Portable computer/radio power management system

• US 5,650,669 A
• Filed: 06/17/1996
• Issued: 07/22/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Spinel Ektronix LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: US Robotics Mobile Communication Corporation
• Inventors: Aldous, Stephen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PALADINI, ALBERT WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US08/665,526
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 307/66, 307/64, 307/46, 455/115, 455/95, 455/127, 364/492, 364/707
• US Class Current: 307/66
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/10 Arrangements incorporating converting means for enabling loads to be operated at will from different kinds of power supplies, e.g. from ac or dc

Abstract

An electrical power management system for supplying power to a computer peripheral having a relatively high intermittent power demand, such as a packet-switched data radio. A first self-contained rechargeable power supply, outputting power appropriate for the electrical appliance, stores electrical energy and supplies power to the appliance. A second self-contained rechargeable power supply stores electrical energy and supplies electrical power to intermittently recharge the first power supply. The first and the second power supplies can be such self-contained units as single or multicell batteries or capacitors. Preferably, the first power supply is a battery or a capacitor and the second power source is an internal power supply of a portable personal computer.

Claims

1. An electrical power management element comprising:

radio transmitter means for transmitting data;

first power supply means, rechargeable, for storing electrical energy and supplying power to the radio transmitter means;

second power supply means, self-contained, for storing electrical energy and supplying energy to recharge the first power supply means;

means for switching electrical current output from the second power supply means to the first power supply means so as to recharge the first power supply means;

means for controlling the recharging of the first power supply means by performing a set of programmed steps comprising;

detecting the transmission data by the radio transmitter means; and

activating the switch means to switch a predetermined quantity of energy output from the second power supply means to the first power supply means to charge the first power supply means.

2. An electrical power management element comprising:

radio transmitter means for transmitting data;

first power supply means for storing electrical energy and supply power to the radio transmitter means;

second power supply means, self-contained for storing electrical energy and supplying electrical current to charge the first power supply means;

means for switching electrical current output from the second power supply means to the first power supply means;

means for controlling the energy to the first power supply means by performing a set of programmed steps comprising;

detecting the transmission of data by the radio transmitter means; and

activating the switch means to switch power output from the second power supply means to the first power supply means to charge the first power supply means, to thereby preserve the energy in the second power supply means by replacing some of the energy used by the first power supply means during the previous transmission.

3. An electrical power management element comprising:

radio transmitter means for transmitting data;

first power supply means for storing electrical energy and supply power to the radio transmitter means;

second power supply means, self-contained for storing electrical energy and supplying electrical current to recharge the first power supply means;

means for switching electrical current output from the second power supply means to the first power supply means;

means for controlling the recharging of the first power supply means by performing a set of programmed steps comprising;

detecting the transmission of data by the radio transmitter means;

quantifying the amount of energy utilized in the transmission of that data;

adding the quantified amount of energy from the last transmission to previous transmissions occurring after the last recharge; and

activating the switch means to switch power output from the second power supply means to the first power supply means to recharge the first power supply means, to thereby reserve the energy in the second power supply means by substantially replacing the energy used by the first power supply means during the previous transmissions.

4. An electrical power management system comprising:

radio transmitter means for transmitting data;

first power supply means, rechargeable, for storing electrical energy and supplying power to the radio transmitter means;

second power supply means, self-contained, for storing electrical energy and supplying electrical current to recharge the first power supply means;

means for switching electrical current output from the second power supply means to the first power supply means so as to recharge the first power supply means;

processor means for controlling the recharging of the first power supply means by performing a set of programmed steps comprising;

detecting the transmission of data by radio transmitter means;

deriving the amount of electrical energy consumed by the radio transmitter means during transmission of the data;

computing a recharging time and power equal to the time and power required for the second power supply means to recharge the first power supply means so as to restore electrical energy to the first power supply means in an amount equal to the amount of electrical energy consumed by the radio transmitter means during transmission of the data;

activating the switch means to switch power output from the second power supply means to the first power supply means to restore said electrical energy;

reducing the amount of electrical energy being transferred to a trickle charge after restoration of said computed recharge power; and

program memory means for storing machine-readable instructions utilized by said processor means to carry out said set of programmed steps.