Portable battery charger

• US 20050046384A1
• Filed: 05/22/2003
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Dan G. Radut, Felipe Oliveira Simoes
• Inventors: Simoes, Felipe Oliveira, Radut, Dan G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,268,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/114
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0034 using reverse polarity correcting or protecting circuits mechanical means of polarity protection H02J7/0045
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007186 obtained with the battery disconnected from the charge or discharge circuit

Abstract

A portable battery charger for a mobile device having a rechargeable battery includes battery contacts, a switching regulator, and a charger interface. The battery contacts are configured to receive a battery having a low-voltage value. The switching regulator is coupled to the battery contacts and configured to draw the low-voltage value from the battery and convert the low-voltage value to a charger output. The charger interface is configured to electrically engage the mobile device and is further configured to couple the charger output from the switching regulator to the rechargeable battery in the mobile device.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus, comprising:

a mobile communication device having a rechargeable battery; and

a portable battery recharging unit detachably coupled to the mobile communication device for recharging the rechargeable battery, the portable battery recharging unit comprising;

a housing;

a battery fitted within the housing;

a switching regulator coupled to the battery for generating a charging output; and

a charging interface coupling the charging output from the switching regulator to the rechargeable battery within the mobile communication device in order to recharge the rechargeable battery.

2. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device includes an interface that electrically mates to the charging interface for receiving the charging output from the voltage regulator.

3. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the battery is a AA-type battery.

4. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switching regulator is a voltage regulator.

5. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switching regulator is configured to operate in two modes, a current limiting mode and a constant voltage mode.

6. The communication apparatus of claim 5, wherein the switching regulator operates in the current limiting mode until a threshold voltage is measured on the rechargeable battery and then switches to the constant voltage mode thereafter.

7. The communication apparatus of claim 6, wherein the threshold voltage is approximately 2.5 volts.

8. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portable battery recharging unit further comprises:

a controller, coupled to the charger interface and the switching regulator, for controlling the operation of the switching regulator based on one or more signals received from the mobile communication device.

9. The communication apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more signals includes a voltage level signal indicating the voltage of the rechargeable battery.

10. The communication apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more signals includes a temperature level signal indicating the temperature of the rechargeable battery.

11. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portable battery recharging unit further comprises:

a controller, coupled to the battery and the switching regulator, for turning on or off the switching regulator based on the voltage level of the battery.

12. The communication apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is further coupled to the charging interface, and provides a low voltage battery signal to the mobile communication device through the charging interface when the voltage of the battery drops below a predetermined low voltage threshold level.

13. The communication apparatus of claim 12, wherein the low voltage threshold level is approximately 1.0 volts.

14. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rechargeable battery is a Nickel Cadmium battery.

15. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rechargeable battery is a Lithium Ion battery.

16. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portable battery recharging unit further comprises:

a reverse battery protection circuit coupled between the battery and the switching regulator for decoupling the battery from the switching regulator if the reverse battery protection circuit detects that the battery is incorrectly installed in the housing.

17. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing of the portable battery recharging unit comprises a well having side wall guides and an edge surface guide that slidably receive and mate the mobile communication device to the portable battery charger.

18. The communication apparatus of claim 17, wherein the housing further comprises a pair of fasteners that detachably fasten the portable battery recharging unit to the mobile communication device.

19. The communication apparatus of claim 18, wherein the pair of fasteners are a pair of prongs located on the side wall guides.

20. The communication apparatus of claim 19, wherein the pair of prongs snap onto the mobile communication device to provide an interference fit between the prongs and the mobile communication device that supports the weight of the portable battery recharging unit.

21. The communication apparatus of claim 20, wherein the pair of prongs snap onto a corresponding pair of notches on the mobile communication device.

22. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing of the portable battery recharging unit includes a battery cover which covers a battery compartment that holds the battery, wherein the battery is removable from the portable battery recharging unit by detaching the battery cover from the housing.

23. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portable battery recharging unit further comprises:

a controller, coupled to the rechargeable battery and the battery, for controlling the operation of the switching regulator based on the measured voltage level of both the rechargeable battery and the battery.

24. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device is operable while the portable battery recharging unit is recharging the rechargeable battery of the mobile communication device.

25. A method of charging a rechargeable battery in a mobile communication device using a portable battery charger, comprising the steps of:

physically and electrically coupling the portable battery charger to the mobile communication device;

receiving a low voltage source of energy from a battery within the portable battery charger;

converting the low voltage source of energy to a charging output using a switching regulator in the portable battery charger; and

recharging the rechargeable battery by applying the charging output to the rechargeable battery through the electrical coupling of the portable battery charger and the mobile communication device.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the steps of:

operating the switching regulator in a current limiting mode until a threshold voltage is measured on the rechargeable battery and then operating the switching regulator in a constant voltage mode thereafter.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of:

operating the switching regulator based upon one or more signals received from the mobile communication device.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the one or more signals includes a voltage level signal indicating the voltage of the rechargeable battery.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the one or more signals includes a temperature level signal indicating the temperature of the rechargeable battery.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of:

operating the switching regulator based upon the voltage level of the battery.

31. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of:

providing a low voltage battery signal to the mobile communication device when the voltage level of the battery drops below a predetermined low voltage threshold level.

32. The method of claim 25, further comprising the steps of:

detecting if the battery is incorrectly installed in the portable battery charger, and if so, then decoupling the battery from the switching regulator.

33. An apparatus for charging a rechargeable battery in a mobile communication device using a portable battery charger, comprising:

means for physically and electrically coupling the portable battery charger to the mobile communication device;

means for receiving a low voltage source of energy from a battery within the portable battery charger;

means for converting the low voltage source of energy to a charging output; and

means for recharging the rechargeable battery by applying the charging output to the rechargeable battery through the electrical coupling of the portable battery charger and the mobile communication device.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the means for converting includes a switching regulator, the apparatus further comprising:

means for operating the switching regulator in a current limiting mode until a threshold voltage is measured on the rechargeable battery and then operating the switching regulator in a constant voltage mode thereafter.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising:

means for operating the switching regulator based upon one or more signals received from the mobile communication device.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the one or more signals includes a voltage level signal indicating the voltage of the rechargeable battery.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the one or more signals includes a temperature level signal indicating the temperature of the rechargeable battery.

38. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising:

means for operating the switching regulator based upon the voltage level of the battery.

39. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

means for providing a low voltage battery signal to the mobile communication device when the voltage level of the battery drops below a predetermined low voltage threshold level.

40. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising:

means for detecting if the battery is incorrectly installed in the portable battery charger, and if so, then decoupling the battery from the switching regulator.

41. An apparatus, comprising:

a mobile device having a rechargeable battery; and

a battery charging device detachably connected to the mobile device, the battery charging device including;

battery contacts configured to receive a battery;

a switching regulator coupled to the battery contacts and configured to draw a voltage from the battery and convert the voltage to a charger output; and

a charger interface configured to electrically engage the mobile device and further configured to coupled the charger output from the switching regulator to the rechargeable battery in the mobile device.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the battery contacts are configured to engage a AA battery.

43. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the switching regulator is configured to operate in a first mode and a second mode, wherein the first mode is a current limiting mode.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the switching regulator generates a full duty cycle charger output when operating in the current limiting mode.

45. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the second mode is a constant voltage mode.

46. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the battery charging device further includes a control and monitor module coupled between the switching regulator and the charger interface and configured to control the charger output.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the control and monitor module is configured to switch the switching regulator from the first mode to the second mode when the voltage of the rechargeable battery is above a threshold voltage.

48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the threshold voltage is 2.5 V.

49. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the control and monitor module monitors the voltage on the battery in order to turn the switching regulator off when the voltage of the battery is insufficient to charge the rechargeable battery.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the control and monitor module is configured to send a shutdown signal to the switching regulator when the voltage of the battery drops below a threshold voltage.

51. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein the threshold voltage is 1.0 V.

52. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the control and monitor module is configured to send a low battery value to the mobile device when the voltage of the battery drops below a threshold voltage.

53. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the rechargeable battery is a lithium ion battery.

54. An apparatus, comprising:

a mobile device having a rechargeable battery; and

a battery charging device detachably connected to the mobile device, the battery charging device including;

means for connecting the battery charging device to a battery;

means for drawing a voltage from the battery and converting the voltage to a charger output; and

means for coupling the charger output to the rechargeable battery in the mobile device.