Apparatus for charging battery of mobile communication terminal

• US 20040066174A1
• Filed: 01/30/2003
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Jae-Won
• Granted Patent: US 6,977,486 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/149
• 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

Abstract

Disclosed is a charging apparatus capable of easily charging a battery of a mobile communication terminal and being portable. The charging apparatus includes a first connector having a power supply terminal similar to a power supply terminal of a data communication connector, the first connector being connected to a data communication connector of a supplying side mobile communication terminal supplying charge power; and a second connector having a power supply terminal similar to the power supply terminal of the data communication connector, the second connector being connected to a data communication connector of a receiving side mobile communication terminal receiving the charge power; a charging controller for charging a battery of the receiving side mobile communication terminal by supplying the charge power inputted from the power supply terminal of the first connector to the battery of the receiving side mobile communication terminal through the power supply terminal of the second connector until a battery voltage level of the receiving side mobile communication terminal reaches a charge voltage level set by a user; and a switch switched by the user'"'"'s operation for connecting and disconnecting a path of supplying the charge power between the power supply terminal of the first connector and the charging controller.

Claims

1. An apparatus for charging a battery of a receiving side mobile communication terminal having a data communication connector, comprising:

a first connector having a power supply terminal for connecting to a power supply terminal of the data communication connector, the first connector being configured to connect to a data communication connector of a supplying side mobile communication terminal;

a second connector having a power supply terminal for connecting to the power supply terminal of the data communication connector, the second connector being configured to connect to the data communication connector of the receiving side mobile communication terminal receiving the charge power; and

a charging controller for charging a battery of the receiving side mobile communication terminal by supplying charge power from the power supply terminal of the first connector to the battery of the receiving side mobile communication terminal through the power supply terminal of the second connector until a battery voltage level of the receiving side mobile communication terminal reaches a charge voltage level set by a user.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a switch switched by the user'"'"'s operation for connecting and disconnecting a path of charge power between the power supply terminal of the first connector and the charging controller.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the charging controller further includes:

a charge level selection switch switched by the user'"'"'s operation for selectively setting one of a plurality of predetermined charge voltage levels.

4. A mobile communication terminal having a data communication connector, comprising:

a charging controller for charging a battery of the mobile communication terminal by supplying charge power from the data communication connector to the battery via a first path until a battery voltage level of the mobile communication terminal reaches a charge voltage level set by a user;

a first switch switched by the user'"'"'s operation for connecting and disconnecting the first path of charge power, wherein the first path is between the data communication connector, the charging controller and the battery; and

a second switch switched opposite to the first switch for connecting and disconnecting a second path of charge power, wherein the second path is between the data communication connector and the battery.

5. The mobile communication terminal as set forth in claim 4, wherein the charging controller further includes:

a charge level selection switch switched by the user'"'"'s operation for selectively setting one of a plurality of predetermined charge voltage levels.

6. A mobile communication terminal having a data communication connector, comprising:

a charging controller for charging a battery of the mobile communication terminal by supplying charge power from the data communication connector to the battery via a first path until a battery voltage level of the mobile communication terminal reaches a predetermined charge voltage level;

a first switch for connecting and disconnecting the first path of charge power, wherein the first path is between the data communication connector, the charging controller and the battery;

a second switch for connecting and disconnecting a second path of charge power, wherein the second path is between the data communication connector and the battery; and

a controller for controlling the first and second switches to allow the first switch to be turned on and the second switch to be turned off until the battery voltage level of the mobile communication terminal reaches the predetermined charge voltage level set by a user.

7. The mobile communication terminal as set forth in claim 6, wherein the controller controls the first and second switches only when the user selects an internal charging mode for charging the battery of the mobile communication terminal.