Monitoring charging efficiency of a mobile computing device via a power bank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11239672-B2
Application number	US-202016827384-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2020
Priority date	Mar 23, 2020
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

A portable power bank for charging a mobile computing device is described, and a dynamic charging efficiency is monitored while the power bank is charging the mobile computing device. Particularly, instantaneous power output of a battery of the power bank is compared to power received by a battery of the mobile computing device to determine efficiency. The charging of the mobile computing device by the power bank is interrupted and/or resumed based upon the charging efficiency at any given time, thereby preventing inefficient use of the power bank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable power bank device, comprising:
a battery for supplying electric charge to a battery of a mobile computing device external to the power bank, via an electrical connection between the power bank battery and the mobile computing device battery;
a communication module for exchanging communication signals with the mobile computing device; and
a control module comprising one or more processors and a memory storing non-transitory computer executable instructions that, when executed via the one or more processors, cause the power bank to:
while the power bank is supplying electric charge to the mobile computing device battery, determine an instantaneous power output of the power bank battery,
obtain, via the communication module, a communication signal from the mobile computing device, the obtained signal being indicative of an amount of power received at the mobile computing device battery,
compare the amount of power received at the mobile computing device battery to the instantaneous power output of the power bank battery to determine a dynamic charging efficiency, and
interrupt the supply of electric charge to the mobile computing device battery when the dynamic charging efficiency is less than or equal to a threshold value.

2. The portable power bank device of claim 1 , wherein the non-transitory computer executable instructions further include instructions that, when executed via the one or more processors, cause the power bank to transmit to the mobile computing device, via a communication module of the power bank, an indication of the dynamic charging efficiency.

3. The portable power bank device of claim 2 , wherein the interrupting of the supply of electric charge is performed further based upon a user interaction received by the portable power bank device from the mobile computing device, the user interaction being received subsequent to transmitting of the indication of the dynamic charging efficiency to the mobile computing device.

4. The portable power bank device of claim 1 , wherein the non-transitory computer executable instructions further include instructions that, when executed via the one or more processors, cause the power bank to, subsequent to interrupting the supply of electric charge, resume the supply of electric charge to the mobile computing device battery.

5. The portable power bank device of claim 1 , wherein the threshold value is a value set by a user of the mobile computing device via a software application executing at the mobile computing device.

6. The portable power bank device of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the instantaneous power output is based upon at least one of (i) a measurement of a dynamic voltage of the battery of the power bank, or (ii) a measurement of a dynamic outflowing current from the battery of the power bank.

7. The portable power bank device of claim 1 , wherein the obtained signal indicative of the power received at the mobile computing device battery comprises one of (i) a value corresponding to voltage of a battery of the mobile computing device, and (ii) a value corresponding to amount of inflowing electric current to the battery of the mobile computing device.

8. The portable power bank device of claim 1 , wherein the communication signal obtained by the power bank communication module is a wireless radio frequency communication signal.

9. The portable power bank device of claim 1 , wherein the electrical connection between the power bank battery and the mobile computing device battery comprises a wired electrical connection between the power bank and the mobile computing device.

10. The portable power bank device of claim 1 , wherein the electrical connection between the power bank battery and the mobile computing device battery comprises a wireless electrical connection between the power bank and the mobile computing device.

11. A mobile computing device, comprising:
an internal battery configured to act as a power supply for the mobile computing device, wherein the internal battery of the mobile computing device is configured to receive electric charge from a battery of a portable power bank device external to the mobile computing device, via an electrical connection between the power bank battery and the mobile computing device battery;
a communication module for exchanging communication signals with the power bank;
one or more processors; and
one or more computer-readable memories storing non-transitory computer executable instructions that, when executed via the one or more processors, cause the mobile computing device to:
while the mobile computing device battery is receiving electric charge from the power bank, obtain, via the communication module, a communication signal from the power bank, the obtained signal being indicative of an instantaneous power output of the power bank battery,
determine an amount of power received at the mobile computing device battery from the power bank battery,
compare, via the one or more processors, the amount of power received at the mobile computing device battery to the instantaneous power output of the power bank battery to determine a dynamic charging efficiency, and
interrupt the supply of electric charge to the mobile computing device battery when the dynamic charging efficiency is less than or equal to a threshold value.

12. The mobile computing device of claim 11 , wherein the non-transitory computer executable instructions further include instructions that, when executed via the one or more processors, cause the mobile computing device to display, via a graphical user interface at the mobile computing device, an indication of the dynamic charging efficiency.

13. The mobile computing device of claim 12 , wherein the non-transitory computer executable instructions further include instructions that, when executed via the one or more processors, cause the mobile computing device to receive a user interaction via the graphical user interface, and wherein the interrupting of the supply of electric charge is based further upon the receiving of the user interaction.

14. The mobile computing device of claim 11 , wherein the non-transitory computer executable instructions further include instructions that, when executed via the one or more processors, cause the mobile computing device to, subsequent to interrupting the supply of electric charge, resume the supply of electric charge to the mobile computing device battery.

15. The mobile computing device of claim 11 , wherein the threshold value is a value set by a user of the mobile computing device via a software application executing at the mobile computing device.

16. The mobile computing device of claim 11 , wherein the determining of the power received at the mobile computing device battery is based upon at least one of (i) a measurement of a dynamic voltage of the mobile computing device battery, or (ii) a measurement of a dynamic inflowing current to the mobile computing device battery.

17. The mobile computing device of claim 11 , wherein the obtained signal indicative of the instantaneous power output from the power bank to the electrical connection comprises one of (i) a value corresponding to voltage of the power bank battery, and (ii) a value corresponding to amount of outflowing electric current from the power bank battery.

18. The mobile computing device of claim 11 , wherein the communication signal obtained by the mobile computing device communication module is a wireless radio frequency communication signal.

19. The portable power

Assignees

• Duracell Us Operations Inc

Inventors

• Bourilkov Jordan
• Rotondo John
• Restrepo Francisco Jose
• Coronado Hortal Sergio

Classifications

• H02J7/92

  with prioritisation of loads or sources · CPC title

• H02J7/42

  with electronic devices having internal batteries, e.g. mobile phones · CPC title

• H02J7/933

  the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters · CPC title

• H02J7/731 Primary

  specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries (H02J7/751 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J50/10

  using inductive coupling · CPC title