Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging – Battery or cell discharging – With charging
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-16
2003-02-04
Tso, Edward H. (Department: 2838)
Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging
Battery or cell discharging
With charging
C320S149000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06515452
ABSTRACT:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. §119 from my application entitled REMAINING BATTERY CAPACITY COMPENSATOR AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME filed with the Korean Industrial Property Office on Nov. 27, 2000 and there duly assigned Ser. No. 2000/70994.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remaining battery capacity corrector and a controlling method therefor, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for accurately correcting an error which is generated in calculating a remaining capacity of a battery using an output voltage, a current and a temperature of the battery.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a battery used in a portable electronic device such as a portable computer and a wireless telephone, includes a display for displaying the remaining battery capacity, thereby letting a user know when a battery re-charging is needed. This battery is called a ‘smart battery.’ The smart battery includes an internal micro-controller, which provides information such as a battery status and a remaining battery capacity to an external device.
The micro-controller determines a new reference total capacity according to a varying battery capacity. In order to display the remaining battery capacity, the micro-controller displays the remaining battery capacity in percentage with respect to the reference total capacity. Here, the a reference total capacity is determined as a discharged capacity from the full charged state to the state that a battery voltage is lowered down to a predetermined voltage level by a discharging operation.
However, a user often re-charges the battery before the voltage of the battery reaches the predetermined voltage level. Accordingly, since a point in time when the user stops discharging the battery is varied, an error occurs in setting the reference total capacity. As a result, a displayed remaining battery capacity is not reliable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above-described problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for calculating a remaining battery capacity accurately irrespective of a re-charging point of time.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a smart battery that precisely determines the remaining capacity of a battery when the battery is almost fully discharged, allowing a user to recharge the battery neither too early or too late.
It is further an object of the present invention to consult look-up tables during the discharge of a smart battery to determine the precise point of recharge by comparing the output voltage of the battery with a threshold voltage of a battery based on the battery's temperature and output current.
These and other objects of the present invention may be accomplished by a provision of a remaining battery capacity corrector for correcting an error in a calculated remaining battery capacity, the remaining battery capacity corrector having a voltage detector for detecting an output voltage of a battery, a current detector for detecting an output current of the battery, a temperature detector for detecting a temperature of the battery, a remaining battery capacity correction table storage unit for storing remaining battery capacity correction tables representing a reference output to voltage, so as to correspond to the output current and the temperature of the battery; and a controller for correcting the remaining battery capacity based on the reference output voltage in the remaining battery capacity correction table, in the case that the detected output voltage is less than the reference output voltage in the remaining battery capacity correction table, the reference voltage in the correction table being based on the detected output current and temperature.
It is preferable that the remaining battery capacity correction tables represent the reference output voltage depending upon the output current and the temperature of the battery, at a point of time when the remaining battery capacity lacks from a predetermined reference and at a point of time just before the remaining battery capacity is exhausted.
According to another aspect of the present invention, this and other objects may also be accomplished by a provision of a remaining battery capacity correction method having the steps of (a) establishing a reference output voltage of a battery so as to correspond to an output current and a temperature of the battery; (b) detecting the output voltage, the output current, and the temperature of the battery; (c) comparing the detected output voltage with the reference output voltage based on the detected output current and detected temperature of the battery; and (d) correcting the remaining battery capacity based on the reference output voltage. Steps (b) and (c) are repeated by a predetermined number, prior to step (d), and steps (b) through (d) are repeated. The reference output voltage is established so as to represent a point of time when the remaining battery capacity can be calibrated to predetermined reference, a point of time just before the remaining battery capacity is exhausted.
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Bushnell , Esq. Robert E.
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
Tso Edward H.
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