Activating batteries based on environmental conditions

• US 7,863,866 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2007
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Wolf, Mats
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US11/877,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20090102290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 320/103, 320/107, 320/114, 320/115, 320/116, 320/128, 320/150, 320/153, 324/426, 324/430, 324/431
• US Class Current: 320/150
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/615 Heating or keeping warm
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/617 for achieving uniformity or desired distribution of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/623 Portable devices, e.g. mobile telephones, cameras or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/633 characterised by algorithms, flow charts, software details or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6572 Peltier elements or thermoelectric devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A system measures a temperature condition of a component of a mobile communication device, determines a battery of the mobile communication device based on the measured temperature condition, activates the determined battery, activates a temperature management device connected to the battery, and manages the measured temperature condition of the component with the temperature management device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

measuring a temperature condition of a component of a mobile communication device;

determining a battery of the mobile communication device based on the measured temperature condition, where the determining further comprises;

determining, from a plurality of batteries, a battery operable under cold temperature conditions if the measured temperature condition is below a cold temperature threshold, or

determining, from the plurality of batteries, a battery operable under hot temperature conditions if the measured temperature condition is above a hot temperature threshold; and

activating the determined battery.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating a temperature management device connected to the battery; and

managing the measured temperature condition of the component with the temperature management device.

3. The method of claim 2, where managing the measured temperature condition comprises:

heating the component with the temperature management device if the measured temperature condition is below the cold temperature threshold;

or

cooling the component with the temperature management device if the measured temperature condition is above the hot temperature threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, where determining the battery further comprises:

determining the battery from the plurality of batteries with overlapping temperature ranges based on the measured temperature condition.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating a first temperature management device to heat the component if the measured temperature condition is below the cold temperature threshold;

or

activating a second temperature management device to cool the component if the measured temperature condition is above the hot temperature threshold.

6. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a plurality of batteries;

a temperature monitoring device that measures a temperature condition of the mobile communication device or a component of the mobile communication device; and

processing logic to;

receive the measured temperature condition from the temperature monitoring device,

select a battery, from the plurality of batteries, based on the measured temperature condition, where the selection further comprises;

select, from the plurality of batteries, a battery operable under cold temperature conditions when the measured temperature condition is below a cold temperature threshold, and

select, from the plurality of batteries, a battery operable under hot temperature conditions when the measured temperature condition is above a hot temperature threshold, and

activate the selected battery.

7. The mobile communication device of claim 6, where one or more of the plurality of batteries includes one of a lithium-ion battery, a lithium-polymer battery, lithium-polymer battery using solid state polymer electrolytes, a lithium-ion battery designed for low temperature operation, or a thin film solid state battery.

8. The mobile communication device of claim 6, where the temperature monitoring device includes one of:

a thermometer;

a thermocouple;

a thermistor;

or

a resistance temperature detector (RTD).

9. The mobile communication device of claim 6, where the processing logic is further to:

determine whether the measured temperature condition is below the cold temperature threshold;

or

determine whether the measured temperature condition is above the hot temperature threshold.

10. The mobile communication device of claim 6, further comprising:

a temperature management device connected to the selected battery, where activation of the selected battery causes the temperature management device to be activated, and the temperature management device manages the measured temperature condition of the mobile communication device or the component in response to being activated.

11. The mobile communication device of claim 10, where the temperature management device includes one of:

a resistor;

a field effect transistor (FET);

a heating element;

a fan;

or

a Peltier element.

12. The mobile communication device of claim 10, where the processing logic is further to:

determine whether the measured temperature condition is below the cold temperature threshold; and

determine whether the measured temperature condition is above the hot temperature threshold; and

where the temperature management device, when managing the measured temperature condition, is further to;

heat the mobile communication device or the component when the measured temperature condition is determined to be below the cold temperature threshold, or

cool the mobile communication device or the component when the measured temperature condition is determined to be above the hot temperature threshold.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 6, where the plurality of batteries comprises batteries are associated with overlapping temperature ranges.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 13, where the selected battery is associated with a temperature range, of the overlapping temperature ranges, comprising the measured temperature condition.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 6, further comprising:

a first temperature management device; and

a second temperature management device,

where the processing logic is further to;

activate the first temperature management device, via the selected battery, to heat the mobile communication device or the component if the measured temperature condition is below the cold temperature threshold; and

activate the second temperature management device, via the selected battery, to cool the mobile communication device or the component if the measured temperature condition is above the hot temperature threshold.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 15, where the first temperature management device comprises one of a resistor, a field effect transistor (FET), or a heating element, and the second temperature management device comprises one of a fan or a Peltier element.

17. A system, comprising:

means for measuring a condition of a component of a mobile communication device;

means for determining a battery from a plurality of batteries of the mobile communication device based on the measured condition, where the means for determining further comprises;

means for selecting, from the plurality of batteries, a battery operable under cold temperature conditions if the measured condition is a temperature that is below a cold temperature threshold, or

means for selecting, from the plurality of batteries, a battery operable under hot temperature conditions if the measured condition is a temperature that is above a hot temperature threshold;

means for activating the determined battery;

means for activating a condition management device associated with the determined battery; and

means for managing the measured condition of the component with the condition management device.