Rechargeable wireless adapters

• US 7,579,809 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2006
• Issued: 08/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Staccato Communications Incorporated
• Inventors: Tou, Jarvis C., Bowles, Mark V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ullah, Akm E
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAMADAN, RAMY O
• Application Number:
  US11/491,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20070032098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/108, 320/112, 320/114, 320/137, 710/313
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Charging a battery is disclosed. An electrical connection is formed between a wireless adapter having a battery and a host. The wireless adapter is configured to be able to be removably coupled to a device to provide a wireless channel between the device and the host. The battery of the wireless adapter is charged using the host.

Claims

1. A method of charging including:

forming a first electrical connection directly between a first wireless adapter having a battery and a second wireless adapter without an intermediary device, wherein;

the first wireless adapter and the second wireless adapter are configured to provide wireless communications capability for a legacy device that does not have wireless communication capabilities and a host that does not have wireless communication capabilities by coupling, respectively, to the legacy device and the host and exchanging data on a wireless channel on behalf of the legacy device or the host to which the first wireless adapter or the second wireless adapter is respectively coupled during a data exchange mode; and

the first wireless adapter is configured to be able to be removably coupled to the legacy device to provide the wireless channel between the device and the host;

forming a second electrical connection directly between the second wireless adapter and the host without an intermediary device; and

charging the battery of the first wireless adapter via the second wireless adapter using the host.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless channel is associated with Ultra Wideband (UWB).

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless channel is associated with a WiMedia specification.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein charging the battery includes using Universal Serial Bus (USB).

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein charging the battery includes using ExpressCard.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless adapter includes a memory.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising indicating that charging the battery has completed.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein forming the second electrical connection includes removably coupling the second wireless adapter to the host.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising obtaining an encryption key while the first wireless adapter and the second wireless adapter are removably coupled.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining whether the first wireless adapter is in a charging mode, wherein charging occurs in the event the first wireless adapter is in a charging mode.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

breaking the first electrical connection between the first wireless adapter and the second wireless adapter;

removably coupling the first wireless adapter to the legacy device; and

wirelessly exchanging data between the legacy device and the host using the first wireless adapter.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

breaking the first electrical connection between the first wireless adapter and the second wireless adapter;

removably coupling the first wireless adapter to the legacy device;

removably coupling the second wireless adapter to the host; and

wirelessly exchanging data between the device and the host using the first wireless adapter and the second wireless adapter.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

breaking the first electrical connection between the first wireless adapter and the second wireless adapter;

removably coupling the first wireless adapter to the legacy device; and

wirelessly exchanging data between the legacy device and the host using the first wireless adapter, wherein the first wireless adapter is in a power save mode for a non-zero period of time when not wirelessly exchanging data.

14. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

while the first wireless adapter is coupled to the second wireless adapter, the first wireless adapter is in a lower power state.

15. A system for charging including:

a first connector configured to form a first electrical connection directly between a first wireless adapter having a battery and a second wireless adapter without an intermediary device, wherein;

the first wireless adapter and the second wireless adapter are configured to provide wireless communications capability for a legacy device that does not have wireless communication capabilities and a host that does not have wireless communication capabilities by coupling, respectively, to the legacy device and the host and exchanging data on a wireless channel on behalf of the legacy device or the host to which the first wireless adapter or the second wireless adapter is respectively coupled during a data exchange mode; and

the first wireless adapter is configured to be able to be removably coupled to the legacy device to provide the wireless channel between the device and the host;

a second connector configured to form a second electrical connection directly between the second wireless adapter and the host without an intermediary device; and

a battery charger configured to charge the battery of the first wireless adapter via the second wireless adapter using the host.

16. A system as recited in claim 15, wherein the battery charger is configured to charge the battery using Universal Serial Bus (USB).

17. A system as recited in claim 15, wherein the battery charger is configured to charge the battery includes using ExpressCard.

18. A system as recited in claim 15 further comprising a processor configured to obtain an encryption key while the first wireless adapter and the second wireless adapter are removably coupled.

19. A computer program product for charging, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instruction for:

forming a first electrical connection directly between a first wireless adapter having a battery and a second wireless adapter without an intermediary device, wherein;

the first wireless adapter and the second wireless adapter are configured to provide wireless communications capability for a legacy device that does not have wireless communication capabilities and a host that does not have wireless communication capabilities by coupling, respectively, to the legacy device and the host and exchanging data on a wireless channel on behalf of the legacy device or the host to which the first wireless adapter or the second wireless adapter is respectively coupled during a data exchange mode; and

the first wireless adapter is configured to be able to be removably coupled to the legacy device to provide the wireless channel between the device and the host;

forming a second electrical connection directly between the second wireless adapter and the host without an intermediary device; and

charging the battery of the first wireless adapter via the second wireless adapter using the host.

20. A computer program product as recited in claim 19, wherein the computer instructions for charging the battery include computer instructions for using Universal Serial Bus (USB).

21. A computer program product as recited in claim 19, wherein the computer instructions for charging the battery include computer instructions for using ExpressCard.

22. A computer program product as recited in claim 19,

the computer program product further comprising computer instructions for obtaining an encryption key while the first wireless adapter and the second wireless adapter are removably coupled.

23. A computer program product as recited in claim 19, the computer program product further comprising computer instructions for:

breaking first the electrical connection between the first wireless adapter and the second wireless adapter;

removably coupling the first wireless adapter to the legacy device; and

wirelessly exchanging data between the legacy device and the host using the first wireless adapter.