System and method for updating portable electronic devices using a rechargeable battery

• US 8,332,836 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2009
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eagle Technology, LLC (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pine Valley Investments, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jamerson, Eric Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): KENDALL, CHUCK O
• Application Number:
  US12/402,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20100235822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,371 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/172
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/10 Temperature sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A system and method for updating portable electronic devices using a rechargeable battery are provided. The method includes accessing update data stored in a battery removably connected to a portable electronic device and transferring the stored update data from the battery to the portable electronic device. The method further includes updating the portable electronic device with the transferred update data.

Claims

1. A method of providing update data to a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

removably connecting a battery pack comprising a memory and a battery cell to a portable electronic device deployed to a consumer, said battery pack providing an internal power source to said portable electronic device;

supplying power from said internal power source exclusively to said portable electronic device;

accessing update data stored in said memory that is operative to facilitate control of said portable electronic device;

transferring the update data from said memory to the portable electronic device; and

updating the portable electronic device with the update data which was transferred thereto.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the update data comprises a firmware update for the portable electronic device.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the battery cell comprises a rechargeable battery and the portable electronic device comprises a land mobile radio.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising providing notification on a display of the portable electronic device after the updating is complete.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising comparing the update data to data in the portable electronic device to determine which is newer.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the transferring is only performed if the update data is newer than the data within the portable electronic device.

7. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein if the update data is not newer than the data in the portable electronic device, the update data is not transferred to the portable electronic device.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7, further comprising transferring the data from the portable electronic device to the memory in the battery pack.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the transferring comprises overwriting the update data in the memory in the battery pack.

10. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising storing a number of times the update data is transferred.

11. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transferring is performed through at least one contact of each of the battery and portable electronic device.

12. A method for updating firmware in a portable communication device that is deployed to a consumer, the method comprising:

adding to a pool of rechargeable batteries a battery pack which includes a rechargeable battery and a memory device in which is stored an upgraded firmware that is operative to facilitate control of said portable communication device;

configuring the battery pack to provide an internal power source to said portable communication device; and

configuring the memory device to transfer the upgraded firmware to said portable communication device upon connection of the battery pack to the portable communication device.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the portable communication device is a land mobile radio.

14. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the upgraded firmware is transferred if a version thereof is newer than a version of a firmware of the portable communication device.

15. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein each of the batteries in the pool of rechargeable batteries comprises a memory and further comprising configuring each of the batteries to receive from a portable communication device the updated firmware transferred from the added battery pack.

16. A rechargeable battery pack, comprising:

a rechargeable battery configured to provide an internal power source to a portable electronic device which is deployed to a consumer;

a memory storing update data that is operative to facilitate control of the portable electronic device; and

a data contact configured to engage the portable electronic device and allow access by the portable electronic device to the update data stored in the memory.

17. A rechargeable battery pack in accordance with claim 16, wherein the update data comprises a firmware update for the portable electronic device.

18. A rechargeable battery pack in accordance with claim 16, wherein the memory is at least one gigabyte in size.

19. A rechargeable battery pack in accordance with claim 16, wherein the data contact is configured to allow transfer of data from the portable electronic device to the memory.

20. A rechargeable battery pack in accordance with claim 16, further comprising a housing and wherein the memory comprises an integral memory within the housing.