Kipp A Bedard

20010018356, Aug 30, 2001

Jan 10, 2001

09/758838

David Cathey - Boise ID, US
Kipp Bedard - Boise ID, US
David Zimlich - Boise ID, US

H04M001/00
H04B001/38

455/574000, 455/573000, 455/572000

Method and apparatus for ensuring that, in a portable, battery-powered communication package incorporating at least two communication devices, such as a combination cellular telephone and a pager, sufficient power is provided for extended operation of the communication device having the lowest continuous power consumption requirements when the device having a higher continuous power consumption rate has consumed a selected portion of the total power initially available to the combined devices. In the case of the aforestated exemplary device, cellular telephone function is disabled when a selected portion of the total power initially available is consumed. A first embodiment of the invention is implemented with a single electrochemical battery. The first embodiment of the invention may include a headroom-limited flyback power supply which powers the high-power consumption device. When headroom drops below a minimum set by a series-coupled diode string, power is cut off to the high-power-consumption device. The first embodiment of the invention may alternatively include a battery charge sense circuit which produces a digital signal, the digital signal corresponding to either a battery charge state that is above the predetermined voltage level or a battery charge state that is below the predetermined voltage level. For this alternate first embodiment, operation of the high-power-consumption device is disabled when the predetermined battery charge state is reached, thus permitting operation of the low-power consumption communication device for an extended period which, ideally, should be at least 24 hours. A second embodiment of the invention is implemented using a separate electrochemical power source (e.g., a single electrochemical cell or battery) to power the low-power consumption device.

20030087682, May 8, 2003

Nov 27, 2002

10/307140

David Cathey - Boise ID, US
Kipp Bedard - Boise ID, US
David Zimlich - Boise ID, US

H04M001/00
H04B001/38

455/574000, 455/572000, 455/556000

Apparatus for ensuring that, in a portable, battery-powered communication package incorporating at least two communication devices, such as a combination cellular telephone and a pager, sufficient power is provided for extended operation of the communication device having the lowest continuous power consumption requirements when the device having a higher continuous power consumption rate has consumed a selected portion of the total power initially available to the combined devices.