Synchronous Power Gauge for Battery Charge Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional power gauges in electronic devices consume substantial power from batteries due to the continuous operation of high-resolution analog to digital converters, which is inefficient, especially in devices with varying current demands.
Innovation Solution
A synchronous power gauge that uses a synchronization signal to enable and disable the analog to digital converter and accumulator based on the device's power mode, reducing power consumption by sampling current only during operating power modes and using separate amplifiers for low power modes to maintain accuracy without high-resolution converters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a high-resolution analog to digital converter operates continuously to measure current drawn from the power source, then measurement precision is improved, but use of energy worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The analog to digital converter operates periodically rather than continuously, synchronized with the accumulator's sampling intervals. The converter is enabled only during specific time windows when sampling occurs, and disabled during idle periods, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining measurement precision through periodic updates.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the operating state of the analog to digital converter based on real-time conditions. The converter is enabled when current sampling is required and disabled when not needed, creating a dynamic power management strategy that balances measurement needs with energy conservation.
2Measurement precision
If a high-resolution analog to digital converter is used to measure current over a large range of values, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The current measurement range is segmented into different operational modes (low power mode and high power mode) based on the device's activity state. The analog to digital converter operates at different resolutions or sampling rates depending on the mode, using high precision only when necessary during high power modes, and reducing precision during low power modes, thereby managing device complexity.
3Measurement precision
If the analog to digital converter and accumulator remain continuously on to measure charges, then measurement precision is improved, but use of energy worsens
Solution Approach 1:
Both the analog to digital converter and accumulator operate periodically rather than continuously. The system synchronizes their operation to sample current and accumulate charge data at specific intervals, enabling them to enter low-power states between sampling events, thus reducing overall power consumption while maintaining accurate charge measurement through periodic updates.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the device's power mode status to control the operation of the analog to digital converter and accumulator. When the device enters a low power mode, the power gauge components are disabled or put into low-power state, and when the device transitions to a high power mode, the components are re-enabled, creating a feedback-driven power management system.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one exemplary embodiment, a synchronous power gauge is coupled to a processor for determining total charge consumed from a power source in an electronic device. The synchronous power gauge includes a controller for receiving a synch signal that indicates whether the electronic device is in an operating power mode or a low power mode. The synchronous power gauge further includes an analog to digital converter controlled by the controller and is configured to process a signal associated with current drawn from the power source when the electronic device is in the operating power mode. An accumulator coupled to the analog to digital converter maintains and updates a sum of digital outputs provided by the analog to digital converter when the electronic device is in the operating power mode. The processor uses the sum of digital outputs to determine the total charge consumed from the power source.