Method and apparatus for displaying battery fault notifications on wireless devices

• US 7,599,717 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2006
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Guthrie, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Ullah; Akm E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang; Jue
• Application Number:
  US11/353,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20070188131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 455/572, 320/106, 320/132, 320/112, 320/150, 320/162, 320/165, 320/134, 320/136, 324/434, 324/435
• US Class Current: 455/572
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/488 Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack for a mobile device, a method for processing fault notifications for a mobile device, and a mobile device for processing fault notifications are described. The battery pack having a housing, at least one battery cell within the housing, and a memory accessible by an application of the mobile device, the memory having stored thereon identifying information for identifying at least one of the battery pack and battery cell. Notifications are sent to mobile device including fault parameters for identifying at least one battery pack and/or battery cell affected by a fault. If the identifying information is within the fault parameters, displaying a fault notification on the display of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for displaying fault notifications on a mobile device, the mobile device having a battery pack comprising one or more battery cells, a display, and a memory accessible by an application of the mobile device, the memory having stored therein identifying information for identifying at least one of the battery pack and battery cell, the method comprising:

determining on a server the parameters of the at least one battery pack and/or battery cell affected by the fault;

sending a notification from the server to the mobile device, the notification including fault parameters for identifying at least one battery pack and/or battery cell affected by a fault;

receiving the notification on the mobile device;

comparing on the mobile device the fault parameters with the identifying information stored in the memory of the battery pack; and

if the identifying information is within the fault parameters, displaying a fault notification on the display of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request includes the identifying information stored in the memory of the battery pack, and further comprising comparing on the server the fault parameters with the identifying information stored in the memory of the battery pack, wherein the fault notification is displayed on the display of the mobile device if the identifying information is within the fault parameters.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising if no faults affecting one or more of the battery pack and battery cell are identified, displaying a no-fault notification on the display of the mobile device indicating that there are no faults affecting the battery pack or battery cell.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising if the identifying information is not within the fault parameters, displaying a no-fault notification on the display of the mobile device indicating that there are no faults affecting the battery pack or battery cell.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the fault parameters include one or more unique identifiers associated with affected battery packs for comparison with a unique identifier associated with the battery pack in the identifying information stored in the memory.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the fault parameters include one or more battery pack date codes identifying a date of manufacture of the affected battery packs for comparison with a battery pack date code identifying a date of manufacture of the battery pack in the identifying information in the memory.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the fault parameters include one or more battery pack lot codes identifying a manufacturing lot of the affected battery packs for comparison with a battery pack lot code identifying a manufacturing lot of the battery pack in the identifying information stored in the memory.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the fault parameters include one or more battery pack model codes identifying a model of the affected battery packs for comparison with a battery pack model code identifying a model of the battery pack in the identifying information stored in the memory.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the fault parameters include one or more unique identifiers associated with affected battery cells for comparison with a unique identifier associated with the battery cell of the mobile device stored in the identifying information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the fault parameters include one or more battery cell date codes identifying a date of manufacture of the affected battery cells for comparison with a battery cell date code identifying a date of manufacture of the battery cell in the identifying information stored in the memory.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the fault parameters include one or more battery cell lot codes identifying a manufacturing lot of the affected battery cells for comparison with a battery cell lot code identifying a manufacturing lot of the battery cell in the identifying information stored in the memory.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the fault parameters include one or more battery cell model codes identifying a model of the affected battery cells for comparison with a battery cell model code identifying a model of the battery cell in the identifying information stored in the memory.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the fault notification is an email message or a Short Message Service (SMS) message.

2. A method for displaying fault notifications on a mobile device, the mobile device having a battery pack comprising one or more battery cells, a display, and a memory accessible by an application of the mobile device, the memory having stored therein identifying information for identifying at least one of the battery pack and battery cell, the method comprising:

sending a request from the mobile device to a server to identify any faults affecting one or more of the battery pack and battery cell, the server being connected to a database containing fault parameters for identifying at least one battery pack and/or battery cell affected by a fault;

receiving notification on the mobile device, the notification including the fault parameters for identifying at least one battery pack and/or battery cell affected by the fault;

comparing on the mobile device the fault parameters with the identifying information stored in the memory of the battery pack; and

if any faults affecting one or more of the battery pack and battery cell are identified, displaying a fault notification on the display of the mobile device.

15. A mobile device, comprising:

a display;

a battery pack comprising one or more battery cells, and a memory accessible by an application of the mobile device, the memory having stored therein identifying information for identifying at least one of the battery pack and battery cell; and

a processor coupled to a memory, the memory having stored therein data and instructions that configure the device to;

receive a notification sent from a server, the notification including fault parameters for identifying at least one battery pack and/or battery cell affected by a fault;

compare on the mobile device the fault parameters with the identifying information stored in the memory of the battery pack; and

if the indentifying information is within the fault parameters, display a fault notification on the display of the mobile device.

16. A mobile device, comprising:

a display;

a battery pack comprising one or more battery cells, and a memory accessible by an application of the mobile device, the memory having stored therein identifying information for identifying at least one of the battery pack and battery cell; and

a processor coupled to a memory, the memory having stored therein data and instructions that configure the device to;

send a request from the mobile device to a server to identify any faults affecting one or more of the battery pack and battery cell, the server being connected to a database containing fault parameters for identifying at least one battery pack and/or battery cell affected by a fault;

receive a notification on the mobile device, the notification comprising the fault parameters for identifying at least one battery pack and/or cell affected by the fault;

compare the fault parameters with the identifying information stored in the memory of the battery pack; and

if any faults affecting one or more of the battery pack and battery cell are identified, display a fault notification on the display of the mobile device.