Apparatus and method for charging electronic device having battery

• US 10,361,580 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2015
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Cha, Jungyoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Pelton, Nathaniel R
• Application Number:
  US14/998,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20160190861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for operating an electronic device may include receiving information related to a second battery from an external electronic device having the second battery by an electronic device having a first battery and a charger for charging the first battery; and identify at least one operation of: 1) receiving an electric power from the external electronic device to the electronic device, 2) supplying an electric power from the electronic device to the external electronic device, or 3) not transferring an electric power between the electronic device and the external electronic device, by the electronic device based at least one of the information related to the second battery or information related to the first battery. Further, various embodiments can be implemented.

Claims

1. A method for operating an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving information related to a second battery from an external electronic device that includes the second battery, by the electronic device, wherein the electronic device includes a first battery and a charger for charging the first battery; and

determining, by the electronic device, whether to (i) receive an electric power from the external electronic device, (ii) supply an electric power to the external electronic device, or (iii) enter a non-transfer mode where an electric power is not transferred between the electronic device and the external electronic device, wherein the determination is based on at least one of the received information related to the second battery or information related to the first battery, and

wherein the method further comprises determining that the electronic device supplies the electric power to the external electronic device in response to detecting that an external charger is connected to the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information related to the second battery is received using wireless communication between the external electronic device and the electronic device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the wireless communication comprises a near-field communication.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the information related to the second battery is received using a wireless charging protocol between the external electronic device and the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the charger comprises a wireless charger, and the reception or supply of the electric power is performed using the wireless charger.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying locations of the electronic device and the external electronic device on a display unit.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving the information further comprises:

detecting a second battery residual amount;

generating a charging score of the external electronic device in accordance with the second battery residual amount and predetermined values of charging factors; and

transmitting the charging score to the external electronic device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the charging factors comprise a battery capacity.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the charging factors are determined by a possibility of an emergency call.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the charging factors comprise location information of the external electronic device.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the charging factors comprise a user preference.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the charging factors comprise a device usage frequency.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a charging by receiving the electric power from the external electronic device if the information related to the second battery is greater than the information related to the first battery;

determining a charging by supplying the electric power to the external electronic device if the information related to the first battery is greater than the information related to the second battery; and

determining not to charge if the information related to the first battery and the information related to the second battery are balanced.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

generating a charging score and transmitting the charging score to the external electronic device according to a charging amount change if a charging operation is performed.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

displaying a charging state of the first battery and the second battery with at least one of a popup displaying technique or an indicator displaying technique if the charging operation is performed.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

comparing the information associated with the first battery with the information associated with the second battery of the external electronic device while performing the charging operation, wherein the electric power is not transferred if the information associated with the first battery and the second battery satisfy a predetermined value.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a charging by supplying the electric power to the external electronic device if the information associated with the second battery includes emergency call information; and

determining a charging by receiving the electric power from the external electronic device if the information associated with the first battery includes emergency call information.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a charging by receiving the electric power from the external electronic device if the information associated with the second battery includes information of connecting the charger to an external power; and

determining a charging by supplying the electric power to the external electronic device if the information associated with the first battery includes information of connecting the charger to an external power.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a charging by receiving the electric power from the external electronic device if the external electronic device is located at a lower side of the electronic device; and

determining a charging by supplying the electric power to the external electronic device if the external electronic device is located at an upper side of the electronic device.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a charging by receiving the electric power from the external electronic device if the external electronic device is located at an upper side of the electronic device; and

determining a charging by supplying the electric power to the external electronic device if the external electronic device is located at a lower side of the electronic device.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a number of connected devices, wherein a charging direction for the number of connected devices is determined in accordance with a charging score such that a device having a greatest charging score charges a device having a smallest charging score and a device having a second greatest charging score charges a device having a second smallest charging score.

22. An electronic device comprising:

a first battery;

a charger configured to charge the first battery by using an external power;

a wireless charger configured to perform a wireless charging between a second battery of an external electronic device and the first battery;

a communication unit configured to receive information associated with the second battery from the external electronic device, wherein the external electronic device includes the second battery; and

a controller configured to determine whether to (i) receive an electric power from the external electronic device through the communication unit, (ii) supply an electric power to the external electronic device, or (iii) enter a non-transfer mode where an electric power is not transferred between the electronic device and the external electronic device, wherein the determination is based on at least one of the received information related to the second battery or information related to the first battery, and

wherein the controller is further configured to determine that the electronic device supplies the electric power to the external electronic device in response to detecting that an external charger is connected to the electronic device.

23. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the communication unit is configured to perform a wireless communication with the external electronic device.

24. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the wireless communication is a near-field communication.

25. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the communication unit uses a wireless charging protocol between the external electronic device and the electronic device.

26. The electronic device of claim 24, wherein the controller is configured to receive information associated with the first battery and the second battery through the communication unit via near-field communication, and display locations of wireless chargers of the electronic device and the external electronic device on a display unit.

27. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the controller is configured to transmit a charging score of the first battery to the external electronic device, the charging score combining a residual amount of the first battery and predetermined values of charging factors.

28. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the charging factors comprise a battery capacity.

29. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the charging factors comprise a possibility of an emergency call.

30. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the charging factors comprise location information of the external electronic device.

31. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the charging factors comprise a user preference.

32. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the charging score further comprises a device usage frequency.

33. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the controller is configured to:

analyze information associated with the first battery and the second battery;

determine a charging by receiving an electric power from the external electronic device if the information related to the second battery is greater than the information related to the first battery;

determine a charging by supplying an electric power to the external electronic device if the information related to the first battery is greater than the information related to the second battery; and

determine not to charge if the information related to the first battery and the information related to the second battery are balanced.

34. The electronic device of claim 33, wherein the controller is configured to:

generate a charging score; and

transmit the charging score to the external electronic device according to a charging amount change while transferring the electric power through the wireless charger.

35. The electronic device of claim 34, wherein the controller is configured to display a charging state of the first battery and the second battery on a display unit with at least one of a popup displaying technique or an indicator displaying technique while transferring the electric power through the wireless charger.

36. The electronic device of claim 35, wherein the controller is configured to:

analyze the information associated with the second battery and the information associated with the first battery while transferring the electric power through the wireless charger, wherein the electric power is not transferred if the information related to the first and second batteries satisfies a predetermined value.

37. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the controller is configured to:

analyze the information associated with the first and second batteries;

determine a charging by supplying an electric power to the external electronic device if the information associated with the second battery includes emergency call information; and

determine a charging by receiving an electric power from the external electronic device if the information associated with the first battery includes emergency call information.

38. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the controller is configured to:

analyze the information associated with the first and second batteries;

determine a charging by receiving an electric power from the external electronic device if the information associated with the second battery includes connection information of the charger to an external power; and

determine a charging by supplying an electric power to the external electronic device if the information associated with the first battery includes connection information of the charger to an external power.

39. The electronic device of claim 22, further comprising:

a sensor configured to detect locations of the electronic device and the external electronic device, wherein the controller is configured to determine a charging by receiving an electric power from the external electronic device if the external electronic device is located at a lower side of the electronic device, and supplying an electric power to the external electronic device if the external electronic device is located at an upper side of the electronic device.

40. The electronic device of claim 22, further comprising:

a sensor configured to detect locations of the electronic device and the external electronic device, wherein the controller is configured to determine a charging by receiving an electric power from the external electronic device if the external electronic device is located at an upper side of the electronic device, and supplying an electric power to the external electronic device if the external electronic device is located at a lower side of the electronic device.

41. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the controller is configured to:

determine a number of connected devices; and

determine a charging direction for the number of connected devices such that a device having a greatest charging score charges a device having a smallest charging score, and a device having a second greatest charging score charges a device having a second smallest charging score.