Method and apparatus for maximizing battery charge

• US 20060226807A1
• Filed: 03/30/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patino, Joseph, Simpson, Russell L.
• Application Number:
  US11/093,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20060226807A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/110
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation

Abstract

A device (100) comprises a charging system (102) supplying a source voltage and a source current to one or more battery cells (104). The device operates according to a method 200-300 including the steps of tracking (202) when a user removes a charger from the charging system, determining (204-212) a charging profile from the tracking step, and applying (300-312) the charging profile to the charging system to maximize charging of the one or more battery cells.

Claims

1. In a device comprising a charging system supplying a source voltage and a source current to one or more battery cells, a method comprising the steps of:

tracking when a user removes a charger from the charging system;

determining a charging profile from the tracking step; and

applying the charging profile to the charging system to maximize charging of the one or more battery cells.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the charging profile comprises a pattern detected in the tracking step.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of establishing a restart time from the pattern.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of tracking is performed on a plurality of days of the week.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of establishing a restart time for each of the plurality of days of the week from the pattern detected in the tracking step.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

determining the capacity of the one or more battery cells; and

adjusting the restart time to allow time for the one or more battery cells to fully charge before an anticipated removal of the charger.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the applying step further comprising the steps of:

charging the one or more battery cells when a voltage of said one or more battery cells falls below a restart voltage threshold; and

charging the one or more battery cells at or after the restart time.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining step comprises the step of determining a charging profile for each user of the device, and wherein the applying step comprises the step of applying the charging profile of a current user of the device to the charging system.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of bypassing an active charging profile of the device upon request of a user of the device.

16. The storage medium of claim 3, wherein the applying step further comprising computer instructions for:

charging the one or more battery cells when a voltage of said one or more battery cells falls below a restart voltage threshold; and

charging the one or more battery cells the one or more battery cells at or after the restart time.

10. A device having a computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions for:

tracking when a user removes a charger from the charging system;

determining a charging profile from the tracking step; and

applying the charging profile to a charging system of the device to maximize charging of one or more battery cells coupled to the charging system.

11. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein the charging profile comprises a pattern detected in the tracking step.

12. The storage medium of claim 11, further comprising computer instructions for establishing a restart time from the pattern.

13. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein the step of tracking is performed on a plurality of days of the week.

14. The storage medium of claim 13, further comprising computer instructions for establishing a restart time for each of the plurality of days of the week from the pattern detected in the tracking step.

15. The storage medium of claim 12, further comprising computer instructions for:

determining the capacity of the one or more battery cells; and

adjusting the restart time to allow time for the one or more battery cells to fully charge before an anticipated removal of the charger.

17. A device, comprising:

a charging system for supplying a source voltage and a source current to one or more battery cells;

a timer; and

a processor for controlling functions of the charging system, wherein the processor is programmed to;

track when a user removes a charger from the charging system;

determine a charging profile from the track step; and

apply the charging profile to a charging system of the device to maximize charging of one or more battery cells coupled to the charging system.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the charging profile comprises a pattern detected in the tracking step.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the processor is further programmed to establish a restart time from the pattern.

20. The device of claim 19, further including at least one among a group of components comprising, a wireless transceiver for exchanging messages with a communication system, a display for conveying interactive images to a user of the device, a memory for storage, and an audio system for conveying audible signals to the user, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

determine the capacity of the one or more battery cells; and

adjust the restart time to allow time for the one or more battery cells to fully charge before an anticipated removal of the charger.