Activating batteries based on environmental conditions

• US 7,956,582 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Wolf, Mats
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US12/956,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20110068799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 189 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, 702/63, 702/64, 702/65
• 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, by a user device, a condition of a component of the user device;

determining, by the user device, a battery based on the measured condition;

activating, by the user device, the battery; and

activating, by the user device, a first management device to change the condition of the component when the measured condition is above a threshold.

2. The method of claim 1,

where the battery is one of a plurality of batteries with overlapping operating ranges,

where an operating range of the battery is one of the overlapping operating ranges, and

where the operating range contains the measured condition.

3. The method of claim 1,

where the condition is a temperature,

where the threshold is a hot temperature threshold, and

where the first management device is a thermal management device for cooling in hot temperature conditions, and

where changing the condition comprises cooling the component.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating a second management device to heat the component when the measured condition is below a cold temperature threshold.

5. The method of claim 4,

where the battery is a low-temperature battery,

where the second management device is a heating element, and

where the second management device uses the low-temperature battery to heat a standard-temperature battery.

6. The method of claim 1,

where the first management device is connected to the battery,

where the battery energizes the first management device, and

where the first management device comprises at least one of a fan or a Peltier element.

7. The method of claim 1,

where the user device is a mobile communication device, and

where the threshold is based on at least one of a type of the user device or a temperature configured by a user of the user device.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable memory device for storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

determine whether a measurement of a condition of a user device is above a threshold;

activate a battery based on the measurement when the measurement is above the threshold; and

activate a management device connected to the battery,

where the battery energizes the management device, and

where the management device changes the condition.

9. The computer-readable memory device of claim 8,

where the condition is a temperature condition,

where the threshold is a hot temperature threshold,

where the battery is operable under hot conditions, and

where the management device is a temperature management device.

10. The computer-readable memory device of claim 8, further comprising one or more instructions which, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:

cool the user device with the management device when the measurement is above the threshold;

or

heat the user device with the management device or a different management device when the measurement is below a cold temperature threshold.

11. The computer-readable memory device of claim 8, where, when activating the battery based on the measurement, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

select the battery from a plurality of batteries when the measurement is above the threshold, where the battery is operable under hot temperature conditions.

12. The computer-readable memory device of claim 8, further comprising one or more instructions which, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:

determine whether the measurement is below a second threshold,

select a second battery from a plurality of batteries when the measurement is below the second threshold, where the battery and the second battery are part of the plurality of batteries, and

activate the second battery after selecting the second battery.

13. The computer-readable memory device of claim 8,

where the condition is a mechanical condition, and

where the measurement is a measured drop of the component.

14. A device comprising:

a plurality of batteries;

a temperature monitoring device to measure a temperature condition of the device or a component of the device; and

processing logic to;

activate a first battery of the plurality of batteries based on the measured temperature condition, and

activate a first management device, via the first battery, to cool the device or the component of the device when the measured temperature condition is above a first temperature threshold.

15. The device of claim 14, where, when activating the first battery, the processing logic is to:

select the first battery from the plurality of batteries when the measured temperature condition is above the first temperature threshold;

where the first battery energizes the first management device, and

where the first battery is operable under hot temperature conditions.

16. The device of claim 14, where the processing logic is further to:

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

activate the second battery.

17. The device of claim 14, where the processing logic is further to:

activate a second management device, via the first battery or a second battery of the plurality of batteries, to heat the device or the component of the device when the measured temperature condition is below a second temperature threshold.

18. The device of claim 14, further comprising:

where the plurality of batteries are associated with overlapping temperature ranges,

where a temperature range of the first battery is one of the overlapping temperature ranges, and

where the temperature range contains the measured temperature condition.

19. The device of claim 14, further comprising:

a drop monitoring device to measure a drop of the device or the component of the device,

where the processing logic is further to;

determine whether a value of the measured drop indicates that the device or the component of the device is damaged or overheating, and

activate the first battery when the value of the measured drop indicates that the device or the component of the device is damaged or overheating.

20. The device of claim 14, further comprising:

a voltage monitoring device to measure a voltage of one or more of the plurality of batteries,

where the processing logic is further to determine whether the measured voltage is below a previous measurement of the voltage, and

where, when activating the first battery, the processing logic is to activate the first battery comprises activating the first battery when the measured voltage is below the previous measurement.