Method and apparatus for wirelessly charging a mobile terminal

• US 9,246,350 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2011
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jung, Hee-Won, Park, Joon-Ho, Won, Eun-Tae, Koh, Jun-Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Tat, Binh
• Application Number:
  US13/634,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20130002191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,779 Days
• Field of Search: 320101-108
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• 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 mobile terminal and a method for wirelessly charging the mobile terminal are provided. The method includes searching for a wirelessly rechargeable mobile terminal; receiving, upon finding a wirelessly rechargeable mobile terminal, power state information from the found rechargeable mobile terminal; setting the mobile terminal as one of a power supplying terminal and a power receiving terminal based on the received power state information; and performing a power charging operation with the found rechargeable mobile terminals according to the setting.

Claims

1. A method for wirelessly charging a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

detecting one or more wirelessly rechargeable mobile terminals;

receiving, after finding one or more wirelessly rechargeable mobile terminals, power state information from the found one or more rechargeable mobile terminals, respectively;

setting the mobile terminal as one of a power supplying terminal and a power receiving terminal, and setting one of the found one or more rechargeable mobile terminals as the other of the power supplying terminal and the power receiving terminal, by comparing power state information of the mobile terminal with the received power state information of the found one or more mobile terminals, wherein the power state information contains at least one of residual power amount information indicating a currently remaining power amount in each of the found one or more rechargeable mobile terminals, a charging requirement reference value indicating a charging need of each of the found one or more rechargeable mobile terminals, and a surplus power reference value indicating an ability for each of the found one or more rechargeable mobile terminals to supply power to other mobile terminals; and

performing a power charging operation with the one of the found one or more rechargeable mobile terminals according to the setting.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein performing the power charging operation comprises supplying power to the one of the found one or more rechargeable mobile terminals which is set as the power receiving terminal, when the mobile terminal is set as the power supplying terminal.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power charging operation comprises receiving power from the one of the found one or more rechargeable mobile terminals which is set as the power supplying terminal, when the mobile terminal is set as the power receiving terminal.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein setting the mobile terminal as one of the power supplying terminal and the power receiving terminal by comparing power state information of the mobile terminal with the received power state information of the found one or more mobile terminals comprises:

setting the mobile terminal as the power supplying terminal when a providable amount of power of the mobile terminal calculated based on power state information of the mobile terminal is greater than a providable amount of power of one selected from among the found one or more rechargeable mobile terminals indicated by the received power state information of the selected rechargeable mobile terminal; and

setting the mobile terminal as the power receiving terminal when the calculated providable amount of power of the mobile terminal is less than the received providable amount of power of the selected rechargeable mobile terminal indicated by the received power state information of the selected rechargeable mobile terminal.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein setting the mobile terminal as one of the power supplying terminal and the power receiving terminal by comparing power state information of the mobile terminal with the received power state information of the found one or more mobile terminals further comprises setting, from among the mobile terminal and the found one or more rechargeable mobile terminals, a mobile terminal requesting urgent power reception as the power receiving terminal.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein setting one of the found one or more rechargeable mobile terminals as the other of the power supplying terminal and the power receiving terminal by comparing power state information of the mobile terminal with the received power state information of the found one or more mobile terminals comprises:

setting the selected rechargeable mobile terminal as power receiving terminal if the mobile terminal is set as the power supplying terminal; and

setting the selected rechargeable mobile terminal as power supplying terminal if the mobile terminal is set as the power receiving terminal.

7. A mobile terminal comprising:

a wireless communication unit;

a wireless charging module for wirelessly transmitting and receiving power; and

a controller for detecting one or more wirelessly rechargeable mobile terminals through the wireless communication module, receiving, after finding one or more wirelessly rechargeable mobile terminals, power state information from the found one or more rechargeable mobile terminals, setting the mobile terminal as one of a power supplying terminal and a power receiving terminal, by comparing power state information of the mobile terminal with the received power state information of the found one or more mobile terminals, and setting one of the found one or more rechargeable mobile terminals as the other of the power supplying terminal and the power receiving terminal, by comparing power state information of the mobile terminal with the received power state information of the found one or more mobile terminals, and performing a power charging operation with the one of the found one or more rechargeable mobile terminals according to the setting, wherein the power state information contains at least one of residual power amount information indicating a currently remaining power amount in each of the found one or more rechargeable mobile terminals, a charging requirement reference value indicating a charging need of each of the found one or more rechargeable mobile terminals, and a surplus power reference value indicating an ability for each of the found one or more rechargeable mobile terminals to supply power to other mobile terminals.

8. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 7, wherein the controller supplies power to the one of the found one or more rechargeable mobile terminals which is set as the power receiving terminal, when the mobile terminal is set as the power supplying terminal.

9. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 7, wherein the controller receives power from the one of the found one or more rechargeable mobile terminals which is set as the power supplying terminal when the mobile terminal is set as the power receiving terminal.

10. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 7, wherein the controller sets the mobile terminal as the power supplying terminal when a providable amount of power of the mobile terminal calculated based on power state information of the mobile terminal is greater than a providable amount of power of one selected from among the found one or more rechargeable mobile terminals indicated by the received power state information of the selected rechargeable mobile terminal, and sets the mobile terminal as the power receiving terminal when the calculated providable amount of power of the mobile terminal is less than the received providable amount of power of the selected rechargeable mobile terminal indicated by the received power state information of the selected rechargeable mobile terminal.

11. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 7, wherein the controller sets, from among the mobile terminal and the found one or more rechargeable mobile terminals, a mobile terminal requesting urgent power reception as the power receiving terminal.

12. The mobile terminal as claimed in 10, the controller sets the selected rechargeable mobile terminal as power receiving terminal if the mobile terminal is set as the power supplying terminal, and sets the selected rechargeable terminal as power supplying terminal if the mobile terminal is set as the power receiving terminal.