Data storage device for a device accessory

• US 9,915,988 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2015
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Kashyap, Manohar Prasad, Hakoun, Eyal Felix, Shain, Vadim
• Primary Examiner(s): Batista, Marcos
• Application Number:
  US14/861,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20170083068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 455571-574, 4555751-5758, 370338
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• 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 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer
• 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 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters

Abstract

An accessory associated with a wireless device includes a first interface configured to communicate with the wireless device using a wired communication technique and a second interface configured to communicate with the wireless device using a wireless communication technique. The accessory further includes a data storage device and a controller coupled to the first interface, to the second interface, and to the data storage device. The controller is configured to activate the first interface in response to a message received via the second interface.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a non-volatile memory; and

a memory controller coupled to the non-volatile memory and configured to;

receive information of an application of a device, the information indicating a device battery charging threshold; and

store the information in the non-volatile memory to be accessible to a controller of a device accessory,

wherein accessibility of the information to the controller of the device accessory enables determination of whether to initiate charging of the device from a battery of the device accessory based on a charge level associated with the device and further based on the device battery charging threshold while the application is not executing at the device, the charge level independent of the device battery charging threshold.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information further indicates a second device battery charging threshold.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein accessibility of the information to the controller of the device accessory further enables determination of whether to disable charging of the device from the battery of the device accessory based on the second device battery charging threshold.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the device battery charging threshold corresponds to a first voltage, and

the second device battery charging threshold corresponds to a second voltage.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the device battery charging threshold corresponds to a first ratio of a first available charge of a device battery of the device to a battery capacity of the device battery, and

the second device battery charging threshold corresponds to a second ratio of a second available charge of the device battery to the battery capacity.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the application is executable by the device to prompt a user via a graphical user interface (GUI) to adjust the device battery charging threshold.

7. A method comprising:

in a case that is mechanically connected to a wireless device, the case including a battery and a data storage device, performing;

using a communication technique, receiving a first indication from the wireless device of a charge level of the wireless device;

receiving a second indication of a charging threshold from the wireless device wherein the charge level is independent of the charging threshold; and

in response to the charge level being less than the charging threshold, providing a voltage to the wireless device using the battery.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving one or more of a request for write access to the data storage device or a request for read access to the data storage device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the case at least partially encloses the wireless device and is external to the wireless device.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising waking a controller of the case to enable the controller to receive the first indication using a wired interface of the case, wherein the controller is woken in response to receiving a wakeup message from the wireless device using a wireless interface of the case or in response to detecting that a value of a timer satisfies a timer threshold.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a third indication of a second charge level of the wireless device after charging the wireless device; and

disconnecting the voltage from the wireless device in response to determining that the second charge level of the wireless device exceeds a second charging threshold.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving information from the wireless device, the information indicating the second charging threshold.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the charging threshold is adjustable via a user interface of the wireless device.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing the information at the data storage device.

15. An apparatus comprising:

means for storing data in a non-volatile manner; and

means for receiving information of an application of a device and for storing the information in the means for storing data to be accessible to a controller of a device accessory, the information indicating a device battery charging threshold,

wherein accessibility of the information to the controller of the device accessory enables the controller to determine whether to initiate charging of the device from a battery of the device accessory based on a charge level associated with the device and further based on the device battery charging threshold while the application is not executing at the device, the charge level independent of the device battery charging threshold.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising means for presenting a graphical user interface (GUI) to enable user adjustment of the device battery charging threshold, wherein the means for receiving is configured to receive the information via the GUI.