Patent ID: 9728818
Date: 2017-08-08
CPC Classifications: A61B,G01R,H01M,Y02E

Claim:
1. A method of monitoring power in a portable physiological measurement device that has at least a battery coupled to a microprocessor and memory, the method comprising the steps of: turning on the device; measuring the power level of the battery with the microprocessor; determining if the measured power level of the battery is greater than a first threshold; if the measured power level is less than or equal to the first threshold then setting an internal flag in the microprocessor for low battery as true, and if the measured power level is greater than the first threshold, then performing a start up checking process of the device; after the performing of the startup checking process, evaluating the battery with the microprocessor to determine if both the power level of the battery is greater than a second threshold and the low battery flag is set as true; if the evaluating step indicates that both the power level of the battery is greater than the second threshold and the internal low battery flag is set as true, then recording the time and date of the evaluating step to memory as one battery status notice of a plurality of battery status notices without deleting another battery status notice of the plurality of battery status notices, setting the internal flag for low battery as false, and annunciating a status of the battery in the device; if the evaluating step indicates that either the power level of the battery is not greater than the second threshold or the internal flag for low battery is set as false, then conducting an analyte measurement; measuring the power level of the battery with the microprocessor against the first threshold; if the measuring indicates that the power level of the battery is greater than the first threshold, then annunciating a result of the physiological measurement, otherwise ending the measuring step; and evaluating the plurality of battery status notices to determine a number of battery change events in the life of the measurement device.