METHOD FOR DETECTING LEAKAGE CURRENT AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE SUPPORTING THE SAME

• US 20170363672A1
• Filed: 04/24/2017
• Published: 12/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Du-Hyun, LIM, Hoyeong, YI, Yongseung, SON, Dong-Il
• Granted Patent: US 10,641,811 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/0092 measuring current only all subgroups of G01R19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/52 Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/247 specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/269 Mechanical means for varying the arrangement of batteries or cells for different uses, e.g. for changing the number of batteries or for switching between series and parallel wiring methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance H01M6/50, H01M10/42
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electronic device according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention may include one or more switches, one of more sub-systems, and an interface control unit electrically coupled with the one or more sub-systems and the one or more switches. The interface control unit is configured to: detect a coupling of an external device to the electronic device, identify a type of the coupled external device, when the external device is identified as a current detecting device, generate a first control signal for turning off power to the one or more sub-systems, and a second control signal for setting a first path to supply the one or more sub-systems with power from the current detecting device, and transmit the first control signal to the one or more sub-systems and the second control signal to the one or more switches.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

one or more switches;

one of more sub-systems; and

an interface control unit electrically coupled with the one or more sub-systems and the one or more switches, wherein the interface control unit is configured to;

detect a coupling of an external device to the electronic device,

identify a type of the coupled external device,

when the external device is identified as a current detecting device, generate a first control signal for turning off power to the one or more sub-systems, and a second control signal for setting a first path to supply the one or more sub-systems with power from the current detecting device, and

transmit the first control signal to the one or more sub-systems and the second control signal to the one or more switches.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first path comprises a path coupling a connector of the electronic device to the one or more sub-systems via the one or more switches.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the one or more switches comprises a first switch and a second switch, and

when the second control signal for setting the first path is received by the one or more switches, the first switch couples the connector of the electronic device to the second switch, and the second switch couples the first switch to the one or more sub-systems.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the first switch and/or the second switch are included in an Interface Power Management Integrated Circuit (IF PMIC) or a Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC).

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one or more switches comprises one integrated switch, and

when the second control signal for setting the first path is received by the one integrated switch, the one integrated switch couples a connector of the electronic device to the one or more sub-systems.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the interface control unit is included in a Channel Configuration Integrated Circuit (CC IC).

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the current detecting device measures a leakage current generated in the one or more sub-systems, based at least on the power supplied by the current detecting device to the one or more sub-systems, and

determines the electronic device as faulty when the measured leakage current is equal to or is greater than a designated threshold value.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein when the type of the detected external device is a travel adapter, the interface control unit is configured to:

generate a third control signal for turning on the power to the one or more sub-systems, and a fourth control signal for setting the first path to supply the one or more sub-systems with the power from the travel adapter, and

transmit the third control signal to the one or more sub-systems and the fourth control signal to the one or more switches.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein when the electronic device receives an input for powering on the electronic device and the external device is not coupled to the electronic device,

the interface control unit is configured to:

generate a third control signal for turning on the power to the one or more sub-systems, and a fourth control signal for setting a second path to supply power from a battery to the one or more sub-systems, and

transmit the third control signal to the one or more sub-systems and the fourth control signal to the one or more switches.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a battery that is integrated within a housing of the electronic device.

11. A method comprising:

detecting, by an interface control unit, a coupling of an external device to an electronic device;

identifying, by the interface control unit, a type of the coupled external device;

when the external device is identified as a current detecting device, generating, by the interface control unit, a first control signal for turning off power to one or more sub-systems of the electronic device, and a second control signal for setting a first path to supply the one or more sub-systems with power from the current detecting device; and

transmitting, by the interface control unit, the first control signal to the one or more sub-systems and the second control signal to one or more switches.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first path comprises a path coupling a connector of the electronic device to the one or more sub-systems via the one or more switches.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more switches comprises a first switch and a second switch, and

the method further comprising:

when the second control signal for setting the first path is received by the one or more switches, coupling, via the first switch, the connector of the electronic device to the second switch; and

coupling, via the second switch, the first switch to the one or more sub-systems.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first switch and/or the second switch are included in an Interface Power Management Integrated Circuit (IF PMIC) or a Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC).

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more switches comprises one integrated switch, and

when the second control signal for setting the first path is received by the one integrated switch, the method further comprising coupling, by the one integral switch, a connector of the electronic device to the one or more sub-systems.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the interface control unit is included in a Channel Configuration Integrated Circuit (CC IC).

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

the current detecting device measuring a leakage current generated in the one or more sub-systems, based at least on the power supplied by the current detecting device to the one or more sub-systems, and

the current detecting device determining the electronic device as faulty when the leakage current is equal to or is greater than a designated threshold value.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

when the type of the detected external device is a travel adapter, generating, by the interface control unit, a third control signal for turning on the power to the one or more sub-systems, and a fourth control signal for setting the first path to supply the one or more sub-systems with the power from the travel adapter; and

transmitting, by the interface control unit, the third control signal to the one or more sub-systems and the fourth control signal to the one or more switches.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving an input for powering on the electronic device when the external device is not coupled to the electronic device;

generating, by the interface control unit, a third control signal for turning on the power to the one or more sub-systems, and a fourth control signal for setting a second path to supply power from a battery to the one or more sub-systems; and

transmitting, by the interface control unit, the third control signal to the one or more sub-systems and the fourth control signal to the one or more switches.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that records one or more commands,

wherein when the commands are executed by at least one processor, the at least one processor performs the operations of:

detecting, by an interface control unit, a coupling of an external device to an electronic device;

identifying, by the interface control unit, a type of the coupled external device;

when the external device is identified as a current detecting device, generating, by the interface control unit, a first control signal for turning off power to one or more sub-systems of an electronic device, and a second control signal for setting a first path to supply the one or more sub-systems with power from the current detecting device; and

transmitting, by the interface control unit, the first control signal to the one or more sub-systems and the second control signal to one or more switches, to allow the current detecting device to measure a leakage current of the electronic device.