Power usage pattern collector and charging controller

Abstract

Present invention concerns charging of a power source of a device. A power usage pattern collector is configured to: collect data on power usage in a device, power source of which is chargeable, with regard to at least one particular criterion having influence on power usage in the device; and determine at least one power usage pattern by use of the collected data, said power usage pattern specifying power usage in the device with regard to at least one particular reoccurring criterion. A charging controller is configured to: acquire at least one power usage pattern; and control charging of a power source of a device by use of the at least one acquired power usage pattern. Present invention relates also to corresponding methods, correspondingly arranged computer program products, correspondingly arranged computer-readable recording media, and a system comprising the power usage pattern collector and the charging controller.

1 . A power usage pattern collector configured to:
 collect data on power usage in a device comprising a chargeable power source with regard to at least one particular criterion having influence on power usage in the device; and   determine at least one power usage pattern by use of the collected data, said power usage pattern specifying power usage in the device with regard to at least one particular reoccurring criterion.   
     
     
         2 . The power usage pattern collector according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one particular criterion comprises at least one of the following:
 at least one particular time;   at least one particular location of a user of the device and/or of the device;   at least one particular environment of a user of the device and/or of the device;   at least one particular state of the user of the device and/or of the device;   at least one particular event of the user of the device and/or in the device;   at least one particular activity of the user of the device and/or in the device;   at least one particular charging time;   at least one particular charging duration;   time period between two particular charging times;   power amount consumed between two particular charging times; and/or   wherein the data on power usage in the device specifies at least one of the following with regard to some or each of the at least one particular criterion having influence on power usage in the device:   change of used power amount;   used power amount.   
     
     
         3 . The power usage pattern collector according to  claim 1 , wherein the power usage pattern collector is further configured to at least partially receive the data on power usage in the device from the device and/or from a further device that is external to the device. 
     
     
         4 . The power usage pattern collector according to  claim 1 , wherein the power usage pattern collector is configured to determine at least one power usage pattern by:
 determining at least one reoccurring criterion in the collected data on power usage in a device; and   generating the at least one power usage pattern for an individual reoccurring criterion or for a group of interrelated reoccurring criteria.   
     
     
         5 . The power usage pattern collector according to  claim 4 , wherein the power usage pattern collector is further configured to generate a group of interrelated reoccurring criteria if at least two reoccurring criteria are detected as influencing together the power usage in the device. 
     
     
         6 . The power usage pattern collector according to  claim 1 , wherein a criterion is determined as a reoccurring criterion if the criterion has essentially the same influence on power usage in the device with each reoccurrence. 
     
     
         7 . A method for power usage pattern collecting, said method comprising steps of:
 collecting data on power usage in a device comprising a chargeable power source with regard to at least one particular criterion having influence on power usage in the device; and   determining at least one power usage pattern by use of the collected data, said power usage pattern specifying power usage in the device with regard to at least one particular reoccurring criterion.   
     
     
         8 . A charging controller that is configured to:
 acquire at least one power usage pattern; and   control charging of a power source of a device by use of the at least one acquired power usage pattern.   
     
     
         9 . The charging controller according to  claim 8 , wherein the charging controller is configured to:
 acquire data indicating information on at least one currently satisfied criterion having influence on power usage in a device and/or on at least one future criterion that will be satisfied in future and has influence on power usage of the device; and/or   acquire characteristics of the power source to be charged;   wherein the charging controller is further configured to control charging of the device by use of the acquired data and/or acquired characteristics of the power source to be charged.   
     
     
         10 . The charging controller according to  claim 8 , wherein the charging controller is configured to control charging of the power source by executing the following by use of the at least one acquired power usage pattern or by use of the acquired data and/or the acquired characteristics of the power source to be charged in addition to the use of the at least one acquired power usage pattern:
 dividing a particular future time period into a plurality of sub-periods of time;   determining, for each sub-period of time, an assumed remaining average charging duration;   determining, for each sub-period of time, an assumed average power use; and   selecting at least one time block of sub-periods of time for charging the power source such that, after charging in the time block:
 sufficient power is provided for use by the device until a next assumed charging time; and/or 
 the power source is operated as long as possible with regard to preferred characteristics of the power source until the next assumed charging time. 
   
     
     
         11 . The charging controller according to  claim 8 , wherein the at least one acquired power usage pattern comprises a power usage pattern that is currently satisfied and/or wherein the at least one acquired power usage pattern comprises a power usage pattern that will be satisfied in a time period from the current time up to a pre-determined time. 
     
     
         12 . A method for charging control, said method comprising steps of:
 acquiring at least one power usage pattern; and   controlling charging of a power source of a device by use of the at least one acquired power usage pattern.   
     
     
         13 . A computer program product comprising computer readable program code that is configured to cause a computing device to execute the method of  claim 7 . 
     
     
         14 . A computer program product comprising computer readable program code that is configured to cause a computer device to execute the method of  claim 12 . 
     
     
         15 . A system comprising a power usage pattern collector according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         16 . A system comprising a charging controller according to  claim 8 .