Apparatus and method for detecting a low-battery power condition and generating a user perceptible warning

An apparatus for detecting a low battery condition in an electronic device used in audio applications and generating a user perceptible warning indicating the detection of said low battery condition, comprising:

• means for measuring a battery output voltage and comparing said battery output voltage against a first threshold voltage at specified sampling intervals;
• means for qualifying the output of said comparison against said first threshold voltage;
• means for generating a user perceptible warning at specified intervals if said comparison against said first threshold voltage is qualified;
• means for measuring and comparing said battery output voltage against a second threshold voltage at specified sampling intervals if said comparison against said first threshold voltage is qualified;
• means for qualifying the output of said comparison against said second threshold voltage;
• and
• means for disabling the audio output circuitry or portions of said electronic device if said comparison against said second threshold voltage is qualified.

An apparatus for detecting a low battery condition in an electronic device used in audio applications and generating a user perceptible warning indicating the detection of said low battery condition, comprising:

• a programmable supply voltage divider selectively providing one of a first or a second voltage threshold level in response to a low battery condition detection signal;
• a comparator indicating whether a battery output voltage is higher than the output of said programmable supply voltage divider;
• a comparator qualifier for preventing false detection of a low battery voltage condition;
• a state machine generating said low battery condition detection signal and generating an output disabling signal;
• and
• an audible warning generator circuit.

An apparatus for detecting a low battery condition in an electronic device used in audio applications and generating a user perceptible warning indicating the detection of said low battery condition, comprising:

• a programmable supply voltage divider selectively providing one of a first or a second voltage threshold level in response to a low battery condition detection signal;
• a comparator indicating whether a battery output voltage is higher than the output of said programmable supply voltage divider;
• a comparator qualifier for preventing false detection of a low battery voltage condition;
• a state machine generating said low battery condition detection signal and generating an output disabling signal;
• and
• an audible warning generator circuit,
• wherein said comparator qualifier is sampled at a first sampling interval and reset at a first qualification interval, and wherein said comparator qualifier indicates whether a plurality of voltage comparisons performed by said comparator at said first sampling interval within said first qualification interval determine that said battery output voltage is lower than the output of said programmable supply voltage divider.