system for accessing diagnostic information on an electronic device, electronic device and method fo

专利摘要:
"SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ACCESSING DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION". The present invention relates to a technique that is provided to access diagnostic information using an electronic device (10). According to this technique, a system (74) provides an interface (66) to provide access to diagnostic information. The system (74) can also provide a memory, in which the diagnostic information can be stored. The system (74) can be further configured to provide access to the d1agnost1co information when the electronic device (1 O) is not operational.
公开号:BR112012008098B1
申请号:R112012008098-9
申请日:2010-07-23
公开日:2020-12-08
发明作者:Timothy Johnson
申请人:Apple Inc；
IPC主号:

专利说明:

Cross Reference to Related Orders
[0001] This application is partly a continuation of U.S. Patent Application No. Serial 12 / 024,519 filed on February 1, 2008. Background 1. Technical Field
[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to electronic devices and, more particularly, to techniques for accessing diagnostic information that can be used to detect the occurrence (s) of consumer abuse on electronic devices. 2. Description of the Related Art
[0003] This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of the practice that may be related to various aspects of the present techniques, which are described below. This discussion is believed to be useful in providing the reader with prior information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Thus, it must be understood that these statements are to be read in this context, and not as admissions of the prior art.
[0004] Electronic products purchased by consumers are usually sold with a warranty or return policy accompanying the product in which the seller and / or manufacturer guarantees that the product is free from defects and will remain operable for at least a limited period of time. For example, typical warranty and return policies may specify that in the event that a defect is found in a product, or that the product becomes inoperable during the warranty period, the manufacturer or seller will replace the product or provide repair services for restore the product to an operational state, with little or no additional cost to the consumer.
[0005] In general, such warranty and return policies are intended to cover only failures and defects relating to the manufacture or design of the product, and typically do not cover product failure that occurs such as the result of consumer abuse. In fact, many warranty policies explicitly exclude return or repair when damage from consumer abuse, whether intentional or unintentional, is the underlying cause of the product failure. For example, consumer abuse may include exposing an electronic device to liquids, extreme temperatures, or excessive shock (for example, the impact of dropping the device). Consumer abuse can also result from a breach that may include any interaction with the device that is unrelated to operating the device in a normal way (for example, opening the housing or housing of a device and adding, removing or changing the internal components) .
[0006] Inevitably, a percentage of the products sold will eventually malfunction or become inoperable at some point during the product's life. When this occurs, and if the product is still within the warranty period, the consumer who purchased it may choose to return the failed or inoperable device to the seller at the point of sale or directly to the manufacturer for repair or replacement in accordance with the terms the warranty agreement.
[0007] However, problems can arise when a device fails because of consumer abuse that may not be readily apparent upon superficial inspection, but a consumer attempts to return the device for repair or replacement under warranty. Often, particularly at a point of sale, personnel receiving the returned device may be unqualified or untrained to determine whether a device has failed or not because of manufacturing defects or because of consumer abuse. Thus, personnel at the point of sale can often exchange the returned product for a replacement product that works regardless of the cause of the failure in order to avoid potential conflicts with the customer. As a result, it is not uncommon for consumers to receive replacement products or repair services on abused products not covered by the terms of a warranty. Such erroneous replacements or repairs can be costly for the seller and / or manufacturer of the product. summary
[0008] A summary of certain modalities disclosed in this document is set out below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a summary of these certain modalities and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. In fact, this disclosure may cover a variety of aspects that may not be discussed below.
[0009] The present disclosure broadly relates to techniques for determining whether consumer abuse has occurred on an electronic device. According to a revealed modality, an exemplary technique can provide a system to detect the occurrence of a consumer abuse event and store a recording of the event. According to one aspect of the present technique, the system can include one or more sensors to detect the occurrence of a consumer abuse event. Consumer abuse may include expelling the electronic device from liquids, extreme temperatures, excessive shock, and may also include tampering with the device in a way unrelated to normal device operation. In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the system may additionally include abuse detection circuits to receive an indication of the occurrence of a consumer abuse event from one or more sensors.
[00010] In accordance with an additional aspect of the present disclosure, the abuse detection circuits can generate a recording for each consumer abuse event detected, and store the recordings in a memory. Also in line with another aspect of the present disclosure, the system may include an interface through which a diagnostic device can access memory to analyze recordings and determine whether a consumer abuse event has occurred, when the event occurred, and in some cases modalities, what type of abuse event occurred. By providing the ability to quickly and easily detect whether consumer abuse has occurred on an electronic device, a vendor or manufacturer diagnosing a returned product may be able to better determine whether or not to initiate a product return according to a product guideline. Warranty.
[00011] According to another disclosed modality, the abuse detection circuits can be configured to disable the operation of an electronic device when detecting the occurrence of a consumer abuse event, for example, by disabling energy for the device. Subsequent to the device's disable operation, the abuse detection circuits can be additionally configured to periodically check the sensors to determine if the detected abuse event is still occurring and to re-enable device operation if it is determined that the abuse event is not more taking place. By disabling device operation upon detection of a consumer abuse event, the risks of damage to the device from the abuse event can be reduced.
[00012] Abuse detection circuits can also be used for additional diagnostic functions. In one embodiment, the diagnostic device can access the abuse detection circuits to read diagnostic information about a battery in a battery control circuit. For example, this information can include the operating current, average extraction current, total capacity, amount of time to discharge or charge the battery, voltage and temperature. In another embodiment, this ability to access diagnostic information about the battery via a diagnostic device can be included in the power management unit. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, this information can be stored in a memory. Also in accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, this information can be accessible to the diagnostic tool even when the battery is no longer operating properly (that is, it is not acting as a power source for the device). The ability to access diagnostic information about the battery regardless of the functional state of the electronic device or battery can allow a vendor or manufacturer to more easily characterize the nature of battery failures and defects and determine whether or not to initiate a product return.
[00013] Various refinements of the features noted earlier may exist in relation to various aspects of the present disclosure. Additional resources can also be incorporated into these various aspects equally. These refinements and additional features can exist individually or in any combination. For example, several features discussed below in relation to one or more of the illustrated modalities can be incorporated into any of the aspects described above in the present disclosure alone or in any combination. Again, the summary presented above is intended only to familiarize the reader with certain aspects and contexts of modalities of the present disclosure without limitation for the matter in question. Brief Description of Drawings
[00014] Several aspects of this disclosure can be better understood by reading the detailed description below and by referring to the drawings, in which:
[00015] Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating an electronic device, according to an embodiment of the present technique;
[00016] Figure 2 is a simplified block diagram illustrating components of the electronic device of Figure 1, according to an embodiment of the present technique;
[00017] Figure 3A is a simplified view of a circuit board including an abuse detection system, according to an embodiment of the present technique;
[00018] Figure 3B is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for operating the abuse detection system in figure 3A;
[00019] Figure 4A is a block diagram illustrating a diagrammatic view of a consumer abuse detection system, according to an embodiment of the present technique;
[00020] Figure 4B is a flow chart illustrating an operation method for the consumer abuse detection system of figure 4A, according to an embodiment of the present technique;
[00021] Figure 5A is a block diagram illustrating a diagrammatic view of an alternative embodiment of the consumer abuse detection system of figure 4A, according to an embodiment of the present technique;
[00022] Figure 5B is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for operating the abuse detection system of figure 5A;
[00023] Figure 5C is a flow chart illustrating a method for determining whether to initiate a product return, according to an embodiment of the present technique;
[00024] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating a diagrammatic view of a consumer abuse detection system according to a second embodiment of the present technique;
[00025] Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating a diagrammatic view of a consumer abuse detection system according to a third embodiment of the present technique;
[00026] Figure 8 is a block diagram illustrating a diagrammatic view of a consumer abuse detection system according to a fourth embodiment of the present technique;
[00027] Figure 9 is a block diagram illustrating a diagrammatic view of a consumer abuse detection system according to a fifth embodiment of the present technique;
[00028] Figure 10 is a flow chart illustrating an alternative method for determining whether to initiate a product return according to a modality of the present technique;
[00029] Figure 11 is a block diagram illustrating a diagrammatic view of a consumer abuse detection system according to a sixth embodiment of the present technique;
[00030] Figure 12 is a block diagram illustrating a diagrammatic view of an energy management unit, according to an embodiment of the present technique; and
[00031] Figure 13 is a flow chart illustrating a second alternative method for determining whether to initiate a product return according to an embodiment of the present technique. Detailed Description of Specific Modalities
[00032] One or more specific modalities of the present disclosure will be described below. These described modalities are only examples of the techniques currently revealed. In addition, in an effort to provide a concise description of these modalities, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be noted that in the development of any such real implementation, as in any engineering or project plan, a number of specific implementation decisions must be made to achieve the specific objectives of the developers, such as compliance with system and related restrictions. which may vary from one implementation to another. In addition, it must be realized that a development effort like this can be complex and time-consuming, but despite that it would be a routine undertaking of design, manufacture and assembly for people of ordinary knowledge having the benefit of this revelation.
[00033] As used in this document, the term “consumer abuse” or the like may encompass one or a combination of any of the types of consumer abuse discussed above (for example, exposure to liquid, exposure to extreme temperature, exposure to shock, violation), but it certainly should not be construed as being limited to these examples mentioned above. In fact, it should be noted that additional modalities of the technique, although not necessarily described in this document, can be adapted to detect any type of consumer abuse event or events.
[00034] Now returning to the drawings, figure 1 represents an electronic device 10 according to aspects of the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, electronic device 10 can be a portable media player, just like any model of an iPod® or an iPhone® available from Apple Inc of Cupertino, California. However, the techniques currently revealed may be applicable to a variety of other electronic devices, such as, for example, cell phones, notebooks, handheld computers (for example, PDAs and personal organizers), or the like.
[00035] In certain embodiments, device 10 can be powered by one or more rechargeable and / or replaceable batteries. Such modalities can be highly portable, allowing a user to carry the electronic device 10 while on the move, working, exercising and so on. In this way, and depending on the functionalities provided by the electronic device 10, a user can use and operate the device 10 while moving freely with the device 10. Furthermore, the device 10 can be dimensioned in such a way that it fits relatively well. easy in a user’s pocket or hand. Although certain modalities are described with respect to a portable electronic device, it should be noted that the techniques currently disclosed may be applicable to a wide range of other less portable electronic devices and systems.
[00036] In the embodiment currently illustrated, the exemplary device 10 includes a housing or housing 12, a display 14, a user input interface 16 and the input / output connectors 18. The housing 12 can be formed of plastic, metal, composite materials, or other suitable materials, or any combination thereof and may work to protect the internal components of the electronic device 10 from physical damage and / or electromagnetic interference (EMI).
[00037] Display 14 can be a liquid crystal display (LCD) display, a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, or some other suitable display. According to certain modalities, the display 14 can display a user interface and several other images, such as logos, avatars, photos, album art and more, generally represented by reference number 15. The display can also include various function and / or system indicators to provide feedback to a user, such as power status, call status, memory status, or the like. These indicators can be incorporated into a user interface shown on the display 14.
[00038] In one embodiment, one or more of the user input structures 16 are configured to control device 10, such as when controlling an operating mode, an output level, an output type, etc. For example, user input structures 16 can include a key to turn the device 10 on or off. Additionally, user input structures 16 can allow a user to interact with the user interface on the display 14. Electronic device modes laptop 10 can include any number of user input structures 16, including keys, switches, a video game controller, a scroll wheel, or any other suitable input structures. User input structures 16 can work with the user interface displayed on device 10 to control functions of device 10 and / or any additional interfaces or devices connected to or used by device 10. For example, user entry structures 16 may allow a user to navigate through a displayed user interface.
[00039] Exemplary device 10 can also include multiple input and output ports 18 to allow connection of additional devices. For example, a port 18 can be a headphone jack that allows headphones to be connected. In fact, device 10 modalities can include any number of input and / or output ports, such as headphone and headphone and microphone jacks, universal serial bus (USB) ports, IEEE-1394 ports and AC and / or DC power connectors. Additionally, device 10 can use the input and output ports to connect to any other device to send or receive data, such as other portable electronic devices, personal computers, printers or the like. For example, in one embodiment, device 10 can connect to a personal computer via an IEEE-1394 connection to send and receive data files, such as media files. In certain embodiments, device 10 can use input and output ports 18 to communicate with a diagnostic tool, for example, when device 10 is being repaired.
[00040] Now returning to figure 2, a block diagram of components of an illustrative electronic device 10 is shown according to an embodiment. The block diagram includes display 14 and the input / output ports 18 discussed earlier. Furthermore, the block diagram of figure 2 illustrates a user interface 20, one or more processors 22, a memory device 24, a non-volatile storage 26, the board interface (s) 28, a source power supply 30, a network device 32 and an abuse detection system 34.
[00041] As discussed in this document, user interface 20 can be displayed on display 14, and can provide a resource for a user to interact with electronic device 10. User interface 20, in certain embodiments, can allow a user to connect via interface with interface elements displayed via one or more user input structures 16 and / or via a touch sensitive implementation of the display 14. In such modalities, the user interface provides interactive functionality, allowing a user select, via touch screen or other input structures, from options shown on display 14. Thus the user can operate device 10 through appropriate interaction with user interface 20.
[00042] Processor (s) 22 may provide the processing capacity required to run the operating system, programs, user interface 20 and any other functions of device 10. The processor (s) ( s) 22 may (m) include one or more microprocessors, such as one or more “general purpose” microprocessors, one or more special use microprocessors and / or ASICS, or some combination thereof. For example, processor 22 may include one or more reduced instruction set (RISC) processors, such as a RISC processor manufactured by Samsung Electronics, as well as graphics processors, video processors, and / or related chip sets.
[00043] Modalities of electronic device 10 may also include memory 24. Memory 24 may include volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM). Memory 24 can store a variety of information and can be used for a variety of purposes. For example, memory 24 can store the firmware for device 10, such as an operating system, as well as other programs that enable various functions of device 10 including user interface functions and processor functions. In addition, memory 24 can be used for temporary storage or to cache data during device operation 10.
[00044] The non-volatile storage 26 of device 10 of the modality currently illustrated may include read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, a hard drive, or any other suitable optical, magnetic or solid-state storage media, or a combination the same. Storage 26 can store data files such as media (for example, music and video files), software (for example, to implement functions on device 10), preference information (for example, preferences for media playback), wireless connection information (for example, information that can enable device 10 to establish a wireless connection, such as a telephone connection), subscription information (for example, information that maintains a recording of podcasts, television shows, or other media for which a user subscribes), phone information (for example, phone numbers), and any other appropriate data.
[00045] The mode illustrated in figure 2 also includes one or more card slots 28. The card slots can be configured to receive expansion cards that can be used to add functionality to device 10, such as additional memory, I / O functionality O, or network capacity. An expansion card like this can connect to the device through any type of suitable connector, and can be accessed internally or externally to the housing 12. For example, in one embodiment, the card can be a flash memory card, such as a SecureDigital (SD) card, miniSD or microSD card, CompactFlash card, multimedia card (MMC), or the like. Additionally, in a mode including mobile phone functionality, a card slot 28 can receive a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card.
[00046] Device 10 may also include a power supply 30. In one embodiment, power supply 30 may be one or more batteries, such as a Li-Ion battery, may be removable by the user or attached to housing 12 , and can be rechargeable or not. In addition, the power supply 30 can include AC power, as supplied by an electrical outlet, and the device 10 can be connected to the power supply 30 via the input / output ports 18.
[00047] Device 10 may additionally include a network device 32, such as a network controller or a network interface card (NIC). In one embodiment, network device 32 can be a wireless NIC providing wireless connectivity in any 802.11 standard or any other suitable wireless network standard that allows device 10 to communicate over a network, such as a LAN , WAN, MAN, or the Internet. Additionally, device 10 can connect to any device on the network to send or receive data, such as other portable electronic devices, personal computers, printers and so on. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the portable electronic device may not include a network device 32. In such an embodiment, a NIC can be added to the card slot 28 to provide similar network capacity as described above.
[00048] The exemplary device 10 shown in figure 2 also includes an abuse detection system 34 for detecting the occurrence of consumer abuse events that can be provided by means of a low power special use processing unit and / or an ASIC, or some combination thereof. The abuse detection circuits 34 can be configured to detect any or any combination of consumer abuse events and to generate and store a recording of the occurrence of such events for further analysis. For example, the recording of a consumer abuse event can be accessed and analyzed (for example, via input / output port 18) when a device 10 is being repaired following a device malfunction. The operation and components of the abuse detection system 34 will be discussed in further detail below.
[00049] Figure 3A illustrates a block diagram of a circuit board 36 including the abuse detection system 34 discussed earlier. The circuit board 36 may have, electronically connected thereto, a plurality of sensors 38 arranged in a matrix. The plurality of sensors 38 can be all of the same type to detect one type of consumer abuse event or can include different types of sensors to detect multiple types of consumer abuse events. In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of sensors 38 is generally positioned along the edges of the circuit board 36. An arrangement like this can be beneficial for detecting certain types of consumer abuse events, for example, liquid entry through cause of exposure to liquid.
[00050] Each of the plurality of sensors 38 can be connected electronically to the abuse detection system 34. For example, as illustrated by the connection lines 40, each of the plurality of sensors 38 can be connected directly to the abuse detection system. abuse 34 or connected indirectly via another sensor. Each of the plurality of sensors 38 can be configured to detect at least one type of consumer abuse event and, when detecting an abuse event, to provide indication of the occurrence of the abuse event to the abuse detection system 34. In In one embodiment, each of the plurality of sensors 38 can be configured to provide an indication that a consumer abuse event has occurred if a sensor measures a parameter related to the abuse event that exceeds a predetermined threshold. The abuse detection system 34 can also continuously monitor each of the plurality of sensors 38 to determine the occurrence of an abuse event, such as when detecting a change of state in a sensor.
[00051] Upon receiving an indication that an abuse event has occurred, the abuse detection system can store a recording of the detected abuse event indicated by any of the plurality of sensors 38 as will be discussed in more detail below. In some embodiments, the abuse detection system 34, upon receiving indication from any of the plurality of sensors 38, can be additionally configured to temporarily disable or, in some cases, permanently operate the device 10.
[00052] Circuit board 36 may also include one or more of the input and output (I / O) ports 18 discussed above. In the illustrated embodiment, an input / output port 18 can be configured to interface device 10 with one or more additional devices, such as an accessory device 44 or a diagnostic tool 46. The input / output port 18 can be coupled to a dual-mode two-way communication interface, as represented by reference number 42. The dual-mode interface 42 allows various types of external devices, such as an accessory device 44 or a diagnostic tool 46, to be connected to device 10 via circuit board 36 and input / output port 18, and may allow different communication modes, such as a normal communication mode to allow accessory devices 44 to communicate with one or more processors 22 , or a diagnostic mode to allow diagnostic devices 46 to communicate with the abuse detection system 34. The communication interface dual mode 42 can include separate subinterfaces for each communication mode, as will be discussed below.
[00053] In certain embodiments, the dual-mode communication interface 42 may be able to provide multiple modes of communication with the abuse detection system 34 and / or with one or more processors 22. The selection of a particular communication mode may depend, for example, on the type of external device currently connected to device 10 via the input / output port 18. In the mode currently illustrated, a communication selection block (not shown in figure 3A) can be provided and configured to select between two or more communication modes. The communication selection block can be included as part of the abuse detection system 34, or it can be a circuit provided separately. The selection of communication modes by the communication selection block may depend at least partially on the type of external device connected to device 10 via the input / output port 18.
[00054] As previously described, the dual-mode communication interface 42 can provide a mode of communication between device 10 and an external device designated as a "normal" mode of communication, which can be a standard mode of communication between device 10 and any type of accessory device, as represented by the illustrated accessory device 44. Examples of accessory devices 44 may include a docking station, an FM radio transmitter, speakers and / or headphones, a personal computer or laptop, or a printer, just to name a few. Thus, when operating in normal / standard communication mode, the abuse detection system 34 can be configured to simply pass data between an accessory device 44 and processor 22. In one embodiment, the normal communication mode can be implemented via of a set of universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter (UART) lines. It will be realized, however, by those skilled in the art, that any suitable type of known device interface, such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) or FireWire (IEEE 1394), can be used. In additional modes, wireless interfaces, such as the 802.11 a / b / g, infrared and BlueTooth standards, can also be implemented.
[00055] As discussed earlier, the dual-mode communication interface 42, according to some modalities, can also allow for a second diagnostic communication mode that can be reserved for diagnostic functions, such as when device 10 is connected via interface to a diagnostic tool 46 via input / output port 18. The diagnostic mode can be enabled, for example, when the diagnostic tool 46 is connected to input / output port 18, by providing a control for a communication selection block (not shown in figure 3A) or when detecting a specific sequence of commands or inputs on the normal interface (for example, UART). When enabling the diagnostic communication mode, the abuse detection system 34 stops data passing through the UART lines, and “switches” to enable communication through the diagnostic interface lines of the dual mode interface 42. In certain embodiments, the diagnostic communication mode can be provided through a less complex interface when compared to the interface used in normal communication mode. For example, diagnostic communication can be implemented via a two-wire interface, such as an I2C interface. It will be noticed, however, by those skilled in the art, that other relatively simple interfaces, such as a Serial Peripheral Interface Bus (SPI), a System Management Bus (SMBus), or an Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IMPI) are also available. can be used. Additional details regarding the operation of the communication selection block discussed above and the selection of the normal and diagnostic communication modes will be discussed with additional details below.
[00056] Providing a designated diagnostic mode of communication through a common accessory interface (for example, input / output port 18) can be beneficial for several reasons. For example, in the scenario where consumer abuse has resulted in damage rendering the device 10 inoperable, the diagnostic tool 46 can be connected to the device 10 via the illustrated input and output port 18 to assist in the analysis of the cause of damage or failure. Such diagnostic equipment can be configured to read and analyze data stored in the abuse detection system 34, for example, via the dual-mode communication interface 42 operating in a diagnostic mode. Based on the information stored in the abuse detection system 34, it can be determined whether or not consumer abuse has occurred and / or whether consumer abuse is attributable to the damage or failure of device 10. As will be discussed in further detail below , a determination like this can be a deciding factor as to whether a consumer returning a damaged or inoperative device is authorized for a product replacement or repair service under the terms of a warranty agreement.
[00057] Although the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3A represents a single circuit board 36, in other embodiments, device 10 may include a plurality of circuit boards. In such embodiments, the plurality of sensors 38 can be distributed among the plurality of circuit boards and need not be restricted to the circuit board 36 including the abuse detection system 34. In addition, in such embodiments, each of the plurality of Circuit boards can include their own respective abuse detection system 34 to detect one or multiple types of consumer abuse events.
[00058] Figure 3B illustrates a flow chart representing an exemplary method 50 for operating the abuse detection system 34 of figure 3A according to an embodiment of the present technique. As discussed earlier, the plurality of sensors 38 can all be of the same type of sensor to detect the occurrence of a type of consumer abuse, or can include several different types of sensors to detect multiple types of consumer abuse. Operation of the abuse detection system 34 can be initiated upon receiving indication of an abuse event from one or more of the plurality of sensors 38, as depicted in step 52. As discussed earlier, such indication can occur when the detection system of abuse 34 monitoring the plurality of sensors 38 determines that a detected parameter relating to the abuse event being monitored has exceeded a certain threshold. In addition, each of the plurality of sensors 38 may also be able to provide an alarm signal to the abuse detection system 34, indicating that an abuse event has occurred.
[00059] Upon receiving indication of the occurrence of consumer abuse, the abuse detection system 34 can store or record the occurrence of the abuse event, as represented in step 54. The registered event can be stored, for example, in a non-volatile storage device that can be included as part of the abuse detection system 34 or, in other embodiments, can be a separate structure from the abuse detection system 34. As discussed earlier, the abuse detection system 34 also may disable device operations upon detection of a consumer abuse event, as indicated by step 56. This acts as a security mechanism to prevent the user from using or additionally operating device 10 in any way that could result in abuse additional. For example, disabling device 10 can be performed by disabling power supply 30, disabling functionality of device 10 via software configurations, and so on.
[00060] In step 58, device 10 can provide the user with some indication that the user must return device 10 directly to the manufacturer or to the original point of sale for repair. This can be done using any type of indicator, for example, an LED indicator or, in the portable media player illustrated in figure 1, when displaying a text message on the display 14. Specific steps to provide service and / or diagnose the device 10 will be discussed in further detail below.
[00061] Referring now to Figure 4A, a block diagram is shown illustrating a more detailed view of an abuse detection system 34, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In particular, the abuse detection system 34 of the illustrated embodiment is adapted to detect exposure to liquid, a common type of consumer abuse. Although many components in modern electronic devices are hermetically sealed and can withstand immersion in liquid without damage, pads and traces on component plates (for example, circuit board 36), upon contact with a liquid, may be subject to electrolysis which can cause the metal forming the pads and strokes on the plate to migrate from the pads and strokes to other areas of the component plate. Then, even when the liquid has dried completely, the resulting residue can be highly conductive and can cause a short circuit to occur. This is particularly problematic for circuits using dense process architectures and / or high impedance circuit nodes, both of which are prevalent in modern electronic devices and particularly in portable electronic devices.
[00062] The abuse detection system 34 of the presently illustrated embodiment can include liquid detection circuits 60, a clock 62, a memory device 64 and a communication selection block 66. A plurality of sensors 38 can be connected electronically to the abuse detection system 34 by means of one or more communication lines as indicated by reference number 40. In the embodiment currently illustrated, the plurality of sensors 38 can be supplied by means of a plurality of liquid detection sensors 38a -38d. According to one embodiment, each of the liquid detection sensors 38a-38d can include two detection points, as represented by reference number 68, by which a voltage is measured. For example, detection points 68 can be provided by two small pads exposed on a circuit board 36 with a pad connected to earth 70, and a second pad routed to the abuse detection circuits 34. It should be noted that although two contacts are required, the grounded contact can be connected to a common system ground, thereby reducing the amount of routing required for each 38a-38d sensor.
[00063] During normal operation of device 10, there should be no current through the two detection points 68. However, when a liquid enters the device 10 and makes contact with the two detection points 68, a current will begin to flow. In this way, each of the plurality of liquid detection sensors 38a-38d can be configured to measure the current through the detection points 68 while being continuously monitored by the abuse detection system 34. If the abuse detection system 34 detects that any of the liquid detection sensors 38a-38d is reporting a current that is above a predetermined current limit, it can be determined that exposure to liquid has occurred. In addition, the liquid detection sensors 38a-38d itself can be configured to send an alarm signal to the abuse detection system 34 indicating that the device has been exposed to liquid when measuring a current that exceeds the predetermined limit.
[00064] Upon receiving indication from any of the liquid detection sensors 38a-38d that liquid entry was detected in device 10, the liquid detection circuits 60 can be configured to generate a data entry corresponding to the abuse event by detected liquid. The data entry can be any form of data suitable to indicate the occurrence of the abuse event, in this case the detection of liquid entry. For example, in the embodiment currently illustrated, liquid detection circuits 60 can generate a time tag corresponding to the date and time at which the liquid entry event was detected by sensors 38a-38d and store the time tag in a device storage 64, which can be provided by any suitable non-volatile storage device, such as an electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory (EEPROM).
[00065] The time tag can be generated based on the clock 62. The clock 62 can be implemented as to provide a desired time resolution. For example, in a modality, where only information relating to the year, month, week and day in which the abuse event occurred is of interest, watch 62 can be provided using an RC oscillator. Although an RC oscillator cannot provide the accuracy of a real-time clock (for example, up to minutes and seconds), the RC oscillator can be calibrated routinely, for example, by resetting the RC oscillator each time the device 10 is turned on . In additional embodiments, in which a finer time resolution is desired, clock 62 can generate time tags derived from an internal system clock, as provided by means of a crystal oscillator. Additionally, although the modality illustrated at present represents clock 62 as being integrated with the abuse detection system 34, in alternative modalities, clock 62 can be implemented separately from the abuse detection system 34.
[00066] Abuse detection system 34 can also be configured to store device status information. For example, device 10 can be configured to periodically record the status of device 10 in the abuse detection system 34. Status information can include, for example, a “on” state indicating that device 10 is on, a “ off ”indicating that device 10 is off, or a“ standby ”state indicating that device 10 is powered, but in a standby or standby mode. Additional states can be defined based on the particular functionality of the device 10. For example, a device 10 capable of making cell phone calls may include a “in-call” state to indicate that a user using device 10 is currently on a call. phone. When an abuse event is detected by the abuse detection system 34, the previously discussed time tag and the last known state of the device 10 can be recorded on the storage device 64 of the abuse detection system 34. Additionally, the information of state can be correlated temporally with the time tag information. When analyzing status and time tag information, a service technician may be able to determine how device 10 was being used at the time an abuse event was detected by the abuse detection system 34. This analysis can be particularly useful to verify whether or not consumer abuse has occurred.
[00067] In addition, in more complex modalities, the indication received from the liquid detection sensors 38a-38d may also include an identification component that can be used by the abuse detection circuits 34 and the diagnostic equipment (for example, the diagnostic tool 46) to identify the specific sensor that detected the abuse event. For example, in modalities using such identification features, diagnostic unit 46 may be able to identify which particular sensor has detected the abuse event or, in the case where abuse events are reported by multiple sensors, identify the order or progression in which sensors 38a-38d detected the events. Such data can be useful in determining where liquid entry started in device 10 and, based on the placement of sensors 38a to 38d, by what extent the liquid entry progressed into device 10. In some embodiments, the diagnostic unit 46 may be able to generate a visual map based on the positions of a plurality of sensors 38 in order to determine the progression of liquid entry into device 10. This data may be particularly useful for manufacturers to identify areas in a particular product that may be more subject to liquid entry than others, so that future product designs can be adapted to overcome such weaknesses.
[00068] As discussed earlier, upon detecting liquid ingress, it may be desirable to turn off or disable the power supply 30 in order to remove energy from the device 10, thereby reducing the risk of electrolysis occurring. The power supply 30 discussed above can include both a battery power source, such as one or more rechargeable or non-rechargeable batteries, and AC power, as provided by an electrical outlet. In the embodiment currently illustrated, device 10 may include a power management unit 74 and a battery control circuit 76. Power management unit 74 may include logic configured to handle on and off sequences and other external wake events. or wait. For example, the power management logic can comprise a real-time clock, as well as a network of linear and switching regulators. Additionally, in portable devices that can be powered by both AC and battery power, such as the portable media player illustrated in Figure 1, the power management unit 74 can additionally include battery charging circuits configured for charge a battery power source.
[00069] The battery control circuit 76 of the modality illustrated at present can be configured to monitor the cell voltage and / or output current of a battery. If the battery control circuit 76 detects excessive current being drawn from the battery, the battery control circuit 76 can be further configured to disable the battery output via a disable mechanism. The disabling mechanism can be provided, for example, by means of coast-to-coast field effect transistors (FETs). In addition, the battery control circuit 76 can be configured to monitor the battery status during charging phases (for example, charging via AC power). Additionally, in modes where device 10 uses rechargeable batteries, battery control circuit 76 can be further configured to monitor the charging current while the battery is being recharged (for example, by means of AC power). In addition, although the modality currently illustrated describes battery control circuit 76 as a stand-alone unit separate from the abuse detection system 34, in alternative embodiments, battery control circuit 76 can be integrated with the abuse detection system 34, or it can be located on the battery unit itself.
[00070] As discussed earlier, device 10 can be powered by multiple power sources (e.g., AC power, battery power). In this way, all power sources must be disabled in order to completely disconnect power to device 10. In the mode currently illustrated, the liquid detection circuits 60, upon receiving signals indicating liquid input from the liquid detection sensors 38a -38d, can be configured to disable both the power management unit 74 and the battery control circuit 76. This can be done, for example, by sending a power disable signal via connection line 78, to the power management unit 74 and when sending a battery output disable signal, via connection line 80, to the battery control circuit 76.
[00071] Although the power to device 10 is disabled following the detection of an abuse event, the abuse detection system 34 remains powered. In one embodiment, the abuse detection system 34 can be located on the battery unit so that it can continue to be powered even after the battery control circuit 76 has disabled the battery power output to device 10. In in another embodiment, a limited high-impedance current shunt that is independent of the battery control circuit 76 can be established from the battery unit to the abuse detection system 34. Given the high impedance and relatively current consumption requirements losses from the abuse detection system 34, the threat to device 10 because of liquid ingress is minimal even if the bypass is short-circuited.
[00072] The abuse detection system 34 can be additionally configured to enter a standby mode upon detection of an abuse event. Thus, although the abuse detection system 34 remains powered, its internal components, such as liquid detection circuits 60, may be temporarily inactive (for example, interrupting monitoring of sensors 38a-d) during the waiting period. In addition, when entering the standby mode, the abuse detection system 34 can also start an activation timer, which can be configured to wait for a predetermined amount of time before activating the abuse detection system 34. In the modality At present illustrated, the activation timer can be timed by clock 62.
[00073] After the predetermined activation time has expired, the abuse detection system 34 can exit standby mode and check device 10 to determine if an abuse event is still occurring. For example, in the embodiment illustrated today, after the abuse detection circuit comes out of standby, the liquid detection circuits 60 can recheck the liquid detection sensors 38a-38d to determine whether liquid entry is still occurring. If an indication is received that liquid entry is still occurring, the abuse detection system 34 can enter standby mode once again, and reset the activation timer. This process can be repeated until liquid entry is no longer detected.
[00074] If, upon returning from standby mode, liquid detection circuits 60 determine that liquid entry is no longer occurring (for example, when rechecking liquid detection sensors 38a-38d), then the detection system of abuse 34 can instruct the device to initiate a self-test function to determine if any damage resulted from the initial liquid entry event. If the self-test determines that no damage has occurred, then the liquid detection circuits 60 can recapacitate the power management unit 74 and the battery control circuit 76 via connection lines 78 and 80, respectively. At this point, the user can resume operating device 10 normally. On the other hand, if the self-test results indicate that there is damage or the possibility of damage, then device 10 may remain in a disabled or reduced and / or limited operating mode. In reduced or limited operating mode, normal functions, such as playing video files, browsing the Internet or making phone calls, can remain disabled and inaccessible. In one embodiment, operation of a potentially damaged device 10, as determined by the self-test function, may be limited to provide the user with an indication that the device 10 must be returned to the manufacturer or the point of sale for repair. As previously described in step 58 of figure 3B, the indication can be provided by any type of indicator, such as an LED indicator or, in the portable media player illustrated in figure 1, by displaying a text message on the display 14 instructing the user of the need for repair.
[00075] Performing repair on device 10 may include connecting one or more diagnostic devices (for example, the diagnostic tool 46) to the dual-mode communication interface 42 via input / output port 18, for example. The dual mode communication interface 42, as discussed above, can include multiple types of interfaces to facilitate different modes of communication, such as a normal communication mode which can be a standard communication mode allowing device 10 to communicate with devices accessories (for example, accessory device 44), as well as a diagnostic communication mode. For example, in one mode, the normal communication mode can be provided via a UART interface, while the diagnostic communication mode can be provided via a two-wire interface, such as an I2C interface. During normal communication mode, the abuse detection system 34 can be configured to simply pass data between accessory device 44 and processor (s) 22 of device 10, as shown in figure 3A. However, device 10 can be activated to enter diagnostic mode, in which the abuse detection system 34 interrupts data passing through the UART lines and switches to the I2C lines of the dual-mode communication interface 42 to allow communications diagnostics between the abuse detection system 34 and a diagnostic tool 46. Switching from normal mode to diagnostic mode can be enabled or activated via any known devices. For example, device 10 can be configured to switch to diagnostic mode when it detects the connection of a specialized diagnostic tool 46 to the input / output port 18 or when it detects a specific sequence of commands or inputs on the UART lines, just to provide some examples.
[00076] In the modality currently illustrated, the selection of the communication mode (for example, normal or diagnostic) and the corresponding corresponding interface (for example, UART or I2C) can be determined by the communication selection block 66. The communication block communication selection 66 can be provided by any suitable type of logic or selection circuits. In one embodiment, the communication selection block 66 can be provided by a multiplexer. In this mode, the UART and I2C interfaces provided by the dual mode communication interface 42 are effectively multiplexed by the communication selection block 66 and can be selected according to known methods. For example, communication selection block 66 can be configured to switch from normal to diagnostic mode when receiving a specific enabling control signal. This control signal can be provided by connecting the diagnostic tool 46 to device 10 via input / output port 18, or it can be generated following the detection of a specific sequence of commands or inputs on the UART lines, as previously described . Thus, when device 10 is returned to an authorized installation for repairs following a shutdown / incapacitation due to an abuse event, diagnostic unit 46 can be connected via the device 10 interface to communicate with the system of abuse detection 34 through the dual-mode communication interface 42 in a diagnostic mode (for example, through the I2C interface) in order to analyze the data collected by the abuse detection system 34.
[00077] Additionally, in addition to limiting diagnostic communication mode access to specific events or occurrences, as described above, certain modalities may include safeguards designed to provide the integrity of the abuse detection system 34. For example, data of abuse events stored in non-volatile storage 64 may use known data encryption techniques and / or require a master key or other form of secure authentication before data access is permitted. In addition, device 10 can be configured to detect the removal of abuse detection system 34 and to prevent startup or operation of device 10 when the absence of abuse detection system 34 is detected. Such additional safeguards may be a useful countermeasure against artful consumers who may attempt to remove, access, alter and / or delete abuse event data stored in non-volatile storage 64, such as for purposes of making a false warranty claim.
[00078] Although the previously discussed features of the abuse detection system 34 have been described primarily with reference to hardware elements, it should be perceived by those skilled in the art that in additional modalities, including the modalities described below, one or more of these features they can also be implemented through software, such as a computer program stored on any computer-readable media.
[00079] Now returning to the flowchart of figure 4B, an exemplary method 90 for operating the abuse detection system 34 of figure 4A is illustrated. Method 90 can be initiated by detecting the entry of liquid by means of any of the liquid detection sensors 38a-38d of figure 4A, as represented by step 92. As discussed above, upon receiving an indication from anyone of the liquid detection sensors 38a-38d that liquid has entered, a data record of the liquid abuse event can be generated by the abuse detection system 34 and stored, as indicated by step 94, in the storage device non-volatile 64, for example. The data record may include a time stamp generated by the clock 62 corresponding to when the abuse event occurred. The data log can also include a sensor identification component and device status information, as discussed earlier.
[00080] Then, in step 96, the abuse detection system 34 can disable power for device 10 by disconnecting one or more power sources 30. In the embodiment illustrated in figure 4A, disabling power for device 10 can be performed by sending deactivation signals to each of a power management unit 74 and a battery control circuit 76 via connection line 78 and connection line 80, respectively. As discussed earlier, this can significantly reduce the risk of electrolysis causing damage to circuit boards or components within device 10. Additionally, by disabling power to device 10 in step 96, the abuse detection system 34 can transition to a standby or standby mode.
[00081] The abuse detection system can start an activation timer at step 98, which can be adjusted to set a predetermined amount of time. In step 100, the abuse detection system 34 checks the timer to determine if the predetermined amount of time has expired. If the time has not expired, the abuse detection system 34 can repeat step 100 and check the timer periodically until the time has expired. If the activation timer has expired, the abuse detection system 34 exits the standby mode, as indicated by step 102, and can be configured to determine whether device 10 is still experiencing liquid ingress. This step may include re-checking the current readings of the liquid detection sensors 38a-38d to indicate liquid entry.
[00082] In decision block 104, if the liquid detection sensors 38a-38d indicate that liquid entry is still present and occurring, then the abuse detection system 34 can return to standby mode, thus reversing the process of returns to step 96. If upon activation in step 102 the abuse detection system 34 does not detect any liquid entry, the abuse detection system 34 can instruct device 10 to perform a self-test function in step 106 to determine whether some damage resulted from the previously detected liquid entry event or events. In decision block 108, if device 10 passes the self-test function, then power can be restored and normal functions re-enabled, allowing the user to start using device 10 again, as indicated by step 110. However, if device 10 fails in the self-test performed in step 106, the user can be instructed or given an indication to return the device 10 to the manufacturer or to the point of sale for repair.
[00083] Referring now to figure 5A, a block diagram of an alternative embodiment of the liquid abuse detection system 34 of figure 4A, according to another embodiment, is illustrated. Blocks that perform essentially the same functions in figure 5A as those of the blocks in figure 4A have been numbered with the same reference numbers.
[00084] The abuse detection system 34 presently illustrated in figure 5A includes liquid detection circuits 60, clock 62 and communication selection block 66 discussed above. The abuse detection system 34 can be electronically connected to a plurality of liquid detection sensors 38a'-38d ', where each of the plurality of liquid detection sensors 38a'-38d' is configured to indicate a status “ normal ”or an“ activated ”state. In this way, the abuse detection system 34 does not have a memory device, such as the non-volatile storage device 64 of figure 4A, but reads the status of each liquid detection sensor, designated by reference numbers 38a ' -38d '. In one embodiment, liquid sensors 38a'-38d 'can detect the occurrence of liquid ingress in a similar way to the liquid detection sensors 38a-38d described previously in figure 4A, but including a memory element for storing the sensor state. For example, liquid detection sensors 38a'-38d 'can indicate a normal state when no liquid abuse has occurred. However, upon detecting liquid ingress, affected sensors, such as sensor 38a ’, can transition to an activated state. Additionally, in certain embodiments, the activated sensor 38a 'can be locked in the permanently activated state. In other embodiments, an activated sensor 38a 'can be restored by an authorized service center.
[00085] When liquid detection circuits 60 determine that a sensor has changed to an activated state, such as sensor 38a ', liquid detection circuits 60 can be configured to disable power for device 10. As previously discussed , this can be accomplished by sending disable signals to the power management unit 74 and battery control circuit 76 via communication lines 78 and 80, respectively. Following power failure for device 10, the user may be provided with an indication to return device 10 to an authorized service center for repair. Repairing device 10 may include connecting a diagnostic tool 46 to the device, for example, via input / output port 18, to read the status of the liquid detection sensors 38a'-38d '. As previously described, the communication selection block 66 can provide a mechanism for switching the dual mode communication interface 42 to operate between a normal communication mode (for example, UART) and a diagnostic communication mode (for example, I2C). As will be discussed in further detail below, if no damage is not detected during device repair, the activated sensor 38a 'can be restored to a normal state and normal operation of the device 10 can be recapacitated.
[00086] In additional embodiments, the liquid detection sensors 38a'-38d 'can also include a dielectric material. The dielectric material can be any suitable dielectric that changes properties when exposed to a liquid, thus providing a physical indication that the device 10 has been exposed to a liquid. For example, dielectric material can be arranged between two capacitive elements to form a capacitor, and capacitance can change when the dielectric material comes in contact with liquid (for example, it absorbs). This information can be particularly useful in the failure analysis of returned devices, so that a manufacturer can determine where liquid entry started and to what extent liquid entry progressed into device 10. Using this information, a manufacturer can be enabled to improve future product designs to be more resistant to liquid ingress.
[00087] Figure 5B illustrates a flow chart representing an exemplary method 120 for operating the abuse detection system 34 of figure 5A according to an embodiment of the present technique. Operation of the abuse detection system 34 can be initiated upon receiving indication of the occurrence of liquid entry, as represented in step 122. Upon detecting the occurrence of liquid entry, the affected sensors, such as sensor 38a ', transition from a normal state for an activated one, as illustrated by step 124. Subsequently, the abuse detection system 34 can disable operation of the device, as indicated by step 126. This acts as a security mechanism to prevent the user from using or additionally operate device 10 in any way that could result in additional damage. As previously described, disabling device 10 can be accomplished by disabling power supply 30 (for example, the power management unit 74 and battery control circuit 76), disabling functionality of device 10 through power settings. software and so on. In step 128, device 10 can provide the user with some indication that device 10 must be returned directly to the manufacturer or to the original point of sale for repair. As previously described, this can be done using any type of indicator, for example, an LED indicator or, in the portable media player illustrated in figure 1, when displaying a text message on the display 14.
[00088] Referring now to figure 5C, an exemplary method 130 for repairing the device 10 of figure 5A is illustrated, according to an embodiment of the present technique. Method 130 is initiated at step 132 when device 10 is returned by the consumer to an authorized service center, for example, the manufacturer or vendor at the point of sale for repair.
[00089] In step 134, device 10 is connected via an interface with diagnostic equipment. As discussed earlier, diagnostic equipment, such as diagnostic unit 46, can be interfaced to device 10 via one or more input / output ports 18. The diagnostic equipment can be configured to communicate with device 10, for example, via the dual-mode communication interface 42, which can switch the device communication mode from a normal communication mode to a diagnostic communication mode, thereby enabling the diagnostic tool 46 to access the abuse detection system 34 for reading the sensor data, as indicated by step 136.
[00090] In decision block 138, diagnostic tool 46 determines whether any of the sensors 38a’-38d ’are in an activated state. If the diagnosis indicates that none of the sensors is in an activated state, then it can be inferred that the cause of the malfunction or device failure may have been due to a manufacturing defect or other event that would possibly be covered by a safety guideline. Warranty. If so determined, then device repair personnel 10 can first initiate a self-test routine, as illustrated in step 140, to determine the extent, if any, of damage present in the returned device 10. If, in decision block 142, the returned device 10 passes the self-test routine of step 140, then it can be concluded that the device 10 has suffered no damage or, at most, suffered negligible damage that is insufficient to affect normal operation of the device 10. If this is the case, device repair personnel 10 can re-enable normal device operations, for example, when performing a master reset of device 10, as illustrated by step 148, and return device 10 to the consumer. Returning to decision block 142, if device 10 fails the step 140 self-test routine, a product return can be initiated under the terms of a warranty guideline as represented by step 144, method 130 terminating thereafter. It should be understood that the term "return" as used in this document can include both repairing and restoring the returned device 10 to a working condition and replacing the returned device with a replacement working device.
[00091] Referring now to decision block 138, if the abuse detection system analysis 34 indicates that one or more of the sensors 38a'-38d 'is in an activated state, then it can be determined that the device 10 has previously been subjected to liquid abuse and is disapproved for repair or replacement under the terms of a warranty directive. In step 150, a self-test routine can be performed to determine whether the liquid abuse was severe enough to damage and / or render the device 10 inoperable. If in decision block 152 the returned device 10 passes the self-test routine of step 150, then it can be concluded that the abuse event experienced by device 10 did not result in permanent damage, or at most resulted in insufficient negligible damage to affect normal operation of device 10. If this is the case, device repair personnel 10 can first reset any activated sensors, as indicated by step 146, and then re-enable normal device operations, for example, when performing a device 10 master reset, as illustrated by step 148. Returning to decision block 152, if device 10 fails the step 148 self-test routine, then it can be concluded that the liquid abuse event or events caused sufficient damage to render device 10 inoperable . In addition, because the damage was determined to be the result of consumer abuse and thus not covered by a warranty, a product return request can be denied, as illustrated by step 154. For example, the repair personnel or technician device 10 can inform the consumer that the cause of the device 10 failure is not covered by the warranty. At this point, the consumer can choose to pay the cost of any necessary repair services, or purchase a replacement product.
[00092] Although the modalities illustrated by figures 4A and 5A refer to the detection of consumer abuse events involving exposure to liquid for device 10, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other modalities can be adapted to detect several different types of events consumer abuse. For example, alternative modalities are illustrated in figures 6-9, in which blocks that perform essentially the same functions in figures 6-9 as those of the blocks in figures 4A and 5A have been numbered with equal reference numbers.
[00093] Referring now to figure 6, a second embodiment of the present technique is illustrated. In particular, the abuse detection system 34 presently illustrated in Figure 6 is adapted to detect the occurrence of consumer abuse because of exposing a device 10 to extreme temperatures and may include thermal detection circuits 156, as well as clock 62 , the non-volatile storage 64 and the communication selection block 66 discussed earlier. A thermal sensor 38e can be connected electronically to the abuse detection system 34 via communication line 40. Thermal sensor 38e of the modality currently illustrated can be supplied by means of a thermocouple, a thermistor, a negative temperature coefficient resistor (NTC), or by any suitable device capable of detecting temperature.
[00094] In the modality currently illustrated, thermal sensor 38e can be positioned internally or externally with respect to device 10. In an alternative embodiment, thermal sensor 38e can be integrated with the abuse detection system 34 for general temperature detection. Additionally, although the illustrated modality represents only a single thermal sensor 38e, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that additional thermal sensors can also be implemented and connected to the abuse detection system 34. However, depending on the size of the device 10, the use multiple thermal sensors can be redundant. That is, assuming that device 10 is a small portable device, such as the portable media player of figure 1, exposing any part of the small portable device to extreme temperatures will generally affect the total device evenly, where a single sensor may be sufficient to monitor thermal exposure. However, where device 10 is a larger handheld device, then it may be desirable to use multiple sensors positioned at various locations throughout the device 10.
[00095] The 38e thermal sensor can operate according to one or more temperature limits. For example, a threshold can be a high temperature threshold to detect whether device 10 is exposed to extremely high temperatures, such as leaving a device 10 in the sun for an extended period of time. Conversely, another limit may be a low temperature limit for detecting whether the device 10 is exposed to extremely low temperatures. In addition, in other embodiments, a thermal sensor can be used to detect exposure to high temperature and another thermal sensor can be used to detect exposure to low temperature. The thermal sensor 38e can be internal to device 10 for measuring internal temperature or it can be external to device 10 for measuring the surrounding temperature. In fact, certain modalities can encompass both internal and external thermal sensors.
[00096] In the illustrated embodiment, if thermal sensor 38e detects that the temperature inside device 10 has exceeded the established limit, thermal sensor 38e can be configured to provide an indication to thermal detection circuits 156 that a thermal abuse event occurred. As discussed previously in general, such an indication can be provided when thermal abuse detection circuits 156, while continuously monitoring thermal sensor 38e, receive a measured thermal parameter from thermal sensor 38e that exceeds a predetermined threshold. In addition, thermal sensor 38e itself can be configured to send an alarm signal to thermal detection circuits 156 indicating that device 10 is exposed to excessive temperature when measuring a temperature that exceeds the predetermined limit. In certain embodiments, the thermal sensor 38e can be configured not only to detect that a limit temperature has been exceeded, but also that the limit has been exceeded for a certain predetermined amount of time before sending indication to the thermal detection circuits 156. The objective of such modalities is to filter or ignore events in which a device 10 is only exposed to a high temperature for a short period, but not long enough for which it can reasonably be expected that damage to the device 10 occurs.
[00097] Upon receiving indication from thermal sensor 38e, thermal detection circuits 156 can be configured to generate a data entry corresponding to the detected thermal abuse event. As previously described, data entry can be in the form of a time tag (for example, generated based on clock 62) corresponding to the time when the thermal event was detected by thermal sensor 38e and can be stored on a device memory 64, which, as discussed above, can be provided by any suitable non-volatile storage device (e.g., an EEPROM). Data entries may also include the operating status of device 10 at the time the abuse event was detected. In addition, in modalities using multiple thermal sensors, the data entry can also include an identification component that can be used for diagnostic purposes to identify which particular sensor or sensors have detected the event.
[00098] Upon detecting a thermal abuse event, thermal detection circuits 156 can also be configured to disable power to device 10. As discussed earlier, this can be done by sending disable signals to the management unit 74 and battery control circuit 76 via communication lines 78 and 80, respectively. The thermal detection circuits 156 can also be configured to put the abuse detection system 34 in a standby mode and to start an activation timer, which can be timed by clock 62, to periodically activate the detection system of abuse 34 after a predetermined amount of time to determine if thermal abuse is still occurring. For example, upon activation, thermal detection circuits 156 can recheck thermal sensor 38e to determine whether currently detected temperatures still exceed the limit (s) discussed above and, if it is determined that the detected temperatures exceed the (s) acceptable limit (s), thermal detection circuits 156 can be configured to put the abuse detection system 34 back into standby mode and to reset the activation timer.
[00099] Alternatively, if upon activation the abuse detection system 34 determines that the detected temperature does not exceed the limit (s), the thermal detection circuits 156 can instruct device 10 to perform the self-test function described above to determine the extent, if any, of damage that may have occurred because of exposure to temperature. If no damage is not reported by the self-test results, device 10 can return to normal operating mode. However, if any damage or the possibility of damage is detected, then the user can be instructed to return the device to the manufacturer or the point of sale for repair. Such repair activities may include connecting a diagnostic unit 64 to device 10 via communication selection block 66 via dual mode communication channel 42. This can enable a technician to analyze data stored in non-volatile storage 64 and to determine whether a thermal abuse event has occurred.
[000100] It should be further noted that the illustrated mode of figure 6 is not only useful for detecting external temperatures to which a device 10 is exposed, but can also be useful for detecting internal temperature events, such as when a user operates a device in such a way that it would subject it to possible thermal abuse. For example, some users may attempt to increase the bus speed of one or more processors on a device 10 in order to increase total processing speeds to a level beyond which device 10 may have been designed to operate. This is commonly referred to as over-clocking. However, by increasing the processor bus speed, the heat output from the processor is usually increased proportionally. As such, the abuse detection system 34 of figure 6 can also be directed to detect these types of thermal abuse events, such as by means of an internal thermal sensor coupled to the processor.
[000101] Figure 7 illustrates a third modality of the abuse detection system 34 of the present disclosure that is adapted to detect consumer abuse events relating to excessive shock or fall events. The abuse detection system 34 of FIG. 7 can include shock detection circuits 158, as well as clock 62, non-volatile storage 64 and communication selection block 66 discussed above. A 38f shock sensor can be connected electronically to the abuse detection system 34 via communication line 40. In certain embodiments, the 38f shock sensor can be provided via any suitable device for measuring shock, movement, vibrations and so on. For example, the 38f shock sensor can be implemented using an accelerometer configured to measure vibrations or acceleration due to gravity. Additional types of shock sensors that can be used are described in US Patent Application No. Serial 11 / 725.008, entitled “Mounted Shock Sensor”, filed on March 15, 2007, which is designated for the applicant for this application, whose disclosure is incorporated in this document by reference. In addition, although a single shock sensor 38f is shown in the embodiment illustrated at present, other embodiments may include multiple shock sensors depending on the size, functions and characteristics of the device 10.
[000102] The 38f shock sensor can be configured to operate based on a predetermined shock level limit. A shock event can occur, for example, when the device 10 collides with the floor or any other object with a certain amount of force after being dropped by a user. For example, shock sensor 38f can be configured to provide indication of the occurrence of a shock abuse event for shock detection circuits 158 if a detected vibration level (for example, the device colliding with the floor) exceeds one predetermined vibration limit or if a detected acceleration level (for example, device 10 falling after being dropped) exceeds a predetermined acceleration limit. In fact, certain modalities can include multiple types of shock sensors to detect multiple types of shock events (for example, vibration or acceleration).
[000103] Also, as discussed earlier, indication of the occurrence of a shock event can be provided by shock detection circuits 158. For example, while continuously monitoring shock sensor 38f, shock detection circuits 158 can receive a shock parameter measured by the 38f shock sensor that exceeds the predetermined shock limit. In addition, the shock sensor 38f itself can be configured to send an alarm signal to the shock detection circuits 158 indicating that the device 10 has been exposed to shock or excessive force when measuring a shock parameter that exceeds the predetermined limit. The limits within which the 38f shock sensor operates may depend on the nature of the device 10. For example, where the device 10 is a relatively sensitive and fragile electronic device, such as a portable computer, in general not designed to withstand substantial shock. , the vibration and / or acceleration limits can be set relatively low so that the shock sensor 38f can detect and indicate the occurrence of consumer abuse even when small amounts of vibration or acceleration are detected. However, if device 10 is designed to be more durable, such as media players based on solid state memory, then the limits can be set to a higher level (for example, more tolerable).
[000104] In the illustrated embodiment, when shock sensor 38f detects a shock event that exceeds a predetermined shock threshold, shock sensor 38f can be configured to provide an indication to shock detection circuits 158 that an event shock abuse occurred. Upon receiving indication from shock sensor 38f, shock detection circuits 158 can be configured to generate a data entry corresponding to the detected shock abuse event. As previously described, such data entries may be in the form of the time tag, as generated by the clock 62, corresponding to the time at which a shock event was detected by the shock sensor 38f. Data entries may also include the operating status of device 10 at the time the abuse event was detected. Data entries can be stored on any suitable non-volatile storage device, as indicated by reference number 64, for use and further analysis by a diagnostic unit 46. Additionally, in modalities using multiple shock sensors, the entry of Data can also include an identification component that can be used for diagnostic purposes to identify which sensor or particular sensors have detected the event.
[000105] Upon detecting a shock abuse event, the shock detection circuits 158 can operate in a similar manner to the liquid detection circuits 60 and thermal detection circuits 156 discussed earlier. That is, shock detection circuits 158 can be configured to temporarily disable power for both a power management unit 74 and a battery control circuit 76, for example, by sending power disable signals to the power unit. power management 74 and battery control circuit 76 via communication lines 78 and 80 respectively.
[000106] Shock detection circuits 158 can also be configured to put the abuse detection system in a standby mode and to start an activation timer, which can be timed by clock 62, to periodically activate the abuse detection system 34 after a predetermined amount of time in order to recheck shock sensor 38f to determine whether vibration or acceleration levels still exceed the previously discussed limit (s). This can be particularly useful if the device 10 is currently in an environment in which there is constant turbulent activity in progress, such as when a user is carrying the device 10 while engaging in rigorous physical activity. For example, if when activating the abuse detection system 34 it is determined that levels of acceleration and / or vibration are still above an acceptable limit, then shock detection circuits 158 can be configured to place the detection system of abuse. abuse 34 back in standby mode and to reset the activation timer.
[000107] Alternatively, if upon activation from standby the shock detection circuits 158 determine that the shock sensor 38f is indicating that the detected vibration and / or acceleration activity is within acceptable levels, the detection circuits shock 158 can instruct device 10 to perform the self-test function discussed earlier to determine the extent, if any, of damage that may have occurred because of the shock event (s). If no damage is not reported by the self-test results, device 10 can return to normal operating mode. However, if any damage or the possibility of damage is detected, then the user can be instructed to return the device to the manufacturer or the point of sale for repair. As discussed earlier, repairing the device may include connecting diagnostics unit 46 to device 10 via communication selection block 66 previously discussed via dual mode communication interface 42. This can allow for reading and analysis of data stored in non-volatile storage 64 to determine whether and to what extent a shock abuse event or events occurred on the device 10.
[000108] An additional type of consumer abuse that may be of interest is violation, which in general can be defined as including any type of interaction with a device 10 that is not related to operating the device 10 in a normal way . A type of breach can occur when a user tries to open or dismantle the device 10 to handle one or more internal components. For example, consumers may try to open a device housing (for example, housing 12) to add or remove components for various reasons, such as bypassing copyright protection and / or digital rights management (DRM) components. Violation may also include an attempt to remove one or more components of the abuse detection system 34, as described above. Figure 8 also illustrates another embodiment of the abuse detection system 34 of the present disclosure which is adapted to detect consumer abuse because of tampering with a device 10 in a mode unrelated to normal use. The abuse detection system 34 of FIG. 8 can include tamper detection circuits 160, as well as clock 62, non-volatile storage 64 and communication selection block 66 discussed above. A breach detection mechanism, such as a 38g continuity sensor, can be electronically connected to the abuse detection system via the communication line 40.
[000109] Although the modality currently illustrated shows a single 38g continuity sensor, it should be understood that multiple continuity sensors can also be implemented in alternative modalities. For example, it may be useful to place one or more continuity sensors in positions on or within the device that users are most likely to attempt to open or tamper with device 10; for example, along the edges of housing structures or housing of device 10. The continuity sensor 38g can be configured to provide indication to the tamper detection circuits 160 that tamper has occurred. As discussed previously in general, such an indication can be provided when tamper detection circuits 160, while continuously monitoring continuity sensor 38g, detect that continuity through continuity sensor 38g has been interrupted. In addition, the continuity sensor 38g itself can be configured to send an alarm signal to the intrusion detection circuits 160 indicating that device 10 has been violated when detecting a continuity interruption in the sensor 38g. As an example, continuity through the sensor 38g can be interrupted when a user tries to open the housing 12 of the device 10.
[000110] Upon receiving indication from the 38g continuity sensor, the tamper detection circuits 160 can be configured to generate a data entry corresponding to the detected tampering event. As previously described, such data inputs may be in the form of a time tag, as generated by the clock 62, corresponding to the moment at which continuity interruption was detected by the continuity sensor 38g. Data entries may also include the operating status of device 10 at the time the abuse event was detected. In addition, data entries can be stored in memory 64, which can be provided by any suitable non-volatile storage device. In addition, in modalities using multiple continuity sensors, the data entry may also include an identification component, as discussed earlier, which can be used for diagnostic purposes to identify which particular continuity sensor has detected a violation.
[000111] Upon detection of a continuity interruption corresponding to an abuse violation event, the violation detection circuits 160 can operate in a similar way to the detection circuits of figures 4A, 5A, 6 and 7 discussed above. That is, tamper detection circuits 160 can be configured to disable power for both a power management unit 74 and a battery control circuit 76 by sending disable signals to power management unit 74 and the battery control circuit 76 via communication lines 78 and 80, respectively. Violation detection circuits 160 can also be configured to put the abuse detection system 34 into a standby mode and to start an activation timer, which can be timed by clock 62, to periodically activate the alarm system. abuse detection 34 after a predetermined amount of time.
[000112] Upon activation from standby, the tamper detection circuits 160 can recheck the 38g continuity sensor to determine if continuity interruptions are still present and occurring. If it is determined that one or more continuity interruptions are still present, then the tamper detection circuits 160 can be configured to put the abuse detection system 34 back into standby, at which point the activation timer is reset. . If the tamper detection circuits 160 determine that the continuity sensor 38g does not detect continuity interruptions, device 10 can be instructed to perform the self-test function discussed earlier to determine whether any damage resulted from the detected tamper event. If no damage is not reported by the self-test results, device 10 can return to normal operating mode. However, if any damage or the possibility of damage is detected, then the user can be instructed to return the device 10 to the manufacturer or the point of sale for repair. As discussed earlier, repairing the device may include connecting the diagnostic unit 46 to device 10 via the communication selection block 66 provided via the dual-mode communication interface 42. This can allow reading and analysis of abuse violation event data stored in memory 64 and determination of whether and to what extent breach-related continuity interruptions occurred on device 10.
[000113] It should be noted that each of the modalities illustrated in figure 4A and figures 6-8 can be implemented separately in a device 10, in such a way that device 10 includes one of each type of abuse detection systems discussed above. In addition, it is also possible to combine the features of the modalities discussed above to implement a single abuse detection system 34 including multiple types of sensors to detect multiple types of abuse events. For example, referring now to figure 9, an additional embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated using the liquid detection sensors 38a-38d in figure 4A, the thermal sensor 38e in figure 6, the shock sensor 38f in figure 7 and the continuity sensor 38g in figure 8. The abuse detection system 34 shown in figure 9 also includes abuse detection circuits 162 which can incorporate all the features described above with reference to liquid detection circuits 60, detection circuits thermal 156, shock detection circuits 158 and tamper detection circuits 160.
[000114] Each of the abuse detection sensors 38a-38g can be connected electronically to the abuse detection system 34 of figure 9 through the respective communication lines 40. Upon detection of an abuse event by any of the sensors 38a -38g, a corresponding indication of the abuse event can be provided for the abuse detection circuits 34 via communication lines 40. Upon receiving such indication, the abuse detection circuits 162 can be configured to generate a data entry , such as in the form of a time tag and as discussed earlier. In addition, data entries may include the operating status of device 10 at the time the abuse event was detected. In some embodiments, particularly those using multiple sensors, the data entry may additionally include an identification component that can be used for diagnostic purposes to identify which particular sensor has detected the event, as well as what type of abuse event has been detected.
[000115] The wait / activate and self-test procedures described above can be implemented in a similar, if not identical, mode, as discussed previously in figure 4A and figures 6-8. In addition, a diagnostic unit 46 can be connected via device 10, such as via the input / output port 18 discussed above. The communication selection block 66 provided can enable, as well as through the dual mode communication channel 42, the reading and analysis of historical abuse event data stored in a non-volatile memory 64 and, based on the event data of abuse stored there, diagnostic unit 46 can determine whether and to what extent consumer abuse has occurred on device 10.
[000116] A key benefit provided by the modalities described in this document is the ability to determine whether or not consumer abuse has occurred on a given device. This is particularly useful when considered alongside warranty guidelines that are important aspects of selling products. As discussed earlier, warranties are intended to provide an acknowledgment by the manufacturer or seller that a given device is being sold free of defects. However, if a consumer later discovers that the device does indeed have a defect, the manufacturer or seller, under the terms of the warranty directive, will generally replace or repair the device 10 at little or no cost to the consumer. Warranty policies, however, generally exclude, often explicitly, damage or failure due to consumer abuse. Therefore, aspects of the present disclosure are particularly useful when a consumer returns a product knowing that the failure is due to damage caused by consumer abuse, whether the abuse is intentional or not, but attempts to pass the return on as a manufacturing defect.
[000117] Now returning to figure 10, an exemplary method 170 for analyzing and diagnosing a supposedly "defective" product returned by a consumer and determining whether to initiate a product return is illustrated. Method 170 is initiated in step 172 when a product is returned by the consumer to the manufacturer or to the seller at the point of sale for repair. The returned product can be a device incorporating any aspect of the techniques illustrated in the modalities discussed above, as well as any other suitable variation discussed in this document.
[000118] In step 174, device 10 is connected via interface to the diagnostic equipment. As discussed earlier, diagnostic equipment, such as diagnostic unit 46, can be interfaced to device 10 via one or more input / output ports 18. The diagnostic equipment can be configured to communicate with device 10, for example, via a dual-mode communication channel 42, in order to access a memory device within device 10, such as non-volatile storage 64, to analyze abuse event data collected by any one of the sensor devices 38a-38g described earlier. For example, as illustrated by step 176, data from abuse events detected by sensors 38a-38g can be read from memory device 64 and analyzed in decision block 178 to determine if any abuse events occurred before device 10 was returned for repair.
[000119] If the diagnosis indicates that there was no abuse, then it can be inferred that the reason for the malfunction or device failure may have been due to a manufacturing defect that would possibly be covered by a warranty directive. If so determined, then device repair personnel 10 can first initiate a self-test routine, as illustrated in step 180, to determine the extent, if any, of damage to the returned device 10. If in decision block 182 the returned device passes the self-test routine of step 180, then it can be concluded that device 10 has not suffered any damage, or at most has suffered negligible damage that is insufficient to affect normal operation of device 10. If this if so, device repair personnel 10 can re-enable normal device operations, for example, when performing a master reset of device 10, as illustrated by step 186, and return device 10 to the consumer. Returning to decision block 182, if device 10 fails the step 180 self-test routine, a product return can be initiated under the terms of an appropriate warranty guideline as represented by step 184, method 170 terminating thereafter. It should be understood that the term “return” as used in this document can include either repairing and / or restoring the returned device to a working condition or replacing the returned device with a working replacement device, which may be a new model or , in some cases, restored.
[000120] Referring again to step 178, if the analysis of the abuse event data stored in the memory 64 of the device 10 indicates that one or more abuse events occurred before receiving the returned device 10, then the returned device 10 would be disapproved for repair or replacement under the terms of a warranty directive. In addition, if abuse is determined to have occurred, device 10 repair personnel can first determine whether the abuse was severe enough to cause damage and / or render device 10 inoperable. For example, a technician may first perform a self-test routine, as illustrated by step 188, to determine the extent of damage present in the returned device 10, if any. If in the decision block 190 the returned device passes the self-test routine of step 188, then it can be concluded that the abuse event that the device 10 experienced did not result in any permanent damage, or resulted in a maximum of negligible damage insufficient to affect operation normal device 10 (for example, appearance or aesthetic damage to a device housing). If this is the case, device repair personnel 10 can re-enable normal device operations, for example, when performing a master reset of device 10, as illustrated by step 186. Now returning to decision block 190, if the device 10 fails the step 188 self-test routine, then it can be concluded that the abuse event or events caused sufficient damage to render the device inoperable. In addition, because the damage was determined to be the result of consumer abuse, and thus not covered by a warranty, a product return request can be denied, as illustrated by step 192. For example, repair personnel or technicians device 10 can inform the consumer that the cause of the device 10 failure is not covered by the warranty. At this point, the consumer can choose to pay the cost of any necessary repair services, or purchase a replacement product.
[000121] It should be noted that the diagnostic step 178 described in method 170 can vary depending on the product returned and depending on where the product is returned. For example, if the product is returned to a point of sale, sales representatives may be devoid of technical knowledge or may not be trained to analyze the abuse event data stored on the device to a high degree of detail such as to determine what degree of abuse occurred, which sensors detected the abuse, and so on. As such, diagnostic equipment used at the point of sale can be relatively simple and connect to the device only to indicate an answer equivalent to "yes" or "no" indicating whether consumer abuse has occurred or has not occurred. However, if the returned product is of a more complex design that is usually returned directly to a manufacturer for repair, such as laptops, televisions or the like, the diagnostic equipment can be more sophisticated and can empower technicians by analyzing the (s) device failure (s) to determine not only whether abuse occurred, but also, for example, which sensors detected the abuse, which sensor was the initial sensor to detect the abuse, how long or how often abuse occurred, and so on.
[000122] An additional reason for product returns potentially attributable to consumer abuse concerns battery failures. Faults can take many forms, including an inability to power device 10 (for example, using power supply 30, which may be one or more batteries), an inability to properly charge power supply 30, a inability to properly retain a load on the power supply 30 when device 10 is in use or out of use, an unexpected reduction in full power capacity, or any number of other possibilities. These failures can be caused by several factors. For example, battery failure can be caused by a malfunction in the charging circuits or a manufacturing defect in device 10, causing an excessive amount of current to be pulled. Failures can often result from the consumer abuses mentioned above. In some cases, failures can be caused by intentional action by the consumer in an attempt to elicit a product return under the warranty directive.
[000123] Battery failure modes can be difficult to distinguish from each other and to characterize, which in turn makes it difficult to ascertain the cause or causes of the failure. Thus, when repairing returned products, cases in which a consumer intentionally damages a battery may inadvertently be treated in the same way as cases in which there is a legitimate manufacturing defect. As such, it can be useful to obtain diagnostic information about the battery if a failure occurs. This diagnostic information can include parameters such as operating current, average extraction current, total battery capacity, amount of time required to charge and / or discharge the battery, the number of charge / discharge cycles over the life of the battery. battery, voltage, operating temperature and so on. As will be perceived, such information can help diagnose flaws and help determine whether or not a product return should be initiated.
[000124] In this way, figure 11 illustrates a sixth modality of the abuse detection system 34 that is adapted to report diagnostic information about a power source (for example, battery 200) through a control circuit battery control 76. In the present embodiment, the battery control circuit 76 can essentially function as a “power supply monitoring device”, as will be discussed below. In the industry, such devices can sometimes be referred to as a "gas meter" or "fuel meter". The abuse detection system 34 of Fig. 11 can include abuse detection circuits 162, as well as clock 62, non-volatile storage 64 and communication selection block 66 discussed above. The battery control circuit 76 can be connected electronically to the abuse detection system 34 via communication line 204. The battery control circuits 76 can also be coupled to battery 200. As previously explained, in alternative modalities, the battery control circuit 76 can be incorporated in other locations, including the abuse detection system 34, the power management unit 74, or can be integrated with the battery 200 itself.
[000125] In the illustrated embodiment, the battery control circuit 76 can be configured to determine various diagnostic parameters for battery 200 and communicate that diagnostic information to the abuse detection system 34 via communication line 204. A Communication line 204 can take many forms, such as a single wire interface or a multiline bus interface. When operating in a diagnostic mode, as discussed earlier, a diagnostic unit 46 can interface through the abuse detection system 34 and request diagnostic information about battery 200. For example, if battery 200 start to malfunction, undervoltage protection circuits (within battery control circuit 76 or power management unit 74) can be configured to turn off power to device 10 at a nominal low voltage limit, such as approximately 3 volts (V). However, the battery control circuit 76, together with other components such as, for example, the abuse detection system 34, can be configured to continue to be powered and operate at as little as 2.5 V. battery control circuit 76 can remain functional for an extended period of time even if the rest of device 10 is no longer operational and / or can no longer be powered due to battery 200 malfunction. Diagnostic unit 46 can then be used to determine battery characteristics 200 and diagnose the cause or causes of the malfunction.
[000126] Upon receiving indication from diagnostic unit 46, the abuse detection system 34 can be configured to read diagnostic information about battery 200 through battery control circuit 76 via communication line 204. The abuse detection 34 can then communicate this information to the diagnostic unit 46 via communication lines 42 which, as discussed above, can be a two-wire interface, such as an I2C interface. In an alternative embodiment, battery control circuit 76 can be configured to periodically store diagnostic information about battery 200 in a non-volatile memory 206, such as an EEPROM. Non-volatile memory 206 can be located internally or externally (for example, memory part 64) with respect to battery control circuit 76. In such embodiments, the abuse detection system 34 can be configured to read the latest values recorded diagnostic information in non-volatile memory 206, or a set of historical recorded values, instead of or in addition to referring to battery control circuit 76 for current values. Thus, it must be realized that the techniques currently disclosed may allow current diagnostic information (for example, substantially in real time) regarding the battery, diagnostic history information or a combination thereof.
[000127] Additionally, the battery control circuit 76 can be configured to operate based on predetermined battery parameter limits. For example, while continuously monitoring battery 200, battery control circuit 76 may receive a measured parameter that exceeds the predetermined threshold, indicating a battery failure event. The limits at which the battery control circuit 76 operates may depend on the nature of the device 10 and the battery 200. For example, a more complex device, such as a laptop computer, may have an average draw current greater than that of a less complex device, such as a portable media player. In the same vein, a larger battery, such as those found in a portable computer, may have a theoretical capacity greater than that of a smaller battery, such as those found in smaller electronic devices, such as a portable media player or mobile phone.
[000128] In addition, upon detection of an abnormal battery event or a battery failure event, the battery control circuit 76 can be configured to generate a data entry corresponding to the detected battery failure event. As used in this document, it should be understood that the terms "abnormal battery event" or "battery failure event" or the like should refer to cases in which battery 200 is operating outside acceptable operating limits. As previously described, such data inputs can be in the form of the time tag, as generated by clock 62, corresponding to the time when a battery failure event was detected by battery control circuit 76. The data inputs they can also include the operating status of device 10 at the time the abuse event was detected. Data entries can be stored on any suitable non-volatile storage device, as indicated by reference number 64, for use and further analysis by a diagnostic unit 46.
[000129] Upon detecting a battery failure event, the abuse detection system 34 can be configured to temporarily disable power for both a power management unit 74 and battery control circuit 76, for example, by sending power disable signals to the power management unit 74 and battery control circuit 76 via communication lines 78 and 204 respectively.
[000130] The battery control circuit 76 can also be configured to put the abuse detection system 34 in a standby mode and to start an activation timer, which can be set by time 62, to periodically activate the abuse detection system 34 after a predetermined amount of time to recheck battery control circuit 76 to determine if battery 200 is still exceeding the limit (s) discussed above. For example, if upon activation of the abuse detection system 34 it is determined that some characteristic of the battery 200 is operating outside acceptable limits, then the battery control circuit 76 can be configured to put the abuse detection system 34 back. in standby mode and to reset the activation timer.
[000131] Alternatively, if upon activation from standby the battery control circuit 76 determines that battery 200 is operating within acceptable limits, the abuse detection system 34 can instruct device 10 to perform the self-test discussed earlier to determine the extent, if any, of damage that may have occurred. If no damage is not reported by the self-test results, device 10 can return to normal operating mode. However, if any damage or the possibility of damage is detected, then the user can be instructed to return the device to the manufacturer or the point of sale for repair. As discussed earlier, repairing the device may include connecting diagnostics unit 46 to device 10 via communication selection block 66 previously discussed via dual mode communication interface 42. This can allow for reading and analysis of data stored in non-volatile storage 64 or 206 to determine whether and to what extent a battery failure event or events occurred on device 10.
[000132] Continuing to figure 12, an additional modality showing a system that is configured to provide diagnostic information regarding battery 200 via battery control circuit 76 and power management unit 74 is illustrated according to additional aspects of the techniques currently revealed. The power management unit 74 may include the communication selection block 66 discussed earlier, which is electronically connected to the input / output port 18 via communication lines 42. Although the currently illustrated mode shows the communication selection block 66 as part of the power management unit 74, it should be noted that block 66 can be located external to the power management unit 74 or included in other units such as the abuse detection system 34, as illustrated above. The power management unit 74 can be connected electronically to battery control circuit 76 via communication line 204 and battery 200, which is also coupled to battery control circuit 76. A diagnostic unit 46 can be configured to connect through the input / output port 18 and request diagnostic information about the battery 200 in a similar way as illustrated in the modality of figure 11. However, once the communication selection block 66 is integrated with the power management unit 74, the reading of battery diagnostic information can be performed without involving the abuse detection system 34.
[000133] In one embodiment, diagnostic information regarding battery 200 may be contained in one or more internal data loggers in power management unit 74 instead of in battery control circuit 76 or beyond. In this case, the diagnostic tool 46 can be configured to communicate with the power management unit 74 to retrieve battery diagnostic information without directly involving battery control circuit 76. For example, when device 10 is operating at In a diagnostic mode, the power management unit 74 can be configured to read diagnostic information via battery control circuit 76 via communication line 204, which can be a single wire interface, such as a HDQ communication (a single wire open drain interface available from Texas Instruments, Inc. of Dallas, Texas). The diagnostic information can then be stored in the one or more internal data loggers of the power management unit 74. As will be seen, the reading of diagnostic information by the battery control circuit 76 can be performed in response to a command received from diagnostic tool 46. Just as an example, in one embodiment, battery control circuit 76 can be provided as a model of a “battery fuel gauge circuit” that uses Impedance Track® technology to monitor battery cells (for example, Parts Nos. BQ27505, BQ27541, BQ27510, BQ27501, BQ27500-V120, etc.), available from Texas Instruments, Inc. of Dallas, Texas.
[000134] In addition, diagnostic tool 46 can also be configured to supply power to the power management unit 74 and battery control circuit 76. This can be useful in situations where battery 200 is no longer capable of supply the circuits (for example, voltage is less than 2.5 V) of device 10. Thus, diagnostic unit 46 would still be able to access diagnostic information about battery 200, regardless of device 10 status. one mode, power can be supplied by the diagnostic unit 46 using a variety of techniques, including using dedicated power lines for input / output port 18 or multiplexing power on existing transmission lines, such as communication lines 42 For example, if the communication lines 42 comprise a data line for upstream communication and a data line for downstream communication (for example, a set of UART lines), the diagnostic unit 46 can temporarily reconfigure the downstream line as a bidirectional single wire interface and the upstream line as a power line.
[000135] As further shown in Figure 12, the power management unit 74 can be configured to detect the temperature of the battery 200 or its surrounding region using one or more temperature sensing components, such as a thermistor 202. The Thermistor 202 can take many forms, such as, for example, a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) resistor, or be replaced by a sensor such as thermal sensor 38e. It should be noted that the thermal detection function, in other modalities, can also be integrated with the battery control circuit 76 or the battery 200 itself. Using thermistor 202, the power management unit 74 can be configured to turn off power to device 10 when the battery temperature 200 has exceeded a predetermined limit. This can be useful for catastrophic conditions, such as excessively high discharge currents.
[000136] Now returning to figure 13, an exemplary method 220 for analyzing and diagnosing a supposedly "defective" battery and determining whether to initiate a product return is illustrated. Method 220 is initiated at step 222 when the product, like device 10, is connected via interface to the diagnostic equipment. As discussed earlier, the diagnostic equipment, such as the diagnostic unit 46, can be interfaced to device 10 via one or more input / output ports 18.
[000137] In step 224, the communication selection block 66 is configured in such a way that the diagnostic equipment is connected to the battery control circuit 76 via the dual-mode communication interface 42, for example. Diagnostic information regarding battery 200 is then read by the diagnostic equipment via battery control circuit 76, as illustrated by step 226, and analyzed in decision block 228 to determine whether or not battery 200 is still inside normal operating parameters.
[000138] If the diagnosis indicates that battery 200 is still within normal operating parameters, then it can be inferred that the original detected failure may have been due to some type of manufacturing defect, which would possibly be covered by a guideline warranty, or that the failure may have been caused by a temporary “abuse” condition (such as charging the power supply via an incompatible AC outlet) that may not have resulted in permanent damage. If so determined, then device repair personnel 10 can first initiate a self-test routine, as illustrated in step 230, to determine the extent, if any, of damage present in the returned device 10. If in the decision block 234 the returned device passes the self-test routine of step 230, then it can be concluded that the device 10 has not suffered any damage, or at most has suffered negligible damage that is insufficient to affect the normal operation of the device 10. If this if so, device repair personnel 10 can re-enable normal device operations, for example, when performing a master reset of device 10, as illustrated by step 236, and return device 10 to the consumer.
[000139] Returning to decision block 234, if device 10 fails the step 230 self-test routine, a product return can be initiated under the terms of an appropriate warranty guideline as represented by step 238 if the failure has been determined as a manufacturing defect, method 220 terminating thereafter. In an additional modality, the diagnostic equipment can analyze abuse event data at any point before initiating a return as well, as previously discussed with the exemplary method 170.
[000140] Referring again to step 228, if the analysis of diagnostic information regarding battery 200 indicates that battery 200 is no longer within normal operating parameters, then additional diagnostics will need to be performed, as illustrated by step 232. These diagnostics will vary based on the diagnostic information obtained regarding the battery 200, but may include actions such as monitoring changes to the diagnostic information while trying to charge the battery with an external power source, isolating the battery 200 from the rest of unit 10 and test again, replace battery 200 in unit 10 and test again, and generally characterize the behavior of the battery using specialized test equipment. As will be realized, based on the results of the diagnosis, appropriate personnel can determine whether the consumer is eligible for a product return.
[000141] The specific modalities described above have been shown by way of example, and it should be understood that these modalities may be subject to various modifications and alternative forms. It should be further understood that the embodiments are not intended to be limited to the particular forms revealed, but rather to cover all modifications, equivalences and alternatives being included in the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

权利要求:
Claims (25)
[0001]
1. System for accessing diagnostic information on an electronic device, characterized by the fact that it comprises: a power source comprising a battery; a power supply monitoring device coupled to the power supply and configured to determine diagnostic information regarding the power supply; abuse detection circuits configured to receive diagnostic information determined by the source power monitoring device; and an interface configured to facilitate communication between the electronic device and an external diagnostic device, and if the power supply is not operational due to a power supply failure, the interface is configured to supply power to the monitoring device the power supply.
[0002]
2. System according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the interface is configured to provide a communication diagnostic mode, and a non-diagnostic communication mode, and in which the abuse detection circuit is configured to communicate diagnostic information to the external diagnostic device using the interface, when the electronic device is operating in diagnostic mode.
[0003]
3. System, according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that the interface is further configured to facilitate communication between the electronic device and an external non-diagnostic device, when the electronic device is not operating in the diagnostic mode.
[0004]
4. System, according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that it comprises a communication selection circuit configured to select the communication diagnostic mode when the external diagnostic device is coupled to the interface and select the non-diagnostic mode when the external non-diagnostic device is attached to the interface.
[0005]
5. System according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the power supply comprises one or more rechargeable battery cells or one or more non-rechargeable batteries, or some combination thereof.
[0006]
6. System according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the diagnostic information comprises an operating current, average extraction current, the total battery capacity, the amount of time required to charge and / or discharge the battery, number of charge / discharge cycles over the life of the battery, voltage, or operating temperature, or any combination thereof.
[0007]
7. System according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the abuse detection circuit receives diagnostic information using a single wire interface, a multiline bus interface, or a combination of such interfaces.
[0008]
8. System according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the supply of the source monitoring device is configured to provide an indication to the abuse detection circuit of a battery failure event when it is determined that the information diagnosis for the power supply exceeds one or more predetermined limits.
[0009]
9. System according to claim 8, characterized by the fact that, when detecting a battery failure event, a record of the battery failure event is stored in a non-volatile memory device.
[0010]
10. System according to claim 8, characterized by the fact that the abuse detection circuit is configured to, at least, temporarily disable the operation of the electronic device in the event of a battery failure event.
[0011]
11. System for accessing diagnostic information on an electronic device, characterized by the fact that it comprises: a power supply; a power management unit coupled to the power supply and configured to distribute power from the power supply to one or more other components of the electronic device; a power supply monitoring device coupled to the power supply and configured to determine and store diagnostic information relating to the power supply, the power supply comprising a battery; and an interface configured to operate in a diagnostic mode and a non-diagnostic mode, in which, if the interface is operating in diagnostic mode, the diagnostic information stored in the power supply monitoring device is accessible by a device external diagnostic device from the electronic device, and if the power supply is not operational due to a power supply failure, the interface is configured to supply power to the power supply monitoring device and the power management unit energy.
[0012]
12. System, according to claim 11, characterized by the fact that it comprises a communication selection circuit electronically coupled to the interface, in which the communication selection circuit is configured to operate the interface in one of the diagnostic and control modes. non-diagnostic, at least partially depending on whether the external diagnostic device is attached to the interface.
[0013]
13. System according to claim 12, characterized by the fact that the communication selection circuit is integrated with the power management unit.
[0014]
14. System according to claim 11, characterized by the fact that it comprises a temperature sensor device configured to detect a temperature of the power supply, in which the power management unit is configured to disable the electronic device, if the detected temperature exceeds a predetermined limit.
[0015]
15. System according to claim 14, characterized by the fact that the temperature sensor device comprises a thermal sensor, a thermistor, or some combination thereof.
[0016]
16. System according to claim 11, characterized by the fact that the power management unit comprises one or more data loggers and is configured to store diagnostic information related to the power supply for one or more data loggers .
[0017]
17. System according to claim 16, characterized by the fact that storing the diagnostic information in one or more data registers of the power management unit comprises reading the diagnostic information from the power supply monitoring device via a single wire communication interface coupled to the power management unit for the power supply monitoring device.
[0018]
18. The system according to claim 17, characterized in that the reading of the diagnostic information from the power supply monitoring device is performed in response to a command received from the external diagnostic device, and where the diagnostic information is accessible by the external diagnostic device through one or more data loggers.
[0019]
19. Electronic device characterized by the fact that it comprises: a processor configured to execute the instructions; a storage device configured to store data, the data, at least partially comprising instructions to be performed by the processor; a power supply comprising a battery; a power supply monitoring device coupled to the power supply and configured to determine and store diagnostic information regarding the power supply; a power management unit coupled to the power supply and configured to distribute power from the power supply to one or more other components of the electronic device; and an interface configured to facilitate communication between the electronic device and an external device, in which, if the external device is a diagnostic device, the interface is configured to provide access to diagnostic information by the diagnostic device, and if the power supply is not operational due to a power supply failure, the interface is configured to supply power to the power supply monitoring device.
[0020]
20. Device according to claim 19, characterized in that the power management unit comprises an undervoltage protection circuit configured to disable the electronic device at a predetermined voltage limit.
[0021]
21. Device according to claim 20, characterized by the fact that the power supply monitoring device is configured to remain in operation and accessible via the diagnostic device below the predetermined voltage limit.
[0022]
22. Device according to claim 19, characterized by the fact that the interface comprises at least a first data line and a second data line, in which the interface is further configured to supply power via the first data line and supply bidirectional communication path via second data line if the external device is the diagnostic device and the power supply is non-operational, and where the interface is configured to provide an upstream communication path via the first data line and provide a downstream communication path via second data line otherwise.
[0023]
23. Method for reading diagnostic information using an external diagnostic device, characterized by the fact that it comprises the steps of: detecting the connection of the external diagnostic device, with an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a power management unit, a power supply including a battery, and a power supply monitoring device is coupled to the power management unit and configured to determine diagnostic information regarding the power supply; establish a communication path between the external diagnostic device and the power management unit of the electronic device; enter a diagnostic mode of operation based at least partially on detecting the connection of the external diagnostic device; and access diagnostic information from the power supply monitoring device when the electronic device is operating in diagnostic operation mode, where accessing diagnostic information from the power supply monitoring device comprises: power management unit using the external diagnostic device; and receive a command from the external diagnostic device, in which, upon receiving the command, the power management unit is configured to read the diagnostic information from the power supply monitoring device, store the diagnostic information on one or more data loggers, and transmit the diagnostic information from one or more data loggers to the external diagnostic device.
[0024]
24. Method according to claim 23, characterized by the fact that the step of entering diagnostic operation mode is performed in response to receiving a command from the external diagnostic device.
[0025]
25. Method according to claim 24, characterized by the fact that powering the power management unit using the external diagnostic device comprises reconfiguring a data line to transmit energy from the external diagnostic device to the management unit power, where the data line is normally configured to transmit data when the electronic device is not operating in diagnostic operation mode.

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同族专利:

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公开号 | 公开日

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CN102597967B|2015-01-07|

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US8405512B2|2013-03-26|

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KR20120030604A|2012-03-28|

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WO2011017028A2|2011-02-10|

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JP2013501301A|2013-01-10|

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WO2011017028A3|2012-04-26|

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US20090309745A1|2009-12-17|

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JP5663018B2|2015-02-04|

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BR112012008098A2|2017-07-04|

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AU2010281522B2|2013-08-15|

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KR101253005B1|2013-04-24|

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EP2462509A2|2012-06-13|

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BR112012008098A8|2019-02-12|

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EP2462509B1|2018-08-22|

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CN102597967A|2012-07-18|

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AU2010281522A1|2012-03-01|

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法律状态:
2017-07-11| B15I| Others concerning applications: loss of priority|Free format text: PERDA DA PRIORIDADE US 12/536,739 DE 06/08/2009, CONFORME AS DISPOSICOES PREVISTAS NA LEI 9.279 DE 14/05/1996 (LPI) ART. 167O E NO ART. 28 DO ATO NORMATIVO 128/1997, POR NAO ATENDER AO DISPOSTO NO ART. 27 DO ATO NORMATIVO 128/1997, POIS NAO FOI APRESENTADA CESSAO DA REFERIDA PRIORIDADE, QUE POSSUI DEPOSITANTE DIFERENTE DO DEPOSITANTE DA FASE NACIONAL. |

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2017-07-25| B08F| Application dismissed because of non-payment of annual fees [chapter 8.6 patent gazette]|

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2017-09-26| B08H| Application fees: decision cancelled [chapter 8.8 patent gazette]|

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2017-10-10| B12F| Appeal: other appeals|

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2019-07-30| B06U| Preliminary requirement: requests with searches performed by other patent offices: procedure suspended [chapter 6.21 patent gazette]|

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2020-05-05| B06A| Patent application procedure suspended [chapter 6.1 patent gazette]|

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2020-08-11| B09A| Decision: intention to grant [chapter 9.1 patent gazette]|

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2020-12-08| B16A| Patent or certificate of addition of invention granted [chapter 16.1 patent gazette]|Free format text: PRAZO DE VALIDADE: 10 (DEZ) ANOS CONTADOS A PARTIR DE 08/12/2020, OBSERVADAS AS CONDICOES LEGAIS. |

优先权:

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申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题

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US12/536,739|US8405512B2|2008-02-01|2009-08-06|System and method for accessing diagnostic information|

---

US12/536,739|2009-08-06|

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PCT/US2010/043112|WO2011017028A2|2009-08-06|2010-07-23|System and method for accessing diagnostic information|

---