Capsule Endoscope Battery Charging Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Capsule endoscopes face challenges in efficiently managing battery life due to reduced capacity from repeated charging and discharging, leading to potential interruptions during examinations as existing systems lack precise control over charging times and battery usage.
Innovation Solution
An information management apparatus that calculates and displays the necessary charging time for the receiving device's battery to ensure sufficient capacity for examinations, preventing interruptions and optimizing battery life by only charging what is needed for each procedure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the receiving device is charged repeatedly to ensure sufficient battery capacity for examinations, then the reliability of examination continuity is improved, but the battery capacity degrades due to repeated charging and discharging
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary determination of whether the battery capacity is sufficient before the examination starts. The determination unit compares the necessary remaining capacity (stored in advance for each examination item) with the current remaining capacity, and only charges the battery when insufficient, preventing unnecessary charging cycles that degrade battery life while ensuring examination continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the determination unit continuously monitors battery capacity and compares it against required thresholds. The control unit adjusts charging behavior based on this feedback - charging only when capacity is insufficient and preventing charging when sufficient, thereby optimizing the balance between reliability and battery durability.
2Duration of action of moving object
If the battery is charged to full capacity before each examination, then the duration available for examination is extended, but time is lost due to unnecessary charging cycles
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of always charging to full capacity, the system applies partial charging action - charging the battery only to the extent necessary (the difference between current and required capacity). This prevents excessive charging time while ensuring sufficient duration for the examination, optimizing the trade-off between examination duration and time loss.
3Productivity
If the system monitors and manages battery capacity precisely, then the productivity of examination scheduling is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments battery management into distinct functional units: a remaining battery capacity acquisition unit for monitoring, a storage unit for storing necessary capacity data, a determination unit for comparing capacities, and a control unit for managing charging. This segmentation improves scheduling productivity through precise control while organizing complexity into manageable, independent modules.
Data Source
AI summary
An information management apparatus that is used in a capsule endoscope inspection system including a receiving device operated by a built-in rechargeable battery and that is capable of communicating with the receiving device. The information management apparatus includes: a remaining battery capacity acquisition unit that acquires a current remaining capacity which is a remaining capacity of the battery; a storage unit that stores, for each examination item, a necessary remaining capacity which is a remaining capacity that the battery needs to complete an examination; a determination unit that compares the necessary remaining capacity corresponding to an examination item of a selected examination with the current remaining capacity; a calculation unit that, when the current remaining capacity is smaller than the necessary remaining capacity, calculates a charging time needed to increase the remaining capacity of the battery from the current remaining capacity to the necessary remaining capacity; and a control unit that, when the current remaining capacity is smaller than the necessary remaining capacity, causes a display device to display information on the charging time calculated by the calculation unit.