Integrated monitoring charging efficiency of a rechargeable device via a power bank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11710977-B2
Application number	US-202117198967-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2021
Priority date	Mar 11, 2021
Publication date	Jul 25, 2023
Grant date	Jul 25, 2023

Abstract

A portable power bank for charging a rechargeable device is described, and a dynamic charging efficiency is monitored while the power bank is charging the rechargeable device. Particularly, instantaneous power output of a battery of the power bank is compared to power received by a battery of the rechargeable device to determine efficiency. The charging of the rechargeable 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 power bank device, comprising:
a battery for supplying electric charge to a battery of a rechargeable device external to the power bank device, via an electrical connection between the power bank battery and a rechargeable device battery;
one or more transceivers configured to exchange communication signals with the rechargeable device and a remote server; and
one or more processors; and
a non-transitory memory storing computer executable instructions that, when executed via the one or more processors, cause the power bank device to:
while supplying electric charge to the rechargeable device battery, determine an instantaneous power output of the power bank battery,
obtain, via the one or more transceivers, a communication signal from the rechargeable device, the obtained signal being indicative of an amount of power received at the rechargeable device battery,
transmit, via the one or more transceivers and to the remote server, a charging status signal that includes an indication of (i) the amount of power received at the rechargeable device battery and (ii) an instantaneous power output of the power bank battery,
receive, via the one or more transceivers and from the remote server, an interrupt signal in response to the remote server determining that a dynamic charging efficiency is less than or equal to a threshold value, wherein the dynamic charging efficiency is determined based on the charging status signal, and
responsive to receiving the interrupt signal, interrupt the supply of electric charge to the rechargeable device battery.

2. The power bank device of claim 1 , wherein to obtain the communication signal from the rechargeable device, the instructions, when executed, cause the power bank device to:
obtain, via a transceiver of the one or more transceivers used to supply the electric charge to the rechargeable device, the communication signal.

3. The power bank device of claim 1 , wherein to receive the interrupt signal from the remote server, the instructions, when executed, cause the power bank device to:
receive, via the one or more transceivers and from the remote server, the interrupt signal in response to the remote server receiving an indication of a user interaction to interrupt to the supply of electric charge.

4. The power bank device of claim 3 , wherein the indication of the user interaction is generated by the rechargeable device.

5. The power bank device of claim 3 , wherein:
the power bank device is associated with a user profile that includes one or more personal electronic devices; and
the indication of the user interaction is generated by a personal electronic device of the one or more personal electronic devices.

6. The power bank device of claim 1 , wherein to determine the instantaneous power output of the power bank battery, the instructions, when executed, cause the power bank device to:
measure at least one of (i) dynamic voltage of the power bank battery, and (ii) a dynamic outflowing current from the power bank battery.

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

8. The power bank device of claim 1 , wherein the electrical connection between the power bank battery and the rechargeable device battery comprises a wired electrical connection between the power bank and the rechargeable device.

9. The power bank device of claim 1 , wherein the electrical connection between the power bank battery and the rechargeable device battery comprises a wireless electrical connection between the power bank and the rechargeable device.

10. A computer-implemented method comprising:
while supplying electric charge to a battery of a rechargeable device via an electrical connection, determining, by one or more processors of a power bank device, an instantaneous power output of a battery of the power bank device,
obtaining, via one or more transceivers, a communication signal from the rechargeable device, the obtained signal being indicative of an amount of power received at the rechargeable device battery,
transmitting, via the one or more transceivers and to a remote server, a charging status signal that includes an indication of (i) the amount of power received at the rechargeable device battery and (ii) an instantaneous power output of the power bank battery,
receiving, via the one or more transceivers and from the remote server, an interrupt signal in response to the remote server determining that a dynamic charging efficiency is less than or equal to a threshold value, wherein the dynamic charging efficiency is determined based on the charging status signal, and
responsive to receiving the interrupt signal, interrupting a supply of electric charge to the rechargeable device battery.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein obtaining the communication signal from the rechargeable device comprises:
obtaining, via a transceiver of the one or more transceivers used to supply the electric charge to the rechargeable device, the communication signal.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein receiving the interrupt signal from the remote server comprises:
receiving, via the one or more transceivers and from the remote server, the interrupt signal in response to the remote server receiving an indication of a user interaction to interrupt to the supply of electric charge.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the indication of the user interaction is generated by the rechargeable device.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein:
the power bank device is associated with a user profile that includes one or more personal electronic devices; and
the indication of the user interaction is generated by a personal electronic device of the one or more personal electronic devices.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the instantaneous power output of the power bank battery comprises:
measuring at least one of (i) dynamic voltage of the power bank battery, and (ii) a dynamic outflowing current from the power bank battery.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the obtained signal indicative of the power received at rechargeable device battery comprises at least one of (i) a value corresponding to voltage of the rechargeable device battery, and (ii) a value corresponding to amount of inflowing electric current to the rechargeable device battery.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the electrical connection between the power bank battery and the rechargeable device battery comprises a wired electrical connection between the power bank and the rechargeable device.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the electrical connection between the power bank battery and the rechargeable device battery comprises a wireless electrical connection between the power bank and the rechargeable device.

19. A rechargeable device, comprising:
an internal battery configured to act as a power supply for the rechargeable device, wherein the internal battery of the rechargeable device is configured to receive electric charge from a battery of a portable power bank device external to the rechargeable device, via an electrical connection between the power bank battery and the rechargeable device battery one or more transceivers configured to exchange communication signals with the rechargeable device and a remote server; and

Assignees

• Duracell Us Operations Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H02J7/663

  using battery or load disconnect circuits (H02J9/002 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J7/82

  Control of state of charge [SOC] · CPC title

• H02J7/40

  characterised by the exchange of charge or discharge related data · CPC title

• H02J7/94 Primary

  in response to battery current · CPC title

• H02J7/80

  including monitoring or indicating arrangements · CPC title