Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – Specific condition
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-10
2001-11-27
Swarthout, Brent A. (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
Specific condition
C235S384000, C320S118000, C701S022000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06323775
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of portable battery-operated electronic devices, and in particular, by way of example but not limitation, to battery monitoring and proximity-based recharge notification for portable battery-operated electronic devices.
2. Description of Related Art
Portable battery-operated electronic devices have become an increasingly important part of our modern technological society. No longer are these devices considered a luxury, available only to the rich and affluent. Rather, as people become more mobile through their jobs, recreational activities and lifestyle choices, they have become increasingly reliant upon the convenience and services that portable electronic devices offer. Moreover, with the advances in semiconductor technology and integrated circuit miniaturization, portable electronic devices have become smaller, lighter and increasingly more sophisticated. These aspects of portable electronic devices have enabled users to fully exploit technological advances in a manner and under circumstances that would be impossible using conventional stationary systems. When these portable electronic devices incorporate communication capabilities, such as cellular radio, the portable electronic device becomes even more advantageous. Many users, in fact, rely upon their portable electronic device as their sole means of communication while they are traveling or visiting customers. Many users also appreciate the enhanced security provided by the ability to contact family, friends or emergency services from remote locations. With these advantages, it is no wonder that portable electronic devices have experienced an almost exponential increase in demand and have become critical to the lives and livelihood of many individuals.
One of the problems experienced with portable electronic devices, however, is that these small hand-held devices are powered by small, rechargeable batteries that normally provide a limited number of hours of active service. Once the batteries are discharged below a certain level, the portable electronic device will cease to function. The battery or batteries will then need to be recharged before the user may utilize the functions and services of the portable electronic device. Because the battery may take an hour or more to recharge using conventional charging systems, this downtime could be extremely inconvenient and especially problematic during an emergency. Moreover, in many cases, the user may not discover the low battery condition until it would be extremely inconvenient or even impossible to recharge the battery, such as when the user needs to make an important communication, accomplish an important task, or when a charging unit is not readily available.
Existing approaches have attempted to alleviate these problems by warning the user of a low battery condition in time for the user to take appropriate action. These approaches utilize circuitry which continuously monitors the battery and notifies the user when the remaining battery capacity falls below a predetermined level. The methods employed to notify the user of the low battery condition may include acoustical indications, textual or graphical indications on the display or flashing LED's. After receiving this notification, the user then has the responsibility to place the battery in a charging unit before the battery is depleted.
The problem with this approach is that the user will typically receive the low battery notification while the user is located away from the charging unit (e.g., while the user is traveling or at a customer's location). By the time the user returns to the location of the charging unit(e.g., home or office), it is likely that the user has forgotten about the low battery notification received earlier. With existing approaches, it is likely that the user will not be reminded of the low battery condition until the user attempts to use the device. At this point, it may no longer be convenient or possible to connect the battery to the charging unit because either the user lacks the time or a charging unit is not readily available. As a result, the user is likely to be on the road with a depleted or nearly depleted battery. Therefore, there exists a need to notify the user of a low battery condition in a manner that increases the likelihood that the battery can and will be recharged.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The deficiencies of the prior art are overcome by the apparatus, system and method of the present invention. For example, as heretofore unrecognized, it would be beneficial to monitor the remaining battery capacity of a portable battery-powered electronic device and provide a recharge notification when the remaining battery capacity falls below a predetermined level and the electronic device is proximally located to a charging unit. In a first embodiment of the present invention, proximity of the electronic device to the charging unit is determined using geographical positioning. The present geographic location of the electronic device is determined using such methods as the Global Positioning System (GPS), the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), and Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) location-determining algorithms. This geographic location is then compared to a stored geographic location of a corresponding charging unit. When the battery capacity of the electronic device falls below a predetermined level and the electronic device's present geographic location is within a predetermined distance from the stored geographic location of the charging unit, a recharge notification is initiated.
In a second embodiment, proximity of the electronic device to the charging unit is determined by monitoring associated short range radio transceivers. If the remaining battery capacity of the electronic device is below a predetermined level and a short range radio transceiver associated with the electronic device detects a short range radio transceiver associated with the charging unit, a recharge notification is initiated informing the user that the battery needs to be recharged and that a charging unit is conveniently located nearby. In this instance, the limited transmission range of the associated short range radio transceivers indicates the proximity of the electronic device to the charging unit.
The technical advantages of the present invention include, but are not limited to the following. It should be understood that particular embodiments may not involve any, much less all, of the following exemplary technical advantages.
One important technical advantage of the present invention is that it decreases the likelihood that the user will be on the road with a depleted or nearly depleted battery by providing the user a recharge notification when the battery needs recharging and a charging unit is conveniently located nearby.
Another important technical advantage of the present invention is that it provides a more relevant recharge notification to the user by notifying the user of a low battery condition at a time when and at a location where the user may take immediate appropriate action. Yet still another important technical advantage of the present invention is that it eliminates the need for the user to remember a recharge notification received at a time when a charging unit is not readily available.
The above-described and other features of the present invention are explained in detail hereinafter with reference to the illustrative examples shown in the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the described embodiments are provided for purposes of illustration and understanding and that numerous equivalent embodiments are contemplated herein.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4229688 (1980-10-01), Knox et al.
patent: 4679152 (1987-07-01), Perdue
patent: 5045769 (1991-09-01), Everett, Jr.
patent: 5047961 (1991-09-01), Simonsen
patent: 5049802 (1991-09-01), Mintus et al.
patent: 5431264 (1995-07-01), Tseng et al.
patent: 5499181
Jenkens & Gilchrist
Swarthout Brent A.
Telefonaktiebolaget IM Ericsson (publ)
LandOfFree
Method, system and apparatus for proximity-based recharge... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method, system and apparatus for proximity-based recharge..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method, system and apparatus for proximity-based recharge... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2605381