Abstract:
Presenting battery-charging status information to a user of a personal media device, even when that personal media device is in a dormant mode responsive to a battery charging operation. A charging element responds to new messages with alerts. The charging element presents at least one of an amount charged or an amount of time left to fully charge, using associated graphics for easier viewing. Content from a media library can be presented in response to indicators. An application executing on the personal media device can operate with a control program executing on the charging element itself, to control one or more display features of the charging element.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/622,255, filed Apr. 10, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    By virtue of being mobile, MP3 players, smartphones, and other personal media devices include batteries, for use when disconnected from electric power sources. These batteries are discharged when used, and must periodically, even frequently, be recharged. To speed up the recharging process, personal media devices (or sometimes just their display elements) enter a dormant mode, also called a “sleep mode”, during which nearly all activities are disabled from operation. 
         [0003]    One problem in the known art is that, when personal media devices or in this dormant mode or “sleep mode”, their users cannot easily determine the status of the personal media device without manually waking up the device. For example, users cannot easily determine when the charging operation is complete, or when other events of interest to the user occur, such the receipt of incoming messages, without manually waking up the device. 
         [0004]    While it is possible for the personal media device to continue operation while charging, this has the drawback that it can slow the charging operation, and has the further drawback that it may have an adverse effect on the device battery. Moreover, if the user sets the parameters for the personal media device to disable audible notifications, it can easily occur that new message notifications might be missed by the user. 
         [0005]    Hans et al., US 2010/0197280 A1, “Transceiver with message notification”, describes a mobile phone operating in a charging mode with the sound and display turned off. Upon receipt of an SMS message or a voicemail message, the mobile phone described in Hans turns on a dual-color LED to indicate receipt of the message. While Hans describes a system which generally achieves the purpose of notifying the user of incoming new messages, it has the drawback that it involves modification of the mobile phone to include additional display elements. Moreover, Hans does not address the problems described above. 
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0006]    We provide techniques for presenting information to a user of a personal media device, even when that personal media device is in a dormant mode responsive to a battery charging operation. 
         [0007]    A personal media device, such as a cellular telephone, touchpad or tablet computer, or other personal media device, when in a dormant mode responsive to a battery charging operation (or other dormant mode, such as a battery conservation mode), presents information to a user indicating a device status. When the personal media device enters the dormant mode, a charging element is conditioned to respond to one or more new messages (or other types of new information), in response to which the user desires an alert. 
         [0008]    The charging element can include a charging operation status of the personal media device, such as an amount charged or an amount of time left to fully charge, along with a display element disposed to present associated graphics which make viewing the presented information easier for the user. The status of the personal media device can also include indicators presenting whether new messages have arrived for the user, such as new email, new text messages, new voicemail, a charging-completed alarm, or any other new information in response to which the user desires an alert. 
         [0009]    In one embodiment, content from a media library (such as audio, photo, or video) can be presented to the user in response to one or more, or some combination or conjunction of, these indicators, or other indicators. For example, the user can select one or more photo or video presentation elements responsive to new messages, or one or more audio presentation elements responsive to charging completion (or a condition near to charging completion), with which the charging element can alert the user. 
         [0010]    In one embodiment, the media library can be local to the personal media device or local to the charging element, or can be retrieved from one or more other devices accessible to the personal media device or to the charging element. These other devices can be coupleable to the personal media device or to the charging element, using either a wireless or wired communication path. 
         [0011]    In one embodiment, an application executes on the personal media device and can control one or more display features of the charging element. An application executing on the personal media device can operate in conjunction with, or operate as a substitute for, a control program executing on the charging element itself. For example, the application can alter the brightness of the display element on the charging device, alter one or more display settings for the display element on the charging device, turn an alarm on or off, or alter a volume for an alarm, for the charging device, or otherwise customize display settings (or other settings) for the charging device. More generally, an application program executing on the personal media device can operate in conjunction with, or operate as a substitute for, a control program executing on the charging element, with respect to any operation of the charging element described herein. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  (collectively including  FIG. 1A ,  1 B,  1 C, and  1 D) shows a conceptual drawing of a first charging system. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  (collectively including  FIG. 2A ,  2 B, and  2 C) shows a conceptual drawing of a second charging system. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  shows a conceptual drawing of a personal media device display. 
       
    
    
       [0015]    In the figures, similar components or features might have the same reference label. Similar components or features, or those of the same type, might be distinguished by following the reference label by a dash and a second label that distinguishes them. Where only the first reference label is used, the description is applicable to any similar component having the same first reference label. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    The ensuing description provides preferred exemplary embodiment(s) only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the preferred exemplary embodiment(s) will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing a preferred exemplary embodiments of the disclosure. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 
         [0017]    Terms and Phrases 
         [0018]    The text “application” generally refers to any program, set of instructions, or other one or more control elements, capable of being executed or interpreted by a personal media device. The text “control program” generally refers to any program, set of instructions, or other one or more control elements, capable of being executed or interpreted by a personal charging device. In general, in this application, where an action is described as being controllable by an application, it is also contemplated that the action could be controllable by a control program, or by some combination of the two. 
         [0019]    The text “battery” generally refers to any device capable of storing energy in electrical form, or convertible to electrical form, including chemical batteries (such as “coin” batteries, lithium batteries, nickel metal hydride batteries), fuel cells, and any device employing any other technique capable of energy storage. 
         [0020]    The text “charging device” generally refers to any device capable of acting with respect to the charging status of one or more personal media devices, including without limitation, charging those devices, presenting a charging status of those devices, discharging those devices, and otherwise. 
         [0021]    The text “display” generally refers to any device capable of presenting information from a device to a user, including audio-visual displays, haptic displays, and any device employing any other technique capable of providing a user with data or information. 
         [0022]    The text “personal media device” generally refers to any device capable of accessing media signals and generating audio signals for presentation to a listener. Example personal media devices include MP3 players, smartphones, and other devices. Smartphones include, for example, the iPhone™ by Apple Corporation, as well as phones using the Android™ operating system. Other devices include, for example, the iPod™ and iPad™ by Apple Corporation, the Kindle Fire™ by Amazon Corporation, as well as other touchpads or tablet computers, netbooks, laptops, and personal computers, as well as equivalent consumer electronic devices. 
         [0023]    Figures and Text 
         [0024]    First System 
         [0025]      FIG. 1  (collectively including  FIG. 1A ,  1 B,  1 C, and  1 D) shows a conceptual drawing of a first charging system. 
         [0026]    A first system  100  includes elements shown in the figure, including at least a first housing  110  and a first charging connector  120 , the figure showing two views as shown along the plane  1 . The first housing  110  includes a first cable jack  111  disposed for coupling to a cable  112 , which is coupleable to the personal mobile device (not shown). The first charging connector  120  includes a charging plug  121  disposed for coupling to an electrical jack (not shown), which is capable of charging the battery associated with the personal mobile device. The first housing  110  includes a first display region  113 . 
         [0027]      FIG. 1A  shows a first example embodiment of the display region  113 . In one embodiment, the display region  113  includes a charging fraction display  113   a,  showing a battery percentage charge, a charging time display  113   b,  showing an estimated time to complete charging, and a charging status display  113   c,  showing an approximate battery status, such as in increments of 20% to complete charging of the battery. 
         [0028]    For example, the charging fraction display  113   a  can include a digital indicator of a fraction of the maximum battery charge, such as “60%”, as indicated in the figure. 
         [0029]    Similarly, the charging time display  113   b  can include a digital indicator of a number of minutes estimated to complete charging, such as “95 min” (minutes), as indicated in the figure. 
         [0030]    Similarly, the charging status display  113   c  can include a bar graph showing quantized increments to complete charging of the battery, such as each bar indicating 20% charge, as indicated in the figure. 
         [0031]    In alternative embodiments, the personal mobile device may include more than one battery, and the display region  113  may (optionally) include correspondingly more than one of the displays described with respect to the display region  113 , that is, (optionally) more than one charging fraction display  113   a,  (optionally) more than one charging time display  113   b,  and (optionally) more than one charging status display  113   c.  The more than one such display region  113  may be disposed horizontally or vertically, or in some other display arrangement within the display region  113 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 1B  shows a second example embodiment of the display region  113 . In one embodiment, the display region  113  does not include all three of the charging fraction display  113   a,  charging time display  113   b,  and charging status display  113   c.  Instead the display region  113  can include fewer displays, such as only the charging fraction display  113   a,  showing a battery percentage charge, such as a bar chart or progress bar indicating a battery percentage charge, (optionally) combined with a textual description of that fraction, such as “30%”, as indicated in the figure. 
         [0033]      FIG. 1C  shows a third example embodiment of the display region  113 . As described with respect to  FIG. 1B , in one embodiment, the display region  113  does not include all three of the charging fraction display  113   a,  charging time display  113   b,  and charging status display  113   c.  Instead the display region  113  can include fewer displays, such as only the charging time display  113   b,  showing an estimated time to complete charging, such as a bar chart or progress bar indicating a fraction of actual charge, (optionally) combined with the actual description of that estimated time, such as “115 min” (minutes), as indicated in the figure. 
         [0034]      FIG. 1D  shows a fourth example embodiment of the display region  113 . In one embodiment, the display region  113  does not necessarily include any of the charging fraction display  113   a,  charging time display  113   b,  or charging status display  113   c.  Instead the display region  113  can include a photo or video display, such as selected by a user (not shown) to indicate a condition in response to which the user desires an alert. 
         [0035]    In one embodiment, the user can select one or more photo or video displays for each of more than one possible such alert. For example, the user can select a first photo or video to be displayed in response to one or more new email messages, a second photo or video to be displayed in response to one or more new text messages, and a third photo or video to be displayed in response to one or more new voicemail messages. As shown in the figure, the user has selected either a particular photo, or a particular video (of which only a still photo is shown) to be presented in response to one or more new messages. 
         [0036]    In alternative embodiments, the user may select—to be presented in response to one or more new messages—one or more audio presentations, such as music, ring tones, voice alerts, or otherwise, to be presented in addition to or in lieu of, one or more photo or video displays. For example, the user may select a video selection to be presented in response to a new message, in combination with a soundtrack associated with that video selection. 
         [0037]    In one embodiment, the user can select a charging-completed alarm, to be presented in response to completion of a charging operation of the battery associated with the personnel media device. For example, the user can select one or more photo or video displays, one or more audio recitations, some combination or conjunction thereof, or otherwise, to be presented. 
         [0038]    In each embodiment involving user-selected content, the user selected content can include one or more of the following, some combination or conjunction thereof, or otherwise:
       one or more photo or video displays, such as for example a picture, a picture sequence or slide show, or a motion picture. The photo or video displays can include one or more transition sequences, such as a “dissolve” from one slide to the next in a slide show.   one or more audio presentations, such as for example music or speech (whether recorded or produced as text-to-speech). The music or speech can include one or more transition sequences, such as from one song to the next in a playlist of songs.       
 
         [0041]    In each embodiment involving user-selected content, the user-selected content can be retrieved from a media library accessible to the personal media device, such as for example from a memory or mass storage. The media library can be coupled to the personal media device using a wired or wireless connection, some combination or conjunction thereof, or otherwise. 
         [0042]    In one embodiment, content from the media library can be presented in the display region  113  in response to one or more, or some combination or conjunction of, those indicators described above. Example indicators include, as described above, new messages, charging completion (or a condition near to charging completion, such as charging being 95% complete) 
         [0043]    Second System 
         [0044]      FIG. 2  (collectively including  FIG. 2A ,  2 B, and  2 C) shows a conceptual drawing of a second charging system. 
         [0045]    A second system  200  includes elements shown in the figure, including at least a second housing  210  and a second charging connector  220 . The second housing  210  includes a set of second cable jacks  211  disposed for coupling to a set of cables  212 , which are coupleable to one or more personal mobile devices (not shown), each of which is capable of charging the battery associated with the personal mobile device. For example, the cables  212  can include two cable plugs (not shown) coupleable to cable jacks (not shown) associated with one personal mobile device. Alternatively, the cables  212  can include two cable plugs coupleable to cable jacks associated with more than one personal mobile device, each of which is capable of charging the battery associated with the personal mobile device. 
         [0046]    Similar to the first housing  110 , the second housing  210  includes a second display region  213 . 
         [0047]      FIG. 2A  shows a first example embodiment of the second display region  213 . In one embodiment, similar to the first display region  113 , the second display region  213  includes a first and a second charging fraction display  213 - 1   a  and  213 - 2   a,  showing a first and a second battery percentage charge respectively, a first and a second charging time display  213 - 1   b  and  213 - 2   b,  showing a first and a second estimated time to complete charging respectively, and a first and a second charging status display  213 - 1   c  and  213 - 2   c  respectively, showing a first and a second approximate battery status respectively, such as in increments of 20% to complete charging of the battery. 
         [0048]    For example, the first or the second charging fraction display  213 - 1   a  or  213 - 2   a  can include a digital indicator of a fraction of the maximum battery charge, such as “60%” or “100%” respectively, as indicated in the figure. 
         [0049]    Similarly, the charging time display  213 - 1   b  or  213 - 2   b  can include a digital indicator of a number of minutes estimated to complete charging, such as “95 min” or “0 min” (minutes) respectively, as indicated in the figure. 
         [0050]    Similarly, the charging status display  213 - 1   c  or  213 - 2   c  can include a bar graph showing quantized increments to complete charging of the battery, such as each bar indicating 20% charge, as indicated in the figure. 
         [0051]      FIG. 2B  shows a second example embodiment of the display region  213 . In one embodiment, the display region  213  does not include all three of the charging fraction display  213   a,  charging time display  213   b,  and charging status display  213   c.  Instead the display region  213  can include fewer displays, or can include similar displays disposed alternatively. 
         [0052]    For one example, the display region  213  can show only the charging fraction display  213   a,  showing a battery percentage charge, such as a bar chart or progress bar indicating a battery percentage charge, (optionally) combined with a textual description of that fraction. 
         [0053]    For another example, the display region  213  can show only the charging time display  213   b,  showing an estimated time to complete charging, such as a bar chart or progress bar indicating a fraction of actual charge, (optionally) combined with the actual description of that estimated time, such as “95 min” or “0 min” (minutes), as indicated in the figure. 
         [0054]    The display region  213  can also include a set of icons  214 - 1  and  214 - 2 , including toner  214 - 1   a  and  214 - 2   a,  each indicating a new voice message,  214 - 1   b  and  214 - 2   b,  each indicating a new e-mail message,  214 - 1   c  and  214 - 2   c,  each indicating a new text message, and  214 - 1   d  and  214 - 2   d,  each indicating a charge-completed alarm. As shown in the figure, the display region  213  can include one such set of icons  214 - 1  and  214 - 2  for each battery, such as in embodiments in which the charging display is associated with more than one personal media device, each having one battery, or such as in embodiments in which the charging display is associated with one personal media device, itself having more than one battery. 
         [0055]    When the display region  213  includes one or more icons  214 - 1  and  214 - 2 , the icons  214 - 1  and  214 - 2  can be presented using LED&#39;s, LCD&#39;s, or other elements disposed for review by a user of the device. For example, the icons  214 - 1  and  214 - 2  can be multi-color LED&#39;s, LCD&#39;s, or any other technologies capable of presenting information. 
         [0056]    Similar to the display region  113 , in alternative embodiments, the display region  213  does not necessarily include any of the charging fraction display  213   a,  charging time display  213   b,  and charging status display  213   c.  Instead the display region  213  can include a photo or video display, such as selected by a user (not shown) to indicate a condition in response to which the user desires an alert. 
         [0057]    Multi-Device Presentation Indicator 
         [0058]      FIG. 2C  shows a third example embodiment of the display region  213 . 
         [0059]    In embodiments in which the second cable jacks  211  and cables  212  are coupled to more than one personal mobile device (not shown), the system  200  can include one or more indicator bars  215   a  and  215   b,  in which the first indicator bar  215   a  shows that information is being presented about a first personal mobile device, and in which the second indicator bar  215   b  shows that information is being presented about a second personal mobile device. 
         [0060]    In one embodiment, the second system  200  could charge the two separate personal mobile devices concurrently, or could charge one followed by the other. 
         [0061]    For a first example, when the second system  200  charges two separate personal mobile devices concurrently, the second system  200  can alternate which indicator bar  215   a  and  215   b  is active, activating the first indicator bar  215   a  when displaying information about the first personal mobile device, and activating the second indicator bar  215   b  when displaying information about the second personal mobile device. In this example, the first indicator bar  215   a  and the second indicator bar  215   b  would appear to move back and forth, similar to a blinking light. 
         [0062]    For a second example, when the second system  200  charges two separate personal mobile devices one followed by the other, the second system  200  can activate indicator bar  215   a  for the time when the first personal mobile device is charging, followed by activating indicator bar  215   b  when the second personal mobile device is charging. In this example, the first indicator bar  215   a  and the second indicator bar  215   b  would appear as a progress indicator, moving from the first indicator bar  215   a  to the second indicator bar  215   b  when the second system  200  progresses from charging the first personal mobile device to charging the second personal mobile device. 
         [0063]    For a third example, the second system  200  can switch between presenting information about a first personal mobile device, activating first indicator bar  215   a  when doing so, and presenting information about a second personal mobile device, activating second indicator bar  215   b  when doing so, under control of an application or control program. The application or control program can be executed on the first personal mobile device, the second personal mobile device, both concurrently or in conjunction (such as for example in a multi-processing mode), or otherwise. The indicators can be configured in any desired configuration. 
         [0064]    In alternative embodiments, the second system  200  can include more than two second cable jacks  211  and cables  212 , either by physical construction, or by use of one or more multiplexing elements (not shown). In such alternative embodiments, the second system  200  can include a sufficient multiplicity of indicator bars that the user can readily determine for which personal media device the second system  200  is presenting information. For example, the second system  200  could include one such indicator bar for each such personal media device, or could include enough such indicator bars to display a code for one such personal media device, or otherwise. 
         [0065]    Alert Messages 
         [0066]      FIG. 3  shows a conceptual drawing of a personal media device display. 
         [0067]    A personal media device includes a display  300  capable of presenting information to a user (not shown). In one embodiment, the display  300  includes presentation elements, such as for example a status bar  311 , a time and date indicator  312 , an unlock slider  313 , and an alert message  314 . While, in this example, the display  300  generally presents the appearance of an iPhone™, in the context of the invention, there is no particular requirement for any such limitation. For example, the display  300  can present the appearance of a phone using the Android™ operating system, an iPad™ or other touchpad or tablet computer, or any other personal media device. 
         [0068]    In one embodiment, the alert message  314  is generated by an application or control program program, executed by the personal media device, and includes a push-type message sent for presentation on the display  300 , optionally including a source indicator  314   a  and an alert text  314   b.  For example, as shown in the figure, the alert message  314  can present a message from an application (in this case, as particularly shown by the source indicator  314   a ) indicating a desire for user action (in this case, as particularly shown by the alert text  314   b ). 
         [0069]    While, in this example, the alert message  314  generally includes a message deemed by the application or control program to be emergent or otherwise indicating a desire for user action, in the context of the invention, there is no particular requirement for any such limitation. For example, the alert message  314  can include a reminder set by the user for themselves, such as expiry of a timer, or a note set for display, or otherwise. There is no particular requirement that the alert message  314  would actually be considered an “alert” by the user. 
         [0070]    Moreover, while, in this example, the alert message  314  generally follows a known format, such as for example including a source indicator  314   a  and an alert text  314   b,  in the context of the invention, there is no particular requirement for any such limitation. For example, whether the alert message  314  has any particular structure is optional. 
         [0071]    Application Control 
         [0072]    In one embodiment, the charging element&#39;s display can be controlled by a control program executing on the charging element. The charging element&#39;s display can also be controlled by an application executing on the personal media device, or by some combination or conjunction thereof. For example, the application or the control program can alter the brightness of the display element on the charging device, alter one or more display settings for the display element on the charging device, turn an alarm on or off, or alter a volume for an alarm, for the charging device, or otherwise customize display settings (or other settings) for the charging device. More generally, an application program executing on the personal media device can operate in conjunction with, or operate as a substitute for, a control program executing on the charging element, with respect to any operation of the charging element described herein. 
         [0073]    The foregoing merely illustrates the principles of the disclosure. Various modifications and alterations to the described embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise numerous systems, arrangements, and procedures which, although not explicitly shown or described herein, embody the principles of the disclosure and can be thus within the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Various different exemplary embodiments can be used together with one another, as well as interchangeably therewith, as should be understood by those having ordinary skill in the art. It should be understood that the exemplary procedures described herein can be stored on any computer accessible medium, including a hard drive, RAM, ROM, removable disks, CD-ROM, memory sticks, etc., and executed by a processing arrangement and/or computing arrangement which can be and/or include a hardware processors, microprocessor, mini, macro, mainframe, etc., including a plurality and/or combination thereof. In addition, certain terms used in the present disclosure, including the specification, drawings and numbered paragraphs thereof, can be used synonymously in certain instances, including, but not limited to, e.g., data and information. It should be understood that, while these words, and/or other words that can be synonymous to one another, can be used synonymously herein, that there can be instances when such words can be intended to not be used synonymously. Further, to the extent that the prior art knowledge has not been explicitly incorporated by reference herein above, it is explicitly incorporated herein in its entirety. All publications referenced are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.