CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY - UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

“Leading through Innovation and Excellence”

RESEARCH CONCEPT PAPER

Course Title EE386 METHODS OF RESEARCH Team Code 18 – EEZW6

Research Title EXPANDABLE CAPACITY MULTIPLE SOURCE POWERBANK
WITH BUILT-IN HANDHELD TRANSCEIVER
Proponents Lance Lucian A. Banico Amiel A. Montecalvo
Wensie T. Laplana
Evanryll Jae T. Maog
Cluster | Sem. A.Y. C1 | 2nd Sem. A.Y. 2020-2021 Duration January – May 2020
Rationale

The global demand for batteries is expected to exponentially increase by the end of the decade [1]. Along with
this growth, consumer electronics will also see a rapid rise in production. Innovative products related to energy
storage and electricity generation will likewise experience a high demand in the future.

As a modest effort to fulfill this high demand, our research team’s attempt at an innovative product will come in
the form of a multiple source power bank with a built-in handheld transceiver. Power banks are one of the most
popular products in the market. They are commonly used as a portable charger for smartphones and other
battery-powered devices. Because of their functionality, power banks have become an everyday item for people
who are always on the go.

However, there are several constraints in the usage of power banks when travelling. Perhaps the most apparent
is its limitation to mains power for recharging, i.e. power banks usually get its supply of electricity only from an
electrical outlet. Other sources of electricity such as solar power, wind power, and hydropower remain largely
unexploited by mainstream brands in the market. For people exploring outdoors in need of a reliable source to
power their electronics, a multiple source power bank will prove useful as it would allow them to harness
electricity from available sources.

Therefore, our main goal is to construct a power bank that would be versatile in terms of source selection,
making use of the best source available to the user for electricity generation. Since outdoor enthusiasts will be
the primary target users for our product, incorporating a handheld transceiver shall boost marketability as well as
improve its functionality being the mode of communication.

[1] Statista Research Department, “Global battery demand between 2018 and 2030, by application.” Sep-2019.

Objectives

 To develop a power bank that can be recharge by harnessing the power of the most convenient energy
source nearby.

 To design a device that can recharge electronics and power a transceiver that can used for
communicating.

 To enhance the capabilities of a normal power bank and use it to give convenience to the users.
 Product Concept
The multiple source power bank is designed specifically to adapt to its environment, i.e. to allow the user to
choose the most convenient method of electricity generation. Built for outdoor use, the power bank will have a
30000 mAh storage capacity which will be more than enough to fully power five smartphones simultaneously in
a single charge.1 As mentioned, it will also include a handheld transceiver to serve as an outdoor communication
device for enthusiasts.
1
Assuming a 4000mAh battery capacity for each smartphone.
Target Users
Geographic Segmentation
 People who likes to spend time outdoors.
 Communities that experience power interruptions

Demographic Segmentation
 15 to 60 years old
 All genders

Methodology:
Respondents / Statistical Treatment Tabular / Graphical
Instrument
Needed Data Remarks / Analytical Tool Presentation
I D Q F
Profile of Target Users

Demographic Profile
of the Target Users
People Shadowing
-Age
Worksheet,
-Gender X Target Users
Personas and
-Income (Optional)
Geographic Map
-Educational
Attainment

Geographic Profile of
the Target Users People Shadowing
-Location or Address X Target Users Worksheet and
-Electronic Devices Personas
owned

X Target Users People Shadowing

Psychographic Worksheet and
Profile of the Target Personas
Users
-Hobbies
 Needs, Preferences and Challenges of Target Users
Knowledge about
X X
transceiver operation
Possession of any Fast Idea
chargeable electronic X X Target Users Generator and
devices Experience Map
Possession of any
X X
type of power bank
Knowledge about
X
renewable energy
Experience Map,
Knowledge about Target User and
X Pie Chart People shadowing
power bank operation Researchers
and pie charts
Likes to spend time
X
outdoors
Proposed Product Design
User’s preference to
product design and X X Target Users Descriptive Analysis Thinking hats
features
Name and Operation Thinking Hats,
X
of device. Google Patents; Improvement
Researchers Descriptive Analysis triggers, 3D model
Mechanical parts to
X and Fast idea
be used
Generator
Name Designation Date
Proposed Evanryll Jae T. Maog Team CEO 2-14-2021
Endorsed Engr. Marvin Radaza Technical Design Adviser
Endorsed Engr. Marvin Radaza Human Centered Design Adviser
Approved Engr. Marvin Radaza MOR Instructor
 ACTION PLAN

PRECEDENT
ELEMENTS DESCRIPTIONS NO. OF DAYS
ACTIVITY
APPROVAL OF -
A 14
INITIAL TOPIC/S
B APPENDICES 7 A

C IPC 6 B

PATENT SEARCH
D 6 B,C
REPORT
RESEARCH
E 7 C,D
CONCEPT PAPER
PROBLEM AND ITS
F 5 E
SCOPE
TARGET USER
PROFILE &
G 5 F
PRODUCT
DESCRIPTION
RESEARCH PAPER
H FOR ORAL 8 F,G
VALIDATION

I ORAL VALIDATION 8 H,I

REVISED FINAL
RESEARCH PAPER
J (ABSTRACT, 7 I
MANUSCRIPT,
TURNITIN REPORT)
TOTAL NUMBER OF DAYS 73 DAYS -

Prepared by:

Wensie T. Laplana
Research Administrator Officer
 GANTT CHART

ACTIVIT FEBRUARY
Y
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
ACTIVITY FEBRUARY MARCH
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
ACTIVITY MARCH

15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

BUDGET ALLOCATION
 OPERATING COST QUANTITY UNIT COST TOTAL COST
PROJECT EXPENSES:
Prototype Materials 4 person P 550.00/person P 2,200.00
Printing 4 person P 100.00/person P 400.00
TOTAL PROJECT EXPENSES: P 2,600.00

ORAL VALIDATION EXPENSES:

Oral Validation Token 4 person P 100.00/person P 400.00
Food Expenses 4 person P 100.00/person P 400.00
Oral Validation Fee 4 person P 500.00/person P 2,000.00

TOTAL ORAL EXPENSES: P 2,800.00

TOTAL RESEARCH EXPENSESS: PHP 5,400.00

EXPENSES EACH MEMBER: PHP 1,350.00

Prepared by:

Evanryll Jae T. Maog

Research CEO and Financial Officer

QUESTIONNAIRE
Name (optional): Age:
Occupation or Gender:
Educational Attainment:
Location: No. of Electronic
devices owned:
Outdoor Hobbies: Date:

QUESTION #
Description Comments
Yes/No or
Experiences

o Yes
Have you ever own a power bank before?
1 o No

Do you think having a power bank that can be charge using o Yes
2 different energy sources is possible?
o No

Do you like the idea of having a power bank with an o Yes

3 expandable capacity?
o No
o Yes
4 Do you like spending time outdoors and doing activities such
as camping? o No

o Yes
Do you think having a power bank that can also be used as a
5 transceiver or walkie talkie can be useful when spending o No
times outdoors?

o Yes
Do you think this power bank can help you when you
6 experience power interruptions in your place? o No

o Yes
Is carrying a 500gram power bank okay with you? o No
7

o Yes
Do you think a power bank is an essential device in this
8
modern times? o No

TEAMS PROTOCOLS CONTRACT

Member AMIEL A. MONTECALVO
Role HCD Specialist
Contact Information +63920-8660917 Amiel.montecalvo@cit.edu www.facebook.com/amielmontecalvo
Primary
Responsibilities 1. Assess the target users.
2. Gather information and feedbacks from target users.
3. Provide technical assistance to target users.
4. Explore the environment in which the target users are living.
5. Present and create research designs that benefits the target users.

Inputs Outputs Deadline

Appendices
 Creative Thinking Tools Generating Ideas
 Topic of interest  Thinking Hats February 12, 2021
 Fast Idea Generator

 Create GANTT Chart RCP GANTT Chart February 18, 2021

 Research Methodology Research Procedures March 5, 2021

Definition of Terms

Member LANCE LUCIAN A. BANICO

Role Documentation Administrator
Contact Information +63977-2774043 Lancelucian.banico@cit.edu www.facebook.com/jldkawkh
Primary
Responsibilities 1. Keep track of the documents by creating a record system.
2. Proofread research output before submission.
3. Make sure CEO was able to recheck submitted outputs.
4. Examine the sources of information used in the research are reliable.
5. Create a power point presentation for oral validation.

Inputs Outputs Deadline

Appendices
 Creative Thinking Tools Developing and Testing
 Topic of interest  Improvement Triggers February 12, 2021
 Prototype Testing Plan

Develop Target Users Questionnaire RCP Questionnaire February 18, 2021

 Topic of Interest and General and Appendices

Operational terms used Research Concept Paper:
 Personas  Rationale February 22, 2021
 Target Users  Product Concept
 Research Concept Paper  Team Protocols Contract

 Chapter 1 Chapter I. The Problem and Its Scope

 Introduction March 5, 2021
 Rationale
 Theoretical Background
 Flow of research process

Member EVANRYLL JAE T. MAOG

Role Chief Executive Officer and Financial Officer
Contact Information +63997-6692027 Evanrylljae.maog@cit.edu www.facebook.com/tetris.master.35325
Primary
Responsibilities 1. Makes the appointments and meeting with the advisers.
2. Track progress and status against timelines and budget.
3. Strategize on how to achieve the objectives of the study and its wholeness as a project
4. Collects and combines all the outputs of all members.
5. Communicate with the project advisers for the approval, comments and inputs about the project.

Inputs Outputs Deadline

Appendices
 Topic of Interest Understanding the Target Users:
 Data Needed  People Shadowing
 Target Group February 12, 2021
 Personas

Appendices
 Members Information Research Concept Paper:
 Topic of Interest  Objectives February 18, 2021
 Product concept  Target Users
 Target Users  Team Protocols Contract

Appendices
Produce a Budget Plan Research Concept Paper: February 18, 2021
 Budget Plan

Chapter I. The Problem and Its Scope

The Problem:
 Statement of the Problem
Chapter 1  Statement of Assumptions March 5, 2021
 Significance of the Study

Member WENSIE T. LAPLANA

Role Research Administrator Officer
Contact Information +63966-7600248 Wensie.laplana@cit.edu www.facebook.com/wenseaside
Primary
Responsibilities 1. Establish an unbiased share of task.
2. Facilitates on group meetings.
3. Assist members on their individual task
4. Ensures that the members will follow every schedule appointment.
5. Facilitate communication between research team, company rep, and Research Adviser.
Inputs Outputs Deadline
Appendices
 Topic of Interest Generating Ideas:
 Objectives  Problem Definition February 12, 2021
 Features and Benefits  Question Ladder

Appendices
Patent Search Report  Product Patent Search February 19, 2021

Chapter I. The Problem and Its Scope

Research Methodology:
 Research Environment
Chapter 1  Research respondents March 5, 2021
 Research Instruments
 Research Procedures

PATENT SEARCH REPORT

TITLE FILING DATE
Multiple Source Powerbank with Built-in
Handheld Transceiver
ABSTRACT

Power banks provide consumers the convenience of charging their battery-powered devices
while away from any mains power point. As it is not always possible to reach a mains power
point every time a smartphone or other battery-powered item needs charging, these power
banks act as a battery-lifesaver and, as a result, have now become a ubiquitous product in the
market due to their functionality ― especially when travelling. Essentially, a power bank is a
portable charger that stores energy drawn from the main source, i.e. the power supply from an
electrical outlet at home. Other sources of energy such as solar power, wind power, or
hydropower remain largely unexploited by mainstream brands in the market. To incorporate
other forms of electricity generation from multiple sources, this simple research will:
investigate the alternatives to mains power charging; assess the tenability of multiple source
energy extraction for power bank storage; incorporate the multiple mechanisms of electricity
generation in a single unit; and, as an extended travel feature, include a built-in handheld
transceiver to serve as an outdoor communication device between users. The latter is a well-
thought design meant to cater to the needs of our intended users, namely, outdoor enthusiasts
who will be traveling to remote areas.

CLASSIFICATION KEYWORDS

G06F1/1632 - External expansion units, e.g. docking  Power bank

stations  Portable charger
H02J7/0042 - Circuit arrangements for charging or  Multiple source energy extraction
depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from  Handheld transceiver
batteries characterised by the mechanical construction  Outdoor communication
H02J7/0068 - Battery or charger load switching, e.g.
concurrent charging and load supply
H04M1/0202 - Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless
phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets
H01Q1/243 - Supports; Mounting means by structural
association with other equipment or articles with
receiving set used in mobile communications, e.g. GSM
specially adapted for hand-held use with built-in antennas
H04W4/10 - Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services

SEARCH STRINGS AND DATABASES

 DATABASE SEARCH STRING NUMBER OF HITS
Google Patents
(Powerbank AND Multiple source energy extraction) 1,195
Google Patents (Powerbank AND Portable Charger) 5,319
Google Patents
(Powerbank AND Outdoor communication) 1,937

Powerbank AND (Multiple source energy extraction AND

Google Patents 484
Outdoor communication)
Patentscope ((Portable charger and outdoor communication)) 4
Portable charger AND (Power bank AND Handheld
Patentscope 681
Transceiver)
1,670
(Portable charger AND Multiple source energy extraction)
Espacenet
Espacenet Powerbank AND Handheld Transceiver 3

Handheld Transceiver AND (Multiple source energy extraction

338
Espacenet AND Power bank)

RELEVANT DOCUMENTS
PUBLICATION RELEVANT
CATEGORY PATENT NO TITLE/ABSTRACT
DATE TO CLAIM

PORTABLE POWER CHARGER 2013-02-21 1-9, 11, 14,

Y US20130043827
15, 16
PORTABLE CHARGER WITH ADDITIONAL
X US20100141839 FUNCTIONALITY 2010-01-26 1, 2, 4, 12, 13

US20100317412 PORTABLE PHONE HOLDER AND CHARGER 1, 5, 6

Y 2009-06-15
Y 2016-10-20 1, 3
CN106329698 SOLAR ENERGY POWERBANK
* Special Categories of Cited Documents:
“A” document defining the general state of the art which is not considered to be of particular relevance
“X” document of particular relevance; the claimed invention cannot be considered novel or cannot be considered to involve an inventive step when
the document is taken alone
“Y” document of particular relevance; the claimed invention cannot be considered to involve an inventive step when the document is
combined with one or more other such documents, such combination being obvious to a person skilled in the art
Note: Further references not indicated in this search report may be cited during substantive examination.

NON PATENT LITERATURE

CATEGORY REFERENCE RELEVANT
 TO CLAIM
X “Novel Design and Implementation of Portable Charger through LowPower PV Energy N/A
System” by Yousif I. Al-Mashhadany and Hussain A. Attia
Abstract: This paper proposes a novel design for a solar-powered charger for low-power
devices. The level of the charging current is controllable and any residue power is
saveable to a rechargeable 9V battery. Two power sources (AC and solar) are used, and
two charging speeds are possible. Quick charging is 20% of the battery output current
(almost 180mA/hr) so the current is limited to 34 mA. Two types of cellular batteries
(5.7V and 3.7V) can be charged. Normal charging is 10% of the cellular battery output
current (almost 1,000mA/hr), so the charging current is limited to 100mA. The design
uses only a few components so the system is cost effective besides being highly portable.
It was simulated on MultiSim Ver. 11 before being implemented practically to validate it.
The results from the simulation and the experiment show the design’s sufficient
feasibility for practical implementation.

PRIOR ART SUMMARY

PATENT NO. / SIMILARITIES
REFERENCE TITLE
US20130043827 - comprises a portable charger
unit combined with multiple
connectors for connecting to
more than one electronic
device.
- comprises a charger housing
with a power input and at
least one power output.
- The charger unit turns on
when it is plugged into an
electronic device needing
charging.
- the unit includes multiple
connector cables each with a
respective storage cavity
formed in the charger
housing, thereby permitting
multiple electronic devices to
be charged by the charger
unit simultaneously.
US20100141839 - The charger battery could
provide power to the battery-
powered device in any
suitable manner.
- the portable charger could
disengage the device battery
such that only the charger
battery provides power
directly to the device until the
charge of the charger battery
drops below a specified
threshold, at which point the
DISSIMILARITIES UNIQUE
FEATURE
- an adapter unit - includes “shake to wake”
comprises multiple technology
adapter interfaces for
connecting the charger
unit or another
electronic device to a
power source, such as a
standard power outlet, a
car charger port, an
airplane charger port, or
a USB interface.
- Wirelessly transmits - Contemplated portable
data from that device to chargers have a
a remote device. transmitter that transmits
- Preferred battery data from the battery-
powered devices include powered device to a
iPods, iPhones, Zunes, remote electronic device.
Walkman, Sansa and - The frequencies used in
other portable media the contemplated battery
players, as well as chargers fall outside of
Blackberry, Palm Pilot the AM/FM radio waves in
and other PDAs. order to avoid any
interference. As used
 device battery is re-engaged.
- The charger battery could
also be recharged in any
suitable manner.
US20100317412 - This invention is related
chargers for portable devices.
- the battery and recharging
electronic circuitry includes an
input plug for powering and
recharging the portable phone
holder and charger, a battery
charger, a battery, a
controller, status indicator
lights, an on/off switch, a
voltage regulator, and an
output to the electrical
engagement.
- comprises an electronic
connection plug
- Invention provides a solar
CN106329698 power bank.
- includes a housing in which a
solar panel and a battery are
arranged.
- the solar panel is connected
to the battery
- converts solar energy into
electric energy through the
solar panel and then stored in
the battery
herein, AM waves are
defined as all frequencies
between 520 kHz and
1710 kHz, and FM waves
are defined as all
frequencies between 65.8
MHz and 108 MHz
- It includes a battery - The invention provides
holding base portion, a an improved portable
cellular phone cradle phone holder.
portion, and a hinge.
- the surface of the - The mobile phone
housing is provided with interface includes an
A mobile phone Android mobile phone
interface and a USB interface and an Apple
interface, mobile phone interface.
- the mobile phone
interface and the USB
interface are both
connected to the battery
- the number of the USB
interfaces is 2 to 4

CERTIFICATION
SEARCH CONDUCTED BY SEARCH REVIEWED BY
Signature and Date: Signature and Date:

Complete Name: Complete Name:

Wensie T. Laplana
Department: Department:
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
Institutional Research Code:
Prepared by:

Wensie T. Laplana
Research Administrator Officer