Interface and communication protocol for a mobile communication device with a smart battery

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which are stored program instructions for a method of communicating according to a battery communication protocol between a main processor of a mobile communication device and a battery used by the mobile communication device, wherein the program instructions are executable by the main processor, and wherein the program instructions are for:

• sending a protocol version request packet from the main processor to the battery;
• initiating authentication of the battery by the main processor based on a cryptographic algorithm executed by the battery and the main processor, if the battery provides a protocol version response packet to the main processor in response to the protocol version request packet;
• and
• reading a battery ID resistor of the battery to identify a type of the battery, if the battery does not provide a protocol version response packet to the main processor in response to the protocol version request packet.

A method of communicating according to a battery communication protocol between a main processor of a mobile communication device and a battery used by the mobile communication device, wherein the method comprises:

• providing a communication interface between the main processor and the battery to provide communication therebetween;
• sending a protocol version request packet from the main processor to the battery;
• initiating authentication of the battery by the main processor, if the battery provides a protocol version response packet to the main processor in response to the protocol version request packet;
• and
• reading a battery ID resistor of the battery, if the battery does not provide a protocol version response packet to the main processor in response to the protocol version request packet;
• wherein the protocol version response packet comprises a protocol version that indicates a version of the battery communication protocol being used;
• and
• wherein the protocol version comprises a minor version number and the method further comprises increasing the minor version number for each backwards-compatible change.