Portable electronics device with programmable battery
View Patent ↗A portable electronics device comprises at least one device subsystem, and a programmable battery. The programmable battery is coupled to a power input of the device subsystem and is configured to dynamically adjust a characteristic of the power that is applied to the power input in accordance with a power configuration command that is received at the battery.
1. A wireless communications device comprising:
a communication system configured for communication with a wireless network, the communication system comprising a gain input and being configured to vary an amplification of said communication in accordance with a magnitude of a voltage applied to the gain input;
a power output bus; and
a programmable battery coupled to the gain input and being configured to dynamically adjust the magnitude of the voltage applied thereto in accordance with a power requirement of the wireless network and connected to the power output bus;
wherein the programmable battery provides outputs to the power output bus to power subsystems and devices coupled to the power bus; and
wherein at least one of the outputs is a power supply input for one of the subsystems and devices coupled to the power bus;
wherein the programmable battery includes an array of battery cells; and a switch matrix coupled to the battery cells and the gain input, the switch matrix being configured to dynamically adjust the voltage applied to the gain input from the battery array based on the network power requirement; and
wherein the communication system comprises a variable-gain power amplifier and a signal processor coupled to the power amplifier, the communication comprising a wireless signal received at the power amplifier from the wireless network, the power amplifier comprising the gain input and being configured to vary the amplification of the wireless signal by adjusting a gain of the power amplifier based on the gain input voltage.
2. The wireless communications device according to claim 1 , wherein the communication system is configured to receive a power command from the wireless network, and the switch matrix is configured to dynamically adjust the gain input voltage in accordance with the power command.
3. The wireless communications device according to claim 1 wherein the switch matrix comprises a switch array and a switch controller coupled to the switch array, the switch controller being configured to dynamically adjust the gain input voltage by varying a configuration of the switch array in accordance with a power command received from the wireless network.
4. The wireless communications device according to claim 3 , wherein the switch matrix further comprises a voltage converter coupled between the gain input and an output of the switch array, the switch controller being configured to dynamically adjust the gain input voltage by adjusting a gain of the voltage converter in accordance with the received power command.