US5870685A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Mobile station operations management based on battery capacity
Assignee: BlackBerry Ltd
•
Filing: 1996-09-04
•
Granted: 1999-02-09
•
Expires: 2016-09-04
Abstract
Abstract The present invention provides a method and apparatus for controlling the operations of a battery-powered mobile station based on the capacity of its battery. In accordance with the present invention, the mobile station monitors the capacity of its battery to determine whether it has fallen below any one of a plurality of threshold capacity values. When the capacity of the battery falls below the highest of these threshold values, the mobile station sends a registration cancellation message to the serving system and then disables the transmit operation in order to conserve power. Other operations of the mobile station are systematically disabled if the battery capacity falls below one or more lower threshold values.
Inventors
- 👤 James M. Flynn
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 18:20
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02J; H02J7/00; H02J7/855; H02J7/60; H02J7/685; H02J7/90; H02J7/96; H04; H04W; H04W52/00; H04W52/02; H04W52/0209; H04W52/0261; H04W52/0274; H04W52/0277; Y; Y02; Y02D; Y02D30/00; Y02D30/70
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
113 words
In a communications system comprising a base station in communication with a mobile station, said mobile station being powered by a battery, a method for controlling the operations of said mobile station based on the capacity of said battery, the method comprising the steps of: selecting at least one threshold capacity value for said battery; monitoring the capacity of said battery to determine whether it has fallen below said at least one threshold capacity value; and when the capacity of said battery falls below said at least one threshold capacity value: generating a perceptible warning in said mobile station; and sending a registration cancellation message from said mobile station to said base station.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
113 words
In a communications system comprising a base station in communication with a mobile station, said mobile station being powered by a battery, a method for controlling the operations of said mobile station based on the capacity of said battery, the method comprising the steps of: selecting at least one threshold capacity value for said battery; monitoring the capacity of said battery to determine whether it has fallen below said at least one threshold capacity value; and when the capacity of said battery falls below said at least one threshold capacity value: generating a perceptible warning in said mobile station; and sending a registration cancellation message from said mobile station to said base station.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of disabling the transmit operation of said mobile station when the capacity of said battery falls below said at least one threshold capacity value.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of charging said battery, if a charger is connected to the battery, when the capacity of said battery falls below said at least one threshold capacity value.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 1 wherein: said battery is a smart battery which is configured to send an alarm message to said mobile station when the capacity of said smart battery falls below said at least one threshold value; and said monitoring step comprises determining whether said mobile station has received said alarm message.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1 wherein: said battery is a smart battery which reports its capacity in response to a predefined command; and said monitoring step comprises periodically issuing said command to said smart battery.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said monitoring step comprises periodically calculating the capacity of said battery based on the electrical current consumption rate of said mobile station.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said perceptible warning is an audible warning through a loudspeaker in said mobile station.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said perceptible warning is a visual warning through a display in said mobile station.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
134 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one threshold capacity value comprises, in descending order, a low battery threshold value, a critical battery threshold value and a dead battery threshold value, and wherein the method comprises the steps of: generating said perceptible warning when the capacity of said battery falls below any of said low battery, critical battery or dead battery threshold values; sending said registration cancellation message when the capacity of said battery falls below said low battery threshold value; disabling at least the lighting operation of said mobile station when the capacity of said battery falls below said critical battery threshold value; and disabling substantially all remaining operations of said mobile station, other than the charging operation, when the capacity of said battery falls below said dead battery threshold value.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of charging said battery, if a charger is connected to the battery, when the capacity of said battery falls below any of said low battery, critical battery or dead battery threshold values.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of disabling the transmit operation of said mobile station after sending said registration cancellation message when the capacity of said battery falls below said low battery threshold value.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
92 words
A mobile station powered by a battery and communicating with a base station, the mobile station comprising: a transmitter for transmitting messages to said base station; a receiver for receiving messages from said base station; means for monitoring the capacity of said battery to determine whether it has fallen below at least one predetermined threshold value; and means for sending a registration cancellation message to said base station and for disabling said transmitter and enabling said receiver when the capacity of said battery falls below said at least one threshold capacity value.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
92 words
A mobile station powered by a battery and communicating with a base station, the mobile station comprising: a transmitter for transmitting messages to said base station; a receiver for receiving messages from said base station; means for monitoring the capacity of said battery to determine whether it has fallen below at least one predetermined threshold value; and means for sending a registration cancellation message to said base station and for disabling said transmitter and enabling said receiver when the capacity of said battery falls below said at least one threshold capacity value.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
The mobile station of claim 12 further comprising means for generating a perceptible warning in said mobile station when the capacity of said battery falls below said at least one threshold capacity value.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
The mobile station of claim 13 wherein said means for generating a perceptible warning comprises a loudspeaker.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
The mobile station of claim 13 wherein said means for generating a perceptible warning comprises a display.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
34 words
The mobile station of claim 12 wherein said battery is charged, if a charger is connected to said battery, when the capacity of said battery falls below said at least one threshold capacity value.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
57 words
The mobile station of claim 12 wherein: said battery is a smart battery which is configured to send an alarm message to said mobile station when the capacity of said smart battery falls below said at least one threshold value; and said monitoring means comprises means for determining whether said mobile station has received said alarm message.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
38 words
The mobile station of claim 12 wherein: said battery is a smart battery which reports its capacity in response to a predefined command; and said monitoring means comprises means for periodically issuing said command to said smart battery.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
31 words
The mobile station of claim 12 wherein said monitoring means comprises means for periodically calculating the capacity of said battery based on the electrical current consumption rate of said mobile station.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
135 words
The mobile station of claim 12 wherein said at least one threshold capacity value comprises, in descending order, a low battery threshold value, a critical battery threshold value and a dead battery threshold value, and wherein said mobile station: generates a perceptible warning when the capacity of said battery falls below any of said low battery, critical battery or dead battery threshold values; sends a registration cancellation message and then disables said transmitter and enables said receiver when the capacity of said battery falls below said low battery threshold value; disables at least its lighting operation when the capacity of said battery falls below said critical battery threshold value; and disables substantially all of its remaining operations, other than the charging operation, when the capacity of said battery falls below said dead battery threshold value.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
39 words
The mobile station of claim 20 wherein said battery is charged, if a charger is connected to said battery, when the capacity of said battery falls below any of said low battery, critical battery or dead battery threshold values.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4734635A
Cited
EP0394074A2
Cited
US5142563A
Cited
US5278995A
Cited
JPH06164480A
Cited
US5475735A
Cited
JPH0884370A
Cited
US5627528A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-02-08 | 2002-08-10 | 2003-02-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-02-08 | 2006-08-10 | 2007-02-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-02-08 | 2010-08-10 | 2011-02-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |