Battery capacity meter

A method for determining a battery capacity of a battery, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) determining whether or not the battery is currently being charged;
• b) if the determination in the step a) is that the battery is currently being charged,
• b1) determining an amount of one of a charging current flowing to the battery and discharging current flowing from the battery;
• b2) determining an inside temperature of the battery;
• b3) calculating a chargeable absolute capacity of the battery and a dischargeable absolute capacity of the battery based on the determinations made in the steps b1) and b2);
• b4) lighting a first number of a plurality of lighting elements on a display based on the dischargeable absolute capacity of the battery calculated in the step b3);
• b5) determining whether the dischargeable absolute capacity of the battery is equal to the chargeable absolute capacity of the battery;
• b6) if the determination made in the step b5) is that the dischargeable absolute capacity of the battery is equal to the chargeable absolute capacity of the battery, lighting up a particular lighting element on the display, so as to indicate a fully charged condition of the battery at a temperature corresponding to the inside temperature of the battery;
• b7) if the determination made in the step b5) is that the dischargeable absolute capacity of the battery is less than the chargeable absolute capacity of the battery, recalculating the dischargeable absolute capacity of the battery based on a present determination of the amount of one of the charging current flowing to the battery and the discharging current flowing from the battery, as well as a present determination of the inside temperature of the battery, and returning to the step b6);
• c) if the determination in the step a) is that the battery is not currently being charged,
• c1) determining an amount of one of the charging current flowing to the battery and the discharging current flowing from the battery;
• c2) determining the inside temperature of the battery;
• c3) calculating the dischargeable absolute capacity of the battery based on the determinations made in the steps c1 and c2);
• and
• c4) displaying the dischargeable absolute capacity of the battery by lighting up a second number of the lighting elements on the display so as to indicate the dischargeable absolute capacity.