Battery disconnect system

A device comprising:

• (a) a battery for providing power;
• (b) a load for using power provided by said battery;
• (c) a switch coupled between said battery and said load and having a first and a second state, said switch being operative to connect said battery to said load when in said second state, said switch also being operative to disconnect said battery from said load when in said first state wherein the load is not provided with power when said switch is in the first state;
• and
• (d) a switch controller coupled to said switch, said switch controller having an input for receiving a first signal from a first source and a second signal from a second source, said switch controller being operative to cause said switch to enter said second state in response to said first signal wherein the first signal provides an indication that an external power source has been coupled to the device, said switch controller also being operative to cause said switch to enter said first state in response to said second signal.

A device comprising:

• (a) a battery for providing power
• (b) a load for using power provided by said battery;
• (c) switching means for disconnecting said battery from said load in a first operating state and for connecting said battery to said load in a second operating state wherein the load is not provided with power when said switching means is in the first operating state;
• and
• (d) switch controller means operatively coupled to said switching means for causing said switching means to enter said second operating state in response to a first signal from a first source wherein the first signal provides an indication that an external power source has been coupled to the device and for causing said switching means to enter said first operating state in response to a second signal from a second source.

A method for controlling the operating environment of a rechargeable battery in an electronic device having a load and wherein the rechargeable battery is the direct source of power to the load, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a switch in the device that is operative to electrically couple the load to the rechargeable battery when in a second state, the switch also being operative to electrically decouple the load from the rechargeable battery when in a first state;
• (b) charging the rechargeable battery;
• (c) placing said switch in the first state thereby electrically disconnecting the rechargeable battery from the load after the rechargeable battery has been at least partially charged so the load does not drain the battery after the battery has been charged;
• (d) electrically coupling an external power source to the device;
• (e) detecting the coupling of said external power source to the device;
• and
• (f) placing said switch in the second state whereby the rechargeable battery is electrically connected to the load in response to detecting the coupling of said external power source to the device.

A rechargeable battery system for an electronic device having a load and a rechargeable battery and wherein the rechargeable battery is the direct source of power to the load, the system comprising:

• (a) an electronically controllable switch operable to place the rechargeable battery system into a first state or a second state wherein the rechargeable battery is not electrically connected to the load when the rechargeable battery system is in said first state and wherein the rechargeable battery is electrically connected to the load when the rechargeable battery system is in said second state;
• (b) a switch controller operable to signal said switch to place the rechargeable battery system into one of said first state or said second state in response to the occurrence of at least one condition of a set of pre-defined conditions;
• (c) an external power source connection point that allows an external power source to be coupled to the device so that the external power source can charge the rechargeable battery;
• and
• (d) wherein the set of pre-defined conditions for causing the switch controller to signal said switch to place the rechargeable battery system into said first state is a set of disconnection conditions and includes at least an occurrence of at least one of the following conditions:
• (i) the passage of a pre-determined period of time after said external power source is decoupled from the device, and (ii) the passage of a pre-determined period of time after the output power level of said coupled external power source falls below a predetermined level.

A battery disconnect system for a device having a battery and a load, the battery disconnect system comprising:

• (a) a power source for providing power to the load, said power source comprising a first source of power and a first input for a second source of power, said first source of powering being the battery;
• (b) a switch for coupling between said power source and the load and having a first state and a second state, said switch being operative to connect said power source to the load when in said second state, said switch also being operative to disconnect said power source from the load when in said first state;
• and
• (c) a switch controller coupled to said switch, said switch controller having a second input, said switch controller being operative to cause said switch to enter said second state in response to a first input condition at said second input, said switch controller also being operative to cause said switch to enter said first state in response to a second input condition at said second input wherein the first input condition is the detection of the application of the second source of power.

A device comprising:

• (a) a battery for providing power;
• (b) a load for using power provided by said battery;
• (c) a switch coupled between said battery and said load and having a first and a second state, said switch being operative to connect said battery to said load when in said second state, said switch also being operative to disconnect said battery from said load when in said first state wherein the load is not provided with power when said switch is in the second state;
• and
• (d) a switch controller coupled to said switch, said switch controller having an input for receiving a first signal from a first external source and a second signal from a second source wherein the first external source is a second battery, said switch controller being operative to cause said switch to enter said second state in response to said first signal, said switch controller also being operative to cause said switch to enter said first state in response to said second signal.

A method for controlling the operating environment of a rechargeable battery in an electronic device having a load and wherein the rechargeable battery is the direct source of power to the load, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a switch in the device that is operative to electrically decouple the load from the rechargeable battery when in a first state, the switch also being operative to electrically couple the load to the rechargeable battery when in a second state;
• (b) electrically coupling an external power source to the device;
• (c) charging the rechargeable battery;
• (d) placing said switch in the second state thereby electrically connecting the rechargeable battery to the load in response to detecting the coupling of said external power source to the device;
• (e) electrically decoupling said external power source from the device;
• and
• (f) placing said switch in the first state thereby electrically disconnecting the rechargeable battery from the load in response to detecting the disconnection of said external power source from the device for a period of time exceeding a preprogrammed duration of time.

A method for controlling the operating environment of a rechargeable battery in an electronic device having a load and wherein the rechargeable battery is the direct source of power to the load, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a switch in the device that is operative to electrically decouple the load from the rechargeable battery when in a first state, the switch also being operative to electrically couple the load to the rechargeable battery when in a second state;
• (b) electrically coupling an external power source to the device;
• (c) charging the rechargeable battery;
• (d) placing said switch in the second state thereby electrically connecting the rechargeable battery to the load in response to detecting the coupling of said external power source to the device;
• and
• (e) placing said switch in the first state thereby electrically disconnecting the rechargeable battery from the load in response to detecting the failure of said external power source for a period of time exceeding a preprogrammed duration of time.

A rechargeable battery system for an electronic device having a load and a rechargeable battery and wherein the rechargeable battery is the direct source of power to the load, the system comprising:

• (a) an electronically controllable switch operable to place the rechargeable battery system into a first state or a second state wherein the rechargeable battery is not electrically connected to the load when the rechargeable battery system is in said first state and wherein the rechargeable battery is electrically connected to the load when the rechargeable battery system is in said second state;
• (b) a switch controller operable to signal said switch to place the rechargeable battery system into one of said first state or said second state in response to the occurrence of at least one condition of a set of pre-defined conditions;
• (c) an external power source connection point that allows an external power source to be coupled to the device so that the external power source can charge the rechargeable battery;
• and
• (d) wherein said occurrence of at least one condition is the passage of a predetermined period of time after said external power source is decoupled from the device.

A rechargeable battery system for an electronic device having a load and a rechargeable battery and wherein the rechargeable battery is the direct source of power to the load, the system comprising:

• (a) an electronically controllable switch operable to place the rechargeable battery system into a first state or a second state wherein the rechargeable battery is not electrically connected to the load when the rechargeable battery system is in said first state and wherein the rechargeable battery is electrically connected to the load when the rechargeable battery system is in said second state;
• (b) a switch controller operable to signal said switch to place the rechargeable battery system into one of said first state or said second state in response to the occurrence of at least one condition of a set of pre-defined conditions;
• (c) an external power source connection point that allows an external power source to be coupled to the device so that the external power source can charge the rechargeable battery;
• and
• (d) wherein said occurrence of at least one condition is the passage of a predetermined period of time after said external power source is decoupled from the device.