Method and apparatus for near field communications

• US 20060145660A1
• Filed: 12/08/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Deven M., Black, Greg R., Koo, Simone
• Application Number:
  US11/299,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20060145660A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for inductively charging a battery. The battery comprises a housing (102), at least one battery cell (104) carried in the housing and a multimode near field transceiver (106) carried also in the housing. The near field transceiver is operable in a passive mode to provide information and active mode to exchange information. The battery further comprises a charging coupler (108) coupled to the cell through a charging circuit (110) and a communication coupler (112) or antenna coupled to the transceiver.

Claims

1. A battery comprising:

a housing;

at least one battery cell carried in said housing; and

a multi-mode near field transceiver carried in said housing.

2. The battery as defined in claim 1, wherein the transceiver is operable in a passive mode to provide a device ID.

3. The battery as defined in claim 2, further comprising an antenna coupled to the transceiver.

4. The battery as defined in claim 1, further comprising a charging circuit coupled to said at least one cell through a battery charging circuit.

5. The battery as defined in claim 4, wherein the charging circuit includes a schottky diode.

6. The battery as defined in claim 4, further comprising an element coupled to said at least one cell and to said transceiver, the element providing an antenna for said transceiver and a charging coupler for said at least one cell.

7. The battery as defined in claim 2, wherein the transceiver is further operable in a passive mode to provide a charging profile to a charging base.

8. The battery as defined in claim 7, wherein the transceiver communicates the charging status while said at least one cell is charging.

9. The battery as defined in claim 1, further including a port connected to the transceiver for coupling to an electronic device, the port for passing signals to control the transceiver operation in at least a reader mode or a peer-to-peer mode.

10. The battery as defined in claim 9, wherein the transceiver and said electronic device are powered by said at least one cell.

11. The battery as defined in claim 1, further including a second port coupled to the transceiver, said second port for inputting power from an external device.

12. A method of controlling a battery, comprising:

receiving charging power from a near field source;

transmitting from a near field transceiver operating in a passive mode information indicating cell charging information.

13. The method as defined in claim 12, further including permitting the operation of the near field transceiver in a non-passive mode when the at least one cell is at least partially charged.

14. The method as defined in claim 13, further including the step of transmitting data received from a master device in the active mode, data from the master device.

15. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the step of transmitting includes transmitting the cell charging state.

16. The method as defined in claim 12, further comprising the step of transmitting a battery identification indicating that it is a valid battery.

17. The method as defined in claim 12, further comprising the step of monitoring the near field.

18. The method as defined in claim 12, further comprising the step of enabling charging of the cell when the near field present is suitable for charging the cell.

19. A battery comprising:

a housing;

an active transceiver carried in the housing;

a passive transceiver carried in the housing;

a communication coupler coupled to the active transceiver and the passive transceiver;

a memory coupled to the passive transceiver;

at least one rechargeable battery cell

a charging circuit coupled to the at least one battery cell; and

a charging coupler coupled to the charging circuit, wherein the charging coupler is configured to couple to at least an inductive charger.

20. The battery as defined in claim 19, wherein a device ID is stored in the memory.