System and method for energy management within a group of devices

• US 9,094,495 B1
• Filed: 04/21/2014
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Robustelli, Michael E, Rivalsi, Kenneth J
• Primary Examiner(s): Sarwar, Babar
• Application Number:
  US14/257,035
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/462, 455/425, 455 901- 903, 455/569.1, 455/414.1, 455418-420, 455/550.1, 455/556.2, 455/571, 455/572, 455/573, 455/574, 455/67.11, 455/575.1, 379/401, 379/413, 379/404, 379/412, 713/320, 713/321, 713/330, 713/340, 361/686, 361724-727, 361/93.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers

Abstract

Each charging member in a group identifies a docking connection. Each charging member, responsive to identifying the docking connection, transmits information to other charging members in the group and receives information transmitted from another charging member in the group. Each charging member generates a list using the information transmitted to the group and received from the group. Each charging member also includes a ranking component for filtering, sorting, and ranking entries in the list according to a predefined selection filter and/or ranking filter. Each entry in the list is associated with a charging member with a docking connection and in the group. Each charging member determines based on a predefined indication filter that an entry in the list that is associated with the charging member is ranked at a predefined position in the list and provides an indication.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying, by a charging member in a group of charging members with docking connections, one of a docking connection between the charging member and a charging cradle and a docking connection between the charging member and a battery;

responsive to the identifying, transmitting, by the charging member to other charging members in the group, information for ranking the charging member in a list including entries for one or more charging members in the group of charging members;

receiving, by the charging member, at least one set of information transmitted from at least one second charging member in the group of charging members, wherein the at least one set of information includes information for ranking the at least one second charging member in the list;

generating, by the charging member, the list using the information transmitted by the charging member and the at least one set of information received by the charging member;

using, by the charging member, at least one of a predefined selection filter and a predefined ranking filter to filter entries in the list, sort entries in the list, and rank the entries, wherein each entry in the list is associated with a charging member with a docking connection and in the group of charging members; and

determining, by the charging member, based on at least one predefined indication filter that an entry in the list that is associated with the charging member is ranked at a predefined position in the list and providing an indication subsequent to the determining.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined indication filter, the predefined selection filter and the predefined ranking filter includes at least one of a hardware configuration selection criterion, a location selection criterion, and a hardware operation status criterion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the list is configured to include one of all charging members in a location and sub-groups of charging members in the location.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising characterizing, by the charging member, at least one of:

the at least one set of information received by the charging member and labeling the at least one set of information received by the charging member according to a characterization; and

the information transmitted by the charging member and labeling the information transmitted by the charging member according to the characterization.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information transmitted by the charging member includes at least one of device information, battery information and location information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing comprises providing the indication using one of a predefined blinking pattern and a backlight on the charging member.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

detecting motion and providing the indication responsive to detecting the motion; and

receiving an alert and providing the indication responsive to receiving the alert.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining the list such that the list is the same as a list generated by each charging member in the group that used the at least one predefined indication filter, the predefined selection filter and the predefined ranking filter.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising one of:

detecting a termination of the docking connection and transmitting a farewell packet to the charging members in the group with docking connections; and

receiving a farewell packet from a charging member with a terminated docking connection and removing an entry for the charging member associated with the farewell packet from the list.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a reservation request and disabling the indication for a predefined period subsequent to receipt of the reservation request.

11. A system, comprising:

a group charging members each of which includes a docking connection, wherein each charging member in the group comprises;

a processor for identifying the docking connection;

a transceiver, responsive to identifying the docking connection, for transmitting information to other charging members in the group and for receiving at least one set of information transmitted from another charging member in the group, wherein each charging member generates a list using the information transmitted by the charging member and the at least one set of information received by the charging member; and

a ranking component for filtering entries in the list, sorting entries in the list, and ranking entries in the list according to at least one of a predefined selection filter and a predefined ranking filter, wherein each entry in the list is associated with a charging member with a docking connection and in the group of charging members,

wherein each charging member in the group is configured to determine based on at least one predefined indication filter that an entry in the list that is associated with the charging member is ranked at a predefined position in the list and provide an indication subsequent to the determination, and

wherein, the list is the same as a list generated by each charging member in the group that used the at least one predefined indication filter, the predefined selection filter and the predefined ranking filter.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the predefined indication filter, the predefined selection filter and the predefined ranking filter includes at least one of a hardware configuration selection criterion, a location selection criterion, and a hardware operation status criterion.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the list generated in each charging member in the group is configured to include one of all charging members in a location and sub-groups of charging members in the location.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein each charging member in the group is further configured to at least one of:

characterize the at least one set of information received by each charging member in the group and label the at least one set of information according to a characterization, and

characterize the information transmitted by each charging member in the group and label the information transmitted by each charging member in the group according to the characterization.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the information transmitted by each charging member in the group includes at least one of device information, battery information and location information.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the display on each charging member in the group is further configured to one of:

provide the indication using one of a predefined blinking pattern and a backlight on each charging member in the group;

detect motion and provide the indication responsive to detecting the motion; and

receive an alert and provide the indication responsive to receiving the alert.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein each charging member in the group is further configured to detect a termination of the docking connection and transmit, via the transceiver, a farewell packet to the other charging members in the group with docking connections.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein each charging member in the group is further configured to receive a farewell packet from a charging member with a terminated docking connection and remove an entry for the charging member associated with the farewell packet from the list.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein each charging member in the group is further configured to receive a reservation request and disable the indication for a predefined period subsequent to receipt of the reservation request.