Battery Unit Degradation Detection Using Accumulated Connection Time
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery control systems for non-combustion-type flavor inhalers lack effective degradation detection methods, particularly in miniaturized devices without communication terminals or temperature sensors, leading to inefficient charge and discharge management.
Innovation Solution
A battery unit with a controller that determines power supply degradation based on the accumulated connection time to a charger, using a connection time period to assess the power supply's condition without relying on communication with the charger, and includes features like periodic charging stoppage and notification through light, sound, or vibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the battery unit uses communication terminal or temperature sensor for degradation detection, then the detection accuracy is improved, but the device size and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the degradation detection function from complex communication terminals and temperature sensors, implementing it instead through a simple timer that measures accumulated connection time to the charger. This extraction principle removes unnecessary components while preserving the essential detection capability, directly resolving the contradiction between detection accuracy and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery unit performs self-diagnosis by autonomously measuring its own charging characteristics through the timer. The controller monitors the relationship between charging time and charge amount without external assistance from communication terminals or temperature sensors, enabling the system to serve its own degradation detection needs with minimal additional components.
2Measurement precision
If the battery unit periodically stops charging to measure accumulated connection time, then the degradation detection accuracy is improved, but the charging efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic charging stoppages during the charging process to measure the accumulated connection time. The controller temporarily suspends charging at intervals to record time data, then resumes charging. This periodic action enables accurate degradation detection while minimizing interruption to the overall charging process, balancing measurement precision with charging efficiency.
3Productivity
If the controller continuously monitors connection time without periodic stoppage, then the charging efficiency is improved, but the degradation detection reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs preliminary measurements of charging characteristics during periodic stoppages to establish baseline data for degradation detection. By pre-collecting accurate time and charge amount information at intervals, the system builds a reliable reference framework that enables continuous monitoring without compromising detection reliability, thus resolving the contradiction between charging efficiency and detection reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery unit for a favor inhaler includes a chargeable and dischargeable power supply, a connection part capable of electrically connecting to an external charger, and a controller configured to perform control regarding at least the power supply, wherein when an accumulated value of a connection time period to the charger exceeds a first predetermined time period, the controller determines that the power supply has been degraded.