Charger system for communication devices using a charger circuit to communicate a charge status to a portable host device

• US 8,900,731 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2007
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Bohne, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Assistant Examiner(s): HERNANDEZ, MANUEL J
• Application Number:
  US11/844,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20090051327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,657 Days
• Field of Search: 320/132, 320/149, 320/163, 320/106, 320/107, 320/112, 429/61, 429/90, 429/7
• US Class Current: 429/7
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition

Abstract

A charger system (100) for charging a battery power source for a portable host device (102) is provided. The charger system includes a charger circuit (202). The charger circuit operates to communicate a charge status. The charge status can be selected from a charge status group including a charging status and a charge completed status. Further, the charger system includes a battery (108) coupled between the portable host device and the charger circuit. The battery includes a switch circuit (206) operating to switch communication to the portable host device in response to the charge status communicated from the charge circuit. The charger system also includes the portable host device.

Claims

1. A charger system for a portable host device comprising:

a charger circuit operating to communicate a charge status using a charger side communication line selected from a charging status and a charge completed status;

a battery coupled between the portable host device and the charger circuit, the battery comprising a switch circuit connected to the charger side communication line and operating to switch communication to the portable host device in response to the charge status communicated from the charger circuit;

the portable host device;

wherein the charger circuit communicates the charge status by a DC voltage level charge status using the charger side communication line;

wherein the switch circuit comprises;

an output coupled to the portable host device which selectively switches a host side communication line to ground, and

an input coupled to the charger circuit which causes the output to switch upon application of a DC voltage level of sufficient duration to exceed a time constant of an input circuit;

wherein the battery further comprises;

a first memory device for communication with the portable host device via the host side communication line, the first memory device is connected with the portable host device independent of the charge status but is readable only by the portable host device when the charge status is the charge completed status; and

a second memory device for communication with the charger circuit via the charger side communication line, the second memory device is connected with the charger circuit independent of the charge status through charger side communication line.

2. The charger system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input of the switch circuit further allows data communication between the charger circuit and the battery via the charger side communication line without switching the host side communication line to ground when the DC voltage level is not of sufficient duration to exceed the time constant of the input circuit.

3. The charger system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portable host device comprises a monitor for monitoring the status of the host side communication line, the monitor displaying the charge status.

4. The charger system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the battery further comprises a battery memory device to communicate pre-characterized battery design discharge profile data from the battery to the portable host device to optimize fuel gauge accuracy.

5. The charger system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the portable host device further comprises:

a means to communicate with the battery memory device.

6. The charger system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portable host device comprises a voltage-based, multiple segment user display to present state-of-charge information to a user of the portable host device based on the charge status provided from the charger circuit.

7. The charger system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portable host device is operable while coupled to the charger circuit.

8. A charger system for a portable host device comprising:

a charger circuit;

a portable host device comprising;

a pull-up host resistor that electrically couples a host side communication line to a supply voltage,

a radio data line control for detecting a state of the host side communication line, and

a display for displaying a battery charge state; and

a battery coupled between the charger circuit and the portable host device, the battery comprising;

a transistor,

a first resistor electrically coupled between a gate of the transistor and a second resistor,

the second resistor electrically coupled between the first resistor and ground, and

a battery Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM) electrically coupled between the transistor and the ground,

wherein when the battery is attached to the portable host device and the portable host device is operating without the charger circuit attached, the transistor is held off by the series combination of the first resistor and the second resistor, allowing the pull-up host resistor to bias the host side communication line high, and

further wherein the radio date line control of the portable host device is programmed to;

detect the host side communication line high,

enable radio communication with the battery EPROM, and

cause the portable host device to display a battery not charging state as the battery charge state on the display.

9. The charger system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the charger circuit comprises:

a pull-up charger resistor that electrically couples a charger side communication line to the supply voltage, and

a charger data line control circuit,

wherein the battery further comprises;

a diode coupled between the charger side communication line and the transistor,

wherein when the charger circuit is coupled to the battery and the portable host device, the pull-up charger resistor forward biases the diode, turning on the transistor,

wherein when the transistor is turned on, the host side communication line is biased low through a resistor and the pull-up host resistor,

further wherein the radio data line control of the portable host device is programmed to;

detect the host side communication line low,

detect the inability for radio communication with the battery EPROM, and

cause the portable host device to display a battery charging state as the battery charge state on the display.

10. The charger system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the battery further comprises:

a charger side EPROM, and

a capacitor electrically coupled in parallel to the resistor,

wherein the charger circuit further comprises;

a microcontroller programmed to;

read data from the charger side EPROM,

and further wherein the diode, the capacitor, and the resistor form a time constant which keeps the transistor gate biased on while the microcontroller is reading the data.

11. A charger system for a portable host device comprising:

a charger circuit;

a battery coupled between the portable host device and the charger circuit; and

the portable host device

wherein a charging status is communicated from the charger circuit, using a charger side communication line to the battery, through the battery to the portable device when the charger circuit is charging the battery and a charge completed status is communicated to the portable device, the charge completed status indicated when the charger circuit is not connected to the battery and when the charger circuit is connected to the battery and the battery is completely charged;

wherein the battery comprises;

a first memory device connected with the portable host device independent of the charge status but readable only by the host device when the charge status is the charge completed status; and

a second memory device connected with the charger circuit independent of the charge status through the charger side communication line.

12. The charger system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the battery comprises a switch that is switched by a voltage of the charger side communication line such that a connection between the battery and the portable host device is grounded to indicate the charging status and the connection between the battery and the portable host device is not grounded to indicate the charge completed status.

13. The charger system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the battery further comprises a switch that is switched by a voltage of the charger side communication line such that the first memory device is enabled to communicate with the portable host device in one switch state or the connection of the first memory device to the portable host device is grounded in another switch state.

14. The charger system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the battery further comprises a switch, a delay and first and second memory devices disposed on opposite sides of the switch, the first memory device is accessible to the charger circuit when the battery is charging while the switch and delay prevent the second memory device from being accessible to the portable host device when the battery is charging.