PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-10840726-B2
Application Number: US-201715587272-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Electronic device with wireless charging and battery heating

Abstract:
A wireless power transmitting device may transmit wireless power signals to a wireless power receiving electronic device. The electronic device may have a coil that receives the transmitted wireless power signals and may have a power receiving circuit that rectifies the received wireless power signals to produce a corresponding direct-current voltage signal. The direct-current signal may be used to power circuitry in the electronic device and may be used to charge a battery in the electronic device. Control circuitry in the electronic device may use a temperature sensor to make temperature measurements. In response to detecting that the device is below a given threshold temperature and based on other information such as information on which applications are running on a controller in device, the device may supply drive current signals to the coil to heat the battery and improve battery performance.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device configured to receive wirelessly transmitted power signals from a power transmitting device, comprising:
 a substrate; 
 a battery mounted on the substrate; 
 a wireless charging coil formed on the substrate and configured to receive the wirelessly transmitted power signals; 
 a wireless power receiving circuit coupled to the wireless charging coil, wherein the wireless power receiving circuit is configured to produce direct-current signals from the received wirelessly transmitted power signals that charge the battery; 
 a controller; and 
 a drive circuit coupled to the wireless charging coil, wherein the controller is configured to apply a signal to the wireless charging coil with the drive circuit that heats the battery. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  further comprising:
 a housing; and 
 a printed circuit having loops of metal traces that form the wireless charging coil, wherein the printed circuit is interposed between the battery and the housing, and wherein the wireless charging coil is coplanar with and overlaps the battery. 
 
     
     
       3. The electronic device defined in  claim 2  further comprising at least one temperature sensor, wherein the controller is configured to gather temperature information with the at least one temperature sensor and is configured to apply the signal to the wireless charging coil based at least partly on the gathered temperature information. 
     
     
       4. The electronic device defined in  claim 3  wherein the controller is configured to gather information on which applications are running on the controller and is configured to apply the signal to the wireless charging coil depending at least partly on which applications are running on the controller and wherein the temperature information comprises temperature information selected from the group consisting of: a battery temperature associated with the battery and an exterior temperature. 
     
     
       5. The electronic device defined in  claim 4  wherein the controller is configured to apply the signal to the wireless charging coil based at least partly on identifying that the applications running on the controller include an application selected from the group consisting of: a flashlight application, a camera application, a video playback application, a file download application, and an internet browsing application. 
     
     
       6. The electronic device defined in  claim 3  further comprising a display having a display brightness setting, wherein the controller is configured to apply the signal to the wireless charging coil based at least partly on the display brightness setting. 
     
     
       7. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the drive circuit is configured to produce a direct-current signal and wherein the controller is configured to apply the direct-current signal to the wireless charging coil with the drive circuit to heat the battery. 
     
     
       8. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the drive circuit is configured to produce an alternating-current signal and wherein the controller is configured to apply the alternating-current signal to the wireless charging coil with the drive circuit to heat the battery. 
     
     
       9. An electronic device configured to receive wirelessly transmitted power signals from a power transmitting device, comprising:
 a battery; 
 a wireless charging coil configured to receive the wirelessly transmitted power signals; 
 a wireless power receiving circuit coupled to the wireless charging coil, wherein the wireless power receiving circuit is configured to rectify the received wirelessly transmitted power signals and produce corresponding direct-current signals to charge the battery; and 
 control circuitry that is configured to supply a signal to the wireless charging coil to heat the battery at least partly in response to determining that the battery is at a temperature below a threshold temperature, wherein the signal supplied to the wireless charging coil is a direct-current signal, and wherein the control circuitry includes a drive circuit coupled to the wireless charging coil that is configured to apply the direct-current signal to the wireless charging coil to ohmically heat the wireless charging coil and thereby heat the battery. 
 
     
     
       10. The electronic device defined in  claim 9 , wherein the electronic device has opposing front and rear faces, the electronic device further comprising:
 a display on the front face; 
 a housing having a rear wall portion on the rear face, wherein the wireless charging coil is interposed between the rear wall portion and the battery. 
 
     
     
       11. The electronic device defined in  claim 10  wherein the wireless charging coil comprises multiple loops of metal traces on a printed circuit substrate. 
     
     
       12. The electronic device defined in  claim 11  further comprising a temperature sensor, wherein the control circuitry is configured to gather temperature measurements with the temperature sensor. 
     
     
       13. The electronic device defined in  claim 12  further comprising:
 an input-output device that is configured to receive user input, wherein the control circuitry is configured to supply the direct-current signal to the wireless charging coil with the drive circuit to heat the battery at least partly based on the user input. 
 
     
     
       14. The electronic device defined in  claim 13  wherein the control circuitry is further configured to identify which applications are running on the control circuitry and wherein the control circuitry is configured to supply the direct-current signal to the wireless charging coil with the drive circuit to heat the battery at least partly dependent on which applications are identified as running on the control circuitry. 
     
     
       15. The electronic device defined in  claim 9  wherein the control circuitry is further configured to identify which applications are running on the control circuitry and wherein the control circuitry is configured to supply the signal to the wireless charging coil to heat the battery at least partly based on which applications are identified to be running on the control circuitry. 
     
     
       16. The electronic device defined in  claim 15  further comprising a temperature sensor, wherein the control circuitry is configured to supply the signal to the wireless charging coil to heat the battery at least partly in response to determining that the battery is at the temperature below the threshold temperature using the temperature sensor. 
     
     
       17. An electronic device, comprising:
 a battery; 
 a wireless charging coil on a printed circuit that is configured to receive wirelessly transmitted power signals; 
 a wireless power receiving circuit coupled to the wireless charging coil, wherein the wireless power receiving circuit is configured to rectify the received wirelessly transmitted power signals and is configured to produce a corresponding direct-current voltage that charges the battery; and 
 control circuitry that is configured to supply a signal to metal traces overlapping with the wireless charging coil on the printed circuit and a signal to the wireless charging coil to heat the battery. 
 
     
     
       18. The electronic device defined in  claim 17  further comprising a temperature sensor, wherein the control circuitry is configured to measure temperature with the temperature sensor and is configured to supply the signal based at least partly on the measured temperature. 
     
     
       19. The electronic device defined in  claim 18  wherein the signal that is supplied to the metal traces is a direct-current signal, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to supply the direct-current signal to the loops of metal traces. 
     
     
       20. The electronic device of  claim 17 , wherein the metal traces are nested within the wireless charging coil on the printed circuit.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application No. 62/359,333, filed Jul. 7, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This relates generally to electronic device and, more particularly, to electronic devices with batteries. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Electronic devices are often powered by batteries. In cold environments, batteries exhibit decreased performance. If care is not taken, a battery in a cold electronic device may rapidly become unable to power the electronic device. 
     SUMMARY 
     A wireless power transmitting device may transmit wireless power signals to a wireless power receiving electronic device. The electronic device may have a coil that receives the transmitted wireless power signals. A power receiving circuit in the electronic device may rectify received wireless power signals to produce a corresponding direct-current voltage signal. The direct-current signal may be used to power circuitry in the electronic device and may be used to charge a battery in the electronic device. 
     Control circuitry in the electronic device may use a temperature sensor to make temperature measurements. The control circuitry may also gather user input, may gather information on which applications are running on the control circuitry, and may gather other information about the operating environment for the electronic device. In response to detecting that the device is below a given threshold temperature and in response to other information such as information on which applications are running on the device, the device may supply drive current signals to the coil to heat the battery and improve battery performance. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an illustrative system that includes an electronic device with wireless charging and battery heating capabilities in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronic device with a wireless power receiving coil and a battery in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram of an illustrative wireless power receiving coil in an electronic device and associated circuitry for converting received alternating-current signals from the coil into direct-current signals and for heating a battery using the coil in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of an illustrative electronic device having a battery, an overlapping coil, and temperature sensors in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a flow chart of illustrative steps involved in operating an electronic device with wireless charging and battery heating capabilities in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram of an illustrative system of the type that may have an electronic device with wireless power capabilities and battery heating capabilities. As shown in  FIG. 1 , wireless power system  10  may include a wireless power transmitting device such as wireless power transmitting device  12  and may include a wireless power receiving device such as electronic device  24 . Wireless power transmitting device  12  may be a wireless power adapter or other equipment. Electronic device  24  may be a portable electronic device such as a wristwatch, a cellular telephone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, or other electronic equipment. 
     Power transmitting device  12  may be coupled to a wall outlet or other source of alternating-current (AC) power and/or may have a battery for supplying direct-current (DC) power. Power transmitting device  12  may have an AC-DC power converter such as power converter  14  for converting AC power from a wall outlet into direct-current power. DC power from a battery or converter  14  may be used to power control circuitry  16 . During operation, a controller in control circuitry  16  may turn on and off switching circuitry (e.g., transistors) to create AC signals through coil  22 . As the AC signals pass through coil  22 , electromagnetic signals  26  are produced that are received by corresponding coil  28  in electronic device  24 . 
     Electronic device  24  may have control circuitry  30  and input-output devices  32 . Device  24  may be powered by an internal power source such as battery  34 . Device  24  may receive wireless power using coil  28  and may use the received power to power control circuitry  30  and input-output devices  32  and to charge battery  34 . 
     Control circuitry  30  may include storage such as hard disk drive storage, nonvolatile memory (e.g., flash memory or other electrically-programmable-read-only memory configured to form a solid state drive), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic random-access-memory), etc. Processing circuitry in control circuitry  30  (e.g., a controller) may be used to control the operation of device  24 . This processing circuitry may be based on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, application specific integrated circuits, etc. In some examples, processing circuitry in control circuitry  30  is of an application-specific design. In some examples, processing circuitry in control circuitry  30  tangibly embodies (e.g., in a non-transitory fashion) computer executable code. 
     During operation, control circuitry  30  may be used to run software on device  24 , such as internet browsing applications, voice-over-internet-protocol (VOIP) telephone call applications, email applications, media playback applications, software for supporting communications with external equipment, operating system functions, functions related to receiving wireless power, software for gathering temperature measurements and other sensor measurements, software for gathering user input, and software for heating batteries and taking other appropriate actions based on gathered information. 
     Input-output devices  32  may be used to allow data to be supplied to device  24  and to allow data to be provided from device  24  to external devices and/or users. Input-output devices  32  may include user interface devices such as touch sensors, keyboard, buttons, and other devices  36  that gather user input, may include input-output components such as display  38  (e.g., a display without a touch sensor or a touch screen display having a touch sensor for gathering user input). Devices  32  may also have sensors  40  such as microphones, digital image sensors (cameras), ambient light sensors, light-based proximity sensors, accelerometers and other sensors for detecting orientation and/or motion, capacitance sensors for gathering touch input, proximity data, and fingerprint readings, magnetic sensors, temperature sensors, force sensors (e.g., sensors that detect force input from a user&#39;s fingers), pressure sensors, gas sensors (e.g., carbon dioxide sensors, particulate sensors, etc.), and other sensors. 
     Radio-frequency transceiver circuitry  42  may include cellular telephone transceiver circuitry, wireless local area network transceiver circuitry, global positioning system circuitry or other satellite navigation system circuitry, millimeter wave transceiver circuitry, near-field communications transceiver circuitry, and other transceiver circuitry for transmitting and/or receiving wireless communications. 
     If desired, input-output devices  32  may include additional components (e.g., speakers for providing audio output, light-based status indicators (e.g., arrays of light-emitting diodes and/or other components for providing visual and/or audible output), haptic devices to provide a user with haptic output, digital data port devices to support communications between device  24  and external equipment over a wired communications path, etc. 
     A cross-sectional side view of device  24  is shown in  FIG. 2 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , device  24  may have a housing such as housing  56 . Housing  56  may be formed from metal, plastic, carbon-fiber composites or other fiber composites, glass, sapphire or other crystalline dielectric, ceramic, wood, fabric, other materials, or combinations of these materials. Display  38  may be mounted to housing  56 . As an example, display  38  may be mounted on the front face of device  24  and housing  56  may form a planar rear wall on the rear face of device  24 . Display  38  may be covered with a transparent protective layer such as display cover layer  50 . Display cover layer  50  may be formed from clear plastic, transparent crystalline material such as sapphire, glass, or combinations of these materials. Display layer  52  may be a liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode display, or other display that creates images for a user that are visible through display cover layer  50 . 
     Battery  34  may be mounted in the interior of housing  56  of device  24 . Battery  34  may have a thin planar shape and a rectangular outline or may have other suitable shapes. Coil  28  may be formed from loops of wire or other conductive signal paths. As an example, coil  28  may be formed from loops of metal traces  54  on substrate  68 . There may be 1-50, 10-70, more than 20, more than 40, fewer than 100, fewer than 50, fewer than 25, or any other suitable number of loops of metal traces  54  in coil  28 . The diameter of coil  28  may be 1-10 cm, may be more than 2 cm, more than 4 cm, more than 8 cm, more than 12 cm, less than 20 cm, less than 10 cm, less than 5 cm, or less than 2.5 cm, or other suitable size. Coil  28  may be circular, may be oval, may be rectangular, may be rectangular with rounded corners, or may have other suitable outlines. Substrate  68  may be a printed circuit (e.g., a flexible printed circuit formed from a sheet of flexible polymer such as a layer of polyimide or a rigid printed circuit board formed from fiberglass-filled epoxy or other rigid printed circuit board substrate material). Coil  28  may be interposed between battery  34  and housing  56 . Coil  28  may, for example, be mounted in a recess such as recess  58  in the rear wall of housing  56 . 
     Integrated circuits, discrete components, connectors, and other electrical components may be mounted on printed circuit  68  and/or other substrates in device  24  such as printed circuit  66 , as illustrated by electrical components  60  and  62 . Electrical components  60  and  62  may be attached to metal traces on printed circuit boards  68  and  66  using solder (as an example). Cables such as cable  64  (e.g. a flexible printed circuit cable, a portion of substrate  68 , etc.) may be used in interconnecting printed circuit substrates in device  24  such as printed circuits  68  and  66 . 
     During operation, device  24  may be placed on or near device  12 , so that coil  28  may receive wireless power signals  26  from coil  22  in device  12 . As an example, device  12  may be a wireless charging mat having one or more coils  22  in a planar configuration. Device  24  may be a watch, cellular telephone, tablet computer, laptop computer, or other electronic device that is placed on the wireless charging mat so that coil  28  is electromagnetically coupled to coil  22 . In this configuration, control circuitry  16  of wireless power transmitting device  12  may use coil  22  to transmit wireless power signals  26  to device  24  and control circuitry  30  of device  24  may use coil  28  to receive the wireless power signals. Received power may be used in powering components in device  24  and may be used in charging battery  34 . 
     Due to the proximity of coil  28  to battery  34 , coil  28  may be used in heating battery  34 . By heating battery  34 , battery performance in colder battery operating temperatures can be improved. At cold temperatures, more battery performance can be gained by heating battery  34  than is lost in powering coil  28  to perform this heating operation. Notably, a charged battery in a cold environment can exhibit high impedance that renders much of the stored energy inaccessible. In these scenarios, the use of a small fraction of the stored energy to heat, and thereby reduce the battery&#39;s impedance, favorably enables access to the previously inaccessible stored energy. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of wireless power circuitry in device  24 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , power receiving circuitry  70  may be coupled to coil  28  at terminals  72  and  74 . Coil  28  may be formed from loops of metal traces  54  on a substrate such as substrate  68  ( FIG. 2 ). During operation, coil  28  may receive alternating-current (AC) wireless power signals  26  and may supply these AC signals to power receiving circuitry  70 . Power receiving circuitry  70  may include a rectifier that rectifies the received AC signals and provides corresponding direct-current (DC) signals to charger  92 . Charger  92  may use the DC power to charge battery  34 . DC power from circuitry  70  may also be used in powering other components such as controller  80 . Controller  80  may control the operation of coil driver circuitry such as drive circuit  76 . Controller  80  may receive temperature data from a temperature sensor in sensors  40  and may receive information from other input-output devices  32 . This information may be used in controlling drive circuitry  76 . Temperature sensors may be used to measure battery temperature (e.g., using a temperature sensor that is adjacent to battery  34 ), may be used to measure internal device temperature (e.g., using a temperature sensor that is mounted to an internal housing member, a printed circuit board, or other internal device structure), and/or may be used to measure external temperatures (e.g., using a temperature sensor mounted on an exterior portion of device  24  and/or using a temperature sensor mounted in a housing port that is open to the exterior environment). 
     When battery  34  is cold (e.g., when the battery temperature measured by a battery temperature sensor is below a predetermined threshold temperature) or is expected to become cold soon (e.g., because the exterior and/or interior temperature of device  10  has dropped as a result of a user taking device  24  from a warm indoors environment into a cold outdoors environment), drive circuit  76  may apply a direct-current drive signal to coil  28  to ohmically heat coil  28  and thereby ohmically heat battery  34 . If desired, drive circuit  76  may be used to supply an alternating-current signal to coil  28  to ohmically heat coil  28  and battery  34  and/or to induce eddy currents in a metal casing and other conductive components of battery  34  to heat battery  34 . Drive circuit  76  may also supply a direct-current or alternating-current signal to a heating element formed from ohmic heating lines  78 . Heating lines  78  may be formed from loops of metal traces on substrate  68  (e.g., loops of metal traces that are nested inside loops  54  and/or that overlap with loops  54 , and/or that are formed on the opposite side of substrate  68  from loops  54 ), may be formed on substrate  68  in a zig-zag pattern or other pattern, or may be formed on a printed circuit or other substrate that is separate from substrate  68 . Lines  78  may also form a heating coil that mounted on a substrate that is separate from substrate  68  or may form a stand-alone heating element. In configurations for device  24  with heating lines  78  that are separate from metal traces  54  of coil  28 , drive circuit  76  may supply drive signals to heating lines  78  to heat battery  34  in addition to or instead of supplying drive current to coil  28  to heat battery  34 . 
     Circuitry  70 , controller  80 , charger  92 , and drive circuit  76  form part of control circuitry  30 . Controller  80  may include processing and storage circuitry for running software for device  24 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , controller  80  may be coupled to input-output devices  32 . For example, controller  80  may use temperature sensors and user input devices in input-output devices  32  to gather temperature measurements and user input while operating device  24 . Controller  80  may use this information to determine whether battery  34  is sufficiently cold and/or the expected power usage of a user&#39;s activities is great enough to warrant heating battery  34  with coil  54 . Controller  80  may, if desired, be configured to implement a fail-safe mechanism to prevent the generation of heat by coil  28 , heating lines  78 , etc. in the event that the measured temperature from temperature sensor  40  exceeds a predetermined maximum threshold temperature. Heating may be permitted only when the measured temperature is below this safe upper limit. If desired, fail-safe circuitry may be incorporated into drive circuit  76  (e.g., drive circuit  76  may receive temperature measurements from a temperature sensor and/or other sensors  40  directly and may use this information to trigger a shut-down switch or other safety circuit in circuit  76  in the event that safe operating limits are about to be exceeded). 
     Illustrative locations at which sensors  40  such as temperature sensors and/or other sensors  40  may be located are shown in the illustrative top view of device  24  of  FIG. 4 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , sensor(s)  40  (e.g., one or more temperature sensors) may be located at the upper end of housing  56 , at the lower end of housing  56 , on printed circuit  66 , on printed circuit  68 , on battery  34 , or elsewhere in housing  56 . Temperature sensors in sensors  40  may be attached to battery  34  to measure battery temperature, may be mounted in the vicinity of battery  34  (e.g., in the interior of device  24 ), and/or may be mounted on exterior surfaces or within ports that are exposed to the exterior of device  24  (e.g., to measure exterior temperature to help predict when device  24  and battery  34  will be cooled due to exposure to a cold environment). Using sensors  40 , device  24  (e.g., control circuitry  30 ) can determine how device  24  is currently being operated and how device  24  is likely to be operated in the future. Control circuitry  30  can also gather user input (e.g., manual user input that directs device  24  to initiate battery heating, user input that sets application usage preferences and/or battery heating preferences, etc.). 
     Based on user input, real time data from sensors  40 , and/or predicted device usage for device  24 , device  24  can determine how much, if any, drive current from drive circuit  76  should be applied to coil  28  and/or the heating element formed from lines  78  to heat battery  34 . If, as an example, the temperature of battery  34  and/or the ambient operating temperature of device  24  is −20° C. and a user has just launched a power-intensive application such as a video playback application, control circuitry  30  can predict that the user of device  24  is likely to use a large amount of power and that the performance of battery  34  could be significantly improved by raising the temperature of battery  34  by 30° C. or more. In this type of scenario, control circuitry  30  can direct drive circuit  76  to apply a drive signal to coil  28  (or the heating element formed from lines  78 ) to heat battery  34  and thereby improve the performance of battery  34 . The energy expended in heating battery  34  in this way will be more than offset by the increase in performance in powering device  24  with a heated battery for the duration of the user&#39;s video playback operation. 
       FIG. 5  is a flow chart of illustrative operations involved in using system  10  to wirelessly power device  24  and to heat battery  34  to enhance the performance of battery  34 . In some embodiments, one or more operations of  FIG. 5  are carried out by control circuitry  30 . Battery performance improvements (e.g., improvements to the amount of power delivered per amount of battery capacity consumed) may more than offset the battery drain resulting from heating the battery. 
     During the operations of block  90  of  FIG. 5 , power transmitting device  12  may wirelessly transmit power to device  24 . During power transmission, control circuitry  16  may apply alternating-current drive signals to coil  22  that produce alternating-current wireless power signals  26 . Coil  28  in device  24  may receive the transmitted alternating-current wireless power signals. Rectifier circuitry in power receiving circuitry  70  of device  24  may be used to convert the received alternating-current wireless power signals to direct-current voltage signals. Direct-current voltage signals (DC power) may be used by charger  92  to charge battery  34  and may be used in powering control circuitry  30  and input-output devices  32 . 
     During use of device  24  by a user, device  24  may be exposed to cold operating environments. As an example, device  24  may be used outdoors when the ambient temperature is less than 10° C., less than 0° C., less than −10° C. or other reduced temperature. In environments such as these, the ability of battery  34  to deliver power (per unit of consumed battery capacity) may be impaired, because the chemical reactions involved in delivering power from the battery are adversely affected by cold temperatures. Battery performance can be restored by heating battery  34 . 
     Although battery performance for a cold battery can be enhanced by heating, care should be taken when deciding whether or not to heat battery  34 . Excessive heating of battery  34  when device  24  is not drawing significant power may waste battery capacity. For example, if a user leaves device  24  outside in cold temperatures overnight without actively using device  24 , it would be counterproductive to expend battery power to heat battery  34 . Even though battery  34  would be operate more performant if heated, there is no need to heat battery  34  when device  24  is not being significantly used for an extended period of time (e.g., if device  24  is in a low-power sleep state). 
     On the other hand, in situations in which a significant amount of power is needed by device  24 , the battery capacity that is expended in heating battery  34  may be more than recouped by the increase in battery performance that results from heating battery  34 . As an example, if a user is using device  24  to perform a power intensive task for an extended period of time, it will generally be desirable to heat battery  34  so that battery  34  exhibits optimum performance. 
     In view of these competing considerations, it may be desirable for device  24  to gather data that allows device  24  to optimize battery heating operations. This data may be gathered by device  24  during the operations of block  92  of  FIG. 5 . Data may be gathered by control circuitry  30  using input-output devices  32 . For example, control circuitry  30  may gather temperature data from temperature sensors (e.g., temperature sensors in housing locations of the type described in  FIG. 4  and/or other locations), may gather motion data from an accelerometer or other motion sensor, may gather ambient light data from an ambient light sensor, and/or may gather other sensor information from sensors  40 . 
     The state of software (code) running on control circuitry  30  may be analyzed to provide insight into power consumption needs for device  24 . For example, control circuitry  30  may gather information on which applications (instructions) are running on control circuitry  30  in real time. This information may reveal whether device  24  is in a low-power sleep state or is using a power intensive application such as a video playback application, a flashlight (torch) application in which a light-emitting diode is turned on to provide illumination for a user, a camera application that uses a digital image sensor to gather still and/or moving images, a file download application that uses radio-frequency transceiver circuitry  42  to download a data file wirelessly or that downloads data over a wired connection, an internet browsing application that downloads web content, or other application running on controller  80  (control circuitry  30 ) of device  24 . 
     If desired, the information gathered during the operations of block  92  may include information on the brightness level of display  38 . Brightness level information may be used to determine whether display  38  is at a high brightness that causes display  38  to consume power rapidly. 
     User input may also be gathered. For example, input from a user may be gathered from a touch screen (e.g., a response to an on-screen menu option), from a keyboard, keypad, buttons, microphone (e.g., voice commands), or other input device in input-output devices  32 . The user input may include user-defined settings associated with battery heating and device power consumption. A user may, for example, specify that battery  34  should be heated whenever a particular application is launched or whenever a particular application has been used for more than a given amount of time, may specify that device  24  should provide an on-screen prompt before initiating battery heating operations, may specify that battery  34  should not be heated if the temperature is between 10° C. and 20° C. or is below 0° C. or other threshold temperature, may specify that battery  34  should be heated only between particular times of day, and/or may specify other aspects of the operation of device  24  related to the heating of battery  34 . The information gathered during the operations of block  92  may include information on the current time and date, information on the location of device  24  (e.g., information gathered from a satellite navigation system receiver in device  24 ), historical information on device usage (e.g., information on what times of day and days of the week the user of device  24  launches and uses particular applications and the duration of such usage), may gather historical information on the operating environment of device  24  (e.g., times of day and days of week when device  24  is exposed to cold ambient environments that cool battery  34 ), and/or other information. 
     Based on the information gathered during the operations of block  92 , device  24  (control circuitry  30 ) may, during the operations of block  94 , direct drive circuitry such as drive circuit  76  to apply appropriate drive signals to coil  28  and/or to apply drive signals to ancillary heating lines such as lines  78  or other heating element(s) in device  24  to heat battery  34 . Battery  34  need not be heated when device  24  is operating at room temperature or when device  24  is not consuming significant power (e.g., when device  24  is in a low power sleep state). If, however, device  24  is currently consuming or is predicted to shortly begin consuming significant power (e.g., more than a threshold amount of power as defined by default or user-defined settings) and if device  24  determines that battery  34  is currently at a reduced temperature (e.g., a temperature below a default threshold or user-defined threshold) so that performance improvements (battery capacity improvements) from heating battery  34  will offset the battery capacity consumed by heating battery  34 , device  24  can heat battery  34  using drive circuit  76  and coil  28  (and/or using a heating element formed by lines  78  or other suitable heating element). The battery heating determinations made during the operations of block  94  may be made in real time, so that the amount of heat that is applied to battery  34  can be increased or decreased as appropriate. 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative and various modifications can be made to the described embodiments. The foregoing embodiments may be implemented individually or in any combination.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20170504
Publication Date: 20201117
Grant Date: 20201117
Priority Date: 20160707
Inventors: PROVENCHER, COREY S.
YEH, MICHAEL V.
PANG, JASON L.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H01M10/486", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M10/488", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J7/0047", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M10/613", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J7/00", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J50/005", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M10/488", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M10/486", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W40/08", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J50/90", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J50/30", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J50/20", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J50/15", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M10/613", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M10/6571", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J50/005", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J50/10", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M2220/30", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M10/6571", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02E60/10", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M10/615", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J50/10", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M10/488", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M10/615", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J50/30", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M2220/30", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W40/08", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M10/6571", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J7/025", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M10/486", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J50/90", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J50/20", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J50/15", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J50/10", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J50/40", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 60911196