Power supply usage determination
AssigneeSouthwest Electronic Energy Corporation
InventorsClaude Leonard Benckenstein, JR., Clint Alfred Davis, Dean Perkins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The remaining capacity of a power source, such as a battery, may be monitored with a microprocessor, such as by counting electrons flowing through the power source. The microprocessor may measure electrons passing through the battery and sleep for predetermined periods, waking up to determine an updated capacity of the battery. The remaining capacity may be communicated to remote users through a network and displayed in an executive dashboard. In one example, the updates regarding remaining capacity may be pushed to users through a graphical user interface or a web page.
Claims31
A method, comprising:
- counting, by an integrator, electrons flowing through a power source;
- when the electron count reaches a predetermined number:
- waking, by the integrator, a processor from a low power state;
- activating, by the processor, a storage device to add the electron count to a total electron count;
- determining, by the processor, a capacity of the power source from the total electron count after activating the storage device;
- and
- entering, by the processor, the low power state after activating the storage device.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a current sensor coupled to an output of a power source;
- an integrator coupled to the current sensor;
- a memory configured to store a total electron count value and a calibration value;
- a processor coupled to the current sensor, to the integrator, and to the memory, in which the processor is configured to:
- exit from a low power state at a predetermined interval;
- obtain an electron count from the integrator after exiting from the low power state;
- increment the total electron count value stored in the memory by the electron count obtained from the integrator;
- calculate a power usage of the power source based, at least in part, on the total electron count value;
- and
- return to the low power state after incrementing the total electron count value.
A method, comprising:
- monitoring, by the processor, electrons flowing through a power source;
- determining, by the processor, a capacity of the power source from the monitored electron flow through the power source;
- and
- transmitting, by the processor, data comprising the capacity of the power source determined from the monitored electron flow to a user.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a current sensor coupled to an output of a power source;
- a processor coupled to the current sensor and configured to:
- monitor electrons flowing through the power source with the current sensor;
- determine a capacity of the power source based, at least in part, on the monitored electron flow through the power source;
- and
- transmit data comprising the capacity of the power source determined from the monitored electron flow to a user.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.