PORTABLE CHARGING APPARATUS, CHARGING METHOD THEREOF, AND CHARGING SYSTEM

• US 20110316472A1
• Filed: 06/27/2011
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Tae Soo, KIM, Tae Seon, SHIN, Shong Uk, HAN, Ki Wook, CHO, Ik Hyun
• Granted Patent: US 8,686,688 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4068 Electrical coupling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0042 Universal serial bus [USB]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A portable charging apparatus, charging method and system for charging a battery of a mobile communication terminal are provided. The portable charging apparatus includes a first Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface connected to an external charging device, a second USB interface connected to a mobile communication terminal, and a switch located between data lines for USB communication. The method includes determining whether the portable charging apparatus is connected to the external charging device, switching on the switch when the portable charging apparatus is not connected to the external charging device, and determining whether the portable charging apparatus is connected to the mobile communication terminal, and supplying electric power from an additional battery of the portable charging apparatus to the mobile communication terminal when the portable charging apparatus is connected to the mobile communication terminal.

Claims

1. A charging system, the system comprising:

an external charging device with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, for supplying electric power to charge a battery;

a portable charging apparatus comprising a first interface connected to the external charging device, a second interface connected to a mobile communication terminal, and a switch for connecting or for disconnecting the data lines according to whether the portable charging apparatus is connected to the external charging device, wherein the switch is disposed between data lines for USB communication; and

a mobile communication terminal, connected to the second interface, for charging the battery via at least one of the external charging device and the portable charging apparatus.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication terminal charges the battery at different charging currents according to whether the data lines are connected to each other.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable charging apparatus switches off the switch when the first interface is connected to the external charging device, and switches on the switch when the first interface is not connected to the external charging device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein, when the portable charging apparatus detects a connection of the external charging device while the battery of the mobile communication terminal is being charged via an additional battery of the portable charging apparatus, the portable charging apparatus disenables a boost converter for receiving a voltage of the additional battery, for boosting the received voltage to a preset level, and for outputting the boosted voltage, and enables, after a certain period of time elapses, an electric power supply switch for temporarily stopping the supply of the electric power from the external charging device to the mobile communication terminal or for resuming the supply of the electric power from the external charging device to the mobile communication terminal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable charging apparatus and the mobile communication terminal charge the battery at a charging current of a first reference when the data lines are connected to each other and at a charging current of a second reference when the data lines are not connected to each other.

6. A charging method of a portable charging apparatus comprising a first Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface connected to an external charging device, a second USB interface connected to a mobile communication terminal, and a switch located between data lines for USB communication, the method comprising:

determining whether the portable charging apparatus is connected to the external charging device;

switching on the switch when the portable charging apparatus is not connected to the external charging device, and determining whether the portable charging apparatus is connected to the mobile communication terminal; and

supplying electric power from an additional battery of the portable charging apparatus to the mobile communication terminal when the portable charging apparatus is connected to the mobile communication terminal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the supply of the electric power from the additional battery to the mobile communication terminal comprises:

disenabling an electric power supply switch for stopping the supply of the electric power or for supplying the electric power from the external charging device to the mobile communication terminal; and

enabling a boost converter for receiving a voltage of the additional battery of the portable charging apparatus, for boosting the received voltage to a preset level, and for outputting the boosted voltage.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

disenabling the boost converter when the portable charging apparatus detects the connection of the external charging device while electric power of the additional battery is supplied to the mobile communication terminal;

enabling, after a certain period of time elapses, the electric power supply switch; and

supplying electric power from the external charging device to the mobile communication terminal.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

switching off the switch when the external charging device is connected to the portable charging apparatus;

determining whether the mobile communication terminal is connected to the portable charging apparatus;

determining, when the mobile communication terminal is connected to the portable charging apparatus, whether the battery of the mobile communication terminal is fully charged;

supplying, when the battery of the mobile communication terminal is not fully charged, electric power from the external charging device to the mobile communication terminal, and charging the battery of the mobile communication terminal; and

charging the additional battery using electric power of the external charging device, when the battery of the mobile communication terminal is fully charged or the mobile communication terminal is not connected to the portable charging apparatus.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the charging of the battery of the mobile communication terminal comprises:

enabling an electric power supply switch for supplying electric power or for stopping the supply of the electric power from the external charging device to the mobile communication terminal; and

disenabling a boost converter and a charging unit, wherein the boost converter receives a voltage of the additional battery, boosts the received voltage to a preset level, and outputs the boosted voltage, and the charging unit charges the additional battery.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the charging of the additional battery comprises:

disenabling an electric power supply switch and a boost converter, wherein the electric power supply switch supplies the electric power or stops the supply of the electric power from the external charging device to the mobile communication terminal, and the boost converter receives a voltage of the additional battery, boosts the received voltage to a preset level, and outputs the boosted voltage; and

enabling a charging unit for charging the additional battery.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the enabling of the charging unit comprises:

recognizing a type of external charging device by determining whether data lines for USB communication are connected to each other; and

charging the additional battery at a charging current set to the recognized type of external charging device.

13. A portable charging apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a first Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, connected to an external charging device;

a second USB interface, connected to a mobile communication terminal;

an additional battery for supplying electric power to the mobile communication terminal via the second USB interface;

a switch, located between data lines of the first USB interface, for connecting or for disconnecting the data lines;

an external device sensor for detecting the connection of the external charging device and for transmitting a detected signal of the connection of the external charging device to a control terminal of the switch, wherein the switch is switched off or switched on according to the detected signal;

a boost converter for receiving a voltage of the additional battery, for boosting the received voltage to a preset level and for outputting the boosted voltage;

a charging unit for charging the additional battery;

an electric power supply switch for supplying the electric power or for stopping the supply of the electric power from the external charging device to the mobile communication terminal; and

a controller for supplying electric power from the additional battery to the mobile communication terminal by enabling the boost converter when the second USB interface is connected to the mobile communication terminal and the first USB interface is not connected to the external charging device, for supplying electric power from the external charging device to the mobile communication terminal when a battery of the mobile communication terminal is not fully charged and the first USB interface and the second USB interface are connected to the external charging device and the mobile communication terminal, respectively, and for charging the additional battery via the external charging device by enabling the charging unit when the first USB interface is connected to the external charging device and the second USB interface is not connected to the mobile communication terminal or when the battery of the mobile communication terminal is fully charged and the first interface and the second USB interface are connected to the external charging device and the mobile communication terminal, respectively,

wherein the controller comprises a detection terminal to which the detected signal of the connection of the external charging device is input.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein, when the controller detects the connection of the external charging device when electric power of the additional battery is being supplied to the mobile communication terminal, the controller disenables the boost converter and, after a period of time elapses, the controller enables the electric power supply switch.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the switch is switched on when the first USB interface is not connected to the external charging device and is switched off when the first USB interface is connected to the external charging device.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein, when the charging unit is enabled, the controller recognizes a type of external charging device by determining whether the data lines are connected to each other and charges the additional battery at a charging current corresponding to the recognized type of external charging device.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first USB interface and the second USB interface comprises micro USB interfaces.