Abstract: A system and method for externally controlling the charging of a battery powered mobile computing device includes a charging unit configured to be electrically coupled to the mobile computing device to charge a battery therein. The charging unit comprises a charger configured to operate in a first mode to provide a constant charge current to the battery to be charged and to operate in a second mode to provide a constant charge voltage to the battery to be charged and where the switch from the first mode to the second mode occurs when the voltage at the battery a predefined threshold voltage. The charger including an offset compensator configured for applying an offset voltage to the measured output of the charger to maintain the charger in the first mode to compensate for voltage drops between the charger and the battery thereby allowing the battery voltage to reach the threshold voltage.

Abstract: A system and method for externally controlling the charging of a battery powered mobile computing device includes a charging unit configured to be electrically coupled to the mobile computing device to charge a battery therein. The charging unit comprises a charger configured to operate in a first mode to provide a constant charge current to the battery to be charged and to operate in a second mode to provide a constant charge voltage to the battery to be charged and where the switch from the first mode to the second mode occurs when the voltage at the battery a predefined threshold voltage. The charger including an offset compensator configured for applying an offset voltage to the measured output of the charger to maintain the charger in the first mode to compensate for voltage drops between the charger and the battery thereby allowing the battery voltage to reach the threshold voltage.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for power management in a handheld device having various power domains, including an attachable/detachable peripheral device. The power source has an available power amount. The method comprises receiving an indication of a power management event at the handheld device related to operation of a power domain, identifying a predetermined power signature associated with operation of the power domain, determining whether the available power amount is sufficient to operate the power domain in accordance with the predetermined power signature, reducing a power state of another functional upon determining that the available power is insufficient, and allocating the reduced power amount to the first power domain of the handheld device for operation according to the predetermined power signature.

Abstract: A computing device is configured to communicate with a peripheral via a connector having a predefined physical configuration and a predefined number of pins. The computing device comprising memory for storing instructions and a processor for executing the instructions. The instructions cause the processor to implement the following steps. Communication with the peripheral is initialized using a predefined initialization protocol via at least one predefined pin. Information relating to a pinout configuration defining a logical configuration of the pins is received from the peripheral. The pinout configuration is assigned to the pins. Communicating with the peripheral in commenced using the pinout configuration. A peripheral configured to communicate with the computing device and the methods for communicating there between are also described.

Abstract: A multi-protocol port interface coupled to a plurality of selectable circuits, each of the circuits being associated with an electrical interface standard and selectable via a mode-select input signal in order to facilitate communication with a peripheral device coupled to the port, the peripheral device having a circuit chosen from the plurality of selectable circuits and associated with an electrical interface standard.