METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CHARGING HANDHELD DATA CAPTURE DEVICE WITH CRADLE

• US 20120049784A1
• Filed: 08/26/2010
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Klicpera, Christopher P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,482,248 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/103
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034

Abstract

A method and apparatus for powering a handheld data capture device. The apparatus includes a cradle configured to accommodate a handheld data capture device detachably settled therein. The apparatus also includes an energy reservoir installed in the cradle, a charging interface, and a port operative to charge at least the energy reservoir with a current-limited host. The charging interface on the cradle is operative to charge the handheld data capture device with at least the energy reservoir.

Claims

1. A method of charging a handheld data capture device with a cradle comprising:

charging the handheld data capture device with at least an energy reservoir installed in the cradle when the handheld data capture device is detachably settled in the cradle, wherein the handheld data capture device includes at least one of a barcode reading arrangement and an RFID reader; and

charging at least the energy reservoir with a current-limited host.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the current-limited host is a USB host.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

charging the handheld data capture device with both the energy reservoir installed in the cradle and the current-limited host when the handheld data capture device is detachably settled in the cradle.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating from the cradle to the handheld data capture device an allowable charge current value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating from the cradle to the handheld data capture device an allowable charge current value; and

charging the handheld data capture device with a current that is smaller than the allowable charge current value;

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an allowable reservoir-output current from the energy reservoir; and

communicating from the cradle to the handheld data capture device an allowable charge current value based on the determined allowable reservoir-output current.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

charging at least the energy reservoir with the current-limited host when the handheld data capture device is removed from the cradle.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

charging at least the energy reservoir with a power supply connected to a supplementary power port on the cradle.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

charging both the energy reservoir and the handheld data capture device with a power supply connected to a supplementary power port on the cradle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy reservoir is a battery.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy reservoir is an energy storage capacitor or capacitor array capable of storing at least 1000 Coulombs of usable charge.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the barcode reading arrangement comprises:

a solid-state imager having an array of photosensitive elements for capturing an image from a target object having a barcode;

a lens system operative to focus light reflected from the target object onto the array of photosensitive elements in the solid-state imager; and

an electric circuitry operative to transfer the image captured by the solid-state imager to a barcode decoding circuitry.

13. A cradle for charging a handheld data capture device comprising:

means for charging the handheld data capture device with at least an energy reservoir installed in the cradle when the handheld data capture device is detachably settled in the cradle, wherein the handheld data capture device includes at least one of a barcode reading arrangement and an RFID reader; and

means for charging at least the energy reservoir with a current-limited host when the handheld data capture device is removed from the cradle.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a cradle configured to accommodate a handheld data capture device detachably settled therein, the handheld data capture device including at least one of a barcode reading arrangement and an RFID reader;

an energy reservoir installed in the cradle;

a charging interface on the cradle operative to charge the handheld data capture device with at least the energy reservoir; and

a port operative to charge at least the energy reservoir with a current-limited host.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the energy reservoir is a battery.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the energy reservoir is an energy storage capacitor or capacitor array capable of storing at least 1000 Coulombs of usable charge.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the charging interface on the cradle is operative to charge the handheld data capture device with essentially the energy reservoir.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the charging interface on the cradle is operative to charge the handheld data capture device with both the energy reservoir and the current-limited host.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a charging condition interface operative to communicate to the handheld data capture device an allowable charge current value.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a battery gauge operatively couple to the energy reservoir; and

a controller operatively couple to the battery gauge to determine an allowable reservoir-output current from the energy reservoir.

21. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a supplementary power port operative to charge at least the energy reservoir with a power supply connected to the supplementary power port.

22. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a supplementary power port operative to charge the handheld data capture device with a power supply connected to the supplementary power port.

23. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the barcode reading arrangement comprises:

a solid-state imager having an array of photosensitive elements for capturing an image from a target object having a barcode;

a lens system operative to focus light reflected from the target object onto the array of photosensitive elements in the solid-state imager; and

an electric circuitry operative to transfer the image captured by the solid-state imager to a barcode decoding circuitry.