APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONSERVING BATTERY CHARGE

• US 20070046255A1
• Filed: 08/28/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: KIM, Sang-Woo
• Granted Patent: US 7,688,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices

Abstract

A portable device includes a battery, electronic circuitry, and a peak current provider that provides a peak current to the electronic circuitry. Power is supplied to the portable device by connecting a battery to a peak current provider, charging the peak current provider, and supplying a current from the battery to electronic circuitry of the portable device, when a current required by the electronic circuitry is less than or equal to a preset value, and disconnecting the battery from the peak current provider and supplying a current from the peak current provider to the electronic circuitry, when a current required by the electronic circuitry is greater than the preset value.

Claims

1. A portable device, comprising:

a battery;

electronic circuitry; and

a peak current provider that provides a peak current to the electronic circuitry.

2. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the peak current provider includes a current limiter, connected in series with the battery, which prevents the battery from outputting a current of more than a preset value.

3. The portable device according to claim 2, further comprising a current limiter controller that controls the preset value.

4. The portable device according to claim 2, wherein the preset value can be controlled.

5. The portable device according to claim 2, wherein the preset value is 0.4 A.

6. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the peak current provider comprises a capacitor connected in parallel with the battery.

7. The portable device according to claim 6, wherein the capacitor has a capacitance of tens to hundreds of mF.

8. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the peak current provider comprises:

a current limiter, connected in series with the battery, which prevents the battery from outputting a current of more than a preset value; and

a capacitor connected in parallel with the battery.

9. The portable device according to claim 8, wherein the capacitor has a capacitance of tens to hundreds of mF.

10. The portable device according to claim 8, further comprising a current limiter controller that controls the preset value.

11. The portable device according to claim 8, wherein the preset value can be controlled.

12. The portable device according to claim 8, wherein the preset value is 0.4 A.

13. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the peak current provider is integrated with the battery.

14. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the peak current provider is integrated with the electronic circuitry.

15. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuitry includes a power amplifier module connected to the peak current provider.

16. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the portable device is a mobile communication terminal.

17. A method of supplying power to a portable device, comprising:

connecting a battery to a peak current provider, charging the peak current provider, and supplying a current from the battery to electronic circuitry of the portable device, when a current required by the electronic circuitry is less than or equal to a preset value; and

disconnecting the battery from the peak current provider and supplying a current from the peak current provider to the electronic circuitry, when a current required by the electronic circuitry is greater than the preset value.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the peak current provider comprises a capacitor.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the capacitor has a capacitance of tens to hundreds of mF.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the preset value is varied by a current limiter controller.

21. A method of supplying power to a portable device, comprising:

connecting a battery to a peak current provider, charging the peak current provider, and supplying a current from the battery to electronic circuitry of the portable device, when the portable device is idle or receiving a communication signal;

disconnecting the battery from the peak current provider and supplying a current from the peak current provider to the electronic circuitry, when the portable device is transmitting a communication signal.