# US 2013/0154655 A1 · Process for auto-testing a fully discharged battery, such as double-layer capacitor battery, and circuit for doing the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0154655 A1 - Document ID: US20130154655A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/819,377 - Filed: 2011-08-31 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2010-08-31 - Assignees: ST-Ericsson SA - Inventors: Christophe Belet - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130154655A1 ## CPC - H02J 7/82: Control of state of charge [SOC] - G01R 19/16542: {for batteries (charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36)} - G01R 31/36: Arrangements for testing, measuring or monitoring the electrical condition of accumulators or electric batteries, e.g. capacity or state of charge [SoC] - G01R 31/3835: involving only voltage measurements - G01R 31/385: Arrangements for measuring battery or accumulator variables (for monitoring G01R31/382) - G01R 31/388: involving voltage measurements - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) ## Abstract A process for performing an auto-test of a fully discharged battery (130) of an electronic appliance including a battery charger (160), said process involving the steps of: performing (210) an initialization phase; charging (220) said battery (130) with a predetermined constant current during a predefined period allowing stabilization of said current (Icurrent); detecting (230) the voltage of said battery after said predefined period, said battery being still in charge; testing (240) whether said sensed voltage is comprised within a predetermined range of threshold values (V1, V2), and reporting a battery failure when said sensed value is outside said range. The invention is particularly adapted to the auto-test of a backup battery made of Electric double layer capacitors or any fully discharged backup battery. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-14. (canceled) ### Claim 15 A method of auto-testing a fully discharged battery of an electronic appliance that includes a battery charger, comprising: performing an initialization phase; charging the battery with a predetermined constant current during a predefined period having a duration that allows stabilization of the current; detecting a voltage of the battery after the predefined period, while the battery is still being charged; determining whether the detected voltage is within a predetermined voltage range; and reporting a battery failure responsive to the detected voltage being outside the predetermined voltage range. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the fully discharged battery is an electric double-layer capacitor used as a backup battery in the electronic appliance. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the electronic appliance also includes a processor, and a General Purpose Analog-to-Digital Converter (GPADC) configured to convert the detected voltage into a digital signal and transmit the digital signal to the processor. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the GPADC is part of a Power Management Unit of the electronic appliance. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the predefined period is approximately 1 millisecond. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: reporting that the battery is absent responsive to the detected voltage being equal to a voltage of a power supply of the electronic appliance. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the battery is a lithium-ion or nickel-cadmium battery, and wherein the method further comprises: detecting a preliminary voltage of the battery after the initialization phase but before the charging has begun; and subtracting the preliminary voltage from the detected voltage prior to the determining to obtain an adjusted voltage, such that the determining comprises determining whether the adjusted detected voltage is within the predetermined voltage range, and the reporting comprises reporting a battery failure responsive to the adjusted detected voltage being outside the predetermined voltage range. ### Claim 22 A circuit for auto-testing a fully discharged battery of an electronic appliance that includes a battery charger, the circuit being configured to: perform an initialization phase; charge the battery with a predetermined constant current during a predefined period having a duration that allows stabilization of the current; detect a voltage of the battery after the predefined period, while the battery is still being charged; determine whether the detected voltage is within a predetermined voltage range; and report a battery failure responsive to the detected voltage being outside the predetermined voltage range. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The circuit of claim 22, wherein the fully discharged battery is an electric double-layer capacitor used as a backup battery in the electronic appliance. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The circuit of claim 22, wherein the appliance includes a processor, and a General Purpose Analog-to-Digital Converter (GPADC) configured to convert the sensed voltage into a digital signal and transmit the digital signal to the processor. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The circuit of claim 24, wherein the GPADC is part of a Power Management Unit of the electronic appliance. ### Claim 26 (depends on 22) The circuit of claim 22, wherein the predefined period is approximately 1 millisecond. ### Claim 27 (depends on 22) The circuit of claim 22, wherein the circuit is further configured to: report that the battery is absent responsive to the detected voltage being equal to a voltage of a power supply of the electronic appliance. ### Claim 28 (depends on 22) The circuit of claim 22, wherein the battery is a lithium-ion or nickel-cadmium battery, and wherein the circuit is further configured to: detect a preliminary voltage of the battery after the initialization but before the charging has begun; and subtract the preliminary voltage from the detected voltage prior to the determining to obtain an adjusted detected voltage, such that circuit is configured to determine whether the adjusted detected voltage is within the predetermined voltage range, and report a battery failure responsive to the adjusted detected voltage being outside the predetermined voltage range.