Wireless battery charger detection and notification

• US 20070096691A1
• Filed: 06/04/2004
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Duncan, Bruce, Bell, David
• Application Number:
  US10/560,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20070096691A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

The availability of a charging facility for a portable electronic device is detected by the portable electronic device by establishing a short range wireless communication link between a battery charger and the portable device, and transferring compatibility data over the wireless communication link from the charger to the portable electronic device to determine a compatibility between the battery charger and the portable electronic device. The portable electronic device (such as a mobile phone or PDA) comprises: means for receiving a rechargeable battery; means for receiving compatibility data, over a wireless communication link, from a remotely located battery charger, and means for using said compatibility data to detect the presence of a battery charger compatible with the portable electronic device. The battery charger comprises: charging means for providing power for recharging a battery; and means for transmitting compatibility data, over a wireless communication link, to a remotely located portable electronic device. An alert device is incorporated to notify the user of the existence of the compatible battery charger.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device (10, 50) comprising:

means for receiving a rechargeable battery (11);

means (12, 16) for receiving compatibility data, over a wireless communication link (14, 15), from a remotely located battery charger (20, 30); and

means for using said compatibility data to detect the presence of a battery charger (20, 30) compatible with the portable electronic device.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the means (12, 16) for receiving compatibility data comprises a short range wireless device (12).

3. The device of claim 2 in which the short range wireless device (12) comprises one of a Bluetooth module, an IEEE 802.11 module, or an infra red module, adapted to communicate with an active wireless module (22) in the charger (20).

4. The device of claim 2 in which the means (52, 16) for receiving compatibility data comprises an RFID transceiver, adapted to communicate with a passive wireless device in the charger (42).

5. The device of claim 1 further including an alert device (16, 17, 19) for alerting the user of the existence of a detected battery charger.

6. The device of claim 5 in which the alert device (16, 19) is adapted to generate an audible output.

7. The device of claim 5 in which the alert device (16, 17) is adapted to generate a visual output.

8. The device of claim 5 in which the alert device is adapted to generate a vibration output.

9. The device of claim 1 further including a rechargeable battery (11).

10. The device of claim 9 in which the alert device (16) is inhibited when the charge level of the battery (11) of the portable electronic device is greater than a predetermined amount.

11. The device of claim 9 in which the means (12, 16) for receiving compatibility data is inhibited when the charge level of the battery (11) of the portable electronic device is greater than a predetermined amount.

12. The device of claim 1 in which the means (12, 16) for receiving compatibility data operates intermittently.

13. The device of claim 1 in which the means (12, 16) for receiving compatibility data operates only in response to a transmission from a compatible remotely located battery charger (20, 30).

14. The device of claim 1 in which the compatibility data includes a predetermined code sequence indicating compatibility between the charger and the portable electronic device.

15. The device of claim 1 in which the compatibility data includes one or more charge parameter including:

battery capacity, battery chemistry, charging voltage and/or current, charging pattern, interconnection configuration, manufacturer, current status, charge time remaining to availability, charge tariff, charger location.

16. The device of claim 1 in which the portable electronic device (10, 50) is any one of a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant, a digital camera, a notebook computer system, a personal audio device, a personal video device or a hybrid of any one or more of the above with any other electronic device.

17. The device of claim 5 in which the alert device is adapted to notify the user of the existence of a detected battery charger only upon the existence of further predetermined conditions.

18. The device of claim 17 in which the further predetermined conditions comprise detecting the presence of the charger for an extended period of time.

19. A battery charger (20, 30) for a portable electronic device (10, 50), comprising:

charging means (23, 33) for providing power for recharging a battery (11); and

means (22, 32, 42) for transmitting compatibility data, over a wireless communication link (14, 15), to a remotely located portable electronic device.

20. The battery charger of claim 19 further including means (22, 32, 23, 33) for receiving compatibility data from the portable electronic device.

21. The device of claim 19 in which the means for transmitting compatibility data comprises a short range wireless device (22, 32).

22. The device of claim 20 in which the means for receiving compatibility data comprises a short range wireless device (22, 32).

23. The device of claim 21 in which the short range wireless device (22, 32) comprises one of a Bluetooth module, an IEEE 802.11 module, or an infra red module, adapted to communicate with an active wireless device in the portable electronic device.

24. The device of claim 20 further including an alert device for alerting the user of the portable electronic device of the existence of the detected compatible portable electronic device.

25. The device of claim 20 in which the alert device is inhibited when the charge level of the battery of the portable electronic device is greater than a predetermined amount.

26. The device of claim 19 in which the means (22, 32) for transmitting compatibility data operates intermittently.

27. The device of claim 19 in which the compatibility data includes a predetermined code sequence indicating compatibility between the charger and the portable electronic device.

28. The device of claim 19 in which the compatibility data includes one or more charge parameter including:

battery capacity, battery chemistry, charging voltage and/or current, charging pattern, interconnection configuration, manufacturer, current status, charge time remaining to availability, charge tariff, charger location.

29. A method of automatically establishing the availability of a charging facility for a portable electronic device, comprising the steps of:

establishing a short range wireless communication link between a battery charger and a portable electronic device; and

transferring compatibility data over the wireless communication link from the charger to the portable electronic device to determine a compatibility between the battery charger and the portable electronic device.

30. The method of claim 29 in which the short range wireless communication link uses one of a Bluetooth protocol, an IEEE 802.11 protocol, or an infra red protocol.

31. The method of claim 29 in which the compatibility data is transferred using an RFID transceiver in the portable electronic device, adapted to communicate with a passive wireless device in the charger.

32. The method of claim 29 further including the step of alerting the user of the portable electronic device of the existence of a detected compatible battery charger.

33. The method of claim 32 in which the step of alerting is by way of one or more of an audible output, a visual output, or a vibration output.

34. The method of claim 32 in which the step of alerting is inhibited when the charge level of the battery of the portable electronic device is greater than a predetermined amount.

35. The method of claim 29 in which the step of establishing a short range wireless communication link operates intermittently.

36. The method of claim 29 in which the step of establishing a short range wireless communication link is initiated by the battery charger.

37. The method of claim 29 in which the compatibility data includes a predetermined code sequence indicating compatibility between the charger and the portable electronic device.

38. The method of claim 29 further including the step of transferring compatibility data from the portable electronic device and the battery charger.

39. The method of claim 29 in which the compatibility data includes one or more charge parameter including:

battery capacity, battery chemistry, charging voltage, charging pattern, interconnection configuration, manufacturer, current status, charge time remaining to availability, charge tariff, charger location.