CONNECTORS FOR BATTERY-POWERED DEVICES

• US 20110163725A1
• Filed: 01/05/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Putnam, Eric Jason
• Granted Patent: US 9,054,534 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/137
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence

Abstract

A battery-powered device can be simultaneously coupled to a non-battery power supply and to information signals from a battery. Power contacts on the device are coupled to the power supply, while one or more information contacts on the battery are coupled to corresponding contacts on the device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing power to a battery-powered device from an external power supply, the external power supply providing power in place of a battery; and

providing one or more battery information signals from the battery to the battery-powered device.

2. The method of claim 1, the providing power to the battery-powered device comprising coupling a set of one or more contacts on the battery-powered device to the external power supply instead of to a set of one or more contacts on the battery.

3. The method of claim 1, the providing one or more battery information signals comprising coupling a set of one or more contacts on the battery-powered device to a set of one or more contacts on the battery.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising operating the battery-powered device during one or more tests.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring power consumed by the battery-powered device.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a first connector configured to couple a first power contact on a battery-powered device to an external power supply in place of a coupling between the first power contact on the battery-powered device and a first power contact on a battery, the first connector being configured to allow a signal contact on the battery-powered device to be coupled to a signal contact on the battery.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a switch configured to switchably couple the first power contact on the battery-powered device to the first power contact on the battery or to the power supply.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, the switch being configured to operate in response to one or more time-based signals.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a second connector configured to couple the signal contact on the battery-powered device to the signal contact on the battery.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, the first connector leaving the signal contact on the battery exposed.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a second connector configured to couple a second power contact on the battery-powered device and a second power contact on the battery to the external power supply.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, the signal contact on the battery being configured to provide battery information for the battery.

13. The apparatus of claim 6, the signal contact on the battery being configured to provide temperature information for the battery.

14. The apparatus of claim 6, the first connector comprising copper tape.

15. The apparatus of claim 6, the first connector being configured to minimize a respective effective impedance provided by the first connector.

16. The apparatus of claim 6, at least a portion of the apparatus being configured to fit between the battery and a battery receiving surface on the battery-powered device when the battery is mechanically coupled to the battery-powered device.

17. A system for testing a battery-powered device, the system comprising:

a first connector configured to couple a first power contact on a battery-powered device to an external power supply in place of a coupling between the first power contact on the battery-powered device and a first power contact on a battery, the first connector being configured to allow a signal contact on the battery-powered device to couple to a signal contact on the battery by exposing the signal contact on the battery.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising one or more circuits configured to control the transmission of signals to one or more battery-powered devices coupled to the system.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising a chassis, the chassis being configurable to at least partially hide from view one or more battery-powered devices coupled to the system.

20. The system of claim 17, the system being configured to charge the battery at one or more intervals.