Mobile device with a smart battery having a battery information profile corresponding to a communication standard

• US 7,715,884 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2006
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Mak-Fan, David, Guthrie, Martin, Book, Christopher, Brubacher, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro; Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): STERNBANE, LAURENCE J
• Application Number:
  US11/549,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20070123303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 370/336, 455/572, 320/114
• US Class Current: 455/572
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Various embodiments are described for a mobile communication device having a main processor for controlling the operation of the mobile communication device; a device memory coupled to the main processor for storing a plurality of battery information profiles; and a smart battery coupled to the main processor for providing supply power. The smart battery includes a battery processor for controlling the operation of the smart battery and communicating with the main processor; and a battery memory coupled to the battery processor for storing a Battery ID indicating the model of the smart battery. The main processor is configured to communicate with the battery processor to obtain the Battery ID and select one the battery information profiles based on the Battery ID.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device comprising:

a main processor for controlling the operation of the mobile communication device;

a communication subsystem coupled to the main processor for providing wireless communication with a wireless network;

a device memory coupled to the main processor; and

a smart battery coupled to the main processor, the smart battery being configured to provide supply power to the mobile device, the smart battery comprising;

a battery processor configured to control the operation of the smart battery and communicate with the main processor; and

a battery memory coupled to the battery processor, the battery memory being configured to store a Battery ID indicating the model of the smart battery;

wherein, the main processor is configured to communicate with the battery processor to obtain the Battery ID, select a battery information profile from a plurality of battery information profiles stored in the battery memory based on the battery ID, the selected battery information profile corresponding to a communication standard employed by the communication subsystem of the mobile communication device for wireless communication with the wireless network, and operate based on the selected battery information profile corresponding to the communication standard.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the device memory is configured to store a plurality of battery information profiles, the battery memory is configured to store an additional battery information profile with a version number, and the main processor is configured to use the additional battery information profile when the version number indicates that the additional battery information profile is newer than any of the plurality of battery information profiles stored in the device memory.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the battery memory is configured to store an additional battery information profile with a corresponding version number, wherein the mobile device comprises version information for identifying version numbers associated with additional battery information profiles that the main processor is not to use, and wherein the main processor is configured not to use the additional battery information profile if the corresponding version number is indicated in the version information.

4. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the battery memory is configured to store a plurality of additional battery information profiles for different communication standards, and the main processor is configured to use one of the plurality of additional battery information profiles that corresponds to the communication standard employed by the communication subsystem of the mobile communication device.

5. The mobile communication device of claim 4, wherein one of the plurality of additional battery information profiles comprises a lookup table with voltage versus charge capacity information, and another of the plurality of additional battery information profiles comprises a set of offsets that are applied to the lookup table.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the device memory is configured to store a universal battery information profile, and the main processor is configured to perform additional calculations based on the universal battery information profile and load condition information corresponding to the communication standard employed by the communication subsystem of the mobile communication device, said load condition information being stored on the mobile communication device or the smart battery.

6. A method for obtaining battery information for a mobile communication device that comprises a main processor, a communication subsystem coupled to the main processor, device memory, and a smart battery comprising a battery processor and a battery memory, wherein the method comprises:

storing a Battery ID in the battery memory indicating the model of the smart battery;

providing a communication interface between the battery processor and the main processor;

sending the Battery ID from the battery processor to the main processor;

selecting, at the mobile communication device, a battery information profile from a plurality of battery information profiles stored in the battery memory based on the Battery ID, the selected battery information profile corresponding to a communication standard employed by the communication subsystem of the mobile communication device for wireless communication with a wireless network; and

operating the main processor based on the selected battery information profile corresponding to the communication standard.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises storing a plurality of battery information profiles in the device memory, providing the battery memory with an additional battery information profile along with a version number, and using the additional battery information profile when the version number indicates that the additional battery information profile is newer than any of the plurality of battery information profiles stored in the device memory.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises providing the battery memory with an additional battery information profile with a corresponding version number and providing the mobile device with version information for identifying version numbers associated with additional battery information profiles that are not to be used, and wherein the method comprises not using the additional battery information profile if the corresponding version number is indicated in the version information.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises providing the battery memory with a plurality of additional battery information profiles for different communication standards, and using one of the plurality of additional battery information profiles that corresponds to the communication standard employed by the communication subsystem of the mobile communication device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises providing one of the plurality of additional battery information profiles as a lookup table with voltage versus charge capacity information, and another of the plurality of additional battery information profiles with a set of offsets that are applied to the lookup table.

17. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises providing the device memory with a universal battery information profile, and performing additional calculations based on the universal battery information profile and load condition information corresponding to the communication standard employed by the communication subsystem of the mobile communication device.

11. A smart battery for use with a mobile device comprising a main processor for controlling the operation of the mobile device and a communication subsystem coupled to the main processor, the smart battery comprising:

a battery processor configured to control the operation of the smart battery;

a battery interface coupled to the battery processor, via which the battery processor is configured to communicate with the main processor when the smart battery is connected to the mobile device; and

a battery memory coupled to the battery processor, the battery memory being configured to store a Battery ID indicating the model of the smart battery, and a battery information profile corresponding to a communication standard employed by the communication subsystem of the mobile device for wireless communication with a wireless network;

wherein the battery memory is configured to store a plurality of battery information profiles for different communication standards; and

wherein in use, the main processor operates based on the battery information profile corresponding to the communication standard.

12. The smart battery of claim 11, wherein one of the plurality of battery information profiles comprises a lookup table with voltage versus charge capacity information, and another of the plurality of battery information profiles comprises a set of offsets that are applied to the lookup table.

18. The smart battery of claim 11, wherein the battery memory is configured to store a universal battery information profile used by the main processor with load condition information corresponding to the communication standard employed by the communication subsystem of the mobile device to determine battery related information.

13. A computer readable medium for obtaining battery information for a mobile communication device that comprises a main processor, a communication subsystem coupled to the main processor for wireless communication with a wireless network, device memory, and a smart battery comprising a battery processor and a battery memory, the computer readable medium comprising program code executable by the main processor for causing said mobile communication device to:

provide a communication interface between the battery processor and the main processor;

obtain a Battery ID indicating a model of the smart battery from the battery processor;

select, at the mobile communication device, a battery information profile from a plurality of battery information profiles stored in the battery memory based on the Battery ID, the selected battery information profile corresponding to a communication standard employed by the communication subsystem of the mobile communication device for wireless communication with a wireless network; and

operate the main processor based on the selected battery information profile corresponding to the communication standard.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the battery memory is provided with a plurality of additional battery information profiles for different communication standards, and the program code comprises instructions for causing said mobile communication device to use one of the plurality of additional battery information profiles that corresponds to the communication standard employed by the communication subsystem of the mobile communication device.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein one of the plurality of additional battery information profiles comprises a lookup table with voltage versus charge capacity information, and another of the plurality of additional battery information profiles comprises a set of offsets that are applied to the lookup table.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the battery memory is provided with a universal battery information profile, and the program code comprises instructions for causing said mobile communication device to perform additional calculations based on the universal battery information profile and load condition information corresponding to the communication standard employed by the communication subsystem of the mobile communication device.