Patent Abstract:
The invention relates to an indicator device for displaying a battery charge status of an electronic battery powered user terminal device, which is adapted to provide a plurality of applications to a user. The user terminal device comprises a plurality of electric components performing the applications, a battery supplying power to the electric components and a power supply control deactivating the electric components of individual applications at a predetermined battery charge status respectively. The indicator device comprises a detection device for detecting the battery charge status of the user terminal device and a display for displaying the battery charge status. A charging state arrangement is provided for determining and displaying an application-specific battery charge state of at least one of the applications.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to battery driven user terminal devices in general, and in particular it relates to an indicator device for displaying a battery charge status of an electronic battery powered user terminal device. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In general, a terminal for electronically generating, processing, exchanging and reproducing information or data for a user is denoted as user terminal device. For example, the data or information can be text, voice, music, pictures, animations, films or multimedia data. Known mobile battery driven user terminal devices are in particular mobile stations for a communication via a mobile telecommunication network according to the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) or UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) standard, MP3 player (playback devices for audio data according to the Moving Pictures Experts Group Audio Layer 3 Format), PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), Laptops, digital cameras, camcorder and navigation systems. 
     These user terminal devices increasingly provide multiple applications to a user. For example, mobile stations meanwhile usually comprise a digital camera and a MP3 player. Further examples are MP3 player and navigation systems which permit displaying digital pictures or videos, PDAs comprising mobile telephony or mobile stations with integrated navigation system. In addition many user terminal devices provide interfaces, for example according to the Bluetooth or USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard for using functions or applications of external devices. 
     Usually a single-use battery or a rechargeable accumulator is used as battery in a battery powered user terminal device. The battery status is displayed to a user by means of a battery status indicator. In this way the user is enabled to exchange a battery or recharge an accumulator in due time. Furthermore, the user can coordinate the usage of the user terminal device with the battery status. 
     In order to avoid an adverse complete discharge, a so-called deep discharge, of an accumulator and to terminate active applications secure and without data loss an automatic power-off of the user terminal is typically carried out at a predetermined threshold value. In addition, an early deactivation of applications or functions with low priority is well-known with battery driven user terminal devices providing multiple applications. These applications or functions are deactivated before reaching the above-mentioned threshold value in order to achieve a longer remaining runtime of the battery for important applications. For this procedure, for example, further threshold values can be used. Current mobile telephones, for example, firstly deactivate or switch off a camera, then a Bluetooth interface, and finally telephony and thereby the mobile telephone. In this way a longer runtime of the preferred telephony application of the mobile station is achieved. 
     The European patent specification EP 1 202 457 B1 describes a method for switching off battery supplied mobile stations. For this purpose the current battery voltage is periodically detected. The current state of the battery can be symbolically displayed to the user by a battery symbol on a display of the mobile station. The voltage supply is switched off when falling under a pre-set shut down voltage. This action is previously indicated to a user by an alarm signal, for example a flashing battery symbol. Different pre-set shut down voltages are possible for different operation states like talking mode or TX transmission burst. 
     The known user terminal devices with multiple applications and a deactivation of an individual application depending on the battery status have the disadvantage that it is irreproducible for the user if and when an individual application or functions is deactivated. These user terminal devices have a battery status indicator showing the user a charging status of the battery and indicating upcoming deactivation to the user. But it is not recognizable for a user by means of the battery status indicator, when and which application of the user terminal device is deactivated, because a deactivation depends on power requirement of active applications and the usage behavior of the user. 
     Thus it has been a long felt and unsolved need to avoid disadvantages of the prior art and to inform a user in an effective and user-friendly way about a deactivation of individual applications. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to an indicator device for displaying a battery charge status of an electronic battery powered user terminal device, which is adapted to provide a plurality of applications to a user, wherein: 
     the user terminal device includes:
         a plurality of electric components performing the applications,   a battery supplying power to the electric components, and   a power supply control deactivating the electric components of individual applications at a predetermined battery charge status respectively, and       

     the indicator device comprises:
         a detection device detecting the battery charge status of the user terminal device, and   a display displaying the battery charge status.       

     Furthermore, the invention relates to an electronic battery powered user terminal device, 
     which is adapted to provide a plurality of applications to a user, wherein the user terminal device includes: 
     
         
         
           
             a plurality of electric components performing the applications, 
             a battery supplying power to the electric components, 
             a detection device detecting a battery charge status of the user terminal device, 
             a power supply control deactivating the electric components of individual applications at a predetermined battery charge status respectively, 
             a display displaying the battery charge status. 
           
         
       
    
     The invention further relates to a method for displaying a battery charge status of an electronic battery powered user terminal device, which is adapted to provide a plurality of applications to a user and thereto comprises a plurality of electric components performing the applications and a battery supplying power to the electric components, the includes the following:
         detecting the battery charge status by a detection unit,   deactivating the electronic components of individual applications at a predetermined battery charge status by a power supply control respectively, and   displaying the battery charge status on a display.       

     One aspect of the invention provides an indicator device for displaying a battery charge status of an electronic battery powered user terminal device, which is adapted to provide a plurality of applications to a user, by charging state means determining and displaying an application-specific battery charge state of at least one of the applications. 
     Another aspect of the invention provides an electronic battery powered user terminal device which is adapted to provide a plurality of applications to a user. Charging state means are provided for determining and displaying an application-specific battery charge state of at least one of the applications. 
     A still another aspect of the invention provides a method for displaying a battery charge status of an electronic battery powered user terminal device, which is adapted to provide a plurality of applications to a user by determining and displaying an application-specific battery charge state of at least one of the applications by charging state means. 
     The invention is based on the principle of respectively displaying a application-specific battery charge state for each of several applications, which are deactivated on different predetermined battery charge status and thus at different times. The application-specific battery charge state differs from the battery charge status by considering the deactivation of the application depending on the battery charge status. For example, if an application is deactivated by the power supply control on half-full battery, the application-specific battery charge state of this application indicates an insufficient charge state or an “empty” battery on half-full battery. 
     An application-specific battery charge state for each application is indicated to the user by the indicator device according to the invention and the user terminal device according to the invention. This information very effectively indicates an upcoming deactivation of an application to a user. User-friendly, the user will be able to adapt his usage behavior according to the determined and displayed application-specific battery charge state. In particular the user will not be surprised by a deactivation of an application although the battery charge status of the user terminal device indicates sufficient battery charge for operating the user terminal device. 
     Corresponding advantages are achieved by the inventive method for displaying a battery charge status of an electronic battery powered user terminal device. In turn the user is informed in good time about a deactivation of an application and can arrange his usage behavior accordingly. 
     Preferably in one modification of the indicator device according to the invention the charging state means are adapted to determine the application-specific battery charge state of an application using the battery charge status and a predetermined deactivation priority of the application. In doing so the indicator device according to the invention is particularly suitable for user terminal devices, which assign different priorities to several applications and deactivate individual applications in each case in dependence of a battery charge status and a priority. With this modification the determination of the application-specific battery charge state in such user terminal devices can be performed easily and quickly. 
     A further preferred modification of the indicator device according to the invention is achieved by runtime determination means determining and displaying a remaining runtime of the application depending on the application-specific battery charge state and a power consumption of active applications. In this way a user is very user-friendly informed about remaining runtimes of individual applications and can adapt his usage behavior accordingly. The user is provided with information on the moment of deactivation of an application at all times for different applications. Thus, a deactivation surprising the user is effectively avoided. 
     An advantageous modification of the indicator device according to the invention is achieved by providing switching means for activating or deactivating at least one application by the user. This measure provides the user with an extensive influence on the deactivation of applications. A deactivation of not required applications is feasible as needed. This leads to a longer runtime of the remaining active applications. Further on, an activation of an already deactivated application is possible, if the user wants to use such an application urgently. 
     A further advantageous modification of the indicator device according to the invention provides means for displaying a battery capacity utilization of an application. Depending on the energy demand different applications or electric components of the user terminal device used by an application burden the battery differently. By indicating the battery capacity utilization or the energy demand of an application the user obtains important information according to which he can adapt his usage behavior. For example, a decision of disusing or deactivating an application is considerably simplified. 
     Further on, a favorable modification of the indicator device according to the invention is achieved by providing adjusting means for predetermining or changing the deactivation priority of an application. A customization of the deactivation priority of an application depending on the battery charge status is permitted user friendly. A sequence of automatic deactivations of different applications can be advantageously set up by the user according to his needs and wishes. 
     In a preferred modification of the inventive battery driven user terminal device the charging state means are adapted to determine the application-specific battery charge state of an application using the battery charge status and a predetermined deactivation priority of the application. On the basis of a predetermined priority an application is deactivated by a power supply control on a predetermined battery charge status. In doing so a contemporaneous deactivation of multiple applications having the same priority is possible. By utilization of the priority of an application and a battery charge status of the user terminal device an efficient determining of application-specific battery charge states is feasible. 
     In an advantageous modification of the invention the user terminal device is a mobile station for a mobile telecommunication network. Modern mobile stations usually provide multiple applications to a user, for example telephony, text messages, games, generating and displaying photos and videos and playing back music. Thus, the invention can be applied particular advantageously to mobile stations. A user terminal device being a mobile station informs the user about an application-specific battery charge state of the applications and hence, about upcoming deactivations of individual applications at all times. 
     A preferred modification of the method according to the invention for displaying a battery charge status of an electronic battery powered user terminal device also uses the battery charge status and a predetermined deactivation priority of the application for determining the application-specific battery charge state of an application. Thus, corresponding to the respective modification of the inventive user terminal device and the inventive indicator device a quick and efficient determination of application-specific battery charge states is enabled. 
     Further modifications of the user terminal device and the method respectively correspond with the modification of the indicator device described above. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which, 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an indicator device according to the invention for a user terminal device; and 
         FIG. 2  is a principle diagram which shows a section of a display of the exemplary embodiment according to  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the numeral  10  denotes an electronic battery powered user terminal device. A rechargeable battery  12  is provided as energy supply for the user terminal device  10 . Alternatively, the usage of a single-use battery is also possible. In this embodiment the user terminal device  10  is designed as a mobile station and, among other components known by a person skilled, in particular comprises a mobile radio module  14  for transmitting and receiving data via a mobile telecommunication network according to the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) or the UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) standard. 
     In other embodiments the user terminal device  10 , for example, is a MP3 player (play back device for audio data in the Moving Picture Experts Group Audio Layer 3 format), a PDA (personal digital assistant), a laptop, a digital camera, a camcorder or a navigation system. In general the electronic battery powered user terminal device  10  is characterized by electronically generating, processing, exchanging and playing back information or data for a user. Thus, it is an interface between a user and electronically available data or information. For example, the data or information can be text, voice music, pictures, animations, movies or multimedia data. 
     The user terminal device  10  provides multiple applications to the user and comprises the necessary electronic components for this purpose. Possible applications for example are: telephony; WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), SMS (Short Message Service), EMS (Enhanced Messaging Service) and MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) applications; email, Internet, WWW (World Wide Web); organizer; address book; image and video recording; playing back music, pictures or videos; games; satellite based navigation and different interfaces for utilizing applications of external devices, for example USB (Universal Serial Bus), Bluetooth or IrDa (Infrared Data Association). 
     In the following only three exemplary applications of the user terminal device  10  are contemplated in order to simplify matters. First of all the user terminal device  10  permits a recording of pictures or videos and therefore comprises a digital camera  16  as electric component. Secondly, an application of external devices is accomplishable via a Bluetooth interface  18  as electric component. Thirdly the user terminal device  10  enables telephony for the user and for this purpose comprises a microphone  20 , a loud speaker  22 , the mobile radio module  14  and all other necessary electric components. 
     A control unit  24  and a display  26  are provided for controlling and using the user terminal device  10  by the user. Besides controlling, status and operating information of the user terminal device  10  the display  26  can also show application data like pictures or videos. 
     A power supply for the electric components of the user terminal device  10  is controlled by a power supply control  28 . On the one hand, the power supply control  28  switches off the user terminal device  10  at a predetermined minimum load of the battery  12  and terminates all applications or deactivates all electronic components of the user terminal device for this purpose. In this way all applications are correctly terminated and a damaging total discharge of the battery  12  is avoided. On the other hand individual applications or the corresponding electronic components are deactivated before reaching the minimum load at further predetermined remaining loads of the battery  12  by the power supply control  28  in order to increase the runtime of important applications. For this purpose the power supply control  28  uses predetermined priorities of the applications and remaining load values of the battery  12  associated with them. When reaching one of those remaining load values all applications with the corresponding priority are deactivated. 
     The charging status of the battery  12  is detected as battery charge status by a detecting device  30 . To this end, for example, a continuous or periodical examination of the battery voltage can be carried out. For example the battery charge status can be available in percentage and the reaches from 100% for a completely loaded battery  12  to 0% for a discharged battery  12 . By comparing the actual battery charge status with predetermined battery charge status as predetermined remaining load values the power supply control  28  determines if individual applications or the complete user terminal devices  10  has to be deactivated. In this exemplary embodiment the battery charge status is displayed to the user as a bar  32  on the display  26 . A completely filled bar  32  corresponds to a completely charged battery  12  and a bar  32  without filling corresponds to a discharged battery  12 . 
     Furthermore the user terminal device  10  comprises charging state means  34  for determining and displaying an application-specific battery charge state of each application. The application-specific battery charge state differs from the battery charge status by consideration of the deactivation of an application depending on the battery charge status. This circumstance is described in greater detail further below. The charging state means  34  determine the application-specific battery charge state of an application by means of the actual battery charge status and the predetermined priority of the respective application. 
     A remaining runtime of each application is determined and displayed on the display  26  for the user by remaining runtime determination means  36  using the application-specific battery charge state of an application and a power consumption of active applications. In addition a battery capacity utilization or power consumption of an application is displayed on the display  26  for the user by means  38  for displaying the battery capacity utilization of an application (see  FIG. 2 ). 
     Adjusting means  40  are provided in the user terminal device  10  for predetermining or changing the priority of an application by the user. Furthermore, activating or deactivating of individual applications by the user is possible by using switching means  42 . The adjusting means  40  and the switching means  42  are operated by the user by means of the control unit  24  and the display  26 . For this purpose, for example, menus, icons or soft keys can be used on the display  26 , which are selected by the user via the control unit  24 . 
     The detecting device  30 , the display  26 , the charging state means  34 , the remaining runtime determination means  36 , the means  38  for displaying the battery capacity utilization, the priority adjusting means  40  and the switching means  42  all together set up an indicator device  44  for displaying a battery charge status and application-specific battery charge states. Instead of the display  26  of the user terminal device  10  another display can be used. The same applies for the detecting device  30 . 
     In the following the functionality of the indicator device  44  is described together with an according exemplary method for displaying a battery charge status and application-specific charge states. Thereby reference is made to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . In  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  corresponding elements are denoted with the same reference numerals. As mentioned above, three applications and their electronic components are exemplary considered, namely the digital camera  16 , the Bluetooth interface  18  and telephony. The indicator device  44  and the method can also be used with less or more applications. 
     When using the user terminal device  10  the battery charge status is permanently shown to the user by bar  32 , see  FIG. 1 . For obtaining more information, in particular about a deactivation of applications, the user invokes the indicator device  44  using the control unit  24 . For this purpose, for example, the bar  32  can be a selectable icon or soft key. Thereupon the indicator device  44  displays amongst others the application-specific battery charge states, remaining runtimes and battery capacity utilizations of individual applications on the display  26  for the user. 
       FIG. 2  schematically shows an exemplary section of the display  26  with this information. Besides the bar  32  of the battery charge status an application-specific battery charge state of the digital camera  16  is displayed as bar  50   a  together with a symbol or text  52   a  as designator. Since the digital camera  16  has a low priority and is deactivated previous to the Bluetooth interface  16  and telephony by the power supply control  28 , the application-specific battery charge state  50   a  of the digital camera  16  differs from the battery charge status  32 . 
     Furthermore, a remaining runtime  54   a  until deactivation and a battery capacity utilization  56   a  of the digital camera  16  is displayed. The battery capacity utilisation  56   a  describes the power consumption of the digital camera  16 . All these values can be shown symbolical or as text. In addition, a symbol  58   a  as status of the digital camera  16  indicates, whether the digital camera  16  is activated or deactivated. Simultaneously, the symbol  58   a  is a selectable symbol or soft key used by the user for operating the switching means  42  for activating or deactivating the digital camera  16 . 
     Accordingly, an application-specific battery charge state  50   b , a designator  52   b , a remaining runtime  54   b , a battery capacity utilisation  56   b  and a status and switching symbol  58   b  of the Bluetooth interface  18  and an application-specific battery charge state  50   c , a designator  52   c , a remaining runtime  54   c , a battery capacity utilisation  56   c  and a status and switching symbol  58   c  for telephony is displayed. The Bluetooth interface  18  has a medium priority and telephony has a high priority. Because of this telephony is deactivated together with the user terminal device  10  by the power supply control  28  at the minimum load of the battery for operation. Thus, the application-specific battery charge state  50   c  of telephony is equal to the battery charge status  32 . Since the Bluetooth interface  18  is deactivated by the power supply control  28  at a remaining load value of the battery  12  between the remaining load value of the digital camera  16  and the minimum load of the battery, the application-specific battery charge state  50   b  of the Bluetooth interface  18  differs from the one of the digital camera  16  and the one for telephony. 
     The user is provided with substantial information by the indicator device  44  and the according method in order to be prepared for upcoming deactivations of individual applications and to arrange his user behavior accordingly. Furthermore, an extensive influence on the deactivation and activation of applications by the user terminal device  10  is enabled for the user by the priority adjusting means  40  and the switching means  42  provided in the indicator device  44 .

Technology Classification (CPC): 6