Mobile terminal and USB dedicated charger determining method thereof

• US 8,847,557 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2011
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Jonghyun, Oh, Janggeun
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robbins, Jerry D
• Application Number:
  US13/181,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20120043927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/137
• US Class Current: 320/137
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00714 in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters

Abstract

A method of determining a charger of a mobile terminal, and which includes receiving, via a controller of the mobile terminal, a connection signal indicating the charger is connected to the mobile terminal; setting, via the controller, a charging current of the charger for charging the mobile terminal and increasing the set charging current in predetermined current units; measuring, via the controller, an actual current received from the charger and applied to the mobile terminal; comparing, via the controller, the set charging current with the measured actual current; determining, via the controller, a charging sector of the charger when the set charging current is larger than the measured actual current for a first predetermined amount of time; and calculating a charging current capacity of the charger using the determined charging sector.

Claims

1. A method of determining a charger of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

receiving, via a controller of the mobile terminal, a connection signal indicating the charger is connected to the mobile terminal;

setting, via the controller, a charging current of the charger for charging the mobile terminal and increasing the set charging current in predetermined current units;

measuring, via the controller, an actual current received from the charger and applied to the mobile terminal;

comparing, via the controller, the set charging current with the measured actual current;

determining, via the controller, a charging sector of the charger when the set charging current is larger than the measured actual current for a first predetermined amount of time; and

calculating, via the controller, a charging current capacity of the charger using the determined charging sector.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the charger is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) travel adaptor (TA).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the setting step set the charging current to an initial value of 400 mA and then increments the charging current into predetermined current units of 100 mA.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the setting step increases the charging current in the predetermined current units when the comparing step determines the set charging current is smaller than the measured actual current.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting the charging current capacity of the charger to be lower than or equal to the measured actual current when the determining step determines the charging sector is a constant current sector;

setting the charging current capacity of the charger to be higher than or equal to the measured actual current when the determining step determines the charging sector is a constant voltage sector; and

not setting the charging capacity of the charger when the determining step determines the charging sector is a trickle sector.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the trickle sector comprises performing a charging operation only when a battery of the mobile terminal has a voltage lower than a predetermined threshold, and charging the battery of the mobile terminal with a charging current less than 100 mA.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein when the measured current at the constant current sector is less than 700 mA, the setting step sets the charging capacity to be lower than the measured current by 100˜

200 mA,

wherein when the measured current is in the range of 700 mA˜

1 A, the setting step sets the charging capacity to be 700 mA, and

wherein when the measured current is more than 1 A, the setting step sets the charging capacity to be 900 mA.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein when the measured current at the constant voltage sector is less than 700 mA, the setting step sets the charging capacity to be higher than the measured current by 100˜

200 mA, and

wherein when the measured current is in the range of 700 mA˜

1 A, the setting step sets the charging capacity to be 700 mA.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

counting a number of times that each of the set charging currents is greater than the measured current while the set charging current is increased in the predetermined current units for a prescribed number of times; and

setting a corresponding charging current that occurs a largest number of times in the counted number of times as the charging capacity.

10. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one other entity;

an interface configured to receive a connection signal indicating a charger is connected to the mobile terminal; and

a controller configured to set a charging current of the charger for charging the mobile terminal and increase the set charging current in predetermined current units, to measure an actual current received from the charger and applied to the mobile terminal, to compare the set charging current with the measured actual current, to determine a charging sector of the charger when the set charging current is larger than the measured actual current for a first predetermined amount of time, and to calculate a charging current capacity of the charger using the determined charging sector.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the charger is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) travel adaptor (TA).

12. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to set the charging current to an initial value of 400 mA and then increment the charging current into predetermined current units of 100 mA.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to increase the charging current in the predetermined current units when the set charging current is determined to be smaller than the measured actual current.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to set the charging current capacity of the charger to be lower than or equal to the measured actual current when the charging sector is determined to be a constant current sector, to set the charging current capacity of the charger to be higher than or equal to the measured actual current when the charging sector is determined to be a constant voltage sector, and not to set the charging capacity of the charger when the charging sector is determined to be a trickle sector.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the trickle sector comprises performing a charging operation only when a battery of the mobile terminal has a voltage lower than a predetermined threshold, and charging the battery of the mobile terminal with a charging current less than 100 mA.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein when the measured current at the constant current sector is less than 700 mA, the controller is further configured to set the charging capacity to be lower than the measured current by 100˜

200 mA,

wherein when the measured current is in the range of 700 mA˜

1 A, the controller is further configured to set the charging capacity to be 700 mA, and

wherein when the measured current is more than 1 A, the controller is further configured to set the charging capacity to be 900 mA.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein when the measured current at the constant voltage sector is less than 700 mA, the controller is further configured to set the charging capacity to be higher than the measured current by 100˜

200 mA, and

wherein when the measured current is in the range of 700 mA˜

1 A, the controller is further configured to set the charging capacity to be 700 mA.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to count a number of times that each of the set charging currents is greater than the measured current while the set charging current is increased in the predetermined current units for a prescribed number of times, and to set a corresponding charging current that occurs a largest number of times in the counted number of times as the charging capacity.