Variable-Frequency Battery Voltage Sampling for Fuel Gauge Power Modes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Consumer electronics face challenges in minimizing battery consumption, as existing technologies do not effectively adapt power modes based on battery voltage changes, leading to inefficient power usage and reduced battery life.
Innovation Solution
A fuel gauge system that autonomously selects power modes by repeatedly sampling battery voltage at variable frequencies, switching between standby, relaxed, operation, and active modes based on voltage changes and frequency, using programmable thresholds to optimize sampling frequencies and conserve power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the fuel gauge operates in a lower power mode with less frequent sampling, then power consumption is reduced, but the detection precision of battery voltage changes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel gauge dynamically adjusts its operating power mode based on the detected state of the battery voltage. When voltage changes are detected, the system transitions to higher power modes with more frequent sampling to accurately capture the changes. When voltage stabilizes, the system transitions to lower power modes with less frequent sampling to conserve energy. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making both power consumption and detection precision variable rather than fixed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the sampling frequency parameter based on battery activity levels. During periods of high battery activity or detected voltage changes, the sampling frequency increases to improve detection precision. During periods of low activity, the sampling frequency decreases to reduce power consumption. This parameter adjustment allows the system to optimize the trade-off between energy usage and measurement accuracy based on real-time conditions.
2Measurement precision
If the fuel gauge increases sampling frequency to improve detection precision, then measurement accuracy improves, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel gauge implements periodic sampling of battery voltage at variable intervals. The sampling period is adjusted based on detected voltage changes and current power mode. During active monitoring periods, sampling occurs frequently to ensure accurate detection. During idle periods, sampling intervals are extended to reduce power consumption. This periodic action with variable frequency resolves the contradiction by concentrating measurement efforts when needed and reducing activity when not needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from voltage change detection to control the sampling frequency. When voltage changes exceed a threshold, the system increases sampling frequency to maintain accurate monitoring. When voltage remains stable within acceptable ranges, the system decreases sampling frequency to conserve power. This feedback mechanism ensures that high measurement precision is maintained only when necessary, optimizing the balance between accuracy and energy consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for conserving power in an electronic device, in some embodiments, comprises: a battery to supply power to the electronic device; and a fuel gauge coupled to the battery and capable of operating in any of a plurality of power modes, wherein the fuel gauge selects its own power mode based on a repeated, variable-frequency sampling of a voltage provided by said battery.