Automatically enabled airplane-mode portable power source

A portable power device including an enclosure, a plurality of power elements housed within the enclosure, and a controller housed within the enclosure and configured to control the power output of the plurality of power elements. The controller is configured to determine if the portable power device is located on an aircraft that is operating in a stationary, taxiing, or flight mode, and if the aircraft is in the stationary, taxiing, or flight mode, to prevent power to be supplied from the plurality of power elements.

BACKGROUND

The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to airplane-mode control systems and, more particularly, to systems and methods for automatically enabling an airplane-mode portable power source to shut off power to one or more connected electronic devices.

Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Sec 91.21 restricts the use and operation of wireless communication circuitries and other portable electronic devices (PED) aboard aircraft unless it has been previously determined that the specific PED will not cause interference with the navigation or communication system of the aircraft wherein the PED is going to be used. Some PEDs, including those containing intentional radio frequency (“RF”) radiators (e.g., radio transmitters), may need to be shut off during taxing and flying on commercial aircraft. Prior solutions for this address disabling of an RF transmitter specifically to meet FAA taxi and flight rules around said transmitters.

Portable electronic devices are prolific and increasingly used outside the proximity of humans. Present devices have the ability to autonomously recognize their presence onboard an operational aircraft such that the transmitting portion of that device could be shut down without human intervention.

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment a portable power device is provided. The device includes an enclosure, a plurality of power elements housed within the enclosure, and a controller housed within the enclosure and configured to control the power output of the plurality of power elements. The controller is configured to determine if the portable power device is located on an aircraft that is operating in a stationary, taxiing, or flight mode, and if the aircraft is in the stationary, taxiing, or flight mode, to prevent power to be supplied from the plurality of power elements.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, further embodiments may include a switch located within the enclosure and electrically configured between the plurality of power elements and an output of the portable power device.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, further embodiments may include that the controller is configured to control the switch, and if the aircraft is in the stationary, taxiing, or flight mode, the controller controls the switch to disengage and prevent power output from the plurality of power elements.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, further embodiments may include that the determination made by the controller is based on at least one of GPS location, RFID tagging or other RF proximity scheme, manual input, Wi-Fi location determination, and Bluetooth.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, further embodiments may include a first output power line from the plurality of power elements and a second output power line from the plurality of power elements.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, further embodiments may include a switch electrically configured on the first output power line, the controller configured to control the power output along the first output power line by controlling the switch, and the second output power line configured to continuously supply power even if the controller stops power along the first output power line.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, further embodiments may include that the plurality of power elements comprise a plurality of at least one of (i) batteries, (ii) power cells, and (iii) piezoelectric generators.

According to another embodiment, a method of controlling power to one or more devices is provided. The method includes monitoring the location of a portable power device having a plurality of power elements, determining that the portable power device is located on an aircraft that is stationary, taxiing, or in-flight, and disabling a power output of the plurality of power elements of the portable power device.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, further embodiments may include that the disabling comprising switching a switch located between the plurality of power elements and an output of the portable power device.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, further embodiments may include that the determining comprises one of at least one of GPS locating, RFID or other RF proximity scheme detection, manual input, Wi-Fi location determination, and Bluetooth detection.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, further embodiments may include that the plurality of power elements comprise a plurality of at least one of (i) batteries, (ii) power cells, and (iii) piezoelectric generators.

Technical effects of embodiments of the present disclosure include devices and methods of automatically turning off the power of a device in certain predetermined areas, such as when on an aircraft, and particularly when taxiing and flying. Further technical effects of embodiments of the present disclosure include providing a power source configured to automatically disable or switch off its output to other electronics during taxiing and/or flying. Further technical effects include a portable power device having a single control circuit configured to control the output of multiple power sources.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1is a schematic illustration of a portable power device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. As shown, a portable power device100having an enclosure101has a common side102and a power side104. The power side104may have a switched power line106and an unswitched power line108. Within the enclosure101of the portable power device100may be a power source110, which may be a battery, a plurality of batteries, power cells, piezoelectric generators, or any other power source. The switched power line106may have a switch112located thereon that is configured to disable a power flow through the switched power line106. When the switch112is disengaged, power cannot be supplied from the portable power device100to any connected electronic devices. In contrast, when the switch112is engaged, power is supplied to any connected electronic devices electrically connected to power line106.

The switch112is controlled by a control circuit114also within the enclosure101. The control circuit114may include an airplane mode sensing circuit and controller. The control circuit114is configured to determine the location of the portable power device100. For example, the control circuit114may be configured to use an RFID or other similar near field technology to determine that the portable power device100is in a location or environment where the power must be controlled. For example, in the aerospace industry it may be possible to determine using the control circuit114that the portable power device100is on an aircraft and that the aircraft is taxiing or in flight. This determination technique is known, and in various embodiments the control circuit114may be configured with one or more of the many different techniques and associated hardware and software.

The control circuit114may also be automatic, in some embodiments. That is, the control circuit114may continuously operate with power supplied from the power source110, such that the control circuit114, and any sensors, control elements, processors, memory, software, etc. may be operated at any and/or all times. As such, because the control circuit114, and thus the portable power device100, is autonomous, the operation and processes described herein may be performed without a user required to interact with the portable power device or any of the electronics that may be powered thereby. In other embodiments, the enclosure101may include a selector switch that may be configured to activate and/or deactivate the auto-airplane mode operation described herein.

The control circuit114is configured to control the power output of the power source110, which is a plurality of elements, such as cells, batteries, piezoelectric generators, etc., and/or combinations thereof. That is, a single control circuit114is configured to control the power output of multiple elements. The multiple elements are configured such that power may be supplied to multiple electronic devices that may be connected to the portable power device100, to either switched power line106or unswitched power line108.

In operation, if the control circuit114determines that the power must be controlled, e.g., turned off for devices connected to the switched power line106, then the control circuit114may cause or instruct the switch112to open or disengage. By opening or disengaging the switch112the power supplied along the switch power line106may be turned off or stopped. As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, the control between the control circuit114and the switch112may be electrical, electronic, mechanical, or may have other configurations without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For example, when the control circuit114determines that the portable power device100is located on an aircraft that is in a mode of operation that includes taxiing and/or flight, the control circuit114may be configured to send an electrical command to the switch112to disengage and cease supplying power along the switched power line106.

When it is determined by the control circuit114that the portable power device100is no longer on an aircraft that is currently taxiing and/or in-flight, the control circuit114is configured to send a command to the switch112to re-engage or close. When the switch112is closed or engaged, power is supplied along the switched power line106and to any devices connected thereto.

As noted, when the switch112is open, the switched power line106does not supply power to any connected device(s). However, in the embodiment shown inFIG. 1, even when the switch112is open or disengaged, the unswitched power line108of the portable power device100may be configured to continue to supply power to electronic device(s) connected to the unswitched power line108.

Thus, the portable power device100may have at least two states, with a first state being full supplied power along both the switched power line106and the unswitched power line108, and the second state being a condition in which the switched power line106is disabled and does not supply power to any connected electronic devices, while power is still supplied along the unswitched power line108.

Turning now toFIG. 2, an alternative embodiment is shown. In this embodiment, the unswitched power line shown inFIG. 1is eliminated, and only a switched power line is present within the portable power device. That is, a portable power device200includes a common side power line202and a power side204that is switched, with a switched power line206. Housed within an enclosure201of the portable power device200is a power source210that connects the common side202with the power side204. As described above, the power source210may be configured as a plurality of elements that are controlled, in part, by a control circuit214.

The control circuit214is configured to operationally control a switch212that is configured to disable a power supply from the power source210of the portable power device200. In this embodiment, the portable power device200is configured to provide power or not provided power, and thus, any connected device will be disabled or powered off when the switch212is opened or disengaged. Thus, a single power device, i.e., portable power device200, may be able to control the power supply to multiple electronic devices, and disable power thereto when a particular situation is detected. For example, if the control circuit214of the portable power device200detects that the portable power device200is located on an aircraft and the aircraft is taxiing and/or in-flight, the control circuit214may send a command to the switch212to disengage or open, thus preventing power to be supplied to any devices connected to the portable power device200.

Turning now toFIG. 3, a process in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure is shown. The process may be performed with a portable power device, as described above with respect toFIG. 1 or 2, or other similar devices that include multiple power elements with a single controller. At step302, the portable power device may monitor the location of the portable power device. This may include a controller or other similar circuitry and electronics. The monitoring may be determined based on GPS location, RFID tagging or other RF proximity scheme, manual input, Wi-Fi location determination, Bluetooth, and/or other means of passively identifying co-location on a plane that may be stationary, taxiing, or in flight.

At step304, a determination is made that the portable power device is located on an aircraft and that the aircraft is in a mode of operation that is taxiing and/or in-flight. This step indicates that any electronics that are powered by the portable power device should be powered off.

Thus, at step306, a switch is disengaged, thus stopping the power supply from the multiple power elements of the portable power device to the electronic devices connected thereto.

At step308, if it is determined that the aircraft is no longer in-flight and/or no longer taxiing, the controller of the portable power device may re-engage the switch at step310. Thus power may be supplied from the multiple power elements of the portable power device to the electronic devices connected thereto. Thus, power may be controlled and supplied to various or multiple electronic devices at appropriate times and power can be turned off when needed or required, automatically.

In some embodiments, the power controller of the portable power device is an autonomous portable power source assembly consisting of multiple power elements, such as batteries, cells, etc., which has the capability to automatically disable (switch off) its output during taxiing and/or flying (airplane-mode operation) and is therefore not specific to disabling an RF transmitter alone. Advantageously, in this way, embodiments of the present disclosure have the potential to be stand-alone products and/or devices that are not required to be intrinsic to the electronics requiring disablement. In some embodiments, a switched power line can be directed to areas of a device that require shut down during flight and an un-switched power line can be directed to areas that may remain active during flight.