Battery voltage alarm apparatus

Abstract

There is provided a battery voltage alarm apparatus which announces the necessity of battery exchange when battery voltage falls below a predetermined level. The battery voltage alarm apparatus has a battery voltage detector, and a plurality of steps of detection levels for raising battery low voltage alarm are set and alarm sounds generated at individual levels are made to be different from each other. An alarm raised at a higher level is made to be an intermittent singing or a low-volume singing in order to reduce power consumption.

I claim:  
     
       1. A battery voltage alarm apparatus comprising: 
       means for determining when a battery voltage is below a predetermined voltage level and for generating a first control signal anytime that said battery voltage is below said predetermined voltage level and a second control signal only when the battery voltage remains below said predetermined voltage level for a predetermined period of time;  
       first alarm generation means, to be driven by the first control signal, for generating a first alarm; and  
       second alarm generation means, to be driven by the second control signal, for generating a second alarm.  
     
     
       2. A battery voltage alarm apparatus according to claim  1 , wherein said first alarm is an intermittent sound. 
     
     
       3. A battery voltage alarm apparatus according to claim  1 , wherein said first alarm is a low-volume sound. 
     
     
       4. A battery voltage alarm apparatus according to claim  1 , further comprising: 
       switch means for temporarily stopping said first and second alarm generation means; and  
       means, associated with said switch means, for counting a second interval of time upon activation of said switch means and for re-starting said first and second alarm generation means after completion of said second interval of time.  
     
     
       5. A battery voltage alarm apparatus according to claim  1 , wherein the means for generating the first and second control signals includes timer means for timing said predetermined period of time, and said timer means is reset when said battery voltage is above said predetermined level. 
     
     
       6. A battery voltage alarm apparatus according to claim  1 , wherein said second alarm consumes a different amount of power than said first alarm. 
     
     
       7. A battery voltage alarm apparatus comprising: 
       means for detecting battery voltage and for generating a first control signal when said battery voltage is below a predetermined level;  
       means for measuring an interval of time during which the battery voltage detected by said means for detecting remains below said predetermined level and for generating a second control signal only when said battery voltage remains below said predetermined level for a predetermined period of time; and  
       means for generating a first alarm in response to said first control signal and generating a second alarm in response to said second control signal.  
     
     
       8. A battery voltage alarm apparatus according to claim  7 , wherein said first alarm is an intermittent sound and said second alarm is a continuous sound. 
     
     
       9. A battery voltage alarm apparatus according to claim  7 , further comprising: 
       means for selectively stopping at least one of said first and second alarms; and  
       means for counting a second interval of time upon activation of said means for selectively stopping at least one of said first and second alarms and for raising said at least one of said first and second alarms again at the termination of said second interval of time.  
     
     
       10. A battery voltage alarm apparatus according to claim  7 , wherein said means for measuring an interval of time during which the battery voltage remains below said predetermined level includes timer means for timing said predetermined period of time, and said timer means is reset when said battery voltage is above said predetermined level. 
     
     
       11. A battery voltage alarm apparatus according to claim  7 , wherein said second alarm consumes a different amount of power than said first alarm. 
     
     
       12. A battery voltage alarm apparatus comprising: 
       means for detecting a first level of battery voltage;  
       means for detecting a second level of battery voltage;  
       means for generating a first alarm when said first level is detected;  
       means for generating a second alarm when said second level is detected;  
       means for selectively stopping at least one of said first and second alarms; and  
       means for counting an interval of time upon activation of said means for selectively stopping at least one of said first and second alarms and for restarting said first and second alarms after completion of said interval of time.  
     
     
       13. A battery voltage alarm apparatus according to claim  12 , wherein said first and second alarms are of different alarm sounds. 
     
     
       14. A battery voltage alarm apparatus according to claim  12 , wherein said first alarm is an intermittent sound and said second alarm is a continuous sound. 
     
     
       15. A battery voltage alarm apparatus according to claim  12 , wherein said second alarm consumes a different amount of power than said first alarm. 
     
     
       16. A battery voltage monitoring apparatus for a telecommunications device, comprising: 
       
         means for determining when a battery voltage is below a predetermined voltage level and for generating a first control signal anytime that said battery voltage is below said predetermined voltage level and a second control signal only when the battery voltage remains below said predetermined voltage level for a predetermined period of time;  
       
       
         first signal generation means, to be driven by the first control signal, for generating and outputting a first electrical signal indicating that said battery voltage is below said predetermined voltage level; and  
       
       
         second signal generation means, to be driven by the second control signal, for generating a second electrical signal indicating that said battery voltage has remained below said predetermined voltage level for said predetermined period of time and outputting said second electrical signal to another circuit element of said battery voltage monitoring apparatus. 
       
     
     
       17. A battery voltage monitoring apparatus according to claim  16 , further comprising: 
       
         switch means for selectively stopping at least one of said first and second signal generation means; and  
       
       
         means, associated with said switch means, for counting a second interval of time upon activation of said switch means and for restarting said at least one of said first and second signal generation means after completion of said second interval of time. 
       
     
     
       18. A battery voltage monitoring apparatus according to claim  16 , wherein said means for generating the first and second control signals includes timer means for timing said predetermined period of time, and said timer means is reset when said battery voltage is above said predetermined level. 
     
     
       19. A battery voltage monitoring apparatus according to claim  16 , wherein said second signal generating means outputting said second electrical signal consumes a different amount of power than said first signal generating means outputting said first electrical signal. 
     
     
       20. A battery voltage monitoring apparatus for a telecommunications device, comprising: 
       
         means for determining when a battery voltage is below a predetermined voltage level and for generating a first control signal anytime that said battery voltage is below said predetermined voltage level and a second control signal only when the battery voltage remains below said predetermined voltage level for a predetermined period of time;  
       
       
         first means, to be driven by the first control signal, for generating and outputting a first initiating signal to initiate a first control procedure in said monitoring apparatus responsive to said battery voltage being below said predetermined voltage level; and  
       
       
         second means, to be driven by the second control signal, for generating a second initiating signal to initiate a second control procedure in said monitoring apparatus responsive to said battery voltage remaining below said predetermined voltage level for said predetermined period of time and outputting said second initiating signal to another circuit element of said battery voltage monitoring apparatus. 
       
     
     
       21. A battery voltage monitoring apparatus according to claim  20 , further comprising: 
       
         means for selectively stopping at least one of said first and second means; and  
       
       
         means for counting a second interval of time upon activation of said means for selectively stopping said at least one of said first and second means and for restarting said at least one of said first and second means again at the termination of said second interval of time. 
       
     
     
       22. A battery voltage monitoring apparatus according to claim  20 , wherein the means for generating the first and second control signals includes timer means for timing said predetermined period of time, and said timer means is reset when said battery voltage is above said predetermined level. 
     
     
       23. A battery voltage monitoring apparatus according to claim  20 , wherein said second means outputting said second initiating signal consumes a different amount of power than said first means outputting said first initiating signal. 
     
     
       24. A battery voltage monitoring apparatus for a telecommunications device, comprising: 
       
         means for determining when a battery voltage is below a predetermined voltage level and for generating a first control signal anytime that said battery voltage is below said predetermined voltage level and a second control signal only when the battery voltage remains below said predetermined voltage level for a predetermined period of time;  
       
       
         alarm generation means, to be driven by the first control signal, for generating an alarm; and  
       
       
         signal generation means, to be driven by the second control signal, for generating an electrical signal indicating that said battery voltage has remained below said predetermined voltage level for said predetermined period of time and outputting said electrical signal to another circuit element of said battery voltage monitoring apparatus. 
       
     
     
       25. A battery voltage monitoring apparatus according to claim  24 , further comprising: 
       
         switch means for selectively stopping at least one of said alarm generation means and signal generation means; and  
       
       
         means, associated with said switch means, for counting a second interval of time upon activation of said switch means and for restarting said at least one of said alarm generation means and said signal generation means after completion of said second interval of time. 
       
     
     
       26. A battery voltage monitoring apparatus according to claim  24 , wherein the means for generating the first and second control signals includes timer means for timing said predetermined period of time, and said timer means is reset when said battery voltage is above said predetermined level. 
     
     
       27. A battery voltage monitoring apparatus according to claim  24 , wherein said signal generation means outputting said electrical signal consumes a different amount of power than said alarm generating means outputting said alarm. 
     
     
       28. A battery voltage monitoring apparatus for a telecommunications device, comprising: 
       
         means for determining when a battery voltage is below a predetermined voltage level and for generating a first control signal anytime that said battery voltage is below said predetermined voltage level and a second control signal only when the battery voltage remains below said predetermined voltage level for a predetermined period of time;  
       
       
         alarm generation means, to be driven by the first control signal, for generating an alarm; and  
       
       
         means, to be driven by the second control signal, for generating an initiating signal to initiate a control procedure responsive to said battery voltage remaining below said predetermined voltage level for said predetermined period of time and outputting said initiating signal to another circuit element of said battery voltage monitoring apparatus. 
       
     
     
       29. A battery voltage monitoring apparatus according to claim  28 , further comprising: 
       
         means for selectively stopping at least one of said alarm generation means and said initiating signal generation means; and  
       
       
         means for counting a second interval of time upon activation of said means for selectively stopping at least one of said alarm generation means and said initiating signal generation means and for restarting said at least one of said alarm generation means and said initiating signal generation means again at the termination of said second interval of time. 
       
     
     
       30. A battery voltage monitoring apparatus according to claim  28 , wherein the means for generating the first and second control signals includes timer means for timing said predetermined period of time, and said timer means is reset when said battery voltage is above said predetermined level. 
     
     
       31. A battery voltage monitoring apparatus according to claim  28 , wherein said initiating signal generation means outputting said initiating signal consumes a different amount of power than said alarm generation means generating said alarm. 
     
     
       32. A battery voltage monitoring apparatus for a telecommunications device, comprising: 
       
         means for determining when a battery voltage is below a predetermined voltage level and for generating a first control signal anytime that said battery voltage is below said predetermined voltage level and a second control signal only when the battery voltage remains below said predetermined voltage level for a predetermined period of time;  
       
       
         alarm generation means, to be driven by the first control signal, for generating an alarm;  
       
       
         means, to be driven by the second control signal, for generating an initiating signal to initiate a control procedure in said battery monitoring apparatus responsive to said battery voltage remaining below said predetermined voltage level for said predetermined period of time; and  
       
       
         a control means, responsive to said initiating signal, for performing said control procedure. 
       
     
     
       33. A battery voltage monitoring apparatus according to claim  32 , further comprising: 
       
         means for selectively stopping at least one of said alarm generation means and said initiating signal generation means; and  
       
       
         means for counting a second interval of time upon activation of said means for selectively stopping at least one of said alarm generation means and said initiating signal generation means and for restarting said at least one of said alarm generation means and said initiating signal generation means again at the termination of said second interval of time. 
       
     
     
       34. A battery voltage monitoring apparatus according to claim  32 , wherein the means for generating the first and second control signals includes timer means for timing said predetermined period of time, and said timer means is reset when said battery voltage is above said predetermined level. 
     
     
       35. A battery voltage monitoring apparatus according to claim  32 , wherein said initiating signal generations means outputting said initiating signal consumes a different amount of power than said alarm generation means generating said alarm. 
     
     
       36. A battery voltage monitoring apparatus for a telecommunications device, comprising: 
       
         means for determining when a battery voltage is below a predetermined voltage level and for generating a first control signal anytime that said battery voltage is below said predetermined voltage level and a second control signal only when the battery voltage remains below said predetermined voltage level for a predetermined period of time;  
       
       
         first means, to be driven by the first control signal, for generating a first initiating signal to initiate a first control procedure in said battery monitoring apparatus responsive to said battery voltage being below said predetermined voltage level;  
       
       
         second means, to be driven by the second control signal, for generating a second initiating signal to initiate a second control procedure in said battery monitoring apparatus responsive to said battery voltage remaining below said predetermined voltage level for said predetermined period of time; and  
       
       
         a control means, responsive to said second initiating signal, for performing said second control procedure. 
       
     
     
       37. A battery voltage monitoring apparatus according to claim  36 , further comprising: 
       
         means for selectively stopping at least one of said first and second means; and  
       
       
         means for counting a second interval of time upon activation of said means for selectively stopping said at least one of said first and second means and for restarting said at least one of said first and second means again at the termination of said second interval of time. 
       
     
     
       38. A battery voltage monitoring apparatus according to claim  36 , wherein the means for generating the first and second control signals includes timer means for timing said predetermined period of time, and said timer means is reset when said battery voltage is above said predetermined level. 
     
     
       39. A battery voltage monitoring apparatus according to claim  36 , wherein said second means outputting said second initiating signal consumes a different amount of power than said first means outputting said first initiating signal.