# US 2017/0288447 A1 · Internet of things battery device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0288447 A1 - Document ID: US20170288447A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/088,879 - Filed: 2016-04-01 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-01 - Assignees: Intel Corporation - Applicants: Intel Corporation - Inventors: Wael Guibene; John Brady; Keith Nolan; Mark Kelly; Cliodhna Ni Scanaill - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170288447A1 ## CPC - G01R 31/371: with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers - G01R 31/382: Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC - H02J 7/82: Control of state of charge [SOC] - H02J 7/84: Control of state of health [SOH] - H02J 50/10: using inductive coupling - H02J 50/80: involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices - H04W 4/20: Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A method and apparatus for monitoring an internet-of-things (IoT) battery device (IBD). An example IBD includes a radio transceiver to communicate with an IoT charging device (ICD), a battery, and a battery monitor to determine a state of charge for the battery. An alerter is included to send an alert message to the ICD, via the radio transceiver, to indicate that the SoCh is less than an alert threshold. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus, comprising an internet-of-things (IoT) battery device (IBD), comprising: a radio transceiver to communicate with an IoT charging device (ICD); a battery; a battery monitor to determine a state of charge (SoCh) for the battery; and an alerter to send an alert message to the ICD, via the radio transceiver, to indicate that the SoCh is less than an alert threshold. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the IBD comprises: a power receiver to wirelessly receive power from the ICD; and a charger to use the power to charge the battery. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the battery is to power a device external to the IBD. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the battery monitor comprises an integrated circuit to monitor the SoCh. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the battery monitor comprises an analog-to-digital (ADC) convertor to convert an output voltage of the battery to a digital value, and the IBD comprises a battery manager to determine the SoCh from the digital value. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the IBD comprises a case that is the same size and shape as a battery for a device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the IBD comprises a microcontroller unit (MCU). ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, comprising the ICD, comprising: an ICD radio transceiver; a network interface; an IBD communicator to communicate with an IBD through the ICD radio transceiver; an inter ICD communicator to exchange messages with other ICDs via the network interface; and a localizer to determine a location of the IBD based, at least in part, on communications between the IBD and the ICD. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the ICD comprises a DSP, wherein the DSP performs a time difference of arrival calculation on messages received from the IBD to determine the location for the IBD. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the messages exchanged with the other ICDs comprise frame identifiers and timestamp information for frames received at each of the other ICDs from the IBD, and the localizer determines the location of the IBD as an intersection of distances between the IBD and at least three ICDs. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the ICD comprises a wireless power transmitter to charge an ICD. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, comprising a location and battery monitoring device (LBMD), comprising a plurality of internet of things (IoT) devices self-selected from a fog of IoT devices to provide functions to the LBMD, comprising: a target IoT battery device (IBD); and at least three other IoT devices in communication with the target IBD, wherein each of the three other IoT devices timestamps the communications received from the target IBD. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein one of the plurality of IoT devices comprises a calculating IoT charging device (ICD) that can use the timestamped communications from the target IBD to determine a location for the target IBD. ### Claim 14 A method for monitoring an Internet of Things (IoT) battery device (IBD), comprising: initiating communications from the IBD to an IoT charging device (ICD); determining a state of charge (SoCh) of a battery in the IBD; analyzing the SoCh to determine if a threshold limit has been crossed; and sending an alert message to the ICD if the threshold has been crossed. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, comprising: determining a state of health (SoH) of the battery; determining a state of function (SoF) of the battery; analyzing the SoH and the SoF to determine if the SoH or the SoF or both have crossed a relevant threshold limit; and sending the alert message to the ICD if the SoH or the SoF or both have crossed the relevant threshold limit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, comprising: exchanging messages between a plurality of ICDs, wherein the messages include timestamped communications from the IBD; filtering the timestamped communications to determine a time of arrival of a communication from the IBD at each of the plurality of ICDs; and performing a time difference of arrival calculation on the communication to determining a location for the IBD. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, comprising transmitting a location of the IBD from the ICD to a user. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, comprising transmitting the alert message and the location of the IBD from the ICD to a user. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, comprising transmitting a location for a recharged IBD from the ICD to a user. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, comprising wirelessly transmitting power to an IBD that is proximate to an ICD. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, comprising detecting by the IBD that is no longer in range of charging coils in the ICD, and initiating communications with the ICD via a radio transceiver. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, comprising forming a virtual device from a plurality of IoT devices that are self-selected to perform functions, wherein the virtual device adds or removes IoT devices from the plurality of IoT devices as needed. ### Claim 23 A non-transitory, machine readable medium comprising instructions to direct an MCU in an internet of things (IoT) battery device (IBD) to: communicate with an IoT charging device (ICD); determine a state of charge (SoCh) of a battery; analyze the SoCh to determine if a threshold limit has been crossed; create an alert message comprising the SoCh; and send the alert message to an ICD. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The non-transitory, machine readable medium of claim 23, comprising instructions to direct the MCU in the IBD to: determine a state of health (SoH), a state of function (SoF) or both for the battery; create the alert message comprising the SoH, the SoF, or both; and send the alert message to the ICD. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The non-transitory, machine readable medium of claim 23, comprising instructions to direct the MCU in the IBD to monitor the charging of the battery.