Battery Charge Indicator Segmentation for Accessible Energy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable electronic devices face challenges in accurately representing battery status due to environmental and usage factors, leading to user frustration and mistrust in battery indicators.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device determines and displays both accessible and inaccessible battery charge, using temperature and discharge rate thresholds to provide accurate feedback, along with icons and numerical values, to inform users about available and unavailable battery energy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a single battery indicator is displayed showing total charge, then the display is simple and easy to understand, but it provides inaccurate information about actually available energy under environmental constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The battery charge indicator is segmented into multiple components: total charge indicator, accessible charge indicator, and inaccessible charge indicator. This segmentation allows the system to display different aspects of battery status separately, providing accurate information about available energy while maintaining clear visual distinction between different charge types.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a temporal dimension to the battery indicator by showing not just current charge level but also predicted future charge levels under different environmental conditions. This multi-dimensional approach provides comprehensive battery status information without overwhelming the user.
2Loss of information
If the battery indicator shows only total charge, then the information is easy to interpret, but users cannot make informed decisions about power usage under varying environmental conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The battery information is segmented into distinct components: total charge, accessible charge, and inaccessible charge. Each segment serves a specific purpose in helping users understand battery status, with visual cues making the information hierarchy clear and easy to interpret.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback about battery status by showing predicted charge levels under different environmental conditions. This feedback loop helps users understand how environmental factors affect battery performance and enables informed power usage decisions.
3Reliability
If environmental factors are considered in battery charge calculation, then accessible charge is accurately determined, but the system complexity increases due to multiple monitoring parameters
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculations of accessible charge based on environmental factors before the user needs the information. By pre-computing predicted charge levels under different conditions, the system reduces real-time computational complexity while maintaining high reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts battery charge parameters based on environmental conditions such as temperature and discharge rate. By monitoring these parameters and adjusting the accessible charge calculation accordingly, the system maintains reliable battery status information without requiring complex real-time analysis of all factors simultaneously.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances user awareness and trust by providing intuitive and accurate battery status information, allowing users to manage power usage effectively and improve their experience.
Implementation Method 1
a temperature sensor of (or associated with) the electronic device
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device that displays a battery status is described. In particular, based on the occurrence or presence of an environmental condition (such as an extrinsic environmental factor and/or a current electronic-device usage factor), the electronic device may determine an inaccessible-charge condition of a battery in the electronic device. For example, the environmental condition may include: a temperature of the battery less than the temperature threshold value; and/or a discharge rate of the battery greater than the discharge threshold value. In response to the inaccessible-charge condition, the electronic device may display indications of two or more battery-charge parameters, including: an accessible battery charge, an inaccessible battery charge that is currently unavailable for use because of the environmental condition, and/or a total battery charge.