Battery status indicating arrangement

Abstract: In an arrangement which is for use in an electronic circuit controllably put into operation by a battery (20) and which is for indicating a consumption status of the battery, a measuring circuit (22) measures a total time interval of operation of the electronic circuit. A processing circuit (21, 27) processes the total time interval into a calculated status for the battery. An indicator (32) indicates the consumption status based on the calculated status. The processing circuit may comprise a memory (21) for memorizing various current rates which are used in the electronic circuit and on which an arithmetic circuit (27) calculates the calculated status. Alternatively, first and second measuring circuits (25, 26) may be used with first and second current rates memorized in the memory for the first and the second measuring circuits. Instead of the measuring circuits, a summing circuit may be supplied with a succession of the current rates repeatedly read out of the memory to sum up a total amount of consumed current consumed by the electric circuit. As a further alternative, a counter counts down to obtain the total time interval in response to a pulse sequence of a pulse repetition period variable in proportion to a varying level of electric current supplied from the battery to the electronic circuit.

Description: Background of the Invention: This invention relates to a battery status indicating arrangement for use in an electronic circuit. An electronic circuit of the type described, is typically a radio communication apparatus of a radio pager receiver, a mobile radio telephone set, a mobile radio transceiver, or the like. The electronic circuit is controllably put into operation by a battery. More specifically, the electronic circuit is controllably put into operation by electric current supplied from the battery. The battery status indicating arrangement is for indicating a status of consumption of the battery. A conventional battery status indicating arrangement comprises a voltmeter connected to a pair of terminals of the battery for measuring a voltage difference between the terminals and for indicating the voltage difference as the status of consumption of the battery. In general, the battery has not a linear characteristic of a voltage decrease relative to a total amount of the electric current which the electronic circuit consumes. The total amount of the electric current consumed by the electronic circuit is equivalent in meaning to a consumed quantity of energy which the electronic circuit consumes as the electric current. Therefore, the conventional battery status indicating arrangement is defective in that it is difficult for a user of the electronic circuit to judge and guess with reference to an indication of the voltmeter how long the electronic circuit can further be put into operation by the battery. In the specification of United States Patent Number 4638237, which was published on January 20 1987, there is proposed a battery condition indicator which measures the period of use of a battery between charges in order to provide an indirect measure of the charge remaining. An indirect measure of the age or life of a battery is provided by measuring the total time of service of a battery. In the specification of European Patent Application Number 86308972.8, which was published under No. 225106 on June 10 1987, a device for indicating changes in the state of a rechargeable battery is proposed which employs a computer to compute from the output of a sensor, which senses the battery current flow, and a timing signal, a signal representative of the stage of charge of the battery. A feature of one embodiment to be described is the provision of a battery status indicating arrangement which is for use in an electronic circuit controllably put into operation by a battery and which is capable of accurately indicating a status of consumption of the battery. A feature of another embodiment to be described is the provision of a battery status indicating arrangement which is suitable for indicating how long an electronic circuit can further be put into operation by the battery. One arrangement to be described below includes, among other components, measuring means coupled to an electronic circuit for measuring a total time interval during which the electronic circuit is put into operation, the measuring means thereby producing a time duration signal indicative of the total time interval; processing means responsive to the time duration signal for processing the total time interval into a calculated status for the battery to produce a status signal representative of the calculated status; and indicating means responsive to the status signal for indicating the status of consumption based on the calculated status. Another arrangement to be described below includes, among other components, memory means for memorizing a current rate signal representative of a current rate at which an electronic circuit is controllably put into operation; current rate processing means responsive to the current rate signal for processing the current rate into a calculated status for the battery to produce a status signal representative of the calculated status; and indicating means responsive to the status signal for indicating the status of consumption based on the calculated status. Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a block diagram of a mobile radio telephone set which comprises a battery status indicating arrangement according to a first embodiment of this invention; and Figure 2 is a block diagram of another mobile radio telephone set which comprises a battery status indicating arrangement according to a second embodiment of this invention. Description of the Preferred Embodiments: Referring to Fig. 1, a battery status indicating arrangement according to a first embodiment of this invention is for use in an electronic circuit which is a mobile radio telephone set in the example being illustrated. The mobile radio telephone set comprises an antenna 11, an antenna coupler 12, a receiving circuit 13, a transmitting circuit 14, a local oscillator 15, a speaker portion 16, a microphone portion 17, a controller 18, and a manually operable key input portion 19. When put into the mobile radio telephone set, a battery 20 becomes capable of supplying electric current to the receiving circuit 13, the transmitting circuit 14, the local oscillator 15, the speaker portion 16, the microphone portion 17, the controller 18, and the key input portion 19. The mobile radio telephone set is controllably put into operation by the key input portion 19. More specifically, the mobile radio telephone set is controllably put into a waiting or first mode of operation when the key input portion 19 is manipulated. On carrying out communication, the mobile radio telephone set is automatically turned into a communication or second mode of operation. The waiting and the communication modes of the mobile radio telephone set will now be described. The mobile radio telephone set is usually put into the waiting mode of operation under the control of the controller 18. At the waiting mode, the controller 18 drives the receiving circuit 13 and the local oscillator 15 to put each of the receiving circuit 13 and the local oscillator 15 into an operation state. In this event, the local oscillator 15 supplies the receiving circuit 13 with a frequency signal which specifies a control channel. That is, the receiving circuit 13 can receive, through the antenna 11 and the antenna coupler 12, an incoming signal which is sent through the control channel by a fixed or base station. Responsive to the incoming signal, the receiving circuit 13 delivers the incoming signal to the controller 18. When the controller 18 receives the incoming signal, the controller 18 judges whether or not the incoming signal is a call signal specific to the mobile radio telephone set. Only when the incoming signal is the call signal specific to the mobile radio telephone set, the controller 18 drives not only the receiving circuit 13 and the local oscillator 15 but also the transmitting circuit 14 to put each of the receiving circuit 13, the local oscillator 15, and the transmitting circuit 14 into an operation state. In this event, the local oscillator 15 supplies the receiving circuit 13 and the transmitting circuit 14 with another frequency signal which specifies one of communication or speech channels. As a result, the mobile radio telephone set is put into the communication mode of operation in which the mobile radio telephone set can transmit and receive a communication signal to and from the fixed station through the above-mentioned one of the communication channels by the use of the microphone and the speaker portions 17 and 16. As is known in the art, the controller 18 also drives a tone generator (not shown) to make the tone generator generate a call tone when the controller 18 judges that the incoming signal is the call signal specific to the mobile radio telephone set. The mobile radio telephone set can also be put into the communication mode of operation when the key input portion 19 is manually operated by a user of the mobile radio telephone set in order to start communication with the fixed station. When the key input portion 19 is operated so as to start communication with the fixed station, the key input portion 19 generates a communication start signal. Responsive to the communication start signal, the controller 18 drives the transmitting circuit 14 in addition to the receiving circuit 13 and the local oscillator 15 in a similar manner described above. At any rate, the transmitting circuit 14 is not put into the operation state at the waiting mode of operation but put into the operation state in the communication mode of operation. The mobile radio telephone set consumes a first quantity of electricity at the waiting mode and a second quantity of electricity in the communication mode. The first quantity is less than the second quantity. The first quantity of electricity per unit time will be referred to as a first current rate while the second quantity of electricity per unit time will be referred to as a second current rate. The first and the second current rates are, for example, two hundred milliamperes and two amperes, respectively. The battery status indicating arrangement is for indicating a status of consumption of the battery 20 and comprises a memory 21 for memorizing first and second current rate signals representative of the first and the second current rates at which the mobile radio telephone set is controllably put into the waiting and the communication operation modes, respectively. Summarizing, the memory 21 memorizes a current rate signal representative of a current rate at which the mobile radio telephone set is controllably put into operation. The battery status indicating arrangement further comprises a measuring circuit 22 coupled to the mobile radio telephone set for measuring a total time interval during which the mobile radio telephone set is put into operation. The measuring circuit 22 thereby produces a time duration signal indicative of the total time interval. More specifically, the measuring circuit 22 comprises an integrating circuit 23 coupled to the mobile radio telephone set for integrating or totalizing the total time interval to produce the time duration signal and a resetting circuit 24 connected to the integrating circuit 23 for resetting the time duration signal to an initial duration signal indicative of zero as the total time interval when the battery 20 is detached from the mobile radio telephone set. Alternatively, such a resetting operation for the integrating circuit 23 may be carried out by a manual operation of a user of the mobile radio telephone set when a new battery is attached to the mobile radio telephone set as the battery 20 instead of an old battery. For this purpose, the key input portion 19 produces a resetting signal when the key input portion 19 is manually operated by the user in order to carry out the resetting operation for the integrating circuit 23. Responsive to the resetting signal, the controller 18 carries out the resetting operation for the integrating circuit 23 instead of the resetting circuit 24. The integrating circuit 23 of the measuring circuit 22 comprises first and second partial measuring circuits 25 and 26. Being coupled to the mobile radio telephone set, the first partial measuring circuit 25 measures a first total time interval during which the mobile radio telephone set is put into the waiting or first mode of operation. The first partial measuring circuit 25 thereby produces a first time duration signal indicative of the first total time interval. Likewise, the second partial measuring circuit 26 is coupled to the mobile radio telephone set and measures a second total time interval during which the mobile radio telephone set is put into the communication or second mode of operation. The second partial measuring circuit 26 thereby produces a second time duration signal indicative of the second total time interval. Each of the first and the second partial measuring circuits 25 and 26 may be a timer known in the art. Coupled to the memory 21 and to the measuring circuit 22, an arithmetic circuit 27 multiplies the current rate signal and the time duration signal to produce a multiplied signal representative of a product of the current rate and the total time interval. The multiplied signal is used as a status signal representative of a calculated status for the battery 20. More specifically, the arithmetic circuit 27 comprises first and second multipliers 29 and 30 and an adder 31. Coupled to the memory 21 and to the first partial measuring circuit 25, the first multiplier 29 multiplies the first current rate signal and the first time duration signal. The first multiplier 29 thereby produces a first multiplied signal representative of a first product of the first current rate and the first total time interval. Likewise, the second multiplier 30 is coupled to the memory 21 and to the second partial measuring circuit 26 for multiplying the second current rate signal and the second time duration signal. The second multiplier 30 thereby produces a second multiplied signal representative of a second product of the second current rate and the second total time interval. The adder 31 is coupled to the first and the second multipliers 29 and 30. The adder 31 adds the first and the second multiplied signals to make the status signal represent a sum of the first and the second products. Thus, a combination of the memory 21 and the arithmetic circuit 27 serves as a processing circuit coupled to the measuring circuit 22. Responsive to the time duration signal supplied from the measuring circuit 22, the processing circuit processes the total time interval into the calculated status for the battery 20 to produce the status signal representative of the calculated status. Responsive to the status signal, an indicator 32 of, for example, a visual display unit indicates the status of consumption based on the calculated status. For example, the indicator 32 indicates, by the use of a bar graph, the sum of the first and the second products as a consumed quantity of electricity which the mobile radio telephone set consumes up to the present time. In the bar graph, a bar is displayed to have a short bar length when the consumed quantity of electricity is great. Therefore, the bar has a maximum bar length when a new battery is attached to the mobile radio telephone set instead of the battery 20 illustrated in Fig. 1. It is preferred to make the indicator 32 further indicate a using limit mark indicative of a using limit of the battery 20. A value of percentage of the consumed quantity of electricity to maximum quantity of electricity of the battery 20 may be indicated instead of the bar graph. Alternatively, indication may be made as regards another value of percentage of a remaining amount of energy convertible to electricity to the maximum amount of the energy. The indicator 32 may indicate how long the mobile radio telephone set can further be put into operation by the battery 20. More specifically, the indicator 32 may indicate how long the mobile radio telephone set is put into either the waiting operation mode or the communication operation mode by the battery 20. It may be apparent that the electric current is supplied from the battery 20 to the memory 21, the integrating circuit 23, the resetting circuit 24, the arithmetic circuit 27, and the indicator 32 when the battery 20 is attached to the mobile radio telephone set. Referring to Fig. 2, a battery status indicating arrangement according to a second embodiment of this invention is also for use in the mobile radio telephone set. The battery status indicating arrangement is similar to the battery status indicating arrangement illustrated in Fig. 1 except that a different arithmetic circuit 33 is included in the controller 18 instead of the arithmetic circuit 27 illustrated in Fig. 1 and that a consumed current summing circuit 34 is coupled to the arithmetic circuit 33 instead of the measuring circuit 22. The arithmetic circuit 33 comprises a reading circuit 35 coupled to the memory 21 for periodically reading the current rate signal out of the memory 21 at a predetermined time interval of, for example, a unit time while the mobile radio telephone set is controllably put into operation. The reading circuit 35 thereby produces a read-out signal having a form of a succession of the current rate signals. The unit time is, for example, one second. In this event, the reading circuit 35 periodically reads the first current rate signal out of the memory 21 at the predetermined time interval while the mobile radio telephone set is controllably put into the waiting or the first mode of operation. The reading circuit 35 thereby produces a first read-out signal having a form of a succession of the first current signals. While the mobile radio telephone set is controllably put into the communication of the second mode of operation, the reading circuit 35 periodically reads the second current rate signal out of the memory 21 at the predetermined time interval to thereby produce a second read-out signal having another succession of the second current rate signals. The consumed current summing circuit 34 comprises a consumed current integrating circuit 39 responsive to the read-out signal for summing up the current rates to produce a sum signal representative of a sum of the current rates. Connected to the consumed current integrating circuit 39, a resetting circuit 40 is for resetting the sum signal to an initial signal indicative of zero. More specifically, the consumed current integrating circuit 39 of the consumed current summing circuit 34 comprises first and second partial summing circuits 41 and 42. The first partial summing circuit 41 sums up the first current rates in response to the first read-out signal to produce a first sum signal representative of a first sum of the first current rates. Likewise, the second partial summing circuit 42 sums up the second current rates in response to the second read-out signal to produce a second sum signal representative of a second sum of the second current rates. Each of the first and the second partial summing circuits 41 and 42 may be an up counter known in the art. Coupled to the first and the second partial summing circuits 41 and 42, an adding circuit 43 adds the first and the second sum signals to make the status signal represent a total sum of the first and the second sums. In other words, the adding circuit 43 is operable as a supplying circuit responsive to the sum signal for supplying the sum signal to the indicator 32 as the status signal. Thus, a combination of arithmetic circuit 33 and the consumed current summing circuit 34 serves as a current rate processing circuit responsive to the current rate signal for processing the current rate into a calculated status for the battery 20 to produce a status signal representative of the calculated status. While this invention has thus far been described in conjunction with a few embodiments thereof, it will readily be possible for those skilled in the art to put this invention into practice in various other manners. For example, this invention is applicable to a radio pager receiver which is controllably put into a waiting mode of operation by a battery. This invention is further applicable to a mobile radio telephone set which is controllably put into a plurality of transmission modes of operation. At each of the transmission modes, the mobile radio telephone set needs different electric power or energy to transmit a transmission signal. At any rate, the scope of this invention is never restricted by the number of modes of operation of the electric circuit.

Claims: A battery status indicating arrangement for use in an electronic circuit (11-17) which is controllably put into operation by a battery (20), the battery status indicating arrangement being for indicating a status of consumption of the battery and including measuring means (22) coupled to the electronic circuit (11-17) for measuring a total time interval during which the electronic circuit is put into operation, the measuring means thereby producing a time duration signal indicative of the total time interval, and memory means (21) for memorizing a current rate signal representative of a current rate at which the electronic circuit (11-17) is controllably put into operation, characterised in that there are provided arithmetic means (27) coupled to the memory means (21) and to the measuring means (22) for multiplying the current rate signal and the time duration signal to produce a multiplied signal representative of the product of the current rate and the total time interval as a status signal representative of a calculated status for the battery (20), and indicating means (32) responsive to the status signal for indicating the status of consumption based on the calculated status. A battery status indicating arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the measuring means (22) includes integrating means (23) coupled to the electronic circuit (11-17) for measuring the total time interval to produce the time duration signal, and resetting means (24) connected to the integrating means (23) for resetting the time duration signal to an initial duration signal indicative of zero as the total time interval. A battery status indicating arrangement as claimed in claim 1, the electronic circuit being controllably put into a first and a second mode of operation by the battery (20), characterized in that the memory means (21) is for memorizing a first and a second current rate signal representative of a first and a second current rate at which the electronic circuit (11-17) is controllably put into the first and the second modes respectfully, and in that the measuring means (22) includes first partial measuring means (25) coupled to the electronic circuit (11-17) for measuring a first total time interval during which the electronic circuit (11-17) is put into the first mode, the first partial measuring means (25) thereby producing a first time duration signal indicative of the first total time interval, and second partial measuring means (26) coupled to the electronic circuit (11-17) for measuring a second total time interval during which the electronic circuit (11-17) is put into the second mode, the second partial measuring means (26) thereby producing a second time duration signal indicative of the second total time interval, the arithmetic means (27) including first multiplying means (29) coupled to the memory means (21) for multiplying the first current rate signal and the first time duration signal to produce a first multiplied signal representative of a first product of the first current rate and the first total time interval, second multiplying means (30) coupled to the memory means (21) for multiplying the second current rate signal and the second time duration signal to produce a second time multiplied signal representative of a second product of the second current rate and the second total time interval, and adding means (31) coupled to the first and the second multiplying means (29) (30) for adding the first multiplied signal and the second multiplied signal together to make the status signal represent the sum of the first and the second products. A battery status indicating arrangement for use in an electronic circuit (11-17) which is controllably put into operation by a battery (20), the battery status indicating arrangement being for indicating the status of the consumption of the battery, and memory means (21) for memorizing a current rate signal representative of a current rate at which the electronic circuit (11-17) is controllably put into operation, characterised in that it includes reading means (35) for periodically reading the current rate signal out of the memory means (21) at a predetermined time interval while the electronic circuit (11-17) is controllably put into operation, the reading means (35) thereby producing a read-out signal having the form of a succession of the current rate signals, summing means (34) responsive to the read-out signal for summing up the current rates to produce a sum signal representative of a sum of the current rates as a status signal representative of a calculated status for the battery and indicating means (32) responsive to the status signal for indicating the status of consumption based on the calculated status. A battery status indicating arrangement as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the summing means (34) includes integrating means (39) responsive to the read-out signal for summing up the current rates to produce the sum signal, and resetting means (40) connected to the integrating means (39) for resetting the sum signal to an initial signal indicative of zero. A battery status indicating arrangement as claimed in claim 4, the electronic circuit (11-17) being controllably put into a first and a second mode of operation by the battery, characterised in that the memory means (21) is for memorizing a first and a second current rate signal representative of a first and a second current rate at which the electronic circuit is controllably put into the first and the second modes, respectively, in that the reading means (35) is for periodically reading the first and the second current rate signals out of the memory means (21) at the predetermined time interval, while the electronic circuit (11-17) is controllably put into the first mode, and while the electronic circuit (11-17) is controllably put into the second mode, respectively, the reading means (35) thereby producing a first read-out signal having a first form of a succession of the first current rate signals, and a second read-out signal having a second form of another succession of the second current rate signals, respectively, in that the summing means (34) includes first partial summing means (41) responsive to the first read-out signal for summing up the first current rates to produce a first sum signal representative of a first sum of the first current rates, and second partial summing means (42) responsive to the second read-out signal for summing up the second current rates to produce a second sum signal representative of a second sum of the second current rates, and in that the battery status indicating arrangement further includes current rate adding means (43) coupled to the first and the second partial summing means (41) (42) for adding the first and the second sum signals together to make the status signal represent the total sum of the first and the second sums.

Inventors: YOSHIDO KOICHI, YOSHIDO, KOICHI
Applicants: NIPPON ELECTRIC CO, NEC CORPORATION
Application year: 1988
Main classification: G01R31
IPC codes: G01R31, H01M10