Battery pack having integral optical reader for wireless communication device

• US 7,089,291 B1
• Filed: 07/27/2000
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jack A. Turpin, RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: LV Partners LP (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Philyaw, Jeffry Jovan
• Primary Examiner(s): PWU, JEFFREY C
• Application Number:
  US09/627,197
• Time in Patent Office: 2,203 Days
• Field of Search: 709/239, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/227, 709/204, 709/207, 709/208, 709/245, 709/238, 707/10, 707/3, 707/4, 707/513, 235/454, 379/93.12
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10762 Relative movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10831 Arrangement of optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors, prisms optical elements per se G02B
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/301 Name conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A battery pack for a wireless communication device comprises a housing, at least one battery disposed within the housing and an optical reader disposed within the housing. The housing is adapted to be removably attachable to a wireless communication device. The housing includes an external shell defining an optical port therethrough and has an operational power interface and a data interface disposed on an exterior surface. The battery is electrically connected to the operational power interface. The optical reader can scan an optical indicia through the optical port and produce signals indicative of information encoded in the optical indicia. The optical reader is operably connected to the data interface. A wireless communication device attached to the battery pack can obtain operational power from the operational power interface and can access signals indicative of the information encoded in the optical indicia from the data interface.

Claims

1. A battery pack for a wireless communication device comprising:

a housing adapted to be removably attachable to a web enabled wireless communication device that can wirelessly connect to a global communication network (GCN) to provide a communication link therewith, the housing including an external shell defining an optical port therethrough and having an operational power interface and a data interface disposed on an exterior surface thereof;

at least one battery disposed within the housing and electrically connected to the operational power interface;

an optical reader disposed within the housing for scanning an optical indicia through the optical port and producing signals indicative of information encoded in the optical indicia, said optical reader powered by the battery through the operational power interface; and

a processing device disposed within said housing for interfacing with said optical reader for receiving said signals indicative of information encoded in the optical indica, said processing device operably connected to the data interface and powered by the battery;

whereby a web enabled wireless communication device attached to the battery pack can obtain operational power from the operational power interface and can access signals indicative of the information encoded in the optical indicia from the data interface;

whereby said optical reader is operable in response to scanning of the optical indicia to cause said processing device to interact with the web enabled wireless communication device to cause a data connection to be made to a location on the GCN through the web enabled wireless communication device, which location is associated only with the optical indicia, wherein the operation of scanning and effecting a data connection utilizing the connection capability of the web enabled wireless communication device to the GCN through the data interface is able to be performed with the functionality of said processing device within said housing and only requiring the web enabled wireless communication device for the data connection to the GCN, and is contained within said housing.

2. A battery pack in accordance with claim 1, wherein the optical reader further comprises:

a radiant energy source for generating a radiant energy for illuminating the optical indicia;

a photodetector for generating output electrical signals indicative of the radiant energy incident thereon;

an optical system for directing the radiant energy from the radiant energy source through the optical port to the optical indicia, collecting the radiant energy reflected from the optical indicia to the optical port, and directing the collected radiant energy to the photodetector; and

a decoder for decoding the output electrical signals of the photodetector and producing the signals indicative of the information encoded in the indicia.

3. A battery pack in accordance with claim 2, wherein the radiant energy source produces light having a wavelength within the visible spectrum.

4. A battery pack in accordance with claim 2, wherein the radiant energy source produces light having a wavelength within the infrared (IR) spectrum.

5. A battery pack in accordance with claim 2, wherein the radiant energy source produces light having a wavelength shorter than visible light and longer than X-rays.

6. A battery pack in accordance with claim 1, further comprising battery conditioning circuitry disposed within the housing and having a first electrical connection to the battery and a second electrical connection to the data interface, the battery conditioning circuitry monitoring operational battery characteristics through the first electrical connection and producing signals indicative of the large condition of the battery on the second electrical connection, whereby a wireless communication device connected to the battery pack can access signals indicative of the operational battery characteristics on the data interface.

7. A battery pack in accordance with claim 1, the optical reader further including:

a memory disposed within the housing and having a first code stored therein, the first code being associated with a group attribute of the battery pack; and

a processor disposed within the housing and operably connected to the memory and to the data interface;

wherein the processor can access the memory, retrieve the first code, and provide signals indicative of the first code at the data interface and create a data packet containing information extracted from the optical indicia.

8. A battery pack in accordance with claim 7, wherein the group attribute associated with the first code is an identification of the distributor of the battery pack.

9. A battery pack in accordance with claim 7, wherein the group attribute associated with the first code identification of the type of wireless communication device which the battery pack is configured to fit.

10. A battery pack in accordance with claim 7, wherein the memory further includes a second code stored therein, the second code being associated with an individual attribute of the battery pack, and wherein the processor can access the memory, retrieve the second code, and provide signals indicative of the second code at the data interface.

11. A battery pack in accordance with claim 10, wherein the individual attribute associated with the second code is serial number of the battery pack.

12. A battery pack in accordance with claim 10, wherein the individual attribute associated with the second code is an identification of the user of the battery pack.

13. A battery pack in accordance with claim 1, wherein the housing is adapted for attachment to a wireless communication device which is a cellular telephone.

14. A battery pack in accordance with claim 1, wherein the housing is adapted for attachment to a wireless communication device which is a handheld PC.

15. A battery pack in accordance with claim 1, wherein the housing is adapted for attachment to a wireless communication device which is a personal digital assistant (PDA).