Power source system for portable electronic devices

An improved power source system, which utilizes power from an external source and is adapted for use with a portable electronic device, comprising, a carrying case, for the portable electronic device, having one or more structural components; a battery charge controller integrated into one or more of the structural components; an AC power supply module integrated into one or more of the structural components, connected to the battery charge controller and adapted to receive power from said power source; one or more rechargeable batteries integrated into one or more of the structural components and connected to the battery charge controller; and a DC Output regulator integrated into one or more of the structural components and connected to the battery charge controller.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
 This invention relates to power source systems for portable electronic 
 devices and more specifically to power source systems for laptop 
 computers. 
 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
 Current power source systems for portable electronic devices, including 
 laptop computers, typically may include disposable batteries, rechargeable
 packs and separate AC adapters. For numerous reasons, these power source 
 systems are inadequate. Disposable batteries are wasteful, costly, 
 inconvenient and take up an inordinate amount of space. Separate AC 
 adapters can be misplaced, take up additional space in the carrying case 
 and are merely one more item which the user must keep track of and carry 
 around. Further, rechargeable battery packs are far behind advances being 
 made in portable electronic devices, especially advances in laptop 
 computers. For example, power demands for portable electronic devices have
 risen faster than contemporaneous increases in battery capacity. In fact, 
 the run times of new portable electronic devices are shorter than the run 
 times of previous models. The typical battery run time for laptop 
 computers is generally about two and a half hours and has remained 
 virtually unchanged for several years. 
 The batteries currently available for laptop computers also add unwanted 
 weight to the portable computer, take up space within the computer itself 
 and may leak, creating a potentially hazardous situation for the user, and
 may present environmental problems associated with their disposal. Some 
 types of batteries waste space by packing round batteries into square 
 battery packs in which only 57% of the pack's volume is used by the 
 batteries, including the electronics associated with the batteries. Other 
 types of batteries consist of a plastic brick encasing a large lead acid 
 battery. Although this latter type battery offers about a twenty percent 
 increase in run times over other currently available batteries, these 
 batteries are more than four times heavier and take up an inordinate 
 amount of space and still require a separate AC adapter and output 
 regulator for DC use. 
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
 It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a battery 
 system for electronic devices, including laptop computers, which has an 
 extended life. 
 It is a further object of this invention to provide an extended-life 
 battery system for electronic devices, including laptop computers, which 
 is lightweight. 
 It is a further object of this invention to provide an extended-life 
 battery system for electronic devices, including laptop computers, which 
 provides space saving benefits. 
 It is a further object of this invention to provide a rechargeable 
 extended-life battery system for electronic devices, including laptop 
 computers. 
 It is a further object of this invention to provide a rechargeable battery 
 system for laptop computers which provides increased run times and space 
 saving benefits and is lightweight. 
 It is a further object of this invention to provide a rechargeable 
 extended-life battery system which provides the increased run times 
 associated with lead acid batteries encased in a plastic brick with the 
 space saving and lightweight advantages of solid polymer batteries. 
 It is a further object of this invention to provide a battery system for 
 portable electronic devices, including laptop computers, which does not 
 require a separate AC adapter. 
 It is a further object of this invention to provide a carrying case for a 
 laptop computer in which the AC power supply module is integrated into the
 structure of the carrying case for the laptop computer. 
 It is a further object of this invention to provide a carrying case for a 
 laptop computer in which the AC adapter, power source and additional 
 batteries are integrated into the structure of the carrying case for the 
 laptop computer. 
 It is a further object of this invention to provide a carrying case for 
 portable electronic devices, including laptop computers, in which the 
 carrying case is an additional power source for the electronic device. 
 It is a further object of this invention to provide a carrying case for 
 portable electronic devices, including laptop computers, which integrates 
 an extended-life battery pack into the carrying case as the internal 
 structural partitions of the case. 
 It is a further object of this invention to provide an extended-life 
 battery system for portable electronic devices, including laptop 
 computers, which includes an AC adapter function as part of the system. 
 It is a further object of this invention to provide a battery system for 
 portable electronic devices, including laptop computers, which has three 
 major modes of operation including AC powered mode, battery extender mode 
 and portable battery recharge mode. 
 It is a further object of this invention to provide a battery system for 
 portable electronic devices, including laptop computers, which includes 
 four sub-systems including an AC power supply, batteries, output 
 regulators and a controller module. 
 It is a further object of this invention to provide a battery system for 
 laptop computers which provides more energy than can be integrated into 
 the portable device itself. 
 It is a further object of this invention to provide a battery system for 
 laptop computers which provides 200 Wh of energy. 
 The system of the invention is the result of efforts to design an extended 
 battery-life system for laptop computers in which the system is an 
 integrated part of the carrying case for the laptop computer. Carrying 
 cases often use sheets of polyethylene, expanded polystyrene or other 
 similar materials to form internal partitions and to give the carrying 
 case its structural shape. In some of the preferred embodiments of the 
 invention, these conventional structural stiffeners are replaced with 
 lithium polymer batteries to fulfill the structural function of these 
 stiffeners while at the same time providing an additional source of 
 battery power with little to no increase in weight. As such, the invention
 is more versatile and convenient to use by providing users with more 
 battery power per weight carried than if the user had purchased auxiliary 
 battery packs. 
 A preferred embodiment of the improved power source system of the invention
 for a portable electronic device which utilizes an external power source, 
 comprises: a carrying case for said electronic device having one or more 
 internal structural components; and an AC power supply module integrated 
 in the structural components of the carrying case and configured to 
 connect the electronic device to the power source. 
 Another preferred embodiment of the improved power source system of the 
 invention which utilizes power from an external power source and is 
 adapted for use with a portable electronic device, comprises, a carrying 
 case, for the portable electronic device, having one or more structural 
 components; a battery charge controller integrated into one or more of the
 structural components; an AC power supply module integrated into one or 
 more of the structural components, connected to the battery charge 
 controller and adapted to receive said power from said power source; one 
 or more rechargeable batteries integrated into one or more of the 
 structural components and connected to the battery charge controller; and 
 a DC output regulator integrated into one or more of the structural 
 components and connected to the battery charge controller. The batteries 
 preferably comprise lithium polymer batteries which generally comprise one
 or more thin, flexible electrolyte-impregnated plastic sheets juxtaposed 
 between metal foil electrodes. 
 The system may further comprise one or more fuses in series with the 
 batteries and the carrying case may further comprise a means for 
 stiffening one or more of the structural components of the carrying case, 
 wherein the means for stiffening may comprise one or more of said 
 batteries. The battery charge controller may also further comprise a means
 for directing a portion of the power from the AC power supply module to 
 the batteries while directing another portion of said power to the DC 
 output regulator for powering the electronic device; a means for 
 preventing overcharging and overdischarging of the batteries; and/or a 
 charge indicator which indicates the amount of power stored in the 
 batteries. Likewise, the DC output regulator may further include means for
 providing overcurrent protection for the battery bag system against 
 defective devices. 
 For an electronic device provided with internal batteries, the battery 
 charge controller may further comprise a means for directing a portion of 
 the power from said AC power supply module to the batteries while 
 directing another portion of the power to said DC output regulator for 
 powering the electronic device and/or recharging the internal batteries of
 the electronic device. 
 Yet another preferred embodiment of the improved power source system of the
 invention which utilizes power from an external power source and is 
 adapted for use with a portable electronic device, comprises, a carrying 
 case, for the portable electronic device, having one or more structural 
 components; a battery charge controller integrated into one or more of the
 structural components; an AC power supply module integrated into one or 
 more of the structural components, connected to the battery charge 
 controller and adapted to receive said power from said power source; one 
 or more rechargeable batteries integrated into one or more of the 
 structural components and connected to the battery charge controller; and 
 a DC output regulator integrated into one or more of the structural 
 components and connected to the battery charge controller; wherein the 
 battery charge controller further comprises a means for directing a 
 portion of the power from the AC power supply module to the batteries 
 while directing another portion of the power to the DC output regulator 
 for powering the electronic device. The batteries are preferably lithium 
 polymer batteries and the carrying case may further comprise one or more 
 means for stiffening one or more of the structural components of the 
 carrying case, wherein said means for stiffening may comprise one or more 
 batteries. 
 Yet another preferred embodiment of the improved power source system of the
 invention which utilizes power from an external power source and is 
 adapted for use with a laptop computer, comprises, a carrying case, for 
 the laptop computer, having one or more structural components; a battery 
 charge controller integrated into one or more of the structural 
 components; an AC power supply module, integrated into one or more of the 
 structural components, connected to the battery charge controller and 
 adapted to receive said power from said power source, comprising a means 
 for preventing overcharging and overdischarging of the batteries; one or 
 more rechargeable lithium polymer batteries integrated into one or more of
 the structural components and connected to the battery charge controller; 
 and a DC output regulator, integrated into one or more of the structural 
 components and connected to the battery charge controller, comprising a 
 means for providing overcurrent protection to protect the power source 
 system against defective devices. The battery charge controller may 
 further comprises a gas gauge which indicates the amount of power stored 
 in said batteries and the carrying case may further comprise a means for 
 stiffening one or more of the structural components of the carrying case.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
 The improved power source system of the invention, which utilizes power 
 from an external source and is adapted for use with a portable electronic 
 device, generally comprises, a carrying case, for the portable electronic 
 device, having one or more structural components; a battery charge 
 controller integrated into one or more of the structural components; an AC
 power supply module integrated into one or more of the structural 
 components, connected to the battery charge controller and adapted to 
 receive power from the power source; one or more rechargeable batteries 
 integrated into one or more of the structural components and connected to 
 the battery charge controller; and a DC output regulator integrated into 
 one or more of the structural components and connected to the battery 
 charge controller. 
 The preferred embodiment of the extended battery-life system of this 
 invention is generally shown and referred to in FIG. 1 as system 10. 
 System 10 is designed to encase and power a typical laptop computer (not 
 shown). System 10 comprises carrying case 12, rechargeable batteries 26, 
 AC power supply cable 16 and DC output cable 18. Batteries 26 are shown 
 only partially inserted into two outer battery compartments 14 and 15 of 
 liner 17 of case 12. AC power supply cable 16 is used to carry power from 
 an electrical outlet 27 to provide power to a laptop computer (not shown) 
 through DC output cable 18 or to provide power to recharge batteries 26. 
 The AC adapter function is preferably configured to power the laptop 
 computer while simultaneously recharging batteries 26 of system 10. Middle
 compartment 19, located between outer battery compartments 14 and 15, is 
 sized to store the laptop computer therein. Each of batteries 26 are 
 provided with connector 21 at the base of each battery which connects the 
 batteries to contacts 23 in power supply module 25 (FIG. 2) which houses 
 AC power supply 20, battery charge controller 22 and DC output regulator 
 24 (FIG. 3). The components of power supply module 25, namely, AC power 
 supply 20, battery charge controller 22 and DC output regulator 24, are 
 known to those skilled in the art. Carrying case 12 is also provided with 
 shoulder strap 30 and auxiliary pockets 29 to store incidental items. 
 FIG. 3 illustrates the flow of energy between, AC power cable 16, DC power 
 cable 18, batteries 26 and the components of power supply module 25, 
 namely, AC power supply 20, battery charge controller 22 and DC output 
 regulator 24. 
 System 10 of the invention has three major modes of operation, AC powered 
 mode, battery extender mode and computer battery recharge mode. In the AC 
 powered mode, the laptop computer is connected, using DC power cable 18, 
 to power supply module 25 which receives power through AC power cable 16, 
 thus replacing the conventional AC adapter typically provided with a 
 laptop computer. Rather than packing a separate AC adapter in the carrying
 case, the user can simply plug AC power cable 16 in an electrical outlet 
 and connect DC output cable 18 into the laptop computer. As noted, 
 batteries 26 of system 10 can be simultaneously recharging during AC 
 powered mode. 
 In the battery extender mode, power is drawn from internal batteries 26 and
 delivered to the laptop computer through battery charge controller 22 and 
 DC output regulator 24 (FIG. 3). When the energy in batteries 26 is 
 depleted, the laptop computer will switch to its own internal batteries 
 automatically. In the battery extender mode, the added battery capacity of
 batteries 26 is used to extend the portable run times without the need to 
 replace optional battery packs and without sacrificing functionality by 
 removing drives to accommodate optional batteries. For example, a laptop 
 user could initially power a laptop computer using the internal batteries 
 of the laptop and then when the laptop computer indicates that the battery
 powered is dwindling, the user can connect DC output cable 18 to the 
 laptop computer and continue operating on power delivered from batteries 
 26 of system 10. 
 In battery recharge mode, the laptop computer (not shown) is connected to 
 system 10 to recharge the internal batteries of the laptop. 
 The operating modes can be combined. For example, it is possible to 
 recharge the internal batteries of the laptop computer while the laptop 
 computer is operated from AC power supply 20 of system 10 or from the 
 stored energy of batteries 26 of system 10. As noted, batteries 26 of 
 system 10 can also be recharged while operating a laptop computer from AC 
 power supply 20. It is also possible to recharge batteries 26 and recharge
 the internal batteries of the laptop computer while simultaneously 
 operating the laptop computer using AC power supply 20 of system 10. 
 System 10 preferably includes a charge indicator function as a component 
 of battery charge controller 22. 
 As shown in FIG. 3, system 10 has four major sub-systems, AC power supply 
 20, batteries 26, DC output regulator 24 and battery charge controller 22.
 AC power supply 20 converts externally provided AC power to low voltage DC
 for charging batteries 26 and for operating DC output regulator 24. 
 Batteries 26 are preferably lithium polymer batteries made up of thin, 
 flexible sheets. One source for these batteries is Ultralife Batteries, 
 Inc., Newark, N.Y. Using internal chemistry similar to conventional 
 lithium ion battery technology, lithium polymer batteries replace the 
 liquid battery electrolyte with a thin, electrolyte impregnated plastic 
 sheet. Conventional metal battery plates are replaced with metal foil 
 electrodes. The lithium polymer electrolyte is sandwiched between the 
 metal foil electrodes, which together are sealed in a plastic and metal 
 foil packet to form battery 26 (FIG. 1). Each of batteries 26 provides 
 about 100 Wh of energy, therefore, the two batteries 26 of the preferred 
 embodiment can provide about 200 Wh of energy. 
 An array of batteries can be configured to meet the current and voltage 
 demands of other portable electronic devices. Simple fuses and other 
 protective devices in series with the batteries can be used to ensure that
 any possible failure of system 10 does not present any danger to the user.
 DC output regulator 24 draws power from either AC power supply 20 or from 
 batteries 26 and delivers regulated power to suit the specific 
 requirements of the intended portable electronic device. DC output 
 regulator 24 should also provide an overcurrent protection function to 
 prevent damage caused by short circuits or defective portable devices. DC 
 output regulator 24 is configured to provide the highest possible 
 efficiency for the longest battery life. 
 Battery charge controller 22 prevents overcharging and overdischarging of 
 batteries 26. Battery charge controller 22 may also provide a status 
 display and charge indicator functionality to inform the user of the 
 status and remaining battery capacity of system 10. 
 In order to support the three major operating modes of system 10, AC power 
 supply 20 delivers the maximum power drawn by the intended portable 
 electronic device and still has enough remaining capacity to recharge 
 batteries 26 at the same time. DC output regulator 24 should also be 
 configured to deliver the same wattage as the intended portable electronic
 device's original AC adapter when driven by either AC power supply 20 or 
 by batteries 26. 
 The elements of system 10, including power supply module 25, batteries 26, 
 AC power supply cable 16 and DC output cable 18, are preferably integrated
 into the structural components of carrying case 12 of system 10. The term 
 structural components may include, but is not limited to, the outer case, 
 compartment therein and/or an inner liner comprising one or more internal 
 compartments for storing the batteries and the portable electronic device.
 The elements need not necessarily be encapsulated within the structural 
 components, but should be part of the synergistic whole of carrying case 
 12. In the case of the batteries, the batteries themselves can be the 
 means for stiffening carrying case 12. As a means for stiffening, the 
 batteries would provide skeletal support to carrying case 12, e.g. to hold
 the components of the case in their relative position. 
 The preferred embodiment can be scaled for use with a personal digital 
 assistant, such as 3COM's Palm Pilot, or a laptop computer. It is also 
 envisioned that the extended battery-life system of the invention can be 
 readily adapted for virtually any type of portable electronic device 
 including, but not limited to, cellular telephones and compact disc 
 players. 
 Although specific features of the invention are shown in some drawings and 
 not others, this is for convenience only as each feature may be combined 
 with any or all of the other features in accordance with the invention. 
 Other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and are within the
 following claims: