Docking station having auxiliary power management for use with portable medical equipment
First Claim
1. A docking station comprising:
- a plurality of batteries;
control circuitry operable for selecting at least one of said batteries in a hierarchal order for providing operating power to a docked medical diagnostic device such that the power internal to said diagnostic device is conserved while said diagnostic device is used for performing diagnostic functions on a patient while mated with said docking station.
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Accused Products
Abstract
When portable diagnostic medical equipment is placed into a dock, or docking station, the batteries of the docking station are used in a hierarchical manner to insure that the batteries in the portable equipment become charged and that any power needed to run the portable device is provided from a power source local to the docking station. In one embodiment, the docking station has a plurality of batteries and the system is designed so that when a portable diagnostic device is docked, the power from the docking station batteries will be used in a predetermined usage pattern so as to preserve (and charge) the batteries in the portable diagnostic tool.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A docking station comprising:
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a plurality of batteries; control circuitry operable for selecting at least one of said batteries in a hierarchal order for providing operating power to a docked medical diagnostic device such that the power internal to said diagnostic device is conserved while said diagnostic device is used for performing diagnostic functions on a patient while mated with said docking station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A portable medical diagnostic device comprising:
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at least one battery for powering said diagnostic device when said device is operating in the portable mode; and means for accepting power from at least one battery contained in a docking station to which said diagnostic device becomes attached, said power being accepted whether said diagnostic device is in a quiescent state or whether said diagnostic device is being used for performing diagnostic functions on a patient while mated with said docking station. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. A method of maintaining the batteries of a portable medical diagnostic device charged, said method comprising:
when said diagnostic device is being operated from batteries internal to said device, substituting operation of said device from said internal batteries to at least one battery external to said device, said substituting being triggered by said device becoming positioned in a support. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for using a hand-held portable diagnostic test device, said method comprising:
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performing diagnostic testing on patients using said diagnostic test tool while said diagnostic test device is operable from power supplied by at least one battery internal to said diagnostic test tool, placing said diagnostic test tool in a portable support; continuing to perform diagnostic testing on patients while said diagnostic test device is supported by said portable support; and automatically switching said diagnostic test device to operate from at least one battery contained within said support. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A hand-held ultrasound system operable for performing diagnostic testing on patients, said system comprising;
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a portable support separate from said device, said support having contained therein at least one source of power; means for displaying graphics of a diagnostic test being performed; means internal to said device for providing said displaying means when said device becomes unplugged from an external source of power; and means for supplying power to said displaying means exclusively from said source of power within said portable support when said device is mated with said support. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification