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| Method and system for controlling and monitoring an array of point-of-load regulators |
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| Electronic circuit arrangement having polarity reversal protection |
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| Circuit for electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection |
| OF THE INVENTION FIG. 1 depicts a partial block diagram, partial schematic diagram of an input/... |
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| Tire deflation mechanism |
| OF THE DRAWINGS (FIGS. 1 AND 2) FIGS. 1 and 2 show a manually operated tire deflator mechanism ... |
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| Battery pack and electronic apparatus using the same |
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| Battery charging system with power management of plural peripheral devices |
| OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of ... |
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| Rechargeable battery charging circuit |
| Accordingly, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel battery charging ... |
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| Power converter with increased breakdown voltage maintaining stable operation |
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| Battery charger and charge control system |
| The present invention overcomes the foregoing and other shortcomings and drawbacks of battery ... |
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Battery charging methods and apparatuses
| Details |
Inventors: Banyas, Timothy; Frannhagen, Bjorn;
Assignee: Ericsson Inc. (Research Triangle Park, NC)
Primary Examiner: Wong; Peter S.
Assistant Examiner: Toatley, Jr.; Gregory J.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Burns, Doane, Swecker & Mathis, L.L.P.
Techniques for controlling the charging of batteries and portable electronic devices are described. In order to avoid inclusion of a temperature sensing element within a battery pack, various techniques are described that control charging of the battery with respect to its temperature. For example, when the portable electronic device is powered on, a timer may begin counting which, after a predetermined time period, will allow an external charging device to charge the battery. Alternatively, if a temperature sensing element is provided within the device for monitoring the temperature of some other element, its monitored temperature may also be taken into account in determining when the battery is within a safe temperature range for charging. A temperature gradient measured by the temperature sensing element within the device may also be considered to counteract the impact of drastic temperature differences between the battery and the device itself. |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is applicable to any and all devices which use batteries that are rechargeable, including, for example, mobile phones and portable computers.
However, for the purposes of illustration, rather than limitation, the following discussion provides examples which illustrate application of the present invention in the area of mobile phones.
Accordingly, prior to describing battery charging techniques according to the present invention, a brief description of cellular radiocommunication systems is provided below for context.
FIG.
1 represents a block diagram of an exemplary cellular radiocommunication system, including an exemplary base station 110 and mobile station 120.
The base station includes a control and processing unit 130 which is connected to the MSC 140 which in turn is connected to the PSTN (not shown).
General aspects of such cellular radiotelephone systems are known in the art, as described by U.
S.
Pat.
No.
5,175,867 to Wejke et al.
, entitled "Neighbor-Assisted Handoff in a Cellular Communication System," and U.
S.
patent application Ser.
No.
07/967,027 entitled "Multi-mode Signal Processing," which was filed on Oct.
27, 1992, both of which are incorporated in this application by reference.
The mobile station 120 receives the information broadcast on a control channel at its voice and control channel transceiver 170.
Then, the processing unit 180 evaluates the received control channel information, which includes the characteristics of cells that are candidates for the mobile station to lock on to, and determines on which cell the mobile should lock.
More significantly, from the perspective of the present invention, the processing unit 180 also controls the charging of the mobile station's battery 190.
The mobile station 120 includes a thermistor (not shown) proximate the power amplifier (not shown) for monitoring, for example, the temperature of the power amplifier.
The structures and techniques used for charging this battery according to the present invention can also use this thermistor for another purpose, which techniques will now be described
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Electrical and Wave 
