Portable power management for a computing device

• US 20060279250A1
• Filed: 06/09/2005
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Keely, Leroy B., Ohta, Seiya, Lenahan, Michael George
• Granted Patent: US 7,366,925 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1628 Carrying enclosures containing additional elements, e.g. case for a laptop and a printer
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034

Abstract

An apparatus, carrying case and computer system are disclosed herein. In the apparatus, a housing to which an electrical device may be electrically coupled is provided. A secondary battery may be electrically coupled to the housing and adapted to power the electrical device or to charge the device'"'"'s internal battery.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a transportable housing to which an electrical device may be electrically coupled; and

a secondary battery electrically coupled to the housing and adapted to power the electrical device or to charge the internal battery.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the secondary battery powers the electrical device or charges the internal battery when an external power source is not present.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an AC adapter for receiving power from an external power source and charging the internal and secondary batteries.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a charging adapter for processing an output of the AC adapter prior to input to the internal and secondary batteries.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the AC adapter further powers the electrical device.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the power from the external power source is received from a power cord.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the power cord is retractable into the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the apparatus further comprises a handle, and wherein the power cord is collocated with the handle.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a peripheral device is operatively connected to the housing and the electronic device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cooling mechanism for cooling the electronic device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the cooling mechanism is one of a fan, blower, heat sink, heat exchanger, circulating liquid or thermoelectric cooler.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the cooling mechanism is powered by the secondary battery.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing is removably coupled to the apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the internal and secondary batteries each have an associated battery type, and wherein the internal and secondary batteries are the same type of battery.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a laptop computer.

16. A laptop computer carrying case, comprising:

a protective housing;

a mounting device coupled to the housing for removably receiving and electrically coupling to a laptop computer having an internal battery;

a secondary battery coupled to the housing and electrically coupled to the laptop computer, wherein the secondary battery is adapted to power the laptop computer or to charge the internal battery;

a cooling mechanism powered by the battery and coupled to the housing for cooling the laptop computer; and

an AC adaptor for receiving power from an external power source and charging the internal and secondary batteries and powering the electrical device.

17. The carrying case of claim 16, further comprising:

a power cord for receiving power from the external power source; and

a handle for carrying the case, wherein the power cord is collocated with the handle.

18. A portable computing system, comprising:

a mounting device to which a computing device may be electrically coupled;

a secondary battery electrically coupled to the mounting device and adapted to power the electrical device and charge the internal battery; and

an AC adapter for receiving power from an external power source and charging the internal and secondary batteries.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a cooling mechanism powered by the secondary battery for cooling the electronic device.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the computing device is a laptop computer.