Systems and methods for battery charging and management

• US 10,033,204 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2015
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mophie Incorporated (Evercel, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mophie Incorporated (Evercel, Inc.)
• Inventors: Huang, Daniel, Gale, Vannin, Sadek, Kerloss
• Primary Examiner(s): Rossoshek, Helen
• Application Number:
  US14/843,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20160064963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule

Abstract

A charging device can include an input interface for receiving electrical power from a power source and an output interface for outputting electrical power to a mobile electronic device. The charging device can include a supplemental battery. A bypass electrical pathway can couple the input interface to the output interface to pass electrical charge from the power supply through the charging device to the mobile electronic device. A charging electrical pathway can couple the input interface to the supplemental battery. A discharge electrical pathway can couple the supplemental battery to the output interface. The bypass electrical pathway can include a voltage modifier configured to modify the voltage output by the output interface. The charging device can be configured to empirically determine the power capacity of the power supply. The charging device can monitor temperatures and/or battery health information, which can be used to reduce current or disable the charging device.

Claims

1. A charging device for charging a mobile electronic device, the charging device comprising:

a supplemental battery;

an input interface configured to receive electrical power from an external power source that is configured to output electrical power within a first voltage range;

an output interface configured to output electrical power to the mobile electronic device that is configured to receive electrical power within the first voltage range;

a controller;

a charging electrical pathway from the input interface to the supplemental battery, wherein the controller is configured to direct electricity from the input interface, along the charging electrical pathway, to the supplemental battery to charge the supplemental battery;

a discharge electrical pathway from the supplemental battery to the output interface, wherein the controller is configured to direct electricity from the supplemental battery, along the discharge electrical pathway, to the output interface to charge the mobile electronic device in a first charging mode;

a bypass electrical pathway from the input interface to the output interface, wherein the controller is configured to direct electricity from the input interface, along the bypass electrical pathway, to the output interface to charge the mobile electronic device in a second charging mode;

a first voltage modifier on the charging electrical pathway between the input interface and the supplemental battery, wherein the first voltage modifier is configured to reduce voltage that is supplied to the supplemental battery from the input interface; and

a second voltage modifier on both the discharge electrical pathway and the bypass electrical pathway, wherein the second voltage modifier is configured to increase voltage supplied from the supplemental battery to the output interface along the discharge electrical pathway in the first charging mode, and to increase voltage supplied from the input interface to the output interface along the bypass electrical pathway in the second charging mode to at least compensate for a voltage drop caused by the charging device;

wherein the controller is configured to activate one or more switches to selectively direct electricity along one or more of the charging electrical pathway, the discharge electrical pathway, and the bypass electrical pathway.

2. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the first voltage modifier comprises a buck converter.

3. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the second voltage modifier comprises a boost converter.

4. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the charging device is configured to transfer data between the mobile electronic device and an external device through the output interface and the input interface.

5. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the charging device comprises a protective case configured to at least partially enclose the mobile electronic device.

6. The charging device of claim 5, wherein the protective case comprises:

a back portion configured to be positioned along at least a portion of a back side of the mobile electronic device;

a right side portion configured to be positioned along at least a portion of a right side of the mobile electronic device;

a left side portion configured to be positioned along at least a portion of a left side of the mobile electronic device;

a top portion configured to be positioned along at least a portion of a top of the mobile electronic device;

a bottom portion configured to be positioned along at least a portion of a bottom of the mobile electronic device; and

a front opening configured such that a display of the mobile electronic device is visible through the front opening.

7. The charging device of claim 1, further comprising a computer-readable memory element comprising power capacity information for the external power source, wherein the controller is configured to determine a first current for the bypass electrical pathway and a second current for the charging electrical pathway based at least in part on the power capacity information.

8. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to direct supplemental electrical current from the supplemental battery along the discharge electrical pathway when electrical current provided from the external power source along the bypass electrical pathway is below a charging current value of the mobile electronic device.

9. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a hardware processor and computer-executable instructions stored on a memory element.

10. A charging device for charging a mobile electronic device, the charging device comprising:

a protective case configured to at least partially enclose the mobile electronic device, the protective case comprising;

a lower case portion comprising;

a back portion configured to be positioned along at least a portion of a back side of the mobile electronic device;

a bottom portion configured to be positioned along at least a portion of a bottom of the mobile electronic device;

a right side portion configured to be positioned along at least a portion of a right side of the mobile electronic device;

a left side portion configured to be positioned along at least a portion of a left side of the mobile electronic device;

an open top side to facilitate insertion of the mobile electronic device into the lower case portion;

a supplemental battery disposed in the back portion of the lower case portion;

an input interface on an exterior of the lower case portion, the input interface configured to receive electrical power from an external power source; and

an output interface on an interior of the lower case portion, the output interface configured to engage an electrical port on the mobile electronic device to output electrical power to the mobile electronic device;

an upper case portion comprising;

a top portion configured to be positioned along at least a portion of a top of the mobile electronic device;

wherein the upper case portion is configured to removably couple to the lower case portion to hold the mobile electronic device in the protective case;

wherein a front opening of the protective case is configured such that a display of the mobile electronic device is visible through the front opening when the upper case portion is coupled to the lower case portion; and

one or more voltage modifiers configured to;

modify voltage supplied from the input interface to the supplemental battery for charging the supplemental battery;

modify voltage supplied from the supplemental battery to the output interface for charging the mobile electronic device in a first charging mode; and

modify voltage supplied from the input interface to the output interface along a bypass electrical pathway without going through the supplemental battery for charging the mobile electronic device in a second charging mode; and

a controller configured to activate one or more switches to selectively direct electricity along one or more of a charging electrical pathway from the input interface to the supplemental battery, a discharge electrical pathway from the supplemental battery to the output interface, and the bypass electrical pathway from the input interface to the output interface;

wherein the one or more voltage modifiers are configured to boost voltage along the bypass electrical pathway to at least compensate for a voltage drop between the external power source and the mobile electronic device in the second charging mode.

11. The charging device of claim 10, wherein the one or more voltage modifiers comprise:

a buck converter configured to reduce the voltage supplied from the input interface to the supplemental battery for charging the supplemental battery; and

a boost converter configured to increase the voltage supplied from the supplemental battery to the output interface for charging the mobile electronic device and to increase the voltage supplied from the input interface to the output interface without going through the supplemental battery for charging the mobile electronic device.

12. The charging device of claim 10, wherein the charging device is configured to transfer data between the mobile electronic device and an external device through the output interface and the input interface.

13. The charging device of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to direct a first current along the charging electrical pathway from the input interface to the supplemental battery for charging the supplemental battery while also directing a second current along the bypass electrical pathway from the input interface to the output interface for charging the mobile electronic device.

14. The charging device of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to direct supplemental electrical power from the supplemental battery along the discharge pathway to supplement the electrical power that is provided along the bypass electrical pathway for charging the mobile electronic device.

15. The charging device of claim 10, wherein the controller comprises a hardware processor and computer-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory memory element.

16. A charging device comprising:

a supplemental battery;

an input interface configured to receive electrical power for charging the supplemental battery;

an output interface configured to output electrical power for charging a mobile electronic device;

a bypass electrical pathway from the input interface and the output interface without going through the supplemental battery;

a voltage modifier on the bypass electrical pathway configured to modify a voltage supplied from the input interface, along the bypass electrical pathway, to the output interface; and

a controller configured to activate one or more switches to selectively direct electricity along one or more of a charging electrical pathway from the input interface to the supplemental battery and the bypass electrical pathway;

wherein the charging device is operable in a first charging mode to direct electrical power from the supplemental battery to the output interface;

wherein the charging device is operable in a second charging mode to direct electrical power along the bypass electrical pathway from the input interface to the output interface without going through the supplemental battery; and

wherein the voltage modifier is configured to boost voltage on the bypass electrical pathway to at least compensate for a voltage drop between the input interface and the output interface in the second charging mode.

17. The charging device of claim 16, further comprising a discharge electrical pathway from the supplemental battery to the output interface, wherein the discharge electrical pathway goes through the voltage modifier such that the voltage modifier is configured to modify voltage supplied from the supplemental battery to the output interface.

18. The charging device of claim 16, wherein the voltage modifier is a boost converter.

19. The charging device of claim 16, wherein the charging device comprises a protective case configured to at least partially enclose the mobile electronic device.

20. The charging device of claim 19, wherein the protective case comprises:

a back portion configured to be positioned along at least a portion of a back side of the mobile electronic device;

a right side portion configured to be positioned along at least a portion of a right side of the mobile electronic device;

a left side portion configured to be positioned along at least a portion of a left side of the mobile electronic device;

a top portion configured to be positioned along at least a portion of a top of the mobile electronic device;

a bottom portion configured to be positioned along at least a portion of a bottom of the mobile electronic device; and

a front opening configured such that a display of the mobile electronic device is visible through the front opening.

21. The charging device of claim 20, wherein the output interface comprises an electrical connector extending upward from the bottom portion, the electrical connector configured to engage an electrical port on the mobile electronic device.

22. The charging device of claim 16, wherein the charging device is configured to transfer data between the mobile electronic device and an external device through the output interface and the input interface.

23. The charging device of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to direct a first current to the supplemental battery for charging the supplemental battery while also directing a second current along the bypass electrical pathway from the input interface to the output interface for charging the mobile electronic device.

24. The charging device of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to direct supplemental electrical power from the supplemental battery to supplement the electrical power that is provided along the bypass electrical pathway for charging the mobile electronic device.

25. The charging device of claim 16, wherein the controller comprises a hardware processor and computer-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory memory element.