APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SUPPLYING POWER IN MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20140015507A1
• Filed: 07/02/2013
• Published: 01/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, Kwangsub, JANG, Seyoung, JUNG, Kuchul, PARK, Chulwoo, YUN, Chuleun, HAN, Yunhui
• Granted Patent: US 9,651,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/304
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/46 wherein the variable actually regulated by the final control device is dc G05F1/625 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1607 Supply circuits converters H02M; filters therefor H02M1/14; voltage stabilisers G05F1/46
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An apparatus for supplying power in a mobile terminal is provided. The apparatus includes a battery, a power management integration circuit including a buck-boost converter for converting a battery voltage to output a specific voltage, and a plurality of regulators for regulating the specific voltage output from the buck-boost converter to voltages of respective corresponding constituent elements and for outputting the regulated voltages, the buck-boost converter operating in a buck mode when the battery voltage is greater than the specific voltage, and the buck-boost converter operating in a boost mode when the battery voltage is less than the specific voltage, such that the constituent elements include a controller for controlling an operation of the mobile terminal, a touch panel for generating an input and for providing the generated input signal to the controller, and a display unit for displaying an operation of the mobile terminal under control of the controller.

Claims

1. An apparatus for supplying power in a mobile terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a battery;

a power management integration circuit including a buck-boost converter for converting a battery voltage to output a specific voltage; and

a plurality of regulators for regulating the specific voltage output from the buck-boost converter to voltages of respective corresponding constituent elements and for outputting the regulated voltages, the buck-boost converter operating in a buck mode when the battery voltage is greater than the specific voltage, and the buck-boost converter operating in a boost mode when the battery voltage is less than the specific voltage,

wherein the constituent elements include;

a controller for controlling an operation of the mobile terminal;

a touch panel for generating an input and for providing the generated input signal to the controller; and

a display unit for displaying an operation of the mobile terminal under the control of the controller, and to which a voltage from the power management integration circuit is supplied.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the specific voltage is greater than a maximum operation voltage used from the constituent elements.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller confirms the mode of the buck-boost converter, and displays the boost mode on the display unit when the mode of the buck-boost converter is the boost mode.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the buck-boost converter comprises:

a buck converter including a resistive DC/DC voltage converter;

a boost converter including a boost DC/DC voltage converter; and

a selector for selecting the buck converter when the battery voltage is greater than an output voltage of the buck-boost converter to apply the battery voltage to the selected buck converter, for selecting the boost converter when the battery voltage is less than the output voltage of the buck-boost converter to apply the battery voltage to the selected boost converter, and for selecting both of the buck converter and the boost converter when the battery voltage is at a threshold voltage of the output voltage of the buck-boost converter to apply the battery voltage to the selected buck and boost converters.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the buck-boost converter comprises:

a buck converter including a resistive DC/DC voltage converter;

a boost converter including a boost DC/DC voltage converter; and

a selector for selecting the buck converter when the battery voltage is greater than an output voltage of the buck-boost converter and for applying the battery voltage to the selected buck converter, for selecting the boost converter when the battery voltage is less than the output voltage of the buck-boost converter and for applying the battery voltage to the selected boost converter, and for directly applying the battery voltage to the regulators when the battery voltage is at a threshold voltage of the output voltage of the buck-boost converter.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the battery comprises silicon based battery.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the specific voltage is set to a voltage between 3.3V and 3.5V, and the regulators generate voltages between 2.2V and 3.3V.

8. An apparatus for supplying power in a mobile terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a battery;

a power management integration circuit including a plurality of buck-boost converters for converting a battery voltage into specific voltages having different values and for outputting the converted specific voltages to respective corresponding constituent elements, the buck-boost converters operating in a buck mode when the battery voltage is greater than the specific voltages, and the buck-boost converters operating in a boost mode when the battery voltage is less than the specific voltages;

a controller for controlling an operation of the mobile terminal;

a touch panel for generating an input and providing the generated input signal to the controller; and

a display unit for displaying an operation of the mobile terminal under the control of the controller, and to which a voltage from the power management integration circuit is supplied.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller confirms modes of the buck-boost converters, and limits a corresponding function of the mobile terminal according to an output voltage of the buck-boost converter operating in the boost mode.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the buck-boost converter comprises:

a buck converter including a resistive DC/DC voltage converter;

a boost converter including a boost DC/DC voltage converter; and

a selector for selecting the buck converter when the battery voltage is greater than an output voltage of the buck-boost converter and for applying the battery voltage to the selected buck converter, for selecting the boost converter when the battery voltage is less than the output voltage of the buck-boost converter and for applying the battery voltage to the selected boost converter, and for selecting both of the buck converter and the boost converter when the battery voltage is at a threshold voltage of the output voltage of the buck-boost converter and for applying the battery voltage to the selected buck and boost converters.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the buck-boost converter comprises:

a buck converter including a resistive DC/DC voltage converter;

a boost converter including a boost DC/DC voltage converter; and

a selector for selecting the buck converter when the battery voltage is greater than an output voltage of the buck-boost converter and for applying the battery voltage to the selected buck converter, for selecting the boost converter when the battery voltage is less than the output voltage of the buck-boost converter and for applying the battery voltage to the selected boost converter, and for directly applying the battery voltage to the regulators when the battery voltage is at a threshold voltage of the output voltage of the buck-boost converter.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the battery comprises silicon based battery.

13. An apparatus for supplying power in a mobile terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a controller having a communication processor and an application processor;

a touch panel for generating and providing an input signal to the controller; and

a display unit for displaying an operation of the mobile terminal under control of the controller;

a battery; and

a power management integration circuit including;

a power management integration circuit of the communication processor; and

a power management integration circuit of the application processor for supplying a voltage to the constituent elements, the power management integration circuit of the application processor including;

a buck-boost converter for converting a battery voltage and for outputting a specific voltage, and

a plurality of regulators for regulating the specific voltage output from the buck-boost converter to voltages of respective corresponding constituent elements and for outputting the regulated voltages, the buck-boost converter operating in a buck mode when the battery voltage is greater than the specific voltage, and the buck-boost converter operating in a boost mode when the battery voltage is less than the specific voltage.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the power management integration circuit comprises:

a power controller for detecting a battery voltage, outputting a buck mode control signal when the battery voltage is greater than a preset voltage, and outputting a boost mode control signal when the battery voltage is less than the preset voltage;

an application processor power management integration circuit including a buck-boost converter and a plurality of regulators connected to the buck-boost converter, the buck-boost converter operating in a buck mode or a boost mode to output the battery voltage as a specific voltage according to a mode control signal from the power controller, and regulators for regulating specific voltages of the buck-boost converter to voltages of the respective corresponding constituent elements and for outputting the regulated voltages to constituent elements operated under control of the application processor; and

a communication processor power management integration circuit for converting the battery voltage into a preset voltage and for outputting the converted voltage to constituent elements operated under control of the communication processor.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller confirms a mode of the buck-boost converter and alarms when a low voltage of the battery is in the boost mode.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the battery comprises silicon based battery.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a buck-boost converter of the application processor power management integration circuit comprises:

a buck converter including a resistive DC/DC voltage converter;

a boost converter including a boost DC/DC voltage converter; and

a selector for applying the battery voltage to a buck converter when the power controller outputs the buck mode control signal, for outputting the battery voltage to a boost converter when the power controller outputs the boost mode control signal, and for directly applying the battery voltage to the regulators when the power controller generates a buck-boost mode control signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a buck-boost converter of the application processor power management integration circuit comprises:

a buck converter including a resistive DC/DC voltage converter;

a boost converter including a boost DC/DC voltage converter; and

a selector for applying the battery voltage to a buck converter when the power controller outputs the buck mode control signal, for outputting the battery voltage to a boost converter when the power controller outputs the boost mode control signal, and for applying the battery voltage to the buck converter and the boost converter when the power controller generates a buck-boost mode control signal.

19. A method of supplying power in a portable terminal including a battery, the method comprising:

inspecting a battery voltage;

operating the mobile terminal in a buck mode when the battery voltage is greater than an output voltage of a buck-boost converter to output a preset voltage, and operating the mobile terminal in a boost mode to output a preset voltage when the battery voltage is less than the output voltage of a buck-boost converter; and

regulating the output preset voltage to an operation voltage of a corresponding constituent element to supply operation power.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the operating of the mobile terminal comprises:

applying the battery voltage to a buck converter when a buck mode control signal is output so that the battery voltage is converted;

applying the battery voltage to a boost converter when a boost mode control signal is output so that the battery voltage is converted; and

applying the battery voltage to the buck converter and the boost converter when a buck-boost mode control signal is output so that the battery voltage is converted.