Multiple battery management

• US 9,870,491 B1
• Filed: 08/01/2014
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Square Inc (Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.))
• Inventors: Wade, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): Savusdiphol, Paultep
• Application Number:
  US14/450,128
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 235435, 235449
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/01 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/082 using inductive or magnetic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0873 Details of the card reader

Abstract

Approaches provide for managing a multiple battery system in an electronic device. In particular, various examples enable a component, or combination or components, such as an electronic switching component to detect a state of a power source to manage switching between at least two power sources. For example, battery protection circuitry can be configured to detect that a voltage of a rechargeable battery has dropped to a threshold voltage, and upon such determination, activate a battery protection state which can result in a non-linear drop off in voltage coming from the rechargeable battery. An electronic switch can detect the non-linear drop off in voltage and can disconnect the rechargeable battery from at least one device component and connect a non-rechargeable battery to the at least one device component to provide backup power to at one component.

Claims

1. A card reader, comprising:

a read head within a slot of the card reader, the slot to receive a magnetic stripe of a financial transaction card swiped through the slot during a financial transaction between a buyer and seller, the read head configured to read data stored on the magnetic stripe and to produce a signal indicative of the data stored on the magnetic stripe;

tamper protection circuitry configured to detect tampering of at least one of physical or electrical components of the card reader;

a rechargeable battery electrically coupled to the tamper protection circuitry and battery protection circuitry and a control line of an electronic switch, the rechargeable battery configured to provide power through the battery protection circuitry to at least one of the read head and the tamper protection circuitry through a first isolation diode until the battery protection circuitry detects that a voltage of the rechargeable battery has dropped to a predetermined threshold voltage, and upon such detection, activate a battery protection state which results in a non-linear drop off in power coming from the battery protection circuitry that in turn causes the electronic switch to change from a first state to a second state via the control line of the electronic switch, wherein the predetermined threshold voltage is greater than zero;

a non-rechargeable battery configured to provide backup power to at least the tamper protection circuitry through the electronic switch and a second isolation diode; and

the electronic switch configured to;

operate in the first state to electrically isolate the non-rechargeable battery from the read head and the tamper protection circuitry, wherein the rechargeable battery provides power to the read head and the tamper protection circuitry through the battery protection circuitry and the first isolation diode in the first state of the electronic switch, and

operate in the second state, wherein the non-rechargeable battery provides power to at least the tamper protection circuitry through the electronic switch and the second isolation diode in the second state of the electronic switch.

2. The card reader of claim 1, wherein the electronic switch is a field effect transistor (FET), and wherein the control line of the electronic switch is a gate line of the FET, wherein the non-rechargeable battery is electrically coupled to a source line of the FET, and wherein a drain line of the FET passes through the second isolation diode to at least the tamper protection circuitry.

3. The card reader of claim 1, wherein the electronic switch is a regulator, and wherein the control line of the electronic switch is an enable line of the regulator.

4. The card reader of claim 1, further comprising real-time clock circuitry and memory circuitry, wherein the rechargeable battery provides power to the real-time clock circuitry and the memory circuitry in the first state of the electronic switch, wherein the non-rechargeable battery is electrically isolated from the real-time clock circuitry and the memory circuitry in the first state of the electronic switch, and wherein the non-rechargeable battery provides power to the real-time clock circuitry and the memory circuitry in the second state of the electronic switch.

5. A card reader, comprising:

a read head within a slot of the card reader, the slot to receive a financial transaction card during a financial transaction between a plurality of entities, the read head configured to read data that is stored on the financial transaction card and generate a signal indicative of the data that is stored on the financial transaction card;

backup electronic circuitry other than the read head, the backup electronic circuitry configured to provide at least one backup operation;

a first battery that is electrically coupled to a control line of an electronic switch, the first battery configured to provide power to at least one of the read head or the backup electronic circuitry when the electronic switch is in a first state, wherein a drop in voltage at the control line of the electronic switch from the first battery causes the electronic switch to change from the first state to a second state;

a second battery configured to provide backup power to the backup electronic circuitry through the electronic switch when the electronic switch is in the second state; and

the electronic switch, wherein the electronic switch is configured to;

operate in the first state to electrically isolate the second battery from at least the backup electronic circuitry, wherein the first battery provides power to the read head and the backup electronic circuitry when the electronic switch is in the first state, and

operate in the second state, wherein, the second battery provides power to the backup electronic circuitry through the electronic switch when the electronic switch is in the second state.

6. The card reader of claim 5, wherein the first battery corresponds to a rechargeable battery and the second battery corresponds to a non-rechargeable battery, wherein the rechargeable battery corresponds to at least one of a lead-acid battery, a nickel cadmium battery (NiCd), a nickel metal hydride (NIMH) battery, a lithium ion (Li-ion) battery, or a lithium ion polymer (Li-ion polymer) battery, and wherein the non-rechargeable battery corresponds to at least one of an alkaline battery, an aluminum-ion battery, a dry cell battery, or a lithium battery.

7. The card reader of claim 5, wherein the electronic switch is a field effect transistor (FET), and wherein the control line of the electronic switch is a gate line of the FET.

8. The card reader of claim 5, wherein the backup electronic circuitry includes tamper protection circuitry and real-time clock circuitry and memory circuitry, and wherein the at least one backup operation includes the tamper protection circuitry detecting tampering of the card reader via opening of the card reader.

9. The card reader of claim 5, further including:

a battery protection circuitry that is electrically coupled to the first battery, the battery protection circuitry configured to;

measure a voltage of the first battery;

determine that the voltage of the first battery does not exceed a predetermined threshold voltage that is greater than zero; and

electrically isolate the first battery from the control line of the electronic switch to cause a non-linear drop in voltage to be received at the control line of the electronic switch, causing the electronic switch to change from the first state to a second state.

10. The card reader of claim 9, wherein the battery protection circuitry includes an adjustable resistor, a switching component configured to electrically isolate the first battery from at least the read head and the control line of the electronic switch, and control circuitry configured to determine the voltage of the first battery and to operate the switching component.

11. The card reader of claim 10, wherein the predetermined threshold voltage is adjusted based on adjustments to the adjustable resistor.

12. The card reader of claim 5, wherein the first battery provides power that does not pass through the electronic switch to at least one of the read head or the backup electronic circuitry.

13. The card reader of claim 5, further comprising:

a first isolation diode that is electrically coupled between the first battery and at least one of the read head or the backup electronic circuitry, wherein the first battery provides power to at least one of the read head or the backup electronic circuitry through the first isolation diode when the electronic switch is in the first state; and

a second isolation diode that is electrically coupled between the electronic switch and the backup electronic circuitry, wherein the second battery provides power to at least the backup electronic circuitry through the electronic switch and the second isolation diode when the electronic switch is in the second state.

14. The card reader of claim 13, wherein the first isolation diode and the second isolation diode electrically isolate the first battery and the second battery from each other.

15. The card reader of claim 13, wherein the first isolation diode and the second isolation diode include at least one of a light emitting diode, a photodiode, a schottky diode, a transient voltage suppression diode, a tunnel diode, a varicap diode, or a zener diode.

16. The card reader of claim 5, further including:

an output jack adapted to be coupled into a microphone input of a portable computing device, wherein output jack conveys to the portable computing device the signal indicative of the data that is stored on the financial transaction card.

17. A method, comprising:

activating a card reader, the card reader including a read head within a slot of the card reader, the slot to receive a financial transaction card during a financial transaction between a plurality of entities, the read head configured to read data that is stored on the financial transaction card and generate a signal indicative of the data that is stored on the financial transaction card;

determining that a voltage of a first battery exceeds a predetermined threshold voltage, wherein the predetermined threshold voltage is greater than zero;

operating an electronic switch in a first state, wherein operation of the electronic switch in the first state electrically isolates a second battery from at least the read head and backup electronic circuitry other than the read head;

providing power to the read head and the backup electronic circuitry from the first battery while operating the electronic switch in the first state;

determining that the voltage of the first battery no longer exceeds the predetermined threshold voltage;

causing a non-linear drop in power provided from the first battery in response to determining that the voltage of the first battery no longer exceeds the predetermined threshold voltage;

receiving the non-linear drop in power provided from the first battery at a control line of the electronic switch; and

operating the electronic switch in a second state in response to receipt of the non-linear drop in power provided from the first battery at the control line of the electronic switch, wherein operation of the electronic switch in the second state causes the second battery to provide backup power to the backup electronic circuitry through the electronic switch.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the electronic switch is a field effect transistor (FET), and wherein the control line of the electronic switch is a gate line of the FET.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the backup electronic circuitry includes tamper protection circuitry and real-time clock circuitry and memory circuitry, and wherein the tamper protection circuitry is configured to detect tampering of the card reader via opening of the card reader.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the backup electronic circuitry includes tamper protection circuitry that is configured to detect tampering of the card reader via modification of at least one path of electrical current within the card reader.