Battery fuel gauge apparatus

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first transistor coupled to a battery pack;

a second transistor comprising:

a second gate coupled to a first gate of the first transistor; and

a second output terminal coupled to a first output terminal of the first transistor;

a sensing device coupled to the second transistor;

a third transistor coupled to the sensing device; and

an operational amplifier comprising:

a first input coupled to the first transistor;

a second input coupled to the second transistor; and

an output coupled to the third transistor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the third transistor is an n-type metal oxide semiconductor transistor comprising:

a drain coupled to the sensing device;

a source coupled to ground; and

a gate coupled to the output of the operational amplifier.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the third transistor is a p-type metal oxide semiconductor transistor comprising:

a source coupled to the sensing device;

a drain coupled to the first transistor; and

a gate coupled to the output of the operational amplifier.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensing device comprises a combination of a first resistor and a second resistor.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first resistor has a positive temperature coefficient and the second resistor has a negative temperature coefficient.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first transistor with a first channel width and the second transistor with a second channel width form a current minor with a current ratio equal to a ratio between the first channel width and the second channel width.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first switch between a drain of the first transistor and a drain of the second transistor; and

a second switch between a source of the first transistor and a source of the second transistor.

8. A system comprising:

a battery pack coupled to a protection device comprising a first transistor;

a battery fuel gauge apparatus comprising:

a second transistor comprising:

a second gate coupled to a first gate of the first transistor; and

a second output terminal coupled to a first output terminal of the first transistor;

a sensing device coupled to the second transistor;

a third transistor coupled to the sensing device; and

an operational amplifier comprising:

a first input coupled to the first transistor;

a second input coupled to the second transistor; and

an output coupled to the third transistor;

a detection circuit coupled to the sensing device; and

a processing circuit coupled to the detection circuit.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the detection circuit comprises:

a sense amplifier having two inputs coupled to the sensing device;

an analog-to-digital converter coupled to an output of the sense amplifier; and

a digital filter coupled to an output of the analog-to-digital converter.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuit comprises:

a coulomb counter having an input coupled to the detection circuit; and

a microprocessor having an input coupled to the coulomb counter.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the microprocessor is configured to calculate and report a capacity level of the battery pack.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the battery pack comprises a plurality of battery cells.

13. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of switches coupled between the sensing device and the detection circuit.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first transistor and the second transistor form a current minor configured such that:

a current flowing into the second transistor is reduced by a factor of M/m in comparison with a current flowing into the first transistor.

15. A method comprising:

coupling a first transistor to a battery pack;

configuring a second transistor such that:

the second transistor has a same operating condition as that of the first transistor;

coupling a sensing device to the second transistor; and

coupling a third transistor to the sensing device;

coupling an output of an operational amplifier to a gate of the third transistor; and

adjusting the gate of the third transistor when a voltage across the second transistor is not equal to a voltage across the first transistor.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

amplifying an analog signal across the sensing device;

converting the analog signal into a digital signal; and

filtering off unwanted noise.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

providing an instantaneous value of a current flowing through the first transistor; and

providing an average value of the current flowing through the first transistor.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

calculating a capacity level of the battery pack; and

reporting the capacity level of the battery pack.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

forming the sensing device by a combination of a first resistor with a second resistor, wherein the first resistor has a positive temperature coefficient and the second resistor has a negative temperature coefficient.