SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR UPDATING PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES USING A RECHARGEABLE BATTERY

• US 20100235822A1
• Filed: 03/11/2009
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eagle Technology, LLC (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pine Valley Investments, LLC (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jamerson, Eric Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 8,332,836 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/10 Temperature sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A system and method for updating portable electronic devices using a rechargeable battery are provided. The method includes accessing update data stored in a battery removably connected to a portable electronic device and transferring the stored update data from the battery to the portable electronic device. The method further includes updating the portable electronic device with the transferred update data.

Claims

1. A method of providing update data to a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

accessing update data stored in a battery removably connected to a portable electronic device;

transferring the stored update data from the battery to the portable electronic device; and

updating the portable electronic device with the transferred update data.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the update data comprises a firmware update.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the battery comprises a rechargeable battery and the portable electronic device comprises a land mobile radio.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising providing notification on a display of the portable electronic device after the updating is complete.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising comparing the update data to data in the portable electronic device to determine which is newer.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein the transferring is only performed if the update data is newer than the data within the portable electronic device.

7. A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein if the update data is not newer than the data in the portable electronic device, the update data is not transferred to the portable electronic device.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7 further comprising transferring the data from the portable electronic device to the battery.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein the transferring comprises overwriting the update data in the battery.

10. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising storing a number of times the update data is transferred.

11. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the transferring is performed through at least one contact of each of the battery and portable electronic device.

12. A method for updating firmware in portable communication devices, the method comprising:

adding to a pool of rechargeable batteries a rechargeable battery having a firmware update stored within a memory of the rechargeable battery; and

configuring the rechargeable battery to transfer the firmware update to a portable communication device upon connection of the rechargeable battery to the portable communication device.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein the portable communication device is a land mobile radio.

14. A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein the firmware update is transferred if a version of the firmware update is newer than a version of a firmware of the portable communication device.

15. A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein each of the batteries in the pool of rechargeable batteries comprises a memory and further comprising configuring each of the batteries to receive from a portable communication device the firmware update transferred from the added rechargeable battery.

16. A rechargeable battery comprising:

a memory storing update data; and

a data contact configured to engage a portable electronic device and allow access by the portable electronic device to the update data stored in the memory.

17. A rechargeable battery in accordance with claim 16 wherein the update data comprises a firmware update.

18. A rechargeable battery in accordance with claim 16 wherein the memory is at least one gigabyte in size.

19. A rechargeable battery in accordance with claim 16 wherein the data contact is configured to allow transfer of data from the portable electronic device to the memory.

20. A rechargeable battery in accordance with claim 16 further comprising a housing and wherein the memory comprises an integral memory within the housing.