Battery determination system for battery-powered devices

• US 7,439,706 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2004
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AKG Acoustics GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: AKG Acoustics GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Brenner, Erich
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Matthew V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang; Jue
• Application Number:
  US10/961,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20050099156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 320/116, 320/106, 320/112, 320/132, 324/427, 324/433, 340/636.1, 307/125, 307/66, 307/150, 455/572, 455/573
• US Class Current: 320/106
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0036 using connection detecting circuits H02J7/0034 takes precedence

Abstract

This system provides a method for determining whether ordinary battery cells, a battery pack, and/or a charger unit are attached to a portable electronic device. The system provides a center contact in a battery shaft that contacts a battery pack or a point on an individual battery and allows the device regulation unit to measure the voltage at that point. If the voltage is below a particular threshold, then the system determines that a battery pack may be inserted in the battery shaft and the portable electronic unit enters a battery pack mode. If the voltage is above the threshold voltage, then the portable electronic device enters the battery operation mode. If a voltage transition is sensed on the DEVICE START line, the portable electronic device determines that the charger is installed and the portable electronic device enters the appropriate mode.

Claims

1. A system for providing power to a battery-powered device comprising:

a device regulation unit to determine a state of a charge in a battery unit,

a center contact operatively connected to the device regulation unit that detects a voltage from the battery unit to identify a type of the battery unit;

a first switch operatively connected between the device regulation unit and the center contact to isolate the center contact from the device regulation unit;

a second switch operatively connected to the device regulation unit and operatively connected with a filter depending on the type of battery unit; and

a charger unit having a charger regulation unit the charger unit operatively connecting to the battery-powered device.

2. The system of claim 1, where the type of the battery unit comprises a battery, a battery cell, a plurality of batteries, a plurality of battery cells, or a battery pack.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a battery shaft that provides the center contact, where the battery shaft receives the battery unit.

4. The system of claim 3, where the battery shaft is attached to either the charger unit or the battery-powered device.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a battery shaft that provides the center contact for each pairing of inserted batteries or battery cells.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a display operatively connected to the device regulation unit for displaying the state of the charge of the battery unit.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a regulation electronic unit associated with the battery unit.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least two battery cells in the battery unit and a fuse electrically connected between the two battery cells.

9. The system of claim 1, where the second switch connects a data line to a pull-up resistor and disconnects the data line from the filter connected to ground when the battery unit is operatively connected to the battery-powered device.

10. The system of claim 1, where the center contact is in communication with a terminal common to a pair of batteries or battery cells in the battery unit to measure voltage.

11. The system of claim 1, where the center contact is in communication with a contact on the battery unit for data transfer.

12. The system of claim 1, where the first switch interrupts the connection between the device regulation unit and the center contact when the charger is connected to the battery-powered device.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a command connection between the charger regulation unit and the device regulation unit.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a power unit operatively connected to the command connection.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising an ON/OFF circuit connected to the command connection.

16. The system of claim 1, where the second switch connects a data line to a pull-up resistor and disconnects the data line from the filter connected to ground when the battery-powered device is operatively connected to the charger unit.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a battery slot where the battery slot is configured for insertion of two batteries or battery cells.

18. A portable electronic device comprising:

means for storing electrical energy connected to the portable electronic device;

regulating means for determining a state of a charge in the means for storing electrical energy;

means for measuring a voltage;

means for determining a type of battery used as the means for storing electrical energy based on the measured voltage

means for connecting the regulating means with a filtering means depending on the type of battery unit with a first switch; and

means for charging the means for storing electrical energy connected to the portable electronic device.

19. The device of claim 18, further comprising a regulation electronic circuit associated with the means for storing energy.

20. The device of claim 18, further comprising a regulating means associated with the means for charging the means for storing electrical energy.

21. The device of claim 18, further comprising a command connection between a regulating means associated with the means for charging and the regulating means.

22. The device of claim 21, further comprising a power unit operatively connected to the command connection.

23. The device of claim 18, further comprising a second switch that connects a data line from the means for storing electrical energy to a pull-up resistor when the portable electronic device is connected to the means for charging and disconnects a filter capacitor connected to ground.

24. A method for providing power to a battery-powered device comprising:

storing electrical energy in a battery unit connected to the battery-powered device;

detecting a voltage from the battery unit with a center contact;

regulating the storing electrical energy with a regulation unit by determining a state of a charge in the battery unit when storing the electrical energy;

determining a presence of the battery unit based on the state of the charge in the battery unit;

determining a type of the battery unit based on the voltage from the battery unit;

isolating the regulation unit from the center contact with a first switch;

connecting the regulation unit with a filter with a second switch, where the connection depends on the type of battery unit; and

charging the portable electronic device.