Single-Chip Battery Gauge Integrating Storage and Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery power gauging methods for portable devices suffer from low accuracy when measuring output voltage, leading to user inconvenience and high costs due to the need for high-cost batteries and multiple ICs, making devices unaffordable for many users.
Innovation Solution
A single chip system comprising a power management unit, storage unit, and control unit that receives signals from a battery, outputs parameters, temporarily stores them, and calculates the remaining charge, updating when the system wakes up from sleep mode, eliminating the need for high-cost batteries and multiple ICs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a high-cost battery with embedded circuit is used, then battery power gauging accuracy is improved, but device cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the battery gauge IC and EEPROM into a single integrated chip, eliminating the need for separate EEPROM components and reducing overall device complexity and cost while maintaining accurate battery power gauging functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a cost-effective single-chip solution that replicates the functionality of expensive multi-component systems, providing the same measurement precision through an integrated design that is more affordable for mass market devices
2Measurement precision
If multiple ICs are used for battery gauging, then measurement accuracy is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the battery gauge IC and EEPROM into a single integrated chip, reducing the total number of ICs from multiple separate components to one unified component, thereby simplifying device architecture while preserving measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated chip performs multiple functions including battery gauge operations and data storage that were previously handled by separate ICs, eliminating the need for additional components and reducing overall device complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A method for evaluating a remaining electric charge of a battery that is utilized for supplying a single chip system includes: receiving signals from the battery and outputting parameters corresponding to the received signals; temporarily storing the parameters; and calculating the remaining electric charge, and when the single chip system wakes up from a sleep mode, updating the remaining electric charge according to the temporarily stored parameters. An associated single chip system includes: a power management unit for receiving signals from a battery and outputting parameters corresponding to the received signals; a storage unit, coupled to the power management unit, for temporarily storing the parameters; and a control unit, coupled to the storage unit, for calculating a remaining electric charge, wherein when the single chip system wakes up from a sleep mode, the control unit updates the remaining electric charge according to the parameters from the storage unit.