MXPA01000170A - Improved power supply assembly for hand-held communications device - Google Patents

Abstract

A portable phone has an internal battery (10) and an external battery pack (12) that is releasably attachable to the phone. A control unit (72) in the phone controls connection of the respective batteries to a phone power input (40), depending on the detection of the external battery voltage. Whenever an external battery is present with a voltage above a predetermined minimum value, the external battery will be connected (51) to the phone power input to provide power to operate the phone, so that the internal battery lifetime is extended. When the external battery voltage falls below the minimum value, or the external battery is removed, the unit automatically switches to internal battery power (50), so that the external battery can be changed without interrupting power supply to the phone, if the phone is on or during a call. An improved multi-phase software controlled battery-charging method and apparatus is used to charge the internal and external battery packs. The preferred battery-charging method (200) uses a multi-phased charging approach comprising a trickle-charging phase (206), a fast-charging phase (208), and a top-off charging phase (214). The internal battery is charged to near-full capacity by trickle-charging (when required) and subsequently fast-charging the battery. The external battery is similarly charged to near-full capacity. Thus, both batteries are charged to near-full capacity in a substantially reduced charging time period as compared with the total charging time.

Description

ASSEMBLY OF ENHANCED ENERGY SUPPLY FOR MANUAL COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to the power supply for manual communication devices, and more particularly to methods for charging dual-battery power supplies in a portable telephone. 2. Description of the Related Art The present invention relates generally to power supplies for portable telephones, and in particular relates to a portable telephone having at least one internal and an external battery, and a system and method of control of the supply of energy for the portable phone. As described in the Application Serial No. 09 / 027,354 presented above, incorporated herein by reference, portable telephones may have an internal battery to provide power, or an external battery which is releasably mounted on the body of the telephone while in use, and removed to recharge when the phone is not in use. Batteries typically require charging after a large number of charge and discharge cycles, typically after 500 to 1000 cycles. When the battery is internal, the user must have access to the internal battery without disassembling the phone. This may involve a relatively complex procedure. As the internal components decrease in size, an internal battery dominates the total length, width and thickness of a portable phone. An external battery attached to the phone also implies an extra plastic thickness in the total assembly of the phone. Another problem with any of the internal or external batteries is the potential loss of calls if the battery loses power during a call. In a conventional portable phone, it is not possible to change or recharge the battery without turning off the phone. Also, current battery charging techniques require, in a disadvantageous manner, a relatively long period of time to change both of the internal and external portable telephone batteries to their full capacity or to almost all their capacity. In one such method, each battery is charged using a multi-phase method for charging the battery, which comprises a slow charge phase, a fast charge phase or fast charge, and a "maximum" charge phase. When necessary, the battery is charged in a first phase providing a slow charge to the battery. The slow charge phase is required only when the battery has been discharged at a voltage level below a set minimum operating voltage of the portable telephone. The charging method of the battery transits from the slow charge to the fast charge when the voltage of the detected battery is greater than the minimum operating voltage of the telephone. Finally, when the battery voltage reaches a predetermined threshold voltage level at the end of the rapid charge, the method transits to a maximum charge phase. This phase is necessary to avoid exposure of the battery to excessive currents at the end of the charge, which can reduce the life or reduce the capacity of the battery. The techniques for charging current batteries charge each battery to its full capacity using this multi-phase method for charging batteries. For example, as described in Application Serial No. 09 / 027,354, presented above, the internal battery is preferably charged to its full capacity first, followed by the external battery. Disadvantageously, the user of the telephone must wait a relatively long time for both internal and external batteries to be fully charged. This is especially disadvantageous for active mobile phone users who often only have access to battery chargers for relatively short periods of time. For example, the vendor may be the only one who can charge the battery during a lunch hour and thus want a technique to charge batteries relatively quickly. Therefore, there is a need for an improved method and apparatus for charging batteries that are capable of charging both the internal and external batteries of a portable telephone to almost all its capacity in a relatively short period of time. The present invention provides such an improved method and apparatus for charging batteries.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a novel method and apparatus for supplying power to a manual communications device such as a portable telephone. According to one aspect of the present invention, an assembly for supplying power to a portable telephone is provided, comprising an internal battery for mounting in the case or case of a portable telephone, an external battery for releasably mounting on the case or phone case, a control assembly connected to the internal and external batteries to control the connection of the respective batteries to a power line of the phone, and a charging input connected to the control assembly for the connection of a device charge to a selected battery. The control assembly includes first and second detectors for detecting the charge status of the respective internal and external batteries, first and second switches for controlling the connection of the internal battery and the external battery to the telephone's power line, respectively, and a control unit having a first output signal for controlling the state of the first switch and a second output signal for controlling the status of the second switch, the control unit being responsive to the outputs of the detector to close the first switch and open the second switch if the charging status of the external battery is lower than a predetermined minimum value, and to open the switch and close the first switch if the charging status of the external battery is greater than a predetermined minimum value, so that The external battery provides power at all times when it is present and when the battery assembly is on or off. ma of the minimum value. If the voltage of the external battery falls below, the system automatically switches to the internal battery power, so that a stable power source is guaranteed at all times. The minimum voltage is based on the minimum operating voltage of the phone. The control unit is arranged to turn off the phone automatically if both batteries fall below a minimum voltage. Preferably, the control unit is also connected to the external load input and detects when a charging voltage is present at the input, indicating that the batteries are to be charged. The unit controls the charging of both external and internal batteries, with the internal battery being charged first in a preferred mode. Preferably, both fast and slow charge inputs are provided for each battery from the load input, and the control unit controls the appropriate switches to determine whether each battery is going to be charged slowly or charged quickly, in based on the detected battery voltage. The entry of * Slow charge is used to charge each battery when the battery voltage is below the minimum operating voltage of the phone, and the control unit automatically switches to a fast charge when it is detected that the battery voltage is greater than the Minimum operating voltage. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method and apparatus for charging batteries controlled by programs and improved multi-phase programming systems are used to charge the internal and external batteries. The preferred battery charging method uses a multi-phase charging method comprising the slow charge phase, a fast charge phase, and a maximum charge phase. The internal battery is preferably charged first by first applying a slow charge (when required) until the battery voltage is greater than a minimum operating voltage of the telephone. Once the battery voltage exceeds the minimum operating voltage of the phone, the internal battery is quickly charged to almost full capacity. The external battery is charged in a similar way to almost all its capacity by applying a slow charge followed by a fast charge. In this way, both internal and external batteries are charged to almost all their capacity in a substantially reduced charging time compared to the total time. After both batteries are charged to almost full capacity, the internal battery is charged to full capacity by applying a maximum charge to the battery. The external battery is charged similarly to its full capacity during a subsequent maximum charge phase. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the internal battery is mounted inside a door or back cover that provides access to the interior of the telephone box or case. The external battery is designed to be mounted on the cover with the contacts engaging the corresponding contacts on the outer face of the cover. Although the bolt conduits connect the contacts of the internal battery and the external battery to the assembly of the main circuit board (CCA) of the telephone. The pin contact corresponding to the adapters on the main CCA for the power of the internal and external battery, and to provide input to the control unit to control which battery provides power and which battery is charged when the external charger is connected to the phone. This arrangement allows the user to easily replace the internal battery without complicated tools or assembly instructions. The power supply assembly of this invention provides a reliable and stable power source for the external or internal battery, and allows the external battery to be replaced by a new external battery while the phone is in a call or on. The internal battery guarantees a stable power source at all times during the change process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a diagram of the control and battery charging circuit of a power supply assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. FIGURE 2 is a state diagram of the battery control. FIGURE 3 is a side view of a portable telephone unit with an external battery pack attached or connected. FIGURE 4 is a graphic representation of the preferred battery charging method of the present invention that shows the percentage of battery charge capacity as a function of battery charging time. FIGURE 5 shows a flowchart of the preferred multi-phase battery charging method of the present invention. Reference numbers and similar designations in the different drawings indicate similar elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Throughout this description, the modality and preferred examples shown should be considered as exemplary, rather than limitations on the present invention. FIGURE 1 illustrates a battery charging and control circuit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention for controlling the power output of, and charging input to, the internal battery 10 and the external battery 12 of a portable telephone. FIGURE 3 illustrates a portable telephone having a main body 14 and a reusable external battery pack or unit 15 secured to a rear wall of the main body. A main circuit board assembly 16 is mounted on the main body, and contains or supports the components and circuits for the portable telephone, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. As described in more detail in Application No. 09 / 027,353, filed on February 20, 1998, entitled "External Battery Mounting for Portable Telephone", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference, the internal battery 10 is assembled preferably on the inner face of a face releasably mounted on the external wall of the body of the telephone, facing the CCA 16. The contacts in the cavities on the outer face of the cover will come into contact with the battery contacts of reed spring 18, which project into the contact cavities when the battery pack is secured to the body of the telephone, as described in the related co-pending application referenced above. The internal battery contacts are routed through a self-protection circuit and a flexible circuit to the pogo conductive pins 20, which are attached to the locations of the adapters 22 on the main CCA to provide battery power to the telephone. The removable cover arrangement and the pogo bolt connectors allow the user to replace the internal battery easily without disassembling the phone. The contacts that are connected to the external battery contacts 18 are also connected via a flexible circuit to the pogo pins 20 for the connection of the energy from the external battery to the telephone. This arrangement minimizes the thickness of the phone and eliminates the stacking of the components on the back side of the CCA, leaving more space for the integration of other accessories in the same volume as the base phone design, or as an additional external module the which can be attached to the base phone. These accessories can use different contacts on the main CCA depending on the amount and type of input / output required. Some examples of possible accessories, some or all of which can be integrated internally or externally in the CCA of the telephone, are the following: a smaller prismatic battery, FM radio, subscriber identification module (SIM), module enhancer programs and programming systems. { for example, drivers for different user interfaces, algorithms for better performance, video games with visual representation device of matrix of points on the telephone, etc. ), improvements to physical computing components such as expanded phonebook memory, DSP / voice recording memory, vibrator, speaker or loudspeaker, physical computing components / programs module and voice recognition programming systems, instruction module fixed or unchangeable video games, GPS receiver, and so on. The accessories can also be mounted conveniently on the inner side of the cover or the external wall of the telephone, and connected via pogo contacts similar to contact adapters on the CCA 16.

These accessories allow users to buy and install the devices they want most and use them on a daily basis. The arrangement allows integrating other electronic devices, for example any of the improvements referred to above, into a common telephone unit without compromising size, weight or performance. Additional accessories can also be provided in the external battery unit if desired, for connection via coupling contacts, flexible circuits and pogo pins of the main CCA. FIGURE 1 is a schematic illustration of a control circuit that can be mounted on the main CCA for the input / output of the external and internal battery, and an external load unit. The circuit has an output line 40 to be connected to the power input of the telephone, and the input 42 to be connected to an external power input of the charging unit or accessory, an input / output line 44 to the internal battery 10. and a line input / output 46 to the external battery 12. the circuit also has a microcontroller output 48 and microcontroller input 50. Various battery outputs (voltage, battery temperature, battery ID) are connected via a Analog to digital converter 52 to the output of the microcontroller, to verify the condition of the battery. A reference voltage input 54 is also provided on the line 55. The inputs 56, 57 are provided from the reference voltage line 55 to a first comparator 58 and a second comparator 59. The line 55 is also connected to a third. comparator 60. Each comparator 58, 59, 60 has a hysteresis feedback 62, 63, 64, respectively. A second input 65, 66 is provided to the first and second comparators, respectively, from the output of the external battery 46. A second input 67 is provided to the third comparator from the output line of the internal battery 44. Comparator outputs are provided. 68, 69, 70, respectively, as inputs to the control logic module 72. The control logic module 72 also has control inputs of the internal load and external load 73, 74 of the input of the microcontroller 50, and a control input 75. line power input external load 42. a first switch MOSFET Ml controls the connection line 1/0 of the external battery 46 to the phone power output 40, and second MOSFET switch M2 controls connection from the I / O line of the internal battery 44 to the power output of the telephone 40. The condition of the switches Ml and M2 is controlled by the first and second outputs of output signals 1 and s alida 2 of the control logic module, as explained in more detail in Tables 1, 2 and 3 below. A switch 776 controlled by the control device switching 78 controls the connection of the load input external power on line 42 to the inputs of battery via Ml switches, M2 for fast charging of the batteries, as it is also explained in more detail in Tables 1, 2 and 3. The line 42 is also connected via a slow charge circuit 80 and the switch 81 to the charging input of the internal battery via line 44, and via the second slow charge circuit 82 and switch 83 to the charging input of the external battery via line 46. Switch 81 is controlled by an internal load signal on line 73 via line 84, and switch 83 is controlled by an external load signal on line 74, via line 85. FIGURE 2 is a state diagram of the battery control that illustrates the possible control states of battery SO to S8 under control of the control circuit mo is illustrated in Figure 1, as well as the programmed inputs of the microcontroller, as also explained in Table 1 below, which is a description and explanation of the different control states of the battery. As indicated in FIGURE 2 and Table 1, the control status of the battery SO is when the internal battery is connected to the power input line of the telephone 40. In this condition, the switch M2 is closed from the switches Ml and 76 are open. In the control state SI, the external battery is connected to the input line of the telephone 40, and the switch Ml will be closed when the switches M2 and 76 are open. In the control state S4, the telephone decouples the external power from the charging unit, ie the switch 76 is closed and the switches Ml, M2 are open, and the charging is not taking place, so that the switches 81 and 83 will also be open. In the control state S5, the internal battery is being charged via the slow charge circuit 80. In this state, the switch 81 will be closed while the switches Ml, M2, 76 and 83 will all be open. In the control state S6, the internal battery is experiencing a fast charge. In this state, switches 76 and Ml will be closed while all other switches will be open. In the control state S7, the external battery is slowly charged via the switch 83, which will be closed while all other switches are open, finally, in the control state S8, the external battery is quickly charged and the switches 76 and Ml are closed while all other switches are open. Table 2 below indicates the different control signals and their interpretation, for better understanding for the different states in Table 1.

TABLE 3 TABLE 3 (continued) Sign Generated by Logical Interpretation External Battery Voltage < 3.4 volts FORCE_TRKL_E Comparator Well to load XT # # 2 fast from External Battery, VBATT EXT > = 3.4 volts + THRESHOLD thresholds TBD hysteresis Well at slow charge of the External Battery, VBATT_EXT > 3.4 volts TABLE 3 (continued) Sign Generated by Logical Interpretation CHARGE EXT GPIO 26 The programs and (Output dig. Systems) programming want to charge the External Battery will only be determined when the external Battery is present (under the programs and control systems of non-program scheduling and wish to charge external battery programming) TABLE 3 (continued) TABLE 3 (continued) TABLE 3 (continued) The control status of the current battery is controlled by output signals from the control logic unit and the microcontroller, based on the battery output signals and the input signals of the three comparators. The states SO to S3 occur when there is no external assembly present on line 42, as indicated in Table 1, while states S4 to S8 occur when there is an external voltage VEXT. DC on line 42, according to what is determined by the logic control module 72 on line 75. In this way, signal A is logic 1 when external energy is present, logic 0 when no external energy is present. The signal B in Tables 1 and 2 is the output of the comparator 58, EXT. BATT .LOW, which occurs when the reference input 56 is greater than the input 65 of the external battery. The signal C is the output of the second comparator 59, FORCE. TRKL.EXT, which determines if the battery is going to be charged quickly or charged slowly. The signal D is the CHARGE signal. EXT on line 74, while signal F is the CHARGE signal. INT on line 73. Those signals will be 1 if the programs and programming systems wish to charge the respective battery, which is done only if external power is present, or if the logic 0 if the programs and programming systems do not want to load the respective battery. The signal E is the output 70 of the third comparator, FORCÉ. TRKL.INT, which is a logic 1 if the internal battery can be charged quickly, and logic 0 if the internal battery should be charged slowly. The threshold voltage or reference voltage on line 55 is determined based on the operating voltage of the telephone. In this example the threshold voltage is 3.4 volts, although other values may be possible. The hysteresis intervals and the operating voltage can be determined once the operating voltage and load voltages of the telephone design have been determined. The first comparator 58 requires sufficient hysteresis feedback to ensure that the output does not oscillate. The minimum hysteresis voltage range is calculated by subtracting the voltage drop between the external cell at a maximum discharge velocity from the open circuit voltage of the external cell. The primary purpose of the first comparator is to allow a hot replacement between the internal and external batteries. The programs and programming systems are designed so that the system will normally operate by means of the external battery 12, and will only change to the internal battery 10 if the external battery falls below the threshold voltage or is removed. Thus, as illustrated in FIGURE 3, the system will disengage the external battery when external power is present and the external battery is present (YES) and will switch to the SO state automatically when the external battery is not present. This arrangement allows the user to remove or replace an external battery while the phone is on or in a call, without losing power. The internal battery provides a stable power source at all times during the battery replacement process. The programs and programming systems of the microcontroller read each voltage of the batteries via the analog-to-digital converter 52, and continuously check the total capacity of both battery packs, presenting the result on the phone monitor. If the internal and external batteries are at or below 3.4 volts, the programs and programming systems will indicate a low battery condition to the user and undock the telephone. The programs and programming systems of the microcontroller also control the charging of the internal and external batteries via control signals D and F on lines 73 and 74. Only one of these will be activated at any time. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the internal battery is always charged first. The circuits control whether the battery is charged slowly or charged quickly, using the second and third comparators 59 and 60. This can be done, alternatively, by the programs and programming systems of the controller, if desired. In the illustrated embodiment, both comparators require sufficient hysteresis to ensure that the entire transition from slow to fast charging when the detected battery voltage is greater than the minimum operating voltage of the telephone. The output of each comparator should be lower when the battery voltage is less than 3.4 volts. The value of the hysteresis depends on the tolerance of the controller circuit, and a narrower tolerance shortens the time consumed in the slow charge mode which would shorten the charging time to full capacity from an initial voltage close to 3.4 volts.

The control circuit in conjunction with the control input of the microcontroller therefore automatically determines which battery provides the power input to the telephone, and also determines the battery charging sequence when the external power (load) is present, in accordance to Tables 1 and 2 above. The following Table 3 is a Karnough map of the battery switching logic for the control logic module 72 having signal inputs A, B, D, E and F. The Table of the simplified output 1 is for a circuit in which comparators 1 and 2 are combined and signal C was eliminated, according to what is indicated in the inner half of Table 1.

OUTPUT1 = -A & -B + A &-C + A & D OUT1 = ~ B + A &-D Output2 OUT2 = -A &B + A &-E + A &-F The circuit and the control programming programs and systems illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 and Tables 1 to 3 above automatically control the power supply to the telephone circuit and also control the charging of both internal and external batteries. Programs and programming systems are designed to always provide power from the external battery when present, if it has a sufficiently high voltage and if no external power is present on line 40. If it was detected that the external battery was removed or has a voltage level too low, programs and programming systems are arranged to automatically switch to the internal battery. This allows users to replace an external battery pack with a new battery pack, even when the phone is on or during a call, without loss of signal. In one embodiment of the present invention, the programs and programming systems are designed to always charge the internal battery first, and to charge slowly when necessary, followed by a fast charging phase when the battery voltage is sufficiently high. This reduces the loading time. In a preferred embodiment, the programs and programming systems are designed to charge both the internal and external batteries using an improved battery charging method and apparatus of the present invention. According to the preferred embodiment, the voltage levels of the battery are analyzed, and if necessary, the internal battery is slowly charged during a slow charging phase of the improved battery charging method. As described above with reference to FIGURES 1-2 and Tables 1 to 3, the internal battery is slowly charged when it is detected that its voltage is below a minimum operating voltage of the telephone. According to the improved battery charging method, once the internal battery is sufficiently charged to the minimum operating voltage level, the circuit and the battery charge control programming and programs are automatically transitioned to a phase of Very fast or fast charging during which the internal battery is charged almost to full capacity. Then, instead of charging the internal battery to full capacity transiting to a maximum battery charging phase, the circuit and programs and battery charge control programming systems proceed to a slow charge of the external battery if it is detected that the voltage is below the minimum operating voltage of the telephone. Similar to the charge of the internal battery, the external battery is then charged quickly so it is charged to almost all its capacity in a relatively short period of time. At the end of the fast charge phase, the internal battery is "charged to its maximum capacity" during a "maximum" charge phase where the internal battery is slowly charged to full capacity. As described above in the description of the related art, the battery must be charged slowly during this phase to avoid the use of excessive currents at the end of the charge that may decrease battery life and reduce battery capacity. According to the improved battery charging method of the present invention, once the internal battery is fully charged during the maximum charging phase, the external battery is then charged to full capacity during a subsequent maximum charging phase.

Advantageously, the improved battery charging method and apparatus of the present invention allows a greater percentage of battery charge to be achieved in a relatively small percentage of the total charging time. Because both batteries are quickly charged first before being charged to full capacity, both batteries are charged to almost full capacity in a substantially reduced charging time compared to the prior art charging methods. The method and apparatus for charging improved batteries of the preferred embodiment of the present invention are described in greater detail below with reference to FIGURES 4 and 5. Programming and programming systems read each battery voltage via the output of the converter. analog or digital 48, determine the total capacity of both batteries, and present the results. A temperature sensor is associated with each battery, and the temperature output is verified, both to provide a more accurate determination of battery capacity, and to ensure that charging is only performed if the temperature is within a predetermined range . The batteries will first be calibrated at room temperature from 3.4 V to 4.2 V to ensure optimum accuracy. An optional external input can be used to identify the battery to optimize the charging algorithm for different battery sizes. The system allows both the internal and external battery to be accommodated, determines which battery provides power at any time, and determines how and when each battery is recharged, based on voltage values and threshold hysteresis controlled by the physical computing components, programs and phone programming systems, or a combination of both. The voltage ranges and threshold hysteresis are determined once the operating and load current voltages of the telephone design are determined. Although the connection of the battery to the power input of the telephone is determined by the physical computing components in the previous example, it can be controlled alternatively by the programs and programming systems. The battery charging mode and sequence are controlled by the programs and programming systems in this example, but can alternatively be controlled by the physical computing components. This system extends the phone's operating time between charge cycles by allowing an external battery to be used initially, and an internal battery to be changed as appropriate. It also allows "hot replacement" of external batteries, as noted above. The system allows both internal and external batteries to be connected to the telephone while charging, assuring in a preferred embodiment that the internal battery is charged first to maintain a total charge. Using the external battery, when present, to provide power, the lifetime of the internal battery can be extended. The internal battery is easily accessible to be charged when required, via the removable door on which it is mounted. The improved battery charging method and apparatus of the preferred embodiment are now described with reference to FIGURES 4 and 5. FIGURE 4 is a graphic representation of the battery charging method of the present invention, showing the percentage of battery capacity Battery charge (the Y axis) as a function of battery charging time (the X axis). As shown in the graph in FIGURE 4, the preferred battery charging method uses a multi-phase charging technique, so each battery is charged (when necessary) using three different battery charging phases: (1) a slow charge phase (optional), (2) a fast charge phase (required), and (3) a "maximum" charge phase (required). The slow charge phase is considered "optional" because it is only required when the battery to be charged has a voltage level lower than a minimum operating voltage of the telephone. As shown in FIGURE 4, this voltage level is known as the "cut-off" threshold of level 1 126. Therefore, when the battery to be charged has a capacity greater than the cut-off threshold 126, this phase can be omitted and the battery can be be quickly loaded immediately. In addition, the point at which the charging of the battery begins depends on the battery's voltage capacity. For example, if the capacity of the battery is approximately 50%, the battery begins to charge, to this capacity until it is charged to almost all its capacity. Assuming that both batteries are fully discharged before the charging process begins, the improved charging method of the present invention preferably first charges the internal battery 10 (FIGURE 1) by applying a slow charge to the battery during a charging phase. slow charge 102 from t0 to ti 114. The battery is slowly charged during the slow charge phase 102 to allow most of the current to be supplied to the telephone and therefore maintain a minimum operating voltage for the telephone. This technique ensures that the telephone voltage operating voltage remains above a deactivation voltage and ensures that the phone will not shut down during the slow charge phase 102. In the absence of a slow charge circuit, the battery would carry the voltage phone supply below the deactivation threshold and the phone would turn off. Therefore, a slow-charge circuit is used that limits the current, which prevents the battery from carrying the supply voltage below the deactivation voltage. The slow charge 102 is applied until the battery reaches the cut-off level 126 (ie the minimum operating voltage of the telephone). When the internal battery reaches the cut-off level 126, this voltage level is detected by the microcontroller as described above with reference to FIGURES 1-2 and Tables 1-3. Instantly ti 114, the microcontroller causes the battery charging circuit to transition from the slow charge phase 102 to a very fast charge or fast charge phase 104 in the manner described above. At this point, the battery can be powered at full power (ie the circuit that limits the current used during the slow charge phase is no longer required) because the power supply can now "float" out of voltage of the battery. As shown in FIGURE 4, the internal battery is rapidly charged to almost its full capacity in a relatively short charge period (ti 114 to t2 116) compared to the period of the total charge time required to fully charge the internal battery . When the internal battery reaches almost all its capacity (at a "level 2" of the predetermined threshold 128 as shown in FIGURE 4) at time t2 116, the improved charging method of the present invention begins to charge the external battery 12. As described above, the phase used to charge the external battery 12 depends on the detected charge level. For example, if the external battery 12 is completely discharged, as shown in FIGURE 4, a slow charge 106 is applied to the external battery until it is charged to the cut-off level 126. However, if the external battery 12 has a voltage exceeding the minimum operating voltage of the telephone, the battery can be rapidly charged immediately during a fast charging phase 108 from the instant of t3 118 to 120. Similarly to the internal battery 10, the external battery 12 is charged to almost all its capacity at the end of the fast charge phase 108 (t3 to t4). Thus, in a relatively short period of time (from t3 to t4) compared to the total charging time required to fully charge both batteries (from t0 at), both of the internal battery 10 and the external battery 12 are charged to almost all its capacity. Accordingly, the improved charging method of the present invention allows a user of a portable telephone to charge both batteries at almost full capacity in a relatively short period of time compared to current battery charging techniques. As shown in FIGURE 4, the batteries are charged to full capacity during the maximum charging phases 110 and 112. According to the present invention, the internal battery is preferably "charged to its maximum capacity", at full capacity, first during a charging phase maximum of the internal battery 110 (t4 120 to t5 122). The external battery is then charged to its maximum capacity during a maximum charge phase of the external battery 112 (t5 122 to t6 124). The load speeds used during the phases of maximum load 110, 112 are lower than those used during the fast loading phase. As described above, this slow charging speed used during the maximum charge phase of the battery is necessary to avoid damaging the battery when approaching the end of the charging period. As is well known in the art of batteries, at the end of the charging period the batteries must be charged slowly to avoid exposing them to excessive currents and therefore causing them to be permanently damaged. At the end of the maximum charging phase of the external battery 112, at time t6, both batteries are charged to full capacity. The improved battery charging method of the present invention can be modified for use with N batteries where N is greater than two. For example, consider the case where four batteries are used, three external and one internal. In one embodiment, the method first charges the internal battery to almost all its capacity using the slow charge phase 102 (if necessary) by the fast charge phase 104. A first external battery is then charged to almost all of its capacity. according to the above described by first applying a slow charge (if necessary) during the slow charge phase 106 followed by a fast charge phase 108 as shown in FIGURE 4. The second external battery is charged in a manner similar to almost all its capacity (slow loading if required and then fast loading). Finally, the third external battery is then charged using the same rapid charge phase method. In this way, the four batteries are charged to almost all their capacity in a significantly reduced charging period compared to the total charging time required to fully charge the batteries. According to the improved battery charging method of the present invention, the internal battery is then charged to its maximum capacity during a maximum charging phase 110. The remaining three batteries are charged in a manner similar to their maximum capacity during charging phases maximum successive. One skilled in the art will appreciate that this charging technique "lens / fast, slow / fast, slow / fast ... maximum, maximum, maximum, maximum" can be applied to any number of telephone batteries. In addition, if the phone requires more than one internal battery, the preferred mode will also charge the internal batteries first before charging the external batteries. For example, if two internal batteries are used, the two internal batteries are charged to almost full capacity by applying a slow charge to the first internal battery, followed by a fast charge as described above with reference to FIGURE 4. The second battery internal is charged similar to almost all its capacity, followed by external batteries. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the charging speeds used during the different charging phases are dictated by specifications provided by the battery manufacturers. As described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 and Tables 1-3, the profiles of the batteries can be specified in a battery ID that is fed to the microcontroller. One of the profiles of the batteries included in the ID of the battery is a recommended charging speed. For batteries that have a fast charge capacity (for example, lithium ion batteries), the improved charging method of the present shortens significantly the period of time required to charge the batteries to almost full capacity. In an alternative embodiment of the improved battery charging technique of the present, the charging method is optimized using the profile information of the battery powered by the microcontroller via an optional external input. For example, in an alternative, the battery charging method can be used for different types of batteries and for different battery sizes. Furthermore, as described above, the method for charging batteries can continuously measure the temperature of the battery and continue to charge only if the temperature of the battery is within a predetermined range. FIGURE 5 shows a flow chart of the preferred battery charging method 200 of the present invention. The preferred charging method shown in FIGURE 5 is preferably implemented in the programs and programming systems that are executed by the microcontroller and the charging circuits described above with reference to FIGURES 1-2 and Tables 1-3. The method proceeds to STEP 202 when the microcontroller determines that it is required to charge the battery. As described above with reference to FIGURES 1-2 and Tables 1-3, the microcontroller can detect the presence of a charging voltage generated by an external charging device. In one embodiment, the presence of the charging voltage in an input will cause the microcontroller to execute charging method 200 and proceed to STEP 202. In the preferred embodiment, the internal battery (or batteries, if more than one internal battery is present) is charged to almost all its capacity before the external batteries are charged. Alternatively, external batteries can be charged to almost full capacity before the internal batteries are charged. According to the present invention, the method proceeds to a decision STEP 204 where the voltage level of the battery is measured and compared to the minimum operating voltage of the telephone (referred to as "Cut"). As described above with reference to the FIGURE 4, if the battery is below a minimum operating voltage of the phone, the battery should be charged first slowly to avoid inadvertently turning off the phone. Therefore, if the battery voltage is below Vcorte in the decision STEP 204, the method proceeds to a STEP 206 when the battery is slowly charged as described above. The battery will continue to charge slowly until it is determined that its voltage 'is equal to greater than Vcorte in the decision STEP 204. Once the battery is sufficiently charged to a voltage that exceeds the minimum operating voltage of the telephone (ie, that the battery voltage is no longer below Vcorte), the method comes from STEP 204 to a STEP 208 where the battery is rapidly charged as described above. The battery will continue to charge quickly until it reaches an almost maximum capacity threshold. This threshold is referred to in FIGURE 5 as "Vumrai" which is synonymous with the voltage level of level 2 128 of FIGURE 4. In a preferred embodiment, Vumbral depends on the type of battery used to implement the internal and external batteries. The Vumbral is therefore specified by the battery manufacturers and can be configured through the programs and programming systems. As shown in FIGURE 5, does the method compare the voltage of the battery with the Vumbra? in the decision STEP 210. When the battery voltage exceeds the Vumbra ?, the process method to a decision STEP 212 to determine if the load requires additional batteries. If the load requires additional batteries (for example, an external battery as described above with reference to FIGURE 4), the additional batteries are charged to almost full capacity using the "slow / fast, slow / fast" charging method etc." , described above with reference to STEPS 204-210. Thus, using the preferred battery charging method shown in FIGURE 5, the batteries are charged to almost full capacity in a substantially reduced period of time compared to the total charging time required. Once all the batteries that require charging have been charged to almost full capacity, the method comes from STEP 212 to STEP 214 to charge each battery to its maximum capacity instead of being charged to almost full capacity. For example, in the case of a dual-battery telephone (one internal, one external), the internal battery is first charged to full capacity in STEP 214 during a battery charging phase at its maximum capacity. Once the battery is fully charged, the external battery is then charged to full capacity. The method then ends in STEP 216 and the control is returned to the microcontroller to allow it to perform other important functions. In summary, the invention includes a method and apparatus for charging batteries controlled by programs and programming systems, multi-phase or multi-stage, improved, for charging multiple batteries in a portable telephone. The preferred battery charging method uses a multi-phase charging method comprising a slow charge phase, a fast charge phase and a maximum charge phase. The charging speed depends on the charging phase since the different phases use different charging speeds. In a preferred embodiment, the internal batteries are charged before the external batteries are charged. The internal battery is charged first by applying a slow charge (when required) until the battery voltage is greater than a minimum operating voltage of the phone. Once the battery voltage exceeds the minimum operating voltage of the phone, the internal battery is quickly charged to almost all its capacity. Charge slowly and then quickly charge each external battery in a similar way, similarly charging the external batteries to almost all their capacity. Once all the batteries are charged to almost all their capacity, they are charged successively to their full capacity by applying a maximum charge to each battery. In this way, the improved charging method and apparatus provide means for charging internal and external batteries to almost all their capacity in a substantially reduced charging time compared to the total charging time. A number of embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, it will be understood that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, although the internal battery is preferably charged first, the method can be modified to first charge the external battery. Similarly, in an alternative mode, instead of first charging the internal battery to almost all its capacity, it is charged only at a predetermined percentage of the voltage capacity. { for example, 60% capacity) when the external battery is completely discharged. Similarly, the internal and external batteries can be charged alternatively to certain capacities depending on their relative capacities. For example, in an alternative mode, if the internal battery is above a first predetermined threshold capacity (eg, a capacity of 60%), and the external battery is below a second predetermined threshold capacity. { for example, a capacity of 40%), the external battery is charged first. Those skilled in the art of charging batteries will appreciate that those thresholds can be varied to meet the requirements of the system. In other alternatives, the method uses an algorithm to minimize the charging time necessary to achieve a maximum telephone capacity based on the relative charging characteristics of the batteries. In this alternative mode, the method selects the battery to be charged first based on the relative charging characteristics of the batteries. For example, if the external battery has a superior fast charging time characteristic compared to the internal battery, the alternative method charges the external battery first to obtain the largest current of the phone's power supply in the charging time period plus short Accordingly, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the modalities specifically illustrated, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.

Claims (16)

1. CLAIMS Having described the invention as above, the content of the following claims is claimed as property. A method for charging an internal and external battery in a power supply assembly of a portable telephone, wherein the telephone has a control unit for charging telephone batteries using a plurality of battery charging rates, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: a) comparing the voltage of the internal battery with a predetermined cut-off voltage; b) apply a slow charge to the internal battery if the internal battery voltage compared in step (a) is less than the cut-off voltage, where the slow charge is applied until the voltage of the internal battery exceeds the cut-off voltage; c) apply a fast charge to the internal battery until the voltage of the internal battery exceeds a predetermined voltage threshold; d) compare the voltage of the external battery with the predetermined cut-off voltage. e) apply a slow charge to the external battery if the external battery voltage compared in step (d) is lower than the cutoff voltage, where the slow charge is applied until the external battery voltage exceeds the cutoff voltage; f) apply a fast charge to the external battery until the voltage of the external battery exceeds the predetermined voltage threshold; g) apply a maximum load to the internal battery until the internal battery is fully charged; and h) apply a maximum load to the external battery until the external battery is fully charged. The method for charging batteries according to claim 1, characterized in that the cut-off voltage comprises a predetermined minimum operating voltage of the portable telephone. The method for charging batteries according to claim 2, characterized in that the predetermined minimum operating voltage of the portable telephone comprises 3.4 volts. . The method for charging batteries according to claim 1, characterized in that the slow charge steps (b) and (e) allow a majority of the charging current to be supplied to the telephone and therefore maintain a minimum operating voltage for the phone. The method for charging batteries according to claim 1, characterized in that the fast charging steps (e) and (f) include charging the battery with a full charge current until the batteries obtain an almost total voltage capacity. 6. The method for charging batteries according to claim 5, characterized in that the fast charge steps (c) and (f) charge the battery at a much faster rate than the slow charge steps (b) and ( e) and the maximum load steps (g) and (h). 7. A method for charging an internal and external battery in a power supply assembly of a portable telephone, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: a) comparing the voltage of the internal battery with a predetermined cut-off voltage; b) apply a slow charge to the internal battery if the internal battery voltage compared in step (a) is less than the cut-off voltage, where the slow charge is applied until the internal battery voltage exceeds the cut; c) apply a fast charge to the internal battery until the voltage of the internal battery exceeds a predetermined voltage threshold; d) determine if the portable telephone has another internal battery, and if so, repeat steps (a) - (c) for each remaining internal battery; e) comparing the voltage of an external battery with the predetermined cut-off voltage; f) apply a slow charge to the external battery if the external battery voltage compared in step (e) is less than the cut-off voltage, where the slow charge is applied until the voltage of the external battery exceeds the cut-off voltage; g) apply a fast charge to the external battery until the voltage of the external battery exceeds the threshold voltage of the predetermined voltage; h) determine if the portable telephone has another external battery, and if so repeat steps (e) - (g) of each remaining external battery; i) apply a maximum load to each internal battery charged in steps (a) - (d) until each internal battery is fully charged; and j) apply a maximum load to each external battery charged in steps (e) - (h) until each external battery is fully charged. 8. The method for charging batteries according to claim 7, characterized in that each battery is charged to almost all its capacity during the fast charging steps (c) and (g). The method according to claim 8, characterized in that the charging time required to charge each battery at almost all its capacity is substantially shorter than the total charging time required to charge each battery to almost its full capacity. 10. An apparatus for charging batteries for charging an internal and an external battery of a portable telephone power supply assembly, wherein the telephone includes a power supply line for supplying power to the telephone, characterized in that it comprises: a) a unit control, which includes a first and a second detectors capable of detecting the voltages supplied by the internal and external batteries, where the control unit is operably coupled to the internal and external batteries and where the control unit controls the connection from the batteries to the phone's power line; b) an external voltage input operably mounted to the control unit for supplying a load input to a selected unit, the control unit further includes a unit for detecting when the load input is connected to a charging device, and which further includes a selector for selectively connecting the load input to either the internal or external battery; and c) a microcontroller, in electrical communication with the control unit, where the microcontroller determines when a selected battery requires charging, and where the microcontroller directs the control unit to connect the charge input to the selected battery that requires recharging, and where each battery is charged to almost all its capacity using a technique to charge batteries of multiple phases controlled by programs and programming systems. The apparatus for charging batteries according to claim 10, characterized in that the technique for charging multi-phase batteries comprises first applying a slow charge to the selected battery until the battery voltage exceeds a predetermined voltage threshold, then Apply a fast charge to the selected battery until the selected battery is charged to almost full capacity. 12. The apparatus for charging batteries according to claim 11, characterized in that the technique for charging multi-phase batteries further comprises applying a maximum load to the selected battery and therefore fully charging the selected battery. 13. An executable computer program in a general-purpose computing device, where the program is capable of controlling the connection of an internal and external battery from a portable telephone to a charging device, where the program detects when a selected battery requires charging by detecting the output voltage of each battery and determining if the selected battery output voltage decreases below a predetermined cut-off assembly, characterized in that it comprises: a) a first set of instructions for comparing the battery output voltage internal to a predetermined cutting voltage; b) a second set of instructions to apply a slow charge to the battery when the battery output assembly is less than the cutoff voltage, where the slow charge is applied until the output voltage of the internal battery exceeds the voltage cutting c) a third set of instructions for applying a fast charge to the internal battery until the voltage of the internal battery exceeds a predetermined voltage threshold; d) a fourth set of instructions for comparing the output voltage of the external battery to the predetermined cut-off voltage; e) a fifth set of instructions for applying a slow charge to the external battery if the output voltage of the external battery is less than the cut-off voltage, where the slow charge is applied until the output voltage of the external battery exceeds Cutting voltage; f) a sixth set of instructions for applying a fast charge to the external battery until the output voltage of the external battery exceeds the predetermined voltage threshold; g) a seventh set of instructions to apply a maximum load to the internal battery until the internal battery is fully charged; and h) an eighth set of instructions to apply a maximum load to the external battery until the external battery is fully charged. 14. The computer program according to claim 13, characterized in that the program is executed by the computer program for general purposes in the portable telephone. 15. The computer program according to claim 13, characterized in that the program is executed by a programmable gate arrangement device in the field in the portable telephone. 16. The computer program according to claim 13, characterized in that the program is executed by a microcontroller in the portable telephone. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A portable phone has an internal battery (10) and an external battery pack (12) that is connected rechargeable to the phone. A control unit (72) on the telephone controls the connection of the respective batteries to a telephone power input (40) depending on the detection of the external battery voltage. When an external battery is present with a voltage above a predetermined value, the external battery will be connected (51) to the power input of the telephone to operate the telephone, so that the life of the internal battery is prolonged. When the voltage of an external battery drops below the minimum value, or the external battery is removed, the unit automatically switches to the power of the internal battery (50), so that the external battery can be changed without interrupting the power supply. power to the phone. If the phone is on during a call, programs and multi-phase programming systems are used that are controlled by the battery charging method and the device used to charge the internal and external battery packs. The preferred battery charging method (200) uses a multi-phase charging method comprising a slow card phase (206), a fast charge phase (208), and a maximum charge phase (214). The internal battery is charged to full capacity by slow charging (when required) and subsequently the battery is charged quickly. The external battery is also charged to almost all its capacity. In this way both batteries are charged to almost all their capacity in a substantially reduced charging time compared to the total charging time.