The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 07, 2000
Filed:
Jun. 10, 1998
Henry Holcomb, Raleigh, NC (US);
Ericsson Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC (US);
Abstract
A battery charger includes a first portion of a charging circuit with first and second terminals, a detector for detecting a selected signal sequence in the charging circuit, and a regulator for switching from a first output level to a second output level in the charging circuit in response to the detector detecting the selected signal sequence. A communication unit has a port for a rechargeable battery and includes a second portion of the charging circuit through the battery port with third and fourth terminals connectable with the first and second terminals and fifth and sixth terminals connectable to terminals of a rechargeable battery when in the port. The communication unit also has a switch in the second portion of the charging circuit controlled by a processor, with the processor adapted to control the switch according to the selected signal sequence when a battery is in the port which requires the second output level. The regulator may also open the circuit first portion responsive to a selected condition such as excess current or a fault in the charging circuit. This uses a method of charging a mobile communication unit battery by connecting the terminals to close the charging circuit with a battery therein, detecting the presence of a selected condition (the presence of such condition causing a switch in the circuit second portion to be automatically thrown according to a selected sequence), and selecting a second output level for the external current source in response to the switch being thrown according to the selected sequence.