Integrated monitoring of charging efficiency of rechargeable devices via power banks

Abstract

A portable power bank for charging a rechargeable device is described, and dynamic charging efficiency is monitored while the power bank is charging the rechargeable device. In particular, the instantaneous power output of a battery of the power bank is compared to the power received by a battery of the rechargeable device to determine efficiency. Charging of the rechargeable device by the power bank is suspended and / or resumed based on the charging efficiency at any given time, thereby preventing inefficient use of the power bank.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to an apparatus and method for determining instantaneous charging efficiency during charging of a rechargeable device by a power bank, and more specifically, for interrupting charging in response to low charging efficiency. [Background technology]

[0002] A power bank is a portable electronic device that primarily includes a rechargeable battery that is electrically connectable to one or more rechargeable devices. The power bank uses the electrical connection to provide an electrical charge to the batteries of each of the rechargeable devices. A smartphone user may carry a power bank so that, for example, when the smartphone's battery charge level is low, the user can connect the smartphone to the power bank (e.g., via USB or wireless charging means). Once the power bank partially or fully recharges the smartphone's battery, the user can continue to use the smartphone without much concern about draining the user's smartphone's battery.

[0003] The capacity of a power bank battery is typically expressed in either units of charge (e.g., milliampere-hours (mAh)) or units of energy (e.g., watt-hours (Wh)). As an example, a power bank may have a specified capacity of 12000 mAh, and this power bank may be used to charge a smartphone with a battery capacity of 3000 mAh. Applying simple mathematics to capacity, a smartphone user may assume that a power bank starting from full capacity can provide four full recharges (or in some cases, eight half-charges) to the smartphone before the power bank is depleted and must be recharged.

[0004] However, it is understood that a power bank battery loses at least a portion of its capacity over time. Thus, the actual capacity of an exemplary power bank battery may be substantially less than the specified capacity of 12,000 mAh (e.g., less than 11,000 mAh, 10,000 mAh, and / or 9,000 mAh, etc.). Furthermore, the transfer of charge from the power bank battery to the rechargeable device battery is not 100% efficient. That is, at least some energy loss (or “efficiency loss”) inevitably occurs between the power bank battery and the mobile computing device battery during charging. Efficiency loss is caused by many factors that are not always constant over time, and often not even constant during the same charging session between the power bank and the mobile computing device.

[0005] Simply put, as a result of efficiency losses during charging of a rechargeable device via a power bank, more charge is consumed by the power bank battery than is acquired by the rechargeable device battery. Thus, a power bank at a full charge may have a "real-world" charging capacity that is substantially less than a user of the power bank would expect. A power bank user may be disappointed when their power bank runs out of battery charge after providing substantially less charge to the rechargeable device battery than the user expected. Summary of the Invention

[0006] One embodiment includes a portable power bank device ("power bank"). The power bank includes a battery ("power bank battery") for providing electrical charge to a battery of a rechargeable device external to the power bank. In particular, the power bank battery provides electrical charge via an electrical connection between the power bank battery and the battery of the rechargeable device ("rechargeable device battery"). The power bank further includes one or more transceivers for exchanging communication signals with the rechargeable device and a remote server. The power bank still further includes one or more processors and non-transitory memory. The memory stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed via one or more processors, cause the power bank device to: (1) determine an instantaneous power output of the power bank battery while supplying charge to the rechargeable device battery; (2) acquire, via one or more transceivers, a communication signal from the rechargeable device, the acquired signal indicating an amount of power received at the rechargeable device battery; (3) transmit, via the one or more transceivers, to a remote server, a charging status signal including an indication of (i) the amount of power received at the rechargeable device battery and (ii) the instantaneous power output of the power bank battery; (4) receive, via the one or more transceivers, from the remote server, an interrupt signal in response to the remote server determining that the dynamic charging efficiency is below a threshold, the dynamic charging efficiency being determined based on the charging status signal; and (5) interrupt the supply of charge to the rechargeable device battery in response to receiving the interrupt signal.

[0007] Another embodiment includes a rechargeable device. The rechargeable device includes an internal battery configured to act as a power source for the rechargeable device. The internal battery of the rechargeable device is also configured to receive charge from a battery of a portable power bank device external to the rechargeable device. In particular, the rechargeable device battery receives charge via an electrical connection between the power bank battery and the rechargeable device battery. The rechargeable device further includes one or more transceivers for exchanging communication signals with the power bank and a remote server. The rechargeable device still further includes one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable memories storing computer-executable instructions. The instructions, when executed via one or more processors, cause the rechargeable device to: (1) acquire, via one or more transceivers, a communication signal from the portable power bank device while the rechargeable device battery receives charge from the power bank battery, the acquired signal indicating an instantaneous power output of the power bank battery; (2) determine an amount of power received at the rechargeable device battery from the power bank battery; (3) transmit, via the one or more transceivers, to a remote server, a charging status signal including an indication of (i) the amount of power received at the rechargeable device battery and (ii) the instantaneous power output of the power bank battery; (4) receive, via the one or more transceivers, from the remote server, an interrupt signal in response to the remote server determining that the dynamic charging efficiency is below a threshold, the dynamic charging efficiency being determined based on the charging status signal; and (5) interrupt the supply of charge to the rechargeable device battery in response to receiving the interrupt signal.

[0008] In accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure, any one or more of the foregoing aspects of the apparatus or method may further include any one or more of the following optional features.

[0009] In an optional embodiment, the dynamic charging efficiency indicator is displayed on the personal electronic device. The power bank device is associated with a user profile that includes one or more personal electronic devices, including the personal electronic device that displays the dynamic charging efficiency indicator. In some embodiments, the personal electronic device is a rechargeable device. A graphical user interface may, for example, provide a user of the personal electronic device with options for whether to suspend and / or resume the delivery of charge. The suspension of the delivery of charge may be based, in part, on user interaction with the graphical user interface or may be automatically triggered based on one or more predetermined conditions (e.g., an efficiency threshold). If the delivery of charge has already been suspended, the graphical user interface may provide an option to resume the delivery of charge.

[0010] In another optional form, the delivery of charge is resumed at some point following the interruption of the delivery of charge. For example, the delivery of charge may resume after the battery charge level of the rechargeable device decreases and the charging efficiency increases again above a threshold.

[0011] In yet another optional aspect, various techniques are used to calculate the instantaneous power output of the power bank battery and / or the power received by the rechargeable device battery. In particular, various techniques are used to determine voltage, current, and / or power values ​​of the power bank battery and / or the rechargeable device battery. Additionally, various techniques are used to communicate the determined values ​​to the power bank, the rechargeable device, and / or a remote server.

[0012] In yet other optional embodiments, various combinations of communication means and charging means are used by the rechargeable device and the power bank. The communication means may include wired communication means and / or wireless communication means (e.g., USB data communication, wireless radio frequency (RF) communication, etc.). The charging means may include various wired and / or wireless structures for electrically connecting the power bank to the mobile computing device (e.g., USB charging, Lightning charging, wireless charging using the Qi standard or the AirFuel standard, etc.).

[0013] Embodiments may further include methods that include the operations of the apparatus described herein and / or non-transitory computer-readable media that include computer-executable instructions that cause a processor to perform the methods via the apparatus described herein.

[0014] The advantages will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of preferred embodiments, which have been shown and described by way of illustration. As will be understood, the present embodiments are capable of other and different embodiments, and their details are capable of modification in various respects. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] The figures described below depict various aspects of the systems and methods disclosed herein. Each figure depicts a particular aspect of the disclosed systems and methods, and each figure is intended to correspond to a possible aspect thereof. Furthermore, wherever possible, the following description will refer to reference numerals included in the following figures, and features depicted in multiple figures will be consistently designated by reference numerals.

[0016] Although shown in the diagram arrangements currently discussed, the present embodiments are not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

[0017] [Figure 1A]1 illustrates an exemplary computing environment including a power bank and a mobile computing device, according to one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 1B] 1 illustrates an exemplary computing environment including a power bank, a rechargeable device, a personal electronic device, and a remote server, according to one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B illustrate exemplary components of the power bank and rechargeable device and / or mobile computing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 illustrates an exemplary chart associated with voltages observed while charging a rechargeable device via a power bank, according to one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 10 illustrates another chart associated with voltage and current observed while charging a rechargeable device via a power bank, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 10 illustrates yet another exemplary chart associated with power and efficiency observed while charging a rechargeable device via a power bank, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figures 6A-6C] 1 illustrates an exemplary graphical user interface of a personal electronic device according to one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 1 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram according to one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 1 illustrates an exemplary method associated with a power bank, according to one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 1 illustrates an exemplary method associated with a remote server, according to an aspect of the present disclosure.

[0018] The figures depict preferred embodiments for purposes of example only. Alternative embodiments of the systems and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention as described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] While the following text provides detailed descriptions of many different embodiments, it should be understood that the legal scope of this specification is defined by the language of the claims at the end of this patent and any equivalents. The detailed description is intended to be merely exemplary and does not describe every possible embodiment, as doing so would be impractical. Many alternative embodiments may be implemented using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, and would still fall within the scope of the claims.

[0020] Embodiments of the present disclosure include a portable power bank device (“power bank”) and a rechargeable device, such as a mobile computing device (e.g., a smartphone) or a rechargeable lithium or alkaline battery. The power bank and the rechargeable device each include a respective internal battery (“power bank battery” and “rechargeable device battery,” respectively). The power bank is configured to use the power bank’s battery to provide charge to the rechargeable device battery via an electrical connection between the power bank and the rechargeable device. The electrical connection may include, for example, a USB-C connection, a micro-USB connection, a Lightning charging connection, a Qi standard wireless connection, an AirFuel wireless connection, etc., and / or another wired or wireless structure for electrically connecting the rechargeable device to the power bank.

[0021] Embodiments of the present disclosure include determining dynamic charging efficiency while a power bank battery supplies charge to a rechargeable device battery (“charging a rechargeable device”). In particular, embodiments of the present disclosure include (1) determining the instantaneous power output from the power bank battery and (2) determining the instantaneous amount of power received by the rechargeable device battery (“power input”). The instantaneous power output and power input are compared to determine the dynamic charging efficiency between the power bank battery and the rechargeable device battery. In embodiments described herein, the dynamic charging efficiency is monitored (e.g., repeatedly calculated by the power bank and / or a remote server) over the course of a charging session between the power bank and the rechargeable device.

[0022] In various embodiments of the present disclosure, calculations to determine instantaneous power output, instantaneous power input, and dynamic charging efficiency are performed by the power bank and / or by a remote server. Additionally, various embodiments of the present disclosure utilize various techniques to calculate the power bank battery output and / or power received by the rechargeable device battery. More specifically, various techniques may be applied to perform voltage and / or current measurements of the power bank battery and of the rechargeable device battery, and use the voltage and / or current values ​​to determine the power output and / or power input.

[0023] In either case, when the dynamic charging efficiency is below a threshold (e.g., 80%, 70%, 60%, 50%, etc.), action is taken to prevent inefficient charging, which could waste the power bank's battery charge. In some embodiments, these actions include interrupting the delivery of charge from the power bank battery to the rechargeable device's battery automatically based on one or more predetermined conditions or in response to user input after notifying the user of the dynamic charging efficiency (e.g., via a push notification). Notifying the user may, for example, allow the user to interact with the personal electronic device to cause the interruption of the delivery of charge, even though the power bank and rechargeable device may remain electrically connected, for example, by a USB charging cable or via a wireless charging connection. In some embodiments, if wired charging (e.g., a USB charging cable) is used, the user may alternatively physically disconnect the power bank from the rechargeable device (e.g., by removing the USB charging cable from a charging port on either the power bank or the charging device) when the user is notified of the charging efficiency, thereby interrupting the delivery of charge from the power bank battery to the charging device's battery. Similarly, in some embodiments, if wireless charging is used (e.g., Qi or AirFuel wireless charging), the user can alternatively physically remove the rechargeable device from the wireless charging pad when the user is notified of the dynamic charging efficiency, thereby interrupting the delivery of charge from the power bank battery to the rechargeable device battery. Further, in some embodiments, a push notification or full-screen application display is provided on the personal electronic device to notify the user of the low charging efficiency, and the user can interact with the push notification or full-screen application to cause the interruption of the delivery of charge without breaking the electrical connection or removing the rechargeable device from the wireless charging pad.

[0024] Embodiments of the present disclosure include monitoring charging efficiency on a remote server. The remote server may be configured to store multiple user data each associated with a multiple user accounts for a respective power bank user. Thus, the remote server may associate a particular power bank with a particular user account maintained on the remote server. In some embodiments, the user account also includes an indication of a rechargeable device associated with the user. Thus, the user account may associate both the power bank and one or more rechargeable devices with each other. During a charging session, the power bank and / or personal electronic device may report charging efficiency data to the remote server for monitoring on the remote server. Additionally, the power bank and / or rechargeable device (and / or applications running thereon) may be configured to update the user account associated with the power bank to include an indication of the rechargeable device when the power bank is used to charge the rechargeable device. In some other embodiments, the remote server provides an interface (e.g., a web portal) through which users can interact with personal electronic devices (e.g., rechargeable and non-rechargeable devices such as desktop computers) to display user profile information (e.g., charging efficiency data), set user preferences (e.g., personal electronic devices that should receive alerts), and remotely control power bank charging (e.g., by having the remote server send interrupt and / or reconnect signals to the power bank).

[0025] The methods and use of power banks described herein promote more efficient use of power banks. Power bank users typically do not know when the most severe efficiency loss occurs, and therefore may use the power bank in a manner that undesirably wastes battery charge. The delivery of charge from a power bank to a rechargeable device is typically interrupted only when the rechargeable device has finished charging (i.e., when the mobile computing device battery has reached a 100% charge level and is unable to accept more charge). In contrast, the methods and use of power banks described herein advantageously enable interruption of charging based on dynamic charging efficiency, even when the rechargeable device battery has not reached 100% charge. The methods and power banks described herein allow the power bank to charge a rechargeable device when charging is more efficient (e.g., at least 70% for USB charging or at least 50% for wireless charging), while facilitating user action to prevent automatic interruption of charging and / or delivery of charge when charging is substantially inefficient (e.g., below 50% for USB charging or below 30% for wireless charging). By facilitating more efficient utilization of the power bank's stored charge, the methods and power banks disclosed herein allow for a single full charge of the power bank (or partial charge of the power bank) to effectively provide more charge to more chargeable devices before the power bank itself requires recharging.

[0026] Before further description, definitions of certain terms are provided, which terms are used throughout this detailed description.

[0027] As used herein, the term “power bank” refers to a portable electronic device that can be used to provide electrical charge to one or more rechargeable devices (e.g., mobile computing devices such as smartphones, tablets, and / or portable media players; devices powered by consumer rechargeable batteries such as rechargeable AAA batteries, AA batteries, A batteries, etc.; or rechargeable industrial devices with integrated rechargeable batteries such as door locks, automatic toilets, paper towel dispensers, hand dryers, etc.). Thus, the term “power bank” encompasses battery packs external to rechargeable devices, including rechargeable battery packs and disposable battery packs. It should be understood that any use of the term “mobile computing device” herein contemplates alternative implementations of other types of “rechargeable devices.” Power banks primarily include rechargeable batteries (“power bank batteries”), such as rechargeable lithium-ion or lithium-polymer batteries. More specifically, power bank batteries include one or more cells (e.g., electrochemical cells) that may be arranged in series, in parallel, or, in alternative embodiments, may include cells arranged in series and in parallel. The power bank may charge the rechargeable device (i.e., provide charge to the rechargeable device battery) via a wired means for electrically connecting the power bank to the rechargeable device (e.g., a USB or Lightning cable connection) and / or via a wireless means therefor (e.g., a Qi or AirFuel standard wireless charging means). The means for electrically connecting the power bank to the rechargeable device are collectively referred to herein as an "electrical connection" between the power bank battery and the mobile computing device battery.

[0028] The capacity of a battery (e.g., a rechargeable power bank battery) generally refers to the maximum charge or energy that can be held by the battery. The measured capacity of a battery may be expressed in units of charge (e.g., ampere-seconds, coulombs (C), milliampere-hours (mAh), and / or other suitable units) or in units of energy (e.g., watt-hours (Wh), joules (J), and / or other suitable units). "Nominal capacity" refers to the initial, specified capacity of a battery (e.g., as specified by the manufacturer or retailer and corresponding to the optimal capacity at the time of manufacture). "Actual capacity" refers to the "real" or "true" capacity of a battery at a given time; it will be understood that actual capacity will typically be less than the nominal capacity and therefore will fluctuate, especially over a period of time. Actual capacity is typically measured in the same units as the nominal capacity (e.g., if the nominal capacity of a battery is defined in units of charge, then the actual capacity is measured in the same units). Actual capacity may be used in combination with a particular time to transfer the charge or energy held by a battery at that particular time; thus, two actual capacities determined at different times may be used to transfer the distribution of charge or energy held by a battery over a time interval. "Current actual capacity" (or simply "current capacity") refers to the actual capacity of a battery at the current (present) time. As used herein, the "state of health" of a battery is a comparison of the actual capacity of the battery to the nominal capacity of the battery (e.g., actual capacity divided by nominal capacity, expressed as a ratio or percentage). Where technology is described herein relating to batteries having capacities expressed in units of charge, it should be understood that similar technology relating to batteries having capacities expressed in units of energy may apply, given appropriate modifications (as described herein).

[0029] "Charge level," also referred to herein as a "fuel gauge," refers to the measured / determined amount of charge or energy held by a battery (e.g., a rechargeable power bank battery, a rechargeable smartphone battery, etc.) at a given point in time. The charge level may be expressed as a percentage, i.e., a percentage representation of the amount of charge held by the battery compared to the battery's capacity. Rechargeable devices, such as smartphones or other mobile computing devices, typically display the charge level of the rechargeable device in percentage form (e.g., 51%). Note that a battery's charge level is typically based on the battery's current capacity, not its nominal capacity. For example, if a given device battery's current capacity is 8000 mAh compared to a nominal capacity of 10000 mAh, and the device indicates a current charge level of "100%," this means that the battery holds 8000 mAh of charge (not 10000 mAh).

[0030] As used herein, "charging" or "recharging" a given device is the supply of charge to the device's rechargeable battery, thereby increasing the device's charge level. Charging may, for example, increase the device charge level from 0% to 100%, from 0% to 40%, from 51% to 63%, from 55% to 100%, etc. The act of charging over time is referred to herein as a "charging session." Conversely, "depleting" a given device (e.g., of a power bank) is the depletion of charge by the device, which decreases the device's charge level. Depleting a device may, for example, reduce the device charge level from 100% to 0%, from 100% to 65%, from 80% to 20%, from 33% to 0%, etc.

[0031] The term "instantaneous" as used herein refers to the value of a variable at a given time (e.g., when the variable is measured or calculated). For example, the "instantaneous power output" of a power bank battery refers to the amount of power output by the battery at a given point in time, where the power output may vary over time (e.g., expressed in watts (W)). The "instantaneous power input" (or "power received at a rechargeable battery") of a rechargeable device battery refers to the amount of power received at a mobile device battery at a given time, where the power input may also vary over time. "Dynamic charging efficiency" refers to the efficiency value of charging from a first device to a second device (e.g., from a power bank battery to a mobile computing device battery) based on a comparison of the instantaneous power output from the first device battery and the corresponding instantaneous power input at the second device battery at or near the same time. Charging efficiency may vary over time, as will be understood from this disclosure.

[0032] "Power bank" may be used in various places herein to more specifically refer to a power bank battery, and thus, given the appropriate context, these terms may be considered interchangeable. For example, when the term "power bank" is described in connection with supplying electricity, capacity, charge, etc., the term should be understood to more specifically refer to the power bank's battery (e.g., "power bank capacity," "receiving charge from a power bank," "power bank charge level," etc., specifically referring to the power bank's battery). Similar terms may be used to describe a mobile computing device (e.g., a smartphone) that is charged by a power bank. For example, terms such as "charging a mobile computing device" or "mobile computing device charge level" may more specifically refer to the mobile computing device's battery.

[0033] A power bank according to the present disclosure may include a microcontroller (MCU). At a very high level, the computing functionality of the power bank MCU is typically limited to functionality related to (1) delivering charge from the power bank to a rechargeable computing device (e.g., enabling charge to be delivered, interrupting charge delivery, etc.), (2) performing calculations related to electrical properties that can be used to facilitate the delivery of charge (e.g., measuring or calculating power, energy, current, voltage, resistance, capacitance, and efficiency), and / or (3) communicating calculations to other computing devices.

[0034] Although a power bank according to the present disclosure may have some display capabilities (e.g., a flashing LED light, or a power meter metric bar, or a display graphic indicating the charge level of the power bank battery), a power bank according to the present disclosure generally does not include a substantial display. For example, the size of a power bank display screen may be less than 25 cm. 2 Over and / or 16cm 2The power bank may be limited to have no more than 100% visible surface area. Additionally or alternatively, the functionality of a power bank display screen is typically limited to a simple numeric display (e.g., lacking the HD screen functionality typically present on smartphones, tablets, notebook computers, etc.). As a result, the primary power draw from the power bank battery according to the present disclosure is charging the mobile computing device (rather than operating the limited power bank display itself, which requires substantially less power). Similarly, while the power banks described herein may include some communication capabilities (e.g., RF communication via Bluetooth Low Energy, etc.), different wired and / or wireless communication functionality may be utilized depending on the device with which the power bank communicates. For example, communication with a rechargeable device may be implemented via a low-power and / or low-computation communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth Low Energy or WiFi). However, the power bank may implement a more complex protocol (e.g., cellular communication such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or New Radio (NR)) for communication with a remote server.

[0035] Power banks are typically limited in physical size, weight, and / or dimensions so that a user of a mobile computing device can easily carry the power bank (e.g., in a pocket, purse, backpack, etc.). Often, power banks have a physical size and weight comparable to that of a smartphone. However, other physical forms of power banks are possible. For example, some power banks are substantially larger in size and capacity and are therefore more effective at providing more charge, e.g., capable of charging a device more times, and capable of substantially charging larger devices such as laptop computers (e.g., providing enough charge to charge a laptop computer battery 10% to 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, or more).

[0036] Furthermore, as a result of the power bank's functionality being limited to that described above, the power bank generally has limited input / output (I / O) functionality. For example, the power bank may not include a dedicated keyboard or touchpad. Additionally, while the power bank may include one or more ports (e.g., a USB port, a micro-USB port, etc., which may facilitate charging and / or data communication), typically, none of the ports included on the power bank are adapted to accept a keyboard, mouse, peripheral touchpad, monitor, or other peripheral I / O device.

[0037] Exemplary Computing Environment 1A illustrates an exemplary computing environment 100 illustrating a power bank 140 according to the present disclosure in which the techniques described herein may be implemented. Environment 100 includes a mobile computing device 120, which may be a smartphone, tablet, wearable computing device, laptop computer, and / or other suitable computing device. Unless expressly disclosed otherwise, any description of a mobile computing device 120 contemplates an alternative implementation of the description in a rechargeable device. Environment 100 further includes a power bank 140, generally configured to provide electrical charge to one or more rechargeable devices (e.g., mobile computing device 120).

[0038] In addition to being electrically connected so that charge can be provided from the power bank 140 to the mobile computing device 120, the mobile computing device 120 and the power bank 140 may be communicatively connected via one or more communicative connections 144. The one or more communicative connections 144 may include a wireless radio frequency (RF) connection (e.g., via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Zigbee, Universal Plug and Play (UPnP), WiFi Low Power, 6LoWPAN, LoRa, and / or other suitable protocols). Additionally or alternatively, the one or more communicative connections may be implemented by a wired connection between the power bank 140 and the mobile computing device 120 (e.g., via a wired USB or Lightning cable connection). In some embodiments, a single connection between the mobile computing device 120 and the power bank 140 (e.g., a USB data / charging wired connection) may electrically and communicatively connect the power bank 140 to the mobile computing device 120, thereby facilitating combined communication and charging capabilities between the mobile computing device 120 and the power bank 140.

[0039] Mobile computing device 120 includes memory 152 (i.e., one or more memories 152, e.g., RAM, ROM, etc.). Memory 152 is configured to store one or more applications 154 (“apps”), each of which includes one or more sets of non-transitory computer-executable instructions. In particular, one or more applications 154 includes a power bank application 156 (“PB app”), which may facilitate, for example, measuring, monitoring, and displaying dynamic charging efficiency and / or intentionally interrupting the supply of charge to mobile computing device 120. In some embodiments, one or more applications 154 use an application programming interface (API) that provides access to electrical characteristics (e.g., voltage, current, resistance, etc.) of mobile computing device 120 measured via the internal circuitry of mobile computing device 120.

[0040] The mobile computing device 120 further includes a processor 158 (i.e., one or more processors, e.g., a CPU, a GPU, etc.) that can execute non-transitory computer-executable instructions contained in the memory 152. The mobile computing device additionally includes a communications module 160 ("communications module") that can establish communications with and exchange communications signals with the power bank 140 via one or more communications connections 144. More specifically, the communications module 160 includes one or more transceivers configured to transmit and / or receive communications signals via a communications connection with an external device. Communications signals to and / or from the communications module 160 may include wireless signals (RF signals) or wired communications signals (e.g., via a USB data connection). The communications module 160 may also include one or more modems configured to convert between signals received / transmitted via the one or more transceivers and signals interpreted by the processor 158 and / or the PB app 156. The mobile computing device 120 may additionally include an I / O 162 for connecting one or more input devices and / or one or more output devices (e.g., a dedicated display screen such as a touchscreen).

[0041] It should be understood that alternative rechargeable devices may not include I / O 162. For example, in embodiments in which rechargeable device 120 includes a consumer battery, the I / O of a personal electronic device that interfaces with a remote server may instead be configured to display information about the rechargeable device.

[0042] Mobile computing device 120 includes a charging module 164 (e.g., a USB charger) primarily configured to receive and conduct electrical charge to a rechargeable battery 166 ("mobile computing device battery 166") of mobile computing device 120. Battery 166 is the primary power source for mobile computing device 120. Typically, battery 166 is internal to mobile device 120 (e.g., fixedly or removably located within a cavity of mobile computing device 120).

[0043] The charging module 164 of the mobile computing device 120 may also include circuitry to measure and / or process the charging performance of the charging module 164. For example, the charging module 164 may include an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to convert analog measurements of voltage, current, resistance, and / or other electrical properties at the mobile computing device 120 into digital values. The digital values ​​may be transmitted via the communications module 160 to the power bank 140 via one or more communicative connections 144 (e.g., via a wireless RF connection) or to a remote server via an alternative communicative connection.

[0044] Charging module 164 may include one or more charging ports (e.g., USB ports or Lightning ports) and / or additional circuitry for receiving and directing electrical charge to battery 166 when charging module 164 receives electrical charge from an external power source (i.e., a source of electrical charge). The external power source may be a power bank 140 according to the present disclosure and / or another external power source (e.g., a wall outlet, a vehicle charging port, etc.).

[0045] The operations of the processor 158 may include operations to manage the supply of charge to the battery 166 via the charging module 164 (e.g., operating a switch to interrupt and / or resume the supply of charge to the battery 166).

[0046] In some embodiments described herein, charging module 164 includes a voltage regulator (e.g., a DC-DC voltage converter). The voltage regulator may be configured, for example, to convert the voltage of a charging port of mobile computing device 120 to the voltage of battery 166. For example, in a mobile computing device 120 configured to receive power via a five-volt (5V) USB charging port, the voltage regulator may include a step-down converter (“buck converter”) configured to reduce the USB voltage to 3.6V or another suitable voltage corresponding to battery 166. Similar voltage conversion may be performed based on (1) the voltages of the components of charging module 164, which may vary based on the charging means used (e.g., lighting charging, Qi standard wireless charging, etc.), and (2) the voltage of mobile computing device battery 166. Additional description of the components of charging module 164 is provided with respect to FIG. 2 .

[0047] 1A , the power bank 140 includes a rechargeable battery 180. The power bank battery 180 is the primary power source for the power bank 140 itself and also the source from which the power bank 140 provides charge to the mobile computing device. The power bank battery 180 may be, for example, a lithium-ion battery, a lithium polymer battery, and / or another type of secondary battery. The power bank battery 180 may include one or more electrochemical cells connected in parallel and / or in series.

[0048] The power bank 140 includes at least one charging module 182 (e.g., a USB charger), which is generally configured to (1) receive and conduct electrical charge to the power bank battery 180 (e.g., charge received from an AC wall outlet, vehicle charging port, etc.), and (2) provide electrical charge to one or more mobile computing devices via an electrical connection. In one particular implementation in which the power bank includes three charging modules 182, one of the charging modules 182 may be configured to enable battery recharging, while the remaining two charging modules 182 are configured to enable charging of two mobile computing devices simultaneously. In possible embodiments, the electrical connection may be implemented via wired and / or wireless means (e.g., USB charging, Lightning charging, Qi standard wireless charging, AirFuel wireless charging, and / or other suitable means).

[0049] Charging module 182 may be coupled to voltage regulator 183 (e.g., a DC-DC voltage converter). Voltage regulator 183 may be configured, for example, to convert a first voltage associated with power bank 140's power source (e.g., a 120V AC wall outlet) to a second voltage (e.g., 3V, 3.6V, or 4.2V) for power bank battery 180 while power bank 140 is being recharged. Additionally or alternatively, voltage regulator 183 may be configured to convert the voltage of power bank battery 180 to yet another voltage for the charging connection to mobile computing device 120 while power bank 140 is providing charge to mobile computing device 120 (e.g., voltage regulator 183 may include a step-up or "boost" converter configured to convert the power bank voltage to 5V for a USB charging connection). Voltage conversion within power bank 140 may vary based on (1) the voltage of power bank battery 180 and (2) the voltage associated with the charging means through which charge is provided to mobile computing device 120 (e.g., lighting charging, Qi wireless charging, etc.). Additional description of the components of charging module 182 is provided with respect to FIG.

[0050] Power bank 140 includes a microcontroller 184 (MCU, also referred to herein as a control module) with memory 186 and processor 188. Memory 186 (i.e., one or more memories) may include ROM, RAM, and / or other suitable types of computer memory. Processor 188 (i.e., one or more processors) may include a CPU and / or other suitable processing unit that executes non-transitory instructions stored in memory 186. In various embodiments, MCU 184 performs measurements of electrical characteristics (e.g., measuring the voltage of battery 180, the current drained from battery 180, and / or other measurements described herein) via charging module 182 and performs calculations based on values ​​obtained via the measurements performed. Memory 186 may be configured to store one or more look-up tables for correcting such measurements based on the temperature of environment 100 and / or battery 180. Further, the MCU 184 may control the operation of the charging module 182 (e.g., may operate switches in the charging module 182 to suspend and / or resume the supply of charge from an external power source to the power bank battery 180 and / or from the power bank 140 to the mobile computing device battery 166, e.g., based on dynamic charging efficiency to improve the energy efficiency of the power bank 140).

[0051] Power bank 140 additionally includes a communications module 190 (“communications module”) that includes one or more transceivers configured to exchange wired and / or wireless communications signals with mobile computing device 120 via one or more communications connections 144 (e.g., RF digital communications using Bluetooth Low Energy, WiFi, LoRa, etc.) and / or with a remote server via additional communications connections. Depending on the particular communications protocol implemented over the communications connections, communications module 190 may also include one or more modems configured to convert between signals received / transmitted via the one or more transceivers and signals interpreted by MCU 184. Non-transitory instructions stored in power bank memory 186 may include instructions that, when executed by processor 188, cause communications module 190 to transmit indicators of measured electrical properties and / or other calculations performed by MCU 184 (e.g., indicators of voltage, current, resistance, instantaneous power output, etc.) to mobile computing device 120 and / or a remote server (not shown).

[0052] MCU 184 or charging module 182 may, among other things, include an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to convert analog measurements of voltage and / or other electrical characteristics in power bank 140 into digital values. The digital values ​​may be transmitted via communications module 190 to mobile computing device 120 over one or more communicative connections 144 (e.g., via a wireless RF connection).

[0053] Optionally, the power bank includes I / O 192 for connecting one or more input devices and / or one or more output devices. In particular, I / O 192 may include a power button that controls suspending / resume of the supply of charge from power bank battery 180 to a mobile computing device's battery (e.g., to battery 166 of mobile computing device 120). In some embodiments, I / O 192 may include one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and / or other graphical outputs, which may be icons that provide an indication of the charge level of power bank battery 180 and / or whether charging is actively occurring.

[0054] In some additional embodiments, power bank 140 also includes a temperature sensor 187 configured to sense the temperature of environment 100 and / or battery 180. For example, temperature sensor 187 may be a thermistor. MCU 184 may be configured to obtain an indication of temperature from temperature sensor 187. As described below, actual battery capacity is temperature dependent. Thus, when MCU 184 determines measurements associated with power bank battery 180 and / or mobile computing device battery 166, MCU 184 may apply a correction factor based on the temperature sensed by temperature sensor 187.

[0055] Environment 100 may, in various embodiments, include additional computing devices and / or components. Moreover, where components of devices described herein are referred to separately, it should be understood that in some embodiments the components may be combined.

[0056] 1B illustrates an exemplary computing environment 150 including a power bank 140, a rechargeable device 120 (such as the mobile computing device 120 described with respect to FIG. 1A), a personal electronic device 121, and a remote server 130. The power bank 140, the rechargeable device 120, the personal electronic device 121, and the remote server are communicatively coupled via one or more networks 124. Although FIG. 1B depicts only a single power bank 140, a single rechargeable device 120, and a single personal electronic device 121, the environment 150 may include any number of power banks 140, rechargeable devices 120, and personal electronic devices 121 communicatively coupled with the remote server 130 via the network 124.

[0057] 1A and may include one or more long-range communication networks (e.g., a Wi-Fi network, an Ethernet network, a cellular communication network, etc.) and short-range communication networks. To this end, in some embodiments, the power bank 140 utilizes the communication connection 144 between the power bank 140 and the rechargeable device 120 to facilitate communication between the power bank 140 and the remote server 130. In other embodiments, the communication module 190 of the power bank 140 is configured to include one or more transceivers capable of communicating directly with the remote server 130. In these embodiments, if the rechargeable device 120 does not include a transceiver capable of communicating with the remote server 130 (e.g., in some embodiments in which the rechargeable device 120 includes a consumer-grade rechargeable battery), the rechargeable device 120 may utilize the communication connection 144 to transmit data to the power bank device 140, which relays the data to the remote server 130.

[0058] Personal electronic device 121 is an electronic device associated with a user of power bank 140. Personal electronic device 121 may be a smart TV, a smart home hub, a mobile computing device, or any other suitable type of personal electronic device. Personal electronic device 121 may be configured to receive alerts from remote server 130 regarding the operation of power bank 140 and / or rechargeable device 120, and to query data stored on remote server 130 regarding power bank 140 and / or rechargeable device 120. In some embodiments, personal electronic device 121 is rechargeable device 120. In these embodiments, personal electronic device 121 receives charge from power bank 140 and receives alerts from remote server 130.

[0059] Remote server 130 includes memory 134 (i.e., one or more memories 134, e.g., RAM, ROM, etc.). Memory 134 may be configured to store one or more lookup tables for correcting measurements associated with power bank 140 and / or rechargeable device 120 based on the temperature of an environment associated with power bank 140 and / or battery 180. Additionally, memory 134 is configured to store one or more applications 136 (“apps”) that include one or more sets of non-transitory computer-executable instructions. In particular, one or more applications 136 include various applications for analyzing data received from power bank 140 and / or rechargeable device 120. For example, the one or more applications 136 may include an application configured to monitor the state of health of the power bank 140, an application configured to determine the number of times the power bank can recharge one or more rechargeable devices 120, an application configured to suspend the power bank 140 when it is operating inefficiently, an application for generating a web dashboard for monitoring the operation of the power bank 140 and / or the rechargeable device 120 via the personal electronic device 121, and / or other applications configured to operate on data received from the power bank 140 and / or the rechargeable device 120. In some embodiments, the applications 136 are configured to share an API interface with a PB app 156 running on the rechargeable device 120 to exchange data regarding the power bank 140 therebetween.

[0060] The memory 134 also includes user profile data 138. To this end, the remote server 130 may be configured to maintain user profiles for multiple users of each power bank 140. Thus, for each user of each power bank 140, the user profile data 138 may include an identifier for the particular power bank 140, identifiers for one or more associated rechargeable devices 120, identifiers for one or more personal electronic devices 121 for which the user wants to receive alerts, operational data associated with the power bank 140 and rechargeable device 120 (including the operational data described elsewhere herein), user preference data (including user-defined thresholds), and / or other data associated with the user. Various identifiers may uniquely identify each device (e.g., MAC address, serial number, MEID, UICC, or other unique identifier). In some embodiments, the user preference data is set based on the user's interaction with the PB app 156 of the rechargeable device 120 and / or via a web interface accessed via the personal electronic device 121.

[0061] Remote server 130 further includes a processor 133 (i.e., one or more processors, e.g., a CPU, a GPU, etc.) that can execute non-transitory computer-executable instructions contained in memory 134. In some embodiments, remote server 130 operates in a cloud computing configuration. In these embodiments, one or more processors 133 and one or more memories 134 may be physically located in different hardware units. Accordingly, it should be understood that FIG. 1B represents a logical relationship between the various components of remote server 130.

[0062] Remote server 130 additionally includes a communications module 131 (“communications module”) that may establish communications and exchange communications signals over one or more networks 124. More specifically, communications module 131 includes one or more transceivers configured to transmit and / or receive via a communications connection with external devices. Communications module 131 may also include one or more modems configured to convert signals received / transmitted via the one or more transceivers into signals interpreted by processor 133. Communications module 131 may be configured to communicate with additional or alternative devices not shown in FIG. 1B . For example, in some embodiments, application 136 may be configured to generate one or more alerts related to the operation of power bank 140, including the number of recharges that power bank 140 can provide to one or more rechargeable devices 120. Accordingly, communications module 131 may be configured to send messages to a push server, which pushes the alerts to rechargeable devices 120 and / or personal electronic devices 121 via a push messaging protocol.

[0063] Remote server 130 may additionally include I / O 132 for connecting one or more input devices and / or one or more output devices (e.g., devices connected to one or more physical ports of remote server 130 to enable monitoring and / or configuration of remote server 130).

[0064] 2 illustrates exemplary conventionally known electrical components of the rechargeable device 120 of FIG. 1B (including the mobile computing device 120 of FIG. 1A) and the power bank 140 of FIGS. 1A-1B suitable for use in the portable power bank devices described herein. While a limited number of electrical components are described with respect to FIG. 2, these are provided merely for general illustration of the power bank 140 and methods described herein, and thus it should be understood that the mobile computing device 120 and / or power bank 140 may, in various embodiments (e.g., other electrical circuitry and / or any of the components described with respect to FIG. 1), include additional, fewer, and / or alternative components to those described herein. Thus, the arrangement of electrical components generally described herein may differ from the arrangement shown in FIG. 2.

[0065] 2 facilitates the delivery of charge from the power bank battery 180 to the rechargeable device battery 166 via an electrical connection between the power bank battery 180 and the rechargeable device battery 166. The electrical connection between the power bank battery 180 and the rechargeable device battery 166 electrically connects their respective batteries to facilitate the delivery of charge from the power bank battery 180 to the rechargeable device battery 166. In some embodiments, at least some of the electrical components described herein may be disposed in one or more integrated circuits in the rechargeable device 120 and / or in the power bank 140.

[0066] 2, electrical connection 210 is a wired electrical connection (e.g., a USB-C charging cable, a micro-USB cable, a lighting cable, or other physical connection structure) connecting electrical port 212 of power bank 140 to electrical port 214 of mobile computing device 120. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, electrical connection 210 may include a wireless electrical connection (e.g., a Qi standard wireless charging connection). Moreover, in some embodiments, electrical connection 210 may be implemented by the same structure that provides communicative connection 144 as described with respect to FIG. 1. That is, a single connection between mobile computing device 120 and power bank 140 (e.g., a USB wired data / charging wired connection) may both electrically and communicatively connect mobile computing device 120 and power bank 140.

[0067] The power bank battery 180 supplies charge via current flowing out of the power bank battery 180. The instantaneous power output of the power bank battery 180 can be calculated (e.g., by the power bank MCU 184) by multiplying the instantaneous value of the current flowing out by the instantaneous voltage of the power bank battery 180. The voltage of the power bank battery 180 (e.g., the voltage between the two terminals of the power bank battery 180) can be measured by the MCU 184, for example, via a voltmeter disposed on the power bank battery 180. The current flowing out can be measured by the MCU 184 through the use of a resistor 226 (e.g., a shunt resistor) electrically placed in series with the power bank battery 180 and having a known resistance. As current passes through the resistor 226, the MCU measures the voltage drop across the resistor 226 via a voltmeter 228. An ADC in the power bank MCU 184 can convert the analog voltage measurement into a digital voltage measurement. The MCU 184 may divide the voltage drop across resistor 226 by the known resistance of resistor 228 to determine the value of the current passing through resistor 226 and therefore the value of the current drain of the power bank battery 180.

[0068] In some embodiments, control of the delivery of charge from the power bank battery 180 is facilitated via a power bank switch 232. An open switch 232 (as shown in FIG. 2) prevents the delivery of charge from the power bank battery 180, while a closed switch 232 allows the delivery of charge. The switch 232 may be controlled, for example, by the power bank MCU 184 (e.g., the switch may be automatically closed based on dynamic charging efficiency, as described herein). Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the switch 232 may be controlled based on communications sent to the power bank 140 by the rechargeable device 120 and / or the remote server 130 of FIG. 1B, which may be based on corresponding user input.

[0069] The power bank 140 includes a voltage regulator 183a (e.g., a voltage regulator 183 as shown in FIG. 1 , e.g., a DC-DC voltage converter). The voltage regulator 183a may be configured to convert a first voltage (e.g., 3V, 3.6V, or 4.2V) of the power bank battery 180 to a second configured voltage (e.g., 5V for USB charging) of the electrical connection 210. Thus, in some embodiments, the voltage regulator 183a includes a step-up or “boost” converter configured to increase the voltage. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the voltage regulator 183a includes a step-down or “buck” converter to decrease the voltage (e.g., when the voltage of the power bank battery 180 is greater than the voltage of the electrical connection 210). In effect, the voltage regulation by the voltage regulator 183a may vary based on (1) the voltage of the power bank battery 180 and (2) the voltage associated with the electrical connection 210. The regulated current (e.g., passed through voltage regulator 183a) may be supplied to electrical connection 210 via power bank electrical port 212. In particular, by performing a measurement of the drain current between battery 180 and voltage regulator 183a, the drain current measurement reflects the drain current from battery 180 itself (e.g., the drain current from the terminals of battery 180), thereby avoiding inaccuracies that may be caused by energy losses and / or changes in the value of the current occurring in voltage regulator 183a.

[0070] Power bank 140 may additionally include a second, separate electrical path to facilitate the delivery of incoming charge to power bank battery 180 (e.g., incoming charge from an AC wall outlet, a vehicle charging port, and / or other charging source for power bank 140). The elements of this second path may generally be similar to the elements described herein for directing outgoing charge from power bank battery 180. Thus, the second path may include, for example, voltage regulator 183b (e.g., for converting a first voltage of an electrical connection supplying charge to power bank 140 to a second voltage of power bank battery 180). Once the current passes through voltage regulator 183b, it may pass through resistor 246 (e.g., a shunt resistor). The current passing through resistor 246 may be measured (e.g., by MCU 184 via voltmeter 248) in a manner similar to that described herein for the outgoing current passing through resistor 226. The delivery of incoming charge to battery 180 may be controlled via switch 252.

[0071] Current is received at rechargeable device 120 from electrical connection 210 via rechargeable device port 214. The received current may flow to voltage regulator 262 of rechargeable device 120. Voltage regulator 262 may be configured to convert the voltage of electrical connection 210 (e.g., 5V for USB charging) to another voltage (e.g., 3V, 3.6V, or 4.2V) for rechargeable device battery 166. Thus, in some embodiments, voltage regulator 262 includes a step-down converter configured to reduce the voltage. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, voltage regulator 262 includes a step-up converter configured to increase the voltage.

[0072] Charge is received by the rechargeable device battery 166 by an inflow current. The voltage of the rechargeable device battery 166 may be measured, for example, by a voltmeter at the battery 166. The value of the inflow current may be measured via a resistor 270 (e.g., a shunt resistor) placed electrically in series with the mobile computing device battery 166 and having a known resistance. As current passes through the resistor 270, the mobile computing device 120 measures the voltage drop across the resistor 270 via a voltmeter 272. An ADC in the rechargeable device processor may convert the analog measurement of the voltage at the rechargeable device 120 to a digital voltage value. The rechargeable device processor (e.g., processor 158) may divide the voltage drop across the resistor 270 by the known resistance of the resistor 270 to determine the value of the current passing through the resistor 270 and, therefore, the value of the inflow current to the rechargeable device battery 166. In particular, by performing an inrush current measurement between the voltage regulator 262 and the battery 166, the inrush current measurement reflects the inrush current into the rechargeable device battery 166 itself (e.g., into the terminals of the rechargeable device battery 166), thereby accounting for potential energy losses and / or changes in the value of the current occurring in the voltage regulator 262. The processor of the rechargeable device 120 may calculate the instantaneous power input to the rechargeable device battery 166 by multiplying the instantaneous value of the inrush current by the corresponding instantaneous voltage of the rechargeable device battery 166.

[0073] In some embodiments, control of the delivery of charge to the rechargeable device battery 166 is performed via the rechargeable device switch 276. An open state (as shown in FIG. 2 ) of the switch 276 prevents delivery of charge to the rechargeable device battery 166, while a closed state of the switch 276 allows delivery of charge. The switch 276 may be controlled, for example, by the rechargeable device 120 (e.g., by the processor 158 according to instructions from the power bank app 156 based on dynamic charging efficiency). Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the switch 276 may be controlled based on communications sent by the power bank 140 to the rechargeable device 120.

[0074] Through the electrical arrangement shown in FIG. 2, as will be understood from this detailed description, the supply of charge from the power bank battery 180 to the mobile computing device battery 166 can be performed and controlled in a manner that facilitates efficient use of the power bank 140.

[0075] Causes of dynamic charging efficiency variations At any point over a period of time while the power bank is providing a charge to a rechargeable device (a "charging session"), the dynamic charging efficiency between the power bank battery and the rechargeable device battery can be measured based on a comparison of the amount of power output by the power bank battery and the amount of power received by the rechargeable device battery (the "power input"). More specifically, the power input (P in ) and the power output (P out ) to determine the charging efficiency. The charging efficiency may be expressed as a ratio between 0 and 1.0 (or alternatively as a percentage between 0% and 100%). For example, a P of 10.5 W at the corresponding time out and 7W P in Considering this, the charging efficiency at that time is approximately 0.67 or 67%.

[0076] Because at least some losses occur during any energy transfer, the dynamic charging efficiency between a power bank battery and a rechargeable device battery is always less than 100%. However, certain conditions may be observed to particularly reduce charging efficiency, and the magnitude of these efficiency losses may vary over time.

[0077] For one, efficiency varies significantly based on the electrical connection over which charging is performed. For example, optimal conditions for charging using a USB connection may produce 70% efficiency (i.e., the power received by the mobile computing device battery is 70% of the power output of the power bank battery), with efficiency losses ranging from 1% to 20% through the USB cable itself. In contrast, optimal conditions for wireless charging may produce only 50% efficiency, with losses affected by the thickness of any device in which the rechargeable device and power bank are held, the distance between the rechargeable device and the power bank, etc. To account for differences in typical charging efficiency across various different electrical connections, different charging efficiency thresholds are assumed for the different electrical connections (e.g., a first efficiency threshold specific to USB 2.0 charging, a second efficiency threshold specific to USB 3.0 charging, and a third efficiency threshold specific to some or all Qi or AirFuel wireless charging methods).

[0078] Additionally, charging efficiency typically decreases as the fuel gauge of the device receiving the charge increases. For example, as a rechargeable device approaches 100% fuel gauge, charging efficiency typically becomes lower (e.g., as a result of energy losses in the voltage regulator in the rechargeable device and / or power bank). When the rechargeable device fuel gauge is low (e.g., 20%, 30%, 40%), the rechargeable device can typically accept a relatively efficient charge. However, as the rechargeable device approaches a full charge (100% fuel gauge), the charging current typically tapers off, and more time and energy are required to provide the rechargeable device with the final portion of the charge (e.g., the last 20%, last 10%, 5%, 1%, etc.) of the charge. This phenomenon will be explained in more detail in conjunction with a discussion of Figures 3-5 in a subsequent section of this detailed description.

[0079] Furthermore, the charging efficiency associated with any device is typically affected by the state of health of the device's battery (e.g., the power bank battery providing the charge or the rechargeable device battery receiving the charge). As the battery ages and its actual capacity decreases, internal resistance builds up in the battery. As a result, an increasing amount of energy is lost to heat during charging. When applied to the methods and apparatus herein, significant efficiency losses are encountered when the increase in internal resistance of the power bank battery is compounded by the increase in internal resistance of the rechargeable device.

[0080] As yet another factor, charging efficiency may depend on the temperature of the battery and / or the environment proximate to the battery. Generally, battery capacity (and therefore charging efficiency) increases as temperature increases. However, after a threshold temperature (approximately 45°C), additional charge is lost to heat due to increased internal resistance associated with battery degradation, generally reducing charging capacity. Therefore, the power bank MCU and / or remote server may apply a temperature correction factor based on the sensed temperature value to adjust the determined charging efficiency. Additional description of techniques for correcting battery measurements to account for sensed temperature is provided in U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 198,991, filed March 11, 2021, the entire disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.

[0081] While most rechargeable device users do not notice any particular efficiency losses when their rechargeable devices are being charged by a stationary power source (e.g., an AC wall outlet, a vehicle charging port, etc., which can provide exponentially more charge than the rechargeable device requires), efficiency losses are of particular concern when experienced with a power bank. These efficiency losses significantly reduce the effective or "actual" amount of charge that a power bank can provide in a single full or partial charge.

[0082] Calculating power output and power input The dynamic charging efficiency at any point during a charging session between a power bank (e.g., power bank 140 from FIGS. 1 and 2) and a rechargeable device (e.g., rechargeable device 120 from FIGS. 1B and 2, including mobile computing device 120 from FIG. 1A) is calculated based on the charge efficiency of the rechargeable device battery (P in ) to the power input of the power bank battery (P) out ) The dynamic charging efficiency is expressed as a ratio or percentage.

[0083] Instantaneous power output P out is the voltage between the two terminals of the power bank battery (e.g., in volts (V), V out) to the power bank battery's drain current (e.g., in amperes (A), I out In some embodiments, the power bank MCU and / or remote server may measure the instantaneous drain current I via a resistor (e.g., shunt resistor 226, as described with respect to FIG. 2) placed in electrical series with the power bank battery. out The resistor has a known electrical resistance (e.g., 0.01 ohms (Ω)), which is contained in the memory of the power bank MCU and / or remote server. The power bank MCU and / or remote server, via a voltmeter, measures the voltage drop across the resistor as current passes from the battery through it. For example, for a 0.01 Ω shunt resistor, the MCU and / or remote server may measure a 20 millivolt (mV) drop across the shunt resistor. The MCU and / or remote server divides the voltage drop by the known resistance of the shunt resistor to determine the current passing through the resistor, and therefore the value of the current drained from the power bank battery. For example, if the MCU and / or remote server measures a 20 mV drop across the 0.01 Ω shunt resistor, the MCU and / or remote server determines a current of 2 A. out is multiplied by the corresponding voltage of the power bank battery to get the power output P out For example, given a current of 2A and a corresponding power bank battery voltage of 3.9V, P out is determined to be 7.8 W. The MCU may transmit the determined amount of drained current to a remote server for monitoring at the remote server.

[0084] Similar measurements and calculations can be made to measure the instantaneous power input (P in ) can be applied to calculate the power input P in is the instantaneous voltage of the rechargeable device battery (V in ) with the corresponding current (I in ) for a V of 3.6V. in and 1.5A I inGiven the power input P in is 5.4W. The corresponding P out Following the example above where √Hz is 7.8W, the dynamic charging efficiency is 5.4W / 7.8W, or approximately 0.69 (69%).

[0085] In some embodiments, the current I of the rechargeable device battery in is measured via similar circuitry as described herein with respect to a power bank (e.g., by measuring the voltage drop across a resistor with known resistance, as described with respect to FIG. 2). In either case, modern rechargeable devices (e.g., smartphones) typically expose APIs that include functions for measuring the voltage, current, power, and / or other electrical characteristics of the rechargeable device. Thus, the electrical characteristics of the rechargeable device (e.g., V in , I in , and / or P in Obtaining the value of ( ) may involve one or more API function calls, such as executing a dedicated software application on the rechargeable device for using the power bank (e.g., power bank application 156 as described with respect to FIG. 1 ). The rechargeable device may transmit the determined amount of inrush current to a remote server for monitoring at the remote server.

[0086] Efficiency variation throughout a charging session 3-5 illustrate the variation of electrical characteristics throughout an exemplary USB charging session in which a power bank supplies charge to a rechargeable device (specifically, a smartphone, but equally possible for other rechargeable devices). In particular, FIGS. 3-5 illustrate the variation of voltage, current, power, and charging efficiency throughout the charging session. Techniques of the present disclosure may be applied to the exemplary charging session to, for example, cause charging to be interrupted prior to the end of the charging session, thereby preventing relatively inefficient use of the power bank.

[0087] The exemplary charging session in FIGS. 3-5 is defined by a fixed time interval having a duration of approximately 120 minutes, and the charging session uses a constant-current, constant-voltage (CC / CV) charging protocol, described in further detail herein. Other charging protocols are possible. In either case, throughout the charging session (e.g., throughout the 120-minute time interval), the smartphone battery gains charge while the power bank battery loses charge. Specifically, this example shows a "full charge" in which the smartphone starts with 0% charge at minute 0 and reaches 100% charge at approximately minute 120. The corresponding decrease in the power bank's fuel gauge may be, for example, from 100% to 60%, from 80% to 35%, from 50% to 10%, etc. As shown in FIG. 3, the increase in the smartphone's charge level throughout the charging session is typically not linear.

[0088] 3-5 may be assumed for simplicity to be a complete charging of the smartphone (i.e., without interruption) over a continuous 120-minute time interval. However, a charging session may end at any time if the supply of charge to the smartphone is intentionally interrupted (e.g., by physically disconnecting the USB cable from the smartphone or by removing the smartphone from the wireless charging pad). Another charging session may begin when charging resumes at a subsequent time (e.g., when the USB cable is reinserted into the smartphone's port and power bank smartphone, or when the smartphone is returned to the wireless charging pad). Thus, the charging sessions described herein may correspond to any suitable time interval (e.g., 1 minute, 10 minutes, 25 minutes, 150 minutes, etc.), and the charging session may charge the smartphone from 0% to 30%, 10% to 55%, 38% to 64%, 53% to 100%, or from any starting percentage to any final percentage greater than the starting percentage.

[0089] Still further, it should be noted that the behavior of the electrical characteristics (e.g., resulting efficiency) as shown in Figures 3-5 most closely corresponds to a wired USB charging session. However, it should be understood that the electrical characteristics described herein may exhibit similar behavior for other charging means, such as Lightning Charging, Qi standard, or AirFuel standard wireless charging means. Accordingly, the techniques described herein may be applied during a charging session conducted via any suitable charging means, including any of the charging means described herein.

[0090] 3 and 4, a CC / CV charging protocol can be understood. Generally, CC / CV consists of two phases: a first "constant current" (CC) charging phase and a second "constant voltage" (CV) charging phase. During the first "constant current" (CC) charging phase, the device battery providing the charge draws a generally steady amount of drain current (I out ) and the device battery receiving the charge (e.g., a smartphone battery) generally draws a steady amount of inrush current (I in ) (e.g., nominally 2.5A, but potentially less based on the energy loss between the power bank battery and the smartphone battery). While the smartphone battery receives charge in the CC phase, the smartphone battery (V in ) may increase from a minimum voltage (e.g., 3V at 0% fuel gauge, as is typical for lithium batteries) toward a maximum voltage (e.g., 4.2V, as is typical for lithium batteries). Conversely, as the device battery supplying the charge (i.e., the power bank battery) loses charge, the power bank battery's voltage (V out ) may decrease. As shown in FIG. 3, the maximum voltage of the smartphone battery may be achieved, for example, when the smartphone battery is at approximately 70% fuel gauge. Alternatively, the maximum voltage may be achieved at 50% battery fuel gauge, 60% fuel gauge, 80% fuel gauge, etc.

[0091] In either case, when the smartphone battery reaches its maximum voltage at the first time (T1), a "CC / CV crossover" occurs, and the second "constant voltage" (CV) charging phase begins. During the CV phase, as can be observed from Figures 3 and 4, the power bank battery drain current I decreases as the smartphone fuel gauge approaches 100%. out (And thus the battery inflow current I of the mobile computing device in ) decreases from an initial value (e.g., a drain current of 2.5 A at the moment immediately after the crossover) towards 0 A, the maximum voltage of the smartphone battery is maintained (i.e., constant or nearly constant).

[0092] According to a typical charging method, the inflow current I in is below a predetermined threshold (e.g., 0.05 A at minute 120, or another near-zero current value) indicating that charging has sufficiently tapered off. Consequently, the smartphone and / or power bank MCU triggers interruption of the supply of charge to the power bank battery (e.g., via a switch in the power bank or in the charging adapter of the charging source). In contrast, the techniques of this disclosure advantageously facilitate interruption of charge supply based on charging efficiency, which may occur before the current tapers off to near-zero current.

[0093] Power bank battery V out and I out varies over time, so the power output P of the power bank battery out Similarly, the V of a smartphone battery also fluctuates. in and I in Since varies over time, the power input P in fluctuates. P out and P inThe fluctuations in efficiency can be observed in FIG. 5. From minute 0 to approximately minute 55 during the CC phase, efficiency remains relatively stable at approximately 70%. However, following crossover to the CV phase at T1, efficiency gradually decreases. In particular, efficiency drops to a first efficiency mark (E1) of 60% at a second time (T2) at approximately minute 80. Then, as the charging session continues, efficiency drops to a second efficiency mark (E2) of 50% at a third time (T3) at approximately minute 105. Referring back to FIG. 3, at minute 105, it is observed that the smartphone fuel gauge is less than 100%. The first and second efficiency marks may be reached, for example, when the smartphone is at 90% fuel and 95% fuel, respectively.

[0094] The methods and apparatus herein improve existing charging methods by monitoring efficiency and providing interruption of a charging session based on low efficiency, thereby conserving the power bank's charging supply. Charging may be interrupted, for example, when efficiency drops below a threshold value (e.g., corresponding to the first efficiency mark E1 or the second efficiency mark E2, as shown in FIG. 5 ). The efficiency threshold used will vary based on the charging method used. For example, in a USB charging session, where 70% efficiency is often achieved, it may be reasonable to interrupt charging at 60% or 50% efficiency. In contrast, in a wireless charging session, where efficiencies higher than 50% are rarely achieved, a more reasonable threshold may be 45%, 40%, 35%, etc. In some embodiments, the efficiency threshold for each charging method is set by the user (i.e., the user assigns the threshold) via instructions (e.g., a dedicated software application) executing on the mobile computing device. Additionally or alternatively, the efficiency threshold may further include values ​​programmed and stored in the power bank MCU and / or user profile data maintained on a remote server.

[0095] Exemplary User Interface 6A, 6B, and 6C illustrate exemplary user interfaces that may be displayed on a personal electronic device 610 in the context of a charging session in which a power bank (i.e., a power bank battery, not shown) supplies charge to the rechargeable device 610 (i.e., to the battery of the rechargeable device 610). The personal electronic device 610 may be, for example, the personal electronic device 121 described with reference to FIG. 1B. As described above, in some scenarios, the personal electronic device 121 may be the mobile computing device 120 described with reference to FIG. 1B, the rechargeable device 120 described with reference to FIGS. 1B and 2, a smartphone as described with reference to FIGS. 3-5, or another suitable personal electronic device. In the illustrated scenario, the personal electronic device 610 may be a rechargeable device. However, in other scenarios, this is not the case. To provide a framework for these alternative scenarios, in this section, the term "personal electronic device 610" refers to the personal electronic device 610 as a device configured to display the user interfaces of Figures 6A, 6B, and 6C, and the term "rechargeable device" refers to the personal electronic device 610 as a device being recharged by a power bank. In these alternative scenarios, the fuel gauge of the rechargeable device is generally not the same as the fuel gauge of the personal electronic device 610.

[0096] 6A and 6B may generally be determined based on determinations performed by the rechargeable device, by the power bank, by a remote server, or some combination thereof. In some embodiments, the graphical user interfaces of Figures 6A and 6B are displayed via a dedicated power bank application (e.g., power bank application 156 of Figure 1A) executing on the personal electronic device 610.

[0097] 6A illustrates a screen 612 (e.g., a touch screen display) of a personal electronic device 610 displaying a first graphical user interface 620. The graphical user interface 620 indicates that the charging efficiency has dropped to a value below a first efficiency threshold of 60%. The graphical user interface 620 provides options for causing an interruption to the charging session (i.e., an interruption to the delivery of charge from the power bank battery to the rechargeable device's battery).

[0098] In response to the personal electronic device 610 detecting a user interaction to interrupt the charging session ("YES"), the charging session is interrupted (e.g., via a charging control switch at the rechargeable device 610 and / or at the power bank). Alternatively, in response to the personal electronic device 610 detecting a user interaction to continue the charging session ("NO"), no action to interrupt the charging session is taken and the graphical user interface 620 is closed. Of course, if the user intentionally disconnects the rechargeable device from the power bank (e.g., unplugs the USB cable used to perform charging or removes the rechargeable device from the wireless charging pad) when viewing the graphical user interface 620, the charging session is thereby interrupted.

[0099] 6B illustrates a screen 612 of the mobile computing device 610, which displays a second graphical user interface 640. The graphical user interface 640 indicates that the charging efficiency is “very low” and that the charging session has been interrupted due to the very low efficiency. The charging session may be interrupted even though, for example, the power bank and the rechargeable device remain electrically and communicatively connected. In response to a user interaction to accept the interruption of the charging session (“OK”), the graphical user interface 640 is closed. Alternatively, in response to the personal electronic device 610 detecting a different user interaction (“reconnect”), the delivery of charge is resumed, regardless of the potential for a continued decrease in charging efficiency.

[0100] In various embodiments, any number of efficiency thresholds may be set to promote efficient use of the power bank battery. Further, in various embodiments, additional or alternative graphical user interfaces are possible. For example, the push notifications of Figures 6A and 6B may be replaced or supplemented by a full-screen display by the power bank application.

[0101] FIG. 6C illustrates a screen 612 of the personal electronic device 610, displaying a third graphical user interface 660. The graphical user interface 660 allows a user of the personal electronic device 610 to configure charging termination settings for both the power bank and the rechargeable device. The user may, for example, select a radio button (or another suitable graphical user interface element) to automatically terminate charging when the rechargeable device is at a particular charge level (e.g., 80%, 70%, 60%, 85%, 90%, etc.) configured by the user. Additionally or alternatively, the user may select another radio button to automatically terminate charging when the dynamic charging efficiency is at or below a user-configured threshold (e.g., 60%, 55%, 40%, 65%, etc.). The graphical user interface 660 further allows a user of the personal electronic device 610 to manage notification settings. Selecting the “On” radio button may enable the power bank application and / or a remote server to provide notifications, for example, as described with respect to FIGS. 6A and / or 6B. Alternatively, selection of the "Off" radio button may disable notifications (eg, no notification is provided to the user even if charging is automatically terminated).

[0102] 6A-6C and / or may provide other charging-related information described herein. Further, in various embodiments, user interface techniques may be implemented that use audio input / output via a microphone and / or speaker of the personal electronic device 610 to communicate audio push notifications.

[0103] Exemplary Flow Diagram FIG. 7 depicts a flow diagram 700 associated with monitoring charging efficiency over a charging session between a power bank and a rechargeable device (e.g., a power bank 140 and a rechargeable device 120 as described with respect to FIGS. 1B and 2, including the mobile computing device of FIG. 1A). As described herein, the actions of flow diagram 700 may correspond to the operation of the power bank (e.g., a power bank MCU and / or communications), the operation of the rechargeable device (e.g., a rechargeable device processor and communications module), a remote server (e.g., a remote server as described with respect to FIG. 1B), or a combination thereof. The charging session may be a wired charging session or a wireless charging session. Communications between the power bank, the mobile computing device, and the remote server described or implied herein may include wired communications (e.g., via a shared USB charging / data connection) and / or wireless communications (e.g., wireless RF communications).

[0104] A charging session is initiated (702) between the power bank and the mobile computing device. The charging session may begin, for example, when an electrical connection (e.g., a USB cable connection, a Lightning cable connection, other wired electrical connection, a Qi standard wireless charging connection, other wireless electrical connection, etc.) is formed between the battery of the power bank and the battery of the mobile computing device. Additionally, a communicative connection is formed between the power bank and the mobile computing device. The communicative connection may be formed before, simultaneously with, or after the electrical connection is formed. In some embodiments, the communicative connection is an RF communication connection. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the communicative connection is a wired communication connection (e.g., a USB data connection). In some embodiments, the communicative connection and the electrical connection are provided by the same structure (e.g., a USB data / charging connection).

[0105] During the charging session, a dynamic charging efficiency is determined 704. Specifically, the dynamic charging efficiency is determined based on the instantaneous power input at the rechargeable device battery divided by the corresponding power output of the power bank battery.

[0106] Determining the dynamic charging efficiency may include various actions performed by the power bank, by the mobile computing device, by a remote server, or by a combination thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the power bank determines the dynamic charging efficiency based on received signals indicative of (1) the instantaneous battery power output of the power bank itself and (2) the instantaneous power input at the rechargeable device battery. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the rechargeable device determines the dynamic charging efficiency based on received signals indicative of (1) the instantaneous power input to the rechargeable device battery and (2) the instantaneous power output of the power bank battery. In still further embodiments, the remote server determines the dynamic charging efficiency based on (1) a first received signal indicative of the instantaneous power input to the rechargeable device battery and (2) a second received signal indicative of the instantaneous power output of the power bank battery. In these embodiments, the remote server may receive both the first and second signals from either the power bank or the rechargeable device, or may receive the first signal from the rechargeable device and the second signal from the power bank. Effectively, either device can determine its own battery power input or power output and receive an indication of the battery power input or power output from the other of the two devices (i.e., the other of the power input and power output from the other of the power bank and mobile computing device) so that (1) the applications described herein can enable calculations on the rechargeable device or power bank, or (2) depending on the particular embodiment, values ​​can be sent to a remote server for calculation on the remote server.

[0107] Furthermore, in embodiments in which a charging session uses a particular charging protocol, the constancy of current and / or voltage can be used to determine a power value. For example, when initiating CC / CV charging, a rechargeable device may receive an indication of an initial output current from the power bank battery. Because the current is generally held constant during the CC phase until CC / CV crossover, the rechargeable device need only receive an indication of the instantaneous power bank battery voltage to determine the instantaneous power output of the power bank battery. That is, a constant current value can be used for power output determination until CC / CV crossover. Similarly, when the power bank receives an indication that the CV phase of CC / CV charging has occurred, the power bank can determine the power input of the rechargeable device battery by receiving an indication of the input current of the rechargeable device battery in combination with the constant voltage of the rechargeable device battery.

[0108] In either case, the power bank, the rechargeable device, and the remote server can all determine the dynamic charging efficiency. In embodiments in which the rechargeable device or power bank calculates the dynamic charging efficiency, the rechargeable device or power bank can send a signal indicative of the dynamic charging efficiency to the remote server for updating a corresponding user profile maintained at the remote server.

[0109] The dynamic charging efficiency is compared to a threshold to determine whether the dynamic charging efficiency is less than or equal to the threshold 706. The comparison may be performed at the power bank, at the mobile computing device, and / or at a remote server.

[0110] If the dynamic charging efficiency is not below the threshold (“No”, i.e., the efficiency is above the threshold), the charging session continues 708. Monitoring of the charging efficiency may continue so that further efficiency loss is detected if it eventually occurs.

[0111] If the dynamic charging efficiency is below the threshold value (“YES” at action 706), subsequent action is taken to notify a user of the personal electronic device (e.g., personal electronic device 121 of FIG. 1B or personal electronic device 610 of FIGS. 6A-6C) and / or to abort the charging session (710). Specifically, if the power bank, rechargeable device, or remote server determines that the dynamic charging efficiency is below the threshold value, the power bank, rechargeable device, or remote server (1) aborts the charging session and / or (2) sends and / or pushes an indication of the dynamic charging efficiency to the personal electronic device (e.g., causes the display of a push notification screen in the personal electronic device application indicating that charging has been aborted, or provides the user with the option of whether to do so). If the power bank or rechargeable device determines that the dynamic charging efficiency is below a threshold, the power bank or rechargeable device may send a signal to the remote server indicating that charging has been interrupted, which causes the remote server to (1) update corresponding user profile data and (2) send and / or push a notification to the personal electronic device.

[0112] If the delivery of charge is interrupted (e.g., automatically or in response to user interaction), continued use of the rechargeable device may occur after the interruption of the charging session (712). As a result of continued use of the rechargeable device, the rechargeable device's fuel gauge may again become depleted. In these cases, if the rechargeable device and power bank remain electrically connected (e.g., if a USB charging cable remains plugged into both devices), it is possible that charging may be permitted to resume later (714) once the rechargeable device's battery is partially depleted. That is, because charging generally becomes more efficient as the rechargeable device fuel gauge gets low, charging may resume if charging can be performed at an efficiency greater than an efficiency threshold. To determine whether charging can be resumed, the power bank may temporarily and briefly resume delivery of charge to the rechargeable device battery to measure efficiency via techniques described herein. If the efficiency is above the threshold, charge delivery is resumed, and dynamic charging efficiency monitoring continues at action 704.

[0113] The order of actions in flow diagram 700 may differ from the order described herein. Furthermore, flow diagram 700 may include additional, fewer, and / or alternative actions in various embodiments. For example, if the power bank runs out of charge, the actions of flow diagram 700 may stop until the power bank receives at least some charge.

[0114] Exemplary Methods 8 depicts a block diagram corresponding to an example method 800 for determining dynamic charging efficiency via a power bank (e.g., power bank 140 as described with respect to FIG. 1 or 2). At least some actions of method 800 may correspond to actions in flow diagram 700 of FIG. 7. Power bank actions in method 800 may be performed by the power bank MCU (e.g., MCU 184 in FIG. 1) and / or a communications module (e.g., communications module 190 in FIG. 1).

[0115] Method 800 includes determining 802 the instantaneous power output of a power bank battery relative to an electrical connection with a rechargeable device to which the power bank supplies charge. Specifically, the power output is determined while the power bank supplies charge to the rechargeable device. The output may be determined by measuring (1) the voltage between two terminals of the power bank battery and (2) the output current of the power bank battery. The electrical connection may include, for example, a USB cable, a Lightning cable, a wireless charging connection, etc. Method 800 further includes obtaining 804 a communication signal from the mobile computing device. The obtained signal indicates the amount of power received by the rechargeable device battery. The indication of the amount of power may include an indication of the voltage of the rechargeable device battery, the input current to the rechargeable device battery, or a product thereof indicating the amount of power received by the rechargeable device battery.

[0116] In some embodiments, an indication of the amount of power received at the mobile computing device battery need only include either (1) the instantaneous rechargeable device battery voltage or (2) the instantaneous input current to the rechargeable device battery. For example, if a CC / CV charging protocol is used, it may be determined that constant current charging is occurring, and therefore only an indication of the instantaneous rechargeable device battery voltage need be obtained from the rechargeable device to determine the amount of instantaneous power received at the rechargeable device battery (where a previously measured or otherwise known current value, e.g., 2.5 A, is used as a second component to calculate the amount of instantaneous power received at the mobile computing device battery). Similarly, if it is determined that constant voltage charging is occurring, only an indication of the instantaneous input current need be obtained from the rechargeable device to determine the instantaneous power received at the mobile computing device battery (and a previously measured or otherwise known voltage value, e.g., the maximum voltage of the mobile computing device battery, may be used as a second component to calculate the amount of instantaneous power received at the mobile computing device battery).

[0117] Method 800 additionally includes transmitting (806) to a remote server (such as remote server 130 of FIG. 1B ) a charging status signal including an indication of (i) the amount of power received at the rechargeable device battery and (ii) the instantaneous power output of the power bank battery. In response, the remote server analyzes the charging status signal to determine that the dynamic charging efficiency is less than or equal to a threshold, the dynamic charging efficiency being determined based on the charging status signal. Method 800 also includes receiving (808) an interrupt signal from the remote server in response to the remote server's determination. Method 800 additionally includes interrupting (810) the supply of charge to the rechargeable device battery in response to receiving the interrupt signal.

[0118] Method 800 may include additional, fewer, or alternative actions in various embodiments.

[0119] 9 depicts a block diagram corresponding to an example method 900 for determining dynamic charging efficiency via a rechargeable device (e.g., a rechargeable device 120 as illustrated in FIGS. 1B and 2, including the mobile computing device 120 of FIG. 1A). At least some actions of method 900 may correspond to actions in flow diagram 700 of FIG. 7. The actions of the rechargeable device in method 900 may be performed by, for example, one or more processors of the rechargeable device and / or a communication module of the rechargeable device.

[0120] The method 900 includes acquiring 902 a communication signal from the power bank while the internal battery of the rechargeable device receives charge from the power bank. The acquired signal indicates the instantaneous power output from the power bank battery. The indication of the power output may include an indication of the voltage of the power bank battery, the output current of the power bank battery, or a product thereof indicating the power output of the power bank battery. The method 900 further includes determining 904 an amount of power received by the rechargeable device battery, for example, by measuring the voltage between two terminals of the mobile computing device battery and the input current to the rechargeable device battery.

[0121] In some embodiments, the indicator of power output may only include either (1) the instantaneous power bank battery voltage or (2) the instantaneous output current of the power bank battery. For example, if a CC / CV charging protocol is used, it may be determined that constant current charging is occurring, and therefore only an indicator of the instantaneous power bank battery voltage needs to be obtained from the power bank to determine the instantaneous power output of the power bank battery (where a previously measured or otherwise known current value, e.g., 2.5 A, is used as a second component to calculate the instantaneous power output). Additionally, if it is determined that the power bank has reached its minimum voltage, then the instantaneous battery output current needs to be obtained from the power bank to determine the instantaneous battery output (and a previously measured or otherwise known voltage value, e.g., the minimum voltage of the power bank, may be used as a second component to calculate the instantaneous power output of the power bank battery).

[0122] Method 900 additionally includes transmitting (906) to a remote server (such as remote server 130 of FIG. 1B ) a charging status signal including an indication of (i) the amount of power received at the rechargeable device battery and (ii) the instantaneous power output of the power bank battery. In response, the remote server analyzes the charging status signal to determine that the dynamic charging efficiency is less than or equal to a threshold, the dynamic charging efficiency being determined based on the charging status signal. Method 900 also includes receiving (908) an interrupt signal from the remote server in response to the remote server's determination. Method 900 additionally includes interrupting (910) the supply of charge to the rechargeable device battery in response to receiving the interrupt signal.

[0123] Method 900 may, in various embodiments, include additional, fewer, or alternative actions. In some embodiments, a method may include one or more actions of example method 800 in combination with one or more actions of example method 900.

[0124] Additional Considerations All of the aforementioned rechargeable devices and power banks may include additional, less, or alternative functionality, including those discussed herein. All of the aforementioned methods may include additional, less, or alternative actions, including those discussed herein, and may be implemented via one or more local or remote processors and / or transceivers and / or via computer-executable instructions stored on one or more computer-readable media.

[0125] The processors, transceivers, mobile devices, and / or other computing devices discussed herein may communicate with each other over a wireless or electronic communications network. For example, communications between computing devices may be wireless communications or data transmissions over one or more wireless links or wireless or digital communications channels.

[0126] The following additional considerations apply to the foregoing discussion: Throughout this specification, multiple instances may implement a component, operation, or structure that is described as a single instance. While individual operations of one or more methods are illustrated and described as separate operations, one or more of the individual operations may be performed simultaneously, and the operations are not required to be performed in the order illustrated. Structures and functionality presented as separate components in exemplary configurations may be implemented as a combined structure or component. Similarly, structures and functionality presented as a single component may be implemented as separate components. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements fall within the scope of the subject matter herein.

[0127] Additionally, certain embodiments are described herein as including logic, or certain routines, subroutines, applications, or instructions. These may constitute either software (e.g., code embodied on a machine-readable medium or in a transmission signal) or hardware. In hardware, routines, etc., are tangible units capable of performing certain operations and may be configured or arranged in a particular manner. In exemplary embodiments, one or more computer systems (e.g., standalone, client, or server computer systems) or one or more hardware modules (e.g., processors or groups of processors) of a computer system may be configured by software (e.g., applications or application portions) as hardware modules that operate to perform certain operations as described herein.

[0128] In various embodiments, a hardware module may be implemented mechanically or electronically. For example, a hardware module may include dedicated circuitry or logic that is permanently configured to perform specific operations (e.g., as a special-purpose processor such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) . A hardware module may also include programmable logic or circuitry that is temporarily configured by software to perform specific operations (e.g., contained within a general-purpose processor or other programmable processor). It will be appreciated that the decision to implement a hardware module mechanically, with dedicated permanently configured circuitry, or with temporarily configured circuitry (e.g., configured by software) may be driven by cost and time considerations.

[0129] Thus, the term "hardware module" should be understood to encompass a tangible entity that is physically constructed, permanently configured (e.g., hardwired), or temporarily configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a particular manner or to perform particular operations described herein. Considering embodiments in which the hardware modules are temporarily configured (e.g., programmed), each of the hardware modules need not be configured or instantiated at any one instance in time. For example, if the hardware modules include a general-purpose processor configured using software, the general-purpose processor may be configured as different hardware modules at different times. The software may, for example, accordingly configure the processor to configure a particular hardware module at one instance in time and to configure a different hardware module at a different instance in time.

[0130] Hardware modules may provide information to and receive information from other hardware modules. Accordingly, the described hardware modules may be considered to be communicatively coupled. When multiple such hardware modules are present simultaneously, communication may be achieved through signal transmission connecting the hardware modules (e.g., via appropriate circuits and buses). In embodiments in which multiple hardware modules are configured or instantiated at different times, communication between such hardware modules may be achieved, for example, through the storage and retrieval of information in a memory structure accessed by the multiple hardware modules. For example, one hardware module may perform an operation and store the output of that operation in a memory device to which it is communicatively coupled. An additional hardware module may then later access the memory device to retrieve and process the stored output. Hardware modules may also initiate communication with input or output devices or operate on resources (e.g., sets of information).

[0131] Various operations of the example methods described herein may be performed, at least in part, by one or more processors that are temporarily configured (e.g., by software) or permanently configured to perform the associated operations. Whether temporarily or permanently configured, such processors may constitute processor-implemented modules that operate to perform one or more operations or functions. Modules referred to herein may, in some example embodiments, include processor-implemented modules.

[0132] Similarly, the methods or routines described herein may be at least partially processor-implemented. For example, at least some of the operations of a method may be performed by one or more processors or processor-implemented hardware modules. Performance of a particular operation may reside within a single machine, but may also be distributed among one or more processors deployed across several machines. In some exemplary embodiments, one or more processors may be located at a single location (e.g., in a home environment, in an office environment, or as a server farm), while in other embodiments, the processors may be distributed across several locations.

[0133] Performance of a particular operation may reside within a single machine or may be distributed among one or more processors deployed across several machines. In some exemplary embodiments, one or more processors or processor-implemented modules may be located in a single geographic location (e.g., in a home environment, in an office environment, or in a server farm). In other exemplary embodiments, one or more processors or processor-implemented modules may be distributed across several geographic locations.

[0134] Unless otherwise specified, discussions herein using words such as "processing," "computing," "calculating," "determining," "presenting," and "displaying" may refer to machine (e.g., computer) actions or processes that manipulate or transform data represented as physical (e.g., electronic, magnetic, or optical) quantities within one or more memories (e.g., volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or a combination thereof), registers, or other machine components that receive, store, transmit, or display information.

[0135] As used herein, any reference to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" in various places in this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment.

[0136] Some embodiments may be described using the terms "coupled" and "connected," along with their derivatives. For example, some embodiments may be described using the term "coupled" to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact. However, the term "coupled" may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but yet still cooperate or interact with each other. The embodiments are not limited in this context.

[0137] As used herein, "comprises," "comprising," "includes," "including," "has," "having," or any other variation thereof, covers a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements and may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent in such process, method, article, or apparatus. Furthermore, unless expressly contrary, "or" refers to an inclusive or, not an exclusive or. For example, condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true (or exists) and B is false (or does not exist), A is false (or does not exist) and B is true (or exists), and both A and B are true (or exist).

[0138] Additionally, the use of "a" or "an" is employed to describe elements and components of embodiments herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of description. The specification and claims that follow should be read to include one or at least one, and the singular also includes the plural unless it is clear that it is meant otherwise.

[0139] The claims at the end of this patent application are not intended to be construed under 35 U.S.C. §112(f) unless conventional means-plus-function language, such as "means for" or "step for" language, is expressly recited in the claim.

[0140] The systems and methods described herein are directed to improving computer functionality and improve upon the functionality of conventional computers.

[0141] This detailed description is intended to be merely exemplary and does not describe every possible embodiment, as doing so would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments may be implemented using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this application.

Claims

1. 1. A power bank device, comprising: a power bank battery for supplying electrical charge to a rechargeable device battery of a rechargeable device external to the power bank device via an electrical connection between the power bank battery and the rechargeable device battery; one or more transceivers configured to exchange communication signals with the rechargeable device and a remote server; one or more processors; a non-transitory memory that, when executed via the one or more processors, causes the power bank device to: determining an instantaneous power output of the power bank battery while supplying charge to the rechargeable device battery; acquiring a communication signal from the rechargeable device via the one or more transceivers, the acquired signal indicating an amount of power received by the rechargeable device battery; transmitting, via the one or more transceivers, to the remote server, a charging status signal including an indication of (i) the amount of power received by the rechargeable device battery, and (ii) the instantaneous power output of the power bank battery; receiving, via the one or more transceivers, from the remote server, an interrupt signal in response to the remote server determining that a dynamic charging efficiency is less than or equal to a threshold, the dynamic charging efficiency being determined based on the charging status signal; and a non-transitory memory storing computer-readable instructions that cause the power bank device to: interrupt the supply of charge to the rechargeable device battery in response to receiving the interrupt signal.

2. The instructions, when executed, cause the power bank device to: The power bank device of claim 1 , wherein the communication signal is acquired via the one or more transceivers.

3. The instructions, when executed, cause the power bank device to receive the interrupt signal from the remote server.

3. The power bank device of claim 1, wherein the interrupt signal is received in response to the remote server receiving, via the one or more transceivers, an indication of a user interaction to interrupt the supply of charge from the remote server.

4. The power bank device of claim 3 , wherein the indication of the user interaction is generated by the rechargeable device.

5. the power bank device is associated with a user profile that includes one or more personal electronic devices; The power bank device of claim 3 , wherein the indication of the user interaction is generated by the one or more personal electronic devices.

6. The instructions, when executed, cause the power bank device to: The power bank device of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least one of (i) the dynamic voltage of the power bank battery and (ii) the dynamic current drained from the power bank battery is measured.

7. 7. The power bank device of claim 1, wherein the acquired signal indicative of the power received by a rechargeable device battery includes at least one of: (i) a value corresponding to a voltage of the rechargeable device battery; and (ii) a value corresponding to an amount of current flowing into the rechargeable device battery.

8. 8. The power bank device of claim 1, wherein the electrical connection between the power bank battery and the rechargeable device battery comprises a wired electrical connection between the power bank device and the rechargeable device.

9. 8. The power bank device of claim 1, wherein the electrical connection between the power bank battery and the rechargeable device battery comprises a wireless electrical connection between the power bank device and the rechargeable device.

10. A computer-implemented method comprising: determining, by one or more processors of the power bank device, an instantaneous power output of a power bank battery of the power bank device while supplying charge to a rechargeable device battery of the rechargeable device via the electrical connection; acquiring, via one or more transceivers, a communication signal from the rechargeable device, the acquired signal indicating an amount of power received by the rechargeable device battery; transmitting, via the one or more transceivers, to a remote server, a charging status signal including an indication of (i) the amount of power received by the rechargeable device battery, and (ii) the instantaneous power output of the power bank battery; receiving, via the one or more transceivers, from the remote server, an interrupt signal in response to the remote server determining that a dynamic charging efficiency is less than or equal to a threshold, the dynamic charging efficiency being determined based on the charging status signal; interrupting the supply of charge to the rechargeable device battery in response to receiving the interrupt signal.

11. obtaining the communication signal from the rechargeable device; The method of claim 10, comprising obtaining the communication signal via the one or more transceivers.

12. receiving the interrupt signal from the remote server; 12. The method of claim 10 or 11, comprising receiving the interrupt signal in response to the remote server receiving, via the one or more transceivers, from the remote server an indication of a user interaction to interrupt the supply of charge.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the indication of the user interaction is generated by the rechargeable device.

14. the power bank device is associated with a user profile that includes one or more personal electronic devices; The method of claim 12 , wherein the indication of the user interaction is generated by the one or more personal electronic devices.

15. determining the instantaneous power output of the power bank battery; 15. The method of any one of claims 10 to 14, comprising measuring at least one of: (i) a dynamic voltage of the power bank battery; and (ii) a dynamic current drained from the power bank battery.

16. 16. The method of any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein the obtained signal indicative of the power received at a rechargeable device battery comprises at least one of: (i) a value corresponding to a voltage of the rechargeable device battery; and (ii) a value corresponding to an amount of current flowing into the rechargeable device battery.

17. 17. The method of any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein the electrical connection between the power bank battery and the rechargeable device battery comprises a wired electrical connection between the power bank device and the rechargeable device.

18. 17. The method of any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein the electrical connection between the power bank battery and the rechargeable device battery comprises a wireless electrical connection between the power bank device and the rechargeable device.

19. 1. A rechargeable device, comprising: a rechargeable device battery configured to act as a power source for the rechargeable device, the rechargeable device battery configured to receive charge from a power bank battery of a portable power bank device external to the rechargeable device via an electrical connection between the power bank battery of the portable power bank device and the rechargeable device battery; one or more transceivers configured to exchange communication signals with the portable power bank device and a remote server; one or more processors; a non-transitory memory that, when executed via the one or more processors, causes the rechargeable device to: acquiring a communication signal from the portable power bank device via the one or more transceivers while the rechargeable device battery is receiving charge from the power bank battery, the acquired signal indicating an instantaneous power output of the power bank battery; determining an amount of power received by the rechargeable device battery from the power bank battery; transmitting, via the one or more transceivers, to the remote server, a charging status signal including an indication of (i) the amount of power received by the rechargeable device battery, and (ii) the instantaneous power output of the power bank battery; receiving, via the one or more transceivers, from the remote server, an interrupt signal in response to the remote server determining that a dynamic charging efficiency is less than or equal to a threshold, the dynamic charging efficiency being determined based on the charging status signal; and interrupting the supply of charge to the rechargeable device battery in response to receiving the interrupt signal.

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