US 11,894,707 B1
Rechargeable battery pack onboard charge state indication methods and apparatus
Mark S. Olsson, La Jolla, CA (US); and Alexander L. Warren, Escondido, CA (US)
Assigned to SEESCAN, INC., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed by SeeScan, Inc., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 23, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/255,524.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/620,959, filed on Jan. 23, 2018.
Int. Cl. H02J 7/00 (2006.01); G08B 5/38 (2006.01); G08B 21/18 (2006.01)
CPC H02J 7/0047 (2013.01) [G08B 5/38 (2013.01); G08B 21/182 (2013.01); G08B 21/185 (2013.01); H02J 7/0045 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A battery pack for use with a portable device utility locator, comprising:
a housing including a mechanical attachment mechanism for removably coupling the battery pack to the portable device utility locator;
a battery cell assembly positioned within the housing;
an electrical power and charging connector assembly for electrically coupling the battery cell terminals to the portable device utility locator and/or to a battery charger;
an electronic circuit operatively coupled to the battery cell assembly, including:
a battery charge state monitoring circuit for receiving a signal associated with a charge state of the battery cell assembly and generating a charge state status output;
a lighting element driver circuit; and
an output display element, including two or more differently colored lighting elements, operatively coupled to the driver circuit such that the lighting elements provide:
when the battery charge state is above a predefined intermediate charge state threshold, a first steady light output signal from a first of the colored lighting elements and a first varying light output signal from a second of the colored lighting elements, wherein the first varying light output signal reflects a decrease from a fully charged state of the battery cell assembly when the battery charge state is above a predefined intermediate charge state threshold; and
when the battery charge state is below the predefined intermediate charge state threshold, a second varying light output signal from the first of the colored lighting elements and a first steady light output signal from the second of the colored lighting elements, wherein the second varying light output signal reflects a decrease from a fully charged state of the battery cell assembly when the battery charge state is below the predefined intermediate charue state threshold; and
wherein the varying light output signals are duty-cycle modulated signals, wherein the duty-cycle is proportionate with a current charge state of the battery pack.