Interface and communication protocol for a mobile device with a smart battery

• US 8,543,162 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Pattenden, Christopher, Book, Christopher Simon, Guthrie, Martin George Albert, Brubacher, Jonathan Quinn, Little, Herbert Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Balaoing, Ariel
• Assistant Examiner(s): STERNBANE, LAURENCE J
• Application Number:
  US13/598,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20120322513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 320/106, 320/114, 340/636.1, 455/343.3, 455/557, 455/572, 455/573, 710/100
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00038 using passive battery identification means, e.g. resistors or capacitors identification by mechanical connections H02J7/0045
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0262 for a battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Various embodiments are described herein for a mobile communication device that utilizes a smart battery. The mobile device includes a main processor for controlling the operation of the mobile communication device. The smart battery is coupled to the main processor and provides 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 module having one or more batteries for providing the supply power. A battery interface is provided for coupling between the main processor and the battery processor for providing communication therebetween. The battery interface comprises a data communication line and protection circuitry for protecting the main processor from electrostatic discharge. A communication protocol is also provided for communication between the main processor and the battery processor.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device comprising:

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

a smart battery coupled to the main processor for providing supply power to the mobile communication device, the smart battery comprising a battery processor for controlling operation of the smart battery and communicating with the main processor, and a battery module having one or more batteries for providing the supply power; and

a battery interface coupled between the main processor and the battery processor for providing communication therebetween, wherein the battery interface comprises;

a data communication line and protection circuitry comprising an RC network that protects the main processor from electrostatic discharge; and

first and second tri-state buffers that are coupled between the RC network and the main processor and configured to receive enable/disable control signals to aid in resolving voltage compatibility issues between the main processor and the battery processor.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the main processor comprises a transmit pin for transmitting data to the smart battery and a receive pin for receiving data from the smart battery, wherein the smart battery comprises an input/output pin, and wherein the RC network couples the input/output pin of the smart battery to the transmit and receive pins of the main processor to provide bi-directional communication on the data communication line.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 2, wherein the main processor is configured as an open drain device and wherein the RC network comprises a pull-up resistor coupling the transmit and receive pins of the main processor.

4. The mobile communication device of claim 2, wherein the RC network comprises a capacitor coupling the input/output pin of the smart battery to ground in combination with at least one other resistor coupled to the input/output pin of the smart battery.

5. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the RC network is configured to connect the main processor and the battery processor via the data communication line configured as a single half-duplex communication line with a data rate limited to approximately 300 bits per second.

6. The mobile communication device of claim 2, wherein the mobile communication device further comprises a power management module coupled to the smart battery and configured to detect whether the smart battery is coupled to the mobile communication device, and wherein the first and second tri-state buffers are further configured to prevent data transmission from the main processor to the smart battery when the power management module communicates with the smart battery.

7. The mobile communication device of claim 6, wherein each of the first and second tri-state buffers comprises an input node, an output node and a control node, wherein the main processor further comprises a transmit enable pin, wherein the input node of the first tri-state buffer is coupled to the transmit pin, wherein the control node of the first tri-state buffer is coupled to the transmit enable pin, wherein the output node of the second tri-state buffer is coupled to the receive pin, wherein the control node of the second tri-state buffer is coupled to ground, and wherein the output node of the first tri-state buffer is coupled to the input node of the second tri-state buffer by a pull-up resistor included in the RC network.

8. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the smart battery further comprises a battery identification resistor coupled to an input/output pin of the smart battery for backwards compatibility with mobile communication devices that are not configured to communicate with smart batteries.

9. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the smart battery further comprises a second RC network coupled between an input/output pin of the smart battery and an input/output pin of the battery processor for electrostatic discharge protection.

10. A battery for providing supply power to a mobile communication device, the mobile communication device comprising:

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

the battery configured to be coupled to the main processor, the battery comprising a battery processor for controlling operation of the battery and communicating with the main processor; and

a battery module having one or more batteries for providing power; and

a battery interface that is able to be coupled between the main processor and the battery processor for providing communication therebetween, wherein the battery interface comprises;

a data communication line and protection circuitry comprising an RC network that protects the main processor from electrostatic discharge when the battery is coupled to the mobile communication device; and

first and second tri-state buffers that are coupled between the RC network and the main processor and configured to receive enable/disable control signals to aid in resolving voltage compatibility issues between the main processor and the battery processor.

11. The battery of claim 10, wherein the battery comprises an input/output pin, and wherein the RC network couples the input/output pin of the battery to transmit and receive pins of the main processor to provide bi-directional communication on the data communication line.

12. The battery of claim 11, wherein the main processor is configured as an open drain device, and wherein the RC network comprises a pull-up resistor coupling the transmit and receive pins of the main processor.

13. The battery of claim 11, wherein the RC network comprises a capacitor coupling the input/output pin of the battery to ground in combination with at least one other resistor coupled to the input/output pin of the battery.

14. The battery of claim 10, wherein the RC network is configured to connect the main processor and the battery processor via the data communication line configured as a single half-duplex communication line with a data rate limited to approximately 300 bits per second.

15. The battery of claim 11, wherein the first and second tri-state buffers are configured to prevent data transmission from the main processor to the battery when the battery communicates with other devices.

16. The battery of claim 15, wherein each of the first and second tri-state buffers comprise an input node, an output node and a control node, wherein the main processor further comprises a transmit enable pin, wherein the input node of the first tri-state buffer is coupled to the transmit pin, wherein the control node of the first tri-state buffer is coupled to the transmit enable pin, wherein the output node of the second tri-state buffer is coupled to the receive pin, wherein the control node of the second tri-state buffer is coupled to ground, and wherein the output node of the first tri-state buffer is coupled to the input node of the second tri-state buffer by a pull-up resistor included in the RC network.

17. The battery of claim 10, wherein the battery further comprises a battery identification resistor coupled to an input/output pin of the battery for backwards compatibility with mobile communication devices that are not configured to communicate with smart batteries.

18. The battery claim 10, wherein the battery further comprises a second RC network coupled between an input/output pin of the battery and an input/output pin of the battery processor for electrostatic discharge protection.

19. A mobile communication device comprising:

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

a smart battery coupled to the main processor for providing supply power to the mobile communication device, the smart battery comprising a battery processor for controlling operation of the smart battery and communicating with the main processor, and a battery module having one or more batteries for providing the supply power; and

a battery interface coupled between the main processor and the battery processor for providing communication therebetween, wherein the battery interface comprises;

a data communication line and RC network means for protecting the main processor from electrostatic discharge; and

first and second tri-state buffers that are coupled between the RC network and the main processor and configured to receive enable/disable control signals to aid in resolving voltage compatibility issues between the main processor and the battery processor.

20. A battery for providing supply power to a mobile communication device, the mobile communication device comprising a main processor for controlling the operation of the mobile communication device, and the battery configured to be coupled to the main processor, the battery comprising:

a battery processor for controlling operation of the battery and communicating with the main processor;

a battery module having one or more batteries for providing power; and

a battery interface that is able to be coupled between the main processor and the battery processor for providing communication therebetween, wherein the battery interface comprises a data communication line and RC network means for protecting the main processor from electrostatic discharge when the battery is coupled to the mobile communication device; and

first and second tri-state buffers that are coupled between the RC network and the main processor and configured to receive enable/disable control signals to aid in resolving voltage compatibility issues between the main processor and the battery processor.