Systems and Methods for Activating an Electronic Device via Battery Displacement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026005530-A1
Application number	US-202519318268-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 3, 2025
Priority date	Oct 17, 2023
Publication date	Jan 1, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed that include an electronic device and an activation device. The electronic device includes a battery compartment having a battery storage section and a battery engagement section. The battery engagement section includes battery contacts. The electronic also includes a battery disposed in the battery storage section of the battery compartment. The battery moves from the battery storage section to the battery engagement section in response to an activation event to place the battery in electrical contact with the battery contacts. The activation device includes an activation element configured to generate the activation event.

First claim

1 . A system comprising:
an electronic device, the electronic device including:
a sealed housing having an interior volume that is inaccessible without breaking a seal of the sealed housing;
a battery storage section disposed in the sealed housing, the battery storage section stores a battery;
a battery engagement section disposed in the sealed housing, the battery engagement section including battery contacts; and
an activation device, the activation device including:
a magnet configured to generate the magnetic field,
the battery is configured to move from the battery storage section to the battery engagement section to place the battery in electrical contact with the battery contacts in response to exposure of the sealed housing to the magnetic field.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device further comprises:
a retaining member disposed between the battery storage section and the battery engagement section, the retaining member inhibiting movement of the battery from the battery storage section to the battery engagement section.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein in response to the activation event, the battery exerts a force on the retaining member that displaces or deforms the retaining member so that the battery moves past the retaining member and into the battery engagement section in response to the activation event.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the battery is configured to move from the battery storage section to the battery engagement section in response to relative movement of the sealed housing in the magnetic field.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device further comprises:
an electric circuit electrically coupled to the battery contacts, the electrical circuit including a first communication module and a second communication module, the first communication module is operable when the battery is in the battery storage section, and the second communication module is inoperable when the battery is in the battery storage section.

6 . An electronic device comprising:
a sealed housing having an interior volume that is inaccessible without breaking a seal of the sealed housing; an electric circuit disposed in the sealed housing; a battery storage section disposed in the sealed housing, the battery storage section storing a battery; and a battery engagement section disposed in the sealed housing, the battery engagement section including battery contacts that are electrically connected to the electric circuit, the battery is configured to move from the battery storage section to the battery engagement section to place the battery in electrical contact with the battery contacts in response to exposure of the sealed housing to a magnetic field.

7 . The electronic device of claim 6 , further comprising:
a retaining member disposed between the battery storage section and the battery engagement section, the retaining member inhibiting movement of the battery from the battery storage section to the battery engagement section.

8 . The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein in response to the activation event, the battery exerts a force on the retaining member that displaces or deforms the retaining member so that the battery moves past the retaining member and into the battery engagement section in response to the activation event.

9 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the activation event induces a magnetic field encompassing the battery and the magnetic field moves the battery from the battery storage section to the battery engagement section.

10 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein exposure of the sealed housing to the magnetic field moving the housing in the magnetic field.

11 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein an interior volume of the sealed housing is inaccessible.

12 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the electric circuit comprises:
a first communications module that is electrically isolated from the battery contacts; and a second communications module that is electrically connected to the battery contacts, the first communications module is operable and the second communications module is inoperable when the battery is in the battery storage section.

13 . The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the first communications module is one of a near-field communication (NFC) circuit or a radiofrequency identification (RFID) circuit and the second communications module is a Bluetooth circuit.

14 . An activation device comprising:
a housing including:
a first member defining a receiving area configured to receive an electronic device; and
a second member configured to support the first member, the first member being rotatably coupled to the second member;
a magnet disposed in the second member, the magnet configured to magnetically couple with a battery in the electronic device to move the battery into a position in which the battery is electrically connected to an electric circuit of the electronic device; one or more communication interfaces disposed in the second member; and a logic circuit disposed in the second member, the logic circuit configured to control the communication interface to communicate with at least one of a near-field communication (NFC) module or a radiofrequency identification (RFID) module of the electronic device in response to receiving the electronic device by the receiving area.

15 . The activation device of claim 14 , further comprising:
an output device, wherein the one or more communication interfaces receive an identifier from the electronic device, the logic circuit transmits the identifier to a computing device, receives a response from the authenticating the electronic device, and the logic circuit outputs an indicator on the output device to indicate that the electronic device has been authenticated.

Assignees

• Zebra Tech Corp

Inventors

• Smith Cameron James
• Hackett Edward Anthony
• Wang Chieh Kai
• Morley-Smith James Roger

Classifications

• H02J7/751 Primary

  concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries · CPC title

• H01M50/289

  characterised by spacing elements or positioning means within frames, racks or packs (spacing elements inside cells other than separators, membranes or diaphragms H01M50/471) · CPC title

• H01M2220/30

  Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop · CPC title

• H01M10/425

  Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing (printed circuits H05K1/00) · CPC title

• H01M50/262

  with fastening means, e.g. locks · CPC title