Battery gas gauge reset mechanism
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsTimothy M. Johnson, Scott Mullins, David John Tupman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas gauge circuit has a power supply pin, a power return pin, power-on reset capability, and a communications signal pin. A reset control circuit is coupled between the power supply pin and the communications signal pin, or between the power return pin and the communications signal pin. The reset control circuit removes power to the gas gauge circuit in accordance with a control signal asserted on the communications signal pin. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
Claims17
An electronic circuit for monitoring a battery, comprising:
- a gas gauge circuit having a power supply pin, a power return pin, power-on-reset capability, and a battery parameter communications signal pin;
- and
- a reset control circuit coupled between (a) the power supply pin or the power return pin and (b) the communications signal pin, to remove power to the gas gauge circuit in accordance with a control signal asserted on the communications pin.
A battery monitor module, comprising:
- a carrier substrate having a supply rail that couples a first battery side terminal to a first main logic board terminal, and a return rail that couples a second battery side terminal to a second main logic board terminal;
- a battery monitor circuit on the carrier substrate, the battery monitor circuit having a power supply pin coupled to the supply rail, a power return pin coupled to the return rail, and a communications signal pin, the battery monitor circuit having a processor and memory, the memory stores instructions that when executed by the processor (a) monitor energy output through the supply rail and on that basis compute a measure of remaining battery energy, and (b) signal the computed measure using the communications signal pin;
- a reset control circuit coupled between (a) the power supply pin or the power return pin and (b) the communications signal pin, to remove power to the gas gauge circuit in accordance with a control signal asserted on the communications pin.
A mobile electronic device, comprising:
- a battery connector;
- a host controller;
- a gas gauge circuit having a power supply pin and a power return pin coupled to the battery connector, power-on-reset capability, and a communications signal pin coupled to the host controller;
- and
- a reset control circuit coupled between (a) the power supply pin or the power return pin and (b) the communications signal pin, to remove power to the gas gauge circuit in accordance with a control signal asserted on the communications pin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.