Systems and methods for protecting batteries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12322996-B2
Application number	US-202217675733-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2022
Priority date	Sep 28, 2021
Publication date	Jun 3, 2025
Grant date	Jun 3, 2025

Abstract

The disclosed computer-implemented method may include (i) detecting a battery condition of a wearable battery-operated device that indicates a threat to a battery's health and (ii) in response to detecting the battery condition, performing a battery-protection action by initiating a reverse power flow across a bidirectional connection from the wearable battery-operated device to a portable charging case that is designed to charge the wearable battery-operated device. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a physical processor; and
at least one physical memory connected to the physical processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the physical processor, cause the physical processor to perform:
charging a first battery of a wearable battery-operated device using a power flow across a bidirectional connection from a second battery of a portable charging case, that is designed to charge the wearable battery-operated device, to the first battery;
detecting a battery condition of the first battery of the wearable battery-operated device that indicates a threat to the first battery's health; and
in response to detecting the battery condition, performing a battery-protection action by reversing the power flow across the bidirectional connection from the first battery of the wearable battery-operated device to the second battery of the portable charging case,

wherein the bidirectional connection enables the first battery of the wearable battery-operated device to return energy back to and charge the second battery of the portable charging case.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein detecting the battery condition that indicates the threat to the first battery's health comprises detecting at least one of:
that the wearable battery-operated device has exceeded a threshold temperature;
that the first battery has exceeded the threshold temperature; or
that the first battery is fully charged.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wearable battery-operated device comprises at least one of earbuds, a true wireless stereo headset, a head-mounted display, or smart glasses.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a capacity of the second battery of the portable charging case is higher than a capacity of the first battery of the wearable battery-operated device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reverse power flow being configured to return energy back to the portable charging case prevents a loss of energy as heat.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wearable battery-operated device operates using a Li-ion battery.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the portable charging case operates using a Li-ion battery.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second battery of the portable charging case is sized to charge the first battery of the wearable battery-operated device multiple times.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the portable charging case is configured to charge by connecting to a wall adapter.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein reversing the power flow comprises activating a drawing of charge from the wearable battery-operated device to the portable charging case across the bidirectional connection.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein reversing the power flow lowers an operating voltage of the wearable battery-operated device.

12. A method comprising:
charging a first battery of a wearable battery-operated device using a power flow across a bidirectional connection from a second battery of a portable charging case, that is designed to charge the wearable battery-operated device, to the first battery;
detecting a battery condition of the first battery of the wearable battery-operated device that indicates a threat to the first battery's health; and
in response to detecting the battery condition, performing a battery-protection action by reversing the power flow across the bidirectional connection from the first battery of the wearable battery-operated device to the second battery of the portable charging case,
wherein the bidirectional connection enables the first battery of the wearable battery-operated device to return energy back to and charge the second battery of the portable charging case.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein detecting the battery condition that indicates the threat to the first battery's health comprises detecting at least one of:
that the wearable battery-operated device has exceeded a threshold temperature;
that the first battery has exceeded the threshold temperature; or
that the first battery is fully charged.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the wearable battery-operated device comprises at least one of earbuds, a true wireless stereo headset, a head-mounted display, or smart glasses.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein a capacity of the second battery of the portable charging case is higher than a capacity of the first battery of the wearable battery-operated device.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the reverse power flow being configured to return energy back to the portable charging case prevents a loss of energy as heat.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the wearable battery-operated device operates using a Li-ion battery.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the portable charging case operates using a Li-ion battery.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein a battery of the portable charging case is sized to charge a battery of the wearable battery-operated device multiple times.

20. A system comprising:
a wearable battery-operated device comprising a first battery;
a portable charging case that is designed to charge the wearable battery-operated device while storing the wearable battery-operated device and comprising a second battery; and
a processor configured to:
charge the first battery using a power flow across a bidirectional connection from the second battery to the first battery;
detect a battery condition of the first battery that indicates a threat to the first battery's health; and
in response to detecting the battery condition, reverse the power flow across the bidirectional connection from the first battery to the second battery to return energy back to the second battery from the first battery.

Assignees

• Meta Platforms Tech Llc

Inventors

• Kadirvel Karthik
• Chandra Sachin Ramesh
• Gupta Ankur

Classifications

• H02J7/825

  Detection of fully charged condition · CPC title

• H02J7/90

  Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage · CPC title

• H02J7/65

  against overtemperature · CPC title

• H02J7/61

  against overcharge · CPC title

• H04R1/1025 Primary

  Accumulators specially adapted for earpieces; Arrangements specially adapted for charging thereof · CPC title