Battery charging control
AssigneeSabine, Inc.
InventorsGary Miller, John Atkins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wireless microphone is provided with a recharging circuit which determines if a battery in the microphone is a rechargeable type and can be safely recharged. The recharging circuitry in the microphone, which could also be included in other handheld wireless devices, determines if a battery is in a charged state where it is difficult to distinguish rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries. If so the battery is discharged until the battery reaches a charged state where non-rechargeable batteries can be readily distinguished from rechargeable batteries.
Claims20
A battery recharging circuit in a wireless microphone comprising:
- a pair of terminals on the microphone for connecting to an external power supply;
- a battery charging circuit in the microphone connected to the pair of terminals for charging a battery in the microphone;
- a microcontroller in the microphone for controlling the battery charging circuit;
- and
- means for measuring unloaded and loaded voltages across the battery;
- said microcontroller including battery type determining means for determining from the measured voltages whether the battery is a rechargeable or non-rechargeable battery, and means for preventing recharging the battery if the battery is not determined to be a rechargeable type of battery.
A battery recharging circuit for recharging a standard size battery or batteries in a portable handheld device comprising:
- a pair of terminals on the handheld device for connecting the handheld device to an external power supply;
- a battery charging circuit in the handheld device connected to the pair of terminals for charging a battery in the handheld device;
- a microcontroller in the handheld device for controlling the battery charging circuit;
- means for measuring unloaded and loaded voltages across the battery;
- and
- a discharge circuit operated by the microcontroller for discharging the battery;
- said microcontroller including battery type determining means for determining from the measured voltages whether the battery is a rechargeable or non-rechargeable battery, means responsive to a finding of a battery in an indeterminate charged state wherein unloaded and loaded voltage measurements cannot be reliably used to distinguish rechargeable and non- rechargeable batteries to operate said discharge circuit for discharging the battery to a lower charged state where unloaded and loaded voltage measurements can be reliably used to distinguish rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries, and means for preventing recharging the battery if the battery is not determined to be a rechargeable type of battery.
A wireless microphone having a battery recharging circuit comprising:
- a microphone having microphone circuitry and a pair of terminals on the microphone for connecting to an external power supply;
- a battery charging circuit in the microphone connected to the pair of terminals for charging a battery in the microphone;
- a microcontroller in the microphone for controlling the battery charging circuit;
- means for measuring unloaded and loaded voltages across the battery;
- said microcontroller including battery type determining means for determining from the measured voltages whether the battery is a rechargeable or non-rechargeable battery, and means for preventing recharging the battery if the battery is not determined to be a rechargeable type of battery.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.