Battery disconnect safeguard

• US 10,397,875 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2017
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Slaby, Jiri, Carlson, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jain, Ankur
• Application Number:
  US15/486,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20170223634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 455573, 455574, 455343
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/00 Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/06 with automatic change-over , e.g. UPS systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0296 switching to a backup power supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In embodiments, a mobile device includes a primary battery as a power source to power components of the mobile device, and includes a secondary battery as an additional power source to power the components of the mobile device. A sensor is implemented to detect a free-fall of the device that indicates an impending secondary battery disconnect event due to the mobile device being dropped. A battery controller is implemented to receive a sensor input of the detected free-fall from the sensor. The battery controller can then switch from the secondary battery to the primary battery as the power source based on the detected free-fall of the mobile device. The battery controller can switch back from the primary battery to the secondary battery as the power source based on a lack of acceleration of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a primary battery configured as a power source to power components of a mobile device;

a secondary battery configured as an additional power source to power the components of the mobile device; and

a battery controller configured to;

switch from the secondary battery to the primary battery as the power source based on a detected free-fall of the mobile device;

determine that the detected free-fall of the mobile device and a battery contact bounce of the primary battery has completed; and

switch back to the secondary battery after the detected free-fall of the mobile device and the battery contact bounce has completed.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the detected free-fall indicates an impending secondary battery disconnect event.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising an accelerometer configured to register the free-fall of the mobile device as acceleration, and wherein the battery controller is configured to receive a sensor input of the acceleration from the accelerometer.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the secondary battery is one of:

integrated within the mobile device;

integrated in a removable housing cover of the mobile device;

connected to contacts that are integrated in a housing of the mobile device;

integrated in a protective cover or case for the mobile device;

or

external to the mobile device.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the battery controller is configured to:

monitor a charge level of the primary battery; and

maintain at least a minimum charge level of the primary battery to enable the switch from the secondary battery to the primary battery as the power source.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the battery controller is implemented with hardware components configured to receive an indication of the detected free-fall and switch from the secondary battery to the primary battery.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a memory and processing system to implement the battery controller as software that is configured to receive an indication of the detected free-fall and switch from the secondary battery to the primary battery.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a memory configured to maintain log data of the detected free-fall, wherein the log data is one of buffered in the memory on an accelerometer configured to detect acceleration of the mobile device, or streamed to the memory in the mobile device to maintain the log data.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising one or more contact sensors configured to detect touch contact with the mobile device, and wherein the battery controller is configured to switch from the secondary battery to the primary battery based on the detected free-fall of the mobile device being dropped.

10. A method, comprising:

powering components of a mobile device with a secondary battery as an additional power source to a primary battery that is configured to power the components of the mobile device;

detecting an impending impact of the mobile device due to being dropped causing an impending secondary battery disconnect event;

switching from the secondary battery to the primary battery as the power source of the mobile device based on the detected impending impact;

determining that the impending impact of the mobile device has completed; and

switching back to the secondary battery after the impending impact has completed.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein:

the detecting the impending impact of the mobile device includes determining whether the impending impact has been detected within a threshold amount of time, and

the switching back from the primary battery to the secondary battery is based on the determination that the impending impact of the mobile device has not been detected within the threshold amount of time.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a sensor input of acceleration of the mobile device from an accelerometer that registers the impending impact of the mobile device as the acceleration.

13. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

monitoring the charge level of the primary battery; and

maintaining at least a minimum charge level of the primary battery to enable said switching from the secondary battery to the primary battery as the power source.

14. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

maintaining log data of the detected impending impact, wherein the log data is one of buffered in memory of an accelerometer configured to detect acceleration of the mobile device, or streamed to device memory that maintains the log data.

15. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

detecting a lack of touch contact with the mobile device; and

said switching from the secondary battery to the primary battery based on the detected impending impact of the mobile device being dropped.

16. A mobile device, comprising:

a battery configured as a power source to power components of the mobile device;

a sensor configured to detect a free-fall of the mobile device based on acceleration indicating the mobile device being dropped; and

a battery controller configured to;

switch the power source of the mobile device based on the detected free-fall of the mobile device, the power source switched to maintain power for the components of the mobile device;

determine that the free-fall of the mobile device has completed; and

switch back to the battery as the power source based on the determination that the free-fall of the mobile device has completed.

17. The mobile device as recited in claim 16, wherein:

the sensor is an accelerometer configured to register the free-fall of the mobile device as the acceleration; and

the battery controller is configured to receive a sensor input of the acceleration from the accelerometer.

18. The mobile device as recited in claim 16, wherein the battery controller is configured to:

determine whether the impact of the mobile device is detected within a threshold amount of time; and

switch back to the battery as the power source based the determination that the impact of the mobile device has not been detected within the threshold amount of time.

19. The mobile device as recited in claim 18, wherein the battery controller is configured to:

monitor a charge level of the battery; and

maintain at least a minimum charge level of the battery to enable the switch back to the battery as the power source.

20. The mobile device as recited in claim 16, further comprising one or more contact sensors configured to detect touch contact with the mobile device, and wherein the battery controller is configured to switch the power source of the mobile device based on the detected free-fall of the mobile device being dropped.