US 5,367,242 AGranted

System for charging a rechargeable battery of a portable unit in a rack

AssigneeEricsson Radio Systems B.V.

InventorFredericus W. M. Hulman

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A system for charging a rechargeable battery of a portable unit in a rack includes a detection circuit which detects the presence of the unit in the rack. The system has circuitry for transferring of energy from a supply circuit of the rack via a charging circuit of the unit to the battery. The transfer circuit is formed by an induction path which comprises a coil of the rack and a coil of the unit. The unit has a transmission circuit which, after placement of the unit in the rack, transmits a message via a wireless path, for example the induction path, to a control circuit of the rack, the control circuit being connected to the supply circuit. If the rack does not receive, or does not satisfactorily receive, a message expected upon placement of the unit in the rack, the control circuit controls the supply circuit so as to make the supply circuit select a higher transfer rate than normal for the purpose of transferring energy to the battery via the induction path. If the rack does receive a valid message, the normal transfer rate is selected unless the supply circuit receives a command to select a different rate. The portable unit may also have a detection circuit by which the unit may detect itself being placed in the rack and is then able to emit the message at its own initiative.

In a system including a rack and a portable unit that includes a rechargeable battery, an apparatus for charging the rechargeable battery comprising:

a supply circuit located in the rack and having an input connected to a power source and an output, the supply circuit supplying energy alternatively at least at a normal rate or at a higher than normal rate in response to a control signal;
a detection circuit located in the rack and coupled to the supply circuit for detecting the presence of the portable unit in the rack and generating a signal indicative thereof;
transfer means for communicating messages between the portable unit and the rack;
a rack control circuit coupled to receive the signal from the detection circuit and the messages from the transfer means, and generating the control signal at an output that is connected to a control input of the supply circuit;
a charging circuit located in the portable unit and connected to the rechargeable battery to supply energy thereto during a rechargeable operation;
and
transmission circuit in the portable unit and connected to the rechargeable battery and to the transfer means for transmitting a message to the rack control circuit indicative of the presence of the portable unit in the rack;
wherein said transfer means, connected to the supply circuit in the rack and to the charging circuit in the portable unit, conveys energy from the supply circuit to charging circuit, comprising a first coil located in the rack and coupled to receive energy from the supply circuit, and a second coil located in the portable unit and coupled to convey energy to the charging circuit, the first and second coils forming an inductive coupling after placement of the portable unit in the rack;
wherein, if the rack control circuit does not receive said message from the portable unit after receiving the signal indicative of the presence of the portable unit in the rack, the rack control circuit generates the control signal which causes the supply circuit to supply energy at the higher than normal rate.

6 more elements

Facts

Application

07/946,581Filed 18 Sep 1992

Priority

NL 910159020 Sep 1991

Granted

22 Nov 1994

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G08B 3/1075
Using wireless transmission: paging racks
H02J 7/50
Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries: acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or…
H02J 50/12
Using inductive coupling: of the resonant type
H02J 50/40
Circuit arrangements or systems for wireless supply or distribution of electric power: using two or more transmitting or receiving devices

Abstract

Claims17