CN1394374A - System and method accommodating more than one battery within electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

A system (10, 60) for facilitating the accommodation of two or more batteries (12, 14) in an electronic device (10). The system (10) includes a first mechanism (16, 18) that determines a charge status of a first battery (12) and a second battery (14) and provides a status signal in response thereto. A second mechanism (18, 32, 46) provides an indication of remaining battery life associated with the first battery (12) and/or the second battery (14) based on the status signal. In a specific embodiment, the system (10, 60) further includes a third mechanism (36) for selectively employing the first battery (12) or the second battery (14) as a power source for the electronic device (10) based on the status signal. In a more specific embodiment, the electronic device (10) is a wireless phone (10) that includes a transceiver (24) and a computer (18) in communication with the transceiver (24). The computer (18) is connected to a display screen (32). The wireless phone (10) has a housing (11) that accommodates the transceiver (24), the computer (18), the first battery (12), and the second battery (14). The second mechanism (18, 32, 46) includes a mechanism (18, 32, 46) for issuing a first alert, via the display screen (32), when the first battery (12) is drained. Another mechanism (18, 32, 46) issues a second alert when the second battery (14) is drained or detached from the electronic device (10). An additional mechanism issues alerts when the first battery (12) and/or the second battery (14) are low, when the second battery (14) is removed, and when the first battery (12) and/or second battery (14) are drained, as indicated by the status signal.

Description

Systems and methods for housing more than one battery in an electronic device

Background of the invention

field of invention

The invention relates to a battery life judging system. In particular, the present invention relates to a system and method for determining remaining battery life in an electronic device capable of simultaneously housing two or more batteries and switching between the batteries.

Description of prior art

Newer electronic devices, such as radiotelephones, have both an internal phone battery and a removable external battery to increase overall battery life and associated talk time. Using two batteries instead of one larger battery enhances device design flexibility and increases battery charging options.

Wireless telephones and other electronic devices typically include hardware and corresponding software for measuring the state of charge of an associated battery and providing an indication of its remaining battery life. Unfortunately, most existing hardware and software packages for indicating remaining battery life are designed for phones or other devices with only one battery.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a user-friendly system and method for correctly determining and indicating remaining battery life in electronic devices having more than one battery. There is a further need for a user friendly system and method capable of efficiently accommodating more than one battery, selectively switching between batteries as its power source, to indicate remaining battery life.

Summary of the invention

A need in the art is addressed by a system that facilitates the accommodation of two or more batteries in an electronic device of the present invention. In an example embodiment, the inventive system is adapted for use with a radiotelephone and includes a first mechanism for determining a state of charge of a first battery and a state of charge of a second battery and providing a status signal based thereon. A second mechanism provides an indication associated with remaining battery life of the first battery and/or the second battery based on the status signal.

In a particular embodiment, the system further includes a third mechanism for selectively switching between the first battery and the second battery as a power source for the electronic device based on the status signal. The electronic device is a wireless telephone that includes a transceiver and a computer in communication with the transceiver. The wireless telephone includes a display screen. The radiotelephone also includes a housing housing the radiotelephone transceiver, the computer, the first battery, and the second battery.

In an example embodiment, the second mechanism includes a mechanism for issuing a first warning signal when the first battery is depleted. Another mechanism sends out a second alarm signal when the second battery is depleted or detached from the electronic device. Another mechanism issues an alarm signal when either the first battery or the second battery is low, when the second battery is removed, and when the first battery and/or the second battery are depleted, as indicated by the status signal.

The novel design of the present invention is realized by the third mechanism, selectively using the first battery or the second battery as the power source of the electronic device according to the state signal to enhance the user's arbitrary selection of the relevant electronic device. For example, a radiotelephone using the present invention can place a call on hold while either the first battery or the second battery is being replaced, thereby reducing the occurrence of lost calls.

Brief description of the drawings

FIG. 1 is an exemplary diagram of a radiotelephone constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, including an internal battery, an external battery, a battery life determination system, and a telephone computer;

2 is a flowchart of software running on the telephone computer of FIG. 1 for providing an indication of the remaining battery life of the internal and external batteries based on the measured states of charge of the internal and external batteries, respectively, as shown by FIG. 1 battery life determined by the system provided;

Fig. 3 is a drawing showing various battery display configurations displayed on the display screen of the radiotelephone of Fig. 1 according to the software of Fig. 2 when no external charging power source is connected to the radiotelephone;

Fig. 4 is a drawing showing various battery display configurations displayed on the display screen of the radiotelephone of Fig. 1 according to the software of Fig. 2 when an external charging power source is connected to the radiotelephone;

FIG. 5 is a drawing showing various battery warning display configurations implemented through the display screen of the radiotelephone of FIG. 1 according to the software of FIG. 2. FIG.

Description of the invention

While the present invention is described herein with reference to example embodiments for particular applications, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those familiar with the basic techniques of this technical field and having access to the teachings provided herein will appreciate additional modifications, applications, and embodiments within the scope of the present invention, as well as additional fields in which the present invention has significant utility.

1 is a schematic diagram of a radiotelephone 10 constructed in accordance with the present invention, which includes a housing 11, an internal battery 12, an external battery 14, a battery life determination system 16, and a telephone computer 18. For clarity, additional circuitry such as a clock circuit and additional power lines are not shown in the radiotelephone 10, but those skilled in the art will know where and how to include the necessary additional circuitry.

The radiotelephone 10 also includes an antenna 20 connected to a duplexer 22 . The duplexer 22 is connected to the transceiver 24 , and the transceiver 24 is connected to the computer 18 . External battery 14 is connected by connecting computer 18 to data interface adapter 26, voice encoding/decoding circuit 28, keypad 30, display screen 32, battery life determination system 16, power switch 36, and external battery compartment 38 for receiving an external battery. to computer 18 . The internal battery 12 is connected to the output of the external charging power adapter 40, which is also connected to the computer 18 and the external battery box 38. The internal battery 12 is also connected to one input of the battery life determination system 16 and its other input is connected to the external battery 14 through the external battery compartment 38 .

The battery status output of battery life determination system 16 is connected to an input of computer 18 . The input of the power switch 36 is connected to the control output 37 of the computer 18 . Display control input 39 of computer 18 is connected to display screen 32 . Control outputs 37 and 39 carry battery status signals containing information about the state of charge of the internal battery 12 and/or the external battery 14 . The state of charge information may be in the form of control signals, battery life indication signals, and the like.

The first, second and third inputs of the power switch 36 are connected to the internal battery 12, the external battery 14 and the charging power adapter output 50, respectively. Power switch output 38 of power switch 36 is connected to speaker 60, transceiver 24, display screen 32, keypad 30, computer 18, microphone 44, and voice encoding/decoding circuitry 28, and typically delivers power to radiotelephone 10. Voice encoding/decoding circuit 28 is also connected to microphone 44 and speaker 46 .

In operation, battery life determination system 16 measures voltage levels associated with internal battery 12 and external battery 14 and compares the voltage levels to a predetermined battery voltage discharge curve associated with each battery 12 and 14, to produce an indication of the relative remaining battery life of each battery 12 and 14 . As is known in the art, a battery voltage discharge curve is a curve that plots battery voltage at a known predetermined discharge rate (ie, battery current draw) as a function of time. The battery life determination system 16 counts the average shape of the discharge curve of a new battery and maps the voltage values from the average discharge curve to a set of values that vary linearly with time.

Battery life determination system 16 may also use measurements of the internal resistance of batteries 12 and 14 in order to generate an indication of the remaining battery life of batteries 12 and 14 . The use of internal resistance measurements to provide Battery Life Determination System for Correct Indication of Remaining Battery Life, assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference.

Battery life determination system 16 provides battery status information to computer 18 for use by the unique software of the present invention running on computer 18, as described in more detail below. Battery life determination system 16 provides status values for internal battery 12 and external battery 14 indicative of the status of batteries 12 and 14 . For example, if the internal battery 12 is absent or not charged, the battery life determination system 16 indicates that the first battery 12 is absent or not charged, and also indicates the status of the external battery 14 . Similarly, if the external battery 14 is absent or not charged, the battery life determination system 16 indicates the absence or charge of the external battery 14 and also indicates the internal battery 12 by a battery status value corresponding to the indication of relative remaining battery life. status. These battery status values are provided to computer 18 which runs software to interpret the battery status values and provide appropriate battery life messages and alerts to the user of radiotelephone 10 based thereon.

The unique software of the present invention running on the computer 18 also controls the power switch 36 via a control input to the power switch 36 . The power switch acts as a 3-1 demultiplexer (DEMUX) that selectively switches the power input from the internal battery 12, external battery 14, and external charging power adapter output 50 to the output power that directs current to the radiotelephone 10 Line 48. As more fully described below, the unique software of the present invention selectively controls an external charging power source (not shown) based on battery status information about both batteries 12 and 14 and based on the external charging signal 50 provided from the external charging power adapter 40 to the computer 18. . Whether the internal battery 12 or the external battery 14 supplies power to the radiotelephone 10. Battery status information is provided to computer 18 by battery life determination system 16 .

If there is no external battery 14 or its power is not enough to support the call; the internal battery 12 has enough power to support the call; and the external charging signal 50 is at a low level, that is, the external charging power supply is not connected to the external charging power adapter 40, then The software running on the computer 18 switches the output of the internal battery 12 to the output power line 48 through the power switch 36 . If the external battery 14 has enough power to support the call; there is no internal battery 12 or its power is not enough to support the call; and the external charging signal 50 is at a low level, then the software running on the computer 18 switches the output of the external battery 14 to Output power cord 48 . If both the external battery 14 and the internal battery 12 have enough power to support the call; and the external charging signal 50 is at a low level, then the software running on the computer 18 switches the output of the external battery 14 to the output power line 48 . If the external charging signal 50 is at a low level, and the internal battery 12 and the external battery 14 are insufficient to support the call; then the radiotelephone 10 remains turned off. If in each of the above four cases, connecting the external charging power source to the external charging power adapter 40 causes the external charging signal 50 to be at a high level, then the external charging signal 50 is turned on by the software running on the computer 18 and the power switch 36. 50 is switched to the output power line 48. In addition, the external charging signal 50 provides charging current to the internal battery 12 and the external battery 14 as required, and is displayed by the display screen 32 and the software running on the computer 18 as the output of the battery 12 and/or battery life through the battery life determination system 16. 14 state of charge. The unique software of the present invention manipulates the state of charge information provided by the battery life determination system 16 to produce a user friendly display via the display screen 32 . The user friendly display is selectively controlled by user input from keypad 30 .

To facilitate wireless communications via radiotelephone 10 , antenna 20 sends and receives signals through duplexer 22 . A duplexer 22 facilitates resource sharing of the antenna 20 between transmit and receive functions. Transceiver 24 includes transmit circuitry for transmitting signals such as encoded voice signals or traffic negotiation signals via antenna 20 and duplexer 22 . Transceiver 24 also includes receiving circuitry for receiving signals such as service negotiation messages or encoded voice signals through another telephone, base station or mobile switching center (not shown). Transceiver 24 also includes the down conversion circuitry required to convert the received signal into a digital baseband signal ready for processing by computer 18 . In addition, transceiver 24 includes the upconversion circuitry required to convert the transmitted signal from a digital baseband signal to a radio frequency signal to be transmitted via antenna 20 .

The user can initiate a call by dialing a number through the keypad 30 . Computer 18, via transceiver 24, duplexer 22 and antenna 20, negotiates service connections with available wireless service providers. When a service is established, the user's voice is input into the microphone 44, encoded by the voice encoding/decoding circuit 28, and transmitted through the computer 18, the transceiver 24, the duplexer 22 and the antenna 20. Similarly, received voice messages are decoded by voice encoding/decoding circuitry 28 and passed through speaker 46 as speech. Data interface adapter 20 allows software running on computer 18 to be upgraded and/or replaced.

As described more fully below, the unique software of the present invention improves the functionality of the radiotelephone 10 by facilitating the accommodation of more than one battery and providing a user-friendly user interface that provides the user with the correct information about the batteries contained. For example, by the present invention efficiently accommodating more than one battery, and providing battery status information to the user through the present invention's unique display as described more fully below, the user can more easily replace the external battery 14 without missing calls. The unique software of the present invention running on computer 18 can be adjusted to accommodate more than two batteries without departing from the scope of the present invention.

2 is a flowchart of software 60 running on computer 18 of FIG. and an indication of the remaining battery life of the external battery 14.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, when the user of the radiotelephone 10 accesses the battery menu or battery display through a predetermined command or sequence of commands, control is passed to the initial connection determination mechanism 62. In the initial connection judging mechanism 62, the software 60 judges whether only the external battery 14 is connected, whether only the internal battery 12 is connected, whether both the internal battery 12 and the external battery 14 are connected to the radiotelephone 10, and whether the external charging The adapter 40 is connected to an external charging power source (not shown). The determination is made based on the status output from the battery life determination system 16 . If the output line associated with the battery provides no power, ie, 0 volts, then the battery is considered not connected. If an external charging power source is connected to the wireless phone 10, the display name " ^* CHARGING (charging)" or "CHARGEDONE (charging complete)" is added to each display, and the name "BETTERY (battery)" is removed from each display. ”, implemented below, and described more fully below. If no battery is connected, connecting an external charging source and accessing the battery menu (not shown) will indicate that neither external nor internal batteries are connected. If only the external battery 14 is connected, control is passed to the first state restoration mechanism 64 .

The first recovery mechanism 64 accesses the external battery 14 from the battery life determination system 16 . The status is converted to a graphical format displayed by a battery icon, battery capacity, message, alarm, or a combination thereof, as described more fully below. Next, control is passed to the battery-less mechanism 66 .

If no external charging power is applied, the no internal battery mechanism 66 displays a message on the display 32 indicating that no internal battery is connected, such as "No Internal Battery". Next, the software 60 displays a message indicating that the external battery 14 is in use, such as " ^* Ext", and displays the battery capacity and battery icon associated with the external battery 14, as described more fully below. Next, control is passed to the exit order checking mechanism 68 .

As a result of the user pressing the power off button on the keypad 30, as a result of an automatic shutdown due to insufficient power from the battery 12 or 14, or as a result of the user having entered a "QUIT" soft key command, An exit command check mechanism 68 determines whether an exit or power off command has been issued. If an exit or power off command has been issued, control is passed to battery icon display mechanism 108, which displays the battery charge status of batteries 12 and 14 connected to radiotelephone 10, and software 60 exits. Otherwise, control is passed to the charging power source checking mechanism 70 .

In the charging source checking mechanism 70 , the software 60 determines whether an external charging source is connected to the adapter 40 via the external charging signal 50 from the external charging source adapter 40 to the computer 18 . If an external charging power source is connected to the radiotelephone 10, then control is passed to the message clearing mechanism 72.

In the message clearing mechanism 72, if the external charging power supply has just been plugged in, i.e., since the last time the message clearing mechanism 72 was completed, as indicated by updated software variables (not shown), the memory of the computer 18 ( not shown) clears battery messages and alarms. The message clearing mechanism 72 also enables the display of a dynamic battery icon, described more fully below, that dynamically represents the current state of charge of both the internal battery 12 and the external battery 14, but not simultaneously. Then, the charging of the connected battery is started, and the corresponding battery display keeps the name "charging" until the charging of the battery is completed, at which point the name changes to "charging complete". When charging, the internal battery 12 is briefly charged first, and then the external battery 14 is briefly charged. If it is not fully charged, then, the internal battery 12 is fully charged, and then the external battery 14 is fully charged. During the charging procedure described above, the dynamic battery icon displays the status of the battery being charged, or otherwise, the internal battery 12 and external battery 14 according to other mechanisms implemented by the software 60 . Charging of the internal battery 12 and the external battery 14 can be implemented by means of an additional power switch (not shown) between the external charging power adapter 40 and the internal battery 12 and the external battery 14 by a basic technique in this technical field. switch between. Then, control is passed back to the initial connection determination means 62 .

If the charging power check mechanism 70 determines that no external charging power is applied, control is passed to the retention mechanism 74 where previously stored battery messages and warnings are stored and the corresponding displays are stored in a memory in the computer 18. Then, control is passed back to the initial connection determination means 62 .

If the initial connection determination means 62 determines that both the internal battery 12 and the external battery 14 are connected to the radiotelephone 10, control is passed to the second state restoration means 76. In the second state restoration mechanism 76 , the software 60 restores the indication of the remaining battery life of both the internal battery 12 and the external battery 14 . If both batteries 12 and 14 have expired such that they cannot provide sufficient power to support the call, then control is passed to expiration mechanism 78 .

In the expiry mechanism 78, the software 60 displays a message, and if there is no external charging power source, the user is notified that the battery has expired by a message such as "Battery Expired (battery expired)", and the display indicates that it is shutting down After a message from the phone 10 (such as "Turning Off" or displaying the screen name "Battery" with the message "Int EXPIRED, Ext EXPIRED"), a power off command is generated .

If an external charging source is connected to the radiotelephone 10, the expiration mechanism 78 displays a message indicating that both the internal battery 12 and the external battery 14 have expired and are currently being charged, such as " ^* Charging ^* Inner Expiration Expiration External Expiration". Control is then passed to the exit order check mechanism 68, if both the batteries 12 and 14 have expired and no external charging power source is connected to the radiotelephone 10, then the completion method there.

If only the external battery 14 has expired, and the internal battery 12 has sufficient charge to be deemed not to be low or not expired, as determined by the second state restoration mechanism 76, then control is passed to the external battery expiration mechanism 80, whereupon There, the software 60 generates a control signal to the power switch 36 causing the phone 10 to switch to the internal battery 12 if power is not being supplied to the radiotelephone 10 . Additionally, the external battery expiration mechanism 80 activates an alarm, such as an audible tone and/or a flashing message, indicating that the external battery 14 has expired. Once the user presses a key on the keypad 30 such as the "OK" button, control is passed to the internal/external battery display mechanism 82 .

The internal/external battery display mechanism 82 indicates whether the internal battery 12 or the external battery 14 is currently being used, and the display performed by the display screen 32 shows an indication of the remaining battery of each of the batteries 12 and 14, such as " ^* Int(internal connected)", where " ^* " indicates that the internal battery 12 is being used. The display also includes the battery level of each battery 12 and 14 and a battery icon that also indicates the status of the battery currently in use, as described more fully below. If either battery 12 or one of batteries 14 has expired, the software 60, after appropriate alerting, indicates that the particular battery has expired, and indicates via charge, battery icon, and/or text message that the battery has expired. Next, control is passed to the exit command checking mechanism 68 after the user issues the exit softkey command.

If, in the second state recovery mechanism 76, the software 60 determines that only the external battery 14 has expired and the internal battery 12 is charged, control is passed to the internal battery expiration mechanism 84, where a display such as "Int Battery Expired (internal battery expiry)" and the like. Once the user presses "OK" such as on the keypad 30, control is passed to the internal/external battery display mechanism 82.

If in the second state recovery mechanism 76, the software 60 judges that only the voltage of the internal battery 12 is low and the external battery 14 is charged, then the control is passed to the low mechanism 86 of the internal battery. Here, a display such as "IntBattery Low (internal battery low )” and the like for appropriate alarms. Once the user presses "OK" such as on the keypad 30, control is passed to the internal/external battery display mechanism 82.

If in the second state recovery mechanism 76, the software 60 judges that only the external battery 14 voltage is low and the internal battery 12 is charged, then the control is passed to the low mechanism 88 of the external battery, where, such as "ExtBattery Low (external battery low)" is displayed. Appropriate alarms such as Once the user presses "OK" such as on the keypad 30, control is passed to the internal/external battery display mechanism 82.

If in the second state recovery mechanism 76, the software 60 judges that both the external battery 14 and the internal battery 12 are low in voltage, then the control is passed to the battery low mechanism 90, where a display such as "Ext BatteryLow Int Battery Low (Ext Battery Low Int Battery Low) Appropriate alarm such as low internal battery low). Once the user presses "OK" such as on the keypad 30, control is passed to the internal/external battery display mechanism 82.

If in the second state recovery mechanism 76, the software 60 judges that the external battery 14 is low, and the internal battery 12 has expired, then the control is passed to the first low/expiration mechanism 92, where a display such as "Ext BatteryLow Int Battery Appropriate alarms such as Expired (the external battery is low and the internal battery expires)". Once the user presses "OK" such as on the keypad 30, control is passed to the internal/external battery display mechanism 82.

If in the second state recovery mechanism 76, the software 60 judges that the internal battery 12 is low, and the external battery 14 has expired, then the control is passed to the second low/expiration mechanism 94, where a display such as "Ext Battery Expired Int Battery Appropriate alarms such as Low (the external battery expires and the internal battery is low)". Once the user presses "OK" such as on the keypad 30, control is passed to the internal/external battery display mechanism 82.

If in the second state recovery mechanism 76, the software 60 judges that the internal battery 12 and the external battery 14 are charged, so that there is no expiration or low voltage in the external or internal battery, then the control is passed to the internal/external battery display mechanism 82 .

If the initial connection judging means 62 judges that only the internal battery 12 is connected to the radiotelephone 10, control is passed to the third state restoring means 96. In the third state restoration mechanism 96 , an indication of the remaining battery life of the internal battery 12 is obtained by the battery life determination system 16 . If the external battery 14 has just been disconnected, i.e., as indicated by a software variable, the third state restoration mechanism 96 has been completed for the first time since the second state restoration mechanism 76 has been completed, then control is such that the software 60 displays a message in the toggle display mechanism 98 , the message indicating that the phone 10 is switching to using the internal battery 12 as a power source for the radiotelephone 10 . In the switching display mechanism 98, the software 60 displays messages such as "Now Using Int Battery (now using the internal power supply)". The message is displayed for a predetermined period of time, such as four seconds, or until the user presses a key on keypad 30 .

Once four seconds have elapsed, or at any earlier time the user presses a key on the keypad 30, control is passed to the inline display mechanism 100, where the software 60 displays a message indicating that there is no inline display mechanism. The remaining battery life of the internal battery 12 is also indicated by the battery level and/or the battery icon. Next, control is passed to the external battery checking mechanism 102, where the software 60 determines whether the external battery 14 has just been connected. If an external battery has just been connected, then control is passed to the exit command checking mechanism 68. Otherwise, control is passed to the external state of charge mechanism 104 where the software 60 determines whether the state of charge of the newly connected external battery 14 is low or charged. If the external battery 14 is not low or charged, then control is passed to the exit command check mechanism 68 . Otherwise, control is passed to use external display mechanism 106 . Use the external display mechanism 106 to display a message that the phone 10 is now switching to using the newly provided external battery 14 as a power source, such as "Now using external battery (now using external battery)". The message is displayed for ten seconds, or until the user presses a key on keypad 30 at any earlier time. Next, control is passed to the exit order checking mechanism 68 .

In this embodiment, the alarms performed in mechanisms 66, 98, 106, 78, 80, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, and 94 are accompanied by beeping sounds and/or flashing messages, however, other types of alarms may be used. alarm instead without departing from the scope of the present invention. Also, in the present embodiment, a battery having a remaining talk time of about 5 minutes (+/- 3 minutes) is defined as a low voltage battery, however, other times may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

3 is a drawing showing various battery displays 110 displayed on the liquid crystal display (LCD) of the radiotelephone 10 of FIG. 1 in accordance with the software 60 of FIG. 2 when no external charging power source is connected to the radiotelephone 10. composition.

? Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the first battery 112 has the name "Battery" and notifies the user that both the internal battery 12 and the external battery 14 have expired via the message "IntEXPIRED Ext EXPIRED" . Furthermore, a battery icon 114 is shown, which indicates the current state of charge of batteries 12 and 14 , which in the present case is empty. The first battery display 112 is implemented in the expiration mechanism 78 and/or 82 of FIG. 2 . In the first battery display 112, the battery icon 114 blinks to indicate that it is not charging. If one of the batteries 12 and 14 remains 4-7% charged, the battery icon 114 does not flash, but the indicator bar remains undercharged, as described more fully below. A "QUIT" soft key 122 is shown, indicating that the user may enter a predetermined key or sequence of keys to quit. An envelope icon 128 indicates that SMS (Short Message Service) messages are available.

A second battery display 116 also named "Battery" indicates that the internal battery 12 is not in use by displaying the item "internal" without the accompanying " ^* " character, and indicates that the external battery 14 is in use by displaying the item " ^* external". The internal battery level 118 is displayed adjacent to the item "INTERNAL", and represents the remaining battery life or charge level of the internal battery 12 . Similarly, the external battery level 120 is displayed adjacent to the item " ^* External" and represents the remaining battery life or charge level of the external battery 14 . The battery icon 114 represents the charge status of the operating battery (which is the external battery 14). There is a bar for the battery icon 114 indicating that the external battery 14 is charged to 7-15%. The second battery display 110 is performed in the internal/external battery display mechanism 82 of FIG. 2 .

In the third battery display 124, the battery icon 114 has two schematic bars suggesting that the external battery be charged by 15-40%. If the symbol " ^* " is placed in front of the item "inline", the battery icon 114 will represent the remaining battery life of the inline battery 12. The external battery level 120 is consistent with the battery icon 114 . The third battery display 124 is performed in the internal/external battery display mechanism 82 of FIG. 2 .

In the fourth battery display 126, the battery icon 114 has three schematic bars indicating that the external battery 14 is charged to 40-65%. The external battery level 120 is consistent with the battery icon 114 . Similarly, in the fifth battery display 128, the battery icon has four bars that suggest charging the external battery 14 to 65-100%. The external battery level 120 is consistent with the battery icon 114 .

The display 110 of FIG. 3 is applied when the phone 10 is connected to an external charging source. To view the battery display 110, the user accesses a battery menu (not shown) through a user-entered predetermined program.

When the radiotelephone 10 is not connected to an external charging source, the display indicates which battery is being used by displaying "internal" or "internal" with the predetermined character " ^* ". For example, in every display 110 of FIG. 3 except display 112, the external battery 14 is being used because it has a charge. If the external battery 14 has expired, the text "Internal" with " ^* " characters is displayed. The "EXIT" key returns the radiotelephone 10 to the standby state. The battery icon 114 reflects the status of the working battery.

4 is a drawing showing the configuration of various battery charge displays 140 displayed on the display screen of the radiotelephone of FIG. 1 according to the software of FIG. 2 when an external charging power source is connected to the radiotelephone 10. The displays include a first charging display 142 , a second charging display 144 , a third charging display mechanism 146 , a fourth charging display mechanism 148 , and a fifth charging display mechanism 150 . Charging display 140 is similar to battery display 110 of FIG. 3 except for the first four displays 142, 144, 146, and 148, with the title "Battery" changed to "Charging". In the fifth charging display 150, however, the name "battery" is replaced with "charging complete". Display 140 is performed in mechanisms 78 and/or 82 of FIG. 2 .

Regardless of whether the radiotelephone 10 is in the on mode or the low power mode (off), a charging indication is always displayed on the display screen 32, ie, " ^* Charging". Unique software 60 causes speaker 46 of radiotelephone 10 to emit a tone of increasing intensity when connected to an external charging source. The software 60 also causes the speaker 46 to emit a tone of reduced intensity when the external charging power source is removed.

If the radiotelephone 10 is switched on and in a standby mode or state and connected to an external charging power source, the battery icon 114' is animated and indicates the state of charge of both batteries, i.e., which of a given battery is currently charging or not charging. In this particular embodiment, batteries 12 and 14 are not charged simultaneously.

While the phone 10 is charging, the battery icon 114' is incrementally charged at predetermined intervals (such as 320 millisecond intervals), which are application specific and would be readily determined by those skilled in the art to suit a given application needs. If the phone 10 is in the slotted sleep state, the phone 10 behaves as described above, or otherwise determines the slotted sleep period and updates the activated battery icon 114' at the corresponding rate. The sleep state is a state in which the phone is connected but not monitoring the paging channel. When the phone is in sleep state, it is conserving power and cannot receive calls.

Depending on whether internal battery 12 and/or external battery 14 are connected to radiotelephone 10, respectively, the process is looped until internal battery 12 and/or external battery 14 are fully charged. Also displays the logo, time and date, if available. A feedback tone sounds from speaker 46 (if the beep function (keybeep) is enabled) anytime the phone 10 is connected to or disconnected from an external charging source. If the phone 10 is connected to an external charging source, then in addition to the HFK (Hands Free Car Kit) device, wherein the backlight (not shown) that constantly shines on the display screen 32, the display screen 32 is activated by software running on the computer 18 The duration of the backlighting at 32 follows a user setting stored in computer memory.

If the phone 10 is in low power mode, the charge level of FIG. 4 is displayed to represent the level of the internal battery 12 and the level of the external battery 14 (if connected) independently. A clear feedback tone sounds from the speaker 46 whenever the radiotelephone 10 is connected to or disconnected from an external charging source. If no external battery 14 is connected to the radiotelephone 10, only the "internal" charge is displayed. Display 140 is accessible if phone 10 is switched on and can be viewed from the battery menu (described more fully below), which can be accessed by predetermined user input. When the phone 10 is plugged in, but not connected to an external charging source, then the name " ^* CHARGING ^* " changes to "Battery" and the QUIT soft key is available. The dynamic battery icon 114' is only displayed when the phone 10 is connected to an external charging source. If the phone 10 is in low power mode, the display screen 32 is not backlit.

Whether the phone 10 is in low power mode or switched on, when the battery or battery 12 or battery 14 is fully charged, the dynamic battery icon 114' becomes static, indicating full charge. If the phone 10 does not have an internal battery 12 or an external battery 14, but is connected to an external charging source (other than an AC (alternating current) adapter), the phone 10 fast charges the internal battery 12 and then fast charges the external battery 14, Then the charging of the internal battery 12 is completed, and then the charging of the external battery 14 is completed. Fast charging is a process in which the battery is initially charged for a predetermined period of time, which is application specific and dependent on the battery charging profile. Typically, fast charging charges the battery to a point at which the battery charge curve begins to return to level, however, other charging times may be used to perform fast charging without departing from the scope of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a drawing showing the construction of various battery warning displays 160 implemented by the LCD 132 of the radiotelephone 10 of FIG. 1 in accordance with the software 60 of FIG. The alarm display includes a first alarm display 162, a second alarm display 164, a third alarm display 166, a fourth alarm display 168, a fifth alarm display 170, a sixth alarm display 172, a seventh alarm display 174 and an eighth alarm display 176 . The alarm display 160 typically lasts 4 seconds, or until the "OK" soft key is actuated by the user, whichever occurs first. The user actuates the "OK" softkey by pressing the "OK" button on the keypad 30 of FIG. 1 .

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 5, in the first alarm display 162, the message "INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL BATTERY LOW (internal and external battery low)" is displayed. The first warning display 162 is implemented in the battery low mechanism 90 of FIG. 2 . When both batteries 12 and 14 are low, battery icon 114 will generally blink or flash.

In the second alarm display 164, the message "INTERNAL BATTERY LOW (internal battery low)" is displayed. The second warning display 164 is implemented in the internal battery low mechanism 86 of FIG. 2 . When low internal battery 12 is involved, battery icon 114 will typically blink or flash.

In the third alarm display 166, the message "EXTERNAL BATTERY LOW (external battery low)" is displayed. A third warning display 166 is implemented in the external battery low mechanism 88 of FIG. 2 . When low external battery 14 is involved, battery icon 114 will generally flash or flash.

In the fourth alarm display 168, a message "EXTERNAL BATTERY EXPIRED INTERNAL LOW (external battery expires and internal battery is low)" is displayed. A fourth warning display 168 is implemented in the second low/expiration mechanism 94 of FIG. 2 . In the fourth warning display 168 there is no battery icon.

In the fifth alarm display 170, a message "EXTERNAL BATTERY EXPIRED INTERNAL LOW (external battery expires and internal battery is low)" is displayed. A fifth warning display 170 is implemented in the first low/expiration mechanism 92 of FIG. 2 . In the fifth warning display 170, the battery icon 114 will generally blink or flash.

In the sixth alarm display 172, a message "EXTERNAL BATTERY EXPIRED (external battery expires)" is displayed. A sixth warning display 172 is implemented in the external battery expiration mechanism 80 of FIG. 2 . In sixth warning display 172 there is no battery icon.

In the seventh alarm display 174, a message "NOW USING INTERNAL BATTERY (now using an internal battery)" is displayed. A seventh warning display 174 is implemented in the switching display mechanism 98 of FIG. 2 . There is no battery icon in the seventh warning display 174 .

In the eighth alarm display 176, the message "BATTERY EXPIRED" is displayed. An eighth warning display 176 is implemented in the expiration mechanism 78 of FIG. 2 . In the eighth warning display 176 there is no battery icon.

Accordingly, software running on computer 18 monitors and provides charging information for both batteries 12 and 14 . The battery icon 114 indicates the charge level of either the external battery 14 or the internal battery 12 when the phone 10 is connected and not charging, but not at the same time. The battery icon 114 indicates the charge level of the internal battery 12 when the external battery 14 is not connected. When an external battery 14 is connected, the message "Now Using External Battery" is displayed for 10 seconds, or cleared upon pressing any key. The battery icon 114 is then updated to reflect only the charge level of the external battery 14 . When the external battery 14 is depleted, a warning is displayed, and after confirmation by the user, the battery icon 114 reflects the charge level of the internal battery 12 . When the external battery 14 is disconnected, the display screen 32 provides a notification message such as "Now using Internal Battery" for four seconds, or clears upon pressing any key. The battery icon 114 changes to reflect the charge level of the internal battery 12 .

A single beep accompanies each alarm message (see display 160 and mechanisms 98, 106, 78, 80 and 84 to 94 of Fig. 2) and requires user confirmation or a predetermined amount of time has elapsed. Applicable alerts are displayed when the phone 10 is switched on, at detection points during use, and after removal of external charging power. A low battery alarm occurs when the phone 10 has 5 minutes +/- 3 minutes of talk time remaining (see displays 162 to 170 and mechanisms 86 to 94 of FIG. 2). An expired battery alarm occurs when one or more of the batteries 12 and 14 no longer provides sufficient power to the phone 10 to support a call (see displays 168, 170, 172 and 176 and mechanisms 78, 80 and 84 of FIG. 2) .

When the external battery 14 expires, the phone 10 immediately draws power from the internal battery 12, however, the battery icon 114 is not accompanied by an alert message. After user confirmation and after "Now Using Internal Battery" is displayed, the battery icon 114 is updated to reflect the status of the internal battery 14.

If the battery expiration alarm (see displays 168, 170, 172, and 176 and mechanisms 78, 80, and 84 of FIG. 2) occurs without an "OK" response from the user, the alarm is changed to reflect the most current state of battery charge (see FIG. 2 of the agency 82). Just press "OK" once to clear the alarm message.

Typically no redundant alert messages will occur during execution of the software 60 unless the phone 10 is connected to an external charging power source and then removed while the software 60 of FIG. 2 is running, or unless the phone 10 is turned off and then on again. Whenever the phone 10 is connected to an external charging source, the record of past alarms is deleted. For example, if the phone 10 is connected to an external charging source after the internal battery low alarm has occurred, and disconnected before altering the charging of the internal battery 12, then the "Internal Battery Low (internal battery low)" alarm is displayed again ( See mechanism 86 of Fig. 2). The alarm is redisplayed each time the power is turned on.

If changes involving the external battery 14 affect the state of charge of the external battery 14, an appropriate alarm is displayed. For example, if "External Expired Internal Low" is displayed (see mechanism 94 of Figure 2), and an external battery swap occurs, the new message is not repeated to reflect the internal battery status (low), unless A newly connected external battery has a new power defect, in which case an appropriate alarm is displayed, including external battery status (low).

When the battery is fully discharged, the battery icon 114 is not accompanied by a corresponding warning. This applies to the alarms "EXTERNAL BATTERY EXPIRED" and "BATTERY EXPIRED". Only when reporting to the police is that the discharge of externally connected battery 14 causes, report to the police " EXTERNALBATTERY EXPIRED INTERNAL LOW (external battery expires internally connected low) " just obeys above-mentioned rule. If the alarm is only in response to the charge level of the internal battery 12 (which in this example is low), the battery icon 114 remains displayed.

The low battery alarm (see displays 162 to 170 and mechanisms 86 to 94 of Figure 2) cancels "Missed Call" (not shown). After acknowledging the low battery alarm, a "lost call" notification is displayed.

In the event that the various displays (see 110 of FIG. 3, 140 of FIG. 4 and 160 of FIG. 5) have pause counters, such as in the call loss and call failure displays, display appropriate messages associated with call loss and call failure , and then the display screen 32 of FIG. 1 pauses to a low battery warning.

The low battery alarm (see displays 162 to 170 and mechanisms 86 to 94 of Figure 2) cancels Short Message Service (SMS) notifications. If the low battery warning is displayed when an incoming SMS warning arrives, the SMS message is displayed for 4 seconds followed by the low battery warning. If any key is pressed during 4 seconds, a low battery alarm is displayed. An envelope icon 128 is displayed to represent a received SMS message.

If the internal battery 12 or both the internal battery 12 and the external battery 14 are unable to support the call, a warning is displayed before the phone 10 is turned off. (See display 176 of FIG. 5 and mechanism 78 of FIG. 2). If the user is on a call, a low battery warning and corresponding tone alarm is given to the user every minute.

Accordingly, the invention has been described herein with reference to specific embodiments for specific applications. Those skilled in the art and having access to the present teachings will appreciate that additional modifications, applications and embodiments are within the scope of the invention.

Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover any and all such applications, modifications, and embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (7)

CLAIMS 1. A system (10, 60) for facilitating accommodation of two or more batteries (12, 14) in an electronic device (10), characterized in that: The first mechanism (18, 60) is used for judging the state of charge of the first battery (12) and the second battery (14), and providing a state signal according to the state of charge and A second mechanism (18, 60, 32, 46) for providing an indication of remaining battery life associated with the first battery (12) and/or the second battery (14) based on the status signal. 2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a third mechanism for selectively switching between the first battery (12) and the second battery (14) as the power supply of the electronic device according to the status signal switch. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device (10) is a wireless telephone (10). 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the radiotelephone (10) comprises a radiotelephone transceiver (24); a computer (18) communicating with the transceiver (24), a display screen (32), a housing A radiotelephone housing (11) for a computer (18), a first battery (12) and a second battery (14). 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second mechanism (18, 60, 32, 46) includes issuing a first alarm (78, 84, 92, 100) when the first battery (12) is exhausted. , 170, 176) mechanisms (18, 60, 32, 46). 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the second mechanism (18, 60, 32, 46) further comprises when the second battery (14) is depleted or removed from the electronic device (10) A mechanism (18, 60, 32, 46) for issuing a second alarm (66, 78, 80, 94, 168, 172, 176). 7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that the second mechanism (18, 60, 32) further comprises, as indicated by the status signal, when the first battery (12) and/or the second battery (14) are low , when the first battery (12) and/or the second battery (14) are removed, and when the first battery (12) and/or the second battery (14) are depleted, an alarm (110, 140, 160 ) institutions (18, 60, 32, 46).

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