Battery Information Display in Mobile Devices by Jess Stubenbord
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Battery Information Display in Mobile Devices By Jess Stubenbord Part I: Introduction 1 Abstract 1.1 Background 1.2 Motivation 1.3 Research question 1.4 Definitions Part II: A Broad Overview of Batteries Batteries are well packaged explosions 2 What is a battery? 2.1 What is a battery level? 2.2 Designing for energy awareness 2.3 Standout examples in battery informatics 2.3 State of the battery Part III: Exploratory Design Research A foray into the field of battery information 3 Research methods 3.1 Exploratory survey 3.2 Collected data 3.3 General findings 3.4 Conclusions Part IV: Battery information display in smart phones what is this ? 4 Smartphone battery information 4.1 Android 4.2 iOS & Windows phone 4.3 3rd party battery applications 4.4 Overview of research Part V: Design Proposal and testing 5 Methods 5.1 Unselected ideas 5.2 Design proposal 5.3 Prototyping 5.4 Field testing video prototype 5.5 Summary of user testing Part VI: Conclusions 6 Conclusion 6.1 refinement 6.2 Topics for further discussion 6.3 Acknowledgments Part VII: References and appendix Battery Information Display in Mobile Devices 2 Outline Abstract In this exploration of the human battery interface, the way in which battery information and notifications effect interaction are analyzed through two small scale studies and a design proposal which is then user tested. With the first study, an attempt is made to gauge user’s feelings toward the current battery information display on their smartphones through a brief online questionnaire. Participants who were selected for further study installed battery monitoring software on their devices and shared the resulting data. This data was then analyzed and some usage patterns were extrapolated. After surveying current market solutions and research in the field, design opportunities were explored and a final design proposal was created and tested with possibilities for further applications being discussed. Background Batteries are everywhere. Since their introduction in the 1800’s, they’ve changed the way we live, allowing for the development and pervasiveness of mobile electronic devices. As they are often concealed deep within our devices, it’s easy to forget they are even there at all. Until they need to be charged. Human-battery Interaction, a term coined by Rahmati, Qian, and Zhong in their 2007 paper on the subject is an often overlooked topic. This paper will explore the display of battery information and notifications, particularly on smartphones, propose a novel form of information display and discuss feedback on that design received from users in field testing. Motivation My personal interest in batteries stems from when as an industrial design student, in Shenzhen, China, I witnessed the assembly of rechargeable lithium ion battery packs destined for use in power tools, this sparked the realization that nearly everything uses the same basic battery technology. From a $5 MP3 player to a $100,000 luxury electric vehicle, lithium ion batteries power the mobile world we live in. Most people carry at least one around with them on a daily basis, but how do we interact with batteries? What do we do when they die, and what if our batteries were better able to convey their needs? Research Question How does the way that we are notified of battery levels affect our interaction with mobile devices? Battery Information Display in Mobile Devices 3 Part I: Introduction Definitions Mobile device An untethered electronic apparatus. In this paper, the term mobile device covers anything which is portable and uses electricity to function. Examples include smartphones, electric vehicles and power tools. Charging routine The rituals surrounding the charge and discharge of batteries in mobile devices. Range anxiety Ordinarily discussed in the context of electric vehicles, range anxiety occurs when a user is fearful that the finite energy resources of their mobile device will be depleted before an end goal is reached. Rather than becoming stranded on the side of the road in an inoperable electric vehicle, mobile phone users may find themselves disconnected, in a communications desert until they are able to charge their devices. Notification overload An over-abundance of information potentially distracting users from completing important tasks. Battery Information Display in Mobile Devices 4 Part I: Introduction Part II: A Broad Overview of Batteries (batteries are well packaged explosions) Battery Information Display in Mobile Devices 5 Part II: A Broad Overview of Batteries What is a battery? According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, a battery is defined as “a device that is placed inside a machine (such as a clock, toy, or car) to supply it with electricity.”(Merriam-Webster, 2015) This is a very broad definition, but it helps to highlight the fact that once you get past the chemical makeup, batteries are just a way of storing energy. With their roots in the early modern experiments with electricity, the battery as we now know it has a long, interesting history(Buchmann, 2011). Today’s batteries are not far off of the lead acid batteries which began the rechargeable revolution, but we use them in ways unimaginable to the early scientists and inventors who pioneered their use. In short, a battery is a means of storing energy for later use in the form of an electrical charge. Currently, the most common type of rechargeable battery in portable devices are the lithium ion variety(Brookhaven National Laboratory July, 2014). As a single product line is set to double the number of lithium ion batteries produced in the world by 2020, the number of rechargeable batteries in use appears to be on the rise with no signs of slowing(P. E., 2014). What is a battery level? As a battery is a place for storing electricity, a way to measure the level of energy left in storage is needed. Historically, energy levels in batteries have been measured in a variety of ways. To the right is an illustration displaying a method of finding the charge level in a lead acid battery by manually measuring the specific gravity of the sulfuric acid within(Buchmann, 2011; Foresman, n.d.). The way this state of charge, as it is called is measured and displayed has varied based on the chemistry of the battery, how the battery is interacted with, and the many physical characteristics which impact how charge is stored(Buchmann, 2011). Battery management systems govern and monitor the charge and discharge of modern rechargeable battery packs. These systems prevent damage and allow for the optimal use of power(Bergveld et al., 2002). This provides a level of abstraction to design on top of, removing the need to take things like battery health into close consideration when looking at the battery information systems in today’s mobile devices. Measurement of fuel storage levels is often a difficult task, and although some batteries have had easily tangible characteristics which show their remaining charge level, such as being able to lick the contacts of a 9 volt battery to test charge level, their information display is generally screen based these days. Designing for energy awareness With the important issue of Human-induced climate change in the public eye, recently there has been much research into displaying energy information in a way which aids efficient use. Household energy savings especially have been thoroughly studied over the past decades(Abrahamse et al., 2005). Providing individually tailored information and feedback has been found to help in this arena(Abrahamse et al., 2007). At the product level also, providing Battery Information Display in Mobile Devices 6 Part II: A Broad Overview of Batteries additional energy use information has been found to increase efficiency(McCalley & Midden, 2002). In one study, when provided with a minimalistic display of real time household energy use, study participants were able to identify and reduce their participation in individual high power activities(Yun, 2009). DiSalvo, Sengers, and Brynjarsdóttir provide an interesting look into the emerging area of sustainability through Human Computer Interaction in their 2010 paper on the topic(DiSalvo et al., 2010). Primary concerns for this paper included allowing people to see their usage levels in a manner that gives them the opportunity to change habits(Jensen, 2003), potentially reducing range anxiety and avoiding the over display of information, especially in a way distracts them from a primary task; notification overload(van Dantzich et al., 2002). Standout examples in battery informatics Smoke detectors Although decidedly non-mobile, modern smoke detectors are an excellent example of a product where battery level is a crucial, even lifesaving piece of information. Because of this, the display of information must be unmistakable and also use very little power itself. The ear piercing piezo buzz of a low battery warning from a smoke detector is designed to be un-ignorable. Although the information communicated is minimal with no visible indicators of power level, the impossible to ignore shrill combined with limited options forces the user to investigate. An early patent for the Battery operated fire detection unit filed in 1975 tells of a low voltage indicator which sounds “once each 30 seconds to provide the low voltage indication and need for battery replacement” and goes on to describe the specialized circuitry involved in this process(Webb, 1977). Flashlights As one of the first mobile electronic devices created, the common flashlight deserves mention as a prototypical device lacking an additional battery indicator. The only way that battery level is indicated is through the primary function of the device. As the battery’s power level diminishes, the beam of light produced weakens accordingly. In many applications this is an acceptable way of gauging battery power.