Battery pack wakeup
First Claim
1. A method for use by a controller of a removable battery pack used in a system, the removable battery pack including a battery and a first switch for controlling any charge entering or leaving the battery, the system providing a data signal with predetermined battery data when the system is a known system, the steps comprising:
- determining if either the data signal includes predetermined battery data or the data signal is nonexistent;
turning off the first switch if the data signal does not include predetermined battery data or the data signal is nonexistent; and
turning on the first switch if the data signal does include predetermined battery data.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A removable battery pack for powering a pen-based or portable computer system in which the battery pack blocks its terminals when inserted into an unknown system. The known system includes a power supply microcontroller which passes battery charge data back and forth between a memory located in the battery pack and the power supply microcontroller. A battery microcontroller, located in the battery pack, eavesdrops drops on the communication between the power supply microcontroller and the memory, and when it validates a known signature of this communication, the battery microcontroller then enables the terminals of the battery pack. A trickle discharge current flows from the battery pack whenever the battery pack is out of the known system to allow the power supply microcontroller to power up in the case of a dead auxiliary battery.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method for use by a controller of a removable battery pack used in a system, the removable battery pack including a battery and a first switch for controlling any charge entering or leaving the battery, the system providing a data signal with predetermined battery data when the system is a known system, the steps comprising:
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determining if either the data signal includes predetermined battery data or the data signal is nonexistent; turning off the first switch if the data signal does not include predetermined battery data or the data signal is nonexistent; and turning on the first switch if the data signal does include predetermined battery data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method for use by a controller of a removable battery pack used in a system, the removable battery pack including a battery, a monitoring circuit for providing a signal to the controller indicative of the current and voltage of the battery, a first switch for controlling any charge entering the battery, a second switch for controlling any charge leaving the battery, and a third switch for controlling a trickle discharge current provided to power up a power supply microcontroller in a known system, the system providing a data signal with predetermined battery data when the system is the known system, the steps comprising:
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determining if either the data signal includes predetermined battery data or the data signal is nonexistent; turning off the first switch if the data signal does not include predetermined battery data or the data signal is nonexistent; turning off the second switch if the data signal does not include predetermined battery data or the data signal is nonexistent; turning on the first switch if the data signal does include predetermined battery data; and turning on the second switch if the data signal does include predetermined battery data. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification