System and method for enhancing personal device communication capabilities using modified battery module

• US 8,625,559 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2011
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cluster Wireless LLC
• Original Assignee: Robbin David Hughes
• Inventors: Kumar, Prem Jothipragasam, O'Neil, Thomas, Hughes, Robbin David
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Chirag
• Assistant Examiner(s): PANCHOLI, RINA C
• Application Number:
  US13/217,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20120051347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0262 for a battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

One or more embodiments of the present invention disclose a system and method for enhancing the communication capabilities of a personal electronic device by modifying its existing battery module, adding communication circuitry to the modified module, and providing for the personal device to communicate in a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) via this modified battery module. The system and method consists of a personal device'"'"'s existing battery pack modified to contain one or more wireless communication circuits, the wireless communication circuitry included in the modified battery module, and the method by which the personal device will communicate to the WWAN using the modified battery module. The system can also be used to re-distribute WWAN communication from the modified battery module, to one or more external personal devices, using near-field communications.

Claims

1. A modified removable battery module inserted into a portable personal device, the modified removable battery module comprising:

a set of modified battery cells each of said cells having a corresponding control and a charging circuit, wherein the corresponding control and the charging circuit are physically located on the modified removable battery module;

an additional set of communication circuitry physically located on the modified removable battery module comprising;

a communication processing device;

a first communication interface coupled with said communication processing device, the first communication interface arranged to communicate with the portable personal device;

a memory coupled with said communication processing device and configured to store instructions i of a communication device control system; and

a second communication interface coupled with said communication processing device, the second communication interface is configured to communicate with a wireless wide area communication network; and

an enclosure housing sized to fit within a battery compartment of the portable personal device and configured to receive the set of modified battery cells, the corresponding control, the charging circuit, and the additional set of communication circuitry;

wherein the communication device control system decides when to use a communication interface of the portable personal device outside the modified removable battery module and the second communication interface of the modified removable battery module to provide a network service to a user of the portable personal device based on a decision criteria.

2. The modified removable battery module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second communication interface is a cellular-based communication network.

3. The modified removable battery module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first communication interface is a near field communication interface.

4. The modified removable battery module as claimed in claim 3, wherein the near field communication interface comprises at least one of BLUETOOTH, and 802.11 Wireless LAN (WiFi), wherein said modified removable battery module is configured to initiate and continue a circuit switched telephone connection.

5. The modified removable battery module comprising the added communication circuitry as claimed in claim 1, wherein the modified removable battery module is sized to fit within the battery compartment of the portable personal device resulting in increased frequency of charging of said portable personal device.

6. The modified removable battery module comprising the added communication circuitry as claimed in claim 1, wherein the modified removable battery module is designed to provide power to acquire services, to at least one of the portable personal device, and to the communication circuitry added to the modified removable battery module.

7. The communication device control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said system is further configured to control allocation of one or more components of a communication service with the portable personal device via the first communication interface physically located on the modified removable battery module.

8. The communication device control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said modified removable battery module is configured to enable at least one of a Wi-Fi hotspot and Blue-tooth hotspot to continue a data connection between a first communication interface physically located on the modified removable battery module and a communication interface of the portable personal device outside the modified removable battery.

9. The modified removable battery module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the additional set of communication circuitry is configured to increase frequency of charging of said portable personal device.

10. The modified removable battery module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said module is configured to initiate and continue a circuit switched telephone connection.

11. The modified removable battery module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said the decision criteria comprises to determine instantaneous data performance in a service carrier.

12. The modified removable battery module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said the decision criteria comprises to rate performance adequacy of a service carrier.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

the modified removable battery module using a set of criterion to decide when to use a communication interface of said portable personal device outside the modified removable battery module and a communication interface physically located on said modified removable battery module to provide service to a user of the portable personal device.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the set of criterion comprises wireless communication network availability, wireless communication network cost, performance characteristics, and inherent characteristics of the communication capabilities of the portable personal device and the modified removable battery module inserted into the portable personal device.

13. A method of managing communication between a portable personal device, and a communication device control system physically located on a modified removable battery module, the method comprising:

allocating communication connections, by said modified removable battery module in the communication device control system, between a first communication interface physically located on the modified removable battery module and a communication interface of the portable personal device outside the modified removable battery, based on at least one of a user preference or the communication device control system attribute or the portable personal device system attribute; and

deciding when to use a communication interface of said portable personal device outside the modified removable battery module and a communication interface physically located on said modified removable battery module to provide service to a user of the portable personal device,

wherein the modified battery module is inserted into the portable personal device.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the modified removable battery module in the portable personal device, redistributes the communication between a first communication interface physically located on the modified removable battery module and a communication interface of the portable personal device outside the modified removable battery with Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN), to one or multiple external personal devices, using near-field communication.