IP Verse

Portable Vehicle Battery Jump Start Apparatus With Safety Protection

Patent No. US12208696 (titled "Portable Vehicle Battery Jump Start Apparatus With Safety Protection") was filed by The Noco Co on Apr 6, 2023.

What is this patent about?

’696 is related to the field of portable jump starters for vehicles with depleted batteries. Traditional jump-starting methods involve connecting a running vehicle's battery to the dead battery using jumper cables. This patent addresses the need for a safer and more convenient handheld booster device that mitigates risks associated with polarity reversal and short circuits.

The underlying idea behind ’696 is to create a self-contained jump starter with built-in safety mechanisms. The device uses a rechargeable battery pack and a control circuit that actively monitors the connection to the vehicle's battery. It only allows current to flow if a battery is detected and the polarity is correct, preventing damage from reverse connections or accidental shorts.

The claims of ’696 focus on a handheld booster device with a rechargeable battery, a control circuit, a power switch, and an output port. Crucially, the device includes a vehicle battery sensor to detect the presence of a battery and a reverse polarity sensor to ensure correct connection. A jumper cable with a keyed plug ensures proper orientation when connecting to the booster.

In practice, the user connects the jumper cable to the vehicle's battery terminals. The handheld booster then uses its sensors to verify the presence and polarity of the connection. If everything checks out, the control circuit activates the power switch, allowing the rechargeable battery pack to deliver the necessary current to jump-start the vehicle. The device also includes an input port and a DC-DC converter to allow charging from a standard USB power source.

This design differentiates itself from prior solutions by integrating multiple safety features into a single, portable unit. Unlike older systems that rely on user vigilance or simple polarity detection, ’696 actively prevents current flow until a safe connection is confirmed. The keyed plug on the jumper cable further reduces the risk of accidental reverse polarity connections, making the jump-starting process safer and more user-friendly.

How does this patent fit in bigger picture?

Technical landscape at the time

In the early 2010s when ’696 was filed, vehicle jump-starting devices were at a time when systems commonly relied on lead-acid batteries and direct connections to the vehicle's electrical system. At a time when X was typically implemented using Y, safety features to prevent reverse polarity connections and overcurrent conditions were becoming increasingly important, but hardware or software constraints made B non-trivial, specifically implementing robust and cost-effective protection mechanisms.

Novelty and Inventive Step

The examiner approved the claims because the prior art, whether considered individually or in combination, did not teach or suggest the claimed combination of features. Specifically, claim 1 was allowed because it includes a handheld booster device, a jumper cable with a plug configured for specific orientation connection to the booster's output port, an input port for external power, and a charge circuit with an upconverter. Claim 25 was allowed because it includes a handheld booster with vehicle battery and reverse polarity sensors, a power switch controlled by these sensors, an input port for external power, a charge circuit with a DC-DC converter, and transistor devices for controlling current flow, along with a jumper cable device.

Claims

There are 31 claims in total. Claims 1 and 23 are independent. The independent claims are directed to an apparatus for jump starting a vehicle, comprising a handheld booster device and a jumper cable device. The dependent claims generally elaborate on the features and components of the handheld booster device and jumper cable device described in the independent claims.

Key Claim Terms New

Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.

Term (Source)Support for SpecificationInterpretation
DC-DC converter circuit
(Claim 23)		“The handheld booster device further comprises an input port for providing power from an external source to the rechargeable battery pack, and wherein the handheld booster device further comprises a charge circuit connected to the input port, the charge circuit including an upconverter circuit coupled between the input port and the rechargeable battery pack for converting the voltage from the input port to a higher voltage for charging the rechargeable battery pack, and a pair of series connected transistor devices coupled between the upconverter circuit and the rechargeable battery pack for controlling current flow into and out of the rechargeable battery pack.”A circuit that converts the voltage from the input port to a higher voltage for charging the rechargeable batteries.
Power switch
(Claim 23)		“In accordance with an aspect of the invention, an apparatus is provided for jump starting a vehicle engine, comprising: an internal power supply; an output port having positive and negative polarity outputs; a vehicle battery isolation sensor connected in circuit with said positive and negative polarity outputs, configured to detect presence of a vehicle battery connected between said positive and negative polarity outputs; a reverse polarity sensor connected in circuit with said positive and negative polarity outputs, configured to detect polarity of a vehicle battery connected between said positive and negative polarity outputs and to provide an output signal indicating whether positive and negative terminals of said vehicle battery are properly connected with said positive and negative polarity outputs of said output port; a power switch connected between said internal power supply and said output port; and a microcontroller configured to receive input signals from said vehicle isolation sensor and said reverse polarity sensor, and to provide an output signal to said power switch, such that said power switch is turned on to cause said internal power supply to be connected to said output port in response to signals from said sensors indicating the presence of a vehicle battery at said output port and proper polarity connection of positive and negative terminals of said vehicle battery with said positive and negative polarity outputs, and is not turned on when signals from said sensors indicate either the absence of a vehicle battery at said output port or improper polarity connection of positive and negative terminals of said vehicle battery with said positive and negative polarity outputs.”A switch that electrically connects the power supply to the output port of the handheld booster device, controlled by signals from the vehicle battery sensor and the reverse polarity sensor.
Rechargeable battery pack
(Claim 1)		“In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the internal power supply is a rechargeable lithium ion battery pack.”A set of rechargeable batteries used as an internal power source within the handheld booster device.
Reverse polarity sensor
(Claim 23)		“In accordance with an aspect of the invention, an apparatus is provided for jump starting a vehicle engine, comprising: an internal power supply; an output port having positive and negative polarity outputs; a vehicle battery isolation sensor connected in circuit with said positive and negative polarity outputs, configured to detect presence of a vehicle battery connected between said positive and negative polarity outputs; a reverse polarity sensor connected in circuit with said positive and negative polarity outputs, configured to detect polarity of a vehicle battery connected between said positive and negative polarity outputs and to provide an output signal indicating whether positive and negative terminals of said vehicle battery are properly connected with said positive and negative polarity outputs of said output port”A sensor that detects whether the positive and negative terminals of the vehicle battery are correctly connected to the apparatus.
Vehicle battery sensor
(Claim 23)		“In accordance with an aspect of the invention, an apparatus is provided for jump starting a vehicle engine, comprising: an internal power supply; an output port having positive and negative polarity outputs; a vehicle battery isolation sensor connected in circuit with said positive and negative polarity outputs, configured to detect presence of a vehicle battery connected between said positive and negative polarity outputs”A sensor that detects the presence of a vehicle battery connected to the apparatus.

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US12208696

THE NOCO CO
Application Number
US18296441
Filing Date
Apr 6, 2023
Status
Granted
Expiry Date
Jul 3, 2034
External Links
Slate, USPTO, Google Patents