Patent Application
20060028176
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a cellular telephone battery recharging system, and more particularly, to a vehicular cellular telephone rechargeable system for determining the compatibility between the recharging unit and the cellular telephone.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cellular telephones typically include rechargeable battery packs which are rechargeable by the use of either a separate plug-in adapter or a docking port which contains electrical contacts to charge the rechargeable batteries in the cellular telephone. The transfer of power from a main power source to the battery pack typically requires providing an output from an AC (alternating current) energy source to a conversion device for rectification to a DC energy source. A regulating circuit may be added to regulate the DC (direct current) energy output to the rechargeable batteries.
Typically such devices include electrical contact members to transfer the converted energy source from the recharging unit to the rechargeable batteries. This requires that electrical contacts of the recharging unit and the electrical contacts of the rechargeable battery pack be fully engaged so that a proper electrical contact can be made for transferring energy. However, damage or short circuiting of the exposed electrical contacts may be the result of debris or foreign material lodged in the electrical contacts.
Other types of recharging methods can be utilized such as inductive charging of the rechargeable battery back. This method uses no electrical contacts between the battery pack and the recharging unit. Rather, a primary coil generates an electromagnetic field to induce an electrical charge on a secondary coil within the battery pack or elsewhere in the cellular telephone. The energy induced in the secondary coil is then converted to a DC energy output for charging the rechargeable battery of the cellular telephone.
However, since a variety of cellular telephone manufacturers produce cellular telephones using unique battery packs of different voltage and current ratings, charging a rechargeable battery pack having a different voltage/current rating than that of the recharging unit may result in damage to either the rechargeable battery pack of the cellular telephone or the recharging unit itself.
Furthermore, cellular telephone recharging systems where the primary coil remains active at all times or during times of engine on uses an unnecessary power consumption, creates excess electromagnetic interference, and may be damaging to other inductive devices that may be in close proximity to the recharging unit when the cellular telephone is not docked in the docking port.
The present invention has the advantage of integrating a transmitter within a housing a rechargeable battery pack for transmitting an identification signal to a recharging unit such as a docking port for identifying a particular rechargeable battery for determining recharging compatibility, thereby eliminating the need for a separate fob for the passive entry function.
In one aspect of the present invention, a cellular telephone communication apparatus rechargeable by an exterior power source comprises a housing that includes a rechargeable battery. A secondary inductive coil disposed in the housing is excited by the exterior power source. A control circuit disposed in the housing is electrically connected between the secondary inductive coil and the rechargeable battery for controlling energy flow to the rechargeable battery. A transmitter disposed in the housing is activated for transmitting an identification signal. The identification signal identifies a particular rechargeable battery for recharging.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the transmitter within the cellular telephone communication apparatus transmits an identification signal for activating at least one vehicle passive entry function.
Referring now to the Drawings and particularly to
Various methods are known for recharging a cellular telephone battery. These methods typically require a direct electrical contact connection to transfer energy from a transmitting power source to the rechargeable battery.
The housing 26 is adaptable to the cellular telephone 12 which encases and protects the rechargeable battery 16 from exterior elements. The housing 26 further includes a secondary control circuit 27 and a secondary inductive coil 28. The secondary control circuit 27 includes circuitry for rectifying an induced AC output from the secondary inductive coil 28 for recharging the rechargeable battery 16.
To assist a user in determining charging compatibility between the respective rechargeable battery of a respective cellular telephone and the docking port 12, an apparatus is provided for automatically determining recharging compatibility. A transmitter 29 and an antenna 30 are provided within the housing 26 for transmitting an identification signal identifying the rechargeable battery. For example, various manufacturers provide cellular telephone batteries of different voltage ratings as well as different battery-cell compositions. In the preferred embodiment, the transmitter 29 includes a transponder. The transponder is used to transmit the identification signal identifying the rechargeable battery 16 when recharging is initiated or about to commence. The transponder is energized by an electromagnetic field having a respective strength. The electromagnetic field may be one that is generated by the primary induction coil 31 or any other vehicle radiated signal. This process may be initiated by the user placing the cellular telephone 10 in the docking port 22. The transponder broadcasts an identification signal via antenna 30 to the sensing circuit of the docking port 12 or vehicle. Preferably, the sensing circuit may be integrated with the primary control circuit 32, however, in alternative embodiments, the sensing circuit may be an independent circuit within the docking port 12. After the sensing circuit receives the identification signal, the sensing circuit compares the broadcast identification signal to an identification code stored in memory of the sensing circuit. If the identification codes matches identification signal, the power is provided to the primary inductive coil 31 for inductively charging the rechargeable battery 16. If the identification signal does not match, then the charging of the rechargeable battery 16 is terminated to prevent potential damage to the rechargeable battery 16 or the docking port 12.
In other preferred embodiments, the sensing circuit within the docking port 12 may determine the compatibility between the rechargeable battery 16 and the docking port 12 by means other than receiving the identification signal from the transponder. Such means includes sensing the amount of induced voltage on the secondary induction coil 28. An amount greater or less than a predetermined voltage differential would indicate that incompatibility condition is present and charging should be terminated. Termination of the charging of the rechargeable battery 12 could be performed automatically by electrically controlling the input voltage or output voltage. Alternatively, an indicator light could signal the user that an incompatibility condition is present and indicate that the cellular telephone 10 should be manually removed from the docking port 12.
In another preferred embodiment, other types of control circuitry could be integrated for controlling the charge of the rechargeable battery. Such examples include a measurement circuit for measuring the voltage and/or current to the rechargeable battery for determining the state of charge of the rechargeable battery 12. In yet another embodiment, a temperature sensor could be integrated for ascertaining the state of temperature for determining an overheating condition of the rechargeable battery 12. In yet another preferred embodiment, a fail safe circuit can be utilized for terminating the charging of the rechargeable battery 12 when an overload condition is detected or when unordinary amounts of energy are being conducted to the rechargeable battery.
The transmitter 29 of the cellular telephone 10 receives an interrogating signal from the vehicle initiating the passive entry operations. A user may initiate the process for broadcasting the interrogating signal by generating a user request such as lifting a door handle of a vehicle. This generates a door unlock request. The electronic control module 25 responds to the request by broadcasting the interrogating signal. The transmitter 29 broadcasts the identification signal in response to the received interrogation signal. The identification signal may be encrypted or a rolling identification code may be used to deter theft or electronic eavesdropping of the identification signal. If the identification signal matches the code stored in the memory of the electronic control module 33, a control signal is output to activate the one of the passive entry vehicle functions.
In step 53, a determination is made whether the device signal is received. If a determination is made that the device signal is not received by the docking port, no energy is transmitted through the primary coil. In the preferred embodiment, the primary coil is normally inactive until activated. If a determination was made in step 53 that the device signal is received, then a determination is made in step 54 whether a code within the identification signal matches the code stored within the memory of the docking port. If the code within the identification signal matches the code within the docking port, then the primary coil is energized as appropriate for the particular battery identified in step 55 and a return is made to step 52 to wait for an interrogation signal or listen for the device. If a determination was made in step 54 that the identification codes did not match, then the primary coil is not energized in step 56 and a return is made to step 51 to await a user action. Alternatively a return could be made to step 52 to wait for the interrogation signal or listen for the device.
