Low power consumption quick charge for wireless device

• US 6,445,936 B1
• Filed: 11/16/1999
• Issued: 09/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Guardian Corp. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Popa, James C., Mooney, Philip D., Cannon, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): GELIN, JEAN ALLAND
• Application Number:
  US09/441,078
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455/423, 455/13.4, 455/522, 455/573, 455/572, 455/574, 455/127, 455/343, 455/462, 320/113, 320/114, 320/115, 320/128, 320/149, 320/FOR.120, 320/150
• US Class Current: 455/573
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/005 using a power saving mode for copiers G03G15/5004
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems

Abstract

The current draw of a wireless device, e.g., a cordless telephone, is minimized for a cradled remote handset drawing power from an AC outlet. This allows a greater portion of the total current amperage provided by the AC to DC converter to be allowed to charge the battery in the remote unit, and reduces the overall maximum or peak value of the current draw of the wireless device. With an improved peak power budget, a smaller (and presumably less expensive) AC to DC adapter than otherwise necessary may be used to power the wireless device. In one aspect, sniff operations of the remote handset are disabled or otherwise suppressed while the remote handset is in the cradle of the base unit, e.g., receiving a quick charge or trickle charge to its battery. In a second aspect, sniff operations of the base unit are disabled or otherwise suppressed while the remote handset is in the cradle of the base unit. In a last aspect, the charging mode of the battery in the remote handset of a wireless device changes based on activity in the remote handset.

Claims

1. Apparatus to suppress a sniff operation in a wireless device, comprising:

a charge detector module to detect a presence of charge current from a charging unit of said wireless device to a battery of said wireless device; and

a sniff module having an enabled mode and a disabled mode, said sniff module being placed in said disabled mode when said charge current is detected.

2. The apparatus to suppress a sniff operation in a wireless device according to claim 1, wherein:

said sniff module periodically powers up an RF receiver when in said enabled mode.

3. The apparatus to suppress a sniff operation in a wireless device according to claim 1, wherein:

said charging unit is associated with a base unit of said wireless device.

4. The apparatus to suppress a sniff operation in a wireless device according to claim 3, wherein:

said sniff module is located in said base unit.

5. The apparatus to suppress a sniff operation in a wireless device according to claim 3, wherein:

said sniff module is located in said remote handset.

6. The apparatus to suppress a sniff operation in a wireless device according to claim 1, wherein:

said wireless device is a cordless telephone handset.

7. A method of suppressing a sniff operation in a wireless device, comprising:

detecting an electrical coupling between said wireless device and a charging unit; and

when said coupling is detected, suppressing a sniff operation in said wireless device.

8. The method of suppressing a sniff operation in a wireless device according to claim 7, wherein:

said wireless device is a wireless handset which otherwise detects a signal transmitted from a matching base unit when said sniff operation is not suppressed.

9. The method of suppressing a sniff operation in a wireless device according to claim 7, wherein:

said suppressed sniff operation includes a suppression of a power-up of an RF receiver of said wireless device.

10. The method of suppressing a sniff operation in a wireless device according to claim 7, wherein:

said presence of said coupling is detected by measuring an output level of a charge current to said wireless device.

11. The method of suppressing a sniff operation in a wireless device according to claim 10, wherein:

said measured output level is a measured charge current to said wireless device.

12. The method of suppressing a sniff operation in a wireless device according to claim 7, wherein:

said wireless device is a cordless telephone handset.

13. A method of suppressing a sniff operation in a wireless device, comprising:

detecting a presence of a remote handset in a cradle of a base unit; and

when said remote handset is detected as present in said cradle, suppressing a sniff operation in one of said remote handset and said base unit.

14. The method of suppressing a sniff operation in a wireless device according to claim 13, wherein:

said suppression is performed in said remote handset.

15. The method of suppressing a sniff operation in a wireless device according to claim 13, wherein:

said suppression is performed in said base unit.

16. The method of suppressing a sniff operation in a wireless device according to claim 13, wherein:

said suppressed sniff operation includes a suppression of a power-up of an RF receiver in said base unit.

17. The method of suppressing a sniff operation in a wireless device according to claim 13, wherein:

said presence of said remote handset is detected by measuring an output level of a charge current provided by said base unit to said remote handset.

18. The method of suppressing a sniff operation in a wireless device according to claim 13, wherein:

said measured output level is a measured charge current provided by said base unit to said remote handset.

19. The method of suppressing a sniff operation in a wireless device according to claim 13, wherein:

said wireless device is a cordless telephone.

20. Apparatus for suppressing a sniff operation in a wireless device, comprising:

means for detecting an electrical coupling between said wireless device and a charging unit; and

means for suppressing a sniff operation in said wireless device when said coupling is detected as present in said cradle.

21. The apparatus for suppressing a sniff operation in a wireless device according to claim 20, wherein:

said suppressed sniff operation includes a suppression of a power-up of an RF receiver of said wireless device.

22. The apparatus for suppressing a sniff operation in a wireless device according to claim 20, wherein:

said means for detecting detects said presence of said coupling by measuring an output level of a charge current to said wireless device.

23. The apparatus for suppressing a sniff operation in a wireless device according to claim 22, wherein:

said measured output level is a measured charge current to said wireless device.

24. The apparatus for suppressing a sniff operation in a wireless device according to claim 22, wherein:

said wireless device is a cordless telephone handset.

25. Apparatus for suppressing a sniff operation in a wireless device, comprising:

means for detecting a presence of a remote handset in a cradle of a base unit; and

means for suppressing a sniff operation in one of said remote handset and said base unit when said remote handset is detected as present in said cradle.

26. The apparatus for suppressing a sniff operation in a wireless device according to claim 25, wherein:

said suppressed sniff operation includes a suppression of a power-up of an RF receiver in said base unit.

27. The apparatus for suppressing a sniff operation in a wireless device according to claim 25, wherein:

said means for detecting detects said presence of said remote handset by measuring an output level of a charge current provided by said base unit to said remote handset.

28. The apparatus for suppressing a sniff operation in a wireless device according to claim 27, wherein:

said measured output level is a measured charge current provided by said base unit to said remote handset.

29. The apparatus for suppressing a sniff operation in a wireless device according to claim 25, wherein:

said wireless device is a cordless telephone.