Power-saving mode for portable communication devices
US6201977A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 24, 1998 |
| Grant date | Mar 13, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 24, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02D30/70
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Method and apparatus for ensuring that, in a portable, battery-powered communication package incorporating at least two communication devices, such as a combination cellular telephone and a pager, sufficient power is provided for extended operation of the communication device having the lowest continuous power consumption requirements when the device having a higher continuous power consumption rate has consumed a selected portion of the total power initially available to the combined devices. In the case of the aforestated exemplary device, cellular telephone function is disabled when a selected portion of the total power initially available is consumed. A first embodiment of the invention is implemented with a single electrochemical battery. The first embodiment of the invention may include a headroom-limited flyback power supply which powers the high-power consumption device. When headroom drops below a minimum set by a series-coupled diode string, power is cut off to the high-power-consumption device. The first embodiment of the invention may alternatively include a battery charge sense circuit which produces a digital signal, the digital signal corresponding to either a batter…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.