The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 30, 2001
Filed:
Feb. 14, 2000
Robert Sherman Green, Sandy, UT (US);
Benjamin Edward Nise, Plano, TX (US);
Sonic Innovations, Inc., Salt Lake City, UT (US);
Abstract
A system for detecting a low battery power condition and providing an audible warning of such a condition to a user of an electronic device such as a hearing aid is disclosed. In one embodiment, the battery output voltage is monitored and compared to a first threshold voltage at specified sampling intervals. When a battery output voltage measurement below the first threshold voltage is detected, this measurement is verified by a rule specifying that a low battery condition is not deemed to exist unless a predetermined percentage of voltage measurements within a predetermined time interval indicate that the battery output voltage is below the first threshold voltage. If the low battery condition is verified, an audible warning is generated, which is repeated at specified warning intervals. This audible warning affords an opportunity to the user for replacing the batteries in the device before loss of operation or degraded sound quality are experienced. Even after generation of the first warning signal, the electronic device continues to function essentially normally for some time. Once the electronic device enters a low battery power condition state, the audible warnings are repeated at specified warning intervals, and the battery output voltage is monitored and compared to a second threshold voltage at specified sampling intervals. If the preliminary warnings are unheeded by the user and the battery output voltage drops below the second threshold voltage, the system generates a final warning and shuts down the output stage of the electronic device. However, until this final warning is generated, the hearing aid device continues to function essentially normally, without at any instant compromising of the effective functioning of the device.