Recharging device for use with portable electronic devices

• US 8,013,572 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2007
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Andrew Rodgers
• Original Assignee: Andrew Rodgers
• Inventors: Rodgers, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US11/784,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20070236180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,614 Days
• Field of Search: 320/103, 320/107, 320/112, 320/114, 320/128
• US Class Current: 320/114
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• 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

The present invention provides a recharging apparatus for use with portable electronic user devices such as cell phones, pagers, PDAs, as well as with portable battery powered devices such as flashlights. Charging circuitry is used to charge the user device battery from a battery of the recharging apparatus. The user is able to control the recharging process with a manual on/off switch that is part of the recharging apparatus. Optionally, a manual/automatic mode is provided that allows the user even greater flexibility over charging. Here, the user may select various conditions and options when recharging is permitted.

Claims

1. A portable recharging apparatus for wireless telephones, comprising:

a housing;

a first receptacle within the housing for receiving a wireless telephone having a main battery;

a second receptacle within the housing for receiving an auxiliary battery;

at least one electrical contact within the first receptacle, the electrical contact being operable to electrically connect the auxiliary battery to the wireless telephone so that a charge of the auxiliary battery may be applied to the main battery of the wireless telephone;

a first mode actuator within the housing for setting a power mode of the apparatus to one of an on mode and an off mode;

a second mode actuator within the housing for setting an operation mode of the apparatus to one of an automatic mode and a manual mode; and

a processor, the processor being coupled to the first actuator and the second actuator, wherein the processor determines a power mode setting based on a setting of the first actuator and an operation mode setting based on a setting of the second actuator, and controls charging of the portable device in relation to the power mode setting and the operation mode setting;

wherein if the manual mode of the second mode actuator is selected, the user device battery is recharged when the on mode of the first mode actuator is selected, and if the automatic mode of the second mode actuator is selected, the user device is recharged according to one or more pre-selected conditions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pre-selected condition includes a charge of the main battery reaching a predetermined level.

3. A method for recharging a battery operated portable device, comprising:

determining a power mode of a recharge apparatus, the power mode being set to either an on state or an off state;

selecting via a mode actuator an operation mode of the recharge apparatus, the operation mode being set to either an automatic state or a manual state;

selecting a condition for which charge is to be applied from an auxiliary battery to the main battery of the portable device;

determining a charge level of a main battery of the portable device;

applying charge from the auxiliary battery to the main battery of the portable device, the charge being used to recharge the main battery, when either;

the mode actuator is set to a manual state operation mode and the power mode is set to the on state, or

the automatic state operation mode is selected and the charge level of the main battery is below a predetermined level and the selected condition is met.

4. A recharging apparatus, comprising:

a portable charging controller operable to recharge a battery of a user device from an independent power source provided by the recharging apparatus;

a cradle for holding the device and electrically connecting the battery of the user device to the charging controller;

a user selection actuator selectable between an open circuit mode and a closed circuit mode, the closed circuit mode providing an electrical connection between the independent power source and the charging controller for recharging the battery of the user device, and the open circuit mode disabling the electrical connection between the power source and the charging controller to prevent recharging of the user device battery; and

a mode actuator for selecting between manual and automatic modes, wherein if the manual mode is selected, the user device battery is recharged when the closed circuit mode of the user selection actuator is selected, and if the automatic mode is selected, the user device is recharged according to one or more pre-selected conditions.

5. A portable recharging apparatus for recharging a mobile device having a main battery, comprising:

a housing;

an auxiliary battery within the housing;

a first electrical connector electrically coupled to the auxiliary battery and being adapted for electrical connection to the mobile device;

a manually operated switch disposed on the housing for switching the rechargeable apparatus from a non-recharging state to a ready to recharge state; and

a control unit for controlling flow of charge from the auxiliary battery to the main battery according to a pre-selected condition relating to the charge level of the auxiliary battery and the charge level of the main battery to recharge the main battery when the electrical connector is connected to the mobile device and the rechargeable apparatus is in the ready to recharge state, wherein charging of the main battery from the auxiliary battery is enabled only if the charge level of the main battery is less than a predetermined percentage of its full capacity, wherein the predetermined percentage of the the main battery capacity is set by a user.

6. The portable recharging apparatus of claim 5, wherein the predetermined percentage is set via a graphical user interface.