Power supply for tetherless workstations

• US 7,222,031 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2002
• Issued: 05/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Heatley, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Nghiem, Michael P.
• Application Number:
  US10/468,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20050158616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,898 Days
• Field of Search: 702 60- 63, 320/134, 320/136
• US Class Current: 702/63
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• 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

Abstract

A tetherless workstation is provided having a rechargeable battery power supply installed therein for supplying electrical power to equipment associated with the workstation. The battery power supply includes a diagnostics interface for monitoring an indication of at least the battery charge level and for outputting that indication together with a unique identifier stored within the power supply for transmission over a wireless communications interface. A monitoring apparatus is also provided to monitor the operational status of tetherless workstations using indications output by their respective power supplies, for logging usage of workstations and for generating reports on their operational status, including predictions relating to their operational status.

Claims

1. A battery power supply, said power supply comprising:

a battery pack inside a power supply housing;

an inlet external to the housing for an externally supplied charging current to terminals of said battery pack;

a store for storing a unique identifier for said battery power supply;

a diagnostics interface arranged to monitor and to output at least an indication of the level of charge in said battery pack and said unique identifier stored in said store; and

a wireless communications interface for transmitting said output from said diagnostics interface to an external monitoring apparatus.

2. A battery power supply in claim 1, wherein said diagnostics interface is arranged to monitor and to output an indication of electrical current being output from said battery pack.

3. A battery power supply in claim 1 wherein said wireless communications interface comprises a wireless telemetry transmitter.

4. A tetherless workstation having installed therein a battery power supply as in claim 1 for supplying electrical power to equipment associated with said tetherless workstation.

5. A monitoring apparatus, for monitoring a plurality of battery power supplies as in claim 1, said monitoring apparatus comprising, in combination with said plural battery power supplies:

a wireless communications interface for receiving signals output from the diagnostics interface of a battery power supply via its wireless communications interface; and

means, responsive to data received at said wireless communications interface, to generate reports relating to the operational status of said plurality of battery power supplies.

6. Apparatus as in claim 5, including means for determining use of a battery power supply wherein said diagnostics interface is arranged to monitor and to output an indication of electrical current being output from said battery pack and for storing a log of said use in a store.

7. Apparatus as in claim 5, including analysis means for analyzing data received at said wireless communications interface and for generating predictions relating to the operational status of said plurality of battery power supplies.

8. A battery power supply comprising:

a battery pack;

an inverter for converting electrical output from said battery pack into a mains voltage electrical source;

an inlet for an externally supplied charging current;

a store for storing a unique identifier for said battery power supply;

a diagnostics interface arranged to monitor and to output at least an indication of the level of charge in said battery pack, and to output said unique identifier stored in said store; and

a wireless communications interface for transmitting an output from said diagnostics interface.

9. An apparatus, for monitoring a plurality of tetherless workstations having installed therein a battery power supply for supplying electrical power to equipment associated with the tetherless workstation and including a battery pack;

an inlet for an externally supplied charging current;

a store for storing a unique identifier for said battery power supply;

a diagnostics interface arranged to monitor and to output at least an indication of the level of charge in said battery pack and said unique identifier stored in said store; and

a wireless communications interface for transmitting an output from said diagnostics interface, said apparatus for monitoring comprising;

a wireless communications interface for receiving signals output from the diagnostics interface of a battery power supply;

a store for storing, in respect of each of said plurality of tetherless workstations, a unique workstation identifier and the unique identifier of a battery power supply installed therein; and

means, responsive to data received at said wireless communications interface and to data stored in said store, for generating reports relating to the operational status of said tetherless workstations.

10. An apparatus as in claim 9, including means for storing a usage log in respect of at least one of said workstations.

11. An apparatus as in claim 10, including analysis means for analyzing data received at said wireless communications interface and data stored in said usage log and for generating predictions relating to the operational status of said tetherless workstations.

12. Apparatus as in claim 10, including means for identifying users of said tetherless workstations, and wherein said usage log includes data identifying respective users.

13. Apparatus as in claim 12, wherein said analysis means is arranged to generate predictions relating to the operational status of at least one of said workstations in respect of a particular user.

14. A flexible office arrangement comprising a plurality of tetherless workstations having installed therein a battery power supply for supplying electrical power to equipment associated with the tetherless workstation and including a battery pack;

an inlet for an externally supplied charging current;

a store for storing a unique identifier for said battery power supply;

a diagnostics interface arranged to monitor and to output at least an indication of the level of charge in said battery pack, and to output said unique identifier stored in said store; and

a wireless communications interface for transmitting an output from said diagnostics interface;

said apparatus for monitoring said plurality of workstations comprising;

a wireless communications interface for receiving signals output from the diagnostics interface of a battery power supply;

a store for storing, in respect of each of said plurality of tetherless workstations, a unique workstation identifier and the unique identifier of a battery power supply installed therein; and

means, responsive to data received at said wireless communications interface and to data stored in said store, for generating reports relating to the operational status of said tetherless workstations.