Apparatus to identify battery manufacturer

• US 20060108973A1
• Filed: 11/22/2005
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Shi, Hung-Hao
• Application Number:
  US11/284,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20060108973A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/106
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00038 using passive battery identification means, e.g. resistors or capacitors identification by mechanical connections H02J7/0045
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An apparatus to identify the manufacturer of a battery is provided, the battery typically includes a DC signal pin and a grounding resistor. The apparatus includes a keyboard controller. The keyboard controller includes an analog to digital converter (ADC) with an ADC signal pin. The ADC signal pin is connected to an end of the grounding resistor through the DC signal pin, and the other end of the grounding resistor is grounded. It is of advantage that the DC signal pin of the battery is coupled to the ADC signal pin of the keyboard controller. The voltage of the DC signal pin is converted into a multi-bit digital signal to compare with a list programmed in the keyboard controller, to identify any of a large number of various different battery manufacturers.

Claims

1. An apparatus to identify the manufacturer of a battery, the battery comprising a DC signal pin and a grounding resistor, the apparatus comprising:

a controller, the controller comprising an analog to digital converter (ADC) with an ADC signal pin;

wherein the ADC signal pin is for connecting to an end of the grounding resistor through the DC signal pin, with the other end of the grounding resistor being grounding.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ADC signal pin is coupled to a voltage terminal via a resistor.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ADC is an 8-bit analog to digital converter.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus can detect a value of the grounding resistor that is anywhere in the range from 10 ohms to 10 kiloohms.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the value of the grounding resistor corresponds to the manufacturer of the battery.

6. A method for identifying a battery'"'"'s manufacturer, the battery comprising a DC signal pin and a grounding resistor, the method comprising:

providing a controller including an analog to digital converter (ADC) with an ADC signal pin;

connecting the ADC signal pin to an end of the grounding resistor through the DC signal pin; and

coupling the other end of the grounding resistor to the ground.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising the step of coupling the ADC pin to a voltage terminal via a resistor.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the ADC is an 8-bit analog to digital converter.

9. A method for identifying manufacturers of parts of an electronic device, comprising the steps of:

retrieving identifiable voltage signals for predetermined corresponding manufacturers from parts of an electronic device made by said manufacturers;

converting said voltage signals to corresponding digital signals; and

identifying said manufacturers according to said corresponding digital signals.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein an analog to digital converter (ADC) is used to convert said voltage signals in said converting step.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said identifiable voltage signals from said parts of said electronic device are decided by resistors having predetermined resistance values installable in each of said parts of said electronic device respectively.