Rechargeable Battery Assembly Having a Data and Power Connector Plug

• US 20100052609A1
• Filed: 11/02/2009
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Moixa Energy Holdings Limited (Lunar Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Moixa Energy Holdings Limited (Lunar Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wright, Christopher V., Daniel, Simon R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,067,923 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A rechargeable battery assembly comprises a rechargeable battery unit and a data and power connector plug. The battery assembly has a deployed configuration in which the battery assembly has the general form of and functions as a conventional battery format, and a recharge configuration in which the data and power connector plug is made accessible to enable said connector to be connected to a suitable receptacle on a computing or peripheral device for recharging of the battery.

Claims

1-31. -31. (canceled)

32. A rechargeable battery assembly, the battery assembly comprising:

a rechargeable battery unit;

a memory; and

,

a data and power connector plug;

the battery assembly having a deployed configuration in which the battery assembly has the general form of and functions as a conventional battery format, and a recharge configuration in which the data and power connector plug is made accessible to enable said data and power connector plug to be connected to a suitable receptacle on a computing or peripheral device for recharging of the battery and for allowing data to be sent from the memory to the computing or peripheral device.

33. A rechargeable battery assembly according to claim 32, wherein said data and power connector plug is a USB connector.

34. A rechargeable battery assembly according to claim 32, wherein the memory stores a software application.

35. A rechargeable battery assembly according to claim 34, wherein the software application when executed is operable to provide information concerning the battery and charging of the battery unit to a said computing device via the data and power connector plug.

36. A rechargeable battery assembly according to claim 35, wherein the software application when executed is operable to control a said computing device to display an icon representing the battery unit charging information.

37. A rechargeable battery assembly according to claim 35, wherein the battery unit charging information comprises at least one of charge level information and charging state information.

38. A rechargeable battery assembly according to claim 34, wherein the software application when executed is operable to provide a user interface on a said computing device, through which a user can interact with the software application.

39. A rechargeable battery assembly according to claim 38, wherein the software application when executed is operable to provide at least one battery management control on said computing device that is controllable through said user interface.

40. A rechargeable battery assembly according to claim 34, wherein the software application when executed is operable to provide a menu including selectable options on a said computing device.

41. A rechargeable battery assembly according to claim 34, wherein the software application when executed is operable to control a said computing device through the data and power connector plug to access a remotely located resource.

42. A rechargeable battery assembly according to claim 34, wherein the memory stores a battery identifier information.

43. A rechargeable battery assembly according to claim 42, wherein the software application when executed is operable to provide the battery identifier information to a said computing device through the data and power connector plug.

44. A rechargeable battery assembly according to claim 43, wherein said battery identifier is a unique battery identifier and used to provide at least one of:

a. battery management and control information,

b. direct customer relationship management services,

c. marketing promotion,

d. unique identification for a lottery prize.

45. A rechargeable battery assembly according to claim 34, comprising a processor for executing the software application.

46. A rechargeable battery assembly according to claim 32, comprising a cap for covering the data and power connector plug in the deployed configuration.

47. A rechargeable battery assembly according to claim 38, wherein the cap has a first terminal and the battery assembly has a second terminal to deliver current to a load connected between the first and second terminals.

48. A rechargeable battery assembly according to claim 32, wherein the data and power connector plug is constructed and arranged to be able to fold between a rigid form suitable for making a said connection when the battery assembly is in said recharge configuration, and a storage form suitable for being accommodated within the envelope of said battery assembly conventional battery format when the battery assembly is in said deployed configuration.

49. A rechargeable battery assembly according to claim 32, wherein the rechargeable battery unit is arranged so as to be capable of being recharged by using a conventional battery recharger and applying recharging current via terminals of the battery assembly rather than via said data and power connector plug.

50. A method of communicating the status of a rechargeable battery assembly according to claim 32 to a user, the method comprising:

connecting said data and power connector plug of said rechargeable battery assembly to a corresponding receiving connector of a computing device;

sending information about the status or history of the rechargeable battery unit to the computing device;

receiving said information by a software process running on said computing device; and

,

displaying a message by said software process on the screen of said computing device.

51. A method of communicating the status of a rechargeable battery assembly according to claim 32 to a user, the method comprising:

connecting said data and power connector plug of said rechargeable battery assembly to a corresponding receiving connector of a computing device;

sending information about the status or history of the rechargeable battery unit to the computing device;

receiving said information by a software process running on said computing device; and

,

sending secondary information relating to said information to another computing device across a network attached to said computing device.