Electronic device case

• US 9,231,410 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otter Products LLC
• Original Assignee: Otter Products LLC
• Inventors: Wojcik, James John, Center, Adam Douglas, Joshi, Abhishek, Benzion, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US13/833,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20140192481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 320/112, 320/114
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• 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 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• 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 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/185 Improving the rigidity of the casing or resistance to shocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0296 switching to a backup power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0086 portable, e.g. battery operated apparatus casings for switching devices H01H9/02
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0247 Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A case for an electronic device is provided. The case includes a battery, an interface to receive electrical current from an external power source, and a computer processor. The computer processor is configured to execute computer-readable instructions to receive a communication from the electronic device, limit the received electrical current to a current limit, and allocate the electrical current among the battery and the electronic device based on the received communication.

Claims

1. A case for an electronic device, the case comprising:

a battery;

an interface to receive electrical current from an external power source; and

a computer processor configured to execute computer-readable instructions to;

receive a data communication from the electronic device;

limit the received electrical current to a current limit;

transmit an instruction to the electronic device directing the electronic device to draw no more than a specified amount of current from the case; and

allocate, based on the received data communication, the received electrical current among the battery and the electronic device.

2. The case of claim 1 wherein to limit the received electrical current to a current limit includes to:

detect a type of the external power source; and

determine the current limit based on the type of the external power source.

3. The case of claim 1 wherein to receive the data communication from the electronic device includes to receive information from the electronic device indicating a state of a battery of the electronic device.

4. The case of claim 3 wherein to allocate the received electrical current among the battery and the electronic device includes to:

charge the battery using a first portion of the received electrical current; and

supply a second portion of the received electrical current to the electronic device.

5. The case of claim 4 wherein the computer processor is further configured to execute the instructions to determine a size of the second portion based on the state of the battery of the electronic device.

6. The case of claim 1 wherein to allocate includes to allocate using a charging profile that is based on one or more of:

a time of day, a day of week, a charge level of the case battery, a charge level of a battery of the electronic device, an amount of current available from the external power source, and a user preference received from the electronic device.

7. A protective enclosure for a mobile computing device, the protective enclosure comprising:

a battery interface for interfacing to a rechargeable battery;

an interface to receive electrical current from an external power source; and

electrical circuitry configured to;

exchange data communications with the mobile computing device;

direct the mobile computing device to draw no more than a specified amount of current from the protective enclosure;

distribute a first portion of the received electrical current to the mobile computing device based on the data communications; and

distribute a second portion of the received electrical current to the battery interface based on the data communications.

8. The protective enclosure of claim 7 wherein the mobile computing device is one or more of:

a cellular phone, a smartphone, a camera, and a tablet computer.

9. The protective enclosure of claim 7 wherein the electrical circuitry is further configured to determine a magnitude of the first portion based on the data communications.

10. The protective enclosure of claim 7 wherein the data communications include information indicating a charge state of a battery of the mobile computing device.

11. The protective enclosure of claim 7 wherein the electrical circuitry is further configured to restrict the received electrical current from exceeding a current limit.

12. The protective enclosure of claim 11 wherein to restrict the received electrical current from exceeding the current limit includes to:

detect a type of the external power source; and

determine the current limit based on the type of the external power source.

13. The protective enclosure of claim 7 wherein to exchange data communications with the mobile computing device includes to receive user profile information from the mobile computing device.

14. The protective enclosure of claim 7 wherein a magnitude of the second portion is determined based on a state of the rechargeable battery.

15. The protective enclosure of claim 7 wherein to distribute the first portion includes to determine a magnitude of the first portion using a charging profile that is based on one or more of:

a time of day, a day of week, a charge level of the rechargeable battery, a charge level of a battery of the mobile computing device, an amount of current available from the external power source, and a user preference received from the mobile computing device.

16. A method of performing power management in a protective case for an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving electrical current at the protective case from a power source connected to the protective case;

transmitting a signal to the electronic device directing the electronic device to draw no more than a specified amount of current from the protective case; and

distributing a first portion of the received electrical current to the protective case and a second portion of the received electrical power to the electronic device, wherein the first portion and the second portion are determined based on data exchanged in a communication between the protective case and the electronic device.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein distributing the received electrical current to the protective case includes using a portion of the received electrical current to charge a rechargeable battery interfaced to the protective case.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the data includes a charge state of a battery of the electronic device.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising sending a command from the protective case to the electronic device instructing the electronic device to consume no more than a specified amount of current.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

determining a type of the power source; and

limiting the received electrical current to a current limit based on the type of the power source.