System that provides replenishment service for power sources used by mobile devices

• US 6,665,549 B1
• Filed: 06/10/2000
• Issued: 12/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reed, John Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, BRANDON J
• Application Number:
  US09/591,648
• Time in Patent Office: 1,284 Days
• Field of Search: 455/573, 455/574, 455/575, 455/572, 320/162, 340/636
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0296 switching to a backup power supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system (10) alerts mobile devices (12) that are powered by replenishable power sources (14). A communications link is established between a replenishment service provider and the mobile devices (12). The replenishment service provider alerts the mobile devices (12) as to the availability of one or more replenishment services within a service area.

Claims

1. A communication system that provides services to at least one mobile device that is powered by a replenishable power source, comprising:

a service provider that provides a replenishment service within a service area, wherein the service provider comprises;

at least one replenishment device;

a replenishment server that maintains service records comprising a location of the at least one replenishment device and attributes of the at least one replenishment device; and

a radio module that establishes a communication link between a mobile device and the service provider, wherein the service provider alerts the mobile device as to the availability of the replenishment service within the service area.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the replenishment service is provided by exchanging a full power source for a depleted power source.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the replenishable power source is a fuel cell.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the replenishable power source is a rechargeable battery.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the replenishment service is provided by a replenishing device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the replenishable power source is a replaceable power source.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the replenishing device is at least one of a battery charger, battery dispenser, and a fuel cartridge dispenser.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein one of at least one of a replenishing device location information and a mobile device location information is communicated between the mobile device and service provider.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at,least one of the mobile device location information and the replenishing device location information is provided by a positioning service.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein a proximity distance between the mobile device and a replenishing device is determined based on the mobile device location information.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the mobile device is alerted of when the determined proximity distance meets a distance threshold.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the distance threshold is user selectable.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein directional support is provided for directing the mobile device to a replenishing device location.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device transmits a replenishment service request from the mobile device upon satisfaction of a predefined criteria.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the replenishing device service request includes at least one replenishment device related attribute.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the replenishing device related attribute includes at least one of a replenishment service type, electrical connector, brand, style, type, voltage, chemical makeup, recommended replenishing method, current energy state, size of power source, and capacity of power source.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the mobile device is alerted when an available replenishment service corresponds to at least one of a requested replenishment service attribute.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the predefined criteria relates to a remaining power level in the replenishable power source.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the predefined criteria is satisfied if the remaining power drops below a user-selectable threshold.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the replenishment service is broadcast to mobile devices within the service area.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the replenishment service broadcast includes at least one replenishing device service attribute.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the replenishing device service attributes include at least one of the following cost, type, available times for replenishing, estimated time required to replenish and replenishing device location.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the mobile device is alerted only if a broadcast replenishment service cost attribute meets a selected cost attribute threshold.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the selected cost attributes threshold is user-selectable.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the service provider is incorporated within a wireless communications network that operates under a predefined network protocol.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the service provider uses a billing service for billing the user of the mobile device for the use of the replenishment service.

27. A mobile device that is powered by a replenishable power source, comprising:

a receiver that receives information from a replenishment service provider related to replenishment service attributes of one or more replenishment devices, wherein the replenishment service attributes comprise at least one of a cost, type, available times for replenishing, estimated time to replenish, and replenishing device location; and

a controller that determines whether one or more of the received replenishment service attributes matches one or more required replenishment service attributes of the mobile device, wherein the controller, based on the determination, alerts a user of the mobile device as to the availability of a replenishment service.

28. The mobile device of claim 27 further including a transmitter that transmits a replenishment service request in response to a need to replenish the replenishable power source.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein at least one of a replenishing device location information and a mobile device location information is communicated between the mobile device and a service provider.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the at least one of the mobile device location information and the replenishing device location information is provided by a positioning service.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein a proximity distance between the mobile device and a replenishing device is determined based on the mobile device location information.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the mobile device is alerted of when the determined proximity distance meets a distance threshold.

33. A method of alerting a communication device that is powered by a replenishable power source, comprising the steps of:

receiving information from a replenishment service provider related to replenishment service attributes of one or more replenishment devices, wherein the replenishment service attributes comprise at least one of a cost, type, available times for replenishing, estimated time to replenish, and replenishing device location;

determining whether there is a match between one or more of the received replenishment service attributes and one or more required replenishment service attributes of the mobile device; and

alerting a user of the mobile device as to the availability of replenishment service based on the determination of the match between the one or more of the received replenishment service attributes and the one or more required replenishment service attributes of the mobile device.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of communicating information concerning a location of one or more replenishment devices and information concerning a location of the communication device between the service provider and the communication device.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein at least one of the communication device location information and the replenishment device location information is provided by a positioning service.