Diagnostic use of physical and electrical battery parameters

• US 8,820,626 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Rich, David Gerard, Sutarwala, Taha Shabbir Husain, Sengupta, Surajit
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Thien T
• Assistant Examiner(s): LY, TOAN C
• Application Number:
  US13/234,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20130072154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 455/411, 455/572, 320/106
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0814 Field measurements related to measuring influence on or from apparatus, components or humans EMC, EMI and similar testing in general G01R31/001, e.g. in ESD, EMI, EMC, EMP testing, measuring radiation leakage; detecting presence of micro- or radiowave emitters; dosimetry; testing shielding; measurements related to lightning
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/389 Measuring internal impedance, internal conductance or related variables
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/484 for measuring electrolyte level, electrolyte density or electrolyte conductivity
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Diagnostic use of physical and electrical battery parameters is made to enhance battery authentication and security. A power management module measures an electromagnetic radiation spectrum of a battery module based on signal strengths of the electromagnetic radiation detected at one or more antennas. The measured electromagnetic radiation spectrum of the battery is compared to a reference electromagnetic radiation spectrum, which may be specified for authentic batteries, for example. If the measured electromagnetic radiation spectrum corresponds to the reference electromagnetic radiation spectrum, the battery is authenticated for use with the mobile communication device. A relative condition of the battery, such as an age or state of health, may also be estimated based on the measured electromagnetic radiation spectrum of the battery module.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

an interface for receiving a battery comprising a battery module for supplying power to the electronic device;

a plurality of antennas for detecting electromagnetic radiation; and

a power management module coupled to the battery and configured to;

measure an electromagnetic radiation spectrum of the battery due to current flow in the battery module, wherein the electromagnetic radiation spectrum of the battery is measured based on corresponding signal strengths of the electromagnetic radiation detected at each of the plurality of antennas;

for each of the plurality of antennas, compare the detected signal strength of the electromagnetic radiation to a corresponding reference signal strength; and

when a minimum number of the detected signal strengths corresponds to a threshold number of reference signal strengths, authenticate the battery for use with the electronic device.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising the battery received in the interface.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a mobile communication device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the reference signal strengths comprise signal strengths specified for an authentic battery.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the power management module is further configured to:

compare the measured electromagnetic radiation spectrum of the battery to at least one of a plurality of reference electromagnetic radiation spectrums of the authentic battery, each of the reference electromagnetic radiation spectrums corresponding to a different relative condition of the authentic battery; and

determine a relative condition of the battery by associating the measured electromagnetic radiation spectrum with one of the plurality of reference electromagnetic radiation spectrums.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the relative condition of the battery comprises at least one of an age or state of health of the battery.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of antennas is tuned to detect a different frequency range of the electromagnetic radiation.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the battery module comprises at least one battery winding, and wherein each of the plurality of antennas has a different spatial orientation relative to the at least one battery winding.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the battery module comprises at least one battery winding, and wherein the device further comprises at least one capacitor switchably coupled to the battery for adjusting a resonant frequency of the at least one battery winding.

10. A method for authenticating a battery for use with an electronic device, the battery comprising a battery module for supplying power to the electronic device, the electronic device comprising a plurality of antennas for detecting electromagnetic radiation, the method comprising:

measuring an electromagnetic radiation spectrum of the battery due to current flow in the battery module, wherein the electromagnetic radiation spectrum of the battery is measured based on corresponding signal strengths of the electromagnetic radiation detected at each of the plurality of antennas;

for each of the plurality of antennas, comparing the detected signal strength of the electromagnetic radiation to a corresponding reference signal strength; and

when a minimum number of the detected signal strengths corresponds to a threshold number of reference signal strengths, authenticating the battery for use with the electronic device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the electronic device comprises a mobile communication device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the reference signal strengths comprise signal strengths specified for an authentic battery.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

comparing the measured electromagnetic radiation spectrum of the battery to at least one of a plurality of reference electromagnetic radiation spectrums of the authentic battery, each of the reference electromagnetic radiation spectrums corresponding to a different relative condition of the authentic battery; and

determining a relative condition of the battery by associating the measured electromagnetic radiation spectrum with one of the plurality of reference electromagnetic radiation spectrums.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the relative condition of the battery comprises at least one of an age or state of health of the battery.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the battery module comprises at least one battery winding, and wherein the method further comprises adjusting a resonant frequency of the at least one battery winding to vary the electromagnetic radiation spectrum of the battery.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of antennas is tuned to detect a different frequency range of the electromagnetic radiation.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the battery module comprises at least one battery winding, and wherein each of the plurality of antennas has a different spatial orientation relative to the at least one battery winding.

18. A power management module for an electronic device supplied with power from a battery comprising a battery module, the electronic device comprising a plurality of antennas for detecting electromagnetic radiation, the power management module comprising a processor, and memory coupled to the processor storing instructions, which when executed by the processor configure the processor to:

measure an electromagnetic radiation spectrum of the battery due to current flow in the battery module, wherein the electromagnetic radiation spectrum of the battery is measured based on corresponding signal strengths of the electromagnetic radiation detected at each of the plurality of antennas;

for each of the plurality of antennas, compare the detected signal strength of the electromagnetic radiation to a corresponding reference signal strength; and

when a minimum number of the detected signal strengths corresponds to a threshold number of reference signal strengths, authenticate the battery for use with the electronic device.

19. The power management module for the electronic device of claim 18, wherein each of the plurality of antennas is tuned to detect a different frequency range of the electromagnetic radiation.

20. The power management module for the electronic device of claim 18, wherein the battery module comprises at least one battery winding, and wherein each of the plurality of antennas has a different spatial orientation relative to the at least one battery winding.

21. The power management module for the electronic device of claim 18, wherein the battery module comprises at least one battery winding, and wherein the instructions further configure the processor to adjust a resonant frequency of the at least one battery winding to vary the electromagnetic radiation spectrum of the battery.