Portable Vehicle Battery Jump Starter with Air Pump

Abstract

A vehicle battery jump starter with air pump device includes a vehicle battery jump starter and an air pump disposed within a cover. An internal battery is also disposed within the cover and connected to the vehicle battery jump starter and the air pump. A port is provided so as to provide connection to the device from an external vehicle battery. The air pump is configured such that it is powered by the external battery in a first mode of operation.

Claims

1. A vehicle battery jump starter with air pump device, the device comprising: a cover; a vehicle battery jump starter disposed within the cover; an air pump disposed within the cover; an internal battery disposed within the cover and connected to the vehicle battery jump starter and the air pump; and a port configured to provide a connection to a vehicle battery, wherein the air pump is configured to be powered by the vehicle battery in a first mode of operation.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the air pump is configured to be powered by the internal battery in a second mode of operation.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a control system for operating the vehicle battery jump starter and the air pump.

4. The device of claim 3, the control system comprising: at least a first controller; and a switch module in communication with the first controller, wherein the first controller is configured to deliver signals to the switch module, and the switch module is configured to select one of the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the control system further comprises: a second controller in communication with the first controller and the switch module, wherein the first controller is configured to control the vehicle battery jump starter, and the second controller is configured to control the air pump.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the switch module comprises a plurality of switches, the device further comprising: a plurality of sensors connected in circuit with the control system, each sensor configured to detect the presence of a safety condition; the first controller configured to receive input signals from the plurality of sensors and, wherein a signal of the signals delivered from the first controller to the switch module comprises an output signal to a first switch of the plurality of switches such that the first switch is activated in response to signals from the plurality of sensors indicating the safety conditions are met.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the switch module comprises a second switch, the second switch configured to activate in response to the presence of an input connected between the port and the vehicle battery and output a signal to the first controller and the second controller.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the first mode of operation is selected in response to activation of the first switch and the second switch.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises: a first set of sensors configured to send first signals directly to the first controller; and a second set of sensors configured to send second signals directly to the second controller, wherein the first controller reports detection of the first signals to the second controller and the second controller reports detection of the second signals to the first controller.

10. The device of claim 2, wherein the port comprises an empty female receptacle and the device is in the second mode of operation.

11. The device of claim 2, wherein the port comprises a female receptacle, the female receptacle including a switch; the device further comprising: a clamp module connected between the port and the vehicle battery, the clamp module comprising a first male connector having a first connector shape.

12. The device of claim 11, further comprising a pass-through extension connected between the female connector and the first male connector, the pass-through extension having a second connector shape, wherein the second connector shape comprises a protrusion that interfaces with the switch.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the device is in the first mode of operation.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the first male connector is directly connected to the female receptacle; the first connector shape does not interface with the switch; and the vehicle battery jump starter with air pump device is configured to be powered by the internal battery.

15. A vehicle battery jump starter with air pump device, the device comprising: a cover; an internal power supply disposed within the cover, the internal power supply comprising a rechargeable battery; a vehicle battery jump starter disposed within the cover, the jump starter configured to jump start a vehicle battery, the vehicle battery jump starter connected to and powered by the rechargeable battery during operation of the vehicle battery jump starter; an air pump disposed within the cover, the air pump configured for providing a supply of pressurized air, the air pump connected to the rechargeable battery and connectable to the vehicle battery; and a USB input port for charging the rechargeable battery.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the rechargeable battery is configured to charge via the USB input port and supply power to the air pump simultaneously.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the air pump comprises an air hose, and a pressure sensor configured to measure an air pressure of an external component connected to the air hose and report a value of the air pressure to the air pump.

18. The device of claim 17, further comprising: a user interface connected to the vehicle battery jump starter and the air pump; and the air pump is configured to automatically deliver air to the external component such that the value of the air pressure matches a target value selected by a user and received at the user interface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0196] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a handheld vehicle battery boost apparatus or jump starter in accordance with one aspect of the present invention.

[0197] FIGS. 2A-2C are schematic circuit diagrams of an example embodiment of a handheld vehicle battery boost apparatus or a portable vehicle battery jump starter in accordance with an aspect of the invention.

[0198] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a handheld jump starter booster device or a portable vehicle battery jump starter in accordance with one example embodiment of the invention.

[0199] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a jumper cable usable with the handheld jump start booster device in accordance with another aspect of the invention.

[0200] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the portable vehicle battery jump starter with air pump according to the present invention.

[0201] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 3 with an air pump.

[0202] FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of another a handheld vehicle battery boost apparatus or portable vehicle battery jump starter according to the present invention.

[0203] FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 7.

[0204] FIG. 9 is a rear elevational view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter in FIG. 7.

[0205] FIG. 10 is a left side elevational view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 7.

[0206] FIG. 11 is a right side elevational view of the portable vehicle battery jump starting device shown in FIG. 7.

[0207] FIG. 12 is a top planar view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 7.

[0208] FIG. 13 is a bottom planar view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 7.

[0209] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 7 with detachable battery cables attached to the battery jump starting and air compressing apparatus.

[0210] FIG. 15 is a top view of the layout of interior components of the portable vehicle battery jumper shown in FIG. 7 having detachable battery cables.

[0211] FIG. 16 is a top view of the layout of interior components of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 7 having non-detachable battery cables.

[0212] FIG. 17 is a top view of the connection ends of the detachable battery cables shown in FIG. 15.

[0213] FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of the control switch installed on the front of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 7.

[0214] FIG. 19 is a front elevational view of the switch plate of the control switch shown in FIG. 18 operable between a first position and second position.

[0215] FIG. 20 is a rear perspective view of the switch plate shown in FIG. 19.

[0216] FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the control switch shown in FIG. 18.

[0217] FIG. 22 is a rear and left side perspective view of the portable vehicle battery jump

[0218] starter shown in FIG. 7 with the cover removed.

[0219] FIG. 23 is a front and left side perspective view of the portable vehicle battery jump

[0220] starter shown in FIG. 7 with the cover removed.

[0221] FIG. 24 is a rear and right side perspective view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 7 with the cover removed.

[0222] FIG. 25 is a front elevational view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 7 with the cover removed.

[0223] FIG. 26 is a rear elevational view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 1 with the cover removed.

[0224] FIG. 27 is a top planar view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 7 with the cover removed.

[0225] FIG. 28 is a bottom planar view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 7 with the cover removed.

[0226] FIG. 29 is a left side elevational view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 7 with the cover removed.

[0227] FIG. 30 is a right side elevational view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 7 with the cover removed.

[0228] FIG. 31 is a front and top perspective view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 7 with the cover removed.

[0229] FIG. 32 is a disassembled front perspective view of a third embodiment of the portable vehicle battery jump starter according to the present invention with the cover removed.

[0230] FIG. 33 is a disassembled partial front perspective view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 32 with the cover removed.

[0231] FIG. 34 is a disassembled partial right side perspective view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 32 with the cover removed.

[0232] FIG. 35 is a partial rear perspective view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 32 with the cover removed.

[0233] FIG. 36 is a partial rear perspective view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 32 with the cover removed.

[0234] FIG. 37 is a disassembled partial left side perspective view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 32 with the cover removed.

[0235] FIG. 38 is a perspective view of the cam-lock connecting device according to the present invention for use, for example, with the portable vehicle battery jump starter according to the present invention shown with the male cam-lock end disconnected from the female cam-lock end.

[0236] FIG. 39 is a perspective view of the cam-lock connecting device shown in FIG. 38 with the male cam-lock end partially connected to the female cam-lock end.

[0237] FIG. 40 is a perspective view of the male cam-lock end of the cam-lock connecting device shown in FIG. 38.

[0238] FIG. 41 is a disassembled perspective view of the male cam-lock end of the cam-lock connecting device shown in FIG. 38.

[0239] FIG. 42 is a partially assembled perspective view of the male cam-lock end of the cam-lock connecting device shown in FIG. 38.

[0240] FIG. 43 is a partially assembled perspective view of the male cam-lock end of the cam-lock connecting device shown in FIG. 38.

[0241] FIG. 44 is a fully assembled perspective view of the male cam-lock end of the cam-lock connecting device shown in FIG. 38.

[0242] FIG. 45 is a partially assembled perspective view of the male cam-lock end of the cam-lock connecting device shown in FIG. 38.

[0243] FIG. 46 is a disassembled perspective end view of the female cam-lock end of the cam-lock connecting device shown in FIG. 38.

[0244] FIG. 47 is a disassembled perspective end view of the female cam-lock end of the cam-lock connecting device shown in FIG. 38.

[0245] FIG. 48 is a disassembled perspective end view of the female cam-lock end of the cam-lock connecting device shown in FIG. 38.

[0246] FIG. 49 is a partially assembled perspective end view of the female cam-lock end of the cam-lock connecting device shown in FIG. 38.

[0247] FIG. 50 is an assembled perspective end view of the female cam-lock end of the cam-lock connecting device shown in FIG. 38.

[0248] FIG. 51 is an assembled perspective end view of the female cam-lock end of the cam-lock connecting device shown in FIG. 38 along with a bolt for connecting to conductor such as a highly conductive frame of the vehicle battery jump starter according to the present invention.

[0249] FIG. 52 is a front perspective view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 7 with the cover removed showing the master control switch and interface backlight system according to the present invention.

[0250] FIG. 53 is a partial front perspective view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 7 with the backlight of the control knob of the control switch for 12V turned “on.”

[0251] FIG. 54 is a partial front perspective view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 7 with the backlight of the control knob of the control switch for 12V turned “off.”

[0252] FIG. 55 is a partial front perspective view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 7 with the backlight of the control knob of the control switch for 12V turned “on”, the backlight indicator for 12V on the interface turned “on”, the variable backlight indicator on the indicator showing 12.7V turned “on”, and the backlight for power “on.”

[0253] FIG. 56 is a partial front perspective view of the portable battery jump starter shown in FIG. 7 with the backlight of the control knob of the control switch for 24V turned “on.”

[0254] FIG. 57 is a block diagram showing the 12V or 24V portable battery jump starter operational modes.

[0255] FIG. 58 is a block diagram showing the electrical optical position sensing system according to the present invention.

[0256] FIG. 59 is an electrical schematic diagram of the 12V/24V master switch read.

[0257] FIG. 60 is a diagrammatic view showing a single connection or dual connection arrangement of the battery jump starter shown in FIG. 7.

[0258] FIG. 61 is a rear elevational view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 7, with the cover removed, showing the dual battery diode bridge according to the present invention.

[0259] FIG. 62 is a perspective view of the highly conductive frame according to the present invention.

[0260] FIG. 63 is a front elevational view of the highly conductive frame shown in FIG. 62.

[0261] FIG. 64 is a rear elevational view of the highly conductive frame shown in FIG. 62.

[0262] FIG. 65 is a top planar view of the highly conductive frame shown in FIG. 62.

[0263] FIG. 66 is a bottom planar view of the highly conductive frame shown in FIG. 62.

[0264] FIG. 67 is a left side elevational view of the highly conductive frame shown in FIG. 62.

[0265] FIG. 68 is a right side elevational view of the highly conductive frame shown in FIG. 62.

[0266] FIG. 69 is a top planar view of an assembled Li-ion battery assembly according to the present invention.

[0267] FIG. 70 is a perspective view of the Li-ion battery assembly shown in FIG. 69 with the covering removed.

[0268] FIG. 71 is a perspective view of the Li-ion battery assembly shown in FIG. 69 with the covering removed.

[0269] FIG. 72 is a perspective view of the Li-ion battery assembly shown in FIG. 69 with the covering removed.

[0270] FIG. 73 is a functional block diagram of the portable vehicle battery boost apparatus or portable vehicle battery jump starter in accordance with one aspect of the present invention.

[0271] FIGS. 74A-1-74F-3 are schematic circuit diagrams of an example embodiment of another portable vehicle battery boost apparatus or portable vehicle battery jump starter in accordance with an aspect of the invention.

[0272] FIG. 75 is a detailed front elevational view of the front display of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 7.

[0273] FIG. 76 is an electrical schematic diagram of the leapfrog charging system.

[0274] FIG. 77 is an electrical schematic diagram of the improved battery detection system.

[0275] FIG. 78 is an electrical schematic diagram of the improved battery detection system.

[0276] FIG. 79 is a front perspective view of the portable vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 7 with an air pump.

[0277] FIG. 80 is a block diagram of the portable vehicle battery jump starter with air pump according to the present invention.

[0278] FIG. 81 is another block diagram of the portable vehicle battery jump starter with air pump according to the present invention.

[0279] FIG. 82 is a functional block diagram of a system for operating the portable vehicle battery jump starter with air pump according to an embodiment.

[0280] FIG. 83 is a perspective view of a connection scheme of the portable vehicle battery jump starter with air pump according to an embodiment.

[0281] FIG. 84 is a perspective view of another connection scheme of the portable vehicle battery jump starter with air pump according to an embodiment.

[0282] FIG. 85 is a front view of components of a connection scheme of the portable vehicle battery jump starter with air pump according to an embodiment.

[0283] FIG. 86 is a flowchart depicting a method of powering the portable vehicle battery jump starter with air pump according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0284] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a handheld battery booster according to one aspect of the invention. At the heart of the handheld battery booster is a lithium polymer battery pack 32, which stores sufficient energy to jump start a vehicle engine served by a conventional 12 volt lead-acid or valve regulated lead-acid battery. In one example embodiment, a high-surge lithium polymer battery pack includes three 3.7V, 2666 mAh lithium polymer batteries in a 3S1P configuration. The resulting battery pack provides 11.1V, 2666 Ah (8000 Ah at 3.7V, 29.6 Wh). Continuous discharge current is 25 C (or 200 amps), and burst discharge current is 50 C (or 400 amps). The maximum charging current of the battery pack is 8000 mA (8 amps).

[0285] The handheld or portable battery booster shown in FIG. 1 is provided with an air pump (e.g. air compressor device) to provide a jump starter/air pump having a jump starter device for jump starting a vehicle and an air pump for providing a source of pressurized air for filling articles such as a vehicle tire. The jump starter/air pump device is described in detail below.

[0286] A programmable microcontroller unit (MCU) 1 receives various inputs and produces informational as well as control outputs. The programmable MCU 1 further provides flexibility to the system by allowing updates in functionality and system parameters, without requiring any change in hardware. According to one example embodiment, an 8 bit microcontroller with 2K x 15 bits of flash memory is used to control the system. One such microcontroller is the HT67F30, which is commercially available from Holtek Semiconductor Inc.

[0287] A car battery reverse sensor 10 monitors the polarity of the vehicle battery 72 when the handheld battery booster device is connected to the vehicle's electric system. As explained below, the booster device prevents the lithium battery pack from being connected to the vehicle battery 72 when the terminals of the battery 72 are connected to the wrong terminals of the booster device. A car battery isolation sensor 12 detects whether or not a vehicle battery 72 is connected to the booster device, and prevents the lithium battery pack from being connected to the output terminals of the booster device unless there is a good (e.g. chargeable) battery connected to the output terminals.

[0288] A smart switch FET circuit 15 electrically switches the handheld battery booster lithium battery to the vehicle's electric system only when the vehicle battery is determined by the MCU 1 to be present (in response to a detection signal provided by isolation sensor 12) and connected with the correct polarity (in response to a detection signal provided by reverse sensor 10). A lithium battery temperature sensor 20 monitors the temperature of the lithium battery pack 32 to detect overheating due to high ambient temperature conditions and overextended current draw during jump starting. A lithium battery voltage measurement circuit 24 monitors the voltage of the lithium battery pack 32 to prevent the voltage potential from rising too high during a charging operation and from dropping too low during a discharge operation.

[0289] Lithium battery back-charge protection diodes 28 prevent any charge current being delivered to the vehicle battery 72 from flowing back to the lithium battery pack 32 from the vehicle's electrical system. Flashlight LED circuit 36 is provided to furnish a flashlight function for enhancing light under a vehicle's hood in dark conditions, as well as providing SOS and strobe lighting functions for safety purposes when a vehicle may be disabled in a potentially dangerous location. Voltage regulator 42 provides regulation of internal operating voltage for the microcontroller and sensors. On/Off manual mode and flashlight switches 46 allow the user to control power-on for the handheld battery booster device, to control manual override operation if the vehicle has no battery, and to control the flashlight function. The manual button functions only when the booster device is powered on. This button allows the user to jump-start vehicles that have either a missing battery, or the battery voltage is so low that automatic detection by the MCU is not possible. When the user presses and holds the manual override button for a predetermined period time (such as three seconds) to prevent inadvertent actuation of the manual mode, the internal lithium ion battery power is switched to the vehicle battery connect port. The only exception to the manual override is if the car battery is connected in reverse. If the car battery is connected in reverse, the internal lithium battery power shall never be switched to the vehicle battery connect port.

[0290] USB charge circuit 52 converts power from any USB charger power source, to charge voltage and current for charging the lithium battery pack 32. USB output 56 provides a USB portable charger for charging smartphones, tablets, and other rechargeable electronic devices. Operation indicator LEDs 60 provides visual indication of lithium battery capacity status as well as an indication of smart switch activation status (indicating that power is being provided to the vehicle's electrical system).

[0291] Detailed operation of the handheld booster device will now be described with reference to the schematic diagrams of FIGS. 2A-2C. As shown in FIG. 2A, the microcontroller unit 1 is the center of all inputs and outputs. The reverse battery sensor 10 comprises an optically coupled isolator phototransistor (4N27) connected to the terminals of vehicle battery 72 at input pins 1 and 2 with a diode D8 in the lead conductor of pin 1 (associated with the negative terminal CB−), such that if the battery 72 is connected to the terminals of the booster device with the correct polarity, the optocoupler LED 11 will not conduct current, and is therefore turned off, providing a “1” or high output signal to the MCU 1. The car battery isolation sensor 12 comprises an optically coupled isolator phototransistor (4N27) connected to the terminals of vehicle battery 72 at input pins 1 and 2 with a diode D7 in the lead conductor of pin 1 (associated with the positive terminal CB+), such that if the battery 72 is connected to the terminals of the booster device with the correct polarity, the optocoupler LED 11A will conduct current, and is therefore turned on, providing a “0” or low output signal to the MCU, indicating the presence of a battery across the jumper output terminals of the handheld booster device.

[0292] If the car battery 72 is connected to the handheld booster device with reverse polarity, the optocoupler LED 11 of the reverse sensor 10 will conduct current, providing a “0” or low signal to microcontroller unit 1. Further, if no battery is connected to the handheld booster device, the optocoupler LED 11A of the isolation sensor 12 will not conduct current, and is therefore turned off, providing a “1” or high output signal to the MCU, indicating the absence of any battery connected to the handheld booster device. Using these specific inputs, the microcontroller software of MCU 1 can determine when it is safe to turn on the smart switch FET 15, thereby connecting the lithium battery pack to the jumper terminals of the booster device. Consequently, if the car battery 72 either is not connected to the booster device at all, or is connected with reverse polarity, the MCU 1 can keep the smart switch FET 15 from being turned on, thus prevent sparking/short circuiting of the lithium battery pack.

[0293] As shown in FIG. 2B, the FET smart switch 15 is driven by an output of the microcontroller 1. The FET smart switch 15 includes three FETs (Q15, Q18, and Q19) in parallel, which spreads the distribution of power from the lithium battery pack over the FETs. When that microcontroller output is driven to a logic low, FETs 16 are all in a high resistance state, therefore not allowing current to flow from the internal lithium battery negative polarity contact 17 to the car battery 72 negative contact. When the micro controller output is driven to a logic high, the FETs 16 (Q15, Q18, and Q19) are in a low resistant state, allowing current to flow freely from the internal lithium battery pack negative contact 17 (LB−) to the car battery 72 negative contact (CB−). In this way, the microcontroller software controls the connection of the internal lithium battery pack 32 to the vehicle battery 72 for jumpstarting the car engine.

[0294] Referring back to FIG. 2A, the internal lithium battery pack voltage can be accurately measured using circuit 24 and one of the analog-to-digital inputs of the microcontroller 1. Circuit 24 is designed to sense when the main 3.3V regulator 42 voltage is on, and to turn on transistor 23 when the voltage of regulator 42 is on. When transistor 23 is conducting, it turns on FET 22, thereby providing positive contact (LB+) of the internal lithium battery a conductive path to voltage divider 21 allowing a lower voltage range to be brought to the microcontroller to be read. Using this input, the microcontroller software can determine if the lithium battery voltage is too low during discharge operation or too high during charge operation, and take appropriate action to prevent damage to electronic components.

[0295] Still referring to FIG. 2A, the temperature of the internal lithium battery pack 32 can be accurately measured by two negative temperature coefficient (NTC) devices 20. These are devices that reduce their resistance when their temperature rises. The circuit is a voltage divider that brings the result to two analog-to-digital (A/D) inputs on the microcontroller 1. The microcontroller software can then determine when the internal lithium battery is too hot to allow jumpstarting, adding safety to the design. The main voltage regulator circuit 42 is designed to convert internal lithium battery voltage to a regulated 3.3 volts that is utilized by the microcontroller 1 as well as by other components of the booster device for internal operating power. Three lithium battery back charge protection diodes 28 (see FIG. 2B) are in place to allow current to flow only from the internal lithium battery pack 32 to the car battery 72, and not from the car battery to the internal lithium battery. In this way, if the car electrical system is charging from its alternator, it cannot back-charge (and thereby damage) the internal lithium battery, providing another level of safety.

[0296] The main power on switch 46 (FIG. 2A) is a combination that allows for double pole, double throw operation so that with one push, the product can be turned on if it is in the off state, or turned off if it is in the on state. This circuit also uses a microcontroller output 47 to “keep alive” the power when it is activated by the on switch. When the switch is pressed the microcontroller turns this output to a high logic level to keep power on when the switch is released. In this way, the microcontroller maintains control of when the power is turned off when the on/off switch is activated again or when the lithium battery voltage is getting too low. The microcontroller software also includes a timer that turns the power off after a predefined period of time, (such as, e.g. 8 hours) if not used.

[0297] The flashlight LED circuit 45 shown in FIG. 2B controls the operation of flashlight LEDs. Two outputs from the microcontroller 1 are dedicated to two separate LEDs. Thus, the LEDs can be independently software-controlled for strobe and SOS patterns, providing yet another safety feature to the booster device. LED indicators provide the feedback the operator needs to understand what is happening with the product. Four separate LEDs 61 (FIG. 2A) are controlled by corresponding individual outputs of microcontroller 1 to provide indication of the remaining capacity of the internal lithium battery. These LEDs are controlled in a “fuel gauge” type format with 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% (red, red, yellow, green) capacity indications. An LED indicator 63 (FIG. 2B) provides a visual warning to the user when the vehicle battery 72 has been connected in reverse polarity. “Boost” and on/off LEDs 62 provide visual indications when the booster device is provide jump-start power, and when the booster device is turned on, respectively.

[0298] A USB output 56 circuit (FIG. 2C) is included to provide a USB output for charging portable electronic devices such as smartphones from the internal lithium battery pack 32. Control circuit 57 from the microcontroller 1 allows the USB Out 56 to be turned on and off by software control to prevent the internal lithium battery getting too low in capacity. The USB output is brought to the outside of the device on a standard USB connector 58, which includes the standard voltage divider required for enabling charge to certain smartphones that require it.

[0299] The USB charge circuit 52 allows the internal lithium battery pack 32 to be charged using a standard USB charger. This charge input uses a standard micro-USB connector 48 allowing standard cables to be used. The 5V potential provided from standard USB chargers is up-converted to the 12.4 VDC voltage required for charging the internal lithium battery pack using a DC-DC converter 49. The DC-DC converter 49 can be turned on and off via circuit 53 by an output from the microcontroller 1.

[0300] In this way, the microcontroller software can turn the charge off if the battery voltage is measured to be too high by the A/D input 22. Additional safety is provided for helping to eliminate overcharge to the internal lithium battery using a lithium battery charge controller 50 that provides charge balance to the internal lithium battery cells 51. This controller also provides safety redundancy for eliminating over discharge of the internal lithium battery.

[0301] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a handheld device 300 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. 301 is a power on switch. 302 shows the LED “fuel gauge” indicators 61. 303 shows a 12 volt output port connectable to a cable device 400, described further below. 304 shows a flashlight control switch for activating flashlight LEDs 45. 305 is a USB input port for charging the internal lithium battery, and 306 is a USB output port for providing charge from the lithium battery to other portable devices such as smartphones, tablets, music players, etc. 307 is a “boost on” indicator showing that power is being provided to the 12V output port. 308 is a “reverse” indicator showing that the vehicle battery is improperly connected with respect to polarity. 309 is a “power on” indicator showing that the device is powered up for operation.

[0302] FIG. 4 shows a jumper cable device 400 specifically designed for use with the handheld device 300. Device 400 has a plug 401 configured to plug into 12 volt output port 303 of the handheld device 300. A pair of cables 402a and 402b are integrated with the plug 401, and are respectively connected to battery terminal clamps 403a and 403b via ring terminals 404a and 404b. The output port 303 and plug 401 may be dimensioned so that the plug 401 will only fit into the output port 303 in a specific orientation, thus ensuring that clamp 403a will correspond to positive polarity, and clamp 403b will correspond to negative polarity, as indicated thereon. Additionally, the ring terminals 404a and 404b may be disconnected from the clamps and connected directly to the terminals of a vehicle battery. This feature may be useful, for example, to permanently attach the cables 302a-302b to the battery of a vehicle. In the event that the battery voltage becomes depleted, the handheld booster device 300 could be properly connected to the battery very simply by plugging in the plug 401 to the output port 303.

[0303] FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing a jump starter/air pump device 400 comprising a jump starter or jump charger 410a with an air pump or air compressor 410b. The jump starter or jump charger 410a and the air pump or air compressor 410b can be located within a single cover 420 (e.g. housing or casing), or alternatively in separate covers (e.g. covers connecting together, one cover nesting within other cover, and one covering docketing within other cover). For example, the air pump or air compressor 410b can be removable installed within the jump starter or jump charger 410a. The air pump, for example, can comprise one or more selected from the group consisting of an air compressor, rotary air compressor, reciprocal air compressor, an air tank, electric motor, hydraulic motor, pneumatic motor, control, conduits, and air hose. Other known air pump constructions, arrangements, or systems can be used in the combined jump starter/air pump 400. The control for the air pump or air compressor 410b can be incorporated into the MCU 1 shown in FIG. 1 and/or a separate control can be provided, an controlled, for example, by the MCU 1. The jump starter or jump charger 410a and air pump or air compressor 410b can be powered by the same battery (e.g. rechargeable battery, rechargeable Li-ion battery located within or outside the cover 420 shown in FIG. 5). Alternatively, the jump starter or jump charge 410a and air pump or air compressor can be powered with separate batteries (e.g. separate rechargeable battery, separate Li-ion battery).

[0304] FIG. 6 shows a jump starter/air pump device 400 according to the present invention. For example, the vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 3, is provided with an air pump 410 to provide components and features of both a jump starter and an air pump located within the same cover 420 (e.g. cover, housing, or casing). The jump starter/air pump device 400 contains all of the components and parts of the jump starter device 300 shown in FIGS. 1-4, and described above, in combination with the components and parts of an air pump (e.g. air pump 410b shown in FIG. 5) to supply pressurized air. For example, the jump starter/air pump device 400 comprises an air hose 411, an air supply port 412, an air hose connector 413 having a connecting end 414, an external air hose 415, and an air valve connector 416 (e.g. tire valve connector). The air hose connector 413, external air hose 415, and air valve connector 416 are connected together. For example, the components are connected together, and are removably connected as a unit from the jump starter/air pump device 400. The air supply port can extend through the cover, display, and/or cover/di splay.

[0305] The jump starter/air pump device 400 can have a single battery (e.g. Li-ion battery) for supplying electrical power to the jump starter or jump charger 410a (FIG. 5) and/or the air pump or air compressor 410b. A manual or electrical switch can be incorporated to allow powering both the jump starter or jump charger 410a and air pump or air compressor 410b at the same time, or selectively. Again, alternatively, the jump starter/air pump device 400 comprises two or more batteries for independently supplying electrical power to the jump starter or jump charger 410a and the air pump or air compressor 410b.

[0306] The jump starter/air pump device 400 can include a fan for cooling down same before, during and/or after use. Alternatively, or in addition, the jump starter/air pump device 420 can used the air pump or air compressor 410b to supply cooling air internally to cool down the combined jump starter/air compressor 400. For example, the internal high pressure air hose 411 (FIG. 6) can have a vent and/or valve to controllably release air within the cover 420 and out a vent to cool same.

[0307] The jump starter/air pump device 400 can be controlled (e.g. manual or electrical switch) and operated (e.g. with control and control circuit and/or MCU1) to utilize one or more batteries (e.g. rechargeable battery(ies), rechargeable Li-ion battery(ies)) located, for example, within the jump starter/air pump device 400 to power the jump starter or jump charger 410a and the air pump or air compressor 410b. Alternatively, the one or more batteries, for example, located within the jump starter/air pump device 400 in combination with an external battery (e.g. vehicle battery) can be utilized to electrically power the jump starter/air pump device 400. For example, the jump starter/air pump device 400 can be electrically connected to the vehicle battery using the cable assembly with clamps and/or connected to the cigarette lighter port using a power cable. The jump starter/air pump device 400 can include the following additional features:

[0308] 1) a digital air pressure (e.g. psi) gauge or display (e.g. a digital air pressure gauge located on the front display located on the cover of the combined jump starter/air pump 400);

[0309] 2) a switch for presetting a target air pressure (e.g. a switch on the front display or cover, in addition to the display);

[0310] 3) separately powering the jump starter/air pump device 400 (e.g. manual and/or auto switch connected to power circuit);

[0311] 4) providing one battery operating modes (e.g. one Li-ion battery powers both jump starter or jump charger 410a and the air pump or air compressor 410b);

[0312] 5) providing multiple batteries providing various operating modes (e.g. using one or two batteries to operate jump starter device and/or air compressor device;

[0313] 6) use DC or AC power with appropriate charger or converter to charge battery(ies) and/or power the jump starter or jump charger 410a and the air pump or air compressor 410b (e.g. integrated electrical and air supply port (e.g. a single port located on cover and configured to provide power connection and air supply connection);

[0314] 7) operating cooling fan in various modes (e.g. cooling fan operates only when the jump starter/air pump device 400 is operating; cooling fan operates after a jump starter run; internal temperature sensor with preset temperature level controls operation of the cooling fan; and

[0315] 8) cooling fan powered by separate battery (e.g. a separate battery is provided for powering cooling fan when simultaneously operating combined jump starter/air pump 400).

[0316] Another vehicle battery jump starter 1010 according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. 7-14. The battery jump starter 1010 can be provided with an air pump to provide a jump starter/air pump device.

[0317] The battery jump starting device 1010 can be fitted with an air pump to provide both a jump starting feature and an air pump feature. The jump starting feature is provided by a jump starter for jump starting a vehicle and the air pump feature is provided by an air pump to provide pressurized air for filling articles such as a vehicle tire. The detailed arrangement or configuration of the combined jump starter and air pump are described in detail below. The vehicle battery jump starter 1010 comprises a cover 1012 fitted with a handle 1014, as shown in FIGS. 7-14 and having a particular design shown.

[0318] The vehicle battery jump starter 1010 comprises a front interface 1016 having a power button 1017 for turning the power on or off, and an electrical control switch 1018 having a control knob 18a for operating an internally located control. The control switch 1018 is configured so that the control knob 1018a can be rotated back-and-forth between a first position (12V mode) to a second position (24V mode) depending on the particular voltage system of the vehicle being jump started (e.g. 12V, 24V).

[0319] The interface 1016 can be provided with the following features as shown in FIG. 7, including:

[0320] 1) Power Button 1017;

[0321] 2) Power LED (e.g. White colored LED);

[0322] 3) 12V Mode LED (e.g. White colored LED);

[0323] 4) 24V Mode LED (e.g. Blue colored LED);

[0324] 5) Error LED (e.g. Red colored LED);

[0325] 6) Cold Error LED (e.g. Blue colored LED);

[0326] 7) Hot Error LED (e.g. Red colored LED);

[0327] 8) Internal Battery Fuel Gauge LEDs (e.g. Red, Red, Amber, Green LEDs);

[0328] 9) Flashlight Mode Button;

[0329] 10) Flashlight LED (e.g. White colored LED);

[0330] 12) 12V IN LED (e.g. White/Red LED);

[0331] 13) 12V OUT LED (e.g. White/Red LED);

[0332] 14) USB OUT LED (e.g. White LED);

[0333] 15) Manual Override Button:

[0334] 16) Manual Override LED Red:

[0335] 17) Voltmeter Display LED (e.g. White colored LED);

[0336] 18) 12V Mode LED (e.g. White colored LED);

[0337] 19) 24V Mode LED (e.g. Blue colored LED); and

[0338] 20) Boost LED (e.g. White colored LED).

[0339] The above features can be modified with different colors, and/or arrangements on the face of the interface 1016.

[0340] The vehicle battery jump starter 1010 further comprises a port 1020 having left-side port 1020a and right-side port 1020b, as shown in FIG. 8. The port 1020 is configured to extend through a through hole 1016a located in the lower right side of the interface 1016. The left-side port 1020a accommodates dual 2.1 amp (A) USB OUT ports 1020c, 1020d and the right-side port 1020b accommodates an 18A 12V XGC OUT port 1020e and a 5 A 12V XGC IN port 1020e, as shown in FIG. 8. The cover 1012 is provided with the resilient sealing cap 1022, including left sealing cap 1022a for sealing left port 1020a and right sealing cap 1022b for sealing right port 1020b during non-use of the vehicle battery jump starter 1010.

[0341] The left side of the vehicle battery jump starter 1010 is also fitted with a pair of light emitting diodes 1028 (LEDS) for using the vehicle battery jump starter 1010 as a work light. For example, the LEDs 1028 are dual 1100 Lumen high-intensity LED floodlights), as shown in FIGS. 7, 10, and 14. The LEDs 1028 are configured to have seven (7) operational modes, including 100% intensity, 50% intensity, 10% intensity, SOS (emergency protocol), Blink, Strobe, and Off.

[0342] The vehicle battery jump starter 1010 is fitted with a heat sink 1029 (FIG. 7) for dissipating heat from the LEDs 1028. For example, the heat sink 1029 is made of a heat conductive material (e.g. molded or die cast aluminum heat sink). The rib design shown (FIG. 7) facilitates the heat sink 1029 transferring heat to the surrounding atmosphere to prevent the LEDs 1028 from overheating.

[0343] The vehicle battery jump starter 1010 is shown in FIG. 7 without battery cables having battery clamps for connecting the vehicle battery jump starter 1010 to a battery of a vehicle to be jump started. The vehicle battery jump starter 1010 can be configured to detachably connect to a set of battery cables each having a battery clamps (e.g. positive battery cable with a positive clamp, negative battery cable with a negative clamp). Alternatively, the battery jump starting and air compressing apparatus can be fitted with battery cables hard wired directly to the device and being non-detachable.

[0344] In the vehicle battery jump starter 1010 shown in FIGS. 7 and 10, the left side of the vehicle battery jump starter 1010 is provided with POSITIVE (+) cam-lock 1024a and NEGATIVE (−) cam-lock 1024b. The cam-locks 1024a, 1024b include receptacles 1025a, 1025b (FIG. 10) configured for detachably connecting with connecting end 1056a (FIG. 11) of the positive battery cable 1056 and the connecting end 1058a of negative battery cable 1058, respectively. The cam-locks 1024a, 1024b are fitted with sealing caps 1026 (FIG. 7) for closing and sealing the receptacles 1025a, 1025b of the cam-locks 1024a, 1024b, respectively, during non-use of the vehicle battery jump starter 1010.

[0345] The power circuit 1030 of the vehicle battery jump starter 1010 is shown in FIG. 15.

[0346] The power circuit 1030 comprises two (2) separate Lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries 1032 (e.g. two (2) 12V Li-ion batteries) connected to the control switch 1018 via a pair of cable sections 1034, 1036 (e.g. insulated copper cable sections), respectively. The control switch 1018 is connected to the reverse currently diode array 1048 (i.e. reverse flow protection device) via the cable section 1044, and the control switch 1018 is connected to the smart switch 1050 (e.g. 500 A solenoid device) via cable section 1040, as shown in FIG. 15.

[0347] The reverse current diode array 1048 is connected to the one battery 1032 via cable section 1044, and the smart switch 1050 is connected to the other battery 1032 via cable section 1046, as shown in FIG. 15.

[0348] The positive battery cable 1056 having a positive battery clamp 1060 is detachably connected to the positive cam-lock 1025a (FIG. 15), which is connected to the reverse current diode array 1048 via cable section 1052.

[0349] The negative battery cable 1058 having a negative battery clamp 1062 is detachably connected to the negative cam-lock 1025b (FIG. 15), which is connected to the smart switch 1050 via cable section 1054.

[0350] In the above described first embodiment of the power circuit 1030, the electrical components of the power circuit 1030 are connected together via cable sections (e.g. heavy gauge flexible insulated copper cable sections). The ends of cable sections are soldered and/or mechanically fastened to the respective electrical components to provide highly conductive electrical connections between the electrical components.

[0351] In a modified first embodiment shown in FIG. 16, the battery cables 1056, 1058 are directly hard wired to the reverse current diode array 1048 and smart switch 1050, respectively, eliminating the cam-locks 1025a, 1025b, so that the battery cables 1056, 1058 are no longer detachable.

[0352] In a second embodiment of the power circuit to be described below, the cable sections 1036, 1040, 1042, 1044 located between the Li-ion batteries 1032 and the reverse current diode array 1048 and smart switch 1050, respectively, are replaced with a highly conductive rigid frame.

[0353] The control switch 1018 assembly is shown in FIGS. 18-18. The control switch 1018 comprises the following:

[0354] 1) control knob 1018a;

[0355] 2) front housing 1072;

[0356] 3) rear housing 1074;

[0357] 4) rotor 1076 having a collar 1076a, legs 1076b, and legs 1076c;

[0358] 5) springs 1078;

[0359] 6) pivoting contact 1080 each having two (2) points of contact (e.g. slots 1080c);

[0360] 7) separate terminals 1082, 1084, 1086, 1088;

[0361] 8) connected terminals 1090, 1092;

[0362] 9) conductive bar 1094;

[0363] 10) O-ring 1096;

[0364] 11) O-ring 1098; and

[0365] 12) O-ring 10100.

[0366] The control knob 1018a comprises rear extension portions 1018b, 1018c. The extension portion 1018c has a T-shaped cross section to connect into a T-shaped recess 1076e (FIG. 18) in rotor 1076 when assembled. The rotor 1076 is provided with a flange 1076a configured to accommodate the rear extension portion 1018b (e.g. round cross-section) therein.

[0367] The pair of legs 1076c (e.g. U-shaped legs) of the rotor 1076 partially accommodate the springs 1078, respectively, and the springs 1078 apply force against the pivoting contacts 1080 to maintain same is highly conductive contact with the selected contacts 1082b-1092c of the terminals 1082-1092.

[0368] The pivoting contacts 1080 each have a pivoting contact plate 1080a having a centered slot 1080b configured to accommodate an end of each leg 1076b of the rotor 1076. When the rotor 1076 is turned, each leg 1076b actuates and pivots each pivoting contact plate 1080a.

[0369] Further, the pivoting contact plates 1080a each having a pair of spaced apart through holes 1080c (e.g. oval-shaped through holes) serving as two (s) points of contact with selected contacts 1082c-1092c of the terminals 1082-1092.

[0370] The terminals 1082-1092 have threaded posts 1082a-1092a, spacer plates 1082b-1092b, and conductive bar 1094, respectively, configured so that the contacts 1082c-1092c are all located in the same plane (i.e. plane transverse to longitudinal axis of the control switch 1018) to allow selective pivoting movement of the pivoting contacts 1080. The threaded posts 1082a-1092a of the terminals 1082-1092 are inserted through the through holes 1074a, respectively, of the rear housing 1074. The O-rings 1096, 1098, 1100, as shown in FIG. 18, seal the separate the various components of the control switch 1018 as shown. After assembly of the control switch 1018, a set of screws 1075 connect with anchors 1074b of the rear housing 1074 to secure the front housing 1072 to the rear housing 1074 as shown in FIG. 18.

[0371] The control switch 1018 is a 12V/24V selective type switch as shown in FIG. 19. The configuration of the pivoting contacts 1080 in the first position or Position 1 (i.e. Parallel position) is shown on the left side of FIG. 19, and the second position or Position 2 (i.e. Series position) is shown on the right side of FIG. 19.

[0372] The rear side of the control switch 1018 is shown in FIG. 20. Another highly conductive bar 1094 is provided on the rear outer surface of the rear housing 1074. The fully assembled control switch 1018 is shown in FIG. 21.

[0373] The second embodiment of the vehicle battery jump starter 1110 is shown in FIGS. 20-25 with the cover 1112 removed. The cover for the battery jump starting and air compressing apparatus 1110 is the same as the cover 1012 of the battery jump starting and air compressing apparatus 1010 shown in FIGS. 7-14.

[0374] In a second embodiment of the vehicle battery jump starter 1110 compared to the battery jump starting and air compressing apparatus 1010 shown in FIGS. 7-14, the cable sections 1034, 1036, 1040, 1042, 1044, 1046 (FIG. 15) in the first embodiment are replaced with a highly conductive frame 1170.

[0375] The vehicle battery jump starter 1110 comprises a pair of 12V Li-ion batteries 1132 directly connected to the highly conductive rigid frame 1170. Specifically, the tabs (not shown) of the Li-ion batteries are soldered to the highly conductive rigid frame 1170.

[0376] The vehicle battery jump starter 1110 is fitted with an air compressor device to provide a jump starting and air compressing apparatus having a jump starter device for jump starting a vehicle and an air compressor device for providing a source of high pressure air for filling articles such as a vehicle tire. The jump starting and air compressing device, jump starter device, and air compressor device are described in detail below.

[0377] The highly conductive rigid frame 1170 is constructed of multiple highly conductive rigid frame members 1134, 1136, 1140, 1142, 1144, 1146, 1152, 1154 connected together by mechanical fasteners (e.g. copper nut and/or bolt fasteners) and/or soldering. For example, the highly conductive rigid frame members are made of highly conductive rigid copper rods. Alternatively, the highly conductive rigid copper rods can be replaced with highly conductive rigid copper plates, bars, tubing, or other suitably configured highly conductive copper material (e.g. copper stock material). The highly conductive rigid frame members 1134, 1136, 1140, 1142, 1144, 1146 can be insulated (e.g. heat shrink) in at least key areas to prevent any internal short circuiting.

[0378] The highly conductive rigid frame members can be configured with flattened end portions (e.g. flattened by pressing) each having a through hole to provide part of a mechanical connection for connecting successive or adjacent highly conductive rigid frame members and/or electrical components together using a highly conductive nut and bolt fastener (e.g. copper bolt and nut). In addition, the highly conductive rigid frame member can be formed into a base (e.g. plate or bar portion) for an electrical component. For example, the reverse flow diode assembly 1148 has three (3) base portions, including (1) an upper highly conductive rigid bar 1148a (FIG. 22) having a flattened end portion 1148aa connected to the flattened end portion 1144a of highly conductive rigid frame member 1144 using a highly conductive fastener 1206 (e.g. made of copper) having a highly conductive bolt 1206a and highly conductive nut 1206b; (2) a lower highly conductive rigid bar 1148b made from a flattened end portion of highly conductive rigid frame member 1144; and (3) a center highly conductive rigid bar 1148c made from a flattened end portion of the highly conductive rigid frame member 1152.

[0379] As another example, the smart switch 1150 (FIG. 22) comprises a highly conductive rigid plate 1150a serving as a base supporting the solenoid 1150b. The highly conductive rigid plate 1150a is provided with through holes for connecting highly conductive rigid frame members to the smart switch 1150 (e.g. highly conductive rigid frame member 1142) using highly conductive fasteners 1206.

[0380] The stock material (e.g. copper rod, plate, bar, tubing) selected for construction of the highly conductive rigid frame 1170 has substantial gauge to provide high conductivity and substantial rigidity. The “rigid” nature of the highly conductive rigid frame 1170 provides the advantage that the highly conductive rigid frame remains structurally stiff and stable during storage and use of the battery jump starting and air compressing apparatus 1110.

[0381] For example, the highly conductive rigid frame 1170 is designed and constructed to sufficiently prevent flexing, movement, bending and/or displacement during storage or use so as to prevent electrical shortages of the highly conductive rigid frame touching other internal electrical components or parts of the electronic assembly. This “rigid” nature is important due to the high conductivity path of electrical power from the Li-ion batteries flowing through the power circuit and reaching the battery clamps. It is a desired goal and feature of the present invention to conduct as much power as possible from the Li-ion batteries to the battery being jump started by the battery jump starting and air compressing apparatus by reducing or minimizing any electrical resistance by using the heavy duty and highly conductive rigid frame 1170 arrangement disclosed.

[0382] As an alternative, the highly conductive rigid frame 1170 can be constructed as a single piece having no mechanically fastened joints. For example, the highly conductive rigid frame can be made from a single piece of stock material and then formed into the highly conductive rigid frame. For example, a billet of highly conductive copper can be machined (e.g. milled, lathed, drilled) into the highly conductive rigid frame. As another example, a copper sheet or plate can be bent and/or machined into the highly conductive rigid frame. As a further alternative, the highly conductive rigid frame can be metal molded (e.g. loss wax process).

[0383] As another alternative, the highly conductive rigid frame 1170 is made of multiple highly conductive rigid frame members connected together into a unitary structure. For example, the highly conductive rigid frame is made of highly conductive sections of stock material (e.g. copper rod, plate, bar, tubing), which are bent and soldered and/or welded together.

[0384] The vehicle battery jump starter 1110 further comprises a resistor array 1202 (e.g. 12 V 5A XGC) comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) 1202a serving as a base supporting an array of individual resistors 1202b, as shown in FIGS. 23 and 25. The PCB 1202a also supports the dual 2.1 amp (A) USB OUT ports 1120c, 1120d, the 18 A 12V XGC OUT port 1020e, and the 5 A 12V XGC IN port 1020e.

[0385] The left side of the vehicle battery jump starter 1110 is also fitted with a pair of light emitting diodes 1128 (LEDS) for using the vehicle battery jump starter 1110 as a work light. For example, the LEDs 1128 are dual 1100 Lumen high-intensity LED floodlights), as shown in FIG. 22. The LEDs 1128 are configured to have seven (7) operational modes, including 100% intensity, 50% intensity, 10% intensity, SOS (emergency protocol), Blink, Strobe, and Off.

[0386] The vehicle battery jump starter 1110 is fitted with a heat sink 1129 (FIG. 22) for dissipating heat from the LEDs 1128. For example, the heat sink 1129 is made of a heat conductive material (e.g. molded or die cast metal plate). The heat sink 1129 is provided with ribs 1129a transferring heat to the surrounding atmosphere to prevent the LEDs 1128 from overheating.

[0387] The vehicle battery jump starter 1110 is shown in FIG. 22 without any battery cables having battery clamps for connecting the battery jump starting and air compressing apparatus 1110 to a battery of a vehicle to be jump started. The vehicle battery jump starter 1110 can be configured to detachably connect to a set of battery cables having battery clamps (e.g. positive battery cable with a positive clamp, negative battery cable with a negative clamp). For example, see the detachable battery cables 1056, 1058 and battery clamps 1060, 1062 in FIG. 15, which can be detachably connected to the cam-locks 1124a, 1124b of the battery jump starting and air compressing apparatus 1110. Alternatively, the vehicle battery jump starter 1110 can be fitted with battery cables having clamps hard wired to the device and non-detachable that same or similar to those shown in FIG. 16.

[0388] For example, the left side of the vehicle battery jump starter 1110 is provided with POSITIVE (+) cam-lock 1124a and NEGATIVE (−) cam-lock 1124b, as shown in FIG. 22. The cam-locks 1124a, 1124b include receptacles 1125a, 1125b configured for detachably connecting with connecting end 1156a (FIG. 17) of the positive battery cable 156 and the connecting end 158a of negative battery cable 158, respectively. The cam-locks 1124a, 1124b can be fitted with sealing caps the same or similar to the sealing caps 126 (FIG. 7) for closing and sealing the receptacles 1125a, 1125b of the cam-locks 1124a, 1124b, respectively, during non-use of the battery jump starting and air compressing apparatus 1110.

[0389] The battery jump starting and air compressing apparatus 1110 comprises a main printed circuit board 1208 serving as a base for LEDs for the control knob 1018a and interface 1016, and for supporting other electrical components of the battery jump starting and air compressing apparatus 1110.

[0390] A third embodiment of the vehicle battery jump starter 1210 is shown in FIGS. 32-37. In this embodiment, the highly conductive rigid frame is made from flat copper bar stock material having a rectangular-shaped cross-sectional profile. The flat copper bar is bent to at least partially wrap around and envelop the Li-ion batteries.

Cam-Lock Connectors

[0391] Again, the battery cables 1056, 1058 (FIG. 16) can be detachably connected to the battery jump starting and air compressing apparatus 1010 via cam-locks 1024a, 1024b (FIG. 7) or cam-locks 1124a, 1124b (FIG. 22).

[0392] The cam-locks 1024a, 1124a, 1024b, 1124b and cables 1056, 1058 (FIG. 15) having conductive ends 1056a, 1056b (FIG. 17) can each have the construction of the cam-lock connector 1027, as shown in FIGS. 38-51.

[0393] The cam-lock connector 1027 can be used for other applications for detachably connecting a conductive electrical cable to an electronic device other than the battery jump starting and air compressing apparatus according to the present invention.

[0394] The cam-lock connector 1027 comprises a male cam-lock end 1027a and a female cam-lock end 1027b for detachable connecting the battery cables 1056, 1058 (FIG. 16), respectively, to the vehicle battery jump starter 1010.

[0395] The male cam-lock end 1027a comprises a pin 1027aa having a tooth 1027ab. The female cam-lock end 1027b comprises a receptacle 1027ba having a slot 1027bb together located in a hex portion 1027bc. The receptacle 1027ba is configured to accommodate the pin 1027aa and tooth 1027ab of the male cam-lock end 1027a. Specifically, the pin 1027aa and tooth 1027ab of the male cam-lock end 1027a can be inserted (FIG. 39) into the receptacle 1027ba and slot 1027bb a fixed distance until the tooth 1027ab contacts an interior surface of the internal thread of the female cam-lock 1027b to be described below. The male cam-lock end 1027a can be rotated (e.g. clockwise) to tighten within the female cam-lock end 1027b until the end face portion 1027ac of the male cam-lock end 1027a engages with the end face portion 1027bc of the female cam-lock end 1027b. The more the cam-lock 1024 is tightened, the better the electrical connection is between the male cam-lock end 1027a and the female cam-lock end 1027b.

[0396] The male cam-lock end 1027a is fitted with a rubber molded cover 1031, as shown in FIG. 40, to insulate and improve the grip on the male cam-lock end 1027a. The highly conductive cable 1033 is electrically and mechanically connected to the male cam-lock end 1027a, and is fitted through a passageway in the rubber molded cover 1031.

[0397] The assembly of the male cam-lock 1027a is shown in FIG. 41. The male cam-lock 1027a is provided with a thread hole 1037 for accommodating Allen head fastener 1039. The one end of the male cam-lock 1027a is provided with a receptacle 1027ad for accommodating the copper sleeve 1041 fitted onto the end of the inner conductor 1056a of the battery cable 1056. The copper sleeve 1041 is soldered onto the inner conductor 1056a using solder 1043.

[0398] The copper sleeve 1041 is fitted into the receptacle 1027ad of the male cam-lock end 1027a, as shown in FIG. 42. When the copper sleeve 1041 is fully inserted into the receptacle 1027 of the male cam-lock end 1027a, as shown in FIG. 42, then the Allen head fastener is threaded into the threaded hole 1037 and tightened, as shown in FIG. 43.

[0399] It is noted that the inner end of the Allen head fastener makes an indent 1045 when sufficiently tightened to firmly anchor the copper sleeve 1041 and inner conductor 1056a of the battery cable 1056 to mechanically and electrically connect the cable 1056 to the male cam-lock end 1027a. The rubber molded cover 1031 is provided with one or more inwardly extending protrusions 1031a (FIG. 32) cooperating with one or more slots 1027ae in an outer surface of the male cam-lock end 1027a (FIG. 44).

[0400] Again, the male cam-lock end 1027a and the female cam-lock end 1027b are configured so as to tighten together when rotating the male cam-lock end 1027a when inserted within the female cam-lock end 1027b.

[0401] The female cam-lock end 1027b, as shown in FIG. 46, is provided with the receptacle 1027ba and slot 1027bb for accommodating the end of the male cam-lock end 1027a. The slot 1027bb is provided with a surface 1027bba serving as a stop for the tooth 1027ab of the male cam-lock end 1027a. The receptacle 1027ba is provided with inner threading 1027baa for cooperating with the tooth 1027ab of the male cam-lock end 1027a to provide a threaded connection therebetween. Specifically, the tooth 1027ab engages with the surface 1027bba and is stopped from being further inserted into the receptacle 1027ba of the female cam-lock end 1027b. When the male cam-lock end 1027a is rotated, the tooth 1027ab engages and cooperates with the inner threading 1027baa of the receptacle 1027ba of the female cam-lock end 1027b to begin tightening the male cam-lock end 1027a within the female cam-lock end 1027b with the tooth 1027ab riding against an edge of the inner thread 1027baa. The male cam-lock end 1027a is further rotated to further tighten the connection with the female cam-lock end 1027b. When the face 1027ac (FIG. 38) of the male cam-lock end 1027a engages with the face 1027bd of the female cam-lock end 1027b, then the cam-locks ends 1027a, 1027b are fully engage and rotation is stopped.

[0402] The female cam-lock end 1027b is accommodated with a rubber molded cover 1051 having cover portions 1051a, 1051b, as shown in FIGS. 48-51. The female cam-lock end 1027b (FIGS. 46 and 47) is provided with inner threading 1027bf (FIG. 46) to accommodate the bolt 1047 and lock washer 1049 (FIG. 47) for connecting the female cam-lock end 1027b to the battery jump starting and air compressing apparatus 1010 (e.g. connects to base plate for smart switch 1050 (FIG. 15)).

[0403] The female cam-lock end 1027b is accommodated within the molded rubber cover portions 1051a, 1051b, as shown in FIGS. 47-49. The molded rubber cover portions 1051a, 1051b are fitted onto the threaded portion 1027be of the female cam-lock end 1027b (FIG. 51), and then secured in place using nut 1053 and lock washer 1055. The molded rubber cover portion 1051a includes an outwardly extending protrusion 1051aa.

Electrical Control Switch Backlight System

[0404] The vehicle battery jump charger 1010 or 1110 can be provided with an electrical control switch backlight system 1200, for example, as shown in FIGS. 52-56.

[0405] The electrical control switch backlight system 200, for example, comprises control switch 1018 having the control knob 1018a, the interface 1016 (e.g. membrane label), and the main printed circuit board 1208.

[0406] The control knob 1018a is made of plastic (e.g. injection molded plastic part). For example, the control knob 1018a is mainly made of a colored opaque plastic material selected to prevent the transmission of light therethrough provided with a clear plastic slot 1018b molded therein (e.g. insert molded). The clear plastic slot 1018b serves as a light window to allow light from one or more backlight LEDs mounted on the printed circuit board 1208 to pass through the interface 1016 and the light window when the power button 1017 of the interface 1016 is turned on (e.g. touch power switch) lighting the one or more LEDs. Alternatively, the clear plastic slot 1018b can be replaced with an open slot in the control knob 1018b serving as the light window.

[0407] The control switch 1018 is rotatable between a first position (Position 1) fora 12V mode of operation of the battery jump starting and air compressing apparatus 1010 and a second position (Position 2) for a 24V mode of operation of the battery jump starting and air compressing apparatus 1010. The power is shown “on” in FIG. 53 and “off” in FIG. 54.

[0408] The interface 1016 is provided with a 12V backlight indicator 1016a, a 24V backlight indicator 1016b, a 12V backlight indicator 1016c, a 24V backlight indicator 1016d, a variable display backlight indicator 1016e for indicating the actual operating voltage of the battery jump charging device 1010, and a power “on” indicator 1016f, as shown in FIG. 55.

[0409] The electrical control switch backlight system 1200 can be configured to turn on white LEDs mounted on the printed circuit board 1208 when the control switch 1018 is located at Position 1 for the 12V mode of operation of the battery jump starting and air compressing apparatus 1010, and turn on blue LEDs mounted on the printed circuit board 1208 when the control switch 1018 is located at Position 2 for the 24V mode of operation of the battery jump starting and air compressing apparatus 1010. As show in FIG. 53, the light window provided by slot 1018b on the control knob 1018 lights up along with 12V backlight indicators 1016a, 1016c on the interface 1016 when the control knob 1018a is in Position 1. As shown in FIG. 56, the 24V backlight indicator 1016b lights up along with the 24V backlight indicator 1016d when the control knob 1018b is in Position 2.

Electrical Optical Position Sensing Switch System

[0410] The portable jump starting and air compressing device 1010 or 1110, for example, can be configured as a dual purpose Li-ion jump starter to allow for jump starting either a 12V or 24V heavy duty vehicle or piece of equipment. This lightweight portable unit utilizes the manual rotary control switch 1018 with the control knob 1018a for switching between 12V or 24V jump starting or operational modes. Any of the above described portable jump starting devices according to the present invention can be provided with the electrical optical position sensing system 1300, as shown in FIGS. 57-59.

[0411] The portable jump starting device 1010 uses two 12V Li-ion batteries that are connected in parallel for 12V jumpstarting and in series for 24V jump starting. The series or parallel connections are accomplished with the rotary control switch 1018 (e.g. Master Switch), as shown in FIG. 57.

[0412] The electrical optical position sensing system 1300 is shown in FIG. 58. The optical position sensing system 1300 is configured to allow for a safe and effective method for the system microcontroller to read the position of the control switch 1018. The optical position sensing system 1300 comprises a sensor 1302 (FIG. 58) using optical coupling to insure the integrity of isolation on the 12V to 24V rotary control switch 1018.

[0413] A schematic of the circuit of the optical position sensing system 1300 is shown in FIG. 59. The top left portion of the schematic includes transistor Q28 and resistors R165, R168, R161 and R163. This circuit acts as an electrical enable when the main system 3.3V power is turned “on.” The purpose of this enable is to reduce parasite current when the portable jump starting device 10 is in the “off” state. When “on”, this enables current from battery A+ to flow through Q27, which acts as an electrical switch.

[0414] If Q27 is “on”, it allows current to flow from Battery A+ to Battery B− when the batteries are connected in parallel. When they are connected in series, no current flows because A+ and B− are connected together through the control switch 1018.

[0415] The result of current flow or lack thereof, allows the optical coupler to provide a signal to the microcontroller telling it which position the Master Switch is in.

[0416] The second portion of the schematic (i.e. schematic located just below the first schematic), allows the opposite signal to be provided to a separate input of the microcontroller. The result of this is to provide the microcontroller an effective method of determining when the switch is “In Between” meaning it is not in 12V position or 24V position and is in between those two positions. This allows the microcontroller to provide diagnostics in case a user leaves the switch in an unusable position.

Dual Battery Diode Bridge

[0417] The vehicle battery jump starter 1010 or 1110, for example, can be provided with a dual diode battery bridge, for example, in the form of a back-charge diode module 1148 configured for protecting against back-charge after a vehicle battery has been jump charged, as shown in FIG. 60.

[0418] The back-charge diode module 1148 is configured to provide two (2) channels 1148a, 1148b of diodes to support the two (2) battery system (e.g. two batteries of jump starting device 1110) and are bridged together to provide peak current output during jump starts.

[0419] The single wiring connection and dual wiring connections of vehicle battery jump starter 1110 is shown in FIG. 60. The components are connected together by the highly conductive rigid frame 1170, including copper bar member 1152. The copper bar members making up the highly conductive rigid frame 1170 are more conductive than 2/0 copper cable. Further, the connection points between copper bar members of the highly conductive rigid frame 1170 are configured to reduce power losses compared to copper cable. The copper bar members of the highly conductive rigid frame 1170 can be replaced with other highly conductive metals (e.g. aluminum, nickel, plated metal, silver plated metal, gold plated metal, stainless steel, and other suitable highly conductive metal alloys).

[0420] The dual diode battery bridge in the form of a back-charge diode module 1148 is shown in FIG. 61. The top channel of diodes 1148a support current through one 12V battery 1132, and the bottom channel of diodes 1148b support current through the second 12V battery 1132. The combined current from both batteries 1132, 1132 through the two (2) diode channels exits the back-charge diode module 1148 through the copper bar member 1152 leading to the positive output (i.e. positive cam-lock 124a) of the battery jump starting and air compressing apparatus 1010.

[0421] The back-charge diode module 1148 comprises an upper highly conductive plate 1149a, a lower highly conductive plate 1149b, and a center highly conductive plate 1149c connected together by the channels of diodes 1148a, 1148b, respectively.

Leapfrog Charging System

[0422] The vehicle battery jump starter 1010 or 1110, for example, uses two (2) 12V lithium batteries used for jumpstarting vehicles and other system functions. These two individual batteries are used in both series or parallel depending on whether the operator is jumpstarting a 12V vehicle or a 24V vehicle.

[0423] The vehicle battery jump starter 1010, 1110, 1210 can be charged using a charging device having a plug-in cord (e.g. 114 V to 126 V (RMS) AC charger) and charging control device (e.g. programmable micro-controller). Each battery is charged on its own by the battery jump starting and air compressing apparatus 1010, 1110, separate from the other battery, but the batteries are kept close in potential during the charging process using a technique called “leapfrog charging”. This charging approach insures that both batteries are close to the same potential even if the vehicle battery jump starter apparatus 1010, 1110 is removed from charging early. This provides for equal power delivery during jumpstarts as well as other system functions.

[0424] The vehicle battery jump starter 1010, 1110, 1210 is provided with a charging device. For example, the circuit board shown in FIG. 32 can be provided with charging components and a charging circuit for recharging the two (2) Li-ion batteries. The components, for example, includes a programmable microcontroller for controlling the recharging circuit for recharging the Li-ion batteries.

[0425] This method is accomplished by charging one battery, starting with the lowest charged battery, until it is approximately 100 mv higher than the other battery, and then switching to charge the other battery. This process continues until both batteries are completely charged.

[0426] Safeguards are provided in the vehicle battery jump starter 1010, 1110 to protect against any of the batteries being overcharged as well as sensing if a battery cell is shorted. These safeguards include peak voltage shutoff as well as charge timeouts in software.

[0427] The leapfrog charging system and method can be design or configured to charge the rechargeable batteries (e.g. Li-ion batteries) in a charging sequence. The charging sequence can be designed or configured to ensure that both batteries become fully charge regardless of the operations of the battery jump starting and air compressing apparatus 1010, 1110, 1210. In this manner, the batteries are fully charged on a regular basis to maximize the use and life of the batteries.

[0428] Further, the charging sequence can be tailored to most effectively charge particular types of rechargeable battery, in particular Li-ion batteries taking into account particular charging properties of the batteries (e.g. reduce heat generation of batteries over a time interval, apply best charging rate(s) for batteries, charging in a sequence increase life of batteries. The charging sequence, for example, can be to partially charge the batteries, one at a time, and back-and-forth. For example, the charging sequence can be configured to incrementally charge the batteries in a back-and-forth sequence until both batteries are fully charged. For example, a voltage increase increment can be selected (e.g. 100 mV) for charging the batteries in a back-and-forth sequence.

[0429] In addition, the charging sequencing between the two batteries can be selected or programmed to provide back-to-back charging of one battery two or more increments before switching to the other battery for charging. Also, the charging sequence can include one or more pauses to prevent the charging battery from becoming too hot (e.g. temperature limit) or so that the charging sequence matches with the charging chemistry of the charging battery.

Highly Conductive Frame

[0430] The details of the highly conductive frame 1470, are shown in FIGS. 62-68. The highly conductive frame 1470 can replace the conductive wiring FIG. 16 of the portable battery jump starting and air compressing apparatus 1010, the highly conductive frame 1170 (FIG. 22) of the vehicle battery jump starter 110, and the highly conductive frames of the portable battery jump starting and air compressing apparatus 1210 (FIG. 26) and the portable vehicle battery jump starter 1310 (FIG. 35).

[0431] The highly conductive frame 1470, for example, can be a highly conductive semi-rigid or rigid frame made of semi-rigid or rigid highly conductive material (e.g. copper, aluminum, plated metal, gold plated metal, silver plated metal, steel, coated steel, stainless steel). The highly conductive frame 1470 is structurally stable (i.e. does not move or flex) so that it does not contact and electrically short with components or parts of the portable jump starting device. The more rigid the highly conductive frame the more structurally stable is the highly conductive frame. The highly conductive frame 1470 connects to the two (2) batteries, for example Li-ion batteries 1032 (FIG. 16) or batteries 1132 (FIG. 22) to, for example, the cam-locks 1024a, 1024b or cam-locks 1124a, 1124b (FIG. 22). The cam-locks connect to the detachable battery cable, for example, battery cables 1056, 1058 (FIG. 15).

[0432] The highly conductive frame 1470 comprises multiple highly conductive frame members. For example, highly conductive frame members 1470a, 1470b, 1470c, 1470d connect to the control switch such as the terminals 1082a, 1084a, 1086a, 1088a (FIG. 20) of the control switch 1018 (FIG. 18). The highly conductive frame members 1470d, 1470e, 1470f form part of the reverse flow diode assembly 1148 (FIG. 24). The highly conductive frame member 1470f connected to the positive cam-lock such as positive cam-lock 1024a (FIGS. 7 and 15) and positive cam-lock 1124a (FIG. 26). The highly conductive frame member 1470g connects to the negative cam-lock such as negative cam-lock 1024b (FIG. 7) or negative cam-lock 1024b (FIG. 25). The highly conductive frame member 1470h connects to the smart switch 1150 (FIG. 22).

[0433] The highly conductive frame 1470 is a three-dimensional (3D) structure configured to enclose the Li-ion batteries such Li-ion batteries 1132 (FIGS. 22-31). This arrangement provides the shortest conductive pathways from the Li-ion batteries 1132 to the other internal electrical components of the portable jump starting device 1110 to maximize the power output between the positive cam-lock 1124a and negative cam-lock 1124b.

[0434] The highly conductive frame members 1470a-h are provided with ends having through holes to accommodate highly conductive fasteners 1206 (e.g. bolts and nuts), as shown in FIGS. 22-31. Further, the highly conductive frame members 470a-h are made of flat bar stock bent at one or more locations so as to wrap around the Li-ions batteries such Li-ion batteries 1132. For example, the highly conductive frame members 1470a-h are bent at multiple locations to form a three-dimensional (3D) frame structure. For example, the highly conductive frame members 1470a-h can have bent ends provided with ring-shaped through holes. Alternatively, the high conductive frame 1470 can be made as a single piece (e.g. single piece of plate bent into shape, multiple pieced welded or soldered together, machined from a block of stock material).

[0435] The highly conductive frame 1470 is made from flat highly conductive plate stock material (e.g. flat strips of copper stock material cut to length and bent and drilled).

Battery Assembly

[0436] The Li-ion battery assembly 1133 according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. 69-72.

[0437] The Li-ion battery assembly 1133 comprises the Li-ion battery 1132, positive highly conductive battery member 1132a, and negative highly conductive battery member 1132b. The Li-ion battery comprises multiple Li-ion battery cells 1132c layered one on top of the other.

[0438] The positive foil ends 1132d of the Li-ion battery cells 1132c are connected (e.g. soldered, welded, and/or mechanically fastened) to the positive highly conductive battery member 1132a. The negative foil ends 1132e (negative end) of the Li-ion battery cells 1132c are connected (e.g. soldered, welded, and/or mechanically fastened) to the negative highly conductive battery member 1132b. The positive highly conductive battery member 1132a and the negative highly conductive battery member 1132b are made from highly conductive flat plate or bar stock material (e.g. copper plate, aluminum plate, steel plate, coated plate, gold plated plate, silver plated plate, coated plate). The positive highly conductive battery member 1132a is provided with a through hole 1132aa located at an end extending a distance outwardly from and oriented transversely relative to the Li-ion battery 1132. The negative highly conductive battery member 1132b is provided with a through hole 1132ba located at an end extending a distance outwardly from and oriented transversely relative to the Li-ion battery 1132.

[0439] The highly conductive battery members 1132a, 1132b are made of relatively thick plate or bar material. The foil ends 1132d, 1132e of the battery cells 1132c can at least partially or fully wrap around the highly conductive battery members 1132a, 1312b. As shown in the assembled Li-ion battery assembly 1133 shown in FIG. 69, the highly conductive battery members are oriented flat against the opposite ends of the Li-ion battery, and are covered with protective heat shrink material until installed in an electronic device such as the portable jump starting device 1110.

[0440] For example, the highly conductive battery members 1132a, 1132b are connected by highly conductive fasteners (e.g. nuts and bolts) to the highly conductive frame such as highly conductive frame 1170 (FIGS. 22-31) or highly conductive frame 1470 (FIGS. 62-68) of any of the portable jump starting devices 1010, 1110, 1210, 1310. A heat shrink material is wrapped around the assembled battery 1132 and highly conductive members 1132a, 1132b to complete the assembly.

Vehicle Battery Jump Starter with Air Pump

[0441] FIG. 79 is diagrammatic views showing a jump starter/air pump device 2010 comprising a jump starter or jump charger 2010a, an air pump or air compressor 2010b, and a rechargeable battery 2010c (e.g. Li-ion rechargeable battery). The jump starter or jump charger 2010a, the air pump or air compressor 2010b, and the rechargeable battery 2010c can be located in a single cover 2012 (e.g. housing or casing), or alternatively in separate covers (e.g. covers connecting together, one cover nesting within other cover, and one covering docketing within other cover). For example, the air pump or air compressor 2010b can be removable installed within the jump starter or jump charger 2010a. In FIG. 79, the jump starter or jump charger 2010a is located side-by-side with the air pump or air compressor 2010b.

[0442] The air pump, for example, can comprise one or more selected from the group consisting of an air compressor, rotary air compressor, reciprocal air compressor, an air tank, electric motor, hydraulic motor, pneumatic motor, control, conduits, and air hose. Other known air pump constructions, arrangements, or systems can be used in the jump starter/air pump device 2010.

[0443] The control for the air pump or air compressor 2010b can be incorporated into the MCU 1 shown in FIG. 1 and/or a separate control can be provided, a controlled, for example, by the MCU 1. The jump starter or jump charger 2010a and air pump or air compressor 2010b can be powered by the same battery (e.g. rechargeable battery, rechargeable Li-ion battery located within or outside the cover 20120 shown in FIG. 795). Alternatively, the jump starter or jump charge 410a and air pump or air compressor can be powered with separate batteries (e.g. separate rechargeable battery, separate Li-ion battery).

[0444] FIG. 80 is a diagrammatic view showing a jump starter/air pump device 2010′ comprising a jump starter or jump charger 2010a′, an air pump or air compressor 2010b′, and a rechargeable battery 2010c′ (e.g. Li-ion rechargeable battery). The jump starter or jump charger 2010a′, the air pump or air compressor 2010b′, and the rechargeable battery 2010c′ can be located in a single cover 2012 (e.g. housing or casing), or alternatively in separate covers (e.g. covers connecting together, one cover nesting within other cover, and one covering docketing within other cover). For example, the air pump or air compressor 2010b can be removable installed within the jump starter or jump charger 2010a. In FIG. 80, the air pump or air compressor 2010b′ and the rechargeable battery 2010c′ are located with the jump starter 2010a″ itself.

[0445] FIG. 81 shows a jump starter/air pump device 2010 according to the present invention. For example, the vehicle battery jump starter shown in FIG. 7, is provided with an air pump 2410 to provide components and features of both a jump starter and an air pump located in the same cover 2012 (e.g. cover, housing, or casing). The jump starter/air pump device 2010 contains all of the components and parts of the jump starter device 1010 shown in FIGS. 7-78, and described above, in combination with the components and parts of an air pump (e.g. air pump 2410b shown in FIG. 79) to supply pressurized air, an air supply port 2412, an air hose connector 2413 having a connecting end 2414, an external air hose 2415, and an air valve connector 2416 (e.g. tire valve connector). The air hose connector 2413, external air hose 2415, and air valve connector 2416 are connected together, for example, and removably connected as a unit from the jump starter/air pump device 2010.

[0446] The jump starter/air pump device 2010 can have a single battery (e.g. Li-ion battery) for supplying electrical power to the jump starter or jump charger 2010a (FIG. 79) and/or the air pump or air compressor 2010b. A manual or electrical switch can be incorporated to allow powering both the jump starter or jump charger 2010a and the air pump or air compressor 2010b at the same time, or selectively. Again, alternatively, the jump starter/air pump device 2010 comprises two or more batteries for independently supplying electrical power to the jump starter or jump charger 2010a and the air pump or air compressor 2010b.

[0447] The jump starter/air pump device 2010 can include a fan for cooling down same before, during and/or after use. Alternatively, or in addition, the jump starter/air pump device 2010 can used the air pump or air compressor 2010b to supply cooling air internally to cool down the combined jump starter/air compressor 2010. For example, the internal air pump 2410 can have a vent and/or valve to controllably release air within the cover 2012 and out a vent to cool same.

[0448] The jump starter/air pump device 2010 can be controlled (e.g. manual or electrical switch) and operated (e.g. with control and control circuit and/or MCU1) to utilize one or more batteries (e.g. rechargeable battery(ies), rechargeable Li-ion battery(ies)) located, for example, within the jump starter/air pump device 2010 to power the jump starter or jump charger 2010a and the air pump or air compressor 2010b. Alternatively, the one or more batteries, for example, located within the jump starter/air pump device 2010 in combination with an external battery (e.g. vehicle battery) can be utilized to electrically power the jump starter/air pump device 2010. For example, the jump starter/air pump device 2010 can be electrically connected to the vehicle battery using the cable assembly with clamps and/or connected to the cigarette lighter port using a power cable.

[0449] In embodiments, the jump starter/air pump device 2010 may include a control system comprising one or more controller connected to a control circuit. The one or more controller may be configured to control the jump starter/air pump device 2010 during operation. The control system may be configured to control whether the jump starter/air pump device 2010 is operating in jump starter mode or air pump mode, as well as whether the internal battery or an external vehicle battery powers the device. In embodiments, the one or more controller may be MCU1 described above. In other embodiments, the one or more controller may include first and second MCUs, for example as described below with reference to FIG. 82.

[0450] The jump starter/air pump device 2010 can include the following additional features: [0451] 1) a digital air pressure (e.g. psi) gauge or display (e.g. a digital air pressure gauge located on the front display located on the cover of the combined jump starter/air pump 2010); [0452] 2) a switch for presetting a target air pressure (e.g. a switch on the front display or cover, in addition to the display); [0453] 3) separately powering the jump starter/air pump device 2010 (e.g. manual and/or auto switch connected to power circuit); [0454] 4) providing one battery operating modes (e.g. one Li-ion battery powers both jump starter or jump charger 2010a and the air pump or air compressor 2010b); [0455] 5) providing multiple batteries providing various operating modes (e.g. using one or two batteries to operate jump starter device and/or air compressor device; [0456] 6) use DC or AC power with appropriate charger or converter to charge battery(ies) and/or power the jump starter or jump charger 2010a and the air pump or air compressor 2010b (e.g. integrated electrical and air supply port (e.g. a single port located on cover and configured to provide power connection and air supply connection); [0457] 7) operating cooling fan in various modes (e.g. cooling fan operates only when the jump starter/air pump device 2010 is operating; cooling fan operates after a jump starter run; internal temperature sensor with preset temperature level controls operation of the cooling fan; and [0458] 8) cooling fan powered by separate battery (e.g. a separate battery is provided for powering cooling fan when simultaneously operating combined jump starter/air pump 2010).

[0459] Another example system for controlling the combined jump starter/air pump according to various embodiments comprises two systems that work independently, share resources, and interoperate safely. The systems may share a set of safety functions which prevent damage to the internal battery, the vehicle battery, and to a tire or other external article connected to the air pump during operation. These safety functions may be active when jump starting a depleted battery, as well as when using an external battery as the power source for the compressor.

[0460] An example system for controlling a combined jump starter/air pump in accordance with various embodiments is described with reference to FIG. 82. The system 3000 comprises a first MCU 3005 and a second MCU 3010 in communication with each other. In an embodiment, the first MCU 3005 is a boost MCU that controls the jump starter functionality of the combined device, and the second MCU 3010 is an air MCU that controls the air pump functionality of the combined device. In various embodiments, boost MCU 3005 is MCU 1 as shown in FIG. 1 and described above. In these embodiments the boost MCU 3005 incorporates the features discussed above with respect to MCU 1 and controls the operation of the vehicle battery jump starter. The boost MCU 3005 partially defines a first, boost system that operates in tandem with a second, air system partially defined by the air MCU 3010. The two systems share safety functions, and the two MCU units communicate with each other regarding these functions.

[0461] Boost MCU 3005 and air MCU 3010 may communicate a plurality of signals 3015 to one another. These signals may be requests for information by one MCU to the other, or requests from one MCU that the other carry out a specific task. In an embodiment, air MCU 3005 may send a request to boost MCU 3010, and in response boost MCU 3005 may send a response signal back to air MCU 3005 or perform the operation requested by the initial signal (or vice versa). In a particular embodiment the signals 3015 may comprise soft signals that are communicated via a bus such as an I.sup.2C bus, or via any other means of communicating soft signals.

[0462] FIG. 82 depicts a number of specific signals that may be communicated in accordance with various embodiments. In an embodiment, the boost MCU 3005 may pass a signal to tell the air MCU 3010 the status of an on/off switch for operating the device, and may share additional information related to the status of the device with the air MCU 3010. These signals may include the status of any external/auxiliary outputs such as the USB output port. The air MCU 3010 may receive these signals and report that status to the user interface 3020. The reported statuses may be displayed to a user via LEDs as described above with respect to FIGS. 2A-2C, for example.

[0463] As described above, the shared signals may also be requests. For example, before turning on, air MCU 3010 may send a signal to boost MCU 3005 requesting to turn on the compressor, as depicted by the signal “COMPRESSOR RQ” in FIG. 82. The Boost MCU 3005 may then respond with a signal enabling the compressor request.

[0464] Some of the shared signals contain information used to ensure that the system is safely operating. For example, the boost MCU 3005 and air MCU 3010 may share a signal “IM_OKAY” to indicate no errors are currently detected. Additionally, the boost MCU 3005 and/or the air MCU 3005 may be connected to the sensors shown in FIG. 1 and described above. An MCU connected to these sensors may share any information received from the sensors with its counterpart MCU. When an unsafe condition is detected, the MCU will turn off or shut down operation of the device, and send a signal to its counterpart MCU causing the counterpart to turn off/shut down as well. For example, an unsafe temperature may be detected by the air MCU 3010, causing the air MCU 3010 to report this error to boost MCU 3005, and causing the air MCU 3010 to shut down operation of the compressor. The boost MCU 3005, upon receiving this signal, may also shut down operation of the vehicle battery jump starter. Alternatively, this operation may occur in the reverse, with boost MCU 3005 detecting the unsafe condition and reporting it to air MCU 3010.

[0465] The system 3000 controls the power supply of the device, as well as which function (jump starter or air pump) is operational through a set of switches in the switch module 3025. Based on the status of these switches, the system output 3030 operates the jump starter or the air pump. The switch module 3025 comprises a safety switch that switches on and off based on the safety features controlled by the boost MCU 3005, a pass through switch that switches on and off based on the type of external power supply connected, a source selection switch that switches on and off based on the status of the safety switch and the pass-through switch, and a compressor switch that switches on and off based on user input received in the user interface 3020. The safety switch may be a smart switch, similar to those shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 73, for example, and may be configured to turn on only when the boost MCU 3005 detects the presence of necessary safety conditions.

[0466] In the illustrated embodiment, the switch module 3025 has three inputs for receiving a pass-through enable signal (PASS_THRU_EN), a safety switch enable signal (SAFETY_EN), and a compressor switch enable signal (COM_SWITCH_EN). The pass-through enable signal (PASS_THRU_EN), which controls the status of the pass-through switch, indicates when a clamp module incorporating a pass-through extension 3110 is connected to the device, as described in more detail below. The safety switch enable signal (SAFETY_EN) is received from the boost MCU 3005 and indicates the status of the safety features to enable or disable operation, for example as detailed above with reference to the smart switch shown in FIG. 1. A compressor switch enable signal (COM_SWITCH_EN) controls the status of the compressor switch and is generated by the boost MCU 3005 based on input from the user interface 3020 and the air MCU 3010. Signals from these inputs may activate (or de-activate) switches within the switch module 3025, thereby controlling the system output 3030. This may include whether to operate in boost mode or compressor mode, as well as whether to use the internal power supply or external power supply as the power source.

[0467] The user interface 3020 allows a user to toggle between air pump mode and jump starter mode. When the user selects jump starter mode, this is communicated to the boost MCU 3005 which is in communication with the systems for operating the jump starter described above with respect to FIG. 1, for example. Boost MCU 3005 communicates a status of the jump starter to the user interface 3020, and these indications can be displayed to the user through indicator LEDs as described above with respect to FIGS. 2A-2C, for example. When the user selects jump starter mode, the compressor switch is off. In such a case, the internal battery is selected for operation, provided all safety conditions are met.

[0468] When the user selects air pump mode, this is communicated to the air MCU 3010 which is in communication with systems for operating the air pump. Air MCU 3010 communicates status indications of the jump starter to the user interface 3020, and these indications can be displayed to the user through indicator LEDs in same manner as previously described with respect to FIGS. 2A-2C, for example. By selecting compressor mode, the user activates the compressor switch allowing the air pump to operate.

[0469] The air MCU 3010 operates the air pump based on user input, and may also incorporate various automatic controls. For example, in some embodiments the air pump includes a pressure sensor that gauges the air pressure in a tire being filled with air. This air pressure value is reported to the air MCU 3010, which may shut down the pump when a target value is reached, or may automatically shut down the pump if an un-safe value is reached.

[0470] The air pump is capable of being powered by the same internal battery system that powers the jump starter, or by an external vehicle battery connected to the jump starter/air pump device. When air pump mode is selected, the system 3000 determines whether to supply power to the air pump from the internal power supply or from an external vehicle battery connected to the device through a clamp module. The system may automatically distinguish attachment of high current clamps for jump starts vs. lower current charging clamps for compressor usage. This automatic detection may, for example, be done using the pass-through switch in switch module 3025. When a clamp module incorporating pass-through extension 3110 is connected to the device, the pass-through switch is activated and the switch module 3025 sends a pass-through enable signal to the boost MCU 3005 and the air MCU 3010.

[0471] The boost MCU 3005 evaluates the safety features, such as battery detection, short circuit detection, polarity detection, overvoltage, undervoltage, and overcurrent detection. The safety features may, for example, be monitored in the manner described above with respect to FIG. 1 and MCU 1. If the safety conditions are met, the boost MCU 3005 sends a signal to activate a safety switch in the switch module 3025. Activation of the safety switch, along with the aforementioned activation of the pass-through switch activates a source selection switch in the switch module 3025 which selects the external vehicle battery as the power source for operating the device. In embodiments, the source selection switch is activated only if both the pass-through switch and safety switch are activated, ensuring that power is not drawn from the external vehicle unless the correct clamps are in place and all safety conditions for operation are met. If the pass-through switch is not enabled, the source selection switch selects the internal battery as the power source. The air pump may then be powered by the internal battery provided all safety conditions are met. For example, in a scenario in which no clamps are connected to the device, and a user selects air pump mode, the air pump will be powered by the internal battery.

[0472] The system also includes a USB charger to replenish power to the internal battery and circuitry to adapt the charging current according to the source limitations, such as low current input, low battery input, or overtemperature/under temperature conditions. The USB charger may also operate with a fast charging adapter powered from the vehicle battery. When the combined jump starter/air pump is in air pump mode and the internal battery is selected as the power source, the air pump may operate at the same time that the internal battery is being charged.

[0473] FIG. 83 shows a perspective view of a connection scheme of the portable vehicle battery jump starter with air pump according to various embodiments, and depicts an example mechanism for pass-through detection and activation of the pass through switch. The combined jump starter/air pump 3105 includes a port for connecting to clamps 3115. The connection scheme further comprises pass-through extension 3110, which may be connected between the device and the clamps, and which may, for example, be used to generate a pass-through enable signal as described above with reference to FIG. 82.

[0474] The system is able to determine from the presence of the pass-through extension 3110 that the clamp module is intended to operate the air pump, rather than the high current clamps used in jump starter mode. When the pass-through extension is connected, the jump starter mode of the combined jump starter/air pump 3105 is inactive.

[0475] FIG. 84 shows a perspective view of the connection scheme when the pass-through extension is removed. Here the clamps 3115 are connected to the port of the jump starter/air pump 3105. This configuration is used to jump start a dead battery connected to clamps 3115. In this connection scheme, jump starter mode is active. In some modes of operation, clamps 3115 may be directly connected to the port of the jump starter/air pump 3015 with voltage at the clamps. The presence of this voltage may be detected by the device, causing air pump mode to be inactive.

[0476] FIG. 85 depicts components of a connection scheme of the portable vehicle battery jump starter with air pump according to various embodiments. The male connector of the clamps, when pass-extension is not used, is depicted as 3111. This plug has a particular shape as shown. The male connector of the pass-through extension is depicted as 3116. The shape of this plug can be distinguished from the shape of the clamp plug 3111. The difference is the presence of a protrusion 3117 in the male connector of the pass-through extension. The female connector of the port into the jump starter/air pump device is depicted as 3106. As shown, the shape of the female receptacle matches more closely with the pass-through male plug. The female connector 3016 comprises a switch 3107. The switch 3017 gets activated by the protrusion 3117 on the pass-through extension male plug. This alerts the system to the presence of the lower current supply clamps and alerts the boost MCU and air MCU that the pass-through switch is enabled, for example by generating a pass-through enable signal (PASS_THRU_EN) as depicted in FIG. 82.

[0477] A method of powering the portable vehicle battery jump starter with air pump according to various embodiments is shown in FIG. 86. The method 4000 begins when the jump starter/air pump having an internal power supply is connected to an external power supply at 4002. The system then begins to evaluate signals and conditions to determine which power supply to use for operation. At 4004, the system evaluates whether the pass-through extension is present, for example as described above with reference to FIGS. 82-85. At 4004, the boost MCU determines if the necessary safety conditions are met based on signals received from the air MCU and from other sensors located within the jump starter/air pump device circuitry. At 4006, a power supply is selected based on the determinations made in 4004 and 4006. If the safety conditions are met and the pass-through switch is activated, the source selection switch selects the external battery supply. If either of these conditions are not met, the internal power supply is selected. At 4010, the selected power supply is used to power the device.

[0478] The invention having been thus described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the same may be varied in many ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Any and all such variations are intended to be encompassed within the scope of the following claims.