Power management systems for product demonstration fixtures

• US 10,826,313 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2016
• Issued: 11/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sanford, Emery A., Havskjold, David G., Herbst, Steven G., Montevirgen, Anthony S., Terlizzi, Jeffery J., Manullang, Tyson B., Schwalbach, Charles A., Henshaw, Glenn David, Agrawal, Vikas, Manthiri, Soundararajan
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Xuan M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zaman, Sadaruz
• Application Number:
  US14/991,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20160126761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,761 Days
• Field of Search: 434379
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 2005/165 with inclined display surface
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/005 with glass panels
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/16 Platform-type show stands with flat, inclined, or curved upper surface
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/0246 for rectangular articles, e.g. books, cassettes on the article itself E05B73/0023
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1633 Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
• 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 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• 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: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction

Abstract

Power management systems for an electronic product demonstration fixture for demonstrating portable electronic devices. The product demonstration fixture may include an exhibition portion and a base portion. A portable electronic device offered for sale may be affixed to the exhibition portion. The base portion may include an electronic display, an auxiliary battery, and an auxiliary controller. The auxiliary controller may direct power from the auxiliary battery to the electronic display upon determining that a battery within the electronic display has fallen below a particular selected level. Similarly the auxiliary controller may direct power from the auxiliary battery to the portable electronic device offered for sale upon determining that a battery within the portable electronic device has fallen below a selected level.

Claims

1. A battery control system, comprising:

a first charger;

a second charger;

a first battery connected to the first charger;

a second battery connected to the first charger;

a third battery connected to the second charger; and

a controller,

wherein the controller controls discharge of the batteries in a discharge sequence that switches connection to an electrical load between the batteries in a sequence that does not include switching directly between batteries connected to the same charger.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the discharge sequence includes, in order:

connecting the first battery to the electrical load through the first charger,

connecting the third battery to the electrical load through the second charger, and then disconnecting the first battery from the electrical load,

connecting the second battery to the electrical load through the first charger, and then disconnecting the third battery from the electrical load, and

connecting the third battery to the electrical load through the second charger, and then disconnecting the second battery from the electrical load.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a fourth battery connected to the second charger,

wherein the discharge sequence includes, in order:

connecting the first battery to the electrical load through the first charger,

connecting the third battery to the electrical load through the second charger, and then disconnecting the first battery from the electrical load,

connecting the second battery to the electrical load through the first charger, and then disconnecting the third battery from the electrical load, and

connecting the fourth battery to the electrical load through the second charger, and then disconnecting the second battery from the electrical load.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a fourth battery connected to the second charger; and

a fifth battery connected to a third charger,

wherein the discharge sequence includes, in order;

connecting the first battery to the electrical load through the first charger,

connecting the third battery to the electrical load through the second charger, and then disconnecting the first battery from the electrical load,

connecting the second battery to the electrical load through the first charger, and then disconnecting the third battery from the electrical load,

connecting the fourth battery to the electrical load through the second charger, and then disconnecting the second battery from the electrical load, and

connecting the fifth battery to the electrical load through the third charger, and then disconnecting the fourth battery from the electrical load.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein switching between batteries in the discharge sequence occurs after a battery connected to the electrical load has drained a predetermined charge amount.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein switching between batteries in the discharge sequence occurs after a battery connected to the electrical load has drained a predetermined percentage of its charge.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least two of the batteries have different capacities.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein charge levels of the batteries remain within a predetermined amount of percentage points of each other throughout the discharge sequence.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the predetermined amount of percentage points is 10 percentage points.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the discharge sequence is repeated during discharge of the batteries, and wherein the batteries are drained by the same percentage during each repetition of the discharge sequence.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical load comprises the controller.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical load comprises at least two independent electronic devices.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to at least partially discharge each battery within a predetermined time period.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to charge the first battery, the second battery, and the third battery with power received from a power source.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to charge the first battery and the third battery at the same time.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to monitor the charge levels of the first battery, the second battery, and the third battery, and wherein the controller is configured to control the switching of the batteries during the discharge sequence based the charge levels.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to repeat the discharge sequence as needed to power the electrical load.

18. A retail display system comprising:

at least two independent electronic devices;

the battery control system of claim 1; and

a housing configured to be displayed on a tabletop;

wherein the at least two electronic devices are displayed by the detail display system,

wherein the battery control system is disposed within the housing, and

wherein the electrical load comprises the at least two electronic devices.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller controls discharge of the batteries to power at least two electronic devices being displayed in an interactive retail display unit, and wherein the electrical load is provided by the at least two electronic devices.

19. A battery control system, comprising:

a first charger;

a second charger;

a first battery connected to the first charger;

a second battery connected to the first charger;

a third battery connected to the second charger; and

a controller,

wherein the controller is configured to charge the first battery, the second battery, and the third battery with power received from a power source, and wherein the controller is configured to charge the third battery and one of the first battery or the second battery at the same time.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a fourth battery connected to the second charger, and

wherein the controller controls charging of the batteries in a charging sequence, and wherein the charging sequence includes:

connecting the first battery to the power source through the first charger,

connecting the third battery to the power source through the second charger,

disconnecting the first battery and the third battery from the power source,

connecting the second battery to the power source through the first charger,

connecting the fourth battery to the power source through the second charger, and

disconnecting the second battery and fourth battery from the power source.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein disconnecting batteries in the charging sequence occurs after a battery connected to the power source has charged to a predetermined charge amount.