MOBILE DEVICE AND POWER MANAGEMENT METHOD

• US 20080237355A1
• Filed: 03/10/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Chan-Yong, Ahn, Kyung-Mo
• Granted Patent: US 8,282,009 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0004 Hybrid readers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10207 parameter settings related to power consumption of the interrogator

Abstract

A mobile device and related power management method are disclosed. The power management method includes detecting a level of residual battery power, and selectively enabling the provision of power to the smart card and the RF chip in accordance with the detected level of residual battery power.

Claims

1. A mobile electronic device, comprising:

a battery;

a radio frequency communication chip (RF chip) performing wireless communication with an external terminal;

a smart card connected to the RF chip and communicating data with the terminal; and

a controller selectively supplying power from the battery to the RF chip and the smart card in relation to a detected level of residual battery power.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises:

a residual battery power detector configured to detect the level of residual battery power, and provide first and second switching signals to a switching circuit selectively enabling the provision of power to the RF chip and the smart card.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the switching circuit comprises first and second switches respectively responsive to the first and second switching signals.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the switching circuit further comprises a first diode having an anode connected to the first switch and a cathode connected to the smart card.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the first switch selectively enables the provision of battery power to the RF chip in response to the first switching signal;

and

the second switch selectively enables provision of battery power to the smart card in response to the second switching signal.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the residual battery power detector actuates the first switching signal to turn ON the first switch when the detected level of battery power is above a first level threshold and deactivates the first switching signal to turn OFF the first switch when the detected level of battery power is below the first level threshold.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the residual battery power detector actuates the second switching signal to turn ON the second switch when the detected level of battery power is above a second level threshold and deactivates the second switching signal to turn OFF the second switch when the detected level of battery power is below the second level threshold, wherein the second level threshold is less than the first level threshold.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the RF chip receives power from an externally provided signal when the first switch is turned OFF.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the smart card receives power from the RF chip when the first and second switches are turned OFF.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein the switching circuit further comprises a second diode having an anode connected to the RF chip and a cathode connected to the smart card.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the RF chip and the smart card are connected to each using a single wire protocol (SWP).

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the RF chip communicates with the terminal using a near field communication (NFC) technique.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the RF chip comprises an antenna facilitating communication between the RF chip and the terminal.

14. A power management method of a mobile device comprising an RF chip and a smart card, the method comprising:

detecting a level of residual battery power; and

selectively enabling the provision of power to the smart card and the RF chip in accordance with the detected level of residual battery power.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein provision of battery power to the RF chip is disabled when the detected level of residual battery power falls below a first level threshold, and provision of battery power to the smart card is disabled when the detected level of residual battery power falls below a second level threshold lower than the first level threshold.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

supplying power to the RF chip from an externally received RF signal after battery power to the RF chip is disabled.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

supplying power to the smart card from the RF chip after battery power to the smart card is disabled.

18. A power management method of a mobile device including an RF chip and a smart card, the method comprising:

detecting a level of residual battery power;

cutting off power supplied to the RF chip when the detected level of residual battery power falls below a first level threshold; and

cutting off power supplied to the smart card when the detected level of residual battery power falls below a second level threshold lower than the first level threshold.