Method and apparatus for rapidly and dynamically adjusting current limiting in a portable communication device
First Claim
1. A portable communication device, comprising:
- a battery for powering the portable communication device, the battery having a battery profile stored therein;
a push-to-talk (PTT) button for asserting a transmit event signal;
a master processor uploaded with the battery profile and generating a reference voltage and a logic table in response thereto for controlling current limiting of primary loads of the portable communication device;
a slave processor for controlling secondary loads formed of slave peripherals;
a current sensor coupled to a predetermined high power branch of the slave processor and secondary loads;
a finite state machine (FSM) programmed with the logic table generated by the master processor and defining a plurality of predetermined current limit operating states for the portable communication device;
a single comparator programmed by the master processor with the reference voltage based on the uploaded battery profile, the single comparator comparing the reference voltage to a current sense output voltage sensed at the slave processor and the secondary loads, the single comparator generating a comparator output signal for input to the finite state machine; and
whereinthe finite state machine (FSM) receives the comparator output signal and the transmit event signal and determines a discrete operating state of the plurality of operating states, the FSM generating a plurality of current limit control signals in response thereto for controlling the primary and secondary loads in accordance with the determined discrete operating state.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A battery operated portable communication device provides converged functionality while avoiding resets to the device. Composite logic circuitry formed of at least one comparator and a logic interface controls current limiting to a primary load formed of high power land mobile radio (LMR) devices and programming to secondary loads formed of non-LMR peripherals. At least one current limit control signal is used to control current to the primary load under high current mode operations. Another control signal provides an interruption alert to a slave processor for controlled programming of the secondary loads during the high current operations of the primary load. Current to the primary load is restored while the secondary load is interrupted. Operation of secondary load processes is resumed when the primary load ceases high power operation.
19 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A portable communication device, comprising:
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a battery for powering the portable communication device, the battery having a battery profile stored therein; a push-to-talk (PTT) button for asserting a transmit event signal; a master processor uploaded with the battery profile and generating a reference voltage and a logic table in response thereto for controlling current limiting of primary loads of the portable communication device; a slave processor for controlling secondary loads formed of slave peripherals; a current sensor coupled to a predetermined high power branch of the slave processor and secondary loads; a finite state machine (FSM) programmed with the logic table generated by the master processor and defining a plurality of predetermined current limit operating states for the portable communication device; a single comparator programmed by the master processor with the reference voltage based on the uploaded battery profile, the single comparator comparing the reference voltage to a current sense output voltage sensed at the slave processor and the secondary loads, the single comparator generating a comparator output signal for input to the finite state machine; and wherein the finite state machine (FSM) receives the comparator output signal and the transmit event signal and determines a discrete operating state of the plurality of operating states, the FSM generating a plurality of current limit control signals in response thereto for controlling the primary and secondary loads in accordance with the determined discrete operating state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of managing a portable communication device, comprising:
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reading, by a master processor, battery information of a battery of the portable communication device; determining a current budget, based on the battery information; programming a comparator trip threshold for a single programmable comparator and programming a finite state machine for a plurality of discrete operating states, based on the battery information; detecting a transmit event; enabling a maximum current limiting state of the portable communication device in response to the transmit event; setting a timer for a predetermined short time delay; monitoring the single comparator to determine if tripped during the predetermined short time delay; monitoring the timer to determine when the short time delay has expired; changing to a moderate current limit operating state in response to the predetermined short time delay expiring or the comparator being tripped; restarting the timer and monitoring the comparator determining if the transmit event has concluded; and transitioning to a normal operating state in response to the transmit event concluding. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A portable communication device, comprising:
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a battery having a battery profile; a master processor for controlling primary loads, the primary loads providing mission critical land mobile radio (LMR) radio functions; a slave processor for controlling secondary loads, wherein the secondary loads are non-LMR, non-mission critical peripherals, and wherein LMR operations and non-LMR processes operate in parallel during a normal mode state; a current sensor for sensing current of the slave processor and slave processor secondary loads providing slave peripherals; a single comparator coupled to the master processor, the single comparator being programmed with a voltage threshold based on the battery profile, the single comparator comparing the voltage threshold to a current sense voltage of the slave processor and slave processor secondary loads; and a finite state machine (FSM) coupled to the single comparator, the finite state machine (FSM) receiving the comparator output signal and a transmit event signal and determining a discrete operating state of the plurality of operating states, the FSM generating a plurality of current limit control signals in response thereto for controlling the primary and secondary loads in accordance with the determined discrete operating state. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification