METHOD FOR CONTROLLING MULTIPLE BATTERIES AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE FOR IMPLEMENTING SAME

• US 20170005489A1
• Filed: 06/30/2016
• Published: 01/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kwon, Choel-Hwi, Park, Soon-Sang
• Granted Patent: US 10,211,652 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electronic device includes a housing having a first and second battery, a power management integrated circuit, a battery charging circuit, and a booster circuit. The housing also includes a first switch connected with the first battery, a second switch connected with the second battery, and a control circuit. The control circuit provides, one of a first state where the first battery is connected with the PMIC and the battery charging circuit, a second state where the first battery is connected with the booster circuit and the battery charging circuit, a third state where the first battery forms an open circuit, a fourth state where the second battery is connected with the PMIC and the battery charging circuit, a fifth state where the second battery is connected with the booster circuit and the battery charging circuit, and a sixth state where the second battery forms an open circuit.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing comprising;

a first battery;

a second battery;

a power management integrated circuit (PMIC);

a battery charging circuit;

a booster circuit;

a first switch electrically connected with the first battery;

a second switch electrically connected with the second battery; and

a control circuit,

wherein the control circuit is configured to provide, at least using the first switch;

one of a first state in which the first battery is electrically connected with the PMIC and the battery charging circuit;

a second state in which the first battery is electrically connected with the booster circuit and the battery charging circuit; and

a third state in which the first battery forms an open circuit; and

configured to provide, at least using the second switch;

one of a fourth state in which the second battery is electrically connected with the PMIC and the battery charging circuit;

a fifth state in which the second battery is electrically connected with the booster circuit and the battery charging circuit; and

a sixth state in which the second battery forms an open circuit.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the first switch and the second switch such that the second state and the fourth state are provided.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the first switch and the second switch such that the first state and the fifth state are provided.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a remaining battery charge measurement circuit electrically connected with the first battery and the second battery, and configured to generate a signal based on the remaining battery charge of each of the batteries, wherein the control circuit is configured to control, based on at least a part of the signal, at least one of the first switch or the second switch such that at least one of the first state to the sixth state is provided.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises:

a third battery; and

a third switch electrically connected with the third battery,

wherein the control circuit is configured to select, at least using the third switch;

one of a seventh state in which the third battery is electrically connected with the PMIC and the battery charging circuit;

an eighth state in which the third battery is electrically connected with the booster circuit and the battery charging circuit; and

a ninth state in which the third battery forms an open circuit.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the first switch, the second switch, and the third switch such that the second state, the fourth state, and the ninth state are provided.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to:

control the first switch such that the first battery is connected to the booster circuit; and

change a first voltage generated by power of the first battery to a second voltage that is higher than the first voltage.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the control circuit is configured to charge the second battery using power based on the second voltage.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to connect, by the first switch, the first battery to the open circuit to disable the first battery.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first battery and the second battery are arranged to be spaced apart, each of the first battery and the second battery includes an anode and a cathode.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first battery or the second battery are removable from the electronic device.

12. An electronic device comprising:

a housing comprising;

a first battery;

a second battery;

a power management integrated circuit (PMIC);

a battery charging circuit;

a booster circuit;

a remaining battery charge measurement circuit electrically connected with the first battery and the second battery and configured to generate a signal based on the remaining battery charge of each of the batteries; and

a control circuit,

wherein the control circuit is configured to provide one of;

a first state in which the first battery is electrically connected with the PMIC and the battery charging circuit;

a second state in which the first battery is electrically connected with the booster circuit and the battery charging circuit;

a third state in which the first battery forms an open circuit

a fourth state in which the second battery is electrically connected with the PMIC and the battery charging circuit;

a fifth state in which the second battery is electrically connected with the booster circuit and the battery charging circuit; and

a sixth state in which the second battery forms an open circuit.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, further comprising:

a first switch electrically connected with the first battery; and

a second switch electrically connected with the second battery,

wherein the control circuit is configured to control, based on at least a part of the signal, at least one of the first switch or the second switch such that at least one of the first state to the sixth state is provided.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the control circuit is configured to:

connect the first battery to the booster circuit and the battery charging circuit;

connect the second battery to the PMIC and the battery charging circuit;

change a first voltage generated by power of the first battery to a second voltage that is higher than the first voltage, and charge the second battery using power based on the second voltage.

15. A method of operating an electronic device comprising a first battery, a second battery, a power management integrated circuit (PMIC), a charging circuit, a booster circuit, and an open circuit, the method comprising:

detecting a battery control event;

controlling a first switch electrically connected to the first battery and a second switch electrically connected to the second battery according to the battery control event; and

electrically connecting the first battery or the second battery to at least one of the PMIC, the charging circuit, the booster circuit, or the open circuit, by controlling the first switch and the second switch.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the detecting comprises:

detecting information of the first battery or information of the second battery using a remaining battery charge measurement circuit included in the electronic device; and

generating the battery control event based on information of the first battery or information of the second battery.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the detecting comprises:

displaying a user interface associated with a battery control according to a user request;

receiving a user input through the user interface; and

determining that the battery control event has occurred when the user input is received.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein controlling the first switch and the second switch comprises controlling the first switch such that the first battery is connected to at least one of a power node, boost node, or open node of the first switch, and controlling the second switch such that the second battery is connected to at least one of a power node, boost node, or open node of the second switch.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein connecting the first battery or the second battery comprises connecting the first battery to the PMIC and the charging circuit, and driving the electronic device using a first power of the first battery when the second battery is connected to the open circuit.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein connecting the first battery or the second battery comprises connecting the first battery to the open circuit, and driving the electronic device using a second power of the second battery when the second battery is connected to the PMIC and the charging circuit.