Device battery management

• US 8,941,363 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2011
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Syclone IP LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Kruglick, Ezekiel
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US13/264,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20120299554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 320/160
• US Class Current: 320/160
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters

Abstract

Technologies and implementations for device battery management are generally disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for providing battery management for a device, the device having a device battery and being electrically coupled to a device charger, comprising:

charging the device battery to a less than full charge using the device charger;

determining a device battery top off charge trigger associated with the device and the device battery;

maintaining the less than full charge until a top off charge is to be provided; and

providing the top off charge to the device battery in response to the device battery top off charge trigger.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the device battery top off charge trigger comprises predicting a removal time of the device from the device charger and providing the device battery top off charge trigger at a time before the predicted removal time of the device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the predicting the removal time of the device from the device charger comprises predicting the removal time of the device based at least in part on a previous removal time of the device from the device charger.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the device battery top off charge trigger comprises receiving an indicator at a device sensor.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the device sensor comprises at least one of a light sensor or a microphone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the device battery top off charge trigger comprises receiving an indicator from a networked device communicatively coupled with the device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the networked device comprises a ubiquitous computing device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the networked device comprises at least one of a refrigerator, a coffee maker, a microwave, a kitchen appliance, a bar code reader, or a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the device battery top off charge trigger comprises receiving a top off charge command from a user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the device battery top off charge trigger comprises presenting a top off charge query to a display device and receiving an affirmation of the top of charge query from a user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the device battery top off charge trigger is performed by at least one of a hardware module of the device or an operating system of the device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the device battery comprises at least one of a lithium-ion battery, a lithium-ion polymer battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery or a nickel-cadmium battery.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the device comprises at least one of a laptop computer, a smartphone or a tablet device.

14. A machine readable non-transitory medium having stored therein instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to provide battery management by:

charging a device battery to a less than full charge using the device charger electrically coupled to a device;

determining a device battery top off charge trigger associated with the device and the device battery;

maintaining the less than full charge until a top off charge is to be provided; and

providing the top off charge to the device battery in response to the device battery top off charge trigger.

15. The machine readable non-transitory medium of claim 14, wherein the determining the device battery top off charge trigger comprises predicting a removal time of the device from the device charger based at least in part on a previous removal time of the device from the device charger and providing the device battery top off charge trigger at a time before the predicted removal time of the device.

16. The machine readable non-transitory medium of claim 14, wherein the determining the device battery top off charge trigger comprises receiving an indicator at a device sensor.

17. The machine readable non-transitory medium of claim 14, wherein the determining the device battery top off charge trigger comprises receiving an indicator from a networked device communicatively coupled with the device.

18. The machine readable non-transitory medium of claim 17, wherein the networked device comprises at least one of a refrigerator, a coffee maker, a microwave, a kitchen appliance, a bar code reader, or a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader.

19. The machine readable non-transitory medium of claim 14, wherein the determining the device battery top off charge trigger comprises receiving a top off charge command from a user.

20. The machine readable non-transitory medium of claim 14, wherein the determining the device battery top off charge trigger comprises presenting a top off charge query to a display device and receiving an affirmation of the top of charge query from a user.

21. A device comprising:

a device battery;

a device charger configured to be electrically coupled to the device;

a machine readable medium having stored therein instructions that, when executed, cause the device to provide battery management by;

charging the device battery to a less than full charge using the device charger;

determining a device battery top off charge trigger associated with the device and the device battery;

maintaining the less than full charge until a top off charge is to be provided; and

providing a top off charge to the device battery in response to the device battery top off charge trigger; and

a processor coupled to the machine readable medium to execute the plurality of instructions.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the determining the device battery top off charge trigger comprises predicting a removal time of the device from the device charger based at least in part on a previous removal time of the device from the device charger and providing the device battery top off charge trigger at a time before the predicted removal time of the device.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein the determining the device battery top off charge trigger comprises receiving an indicator at a device sensor.

24. The device of claim 21, wherein the determining the device battery top off charge trigger comprises receiving an indicator from a networked device communicatively coupled with the device.

25. The device of claim 21, wherein the determining the device battery top off charge trigger comprises receiving a top off charge command from a user.

26. The device of claim 21, wherein the determining the device battery top off charge trigger comprises presenting a top off charge query to a display device and receiving an affirmation of the top of charge query from a user.

27. The device of claim 21, wherein the device battery comprises at least one of a lithium-ion battery, a lithium-ion polymer battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery or a nickel-cadmium battery.

28. The device of claim 21, wherein the device comprises at least one of a laptop computer, a smartphone or a tablet device.

29. A method for a smart charger to provide battery management for a battery coupled to the smart charger comprising:

charging the battery to a less than full charge using the smart charger;

determining a battery top off charge trigger associated with the battery;

maintaining the less than full charge until a top off charge is to be provided;

and

providing a top off charge to the battery in response to the battery top off charge trigger.

30. A method for a device to provide battery management to a charging device electrically coupled to the device comprising:

charging a battery of the charging device to a less than full charge using the charging device;

determining a battery top off charge trigger associated with the charging device and the battery;

maintaining the less than full charge until a top off charge is to be provided; and

providing a top off charge to the battery in response to the device battery top off charge trigger.