Charging device system having a magnet

Abstract

The invention relates to a charging device system with a magnet. Techniques disclosed herein relate to devices, systems, methods, and techniques for charging a battery pack via an external charger. The external charger includes external charger contacts (e.g., spring contacts) for engagement with external contact receptors of the battery pack. The external charger also includes a plurality of rows of magnets, where each magnet is aligned with at least one corresponding magnet of the battery pack when the external charger contacts are engaged with the external contact receiver. In an embodiment, an external charger may charge a battery pack in a first position and a second position. In an embodiment, each row of the plurality of rows of magnets within the battery pack and within the external charger is separated by an equal distance. The battery pack may be charged based on coupling the battery pack to an external charger via the contacts and the magnets.

Description

Summary of the invention

[0001] To that end, a high-level overview of various aspects of the invention is provided here to provide an overview of the disclosure and to introduce a selection of concepts that will be further described in the Detailed Description section below. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used in isolation to assist in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. The present disclosure is directed, in part, to technology associated with an enhanced charging device system with magnets, substantially as shown and / or described in conjunction with at least one of the accompanying drawings, and more fully set forth in the claims.

[0002] In aspects set forth herein, and at a high level, the technology described herein relates to devices, systems, methods, and techniques associated with a battery pack and an external charger for charging the battery pack. The external charger includes one or more external charger contacts that are capable of engaging with one or more external contact receivers of the battery pack to charge the battery pack based on coupling the external charger to the battery pack. Some examples of external charger contacts include spring contacts or pogo contacts. In some embodiments, the battery pack is removable from a user device. Thus, the battery pack can be charged while coupled to the user device or while removed from the user device. In an embodiment, the external charger is capable of charging the battery pack in a first position and a second position (e.g., see Figures 7A-7D ).

[0003] The external charger and the battery pack may each include multiple rows of magnets. For example, each magnet of the battery pack may be aligned with at least one corresponding magnet (having opposite polarity) of the external charger to couple the battery pack to the external charger. In an embodiment, each row of multiple rows of magnets within the battery pack and within the external charger is separated by an equal distance. In some embodiments, the first row of magnets of the battery pack has a first polarity for aligning with the first row of magnets of the external charger, and the second row of magnets of the battery pack has a second polarity for aligning with the second row of magnets of the external charger, and the third row of magnets of the battery pack has a first polarity for aligning with the third row of magnets of the external charger.

[0004] In some embodiments, a first row of multiple rows of magnets in a battery pack includes a first magnet adjacent to a first side of a protection circuit board within the battery pack, and a second magnet adjacent to a second side of the protection circuit board within the battery pack. In aspects of this embodiment, the first magnet and the second magnet may have a first polarity for alignment with an external charger. In some embodiments, a first row of multiple rows of magnets in an external charger includes a first magnet adjacent to a first side of a protection circuit board within the external charger, and a second magnet adjacent to a second side of the protection circuit board within the external charger. In aspects of this embodiment, the first magnet and the second magnet may have a second polarity to align with the first row of magnets in the battery pack.

[0005] In some embodiments, the battery pack includes a mechanical guide for coupling the battery pack to an external charger. For example, the surface of the housing of the battery pack may have an opening that exposes the mechanical guide, and the mechanical guide may be below the surface of the housing of the battery pack. In some embodiments, the external charger also includes a mechanical guide for coupling the external charger to the battery pack. For example, the surface of the housing of the external charger may have an opening that exposes the mechanical guide, and the mechanical guide may protrude above the surface of the housing of the external charger. In some embodiments, the housing of the external charger includes a plastic material. Note that the protrusions and valleys (or recesses) may be interchanged on the above-mentioned sides.

[0006] Upon coupling the battery pack to an external charger via contacts and magnets, the battery pack may be charged.

[0007] This Summary is provided to introduce some concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used in isolation as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0009] Figure 1 An example external charger having a printed circuit board, charging circuitry, multiple rows of magnets, mechanical guides, external charger contacts, an input port, and a housing according to aspects herein is shown;

[0010] Figure 2 depicts an example interior view of an external charger having a printed circuit board, charging circuitry, multiple rows of magnets, mechanical guides, external charger contacts, and an input port according to aspects herein;

[0011] Figure 3 shows an example external view of an external charger having mechanical guides and external charger contacts according to aspects herein;

[0012] Figure 4A Described is a mechanical guide and a Figure 3 An example external view of a battery pack of an external charger contact receiving device of an external charger contact, and Figure 4B depicts an example interior view of a battery pack having battery cells;

[0013] Figure 5 shows an example internal view of a battery pack having a protection circuit board and measurement circuitry, multiple rows of magnets, and external contact receivers according to aspects herein;

[0014] Figure 6A-6B An example user device having a removable battery pack according to aspects herein is shown;

[0015] Figures 7A-7D illustrates an example view of a user device having a battery pack coupled to an external charger according to aspects herein;

[0016] Figures 8A-8B illustrates an example cross-sectional view of a battery pack coupled to an external charger according to aspects herein;

[0017] Figures 9A-9B illustrates an example cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a battery pack coupled to an external charger according to aspects herein;

[0018] Fig.10 Depicted are example embodiments for aligning a magnet of an external charger with a magnet of a battery pack according to aspects herein; and

[0019] Fig.11 Another example embodiment for aligning a magnet of an external charger with a magnet of a battery pack according to aspects herein is depicted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The subject matter of the embodiments of the present invention is specifically described herein to meet statutory requirements. However, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. Instead, the inventors have contemplated that the claimed subject matter may be embodied in other ways in conjunction with other current or future technologies to include different steps or combinations of steps similar to those described herein. In addition, although the terms "step" and / or "box" may be used herein to indicate different elements of the method employed, these terms should not be interpreted as implying any particular order among or between the various steps disclosed herein unless and except when the order of the various steps is explicitly described.

[0021] Throughout this disclosure, unless otherwise indicated to the contrary, words such as "a" and "an" may also include the plural as well as the singular. Thus, for example, when one or more features are present, the constraint of "feature" is satisfied. In addition, the term "or" includes conjunctions, transitions, and both (thus a or b includes a or b and a and b).

[0022] Unless otherwise specifically stated, descriptors such as "first," "second," and "third," for example, are used herein without importing or otherwise indicating any meaning of priority, physical order, arrangement in a list, or ordering in any manner, but are merely used as labels to distinguish elements to facilitate understanding of the disclosed examples. In some examples, the descriptor "first" may be used to refer to an element in the detailed description, while the same element may be referred to in the claims by a different descriptor such as "second" or "third." In such cases, it should be understood that such descriptors are only used to distinguishably identify those elements, for example, elements that might otherwise share the same name.

[0023] Additionally, the term "some" may refer to "one or more." Additionally, elements in the singular may refer to "one or more." The term "plurality" may refer to "two or more."

[0024] The term "combination" (e.g., one or more combinations thereof) may refer to, for example, "at least one of A, B, or C"; "at least one of A, B, and C"; "at least two of A, B, or C" (e.g., AA, AB, AC, BB, BA, BC, CC, CA, CB); "each of A, B, and C"; and may include multiple A, multiple B, or multiple C (e.g., CCABB, ACBB, ABB, etc.). Other combinations may include more or less than three options associated with the A, B, and C examples.

[0025] As used herein, the phrase "based on" should be interpreted as a reference to an open set of conditions. For example, an example step described as "based on X" can be based on both X and additional conditions without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In other words, as used herein, the phrase "based on" should be interpreted in the same manner as the phrase "based at least in part on."

[0026] Additionally, as used herein, a "user device" is a device that has the ability to use a wireless communication network, and may also be referred to as a "computing device," "mobile device," "user device," "wireless communication device," or "UE." In some aspects, a user device may take various forms, such as a PC, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a mobile phone, a PDA, a server, a barcode scanner, a barcode reader, a handheld computer barcode reader, a mobile computer barcode reader, or any other device capable of communicating with other devices (e.g., by sending or receiving signals) using wireless communications. In some embodiments, a user device may be similar to a computer. Fig. 6A User equipment 600A.

[0027] In an embodiment, the user device may include an Internet of Things device, such as one or more of the following: a sensor, a controller (e.g., a lighting controller, a thermostat), an appliance (e.g., a smart refrigerator, a smart air conditioner, a smart alarm system, a smart TV), other Internet of Things devices, or one or more combinations thereof. The Internet of Things device may be fixed, mobile, or both (e.g., an electronic vehicle fixed in a garage for a week may be fixed during the week, but mobile when driving). In some aspects, the user device is associated with a vehicle (e.g., a video system in a car that is capable of receiving media content stored by a media device in a house when coupled to the media device via a local area network). In some aspects, the user device includes a medical device, a location monitor, a clock, other wireless communication devices, or one or more combinations thereof. In some aspects, the user device is a wearable device with a camera, a microphone, an RFID, a GPS, another sensor, or one or more combinations thereof. In some aspects, the user device may capture data (e.g., one or more strings of text, image data, audio data, location data, other types of data, or one or more combinations thereof) in real time or near real time. In some aspects, the user device may be an E-UTRAN New Radio-Dual Connectivity (ENDC) device.

[0028] Embodiments of the technology described herein may be embodied as methods, systems, or computer program products, etc. Thus, the embodiments may take the form of hardware embodiments or embodiments combining software and hardware. Embodiments in the form of computer program products may include computer-usable instructions contained on one or more computer-readable media.

[0029] Computer readable media include volatile and non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media, and consider media that can be read by databases, switches and various other network devices. As an example and not limitation, computer readable media include computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media or machine readable media can include media implemented in any method or technology for storing information. Examples of stored information include computer usable instructions, data structures, program modules and other data representations. Computer storage media include but are not limited to RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD), holographic media or other optical disk storage, cassettes, magnetic tapes, disk storage, and other magnetic storage devices. These memory components can store data instantaneously, temporarily or permanently.

[0030] Communication media can store computer usable instructions, including data structures and program modules, in a modulated data signal (e.g., a modulated data signal involving a propagated signal having one or more characteristics thereof set or changed to encode information in the signal). Communication media include any information transfer medium. By way of example and not limitation, communication media may include wired media, such as a wired network or a direct line connection, and wireless media, such as acoustic, infrared, radio, microwave, spread spectrum, and other wireless media technologies. Combinations of the foregoing are included within the scope of computer readable media.

[0031] As background, the prior art has disadvantages associated with configuring the electronic device to the charger, and disadvantages associated with charging (e.g., based on the configuration). For example, the prior art has disadvantages in terms of efficient form factor, limitations associated with magnetic field strength during contact between the charger and the battery of the system, limitations associated with magnetic field strength for attachment, etc. To illustrate, when the additional current is applied to the user device when charging, the temperature increases to the user device and components within the user device (e.g., I due to the current flowing through the internal resistance of the battery being charged or discharged). 2 The increase in the number of battery discharge and charge cycles may also reduce the capacity (e.g., capacity degradation due to the battery operating temperature). For example, based on the heat source from the battery being charged in these prior art related arts, a lithium battery with a specific material or a specific composition cannot exceed 45°C, and other lithium batteries with a specific material or a specific composition cannot exceed 60°C.

[0032] The technology provided herein provides various improvements to these shortcomings. For example, the technology disclosed herein mitigates or reduces overheating of a user device, a component of a user device, an external charger or battery pack, a component of an external charger, or one or more combinations thereof (e.g., by moving the charger circuit system out of the user device, engaging the external charger contacts of the external charger with the external contact receivers of the battery pack, and / or the positioning of magnets between the external charger and the battery pack discussed herein). To illustrate, in an embodiment, the positioning of the contacts, magnets, and mechanical guides may facilitate proper placement of the external charger when coupled to the battery pack to facilitate coupling of the system without damaging the components and without increasing the temperature of the user device or the user device component when charging the battery pack. In addition, the positioning of the magnets or contacts and moving the charger circuit system out of the user device may also provide fast and efficient charging of the battery pack without reducing or degrading the capacity.

[0033] For example, the magnets (and their positioning) can indirectly reduce overheating of the user device, user device components, and external charger by providing improved and enhanced coupling with contacts corresponding to the battery pack and external charger, due to strong close contact engagement, thereby reducing contact series resistance, and thus reducing Joule losses. By moving the battery charging operation from the circuit system of the user device itself to the circuit system external to the user device itself, independent of the user device circuit system and present in the external charging device, the technology disclosed herein reduces or prevents overheating of the user device (and user device components) and the battery pack. For example, the external contacts of the battery pack are accessible and external to the user device itself, and the external contacts of the external charging device are also external to the external charging device. In this way, the charger circuit system is external to the user device, thereby limiting or constraining the heat caused by the charger circuit system to an area external to the user device, and thus avoiding or preventing the temperature of the battery pack from increasing. In this way, during charging of the battery pack via the external charging device, the internal circuit system of the user device is not heated because the external battery contacts apply the charge directly to the battery cells and thus cause all charging circuit systems located inside the user device to be bypassed. In some embodiments, the internal charging circuitry may still be used in other situations.

[0034] One embodiment of the present technology includes a battery pack, the battery pack comprising: one or more battery cells, a protection circuit board, a measurement circuit system, an external contact receiver for receiving external charger contacts of an external charger, a plurality of rows of magnets, and a housing for supporting the one or more battery cells, the protection circuit board, the external contact receiver, and the plurality of rows of magnets, wherein a first surface of the housing is capable of coupling to the external charger. When the external charger contacts are engaged with the external contact receivers, each row of magnets in the plurality of rows of magnets can be aligned with at least one corresponding magnet of the external charger, and wherein the aligned magnets of the battery pack and the external charger have opposite polarities.

[0035] Another embodiment of the present technology includes an external charger including an input port for receiving an input voltage, a printed circuit board, a charging circuit system, an external charger contact for engaging with an external contact receiver of a battery pack, a plurality of rows of magnets, and a housing for supporting the input port, the protection circuit board, the external charger contact, and the plurality of rows of magnets, wherein the plurality of rows of magnets are closer to a first surface of the housing than the protection circuit board. When the external charger contact engages with the external contact receiver, the plurality of rows of magnets can each align with at least one corresponding magnet of the battery pack, wherein the aligned magnets of the external charger and the battery pack have opposite polarities.

[0036] In another embodiment, a method for charging a user device includes coupling a battery pack to an external charger such that external charger contacts of the external charger engage with external contact receivers of the battery pack, and aligning a first plurality of rows of magnets within the battery pack with a second plurality of rows of magnets within the external charger, and wherein each aligned magnet of the battery pack and the external charger has opposite polarity. The method also includes charging the battery pack based on the battery pack being coupled to the external charger. In this manner, the method for charging a user device (e.g., a PC, laptop, tablet, mobile phone, PDA, server, barcode scanner, barcode reader, handheld computer barcode reader, mobile computer barcode reader, or any other device capable of communicating with other devices using wireless communication (e.g., by sending or receiving signals)) is capable of charging the user device without using device circuitry within the user device, thereby avoiding overheating of the user device circuitry during charging of the battery pack via an external charging device.

[0037] In yet another embodiment, one or more computer storage memories of an external charger may cause one or more processors of the external charger to perform a method for charging a battery pack. For example, the computer storage memory may have computer readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a method including determining that a battery pack has been coupled to an external charger based on one or more external contact receivers of the external charger, wherein the battery pack has been coupled to the external charger by the external charger and a magnet of the battery pack (e.g., such as Fig.10 Based on determining that the battery pack is coupled to an external charger, the one or more processors may cause the external charger to charge the battery pack.

[0038] Now go to Figure 1 According to one or more embodiments disclosed herein, the exemplary external charger 100 supports a battery pack (e.g., Figure 4A-4B The example external charger 100 is only one example of a suitable external charger for the related art disclosed herein, and is not intended to necessarily limit the scope of use or functionality of the present invention. The external charger 100 should also not be interpreted as having a specific dependency or requirement with respect to any one or combination of the components shown.

[0039] The exemplary external charger 100 includes a housing 102, a battery pack (eg, Figure 5The example external charger 100 is an example of a suitable external charger. For example, in some embodiments, the example external charger 100 may include more or less external charger contacts 112A-112F for charging the battery pack. As another example, in some embodiments, the example external charger 100 may include multiple rows of magnets in addition to the magnets 104A-104F. In an embodiment, in order to achieve power transfer between the external charging device and the battery pack, their respective metal terminals are in direct contact. In this example, a certain amount of pressure can be applied between these corresponding metal terminals to ensure current flow. For example, the pressure between the user device and the external charger 100 can be applied in different ways, one of which is based on the magnets 104A-104. Alternatively, in other embodiments, a mechanical locking system between the external charger 100 and the user device can establish these corresponding metal terminals (or terminations) to ensure current flow (e.g., a mechanical interlocking system or by utilizing the weight of the user device to apply pressure between the user device and the external charger 100).

[0040] The housing 102 has a first housing surface 102A associated with coupling an external charger to the battery pack (see, e.g., Figures 7A-7D ).like Figure 1 As shown, housing 102 supports magnets 104A-104F, mechanical guides 106, a printed circuit board 108 having charging circuitry, an input port 110, and external charger contacts 112A-112F. Figure 1 As shown, magnets 104A-104F are positioned closer to housing surface 102A than printed circuit board 108 (and closer to first surface 108A of printed circuit board 108). In some embodiments, housing 102 of example external charger 100 is or includes a plastic material. For example, in some embodiments, the plastic material may include one or more of polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyethylene terephthalate, a thermoplastic elastomer, another type of plastic, or one or more combinations thereof.

[0041] In some embodiments, the first housing surface 102A of the housing 102 includes one or more sensors (e.g., thermal sensors, pressure sensors, infrared sensors) for detecting the presence of an adjacent object or battery pack at the first housing surface 102A. In an embodiment, the first housing surface 102A of the housing 102 is a planar outer surface. In other embodiments, the first housing surface 102A includes one or more concave, convex, other types of shapes, or one or more combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the first housing surface 102A includes a material different from another portion of the housing 102. In some embodiments, one or more portions of the first housing surface 102A include one or more materials, such as plastic, glass, ceramic, fiber composite material, metal, another type of material, or one or more combinations thereof. In some embodiments, one or more portions of the housing 102 include one or more materials, such as plastic, glass, ceramic, fiber composite material, metal, another type of material, or one or more combinations thereof.

[0042] In some embodiments, the first housing surface 102A of the housing 102 has an opening that exposes the mechanical guide 106. For example, Figure 1 As shown, the mechanical guide 106 protrudes above the first housing surface 102A of the housing 102. In an embodiment, the mechanical guide 106 facilitates coupling and alignment of the external charger 100 with the battery pack, and facilitates positioning of the external charger on the battery pack. The mechanical guide 106 can also facilitate engagement of the external charger contacts 112A-112F of the external charger 100 with the external contact receivers (e.g., Figure 4A In some embodiments, the mechanical guide 106 is made of the same material as the housing 102. In some embodiments, the mechanical guide 106 or a portion thereof includes one or more materials that are different from the housing 102 or a portion of the housing 102 (e.g., a different type of plastic).

[0043] In some embodiments, one side of the mechanical guide 106 protrudes a greater height above the first case surface 102A than the other side of the mechanical guide 106. In some embodiments, each side of the mechanical guide 106 protrudes the same height above the first case surface 102A as each of the other sides of the mechanical guide 106. In some embodiments, one side of the mechanical guide 106 or a portion thereof is a different material than the other side of the mechanical guide 106. In an embodiment, the mechanical guide 106 extends to a base plate from which the external charger contacts 112A-112F are anchored. In some embodiments, the mechanical guide 106 has a Figure 1 The shapes depicted in the figure are different shapes (e.g., triangle or square).

[0044] In some embodiments, the first housing surface 102A of the housing 102 has an opening that exposes a plurality of external charger contacts 112A to 112F for connection to an external contact receiver of a battery pack (eg, Figure 6B In some embodiments, the external charger 100 may include more or fewer external charger contacts 112A-112F. In some embodiments, the external charger contacts 112A and 112F are spring contacts, while the external charger contacts 112B-112E are pogo contacts. In other embodiments, one or more of the contacts 112A-112F (or another contact) is a pin contact for engaging with a hole contact of a battery pack. In some embodiments, one or more of the contacts 112A-112F (or another contact) is a blade contact for engaging with a corresponding contact of a battery pack. In some embodiments, one or more of the contacts 112A-112F (or another contact) is another type of contact.

[0045] In some embodiments, the distance between the external charger contacts 112A and 112B is the same as the distance between the external charger contacts 112B and 112C, the external charger contacts 112C and 112D, the external charger contacts 112D and 112E, and the external charger contacts 112E and 112F. In other words, each of the plurality of external charger contacts 112A-112F may have an equal distance from at least one other external charger contact of the plurality of external charger contacts. In some embodiments, the external charger 100 has an additional external charger contact that is at a distance from at least one of the external charger contacts 112A-112F that is the same as the distance between the external charger contacts 112A and 112B. In some embodiments, the distance between the external charger contacts 112A and 112C is the same as the distance between the external charger contacts 112B and 112D. In some embodiments, the distance between external charger contacts 112A and 112D is the same as the distance between external charger contacts 112F and 112C.

[0046] In some embodiments, one or more of the plurality of external charger contacts 112A-112F protrude above the first housing surface 102A via an opening of the first housing surface 102A that exposes the plurality of external charger contacts 112A-112F. In some embodiments, when the magnets 104A-104F, mechanical guides 106, and plurality of external charger contacts 112A-112F engage with the magnets, mechanical guides, and external contact receivers of the battery pack, the system may facilitate a locking mechanism between the external charger 100 and the battery pack that provides a locking mechanism between the electronics of the external charger 100 and the battery pack (e.g., Figure 4B The battery cell 403 of the battery pack 400B, the printed circuit board 108, Figure 5 The distance between the protective circuit board 508 of the battery pack 500 in the external charger 100 is minimized or mitigated so that overheating of the external charger 100 or the battery pack is minimized or mitigated. In addition, the positioning of the plurality of external charger contacts 112A-112F and the mechanical guide 106 can facilitate the correct and efficient placement of the external charger 100 when coupled to the battery pack.

[0047] In some embodiments, housing 102 also supports a coil and control electronics for charging a wireless battery pack. In some embodiments, control electronics can receive power via input port 110 (e.g., via a tethered cable, battery, or another power source) such that the received power is used to generate current in a transmit coil of the wireless charging circuitry for charging a battery pack (e.g., Figure 4A-4B In some embodiments, the current generates a time-varying magnetic field for use in a user device (e.g., Fig. 6A In some embodiments, the time-varying magnetic field may be a modulated magnetic field for transmitting data, power, or one or more combinations thereof between the user device and the external charger 100. Thus, in some embodiments, the external charger 100 may receive data via the input port 110, receive power via the input port 110, transmit power (e.g., via a current to a coil of the user device), transmit data (e.g., via a time-varying magnetic field), or one or more combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the input port 110 is a universal serial bus (USB) port (e.g., type A, type B, type C, another type). In some embodiments, the input port 110 is a Thunderbolt port, an Ethernet port, or another type of port.

[0048] like Figure 1As shown, the printed circuit board 108 has a first surface 108A that is farther from the housing surface 102A than the magnets 104A-104F. In addition, the mechanical guide 106 and the external charger contacts 112A-112F are closer to the housing surface 102A than the surface 108A of the printed circuit board 108. In an embodiment, the external charger 100 has multiple printed circuit boards 108. In some embodiments, the printed circuit board 108 can perform operations to protect the external charger 100 from overcharging, overdischarging, providing too much current, short circuiting, or one or more combinations thereof to the battery pack. In some embodiments, the printed circuit board 108 can perform operations including firmware updates, connection to a network, other charging operations, pairing operations, or one or more combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the printed circuit board 108 can include a charging circuit system (also known as a charger IC or DC-DC converter), a thermal sensor, a humidity sensor, a voltage sensor, a current sensor, a MOSFET, a fuse, a capacitor, a diode, a microcontroller, another type of circuit board component, or one or more combinations thereof.

[0049] In some embodiments, the external charger 100 has multiple rows of magnets 104A-104F. For example, the external charger 100 may have a first row of the multiple rows that includes magnets 104A and 104B. Continuing with this example, the second row of the multiple rows may include magnets 104C and 104D. Additionally, the third row of the multiple rows may include magnets 104E and 104F. In some embodiments, the external charger 100 has one or more additional rows of magnets. In some embodiments, each of the magnets 104A-104F is aligned with at least one corresponding magnet of the battery pack (e.g., when each of the external charger contacts 112A-112F engages with an external contact receiver of the battery pack, when the external charger 100 is coupled to the battery pack). In an embodiment, a surface of each of the magnets 104A-104F that is closer to the housing surface 102A than the printed circuit board surface 108A has a polarity opposite to each corresponding surface of the correspondingly aligned magnets of the battery pack.

[0050] In some embodiments, the first row of magnets including magnets 104A and 104B each has a first polarity at a surface closer to the housing surface 102A than the printed circuit board surface 108A. Continuing with this example, the surfaces of the two magnets of the battery pack that are aligned with the surfaces of the magnets 104A and 104B having the first polarity each have a second polarity that is opposite to the first polarity. In some embodiments, the second row of magnets including magnets 104C and 104D each has a first polarity at a surface closer to the housing surface 102A than the printed circuit board surface 108A. In other embodiments, the second row of magnets including magnets 104C and 104D each has a second polarity at a surface closer to the housing surface 102A than the printed circuit board surface 108A. In this example, the surface of the magnet of the battery pack aligned with the surface of magnets 104C and 104D has a first polarity. In other words, the aligned magnets of the external charger and the battery pack have opposite polarities for alignment. In this way, the polarity of the magnets of external charger 100 and the polarity of the magnets of the battery pack may be alternated to allow proper alignment between external charger 100 and a battery pack (eg, battery pack 400A) and between external charger 100 and a user device (eg, user device 600A).

[0051] In an embodiment, the distance between the first row of magnets 104A and 104B and the second row of magnets 104C and 104D is equal to the distance between the second row of magnets 104C and 104D and the third row of magnets 104E and 104F. In an embodiment, the first row of magnets 104A and 104B includes a first magnet 104A adjacent to a first side 108B of the printed circuit board 108 and a second magnet 104B adjacent to a second side 108C of the printed circuit board 108. In an embodiment, the second row includes a third magnet 104C adjacent to the first side 108B of the printed circuit board 108 and a fourth magnet 104D adjacent to the second side 108C of the printed circuit board 108. In some embodiments, the third magnet 104C and the fourth magnet 104D have a second polarity opposite to the first polarity of the first magnet 104A and the second magnet 104B.

[0052] Figure 2 An example internal view of an external charger 200 is shown. The example external charger 200 is only one example of a suitable external charger for the related art disclosed herein, and is not intended to necessarily limit the scope of use or functionality of the present invention. The external charger 200 should also not be interpreted as having a specific dependency or requirement with respect to any one or combination of the components shown.

[0053] The example external charger 200 includes a housing 202, magnets 204A-204F, a mechanical guide 206, a printed circuit board 208 having a first surface 208A facing the magnets 204A-204F and sides 208B-208C, an input port 210, and external charger contacts 212A-212F. As described above, the example external charger 200 is an example of a suitable external charger. For example, in some embodiments, the example external charger 200 may include multiple printed circuit boards 208. As another example, in some embodiments, the example external charger 200 may include other magnets in addition to the magnets 204A-204F.

[0054] like Figure 2 As shown, housing 202 supports magnets 204A-204F, mechanical guides 206, printed circuit board 208, input port 210, external charger contacts 212A-212F, and circuitry including uC / uP 214 and DC-DC 216. In addition, as shown Figure 2 As shown, the magnets 204A-204F are closer to the portion of the housing 202 that is capable of coupling to the battery pack than the printed circuit board 208 (and closer than the first surface 208A of the printed circuit board 108). In an embodiment, the first row of magnets 204A and 204B have a first polarity, the second row of magnets 204C and 204D have a second polarity, and the third row of magnets 204E and 204F have a first polarity. In other embodiments, the external charger 200 may have a fourth row of magnets having a second polarity. Continuing with this example, in some embodiments, the external charger 200 may have a fifth row of magnets having a first polarity. The magnets 204A-204F of the external charger and the corresponding battery pack magnets used for alignment have opposite polarities to increase alignment and avoid incorrect placement between the external charger 200 and the battery pack.

[0055] like Figure 2 As shown, magnets 204A-204F are circular. In other embodiments, one or more magnets may have different shapes. In some embodiments, one or more of magnets 204A-204F include neodymium magnets, ferrite magnets, another type of magnet, or one or more combinations thereof. In an embodiment, the distance between the first row of magnets 204A and 204B and the second row of magnets 204C and 204D is equal to the distance between the second row of magnets 204C and 204D and the third row of magnets 204E and 204F. In other words, the distance between magnets 204A and 204C is equal to the distance between magnets 204B and 204D. In addition, in some embodiments, the distance between magnets 204C and 204E is equal to the distance between magnets 204D and 204F.

[0056] In an embodiment, the first magnet 204A is adjacent to the first side 208B of the printed circuit board 208, and the second magnet 204B is adjacent to the second side 208C of the printed circuit board 208. In an embodiment, the third magnet 204C is adjacent to the first side 208B of the printed circuit board 208, and the fourth magnet 204D is adjacent to the second side 208C of the printed circuit board 208. In an embodiment, the fifth magnet 204E is adjacent to the first side 208B of the printed circuit board 208, and the fifth magnet 204F is adjacent to the second side 208C of the printed circuit board 208.

[0057] In an embodiment, a portion of magnets 204D and 204F are located directly above surface 208A of printed circuit board 208, and magnets 204D and 204F are closer to a portion of housing 202 that is capable of coupling to a battery pack than printed circuit board 208. In some embodiments, a majority of magnets 204A-204C and 204E are directly above surface 208A of printed circuit board 208, such that a greater portion of the entire portion of each of magnets 204A-204C and 204E is directly above surface 208A compared to a smaller portion of the entire portion of magnets 204A-204C and 204E that is not directly above printed circuit board 208. In other words, in some embodiments, the length of printed circuit board 208 between sides 208B and 208C does not extend beyond the diameter of each of magnets 204A-204F.

[0058] In some embodiments, the housing 202 has exposed external contact receivers that can be connected to the battery pack (e.g., Figure 6B The external charger 200 includes an opening for a plurality of external charger contacts 212A to 212F that engage with external contact receivers 612A to 612F of the external charger 200. In other embodiments, the external charger 200 may include more or fewer external charger contacts 212A-212F. In some embodiments, the external charger contacts 212A and 212F are spring contacts with a positive polarity, the external charger contacts 212B and 212E are pogo contacts with a negative polarity, and the external charger contacts 212C and 212D are pogo contacts for data communication with a battery pack or a user device. In some embodiments, the external charger contacts 212A-212F correspond to an inter-integrated circuit protocol for communication on a bus or a single-wire protocol for data communication (e.g., associated with a thermal sensor of the printed circuit board 208).

[0059] In some embodiments, the distance between the external charger contacts 212B and 212C is the same as the distance between the external charger contacts 212C and 212D. In other words, in some embodiments, each pogo contact 212B to 212E may have an equal distance from at least one other pogo contact. In some embodiments, the distance between the external charger contacts 212A and 212B is the same as the distance between the external charger contacts 212E and 212F. In some embodiments, the external charger contacts 212A and 212F, which are spring contacts with positive polarity, can engage with corresponding external contact receivers of a battery pack with positive polarity. In some embodiments, the external charger contacts 212B and 212E, which are pogo contacts with negative polarity, can engage with corresponding external contact receivers of a battery pack with negative polarity. For example, the plurality of external charger contacts 212A-212F, when engaged with the external contact receiver of the battery pack, can facilitate a locking mechanism with the battery pack that protects the external charger 200 and the battery pack's electronics while preventing overheating of the external charger 200 or the battery pack (e.g., caused by the DC-DC 216). For example, a particular arrangement of the external charger 200 provides for bypassing of circuitry of a user device (e.g., a barcode reader, a mobile computing barcode reader). Additionally, when engaged with the external contact receiver of the battery pack, the plurality of external charger contacts 212A-212F can facilitate proper and efficient placement of the external charger 200 when coupled to the battery pack to enhance safe and efficient charging of the battery pack.

[0060] Figure 3 An external charger 300 is shown, which includes a housing 302, a housing surface 302A, a mechanical guide 306, and external charger contacts 312A-312F. The example external charger 300 is one example of a suitable external charger. For example, in some embodiments, the example external charger 300 can include different types of external charger contacts 312A-312F. As another example, in some embodiments, the example external charger 300 can include more or fewer external charger contacts 312A-312F.

[0061] The mechanical guide 306 of the example external charger 300 protrudes above the housing surface 302A for guiding the external charger 300 to couple to the battery pack. For example, in some embodiments, the mechanical guide 306 can engage with a recessed mechanical guide of the battery pack to couple the external charger 300 to the battery pack. In some embodiments, the external charger contacts 312A-312F are positioned below the mechanical guide 306. In some embodiments, the external charger contacts 312A-312F are positioned at the same level as the mechanical guide 306, wherein both the mechanical guide 306 and the external charger contacts 312A-312F extend above the housing surface 302A. In some embodiments, the external charger contacts 312A-312F are positioned below the housing surface 302A.

[0062] In some embodiments, external charger contacts 312A and 312F are spring contacts, and external charger contacts 312B-312E are pogo contacts. In other embodiments, one or more of external charger contacts 312B-312E are also spring contacts. In addition, in other embodiments, all external charger contacts 312A to 312F are pogo contacts. As another example, in some embodiments, each of external charger contacts 312A-312F may be a spring contact. In other embodiments, one or more of external charger contacts 312A and 312F are also spring contacts. In some embodiments, one or more of external charger contacts 312A-312F are different types of contacts. In an example embodiment, external charger contacts 312A and 312F have a positive charge, external charger contacts 312B and 312E have a negative charge, and external charger contacts 312C and 312D are used for data communication with a battery pack or a user device.

[0063] Figure 4A An example external view of a battery pack 400A is shown, Figure 4B An example internal view of a battery pack 400B is shown. An external view of a battery pack 400A includes a battery pack housing 402, a battery pack housing 403 for coupling the battery pack 400A to an external charger (e.g., Figure 1 The battery pack mechanical guide 406 of the external charger 100) and the external contact receivers 412A-412F. In an embodiment, Figure 4A-4B The battery pack housing 402 may support one or more battery cells (e.g., Figure 4B The battery pack housing 402 may also support one or more magnets (e.g., Figure 5 magnets 504A-504F) that are not in Figure 4A-4B400A because one or more magnets are located between the battery cell 403 and the external view of the battery pack 400A.

[0064] In some embodiments, Figure 4A The battery pack housing 402 is configured to surround the mechanical guide 406 so that the mechanical guide 406 is exposed for receiving the mechanical guide of the external charger. In some embodiments, Figure 4A The battery pack housing 402 has an opening that exposes the mechanical guide 406. In an embodiment, the mechanical guide 406 of the external view of the battery pack 400A is positioned below the outer surface of the battery pack housing 402, so that the mechanical guide 406 is located closer to the outer surface of the battery pack housing 402 than the outer surface of the battery pack housing 402. Figure 4B 400B in the internal view of the battery pack 400B. In some embodiments, the mechanical guide 406 is rectangular and receives a corresponding rectangular mechanical guide of the external charger. In other embodiments, the mechanical guide 406 may have a different shape, such as an oval. In some embodiments, the mechanical guide 406 includes one or more types of plastic (e.g., polycarbonate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polypropylene, thermoplastic elastomer). In some embodiments, the mechanical guide 406 or a portion thereof includes another material (e.g., stainless steel).

[0065] In some embodiments, Figure 4B The internal view of the battery pack 400B in FIG. 4 includes one or more battery cells 403. In some embodiments, the battery pack 400B includes multiple battery cells connected in parallel or in series. In some embodiments, the battery cells 403 are lithium-ion battery cells, lithium-polymer battery cells, or another type of battery cells. Figure 4A-4B As shown, external contact receivers 412A-412F can be positioned along a surface of battery pack housing 402 and at a depth below the surface such that external contact receivers 412A-412F can each receive an external charger contact (e.g., Figure 2 In some embodiments, external contact receivers 412A and 412F are capable of receiving spring contacts of an external charger. In some embodiments, external contact receivers 412B-412E are capable of receiving pogo contacts of an external charger. In some embodiments, one or more of external contact receivers 412A-412F are capable of receiving pin contacts, blade contacts, or other types of contacts.

[0066] In some embodiments, external contact receivers 412A and 412F are capable of receiving external charger contacts having a positive polarity. In some embodiments, external contact receivers 412B and 412E are capable of receiving external charger contacts having a negative polarity. In an embodiment, the charging process of the battery includes allowing current to flow from an external charger to a battery pack through one or more exposed external contacts, wherein at least one of the exposed external contacts is located on the external charger and at least one of the exposed external contacts is located on the battery pack. For illustration, the external contacts on the battery pack are physically located on the battery pack (not on the user device). In some embodiments, external contact receivers 412C and 412D are capable of receiving or sending data between the battery pack or the user device and the external charger.

[0067] In some embodiments, external contact receivers 412A-412F correspond to an inter-IC protocol for communication on a bus or a single-wire protocol for data communication. In some embodiments, the distance between external contact receivers 412A and 412B is the same as the distance between external contact receivers 412B and 412C. In some embodiments, the distance between external contact receivers 412A and 412C is the same as the distance between external contact receivers 412F and 412D. In some embodiments, each of external contact receivers 412A to 412F has an equal distance from at least one other external contact receiver of the plurality of external contact receivers 412A to 412F. Other embodiments of the battery pack may include more or fewer external charger contacts than external contact receivers 412A to 412F.

[0068] Figure 5 An example interior view of a battery pack 500 is shown. The interior view of the battery pack 500 includes a battery pack housing 502, battery pack magnets 504A-504F, and a protective circuit board 508 having a first side 508A and a second side 508B. In an embodiment, the battery pack housing 502 can support the magnets 504A-504F and the protective circuit board 508. In some embodiments, the battery pack housing 502 can support more or fewer magnets than the magnets 504A-504F shown in the example interior view of the battery pack 500.

[0069] In an embodiment, the protection circuit board 508 may include one or more of an overcharge protection circuit, an over-discharge protection circuit, an overcurrent protection circuit, a short circuit protection circuit, a temperature protection circuit, another type of protection circuit, a battery measurement circuit, or one or more combinations thereof. In an embodiment, the battery pack 500 includes at least three magnets 504A, 504C, 504E, which are positioned adjacent to the first side 508A of the protection circuit board 508. In an embodiment, the battery pack 500 includes at least three magnets 504B, 504D, 504F, which are positioned adjacent to the second side 508B of the protection circuit board 508. In some embodiments, the battery pack 500 includes one or more additional magnets, which are positioned adjacent to one or more of the first side 508A and the second side 508B of the protection circuit board 508.

[0070] In some embodiments, the battery pack 500 has a first row of magnets 504A and 504B, a second row of magnets 504C and 504D, and a third row of magnets 504E and 504F. In an embodiment, when the external contact receiver is engaged with the external charger contacts of the external charger, each row of magnets is aligned with at least one corresponding magnet of the external charger so that the aligned magnets of the battery pack and the external charger have opposite polarities. For example, the first row of magnets 504A and 504B may have a first polarity, the second row of magnets 504C and 504D may have a second polarity, and the third row of magnets 504E and 504F may have a first polarity. In an embodiment, the first row of magnets 504A and 504B having a first polarity may be aligned with the first row of magnets of the external charger having a second polarity. In an embodiment, the second row of magnets 504C and 504D having a second polarity may be aligned with the second row of magnets of the external charger having a first polarity. In an embodiment, the third row of magnets 504E and 504F having a first polarity may be aligned with a third row of magnets of an external charger having a second polarity.

[0071] In some embodiments, the distance between the first row of magnets 504A and 504B and the second row of magnets 504C and 504D is equal to the distance between the second row of magnets 504C and 504D and the third row of magnets 504E and 504F. In some embodiments, an additional row of magnets is positioned below the third row of magnets 504E and 504F. Additionally, the distance between magnets 504A and 504B can be equal to the distance between magnets 504C and 504D. In some embodiments, the distance between magnets 504C and 504E is equal to the distance between magnets 504D and 504F. In some embodiments, one or more of magnets 504A-504F is shaped similar to Figure 5 Different shapes shown in .

[0072] Fig. 6A shows a front view of a user device 600A, Figure 6B 6 shows a rear view of a user device 600B having a battery pack 601. In some embodiments, the battery pack 601 can be removed from the user device 600B. Figure 6B As shown in FIG. 6 , the battery pack 601 includes a mechanical guide 606 and external contact receivers 612A to 612F. In some embodiments, the battery pack 601 may include Figure 6B In some embodiments, one or more of the external contact receivers 612A to 612F have different Figure 6B The shape depicted in .

[0073] Figures 7A-7D Example views 700A-700D of a user device are shown, wherein the user device is coupled to an external charger via one or more magnets of an external charger, one or more corresponding magnets of a battery pack of the user device, one or more external charger contacts of the external charger, and one or more corresponding contact receivers of the battery pack. In an embodiment, the battery pack of the user device shown in views 700A-700D can be charged based on the external charger being coupled to the battery pack via magnets, external charger contacts, and contact receivers. For example, views 700A and 700C show a front view of charging the user device via an external charger, while views 700B and 700D show a rear view of charging the user device via an external charger. As another example, views 700A and 700B show the user device charging in a first position, while views 700C and 700D show the user device charging in a second position, wherein the first position and the second position are associated with the external charger. In other words, the external charger is capable of charging the battery pack in the first position and the second position. For example, the external charger may be rotated 180 degrees to couple to the battery pack such that the battery pack may be charged in a first position and a second position such that the external charger is rotated 180 degrees from the first position to the second position.

[0074] Fig. 8A shows a cross section of a user device and an external charger system 800A, Figure 8B A view of system 800B is shown as viewed from a cross section. Figures 8A-8B The system shown includes a user device 802, an external charger 804, and a battery pack 806, wherein the battery pack 806 is connected to the user device 802 through external charger contacts (e.g., Figure 2 The external charger 804 is coupled to the external charger contacts 212A-212F), the external contact receivers (e.g., the external contact receivers 412A-412F of FIG. 4 ), the magnets 808A, 808C, and 808E of the external charger 804, and the magnets 808B, 808D, and 808F of the battery pack 806. Figure 8B Also shown are a printed circuit board 810 of the external charger 804 and a battery cell 812 of the user device 802 .

[0075] like Figure 8B As shown, in some embodiments, the printed circuit board 810 can be located behind the external charger 804 (relative to the position of the battery pack 806 when the battery pack 806 is coupled to the external charger 804) and between the first magnet 808A (e.g., included in a first row of magnets within the external charger 804, where another magnet in the first row is not shown) and the second magnet 808C (e.g., included in a second row of magnets within the external charger 804, where another magnet in the second row is not shown). In some embodiments, the printed circuit board 810 can have a length shorter than the distance from the farthest end of the first magnet 808A of the external charger 804 to the farthest end of the second magnet 808C (from the farthest end of the second magnet 808C to the farthest end of the second magnet 808A). Figures 8A-8B In some embodiments, magnets 808A and 808C of external charger 804 are positioned closer to printed circuit board 810 than magnets 808B, 808D, and 808F of battery pack 806 are positioned to battery cells 812 of user device 802.

[0076] In an embodiment, a method for charging user device 802 may include coupling battery pack 806 to external charger 804 such that external contact receivers of battery pack 806 (e.g., one or more of external contact receivers 412A-412F of FIG. 4 ) are in contact with external charger contacts (e.g., Figure 2 The external charger contacts 212A-212F of the battery pack 806 are engaged and multiple rows of magnets (e.g., Figure 5 magnets 504A-504F) and multiple rows of magnets within the external charger 804 (e.g., Figure 2 204A-204B) of the battery pack 806 and the external charger 804 are aligned, and wherein each aligned magnet (e.g., aligned magnets 808A and 808B, aligned magnets 808C and 808D, aligned magnets 808E and 808F) of the battery pack 806 and the external charger 804 has opposite polarities. For example, in some embodiments, magnets 808A and 808E of the external charger 804 and magnet 808D of the battery pack 806 have a first polarity, and magnets 808B and 808F of the battery pack 806 and magnet 808C of the external charger 804 have a second polarity. Based on the battery pack 806 being coupled to the external charger 804, the battery pack 806 can be charged.

[0077] In an embodiment, one or more computer storage memories of the external charger 804 have computer readable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors of the external charger 804, cause the one or more processors to perform a method for charging the user device 802. For example, the method may include connecting an external contact receiver (e.g., one or more of the external contact receivers 412A-412F of FIG. 4 ) of the battery pack 806 to an external charger contact (e.g., Figure 2 The one or more processors may determine that the battery pack 806 has been coupled to the external charger 804 by engaging one or more of the external charger contacts 212A-212F of FIG. 4 , wherein the battery pack 806 has been coupled to the external charger 804 via the magnets 808A-808F. Based on determining that the battery pack 806 is coupled to the external charger 804, the one or more processors may cause the external charger 804 to charge the battery pack 806 (e.g., via one or more of the external contact receivers 412A-412F and Figure 2 One or more of the external charger contacts 212A-212F).

[0078] Fig.9A shows a cross section of a user device and an external charger system 900A, Fig. 9B A view of system 900B from a cross-section is shown. Figures 9A-9B The system shown in includes a user device 902 , an external charger 904 , and a battery pack 906 , wherein the battery pack 906 is coupled to the external charger 904 via external charger contacts 914 of the external charger 904 and external contact receivers 916 of the battery pack 906 . Fig. 9B Also shown are a printed circuit board 910A of the external charger 904, a protection circuit board 910B of the battery pack 906, a battery cell 912 of the user device 902, two sides 918A-918B of the mechanical guide of the external charger 904, and two sides 920A-920B of the mechanical guide of the battery pack 906. Fig. 9B In the illustrated example embodiment, the printed circuit board 910A of the external charger 904 has a Figure 8B The printed circuit board 810 of the external charger 804 shown is longer in length (from Figures 9A-9B (Thus, in Figure 8B In other embodiments, the printed circuit board 810 may have a length longer than the distance from the farthest end of the first magnet 808A of the external charger 804 to the farthest end of the second magnet 808C)

[0079] In an embodiment, the external charger contacts 914 of the external charger 904 are pogo contacts, and the external contact receivers 916 of the battery pack 906 are pad contacts for receiving the external contact receivers 916. In an embodiment, a method for charging the user device 902 may include coupling the battery pack 906 to the external charger 904 such that the external contact receivers 916 of the battery pack 906 engage with the external charger contacts 914, and such that a magnet (e.g., Figure 8B 808B, 808D, 808F) with a magnet in an external charger 904 (e.g., Figure 8B In some embodiments, the method further includes coupling the battery pack 906 to the external charger 904 by aligning the first side 918A of the mechanical guide of the external charger 904 with the first side 920A of the mechanical guide of the battery pack 906, and aligning the second side 918B of the mechanical guide of the external charger 904 with the second side 920B of the mechanical guide of the battery pack 906. Based on the coupling of the battery pack 906 to the external charger 904, the battery pack 906 can be charged (e.g., via the external charger contacts 914 and the external contact receivers 916).

[0080] In an embodiment, one or more computer storage memories of the external charger 904 have computer readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors of the external charger 904, cause the one or more processors to perform a method for charging the battery pack 906. For example, the method may include determining that the battery pack 906 has been coupled to the external charger 904 based on the external contact receivers 916 of the battery pack 906 engaging the external charger contacts 914. In some embodiments, the method performed by the one or more processors also includes determining that the first side 918A of the mechanical guide of the external charger 904 engages the first side 920A of the mechanical guide of the battery pack 906. In some embodiments, the method performed by the one or more processors also includes determining that the second side 918B of the mechanical guide of the external charger 904 engages the second side 920B of the mechanical guide of the battery pack 906. Based on determining that the battery pack 906 is coupled to the external charger 904 (e.g., via the external charger contacts 914, the external contact receivers 916, and via both sides 918A-918B of the mechanical guide of the battery pack 906 and both sides 920A-920B of the mechanical guide), the one or more processors may cause the external charger 904 to charge the battery pack 906 (e.g., via the external charger contacts 914 and the external contact receivers 916).

[0081] Fig.10An example system 1000 is shown that includes a charger interface 1002 and a battery pack interface 1012. The charger interface 1002 includes a first magnet 1004 having a first polarity 1004A and a second polarity 1004B, wherein the second polarity 1004B can mate with a first polarity 1014A of a first magnet 1014 of the battery pack interface 1012 (the first magnet 1014 also has a second polarity 1014B). The charger interface 1002 also includes a second magnet 1006 having a first polarity 1006A and a second polarity 1006B, wherein the second polarity 1006B can mate with a first polarity 1016A of a second magnet 1016 of the battery pack interface 1012 (the second magnet 1016 also has a second polarity 1016B). The charger interface 1002 also includes a third magnet 1008 having a first polarity 1008A and a second polarity 1008B, wherein the second polarity 1008B can engage with the first polarity 1018A of the third magnet 1018 of the battery pack interface 1012 (the third magnet 1018 also has a second polarity 1018B). The charger interface 1002 also includes an external charger contact 1010 for engaging with an external contact receiver 1020 of the battery pack interface 1012.

[0082] Fig.11 Another example system 1100 is shown that includes a charger interface 1102 and a battery pack interface 1112. The charger interface 1102 includes a first magnet 1104 having a first polarity 1104A and a second polarity 1104B, wherein the second polarity 1104B can mate with a first polarity 1114A of a first magnet 1114 of the battery pack interface 1112 (the first magnet 1114 also has a second polarity 1114B). The charger interface 1102 also includes a second magnet 1106 having a second polarity 1106A and a first polarity 1106B, wherein the first polarity 1106B can mate with a second polarity 1116A of a second magnet 1116 of the battery pack interface 1112 (the second magnet 1116 also has a first polarity 1116B). The charger interface 1102 also includes a third magnet 1108 having a first polarity 1108A and a second polarity 1108B, wherein the second polarity 1108B can mate with the first polarity 1118A of the third magnet 1118 of the battery pack interface 1112 (the third magnet 1118 also has a second polarity 1118B). The charger interface 1102 also includes an external charger contact 1110 for engaging with an external contact receiver 1120 of the battery pack interface 1112.

[0083] Various components used here have been determined, and it should be understood that any number of components and arrangements can be used to implement the desired functions within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, for the sake of conceptual clarity, the components in the embodiment shown in the figure are shown with lines. Other arrangements of these and other components can also be implemented. For example, although some components are depicted as single components, many elements described herein can be implemented as discrete or distributed components or in combination with other components, and are implemented in any suitable combination and position. Some elements can be omitted together. In addition, the various functions described herein as being performed by one or more entities can be implemented by hardware, firmware and / or software. For example, various functions can be performed by a processor that executes instructions stored in a memory. In this way, in addition to those shown or instead of those shown, other arrangements and elements (for example, machines, interfaces, functions, sequences and functional groupings, etc.) can be used.

[0084] Embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, which are intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. The embodiments described in the above paragraphs may be combined with one or more specifically described alternatives. In particular, the claimed embodiments may contain references to more than one other embodiment in an optional manner. The claimed embodiments may specify further limitations of the claimed subject matter. After reading this disclosure and because of reading this disclosure, alternative embodiments will become apparent to the reader of this disclosure. Without departing from the scope of the following claims, alternative means for implementing the above may be accomplished. Certain features and sub-combinations are useful and may be used without reference to other features and sub-combinations and are considered to be within the scope of the claims.

[0085] Many different arrangements of the various components depicted, as well as components not shown, are possible without departing from the scope of the appended claims. The embodiments in this disclosure are described for purposes of illustration and not limitation. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to the reader of this disclosure after and because of reading this disclosure. Alternative means of achieving the foregoing may be accomplished without departing from the scope of the following claims. Certain features and subcombinations are useful and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations, and are contemplated to be within the scope of the claims.

[0086] In the foregoing detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part of the present invention, wherein the same reference numerals always represent the same components, and in the accompanying drawings, embodiments that may be implemented are illustrated by way of illustration. It should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the foregoing detailed description should not be considered restrictive, and the scope of the embodiments is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A battery pack comprising: one or more battery cells; Protect circuit boards; an external contact receiver, used for receiving an external charger contact of an external charger; as well as A shell is used to support the one or more battery cells, the protection circuit board, and the external contact receiver, wherein a first surface of the shell can be coupled to an external charger.

2. The battery pack of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of rows of magnets, and wherein each of the plurality of rows of magnets aligns with at least one corresponding magnet of the external charger when the external charger contacts engage the external contact receivers, and wherein the aligned magnets of the battery pack and the external charger have opposite polarities. 3 . The battery pack of claim 2 , wherein a distance between a first row of the plurality of rows of magnets and a second row of the plurality of rows of magnets is equal to a distance between the second row and a third row of the plurality of rows of magnets.

4. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein: The battery pack also includes a mechanical guide for coupling the battery pack to the external charger. 5 . The battery pack according to claim 4 , wherein the first surface of the case has an opening exposing the mechanical guide, and wherein the mechanical guide is below the first surface of the case.

6. A battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the battery pack further comprises a plurality of external contact receivers, the plurality of external contact receivers including the external contact receiver for engaging with external charger contacts of an external charger, wherein each of the plurality of external contact receivers has an equal distance from at least one other external contact receiver of the plurality of external contact receivers.

7. The battery pack of claim 6, wherein the first surface of the housing has an opening exposing the plurality of external contact receivers for engagement with external charger contacts of the external charger.

8. The battery pack of claim 7, wherein a first external contact receiver among the plurality of external contacts is capable of receiving a spring contact or a telescopic contact.

9. An external charger, comprising: An input port for receiving an input voltage; a printed circuit board having a charging circuit system; external charger contacts for engaging external contact receivers of the battery pack; as well as A housing is used to support the input port, a printed circuit board with a charging circuit system, and external charger contacts.

10. The external charger of claim 9, comprising a plurality of rows of magnets, wherein each magnet aligns with at least one corresponding magnet of the battery pack when the external charger contacts engage the external contact receivers, and wherein the aligned magnets of the external charger and the battery pack have opposite polarities.

11. The external charger according to claim 9, wherein: The external charger is capable of charging the battery pack at a first location and a second location.

12. The external charger according to claim 9, wherein: The battery pack also includes a mechanical guide for coupling the external charger to the battery pack.

13. The external charger according to claim 10, wherein: A distance between a first row of the plurality of rows of magnets and a second row of the plurality of rows of magnets is equal to a distance between the second row and a third row of the plurality of rows of magnets.

14. The external charger according to claim 13, wherein: A first row of the plurality of rows of magnets includes a first magnet adjacent to a first side of the printed circuit board and a second magnet adjacent to a second side of the printed circuit board, and wherein the first magnet and the second magnet have a first polarity for alignment with the battery pack.

15. The external charger according to claim 14, wherein: The second row includes a third magnet adjacent to the first side of the printed circuit board and a fourth magnet adjacent to the second side of the printed circuit board, and wherein the third and fourth magnets have a second polarity opposite to the first polarity for aligning with the battery pack.

16. A method for charging a user device, the method comprising: coupling the battery pack to an external charger such that external charger contacts of the external charger engage external contact receivers of the battery pack; as well as Based on the battery pack being coupled to the external charger, the battery pack is charged.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a first plurality of rows of magnets within the battery pack are aligned with a second plurality of rows of magnets within the external charger, and wherein each aligned magnet of the battery pack and the external charger have opposite polarity.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a first distance between a first row of first plurality of rows of magnets within the battery pack and a second row of first plurality of rows of magnets within the battery pack is equal to a second distance between the second row of first plurality of rows of magnets within the battery pack and a third row of first plurality of rows of magnets.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first row includes a first magnet adjacent to a first side of a protection circuit board within the battery pack and a second magnet adjacent to a second side of the protection circuit board, and wherein the first magnet and the second magnet have a first polarity for aligning with the external charger.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the row of magnets within the external charger includes one magnet adjacent to a first side of a printed circuit board within the external charger and another magnet adjacent to a second side of a printed circuit board within the external charger, wherein the row of magnets within the external charger is aligned with the first row within the battery pack, and wherein the row of magnets within the external charger has a second polarity opposite to the first polarity for aligning with the battery pack.

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