Granted Patent B2

US 9,231,410 · App. 13/833,915 · Granted Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

Claims (45)

1. A case for an electronic device, the case comprising:

a battery;

an interface to receive electrical current from an external power source; and

a computer processor configured to execute computer-readable instructions to:

receive a data communication from the electronic device;

limit the received electrical current to a current limit;

transmit an instruction to the electronic device directing the electronic device to draw no more than a specified amount of current from the case; and

allocate, based on the received data communication, the received electrical current among the battery and the electronic device.

2. The case of claim 1 wherein to limit the received electrical current to a current limit includes to:

detect a type of the external power source; and

determine the current limit based on the type of the external power source.

3. The case of claim 1 wherein to receive the data communication from the electronic device includes to receive information from the electronic device indicating a state of a battery of the electronic device.

4. The case of claim 3 wherein to allocate the received electrical current among the battery and the electronic device includes to:

charge the battery using a first portion of the received electrical current; and

supply a second portion of the received electrical current to the electronic device.

5. The case of claim 4 wherein the computer processor is further configured to execute the instructions to determine a size of the second portion based on the state of the battery of the electronic device.

6. The case of claim 1 wherein to allocate includes to allocate using a charging profile that is based on one or more of: a time of day, a day of week, a charge level of the case battery, a charge level of a battery of the electronic device, an amount of current available from the external power source, and a user preference received from the electronic device.

7. A protective enclosure for a mobile computing device, the protective enclosure comprising:

a battery interface for interfacing to a rechargeable battery;

an interface to receive electrical current from an external power source; and

electrical circuitry configured to:

exchange data communications with the mobile computing device;

direct the mobile computing device to draw no more than a specified amount of current from the protective enclosure;

distribute a first portion of the received electrical current to the mobile computing device based on the data communications; and

distribute a second portion of the received electrical current to the battery interface based on the data communications.

8. The protective enclosure of claim 7 wherein the mobile computing device is one or more of: a cellular phone, a smartphone, a camera, and a tablet computer.

9. The protective enclosure of claim 7 wherein the electrical circuitry is further configured to determine a magnitude of the first portion based on the data communications.

10. The protective enclosure of claim 7 wherein the data communications include information indicating a charge state of a battery of the mobile computing device.

11. The protective enclosure of claim 7 wherein the electrical circuitry is further configured to restrict the received electrical current from exceeding a current limit.

12. The protective enclosure of claim 11 wherein to restrict the received electrical current from exceeding the current limit includes to:

detect a type of the external power source; and

determine the current limit based on the type of the external power source.

13. The protective enclosure of claim 7 wherein to exchange data communications with the mobile computing device includes to receive user profile information from the mobile computing device.

14. The protective enclosure of claim 7 wherein a magnitude of the second portion is determined based on a state of the rechargeable battery.

15. The protective enclosure of claim 7 wherein to distribute the first portion includes to determine a magnitude of the first portion using a charging profile that is based on one or more of: a time of day, a day of week, a charge level of the rechargeable battery, a charge level of a battery of the mobile computing device, an amount of current available from the external power source, and a user preference received from the mobile computing device.

16. A method of performing power management in a protective case for an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving electrical current at the protective case from a power source connected to the protective case;

transmitting a signal to the electronic device directing the electronic device to draw no more than a specified amount of current from the protective case; and

distributing a first portion of the received electrical current to the protective case and a second portion of the received electrical power to the electronic device, wherein the first portion and the second portion are determined based on data exchanged in a communication between the protective case and the electronic device.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein distributing the received electrical current to the protective case includes using a portion of the received electrical current to charge a rechargeable battery interfaced to the protective case.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the data includes a charge state of a battery of the electronic device.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising sending a command from the protective case to the electronic device instructing the electronic device to consume no more than a specified amount of current.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

determining a type of the power source; and

limiting the received electrical current to a current limit based on the type of the power source.

Assignments (11)