TWM500256U - Battery capacity management apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A battery capacity management apparatus is provided. The battery capacity management apparatus includes a measuring unit and a processing unit. The measuring unit is configured to measure capacity information of a battery. The processing unit is coupled to the measuring unit to receive the capacity information, and the processing unit converts the capacity information into a battery capacity estimative value. The processing unit looks up at least one first lookup table for transforming the battery capacity estimative value into a battery capacity display value.

Description

Battery power management device

The present invention relates to an electronic device, and more particularly to a battery power management device.

The battery has a wide range of applications. For example, it is applied to electronic devices such as notebook computers, mobile phones, and portable medical devices. Can also be used in cars, such as electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles. Moreover, a device that applies a battery, such as an electronic device, sets a mechanism for measuring the amount of battery power in order to present the remaining power of the battery to the user. However, in the case where the user knows that the remaining battery power is low, often the electronic device does not have time to perform the end operation (for example, storing the file), the electronic device automatically sleeps due to insufficient remaining power or Shut down, causing inconvenience to the user.

The novel creation provides a battery power management device, which can convert the measured battery power estimated value into a battery power display value for informing the user, increasing Add convenience.

The embodiment of the present invention provides a battery power management device including a measurement unit and a processing unit. The measurement unit is configured to measure battery power information. The processing unit is coupled to the measurement unit to receive the power information and convert the power information into a battery power estimate of the battery. The processing unit queries the at least one first lookup table to convert the battery power estimate to a battery power display value of the battery.

In an embodiment of the novel creation, the power information includes a voltage value or a current value of the battery. The processing unit further queries at least one second lookup table to convert the power information into a battery power estimate.

In an embodiment of the novel creation, wherein the measuring unit is configured to measure the temperature of the battery. The processing unit dynamically selects a corresponding lookup table from the second lookup table in accordance with a change in temperature of the battery. The processing unit queries the corresponding lookup table according to the battery power information to obtain a battery power estimation value.

In an embodiment of the novel creation, wherein the measuring unit is configured to measure the ambient temperature. The processing unit dynamically selects a corresponding lookup table from the second lookup table according to changes in ambient temperature. The processing unit queries the corresponding lookup table according to the battery power information to obtain a battery power estimation value.

In an embodiment of the novel creation, wherein the measuring unit is configured to measure the temperature of the battery. The processing unit dynamically selects a corresponding lookup table from the at least one first lookup table according to a change in temperature of the battery. The processing unit queries the corresponding lookup table according to the battery power estimation value to obtain a battery power display value of the battery.

In an embodiment of the novel creation, wherein the measuring unit is configured to be more Measure the ambient temperature. The processing unit dynamically selects a corresponding lookup table from the at least one first lookup table according to a change in ambient temperature. The processing unit queries the corresponding lookup table according to the battery power estimation value to obtain a battery power display value of the battery.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the battery power management device further includes a storage unit. The storage unit is coupled to the processing unit. The first lookup table and the second lookup table are stored in the storage unit.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the battery power management device further includes a coulomb counter coupled to the processing unit, and the coulomb meter is configured to measure the discharged power of the battery as the power information, wherein the processing unit uses the Coulomb meter to provide The discharged battery is used to calculate the estimated battery level of the battery.

In an embodiment of the novel creation, the correspondence between the battery power display value and the discharge time of the battery is non-linear.

In an embodiment of the present invention, in the battery power management device, when the battery power estimated value is lower than the power threshold, the battery power display value is less than the battery power estimated value.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the battery power management device further includes a reward unit coupled to the processing unit. The processing unit determines whether the battery power display value is lower than the power threshold. When the battery power display value is lower than the power threshold, the processing unit triggers the reward unit to generate the warning signal.

In an embodiment of the novel creation, the reward unit is a horn or a buzzer and generates a warning tone when triggered by the processing unit.

Based on the above, the novel creation provides a battery power management device. this The battery power management device can convert the battery power estimate to the battery power display value of the battery through the first lookup table. Moreover, the user can be informed early when the remaining battery power is close to low. Therefore, before the electronic device has insufficient remaining power and automatically sleeps or shuts down, the user can have enough time to perform corresponding actions (such as storing files, slamming the work at hand, charging, etc.), which can greatly improve the convenience of use. Sex.

The above described features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent and understood from the following description.

10, 30‧‧‧Battery

100, 300‧‧‧ battery power management device

110, 310‧‧‧Measurement unit

120, 320‧‧‧ processing unit

130, 330‧‧‧ first lookup table

311‧‧‧Voltage measurement module

313‧‧‧Battery temperature measurement module

316‧‧・Cullen

340‧‧‧Second lookup table

350‧‧‧ storage unit

360‧‧‧return unit

361‧‧‧ Speaker

362‧‧‧ display

363‧‧‧Buzzer

501‧‧‧solid line

502‧‧‧dotted line

S211~S215, S411~S425‧‧‧ steps

1 is a block diagram showing the circuit of a battery power management device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic flow chart of a battery power management method according to the first embodiment.

3 is a circuit block diagram of a battery power management device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic flow chart of a battery power management method according to another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a comparison of a discharge curve of another embodiment of the present invention and a discharge curve of the prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments embodiments In the full text of the case (including the scope of application for patents) The term "coupled" as used herein may refer to any direct or indirect means of attachment. For example, if the first device is described as being coupled to the second device, it should be construed that the first device can be directly connected to the second device, or the first device can be connected through other devices or some kind of connection means. Connected to the second device indirectly. In addition, wherever possible, the elements and/ Elements/components/steps that use the same reference numbers or use the same terms in different embodiments may refer to the related description.

1 is a block diagram showing the circuit of a battery power management device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the battery power management device 100 can measure the battery power of the battery 10. The battery 10 may be, for example, a single battery cell (cell core), or may be a battery cell group composed of a plurality of battery cells. The battery power management device 100 includes a measurement unit 110, a processing unit 120, and at least a first lookup table 130, the functions of which are described below.

The measurement unit 110 is configured to be coupled to the battery 10 . The measuring unit 110 can measure the power information of the battery 10. The power information includes voltage value, current value, temperature value and/or other power information. The processing unit 120 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) having a single core or multiple cores, or other programmable general purpose or special purpose microprocessor (Microprocessor), digital signal processor (Digital Signal) Processor, DSP), programmable controller. The processing unit 120 is coupled to the measurement unit 110 and can receive the power information measured by the measurement unit 110. The at least one first lookup table 130 is coupled to the processing unit 120, wherein the first lookup table 130 can carry a conversion between the battery power estimation value and the battery power display value. system. The first lookup table 130 may be stored in a storage unit inside the battery power management device 100. In some embodiments, the storage unit carrying the first lookup table 130 and the storage unit may be a memory embedded in the processing unit 120, a cache or a register. In other embodiments, the storage unit carrying the first lookup table 130 may also be a memory disposed outside the processing unit 120. The following is a detailed description of the detailed steps of the battery power management device 100 for managing the battery power.

FIG. 2 is a schematic flow chart of a battery power management method according to the first embodiment. The battery power management method of the present embodiment is applied to the battery power management device 100 of FIG. 1, and the steps of the battery power management method will be described below in conjunction with the components in the battery power management device 100. The respective processes of the battery power management method can be adjusted accordingly according to the implementation situation, and are not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 simultaneously, in step S211, the measuring unit 110 measures the power information of the battery 10. Specifically, the measuring unit 110 can be connected to the battery 10 to obtain the power information of the battery 10 (for example, the voltage value, the current value, or the battery temperature of the battery 10, or the ambient temperature, or other power information).

After the processing unit 120 receives the power information of the battery 10 from the measuring unit 110, the processing unit 120 converts the power information into the battery power estimated value of the battery 10 (step S213). In some embodiments, processing unit 120 may convert the voltage value of battery 10 to a battery power estimate for battery 10 (described in more detail below). In other embodiments, the processing unit 120 may convert the voltage value of the battery 10 into the current power value of the battery 10 by using a conventional method, as the battery power estimated value in the embodiment.

The processing unit 120 then queries the first lookup table 130 to step S213. The obtained battery power estimated value is converted into the battery power amount display value of the battery 10 (step S215). In some embodiments, when the battery charge estimate is below the charge threshold TH1 (eg, 30% or other threshold), the battery charge display value is less than the battery charge estimate. The power threshold TH1 can be determined according to product design requirements. The battery level display value can be presented to the user in any manner, such as by sound, light, vibration, or other means. Since the battery power display value is less than the battery power estimation value, before the electronic device has insufficient power and automatically sleeps or shuts down, the user can take the adaptation as early as possible (such as storing the file, slamming the work at hand, Charging, etc.). Therefore, the battery power management device 100 of the present embodiment can greatly improve the convenience of use.

Referring to FIG. 3, FIG. 3 is a circuit block diagram of a battery power management device 300 according to another embodiment of the present invention. This battery power management device 300 can measure the battery power of the battery 30. The battery 30 may be, for example, a single battery cell (cell core), or may be a battery cell group composed of a plurality of battery cells. The battery power management device 300 includes a measurement unit 310, a processing unit 320, a storage unit 350, and a reward unit 360. The measurement unit 310 and the processing unit 320 shown in FIG. 3 can be analogized with reference to the descriptions of the measurement unit 110 and the processing unit 120 described in FIG. 1 and FIG.

In various embodiments, the measurement unit 310 may include a voltage measurement module, a current measurement module, a battery temperature measurement module, an ambient temperature measurement module, a load measurement module, and/or a coulomb meter. . The voltage measurement module is, for example, a voltmeter, which can be used to measure the instantaneous voltage of the battery 30 and transmit the result to Processing unit 320. The current measurement module is, for example, an ammeter, which can be used to measure the charging current of the battery 30 and transmit the result to the processing unit 320. The battery temperature measuring module and the ambient temperature measuring module may be temperature sensors. The battery temperature measurement module can measure the temperature of the battery 30 and transmit the result to the processing unit 320. The ambient temperature measurement module can measure the temperature of the environment around the battery power management device 300 and transmit the result to the processing unit 320. The coulomb counter is, for example, a coulomb counter, and the coulomb meter value of the battery 30 is obtained by integrating the current/charge flowing in/out of the battery. That is to say, the coulomb counter can measure the discharged power of the battery 30 as the power information.

In the embodiment, the measuring unit 310 shown in FIG. 3 includes a voltage measuring module 311, a battery temperature measuring module 313, and a coulomb meter 316. The measuring unit 310 can use the output of the voltage measuring module 311, the battery temperature measuring module 313 and/or the coulomb counter 316 as the power information of the battery 30. In some application examples, the measuring unit 310 may output the discharged power of the battery 30 measured by the coulomb counter 316 to the processing unit 320, and the processing unit 320 uses the discharged power provided by the coulomb counter 316 to calculate the battery power of the battery 30. estimated value. For example, but not limited to, the processing unit 320 may substitute the discharged electric quantity provided by the coulomb counter 316 into the following formula (1) to calculate the battery electric quantity estimated value of the battery 30. In formula (1), SOCnew is the battery power estimated value (in percentage) at the current time point, and SOCold is the estimated battery power value (in percentage) at the previous time point, and Qcc is the battery 30 measured by the coulomb meter. The discharged power is FCC (full charged capacity), which is the full charge (maximum charge amount) of the battery 30 in the fully charged state. After the battery power estimated value SOCnew is obtained, the processing unit 320 queries the first lookup table 330 to convert the battery power estimated value SOCnew into the battery power display value of the battery 30.

SOCnew=SOCold+(Qcc/FCC) formula (1)

The manner in which the estimated battery power of the battery 30 is obtained is not limited to the above. For example, but not limited to, in another application example, the measuring unit 310 can output the instantaneous voltage (voltage value) of the battery 30 measured by the voltage measuring module 311 as the power information of the battery 30. To the processing unit 320. The storage unit 350 of the embodiment is coupled to the processing unit 320. The at least one first lookup table 330 and the at least one second lookup table 340 are stored in the storage unit 350. The first lookup table 330 can carry a conversion relationship between the conversion and the battery power display value. The second lookup table 340 can carry a conversion relationship between the power information (eg, voltage value or current value) and the battery power estimate. The processing unit 320 is configured to query the second lookup table 340 to convert the battery power information (eg, voltage value or current value) of the battery 30 to the battery power estimate of the battery 30. After the battery power estimation value is obtained, the processing unit 320 queries the first lookup table 330 to convert the battery power estimation value into the battery power display value of the battery 30.

In some embodiments, the storage unit 350 carrying the first lookup table 330 and the second lookup table 340 may be a memory, a cache, or a temporary memory embedded in the processing unit 320. In other embodiments, the storage unit 350 that carries the first lookup table 330 and the second lookup table 340 may also be configured outside the processing unit 320. The memory of the department. According to different design requirements, the storage unit 350 may be a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), or an electrical memory (non-non-volatile memory). -volatile memory (NVM for short) or non-volatile memory (NVM).

The reporting unit 360 is coupled to the processing unit 320. The processing unit 320 can determine whether the battery power display value of the battery 30 is lower than the power threshold TH2 (eg, 5% or other threshold). The power threshold TH2 can be determined according to product design requirements. When the battery power display value of the battery 30 is lower than the power threshold TH2, the processing unit 320 triggers the reward unit 360 to generate an alert signal to the reward unit 360. The reward unit 360 can present the battery power display value by means of image, image, text, sound or brightness. For example, but not limited to, the reward unit 360 shown in FIG. 3 may include a speaker 361, a display 362, a buzzer 363, a light emitting diode (LED), and/or other components. The horn 361 or the buzzer 363 can generate a warning tone when triggered by the processing unit. The reward unit 360 can also transmit a digital or analog signal to present a battery power display value through the above components. The following is a detailed description of the detailed steps of the battery power management device 300 for managing the battery power.

FIG. 4 is a schematic flow chart of a battery power management method according to another embodiment. The battery power management method of the present embodiment is applied to the battery power management device 300 of FIG. 3, and the steps of the battery power management method will be described below in conjunction with the components in the battery power management device 300. The various processes of the battery power management method can be It is adjusted accordingly according to the implementation situation, and is not limited to this.

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 simultaneously, in step S411, the processing unit 320 may first determine whether the battery 30 is in a discharged state by measuring by the measuring unit 310. If the battery 30 is not in the discharged state, the processing unit 320 does not perform steps S413 to S425. On the other hand, if the battery 30 is in the discharged state, the processing unit 320 performs step S413. In step S413, the processing unit 320 reads the power information (eg, voltage value, current value, battery temperature, and/or ambient temperature) of the battery 30 through the measuring unit 310. Step S413 can refer to the related description of step S211 shown in FIG. 2.

The processing unit 320 dynamically selects one of the corresponding lookup tables from the plurality of second lookup tables 340 according to the change of the power information (eg, voltage value, current value, battery temperature, and/or ambient temperature) (step S415), and according to the battery 30 The power information query corresponds to the lookup table to obtain a battery power estimate of the battery 30 (step S417). For example, but not limited to, in some embodiments, measurement unit 310 can measure the temperature of battery 30. The processing unit 320 dynamically selects one of the corresponding lookup tables from the plurality of second lookup tables 340 according to the change of the temperature of the battery 30, and queries the battery according to the power information (eg, voltage value and/or current value) of the battery 30. Corresponding to the lookup table, the battery charge estimate for battery 30 is obtained. In other embodiments, the metrology unit 310 can measure the ambient temperature of the battery power management device 300. The processing unit 320 dynamically selects one of the corresponding lookup tables from the plurality of second lookup tables 340 according to the change of the ambient temperature, and queries the battery according to the power information (eg, voltage value and/or current value) of the battery 30. Corresponding to the lookup table, the battery charge estimate for battery 30 is obtained. In other embodiments, the step S415 and For details of the operation of S417, the voltage value of the battery 30 can be converted into the battery power estimated value of the battery 30 by referring to the conventional "voltage-electricity comparison table".

After the battery power estimation value is obtained, the processing unit 320 can dynamically select from the plurality of first lookup tables 330 according to changes in the battery power information (eg, voltage value, current value, battery temperature, ambient temperature, and/or load). A corresponding lookup table (step S419), and querying the corresponding lookup table according to the battery power estimation value of the battery 30 to obtain the battery power display value of the battery 30 (step S421). For example, but not limited to, in some embodiments, measurement unit 310 can measure the temperature of battery 30. The processing unit 320 may dynamically select one of the corresponding lookup tables from the plurality of first lookup tables 330 according to the change of the temperature of the battery 30, and query the corresponding lookup table according to the battery power estimation value obtained in step S417. The battery power display value of the battery 30 is obtained. In other embodiments, the metrology unit 310 can measure the ambient temperature of the battery power management device 300. The processing unit 320 may dynamically select one of the corresponding lookup tables from the plurality of first lookup tables 330 according to the change of the ambient temperature, and query the corresponding lookup table according to the battery power estimation value obtained in step S417. The battery power display value of the battery 30 is obtained.

In step S423, the processing unit 320 determines whether the battery power display value obtained in step S421 is lower than the power threshold TH2 (for example, 5% or other threshold). This power threshold TH2 can be a preset value. For example, if the battery power management device 300 is applied to a mobile phone, the power threshold TH2 can be a low battery threshold of 15%. If the battery power display value is lower than the power threshold TH2, the processing unit 320 proceeds to step S425. In step S425, the processing unit 320 transmits the reward signal to the reward unit 360 to trigger the reward unit 360 to generate an alert signal. For example, if the battery power display value is lower than the power threshold TH2, the display 362 of the reporting unit 360 may display a low battery warning message, and the speaker 361 or the buzzer 363 may generate a warning tone when triggered by the processing unit 320.

Table 1 of the following paragraph illustrates one of the embodiments of the first lookup table (e.g., the first lookup table 130 shown in FIG. 1 and/or the first lookup table 330 shown in FIG. 3). As can be seen from Table 1, when the battery power estimate is below the power threshold TH1 (30% in this example), the battery power display value is less than the battery power estimate. When the estimated battery power is above the power threshold TH1, the battery power display value is greater than the battery power estimate. The processing unit 320 can obtain the battery power display value by using an interpolation method or the like. For example, when the estimated battery power is 75%, the processing unit 320 may obtain 76% and 85% of the battery power display values corresponding to the battery power estimation values 70% and 80% from Table 1, and then use interpolation, etc. The method calculates 76% and 85% to find the battery power display value. In addition, Table 1 may be a multi-dimensional table in other embodiments, so the processing unit 320 may convert the battery power display according to the current voltage, current, ambient temperature, battery temperature, discharge load, and/or battery power estimation value. value.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a comparison of a discharge curve of another embodiment of the present invention and a discharge curve of the prior art. The horizontal axis of Fig. 5 is the discharge time (unit: second), and the vertical axis is the amount of electricity (unit: percentage) of the battery. Here, the battery power of 15% is defined as a low battery (as shown by the single-dot line in FIG. 5). The solid line 501 is a discharge curve of the battery power of the prior art, and the broken line 502 is a discharge curve of the battery power of the novel battery power management device. As can be seen from FIG. 5, the correspondence between the battery power display value created by the present invention and the discharge time of the battery is nonlinear. Comparing this creation with the existing technology, it can be known that the battery management device of this creation is 8.3 minutes earlier than the technology to notify the user that the battery power is lower than the power threshold TH2 (for example, 15%), so the user can start taking it in advance. Adapt as (like ready to charge, or finish work at hand, or save files, etc.). Therefore, the battery power management device of the present invention can greatly improve the convenience of use.

In summary, the embodiments of the present invention provide a battery power management device. The battery power management device can convert the battery power estimate to the battery power display value of the battery through the first lookup table. Let the user know early when the remaining battery power is close to low battery, and let the user automatically rest after the remaining power of the electronic device is insufficient. Before sleeping or shutting down, you can have enough time to do the corresponding actions, such as saving files, slamming your work, charging, etc., which can greatly improve the convenience of use. In addition, the battery power management device can measure different parameters according to changes in battery temperature, ambient temperature, voltage value, current value, and load. Provides a display value that better matches the battery power required by the user.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the novel creation, and any person skilled in the art can make some changes without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel creation. Retouching, the scope of protection of this new creation is subject to the definition of the scope of the patent application attached.

10‧‧‧Battery

100‧‧‧Battery power management device

110‧‧‧Measurement unit

120‧‧‧Processing unit

130‧‧‧First lookup table

Claims (12)

A battery power management device includes: a measuring unit configured to measure a battery information of a battery; and a processing unit coupled to the measuring unit to receive the power information, and configured to The power information is converted to a battery power estimate of the battery, and the processing unit is configured to query the at least one first lookup table to convert the battery power estimate to a battery power display value of the battery. The battery power management device of claim 1, wherein the power information includes a voltage value or a current value of the battery, and the processing unit is configured to query at least one second lookup table to The power information is converted to the battery power estimate. The battery power management device of claim 2, further comprising: a storage unit coupled to the processing unit, wherein the first lookup table and the second lookup table are stored in the storage unit Inside. The battery power management device of claim 2, wherein the measuring unit is configured to measure a temperature of the battery, and the processing unit is from the at least one according to a change in temperature of the battery The second lookup table dynamically selects a corresponding lookup table, and the processing unit queries the corresponding lookup table according to the power information of the battery to obtain the battery power estimated value of the battery. The battery power management device of claim 2, wherein the measuring unit is configured to measure an ambient temperature, and the processing unit performs the at least one second search according to the change of the ambient temperature. Dynamically select a corresponding lookup in the table And the processing unit queries the corresponding lookup table according to the power information of the battery to obtain the battery power estimated value of the battery. The battery power management device according to claim 1, wherein the measuring unit is configured to measure a temperature of the battery, and the processing unit is from the at least one according to a change in temperature of the battery. A corresponding lookup table is dynamically selected in the first lookup table, and the processing unit queries the corresponding lookup table according to the battery power estimation value to obtain the battery power display value of the battery. The battery power management device according to claim 1, wherein the measuring unit is configured to measure an ambient temperature, and the processing unit reads from the at least one first according to the change of the ambient temperature. A corresponding lookup table is dynamically selected in the table, and the processing unit queries the corresponding lookup table according to the battery power estimation value to obtain the battery power display value of the battery. The battery power management device of claim 1, wherein the measuring unit comprises: a coulomb meter coupled to the processing unit, the coulomb meter configured to measure a discharge amount of the battery As the power amount information, the processing unit uses the discharged power provided by the coulomb counter to calculate the battery power estimated value of the battery. The battery power management device according to claim 1, wherein the correspondence between the battery power display value and the discharge time of the battery is nonlinear. The battery power management device according to claim 1, wherein When the battery power estimate is lower than a power threshold, the battery power display value is less than the battery power estimate. The battery power management device of claim 1, further comprising: a return unit coupled to the processing unit; wherein the processing unit determines whether the battery power display value is lower than a power threshold, When the battery power display value is lower than the power threshold, the processing unit triggers the reward unit to generate an alert signal. The battery power management device according to claim 11, wherein the reward unit is a horn or a buzzer, and generates a warning sound when triggered by the processing unit.