System, method and mobile terminal for sharing battery between mobile terminals

• US 8,898,492 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2012
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Inventors: Sha, Jinchuan, Zhong, Sheng
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, VINCENT HUY
• Application Number:
  US13/517,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20120266001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 703/300, 320/103, 320/127, 320/128, 320/160
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• 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

Abstract

A system, a method, and a mobile terminal for sharing a battery between mobile terminals are disclosed, which can solve a problem that the battery can not be shared between mobile terminals in the prior art. In accordance with the present invention, a mobile terminal having power supplying ability is able to supply power to a mobile terminal lacking power by an external power supply line, power control circuits of the power supply end and the power utilization end are controlled, the power utilization end is able to detect an electricity quantity of the power supply end, and the sharing of a battery between two mobile terminals can be achieved, thereby greatly increasing utilization modes of the battery without external charging power supply so as to facilitate the using of a user.

Claims

1. A system for sharing a battery between mobile terminals, comprising a mobile terminal of a power supply end and a mobile terminal of a power utilization end, wherein,

the mobile terminal of the power supply end comprises a battery of the power supply end, a circuit interface of the power supply end and a power supply control unit of the power supply end, wherein the power supply control unit of the power supply end is coupled with the battery of the power supply end and the circuit interface of the power supply end respectively;

the mobile terminal of the power utilization end comprises a battery of the power utilization end, a circuit interface of the power utilization end, a power supply control unit of the power utilization end and a power management unit, wherein the power management unit is coupled with the battery of the power utilization end and comprises a power supply switch subunit;

wherein the circuit interface of the power utilization end is coupled with the circuit interface of the power supply end;

the power supply control unit of the power supply end is configured to control the battery of the power supply end to supply power to the mobile terminal of the power utilization end through the circuit interface of the power supply end;

the power supply switch subunit, coupled with the circuit interface of the power utilization end, the battery of the power utilization end and the power supply control unit of the power utilization end respectively, is configured to control the circuit interface of the power utilization end or the battery of the power utilization end to couple with the power supply control unit of the power utilization end; and

the power supply control unit of the power utilization end is configured to supply power to the mobile terminal of the power utilization end;

wherein the power management unit further comprises;

a charging and power supply mode control subunit and an electricity quantity detection switch subunit sequentially coupled between the circuit interface of the power utilization end and the power supply switch subunit in series, and an electricity quantity detection subunit coupled with the electricity quantity detection switch subunit;

the mobile terminal of the power utilization end further comprises a charging control unit of the power utilization end coupled with the battery of the power utilization end;

wherein,

the charging control unit of the power utilization end is configured to perform charging control to the battery of the power utilization end;

the charging and power supply mode control subunit, coupled with the charging control unit of the power utilization end, is configured to control whether the mobile terminal of the power supply end charges the battery of the power utilization end when the mobile terminal of the power supply end supplies power to the mobile terminal of the power utilization end; and

the electricity quantity detection switch subunit is configured to control the electricity quantity detection subunit to detect an electricity quantity of the battery of the power utilization end or an electricity quantity of the battery of the power supply end.

2. The system for sharing a battery between mobile terminals according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal of the power supply end further comprises:

a charging control unit of the power supply end, coupled with the battery of the power supply end, configured to perform charging control to the battery of the power supply end; and

a power supply interface control unit, coupled between the circuit interface of the power supply end and the power supply control unit of the power supply end in series and coupled with the charging control unit of the power supply end, configured to control the circuit interface of the power supply end to couple with the charging control unit of the power supply end or the power supply control unit of the power supply end.

3. A method for sharing a battery between mobile terminals, comprising the steps of:

a mobile terminal of a power supply end supplying power to a mobile terminal of a power utilization end through a circuit interface of the power utilization end; and

the mobile terminal of the power utilization end opening a power supply circuit of the battery of the power utilization end in the mobile terminal of the power utilization end and closing a power supply circuit of the circuit interface of the power utilization end at the same time, thus enabling the mobile terminal of the power supply end to supply power to the mobile terminal of the power utilization end;

wherein a charging control unit of the power utilization end performing charging control to the battery of the power utilization end;

a charging and power supply mode control subunit controlling whether the mobile terminal of the power supply end charges the battery of the power utilization end when the mobile terminal of the power supply end supplies power to the mobile terminal of the power utilization end; and

an electricity quantity detection switch subunit controlling an electricity quantity detection subunit to detect an electricity quantity of the battery of the power supply end.

4. The method for sharing a battery between mobile terminals according to claim 3, wherein before the mobile terminal of the power supply end supplies power to the mobile terminal of the power utilization end, the method further comprises the steps of:

the mobile terminal of the power utilization end determining whether to charge the battery of the power utilization end in the mobile terminal of the power utilization end, if yes, coupling the circuit interface of the power utilization end with a charging circuit;

if no, breaking a coupling between the circuit interface of the power utilization end and the charging circuit.

5. The method for sharing a battery between mobile terminals according to claim 3, wherein during the procedure that the mobile terminal of the power supply end supplies power to the mobile terminal of the power utilization end, the method further comprises the steps of:

the mobile terminal of the power utilization end detecting and displaying an electricity quantity of the battery of the power supply end of the mobile terminal of the power supply end.

6. A mobile terminal, comprising a battery of a power utilization end, a power management unit coupled with the battery of the power utilization end, wherein the power management unit comprises a power supply switch subunit, and the mobile terminal further comprises a circuit interface of the power utilization end and a power supply control unit of the power utilization end;

wherein,

the circuit interface of the power utilization end is configured to couple with an external power supply device;

the power supply switch subunit, coupled with the circuit interface of the power utilization end, the battery of the power utilization end and the power supply control unit of the power utilization end respectively, is configured to control the circuit interface of the power utilization end or the battery of the power utilization end to couple with the power supply control unit of the power utilization end; and

the power supply control unit of the power utilization end is configured to supply power to the mobile terminal;

wherein the power management unit further comprises a charging and power supply mode control subunit and an electricity quantity detection switch subunit sequentially coupled between the circuit interface of the power utilization end and the power supply switch subunit in series and an electricity quantity detection subunit coupled with the electricity quantity detection switch subunit;

the mobile terminal further comprises a charging control unit of the power utilization end coupled with the battery of the power utilization end;

wherein,

the charging control unit of the power utilization end is configured to perform charging control to the battery of the power utilization end;

the charging and power supply mode control subunit, coupled with the charging control unit of the power utilization end, is configured to control whether the external power supply device charges the battery of the power utilization end when the external power supply device supplies power to the mobile terminal of the power utilization end; and

the electricity quantity detection switch subunit is configured to control the electricity quantity detection subunit to detect an electricity quantity of the battery of the power utilization end or an electricity quantity of a battery of the external power supply device.