| US 7,550,874 B2 | ||
| System and method for a power supply device | ||
| Rush Winslow Hood, Tampa, Fla. (US); and Charles Edmund Murphy, Sarasota, Fla. (US) | ||
| Assigned to General Electric Company, Schenectady, N.Y. (US) | ||
| Filed on Jun. 05, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/758,058. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2008/0303346 A1, Dec. 11, 2008 | ||
| Int. Cl. H02J 9/00 (2006.01); H02H 3/00 (2006.01); G08B 21/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 307—65 [307/126; 340/635; 340/636.1; 340/663] | 16 Claims |
| 1. A power supply apparatus comprising:
a power output;
a first power source selectively connectable to the power output;
a second power source selectively connectable to the power output;
a switch connected to one of the first power source and the second power source, said switch being configured to couple the
first power source with the power output until the first power source becomes substantially depleted, said switch further
being configured to couple the second power source with the power output after the first power source becomes substantially
depleted;
a controller configured to identify substantial depletion of the first power source, and to precisely estimate the amount
of power remaining in the power supply apparatus immediately after the identified substantial depletion of the first battery
based on the full storage capacity of the second power source; and
an indicator connected to the controller, said indicator being configured to convey the amount of power remaining in the power
supply apparatus immediately after the identified substantial depletion of the first battery based on input from the controller.
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