Apparatus and method for integrating a transmitting device and a battery pack

• US 8,866,593 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2011
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, Robert, Cunningham, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US13/186,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20110275314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.4, 340/5.61, 340/7.54, 340/10.5, 429/7, 429/61, 455/41.1, 455/575.1
• US Class Current: 340/10.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0262 for a battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID

Abstract

An apparatus includes a battery pack, processor attached to the battery pack, and an antenna attached to the processor for establishing a radio link with an electronic device powered by the batter pack.

Claims

1. A method of communicating with an external device, using a processor installed on a battery pack, comprising:

establishing an association between the processor installed on the battery pack and an electronic device both powered by the battery pack via communication between a first antenna attached to the processor installed on the battery pack and a second antenna attached to the electronic device, wherein the establishing an association comprises activating a push button attached to the processor installed on the battery pack to establish a radio link between the processor installed on the battery pack and the electronic device; and

transmitting data to the external device via the first antenna based on instructions received, via the second antenna, from the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a software update including a graphical user interface to the electronic device for initiating transactions with the external device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting data to an external device comprises:

transmitting data related to a consumer transaction to the external device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting data received from the external device, via the first antenna to the second antenna, to the electronic device for display on a screen of the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor operates as a radio frequency identification tag.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is powered by the battery pack.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

instructing the processor of the battery pack to power on the first antenna for a predetermined period of time.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein instructing the processor of the battery pack to power on the first antenna for a predetermined period of time comprises a first activation of the push button.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

facilitating communication between the processor of the battery pack and the electronic device for a predetermined period of time in response to a second activation of the push button and a determination that the association between the processor of the battery pack and the electronic device

10. A mobile communication system comprising:

a first antenna;

a first processor;

a battery receptacle;

a battery pack attached to the battery receptacle to power the first processor, the battery pack comprising;

a second processor having a push button attached thereto; and

a second antenna for transmitting data to an external device based on instructions received from the first processor via the first antenna.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the push-button is to activate the second antenna.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the second processor is to operate as a radio frequency identification tag.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the second processor is to receive instructions transmitted to the second antenna via the first antenna from the first processor and send data, via the second antenna and the first antenna, to the first processor for display on the mobile communication system, the instructions representing a user input to the mobile communication system.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the second antenna is to transmit, via the first antenna, a software update from the second processor to the first processor, the software update including a graphical user interface for initiating transactions with the external device.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein activation of the push-button facilitates communication between the first processor and the second processor for a predetermined period of time. is established.