NFC SYSTEM PROVIDING BATTERY POWER LEVEL MEASUREMENT FEATURES AND RELATED METHODS

• US 20120217971A1
• Filed: 02/28/2011
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited, of The Province of Ontario Canada)
• Inventors: DELUCA, Michael Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 9,178,570 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/426
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/371 with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 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 2010/4278 Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/73 for taking measurements, e.g. using sensing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/24 Arrangements for testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A Near Field Communication (NFC) system may include a battery including a battery casing, at least one battery cell carried by the battery casing, at least one power measurement circuit carried by the battery casing and configured to measure a power level of the at least one battery cell, and a first NFC circuit carried by the battery casing and configured to communicate the power level measurement via NFC communication. The NFC system may further include a mobile wireless communications device including a portable housing, a second NFC circuit carried by the portable housing, and a controller carried by the portable housing and configured to cause the second NFC circuit to receive the power level measurement from the first NFC circuit based upon proximity therewith.

Claims

1. A Near Field Communication (NFC) system comprising:

a battery comprising

a battery casing,

at least one battery cell carried by said battery casing,

at least one power measurement circuit carried by said battery casing and configured to measure a power level of said at least one battery cell, and

a first NFC circuit carried by said battery casing and configured to communicate the power level measurement via NFC communication; and

a mobile wireless communications device comprising

a portable housing,

a second NFC circuit carried by said portable housing, and

a controller carried by said portable housing and configured to cause said second NFC circuit to receive the power level measurement from said first NFC circuit based upon proximity therewith.

2. The NFC system of claim 1 wherein said second NFC circuit comprises an active NFC circuit configured to generate an electromagnetic field;

wherein said first NFC circuit comprises a passive NFC circuit; and

wherein said first NFC circuit and said at least one power measurement circuit are powered by the electromagnetic field.

3. The NFC system of claim 1 further comprising an internal load carried by said housing;

and wherein said power measurement circuit is configured to measure the power level with said at least one battery cell being temporarily connected to said internal load.

4. The NFC system of claim 1 wherein said power measurement circuit is configured to measure the power level with said at least one battery cell being disconnected from an external load.

5. The NFC system of claim 1 wherein said at least one battery cell has at least one power rating associated therewith;

and wherein said first NFC circuit is further configured to communicate the at least one power rating to said second NFC circuit.

6. The NFC system of claim 1 wherein said battery has a battery identification (ID) associated therewith;

and wherein said first NFC circuit is further configured to communicate the battery ID to said second NFC circuit.

7. The NFC system of claim 6 wherein said battery ID comprises a Universal Product Code (UPC).

8. The NFC system of claim 1 wherein said mobile wireless communications device further comprises a display carried by said portable housing;

and wherein said controller is further configured to display a power level indicator for said battery based upon the received power level measurement.

9. The NFC system of claim 1 wherein said mobile wireless communications device further comprises a wireless transceiver carried by said portable housing and coupled to said controller.

10. The NFC system of claim 1 wherein said at least one battery cell comprises at least one rechargeable battery cell.

11. The NFC system of claim 1 wherein said at least one battery cell comprises at least one disposable battery cell.

12. A battery comprising:

a battery casing;

at least one battery cell carried by said battery casing;

at least one power measurement circuit carried by said battery casing and configured to measure a power level of said at least one battery cell; and

a first Near Field Communication (NFC) circuit carried by said battery casing and configured to communicate the power level measurement via NFC communication to a second NFC circuit based upon proximity therewith.

13. The battery of claim 12 wherein the second NFC circuit comprises an active NFC circuit configured to generate an electromagnetic field;

wherein said first NFC circuit comprises a passive NFC circuit; and

wherein said first NFC circuit and said at least one power measurement circuit are powered by the electromagnetic field.

14. The battery of claim 12 further comprising an internal load carried by said housing;

and wherein said power measurement circuit is configured to measure the power level with said at least one battery cell being temporarily connected to said internal load.

15. The battery of claim 12 wherein said power measurement circuit is configured to measure the power level with said at least one battery cell being disconnected from an external load.

16. The battery of claim 12 wherein said at least one battery cell has at least one power rating associated therewith;

and wherein said first NFC circuit is further configured to communicate the at least one power rating to the second NFC circuit.

17. The battery of claim 12 wherein said battery has a battery identification (ID) associated therewith;

and wherein said first NFC circuit is further configured to communicate the battery ID to the second NFC circuit.

18. The battery of claim 12 wherein the battery ID comprises a Universal Product Code (UPC).

19. A mobile wireless communications device for use with a battery comprising a battery casing, at least one battery cell carried by the battery casing, at least one power measurement circuit carried by the battery casing and configured to measure a power level of the at least one battery cell, and a first NFC circuit carried by the battery casing and configured to communicate the power level measurement via NFC communication, the mobile wireless communications device comprising:

a portable housing;

a second NFC circuit carried by said portable housing;

a display carried by said portable housing; and

a controller carried by said portable housing and configured to

cause said second NFC circuit to receive the power level measurement from said first NFC circuit based upon proximity therewith, and

display a power level indicator for said battery on said display based upon the received power level measurement.

20. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 19 wherein said second NFC circuit comprises an active NFC circuit configured to generate an electromagnetic field;

wherein the first NFC circuit comprises a passive NFC circuit; and

wherein the first NFC circuit and the at least one power measurement circuit are powered by the electromagnetic field.

21. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 19 wherein the at least one battery cell has at least one power rating associated therewith;

wherein said second NFC circuit is further configured to receive the at least one power rating from the first NFC circuit; and

wherein said controller is further configured to display the power rating on said display based upon the received at least one power rating.

22. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 19 wherein the battery has a battery identification (ID) associated therewith;

wherein said second NFC circuit is further configured to receive the battery ID from the first NFC circuit; and

wherein said controller is further configured to display the battery ID on said display based upon the received battery ID.

23. A battery measurement method for a battery comprising a battery casing, at least one battery cell carried by the battery casing, at least one power measurement circuit carried by the battery casing, and a first NFC circuit carried by the battery casing, the method comprising:

measuring a power level of the at least one battery cell using at least one power measurement circuit; and

communicating the power level measurement from the first NFC circuit to a second NFC circuit of a mobile wireless communications device based upon proximity therewith.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the second NFC circuit comprises an active NFC circuit configured to generate an electromagnetic field;

wherein the first NFC circuit comprises a passive NFC circuit; and

further comprising powering the first NFC circuit and the at least one power measurement circuit from the electromagnetic field.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the battery further comprises an internal load carried by the housing;

and wherein measuring comprises measuring the power level using the power measurement circuit with the at least one battery cell being temporarily connected to the internal load.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein measuring comprises measuring the power level using the power measurement circuit with the at least one battery cell being disconnected from an external load.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the at least one battery cell has at least one power rating associated therewith;

and wherein communicating further comprises communicating the at least one power rating from the first NFC circuit to the second NFC circuit.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein the battery has a battery identification (ID) associated therewith;

and wherein communicating further comprises communicating the battery ID from the first NFC circuit to the second NFC circuit.

29. The method of claim 23 wherein the mobile wireless communications device further comprises a display;

and further comprising displaying a power level indicator for the battery on the display based upon the received power level measurement.