Abstract:
When portable diagnostic medical equipment is placed into a dock, or docking station, the batteries of the docking station are used in a hierarchical manner to insure that the batteries in the portable equipment become charged and that any power needed to run the portable device is provided from a power source local to the docking station. In one embodiment, the docking station has a plurality of batteries and the system is designed so that when a portable diagnostic device is docked, the power from the docking station batteries will be used in a predetermined usage pattern so as to preserve (and charge) the batteries in the portable diagnostic tool.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is related to co-pending U.S. Design Patent Application 29/268,170, entitled “ULTRASOUND DISPLAY APPARATUS,” U.S. Design Patent Application 29/268,134, entitled “MOBILE SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR MEDICAL EQUIPMENT,” and U.S. Design Patent Application 29/268,131, entitled “TILT CONTROL APPARATUS,” all filed concurrently herewith, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to medical equipment and more particularly to docking stations for use with such medical equipment and even more particularly to docking stations having auxiliary power management. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     All too often, minutes, and sometimes even seconds may mean the difference between life and death in hospital emergency rooms, EMT ambulances and other trauma sites, such as for example, explosion and crash sites, battlefields, etc. The advent of portable diagnostic equipment, such as sonogram equipment, now allows first responders to diagnose internal trauma and other ailments. The mortality and morbidity rate is thus decreased when the diagnostic tools that were once only available at fixed locations, such as hospitals and other trauma centers, can be brought to a patient. 
     The same positive results that stem from fast diagnostic capabilities exist in fixed locations when the equipment can be easily moved from location to location instead of remaining fixed. This then allows the diagnostic tools to move to the patient instead of the patient being moved to the equipment. 
     This portability is not without some complications. Even with highly portable equipment there sometimes is a need to “rest” the equipment on a dock so that the care giver can adjust knobs, take notes, move the probe, download information, charge the battery, and/or perform other tests on a patient. Also, all portable equipment must have a source of power. When working in a fixed facility, that source of power is the electrical utility usually manifest by power outlets spaced apart on a wall. When the device is in the portable mode a battery inside the device is used to provide power. However, just like so many of the devices (cellular telephones, pagers, etc) that are in common usage, battery management becomes critical. 
     When any number of different people use a certain piece of equipment, such as a medical diagnostic tool, in a portable mode, battery management becomes critically important. One can hardly imagine a more inopportune time for the power to fail than when a measurement is being taken on a critically sick or injured person using a portable diagnostic tool. Precious life-threatening minutes are then lost in opening the device, retrieving the old battery, finding a new charged battery and then inserting the new battery and resealing the device. And all this presumes that the care giver has a freshly charged battery near by. In fast-paced trauma situations, this can be problematical. 
     SUMMARY 
     When portable diagnostic medical equipment is placed into a dock, or docking station, the batteries of the docking station are used in a hierarchical manner to insure the system battery maintains its maximum charged value. In one embodiment, the docking station has a plurality of batteries and the system is designed so that when a portable diagnostic device is docked, the power from the docking station batteries will be used in a predetermined usage pattern so as to preserve (and optionally charge) the batteries in the portable diagnostic tool. 
     The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows one embodiment of a medical diagnostic tool operating in portable mode in accordance with the principals of the concepts of this invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows one embodiment of a controller for operating the diagnostic tool shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates the tool of  FIG. 1  mated with a dock; and 
         FIG. 4  is one example of a flow chart of system operation. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows one embodiment of medical diagnostic tool  10  operating in portable mode in accordance with the principals of the concepts of this invention. One example of such a tool is shown in the above-identified co-pending design patent application. Medical diagnostic tool  10 , in this embodiment a hand-held ultrasound diagnostic tool, is shown with housing  11  display screen  12 , input keys  13  and probe  15  connected to the tool by cable  14 . Also shown are connector  16  used when tool  10  is in mated relationship with dock  30  ( FIG. 30 ). Connector  16  also provides control for allowing the tool to “know” when it is in such mated relationship. 
     When tool  10  is in portable or hand-held mode power is supplied to the device by one or more batteries (as will discussed with respect to  FIG. 2 ) internal to tool  10  as contained, for example, within controller  20 . 
       FIG. 2  shows one embodiment of a controller, such as controller  20 , for operating diagnostic tool  10 . In the embodiment controller  20  is shown with various internal control devices such as, for example, processor  201 , memory  202 , display control  203 , keypad control  204  and probe control  205 . Bus  200  allows these device to work together and the operation of these devices, as well as other internal control devices for diagnostic tools, and especially for ultrasound devices, are well-known in the art and will not be further discussed herein. 
     Battery  21  serves to provide power to the control devices and systems of device  10  when device  10  is operating in hand-held mode and not plugged into a source of premises power. When premises power is available and being used, plug  23  would deliver power to converter  22  (in one embodiment) which in turn delivers power to the control devices. Note that converter  22  can be external to the device if desired. Converter  22  could be assisted by battery  21 . If desired, battery  21  can be separated from the external source of power, or battery  21  can become charged from converter  22 . In some situations this charge can be controlled by a control device, such as charge control  24  (which could be external to the device) and which operates in the well-known fashion to prevent battery  21  from becoming overcharged. While only one battery  21  is shown, many such batteries can be used. 
     Note that contact  210  is in the “normal” mode such that power is available to flow from battery  21 , or from converter  22 , to power distribution bus  220 . When processor  201  senses a mated condition with a docking stand, via sensor  16 , device  210  serves to isolate battery  21  from input Al (from dock  30 ,  FIG. 3 ) as will be discussed hereinafter. Note also that isolating device  210  can be a relay contact or a semi-conductor device or any other type of isolation device desired. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates the mating of diagnostic tool  10  with dock  30  to form combination  300 . When tool  10  is in mated relationship with dock  30  sensors within connector  16  causes controller  35  to respond by enabling one of the three batteries  31 ,  32  or  33  via control  301 ,  302  or  303 . If desired, the system battery (battery  21 ,  FIG. 2 ) can also be inserted into the list of batteries that are used for running the tool. The batteries are enabled according to a pre-set pattern so the system battery (if it is connected) is the last to be exhausted. Power from the enabled battery is supplied via lead Al and connectors  36  and  16  to tool  10  to run the operation of tool  10  even if that tool is being used to perform diagnostic tests. As discussed above, battery  21  in tool  10  is isolated from controller  20  at this time and is available to be charged via leads B 1  and B 2  from dock  30 ,  FIG. 3 , via controls  304 - 1  and  304 - 2 . Controls  304 - 1  and  304 - 2  can be 2-relay contacts or semi conductor devices Also, if desired, one or more batteries  31 ,  32  and  33  can be connected to leads B 1  and B 2  if desired so that one or more of these batteries can be used to charge system battery bank  21   
     Note that in the embodiment shown a separate battery is shown in dock  30  for charging device  10 &#39;s internal battery. This configuration is not necessary and any arrangement of batteries can be used to run and charge device  10  including having the same power source on dock  30  perform both functions, if desired. 
     Batteries  31 ,  32  and  33  are arranged in a hierarchical order but, if desired could be used concurrently, if desired. The theory of operation being that when device  10  is removed from dock  30  its internal system battery, or batteries, will be as fully charged as possible. 
       FIG. 4  is one example of flow chart  40  of system operation. Process  401  determines if the diagnostic device is mated in the dock. If it is, then process  402  determines if the device is running on utility (for example 110V AC) power. If so, theoretically the internal battery of device  10  is being charged from the power source and thus there is not a need for additional charging as shown by process  411 . 
     If, however process  402  determines that device  10  is running on internal power, then process  403  isolates, in one embodiment, the internal battery of device  10 . Process  406  selects a first battery to connect to device  10  for operational purposes, as discussed above. Optionally, if process  404  determines that device  10  internal battery is to be charged, then process  405  connects stand battery to the device battery. 
     When process  407  determines that the first battery is becoming (or has become) discharged, then if process  408  determines that there are other external batteries available a new battery is selected via process  410  and the operation of device  10  continues being powered from external batteries. 
     If process  408  determines that there are no more charged batteries then, optionally, an alarm is sounded so that a user can plug the dock, or the diagnostic device, into a source of power so that the internal batteries of device  10  remain in the highest possible charge condition so that device  10  will be available for emergent conditions when they occur despite the fact that the device has been operating in a portable mode for a period of time. 
     Note that while three batteries are shown in dock  30  (and one in device  10 ) any number of such batteries can be used. By using multiple batteries, particularly in the dock, and by isolating their employment, one or more batteries can be physically changed even while device  10  is operating at full capacity. Note also, that should the external batteries begin to fail, device  10  could be switched, automatically or otherwise, to a lower power consumption state to conserve power. Again, the idea being to maintain device  10  so that it can perform its diagnostic duties fully on portable power at a moments notice in an emergent condition. 
     Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.