Portable electronic device and method for supplying current to different loads
First Claim
1. A portable electronic device comprising:
- a first load;
a second load;
a first battery;
a second battery;
a first power line coupled to said first load;
a second power line coupled to said second load;
a first switch for coupling said first battery to said first power line responsive to states of discharge of said first battery and said second battery;
a second switch for coupling said second battery to said second power line responsive to said states of discharge of said first battery and said second battery;
a third switch for coupling said first power line to said second power line responsive to said states of discharge of said first battery and said second battery;
wherein said second load comprises a controller for controlling said first switch, said second switch, and said third switch responsive to states of discharge of said first battery and said second battery.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
According to a first aspect, a portable electronic device has at least two load circuits which are independently powered by different batteries. According to a second aspect, the load circuits are powered by the same battery, but their power lines are branched from a node located close to the battery, thereby reducing common impedance. According to a third aspect, two power lines are coupled through switches to two independent batteries, and are mutually coupled through a third switch. The switches are controlled according to the discharge states of the batteries. According to a fourth aspect, a battery charger charges two or more batteries by supplying current to them for short intervals in turn, so that all batteries reach full charge at substantially the same time.
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Citations
53 Claims
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1. A portable electronic device comprising:
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a first load; a second load; a first battery; a second battery; a first power line coupled to said first load; a second power line coupled to said second load; a first switch for coupling said first battery to said first power line responsive to states of discharge of said first battery and said second battery; a second switch for coupling said second battery to said second power line responsive to said states of discharge of said first battery and said second battery; a third switch for coupling said first power line to said second power line responsive to said states of discharge of said first battery and said second battery; wherein said second load comprises a controller for controlling said first switch, said second switch, and said third switch responsive to states of discharge of said first battery and said second battery. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of controlling the supply of current from a first battery and a second battery to a first load and a second load in a portable electronic device, comprising the steps of:
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supplying current from said first battery to said first load, and independently supplying current from said second battery to said second load; if said first battery becomes more discharged than said second battery by a certain first amount, disconnecting said first battery from said first load and supplying current from said second battery to both said first load and said second load; if said second battery becomes more discharged than said first battery by a certain second amount, disconnecting said second battery from said second load and supplying current from said first battery to both said first load and said second load; wherein said first load comprises a power amplifier for use in transmitting; and wherein said first battery supplies current to said second load only when said power amplifier is not being used for transmitting. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A portable electronic device comprising:
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a first load; a second load comprising a controller; a first battery; a second battery; a first power line coupled to said first load; a second power line coupled to said second load; a first switch for coupling said first battery to said first power line, said first switch being turned on and off by said controller; a second switch for coupling said second battery to said second power line, said second switch being turned on and off by said controller; a third switch for coupling said first power line to said second power line, said third switch being turned on and off by said controller; a first voltage detector coupled to said first power line and to said controller, said first voltage detector determining a voltage on said first power line; and a second voltage detector coupled to said second power line and to said controller, said second voltage detector determining a voltage on said second power line; wherein said controller determines states of discharge of said first and second batteries in accordance with the voltages on said first and second power lines, initially turns on said first and second switches and turns off said third switch, turns off said second switch and turns on said third switch if the discharge of said second battery is greater than the discharge of said first battery by a first amount, and turns off said first switch and turns on said third switch if the discharge of said first battery is greater than the discharge of said second battery by a second amount. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A portable electronic device comprising:
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a first load; a second load comprising a controller and a timer module; a first battery; a second battery; a first power line coupled to said first load; a second power line coupled to said second load; a first switch for coupling said first battery to said first power line, said first switch being turned on and off by said controller; a second switch for coupling said second battery to said second power line, said second switch being turned on and off by said controller; a third switch for coupling said first power line to said second power line, said third switch being turned on and off by said controller; wherein said timer module measures lengths of time during which said first load and said second load draw current; wherein said controller determines states of discharge of said first and second batteries in accordance with the lengths of time measured by said timer module, initially turns on said first and second switches and turns off said third switch, turns off said second switch and turns on said third switch if the discharge of said second battery is greater than the discharge of said first battery by a first amount, and turns off said first switch and turns on said third switch if the discharge of said first battery is greater than the discharge of said second battery by a second amount. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method of controlling the supply of current from a first battery and a second battery to a first load and a second load in a portable electronic device, comprising the steps of:
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supplying current from said first battery to said first load, and independently supplying current from said second battery to said second load; if said first battery becomes more discharged than said second battery by a certain first amount, disconnecting said first battery from said first load and supplying current from said second battery to both said first load and said second load; if said second battery becomes more discharged than said first battery by a certain second amount, disconnecting said second battery from said second load and supplying current from said first battery to both said first load and said second load; wherein said first load comprises a power amplifier for use in transmitting; and wherein said second battery supplies current to said first load only when said power amplifier is being used for transmitting. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method of controlling the supply of current from a first battery and a second battery to a first load and a second load in a portable electronic device, comprising the steps of:
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supplying current from said first battery to said first load, and independently supplying current from said second battery to said second load; if said first battery becomes more discharged than said second battery by a certain first amount, disconnecting said first battery from said first load and supplying current from said second battery to both said first load and said second load; if said second battery becomes more discharged than said first battery by a certain second amount, disconnecting said second battery from said second load and supplying current from said first battery to both said first load and said second load; wherein said second load comprises a controller for controlling the steps of disconnecting said first battery and disconnecting said second battery, said controller responsive to states of discharge of said first battery and said second battery. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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Specification