Reserve power option for a portable electronic device

Details Reserve power option for a portable electronic device Reserve power option for a portable electronic device

1999-09-08

2001-03-13

Wong, Peter S. (Department: 2838)

Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging

Battery or cell discharging

With charging

C320S106000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06201372

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND
The present specification generally relates to a portable electronic device, and particularly to a power system for the device.
A wireless phone is often placed in a standby mode when the phone is not in use. The phone receives calls or monitors status information. However, if the phone is left in the standby mode, it can continue to drain battery power until it loses virtually all of its power. This can render the battery pack, and hence the phone, unusable.
A battery capacity gauge determines the amount of remaining usable battery power. This is analogous to an automobile “gas gauge” . This gauge is connected to the battery pack. It can measure the current flowing in and out of the battery, the output voltage, and the temperature. The gauge can digitally integrate both charge and discharge current and voltage to calculate a state of charge of the battery pack. The data output from the gauge is displayed by a group of LEDs or uploaded to a host computer via an electronic data link. The data transmitted to the host computer may include data such as: remaining charge, total measured capacity, output voltage, real-time current, temperature, and error codes.
SUMMARY
A reserve power option system described herein recognizes that a portable electronic device can lose its battery power in a standby mode. Thereafter, the device is unusable during emergency or other situations. The current system allows the user to set a specified reserve battery power level. The user can enter different units for the power level, e.g. directly, or in terms of talk time minutes.
The portable electronic device has at least one battery pack, with each pack having its own capacity gauge. The reserve power option system monitors power level information received from the capacity gauge to determine if the portable device should be transitioned into a power-saving, low-current mode.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5465039 (1995-11-01), Narita et al.
patent: 5548763 (1996-08-01), Combs et al.
patent: 5955869 (1999-09-01), Rathmann
patent: 6005367 (1998-07-01), Rohde
patent: 6008620 (1998-11-01), Nagano et al.
patent: 6025695 (2000-02-01), Friel et al.

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