Method for controlling multiple batteries and electronic device for implementing same

• US 10,211,652 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2016
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kwon, Choel-Hwi, Park, Soon-Sang
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Warmflash, Michael
• Application Number:
  US15/199,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20170005489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electronic device includes a housing having a first and second battery, a power management integrated circuit, a battery charging circuit, and a booster circuit. The housing also includes a first switch connected with the first battery, a second switch connected with the second battery, and a control circuit. The control circuit provides, one of a first state where the first battery is connected with the PMIC and the battery charging circuit, a second state where the first battery is connected with the booster circuit and the battery charging circuit, a third state where the first battery forms an open circuit, a fourth state where the second battery is connected with the PMIC and the battery charging circuit, a fifth state where the second battery is connected with the booster circuit and the battery charging circuit, and a sixth state where the second battery forms an open circuit.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing comprising;

a first battery;

a second battery;

a power management integrated circuit (PMIC);

a battery charging circuit;

a booster circuit;

a first switch electrically connected with the first battery;

a second switch electrically connected with the second battery; and

a control circuit,

wherein the first switch and the second switch are three-point switches having an open node, a boost node and a power node (Vbat node), in which the open node is a node in which no electrical route is formed with any circuit, the boost node is a node connected to the booster circuit and an input of the battery charging circuit, and the power node is a node connected the PMIC and an output of the battery charging circuit, and

wherein the control circuit is configured to provide, at least using the first switch and the second switch one of;

a first state in which the first battery is electrically connected with the PMIC and an output of the battery charging circuit when the second battery forms an open circuit, and in which the first battery is used as a main power source for the electronic device,

a second state in which the first battery is electrically connected with the booster circuit and an input of the battery charging circuit, in which the second battery is connected to the output of the battery charging circuit, and in which the first battery is used as a main power source for the electronic device;

a fourth state in which the second battery is electrically connected with the PMIC and the output of the battery charging circuit when the first battery forms an open circuit, and in which the second battery is used as a main power source for the electronic device, and

a fifth state in which the second battery is electrically connected with the booster circuit and in input of the battery charging circuit, in which the first battery is connected to the output of the battery charging circuitry, and in which the second battery is used as a main power source for the electronic device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the first switch and the second switch such that the second state and the fourth state are provided.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the first switch and the second switch such that the first state and the fifth state are provided.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a remaining battery charge measurement circuit electrically connected with the first battery and the second battery, and configured to generate a signal based on the remaining battery charge of each of the batteries, wherein the control circuit is configured to control, based on at least a part of the signal, at least one of the first switch or the second switch such that at least one of the first state, the second state, the fourth state, and the fifth state, is provided.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises:

a third battery; and

a third switch electrically connected with the third battery,

wherein the control circuit is configured to select, at least using the third switch, one of;

a seventh state in which the third battery is electrically connected with the PMIC and the output of the battery charging circuit,

an eighth state in which the third battery is electrically connected with the booster circuit and the input of the battery charging circuit, and

a ninth state in which the third battery forms an open circuit.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the first switch, the second switch, and the third switch such that the second state, the fourth state, and the ninth state are provided.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to:

control the first switch such that the first battery is connected to the booster circuit; and

change a first voltage generated by power of the first battery to a second voltage that is higher than the first voltage.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the control circuit is configured to charge the second battery using power based on the second voltage.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to connect, by the first switch, the first battery to the open circuit to disable the first battery.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first battery and the second battery are arranged to be spaced apart, each of the first battery and the second battery includes an anode and a cathode.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first battery or the second battery are removable from the electronic device.

12. An electronic device comprising:

a housing comprising;

a first battery;

a second battery;

a power management integrated circuit (PMIC);

a battery charging circuit;

a booster circuit;

a remaining battery charge measurement circuit electrically connected with the first battery and the second battery and configured to generate a signal based on a remaining battery charge of each of the first and the second battery; and

a control circuit,

wherein the first switch and the second switch are three-point switches having an open node, a boost node and a power node (Vbat node), in which the open node is a node in which no electrical route is formed with any circuit, the boost node is a node connected to the booster circuit and an input of the battery charging circuit, and the power node is a node connected the PMIC and an output of the battery charging circuit,

wherein the control circuit is configured to provide one of;

a first state in which the first battery is electrically connected with the PMIC and an output of the battery charging circuit when the second battery forms an open circuit, and in which the first battery is used as a main power source for the electronic device,

a second state in which the first battery is electrically connected with the booster circuit and an input of the battery charging circuit, in which the second battery is connected to the output of the battery charging circuit, and in which the first battery is used as a main power source for the electronic device,

a fourth state in which the second battery is electrically connected with the PMIC and the output of the battery charging circuit when the first battery forms an open circuit, and in which the second battery is used as a main power source for the electronic device, and

a fifth state in which the second battery is electrically connected with the booster circuit and the input of the battery charging circuit, in which the first battery is connected to the output of the battery charging circuit, and in which the second battery is used as a main power source for the electronic device.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, further comprising:

the first switch electrically connected with the first battery; and

the second switch electrically connected with the second battery,

wherein the control circuit is configured to control, based on at least a part of the signal, at least one of the first switch or the second switch such that at least one of the first state, the second state, the fourth state, and the fifth state, is provided.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the control circuit is configured to:

connect the first battery to the booster circuit and the input of the battery charging circuit;

connect the second battery to the PMIC and the output of the battery charging circuit; and

change a first voltage generated by power of the first battery to a second voltage that is higher than the first voltage, and charge the second battery using power based on the second voltage.

15. A method of operating an electronic device comprising a first battery, a second battery, a power management integrated circuit (PMIC), a battery charging circuit, a booster circuit, and an open circuit, the method comprising:

detecting a battery control event; and

controlling a first switch electrically connected to the first battery and a second switch electrically connected to the second battery according to the battery control event, wherein the first switch and the second switch are three-point switches having an open node, a boost node and a power node (Vbat node), in which the open node is a node in which no electrical route is formed with any circuit, the boost node is a node connected to the booster circuit and an input of the battery charging circuit, and the power node is a node connected the PMIC and an output of the battery charging circuit, and

wherein the controlling provides one of;

a first state in which the first battery is electrically connected with the PMIC and an output of the battery charging circuit when the second battery forms an open circuit, and in which the first battery is used as a main power source for the electronic device,

a second state in which the first battery is electrically connected with the booster circuit and an input of the battery charging circuit, in which the second battery is connected to the output of the battery charging circuit, and in which the first battery is used as a main power source for the electronic device,

a fourth state in which the second battery is electrically connected with the PMIC and the output of the battery charging circuit when the first battery forms an open circuit, and in which the second battery is used as a main power source for the electronic device, and

a fifth state in which the second battery is electrically connected with the booster circuit and the input of the battery charging circuit, in which the first battery is connected to the output of the battery charging circuit, and in which the second battery is used as a main power source for the electronic device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the detecting comprises:

detecting information of the first battery or information of the second battery using a remaining battery charge measurement circuit included in the electronic device; and

generating the battery control event based on information of the first battery or information of the second battery.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the detecting comprises:

displaying a user interface associated with a battery control according to a user request;

receiving a user input through the user interface; and

determining that the battery control event has occurred when the user input is received.