ENERGY TRANSFER MECHANISM

• US 20180069415A1
• Filed: 11/13/2017
• Published: 03/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zugasti Hays, Alfredo, Ramirez Flores, Axel, Estes, Larry Glenn, Seethaler, Kenneth Scott, Li, Scott Wentao, VanBlon, Russell Speight, Zawacki, Jennifer Greenwood, Painter, Alan Ladd, Kelso, Scott Edwards
• Granted Patent: US 11,296,538 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• 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

Abstract

A device and method of transferring energy between peer devices includes determining a predefined limit on energy transfer to a consumer device, initiating transfer of the energy via an energy transfer connection, and terminating the energy transfer when the predefined limit is reached.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A method comprising:

determining a predefined limit on energy transfer to a consumer device;

initiating transfer of the energy via an energy transfer connection; and

terminating the energy transfer when the predefined limit is reached.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising determining the predefined limit responsive to determining that a consumer device has a dead battery.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving a selection of the predefined limit from a user.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the predefined limit includes an amount of time.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the predefined limit comprises a portion of a charge of a provider battery.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the portion of the charge of the provider battery is a percentage of charge of the provider battery.

8. The method of claim 2, comprising stopping the energy transfer when a remaining battery power in a provider device reaches a stop transfer threshold or when an energy transfer time period has been reached regardless of the amount of energy transferred.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining a credit for a future power transfer to the provider device.

10. A device comprising:

a display;

a processor operatively coupled to the display;

an energy transfer connection;

a battery that supplies power to the processor and that is operatively coupled to the energy transfer connection; and

power management electronics configured to;

determine a predefined limit on energy transfer to a consumer device;

initiate transfer of energy via an energy transfer connection; and

terminate the energy transfer when the predefined limit is reached.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the power management electronics are configured to determine the predefined limit responsive to determining that a consumer device has a dead battery.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the power management electronics are configured to receive a selection of the predefined limit from a user.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the predefined limit includes an amount of time.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the predefined limit comprises a portion of a charge of a provider battery.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the portion of the charge of the provider battery is a percentage of charge of the provider battery.

16. A machine readable storage device having instructions for execution by a processor of the machine to perform:

determining a predefined limit on energy transfer to a consumer device;

initiating transfer of the energy via an energy transfer connection; and

terminating the energy transfer when the predefined limit is reached.

17. The machine readable storage device of claim 16 wherein initiating transfer of energy comprises:

causing transfer of energy via the energy transfer connection; and

receiving metering information specifying an amount of energy transferred.

18. The machine readable storage device of claim 17 including instructions to stop the energy transfer when the energy transfer reaches the predefined limit as indicated by the metering of the amount of energy transferred.

19. The machine readable storage device of claim 17 including instructions to stop the energy transfer when a remaining battery power in a provider device reaches a stop transfer threshold or when an energy transfer time period has been reached regardless of the amount of energy transferred.

20. The machine readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the predefined limit comprises a portion of a charge of a provider battery.

21. The machine readable storage device of claim 16, comprising instructions to receive a selection of the predefined limit from a user.