Interchangeable battery with additional communications capabilities for mobile telephones

• US 6,456,039 B1
• Filed: 11/30/2001
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Swisscom AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Original Assignee: Swisscom Mobile AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Inventors: Lauper, Eric, Ritter, Rudolph
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Application Number:
  US09/997,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20020041175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: 320/106, 320/107, 320/110, 320/112, 320/114
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3883 Arrangements for mounting batteries or battery chargers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0262 for a battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The interchangeable battery (2) for mobile radio telephones (3) comprises battery cells in a housing and electric feeding contacts (22) for powering the mobile telephone (3) as well as a radio interface (20-21), for example a RFID element, a GPS receiver, a radio clock signal receiver etc.

Different batteries, which each operate according to another communication protocol, can be provided.

Claims

1. Interchangeable battery (2) for a mobile radio telephone (3), comprising battery cells in a housing and electric feeding contacts (22) for powering the mobile telephone (3),

wherein said battery (2) includes a radio interface (20-21) designed for bi-directional connections over electromagnetic waves.

2. The battery of claim 1, wherein said radio interface consists of a Radio Frequency Identification element.

3. The battery of claim 2, wherein said Radio Frequency Identification element comprises at least one antenna (20).

4. The battery of claim 3, wherein said Radio Frequency Identification element comprises a plurality of antennas (20) in order to communicate over different frequencies and/or different communication protocols.

5. The battery of claim 1, wherein said Radio Frequency Identification element is powered by said battery cells.

6. The battery of claim 1, wherein said Radio Frequency Identification element comprises at least one communication controller (21).

7. The battery of claim 6, wherein said Radio Frequency Identification element comprises a plurality of communication controllers (21) in order to communicate over different frequencies and/or different communication protocols.

8. The battery of claim 6, wherein said communication controller (21) comprises an interpreter, in order to execute received instructions in an object-oriented or procedural language.

9. The battery of claim 6, wherein said communication controller (21) has a stand-by mode.

10. The battery of claim 6, wherein said communication controller (21) can be roused from the stand-by mode through signals received over said radio interface (20-21).

11. The battery of claim 6, wherein said communication controller (21) can be roused from the stand-by mode by the mobile telephone (3).

12. The battery of claim 1, wherein it comprises a storage area for storing the user'"'"'s identity.

13. The battery of claim 12, wherein said identity comprises biometric parameters of the user.

14. The battery of claim 12, wherein said identity comprises an electronic certificate of the user.

15. The battery of claim 14, wherein it further comprises data processing means (21) for the signing of electronic communication.

16. The battery of claim 1, wherein it comprises a storage area for storing monetary amounts transmitted over the contactless interface.

17. The battery of claim 1, wherein it further comprises electric contacts for communication between said Radio Frequency Identification element (22) and said mobile radio telephone (3).

18. The battery of claim 1, wherein it comprises a modulation element connected with said Radio Frequency Identification element for modulating the feeding voltage transmitted over said feeding contacts (22).

19. The battery of claim 1, wherein it comprises an additional contactless interface for communication between said Radio Frequency Identification element and said mobile radio telephone.

20. The battery of claim 1, wherein it comprises an adapter module for a chip-card.

21. The battery of claim 1, wherein said radio interface operates according to the Bluetooth standard.

22. Set of different batteries (2) according to one of the preceding claims, the housing and the electric feeding contacts (22) of all batteries in the set being compatible with the same model of mobile telephone (3),

wherein each battery (2) comprises a radio interface operating according to another protocol.

23. Mobile radio telephone (3) with the following components:

an interchangeable battery (2), comprising battery cells in a housing, electronic data processing means as well as a radio interface (20-21) designed for bi-directional connections over electromagnetic waves,

electric feeding contacts (22-31) for powering the mobile telephone (3) through said battery,

an additional interface for communication between said mobile radio telephone and said electronic data processing means (21).

24. The mobile radio telephone of claim 23, wherein it has a stand-by mode and wherein it can be roused from the stand-by mode through signals received over said radio interface (20-21).

25. Communication method between a mobile radio telephone (3) and an external device (1), wherein the communication takes place bi-directionally over a radio interface (20, 21) in the battery (2) of said mobile telephone (3).