination is not actively realized. This can be achieved, for example, by putting the processor 300 in a sleep state until an interrupt is received to return the processor 300 to an active state. In a preferred embodiment, the processor 300 is configured to enter an active state based on a signal from the startup circuit 202. When in the active state, the processor 300 can determine the battery capacity and relay a signal representing the capacity to the indicator 204. When this process is completed, the processor 300 can return to its sleep state again.

[0066] Startup circuit One aspect of an embodiment of the present technology is a startup circuit 202 configured to activate a capacitance determination circuit 200. By using the startup circuit 202, advantageously, the total power consumption of the electronic device 110 can be reduced compared to the case of having a capacitance determination circuit 200 that is permanently in an activated state, and as a result, the total power draw on the battery 100 is reduced.

[0067] The above consideration refers to the startup circuit 202 when "starting up" the capacitance determination circuit 200. Throughout this specification, it should be understood that referring to the startup of the capacitance determination circuit 200 includes activating the circuit from a low-power state or an off state and / or providing power to the capacitance determination circuit 200.

[0068] It may be advantageous to completely house the startup circuit 202 within the housing 108 of the battery 100 as shown in FIG. 1. However, this should not be considered as limiting the embodiments of the present technology. By completely housing the electronic device 110 within the housing 108 of the battery 100, in some cases, a low-cost solution can be provided that can be achieved without the need for any components embedded in the battery label 112. In addition, by housing the electronic device 110 within the housing 108 of the battery 100, a certain degree of protection against damage can be provided.

[0069] In the application of a smart battery, there may be additional benefits to having the startup circuit 202 and / or the capacitance determination circuit 200 inside the battery 100. Specifically, it may be possible to use the existing electronic device 110 or adapt the existing electronic device 110 to implement the functionality of the smart battery for realizing the capacitance determination / startup functionality as well.

[0070] In a preferred embodiment of the present technology, the startup circuit 202 utilizes input means in the form of a sensor, which, after sensing an appropriate input, causes the generation of a startup signal. For example, the sensor may be an accelerometer, a microphone, an optical sensor, a pressure sensor, an acoustic sensor, or a gyroscope. Alternatively, the input means may be touch-based, such as a mechanical, capacitive, inductive, or resistive touch interface or button, for example.

[0071] It may be advantageous for the startup circuit 202 to require a specific series of inputs from the sensor before activating the capacitance determination circuit 200. By doing so, it may be possible to reduce the occurrence of unintended startups. For example, when an accelerometer is used, it may be advantageous for the startup circuit 202 to require one or more acceleration values that conform to one or more predetermined states or exceed a predetermined threshold. For example, the predetermined state or threshold may be configured such that the startup circuit requires two or more short-term acceleration values of relatively high amplitude, such as those obtained by two or more impacts on the battery 100. For example, it may be necessary for the battery 100 to be lightly applied to a hard surface two or more times to activate the startup circuit 202. Additionally, the startup circuit may be required to provide a specific series of inputs within a predetermined period, such as two seconds, to further reduce the likelihood of unintended startups.

[0072] The use of the accelerometer in the above example should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the present technology. Regardless of the form of the sensor, it should be understood that the activation circuit 202 can be configured using one or more predetermined conditions or thresholds for a series of inputs, such as frequency, duration, direction, strength, or timing. For example, when a sound sensor is used, the activation circuit 202 can be configured to be activated when it receives a series of inputs that meet one or more predetermined conditions or exceed one or more predetermined thresholds related to the signal sensed by the sound sensor, such as frequency, duration, strength (i.e., volume or amplitude). Furthermore, it should be recognized that the predetermined conditions can be composed of small thresholds that require the frequency of the input to be less than a specific threshold or to occur within a time with a frequency less than a predetermined value. In some embodiments, the activation circuit can be configured to use a pattern recognition method to recognize patterns in one or more received signals to determine that a series of inputs is sufficiently similar to a predetermined pattern required to activate the capacitance determination circuit (e.g., within a specific threshold range of parameters characterizing the pattern of the input signal).

[0073] The detection of the required series of inputs can be implemented using a processor 300 that is appropriately programmed. For example, the processor 300 can be configured to monitor the state of the sensor (or to perform activation with the input from the sensor) to ensure that an input is received at an appropriate timing and / or strength to operate the activation circuit 202. In some embodiments, the sensor can be configured to generate or interrupt an output signal only when the input signal reaches a predetermined threshold based on strength, direction, and / or duration. This approach can advantageously make it possible to keep the processor 300 in an off state or a low-power state until an appropriate input signal is received.

[0074] In an alternative embodiment, the detection of the required sequence can be performed using a separate electronic device 110. For example, filtering can be applied to the input signal, and as a result, the input signal containing the desired frequency, duration, strength, and / or sequence will be sent to the activation circuit 202, and instead, signals outside the desired parameter range will be attenuated or ignored. Selecting an appropriate separate electronic device 110 is determined by the desired activation sequence and will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0075] FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of an operation method of the activation circuit 202 according to an embodiment of the present technology. As shown, the idle state of the system is a state for putting the capacitance determination circuit 200 into a sleep state, in which the circuit becomes inactive. When the activation circuit 202 is activated by a sensor input, the circuit checks whether an accurate sequence input is provided. If an accurate sequence is not provided within a predetermined time, the electronic device 110 returns to the sleep state. If an accurate sequence is provided, the capacitance determination circuit 200 is activated, a determination is made, and a signal representing the determined capacitance is relayed to the indicator 204. In this case, the electronic device 110 is configured to return to the sleep state again.

[0076] When a load is drawn from the power supply 102, it may be further advantageous for the activation circuit 202 or other components of the present technology to stop the operation of the capacitance determination circuit 200. For example, when the battery 100 is used within a product, by stopping the operation of the capacitance determination circuit 200 in this state, advantageously, the draw of the idle current of the battery 100 can be reduced.

[0077] Capacitance indicator In a preferred embodiment of the present technology, the capacity of the battery 100 is indicated to the user via the indicator 204. The indicator can be configured to provide an indication of the battery capacity with an appropriate or selected accuracy. For example, in one embodiment, the indicator can provide an indication of the capacity that is relatively accurate, such as a percentage number or other quantitative indication for the remaining capacity, while in other embodiments, the indicator can provide an appropriate indication of the capacity, such as a quantitative indication or discrete classification of the capacity, such as small capacity / medium capacity / large capacity, etc. In some embodiments, the indicator 204 can be a visual indicator such as an LED. However, this should not be considered as limiting the embodiments of the present technology. For example, in addition to or alternatively, an indication can be provided by auditory feedback or tactile feedback using a buzzer, speaker, or vibration mechanism.

[0078] The capacity of the battery 100 can be communicated by any number of ways. For example, if an LED is used, a series of flashes can be used to indicate the charge level, i.e., 5 flashes can indicate a full charge, 3 flashes can indicate a half charge, and 1 flash can indicate a low charge or no charge. Alternatively, multiple colored or tri-color LEDs can be used, and the color of the LED can be used to indicate the charge state, i.e., green can indicate a full charge, orange can indicate a half charge, and red can indicate an empty state.

[0079] Alternative ways of communicating the battery capacity can include a specific series or duration of vibrations, beeps, or flashes, sounds, tones, or even synthetic / recorded speech that announces the charge level.

[0080] In one embodiment, the battery capacity is communicated by an indicator 204 by a battery capacity indicator comprising a suitable programmed processor 300 configured to drive a visual / audio / tactile feedback mechanism such as an LED, buzzer, speaker, or vibration motor. Alternatively, the battery capacity indicator can comprise a separate electronic device 110 configured to control an indicating mechanism. An exemplary implementation that provides a variable pulse sequence is to use a 555 timer. Varying the number of pulses or the pulse rate can be achieved by switching a resistor or capacitor using a switching element such as a transistor in response to the detected capacity. For example, the circuit shown in FIG. 4 can be used to drive the switching element of the 555 circuit other than the LED shown. Again, the selection of a suitable separate electronic device 110 is determined by the desired indication sequence and will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0081] When a visual indicator 204 is used, the visual indicator 204 is preferably installed within the housing 108 of the battery 100. However, in an alternative embodiment, the visual indicator 204 can be located within or under the label 112 of the battery 100. In embodiments where the visual indicator 204 is installed within the housing 108 of the battery 100, it may be advantageous to provide a translucent or transparent region of the housing 108 to enable the light from the visual indicator 204 to be visible to the user.

[0082] In an alternative embodiment of the present technology, the indicator 204 can be configured to relay the capacity information to an external device such as a smartphone, wristwatch, tablet, computer, or other external device. This relaying of the information can be achieved using a wireless communication interface configured to transmit the information via Bluetooth™, WiFi, NFC, or any other suitable wireless network or protocol.

[0083] In another alternative embodiment, the indicator 204 may be configured to relay the capacity information via the terminals 104, 106 of the battery 100. For example, the indicator 204 may use a two-wire communication protocol such as I 2 C to relay the capacity information to an external device via the terminals 104, 106 of the battery 100. Alternatively, when used within a smart battery, the indicator 204 may vary the output voltage of the terminals 104, 106 of the battery 100 to provide an indication of the capacity of the internal power source 102. For example, the startup circuit 202 may be configured to stop the operation of the input / output electronic device 206 or to operably connect the power source 102 to the battery terminals 104, 106, such that a standard capacity detector can be used.

[0084] In another embodiment, the battery 100 may further include an electrical connection for communicating the battery capacity to an external device. For example, the battery label 112 may have a conductive region that provides an electronic signal indicating the capacity of the battery 100. This electronic signal may be analog and, for example, may provide a voltage level indicating the capacity of the battery. Alternatively, as another method, the electronic device may be digital and, for example, the electronic signal may include a series of pulses indicating the capacity of the battery.

[0085] Exemplary embodiment of an electronic device An exemplary electronic circuit 110 included as part of a battery capacity indicator according to an embodiment of the present technology is shown in FIG. 6. In this embodiment, a capacitance determination circuit 200 is provided by a resistor divider having resistors R17 and R20. Since this resistor divider continuously applies a load to the power supply 102, it is desirable to have high-value resistors to minimize the total current draw. For example, refer to the 1.8 MΩ and 2.2 MΩ resistors shown as an example. However, recognize that this constant current draw configuration is provided merely as an example and that in alternative embodiments, a voltage divider can be switched into or out of the circuit as needed. For example, in other embodiments, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art, a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) or a field-effect transistor (FET) can be placed between the battery voltage and R17 or alternatively between R20 and the ground connection.

[0086] Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiment, a 100 nF capacitor C25 is provided that can assist in filtering the input signal, particularly in relation to any conducted or radiated noise that may interfere with voltage measurements.

[0087] By carefully selecting the values of the components within the resistor divider, the voltage present at the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) (pin 4 of the processor 300) will reliably stay within the range of the ADC's rated limits within the expected range of the voltage of the power supply 102.

[0088] Furthermore, an exemplary embodiment of the startup circuit 202 is depicted in FIG. 6. In this embodiment, a dedicated integrated circuit (IC), namely the BMA253 accelerometer made by Bosch Sensortec, is used (see U11). It should be recognized that this IC is one of many possible components suitable for this application. This IC effectively has an interrupt output (pin 5) that can generate an active-low signal to activate the processor 300 from its sleep or idle state when sufficient acceleration is detected. The accelerometer further has an I 2 C interface (see pins 2 and 12 of U11).

[0089] This embodiment further has an indicator 204 in the form of an LED (D3). This LED is configured to be lit by an active-high signal on pin 18 of the processor. However, alternatively or in addition, other suitable ways to drive the LED, as would be apparent to those skilled in the art, may be provided.

[0090] In a preferred embodiment, the circuit shown in FIG. 6 operates as follows: · When a double-tap sequence is detected and the processor is not yet in the startup state, the startup circuit 202 generates an interrupt to activate the processor 300. · The processor 300 measures the voltage on pin 4 indicating the voltage of the power supply 102, · Then, the processor 300 determines the charge state of the power supply 102 using a pre-programmed voltage reference value, · The processor 300 activates the indicator 204 using an appropriate sequence of LED flashes according to the measured capacity.

[0091] One exemplary sequence of flashes may be as follows: · One flash indicating that the power supply has a remaining capacity between 0% and 20%, · Two flashes indicating that the power supply has a remaining capacity between 20% and 40%, · Three flashes indicating that the power source has a remaining capacity between 40% and 60%, · Four flashes indicating that the power source has a remaining capacity between 60% and 80%, · Five flashes indicating that the power source has a remaining capacity between 80% and 100%.

[0092] The above flash sequence is provided merely as an example, and in alternative embodiments of the present technology, any other suitable sequence of flashes that can convey various levels of power capacity may be used. In one alternative embodiment, selectively illuminating light of different colors may be utilized to indicate various power capacity levels. In another alternative embodiment, selectively illuminating the light source at different intensity levels may be used to indicate various power capacity levels.

[0093] The above description relates to preferred examples to explain the present technology. The present technology is not limited to examples and / or drawings only. The reason is that examples and / or drawings merely illustrate the present technology, and possible variations and modifications can be easily apparent without departing from the scope of the present technology.

[0094] Furthermore, although the above description refers to specific circuits of the present technology, it should be understood that these circuits need not be separate from each other. For example, the startup circuit 202 may simply be part of the capacitance determination circuit 200.

[0095] Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout this specification and the claims, words such as "comprise" and "comprising" are to be construed in an inclusive sense rather than an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is, in the sense of "including, but not limited to".

[0096] If present, the entire disclosures of all applications, patents, and publications cited above and below are hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.

[0097] Reference to any prior art in this specification does not admit or in any way suggest that such prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour in any country in the world, nor should it be so construed.

[0098] Also, the technology may, in a broad sense, be described as existing among two or more of the parts, elements, and features of the parts, elements, and features referred to or shown in the specification of this application, individually or collectively, in any and all combinations of these parts, elements, and features.

[0099] In the above description, when whole or components having their known equivalents are referred to, these wholes are incorporated herein as if individually described.

[0100] It should be noted that various changes and modifications to the preferred embodiments of the invention described in this specification will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the technology and without diminishing its attendant advantages. Accordingly, such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the technology.

Claims

1. A startup circuit configured to be housed within a battery, a capacitance determination circuit, an indicator and a battery capacity indicator comprising the same, wherein the startup circuit is configured to activate the capacitance determination circuit when detecting a series of taps with respect to the battery, each tap being detected by detecting an impact on the battery using at least one of an accelerometer, a microphone, a pressure sensor, and a gyroscope, the capacitance determination circuit is configured to determine the capacity of the power supply of the battery when activated and transmit a signal representing the capacity to the indicator, in response to the signal representing the determined capacity, the indicator is configured to show the user information on the capacity representing the determined capacity, a battery capacity indicator.

2. The startup circuit is configured to switch the capacitance determination circuit between a low power state or an off state and an active state, and in the active state, the capacitance determination circuit determines the capacity of the power supply. The battery capacity indicator according to claim 1.

3. The startup circuit is configured to activate the capacitance determination circuit when the series of taps are provided within a predetermined time range. The battery capacity indicator according to any one of claims 1 to 2.

4. The series of taps includes two or more taps with respect to the battery. The battery capacity indicator according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. Further comprising a processor, The startup circuit activates the capacitance determination circuit by providing an interrupt signal to the processor. The battery capacity indicator according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The capacity determination circuit is configured to determine the capacity using one or more of the following methods: a) Measuring the voltage of the power supply; b) Accumulating the charge discharged from or charged to the power supply; c) Calculating the internal resistance of the power supply; d) Estimating the capacity of the battery based on the elapsed time; and e) Comparing the discharge reaction of the battery with a known discharge curve of the chemical properties of the battery. The battery capacity indicator according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the capacity is determined using one or more of the above. **Claim 7** A housing comprising: a power supply, and a capacity determination circuit and a starting circuit, an indicator, wherein the starting circuit is configured to activate the capacity determination circuit when detecting a series of taps, each tap being detected by detecting an impact on the battery using at least one of an accelerometer, a microphone, a pressure sensor, and a gyroscope; the capacity determination circuit is configured to determine the capacity of the power supply when activated and transmit a signal representing the capacity to the indicator; and the indicator is configured to indicate the determined capacity to the user according to the signal representing the capacity. A battery. **Claim 8** The battery according to claim 7, wherein the battery is an AA battery or an AAA battery. **Claim 9** The battery according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the indicator is located inside the housing. **Claim 10**The battery according to claim 9, wherein the housing includes a transparent region or a translucent region, and the indicator is visible through the transparent region or the translucent region.

11. The battery according to claim 7, wherein the indicator is outside the housing.

12. The battery according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the activation circuit is configured to switch the capacitance determination circuit between a low power state or an off state and an activation state, and in the activation state, the capacitance determination circuit determines the capacitance of the power supply.

13. The battery according to any one of claims 7 to 12, wherein the series of taps includes two or more inputs exceeding a threshold of a predetermined strength or duration.

14. The battery according to any one of claims 7 to 12, wherein the activation circuit is configured to activate the capacitance determination circuit when the series of taps are provided within a predetermined time range.

15. Further comprising a processor, The battery according to any one of claims 7 to 12, wherein the activation circuit activates the capacitance determination circuit by providing an interrupt signal to the processor.

16. The capacitance determination circuit is configured to determine the capacitance using one or more of the following methods: a) Measuring the voltage of the power supply; b) Accumulating the charge discharged from or charged to the power supply; c) Calculating the internal resistance of the power supply; d) Estimating the capacitance of the battery based on the elapsed time; and e) Comparing the discharge reaction of the battery with a known discharge curve of the chemical properties of the battery. The battery according to any one of claims 7 to 12.

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