Appeal No. 1998-1792 Page 2
Application No. 08/453,217
have been powered-off "even though there is a significant portion of unused energy
remaining," (id.), in their batteries.
Accordingly, the object of the invention is to increase "the amount of energy
obtained from a battery with a linear voltage/drain characteristic such as that of the
lithium ion battery. . . ." (Appeal Br. at 2.) Toward that end, power control circuitry 315
includes a boost regulator 407 coupled to a battery voltage ("B+"). The boost regulator
produces a regulator output signal 423 at a constant level output voltage independent
of B+. In turn, the regulator output signal 423 powers a reference generator 409. An
analog-to-digital converter ("ADC") 403 uses an internal reference signal 425 from the
reference generator 409 to generate a digitized battery voltage signal 427 indicative of
B+. A processor 405 compares the digitized battery voltage signal 427 to an
undervoltage threshold stored therein. (Id.) According to the appellants, "[u]sing the
boost regulator output signal as a reference to the ADC allows the battery voltage to fall
below the voltage of the internal reference signal and shutoff at a lower under voltage
threshold than," (Spec. at 3-4), that used in traditional power control.
A further understanding of the invention can be achieved by reading the following
claim.
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007