PORTABLE ELECTRONIC APPARATUS AND CHARGING APPARATUS

• US 20110254501A1
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Japan Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kanno, Takaki, IZUMI, Hiroshi, Kuroda, Kazuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,166,436 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads

Abstract

A portable electronic device including a battery, a direct current (DC) power source, a first device that consumes a first amount of power during operation, a second device that consumes a second amount of power during operation, the second amount of power being more than the first amount of power, a first switch provided in a charging path between the DC power source and the battery, a second switch provided in a path for supplying power from the battery to the second device, and a charging control circuit that controls charging the battery by connecting the first switch when external power is supplied via the DC power source, and control the second switch to be connected and the first switch to be disconnected when the second device is operated during the charging.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

a battery;

a direct current (DC) power source;

a first device that consumes a first amount of power during operation;

a second device that consumes a second amount o f power during operation, the second amount of power being more than the first amount of power;

a first switch provided in a charging path between the DC power source and the battery;

a second switch provided in a path for supplying power from the battery to the second device; and

a charging control circuit configured to control charging the battery by connecting the first switch when external power is supplied via the DC power source, and control the second switch to be connected and the first switch to be disconnected when the second device is operated during the charging.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a control device configured to transmit a control signal to the charging control circuit indicating that the second device is operational.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein

the charging control circuit is configured to control the second switch to be connected and the first switch to be disconnected upon receiving the control signal from the control device.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a third switch provided in a path for supplying power from the battery to the first device.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 4, wherein

the charging control circuit is configured to control the third switch to be disconnected when the external power is supplied via the DC power source, and connected when external power is not supplied via the DC power source.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the DC power source is a DC-DC converter that decreases a voltage of the externally supplied power.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 6, wherein

an output voltage of the DC-DC converter is higher than a maximum voltage output by the battery.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the second device includes a power amplifier.

10. The charging apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the charging control circuit is configured to receive a control signal from a control device indicating that the device is operational.

11. The charging apparatus of claim 10, wherein

the charging control circuit is configured to control the second switch to be connected and the first switch to be disconnected during the charging upon receiving the control signal from the control device.

9. A charging apparatus for a portable electronic device, the charging apparatus comprising:

a direct current (DC) power source;

a first switch provided in a charging path between the DC power source and a battery;

a second switch provided in a path for supplying power from the battery to a device that consumes a larger amount of power during operation as compared to another device in the portable electronic device; and

a charging control circuit configured to control charging the battery by connecting the first switch when external power is supplied via the DC power source, and control the second switch to be connected and the first switch to be disconnected when the device is operated during the charging.

12. The charging apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a third switch provided in a path for supplying power from the battery to the another device.

13. The charging apparatus of claim 12, wherein

the charging control circuit is configured to control the third switch to be disconnected when the external power is supplied via the DC power source, and connected when external power is not supplied via the DC power source.

14. The charging apparatus of claim 9, wherein the DC power source is a DC-DC converter that decreases a voltage of the externally supplied power.

15. The charging apparatus of claim 14, wherein

an output voltage of the DC-DC converter is higher than a maximum voltage output by the battery.

16. The charging apparatus of claim 9, wherein

the second device includes a power amplifier.

17. A method of charging a battery in a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

determining whether external power is supplied via a DC power source;

connecting a first switch provided in a charging path between the DC power source and a battery when it is determined that external power is supplied via the DC power source;

determining whether a device that consumes a larger amount of power during operation as compared to another device in the portable electronic device is in operation; and

connecting a second switch provided in a path for supplying power from the battery to the second device and disconnecting the first switch when it is determined that the device is in operation.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

connecting a third switch provided in a path for supplying power from the battery to the another device when it is determined that external power is not supplied via the DC power source.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

disconnecting a third switch provided in a path for supplying power from the battery to the another device when it is determined that external power is supplied via the DC power source.