Communication Apparatus Charging Reminder for Peripheral Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users often forget to charge connected audio equipment, such as headsets, at inconvenient times due to their longer charging intervals compared to mobile devices, leading to limited mobility and usability issues when the audio equipment's battery discharges.
Innovation Solution
A communication apparatus with a wireless transceiver, battery monitor, and estimator that detects low-battery conditions in connected peripheral devices and notifies the user to charge them at the same time as the main device's charging, using a combination of status signals and estimation methods to determine optimal charging times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If the charging interval of audio equipment is much larger than the charging interval of the mobile phone, then the audio equipment battery lasts longer between charges, but the user is more likely to forget about charging the audio equipment at inconvenient times
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by detecting low-battery conditions in peripheral devices and notifying the user in advance before the battery is fully depleted. The estimator predicts when the peripheral device will need charging and prompts the user beforehand, allowing the user to plan charging at convenient times rather than reacting to urgent battery depletion.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring battery status of connected peripheral devices through status signals and providing notifications to the user. The battery monitor and estimator create a closed-loop system that tracks battery levels and communicates charging needs back to the user, enabling informed charging decisions.
2Productivity
If the user charges the audio equipment separately from the main device, then the charging schedules can be optimized independently, but the user mobility is limited and usability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the charging operations of the main device and peripheral devices by detecting when both are connected to charging sources and providing synchronized notifications. This allows the user to charge multiple devices simultaneously at convenient times, maintaining optimal charging efficiency while preserving user mobility and avoiding the need to manage separate charging schedules.
3Ease of operation
If the communication apparatus monitors and estimates battery status of connected peripheral devices, then the user is prompted to charge peripheral devices at convenient times, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves multi-functionality by using existing communication apparatus components (wireless transceiver, battery monitor, notification system) to perform multiple functions: monitoring main device battery status, detecting peripheral device battery status through status signals, estimating charging needs, and providing unified notifications. This approach improves charging convenience without requiring entirely new specialized hardware for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication apparatus (1), such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer or a laptop computer, provides charging reminders to the user of a connected peripheral device (14), such as a headset. The charging reminders are provided in dependence on an auxiliary status signal (AS) received from the peripheral device (14) and on detected charging events (ME), wherein a main charging event (ME) comprises a charging or replacement of a main battery (2) that energizes the communication apparatus (1). The auxiliary status signal (AS) indicates an auxiliary energy level (AL) of an auxiliary battery (15) of the peripheral device (14). The communication apparatus (1) detects low-battery conditions (LC), based on the indicated auxiliary energy level (AL), and provides notification signals (NS) for a user interface (11) to notify the user of the detected low-battery conditions (LC) in response to the detected main charging events (ME).The communication apparatus (1) acts to notify the user to conveniently charge or replace the auxiliary battery (15) of the peripheral device (14) together with the main battery (2) and thus prevent that the auxiliary battery (15) becomes discharged in the interval before a subsequent charging or replacement of a main battery (2). The communication apparatus (1) may aid its user in reducing the number of times a peripheral device (14) becomes inoperable due to a discharge of the battery (15).