System, method and apparatus for charging a worn device

• US 7,701,171 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2005
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Attenti Electronic Monitoring Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Pro Tech Monitoring Incorporated (Allied Universal Manager LLC)
• Inventors: Segal, David, Chapin, Steve, Defant, J. Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Bao Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran; Nguyen
• Application Number:
  US11/216,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20070046258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,693 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/110, 320/112, 320/113, 320/114, 320/115
• US Class Current: 320/114
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• 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 wearable device has an internal rechargeable power source for supplying power to internal circuitry of the device. An external rechargeable battery pack is physically and electrically interfaced to the wearable device and provides power to recharge the internal rechargeable power source while the device is being worn, thereby eliminating the need to connect the wearable device directly to a source of electricity using wires. The rechargeable battery pack is recharged in a charging station connected to a source of electricity.

Claims

1. A system for charging a personal locator, the system comprising:

a rechargeable power source housed within a personal locator;

a charging interface on an outside surface of the personal locator, the charging interface accepts and secures a rechargeable battery pack to the personal locator until force is applied to the rechargeable battery pack to remove the rechargeable battery pack from the charging interface, the charging interface has conductors that conduct electricity from the rechargeable battery pack into the personal locator;

a charge control circuit accepting the electricity from the charging interface and charging the rechargeable power source, the charge control circuit housed within the personal locator; and

a powered circuit housed within the personal locator, the powered circuit powered by the rechargeable power source, the powered circuit having a means for determining a location of the personal locator and the powered circuit having a means for transmitting the location of the personal locator, whereas the personal locator is worn on an animate being.

2. The system for charging the personal locator of claim 1, wherein the rechargeable power source is at least one rechargeable battery cell.

3. The system for charging the personal locator of claim 2, wherein the at least one rechargeable battery cell is selected from the group consisting of a lithium ion battery cell, a nickel-metal hydride battery cell, a lead acid battery cell, a nickel—

cadmium battery cell and a lithium polymer battery cell.

4. The system for charging the personal locator of claim 1, wherein the rechargeable power source is at least one capacitor.

5. The system for charging the personal locator of claim 1, wherein the rechargeable battery pack has one or more battery cells and the one or more battery cells are selected from the group consisting of a lithium ion battery cell, a nickel-metal hydride battery cell, a lead acid battery cell, a nickel—

cadmium battery cell and a lithium polymer battery cell.

6. The system for charging the personal locator of claim 1, wherein the charging interface has at least two electrical contacts for mating with contacts on the rechargeable battery pack and one of the at least two electrical contacts is a positive voltage contact and another one of the at least two electrical contacts is a negative voltage contact.

7. The system for charging the personal locator of claim 1, wherein the charging interface secures the rechargeable battery pack to the outside surface of the worn device with at least one detent mechanism.

8. The system for charging the personal locator of claim 1, further comprising a charging station connected to a source of electricity, the charging station configured to interface with the rechargeable battery pack and the charging station configured to charge the rechargeable battery pack.

9. The system for charging the personal locator of claim 1, wherein the means for transmitting the location of the personal locator is a radio frequency transmitter.

10. The system for charging the personal locator of claim 9, further comprising a locking means configured to secure the personal locator in place on an animate being.

11. The system for charging the personal locator of claim 9, wherein the means for determining the location of the personal locator is a global positioning satellite receiver.

12. The system for charging the personal locator of claim 11, wherein the locator device circuit includes a global positioning satellite receiver and a wireless transceiver.

13. The system for charging the personal locator of claim 5, wherein the charging interface further comprises a clip and the clip accepts and secures the rechargeable battery pack to the personal locator.

14. The system for charging the personal locator of claim 6, wherein the charging interface further comprises a holster and the holster accepts and secures the rechargeable battery pack to the personal locator.

15. A method of charging a worn device comprising:

providing a personal locator, the personal locator having;

a rechargeable power source housed within the personal locator;

a charging interface on an outside surface of the personal locator, the charging interface accepts and retains a rechargeable battery pack until the rechargeable battery pack is removed by an external force applied to the rechargeable battery pack and the charging interface having contacts to conduct electricity from the rechargeable battery pack into the personal locator;

a charge control circuit accepting the electricity from the contacts and charging the rechargeable power source, the charge control circuit housed within the personal locator; and

an active circuit housed within the personal locator, the active circuit powered by the rechargeable power source, the active circuit having a means for determining a location of the personal locator and the active circuit having a means for transmitting the location of the personal locator to a remote location;

providing the rechargeable battery pack;

providing a charging station, the charging station connected to a source of electricity and the charging station charges the rechargeable battery pack when the rechargeable battery pack is interfaced to the charging station;

charging the rechargeable battery pack in the charging station;

transferring the rechargeable battery pack from the charging station to the charging interface; and

charging the rechargeable power source from the rechargeable battery pack through the contacts.

16. The method of charging a worn device of claim 15, wherein the rechargeable power source is at least one rechargeable battery cell.

17. The method of charging a worn device of claim 16, wherein the rechargeable battery is selected from the group consisting of a lithium ion battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, a lead acid battery, a nickel—

cadmium battery and a lithium polymer battery.

18. The method of charging a worn device of claim 15, wherein the rechargeable power source is a capacitor.

19. The method of charging a worn device of claim 15, wherein the portable battery is a rechargeable battery pack.

20. The method of charging a worn device of claim 19, wherein the rechargeable battery pack has one or more battery cells and the one or more battery cells are selected from the group consisting of a lithium ion battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, a lead acid battery, a nickel—

cadmium battery and a lithium polymer battery.

21. The method of charging a worn device of claim 15, wherein the personal locator includes a transmitter, the transmitter configured to periodically transmit a location of the worn device.

22. The method of charging a worn device of claim 21, further comprising a locking means configured to secure the personal locator in place.

23. The method of charging a worn device of claim 21, wherein the means for determining the location of the personal locator and the means for transmitting the location of the personal locator to the remote location comprises at least a global positioning satellite circuit and a wireless transmitter.

24. The method of charging a worn device of claim 20, wherein the charging interface further comprises a clip, the clip accepts and retains the rechargeable battery pack until the rechargeable battery pack is removed by an external force applied to the rechargeable battery pack.

25. The method of charging a worn device of claim 20, wherein the charging interface includes a plurality of slots and the rechargeable battery pack includes an equal number or rails, the rails interfacing with the slots, thereby holding the rechargeable battery pack engaged with the charging interface by a force of gravity.

26. A personal locator, the personal locator comprising:

a rechargeable power source housed within the personal locator;

a powered circuit configured to utilize power from the rechargeable power source, the powered circuit housed within the personal locator, the powered circuit comprising a means for determining a location of the personal locator and the powered circuit having a means for transmitting the location of the personal locator to a remote location;

a means for removably securing an external battery pack to the personal locator, the battery pack removably affixed to the means for removably securing until an external force is applied to the external battery pack, thereby initiating removal of the external battery pack from the personal locator; and

a charge control circuit housed within the personal locator, the charge control circuit accepting electricity from the external battery pack through the means for removably securing, the charge control circuit adapted to recharge the chargeable power source.

27. The wearable apparatus of claim 26, wherein the rechargeable power source is at least one rechargeable battery cell.

28. The personal locator of claim 27, wherein the rechargeable battery is selected from the group consisting of a lithium ion battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, a lead acid battery, a nickel—

cadmium battery and a lithium polymer battery.

29. The personal locator of claim 26, wherein the rechargeable power source is at least one capacitor.

30. The personal locator of claim 26, wherein the external battery pack is a rechargeable battery pack.

31. The personal locator of claim 30, wherein the rechargeable battery pack has one or more battery cells and the one or more battery cells are selected from the group consisting of a lithium ion battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, a lead acid battery, a nickel—

cadmium battery and a lithium polymer battery.

32. The personal locator of claim 31, further comprising a charging station configured to interface with the rechargeable battery pack, the charging station configured to hold and charge the external battery pack, the charging station connected to a source of electricity.

33. The personal locator of claim 26, further comprising a locking means configured to secure the personal locator in place on a leg of an animate being.

34. personal locator of claim 31, wherein the means for removably securing the external battery pack further comprises a clip, the clip securing the external battery pack to the personal locator until an external force is applied to the external battery power pack to remove the external battery pack from the personal locator, the clip includes at least one detent mechanism.

35. The personal locator of claim 31, wherein the means for removably securing include at least one slot on the personal locator, the at least one slot accepting a rail, the rail affixed to the external battery pack, the external battery pack remaining attached to the personal locator by the means for removably securing until an external force is applied to the external battery pack.

36. A locator device worn by a person, the locator device comprising:

a rechargeable power source housed within a locator device;

a charging interface on an outside surface of the locator device, the charging interface removably holds a rechargeable battery pack, the rechargeable battery pack retained by the charging interface until an external force is applied to the rechargeable battery pack to remove the rechargeable battery pack from the charging interface and the charging interface adapted to conduct electricity from the rechargeable battery pack into the locator device;

a charge control circuit accepting the electricity from the charging interface and charging the rechargeable power source, the charge control circuit housed within the locator device; and

a locator circuit housed within the locator device, the locator circuit powered by the rechargeable power source, the locator circuit comprising a means for determining a location of the locator device and the locator circuit also comprising a means for transmitting the location of the locator device to a remote location.

37. The locator device of claim 36, wherein the rechargeable power source is at least one rechargeable battery cell.

38. The locator device of claim 37, wherein the at least one rechargeable battery cell is selected from the group consisting of a lithium ion battery cell, a nickel-metal hydride battery cell, a lead acid battery cell, a nickel—

cadmium battery cell and a lithium polymer battery cell.

39. The locator device of claim 36, wherein the rechargeable power source is at least one capacitor.

40. The locator device of claim 36, wherein the rechargeable battery pack has one or more battery cells and the one or more battery cells are selected from the group consisting of a lithium ion battery cell, a nickel-metal hydride battery cell, a lead acid battery cell, a nickel—

cadmium battery cell and a lithium polymer battery cell.

41. The locator device of claim 36, wherein the charging interface has at least two electrical contacts for mating with contacts on the rechargeable battery pack and one of the at least two electrical contacts is a positive voltage contact and another one of the at least two electrical contacts is a negative voltage contact.

42. The locator device of claim 41, wherein the charging interface physically holds and retains the rechargeable battery pack to the outside surface of the worn device until an external force is applied to the rechargeable battery pack and the rechargeable battery pack is removed.

43. The locator device of claim 36, further comprising a charging station connected to a source of electricity, the charging station configured to interface with the rechargeable battery pack and the charging station configured to charge the rechargeable battery pack.

44. The locator device of claim 36, further comprising a locking means configured to secure the worn device in place.

45. The locator device of claim 41, wherein the charging interface further comprises a clip having at least one detent mechanism for securely holding the battery pack against the at least two electrical contacts until the external force is applied to the rechargeable battery pack.

46. The locator device of claim 41, wherein the charging interface further comprises a holster for holding the rechargeable battery pack against the at least two electrical contacts.

47. The locator device of claim 36, wherein the means for determining the location of the locator device is a global positioning satellite receiver and the means for transmitting the location of the locator device to the remote location is a wireless transmitter.