Battery with computing, sensing and communication capabilities

• US 9,671,468 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2012
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hallman, Kimberly Denise Auyang, Wilson, Andrew, Glaskowsky, Peter, Rohn, Dave, Hall, Michael, Tan, Desney, Snyder, Ira, Myrberg, Mats, Koenig, Michael, Dyor, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Paul D
• Application Number:
  US13/671,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20140129162A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,672 Days
• Field of Search: 702 63
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/371 with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4278 Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/10 using a centralized architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0296 switching to a backup power supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Electrical battery apparatus embodiments are presented that generally involve incorporating sensing, computing, and communication capabilities into the one common component that a vast number of electronic devices employ—namely batteries. By integrating these capabilities into disposable and/or rechargeable batteries, new functionality and intelligence can be provided to otherwise stand-alone devices.

Claims

1. An electrical battery apparatus, comprising:

one or more electrical batteries that power a separate electronic device;

one or more sensors which are incorporated directly into the electrical battery apparatus and monitor conditions external to the electrical battery apparatus;

a computing device which is also incorporated directly into the electrical battery apparatus and is in communication with each sensor; and

a computer program comprising program modules executed by the computing device, wherein the computing device is directed by the program modules of the computer program to at least control the operation of each sensor.

2. The electrical battery apparatus of claim 1, wherein said one or more sensors further monitor electrical battery conditions, and wherein the computer program modules comprise a module for tracking and recording battery power usage patterns.

3. The electrical battery apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a user notification device which is in communication with the computing device, and wherein the computer program modules further comprise a module for notifying a user of the separate electronic device of the recorded battery power usage patterns via the user notification device.

4. The electrical battery apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a transmitter that transmits data and which is in communication with the computing device, and wherein the computer program modules further comprise a module for transmitting the recorded battery power usage patterns via a data communication network to a remote computing device using the transmitter.

5. The electrical battery apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a transmitter that transmits data and which is in communication with the computing device, and wherein the computer program modules further comprise a module for transmitting a request for automatic charging via a data communication network to an automatic charging device or a remote computing device using the transmitter, based on the recorded battery power usage patterns.

6. The electrical battery apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer program modules comprise a module for tracking and recording sensor data output by each sensor.

7. The electrical battery apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a power control device that controls the amount of power supplied by the one or more electrical batteries to the separate electronic device, and which is in communication with the computing device;

and wherein

said one or more sensors further monitor electrical battery conditions; and

wherein

the computer program modules further comprise a module for controlling the amount of power supplied to the separate electronic device based on sensor data output by at least one of the one or more sensors, said battery power to the separate electronic device being controlled using said power control device.

8. The electrical battery apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a transmitter that transmits data and which is in communication with the computing device, and wherein the computer program modules further comprise a module for transmitting the recorded sensor data via a data communication network to a remote computing device.

9. The electrical battery apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a location determining device that determines the location of the electrical battery apparatus and which is in communication with the computing device, and wherein the computer program modules further comprise modules for identifying a current location of the electrical battery apparatus using the location determining device.

10. The electrical battery apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a transmitter that transmits data and which is in communication with the computing device, and wherein the computer program modules further comprise a module for transmitting the current location of the electrical battery apparatus via a data communication network to a remote computing device.

11. The electrical battery apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a user notification device which is in communication with the computing device, and wherein the computer program modules further comprise a module for notifying a user of the separate electronic device of the electrical battery apparatus'"'"'s current location via the user notification device.

12. The electrical battery apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a power control device that controls the amount of power supplied by the one or more electrical batteries to the separate electronic device, and which is in communication with the computing device;

and wherein

said one or more sensors further monitor electrical battery conditions; and

wherein

the computer program modules further comprise a module for minimizing battery power consumption by the separate electronic device based on the current location of the electrical battery apparatus, said battery power consumption being minimized using said power control device.

13. The electrical battery apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer program modules further comprise a module for identifying an object that is within a prescribed distance of the electrical battery apparatus based on the output of said one or more sensors.

14. The electrical battery apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a transmitter that transmits data and which is in communication with the computing device, and wherein the computer program modules further comprise a module for transmitting a message via a data communication network to a remote computing device, said message indicating that the electrical battery apparatus is within the prescribed distance of said object.

15. The electrical battery apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a power control device that controls the amount of power supplied by the one or more electrical batteries to the separate electronic device, and which is in communication with the computing device;

and wherein

said one or more sensors further monitor electrical battery conditions, and wherein

the computer program modules further comprise a module for supplying power to the separate electronic device only when said object has been identified as being within the prescribed distance of the electrical battery apparatus, said battery power to the separate electronic device being controlled using said power control device.

16. A battery case device, comprising:

a support structure that receives and retains one or more electrical batteries and which comprises electrical contacts that transfer electrical current from the one or more electrical batteries to a separate electronic device so as to power the separate electronic device;

a power control device that controls the amount of power supplied by the support structure to the separate electronic device;

one or more sensors which are incorporated directly into the battery case device, and which monitor electrical battery conditions and conditions external to the battery case device;

a computing device which is also incorporated directly into the battery case device and is in communication with the power control device and each sensor; and

a computer program comprising program modules executed by the computing device, wherein the computing device is directed by the program modules of the computer program to at least control the operation of the power control device and each sensor.

17. The battery case device of claim 16, wherein the support structure fits within a battery compartment of said separate electronic device.

18. The battery case device of claim 16, wherein the computer program modules comprise modules for:

tracking and recording battery power usage patterns;

predicting battery power usage based on the recorded battery power usage patterns; and

minimizing battery power consumption by the battery case device at times of higher power demands based on the predicted battery power usage.

19. The battery case device of claim 16, wherein the computer program modules comprise modules for:

tracking and recording battery power usage patterns;

predicting battery power usage based on the recorded battery power usage patterns; and

minimizing battery power consumption by the separate electronic device at times when based on the predicted battery power usage the separate electronic device is not being used by a user of the separate electronic device, said battery power consumption being minimized using said power control device.

20. An electrical battery apparatus, comprising:

one or more electrical batteries that power a separate electronic device;

a power control device that controls the amount of power supplied by the one or more electrical batteries to the separate electronic device;

one or more sensors which are incorporated directly into the electrical battery apparatus and monitor conditions external to the electrical battery apparatus;

a transceiver that transmits data to a remote computing device via a data communication network and which receives data and commands from a remote computing device via said network;

a computing device which is also incorporated directly into the electrical battery apparatus and is in communication with the power control device and each sensor and the transceiver; and

a computer program comprising program modules executed by the computing device, wherein the computing device is directed by the program modules of the computer program to at least control the operation of the power control device and each sensor and the transceiver based at least in part on data and commands received from the remote computing device.