Method for processing power source state and terminal supporting the same

• US 9,304,169 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2013
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hong, Seungsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Kik, Phallaka
• Application Number:
  US14/078,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20140132204A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition

Abstract

A method for processing a power source state and a terminal supporting the same, wherein the terminal includes a power source configured to supply a specific electric power; a charger IC configured to collect power source information transmitted from a charger to the power source; a gauge IC configured to collect charging information of the power source and to generate gauging information to display a fuel gauge indicating a charging state of the power source based on the power source information transmitted by the charger IC; a control unit configured to display the fuel gauge based on the gauging information transmitted by the gauge IC; and a display unit configured to display the fuel gauge.

Claims

1. A terminal supporting a power source state processing, comprising:

a power source configured to supply an electric power;

a charger IC configured to collect power source information transmitted from a charger to the power source and control a pre-charging section in which the power source is charged by a predefined electric power when the power source is fully discharged or almost fully discharged;

a gauge IC configured to collect charging information of the power source and to generate gauging information to display a fuel gauge indicating a charging state of the power source based on the power source information;

a control unit configured to control to be displayed the fuel gauge based on the gauging information; and

a display unit configured to display the fuel gauge.

2. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the charger IC is further configured to transmit information about the pre-charging section of the power source to the gauge IC.

3. The terminal of claim 2, wherein the gauge IC is configured to generate gauging information such that the power source state is displayed as “

0”

while the power source is in the pre-charging section and to transmit the gauging information to the control unit.

4. The terminal of claim 2, wherein the gauge IC is configured to stop detecting the power source while the power source is in the pre-charging section and to generate gauging information based on the information transmitted by the charger IC.

5. The terminal of claim 2, wherein the gauge IC is configured to generate corresponding gauging information by detecting at least one of a voltage and a current of the power source if information about completing the pre-charging section of the power source is received from the charger IC.

6. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the gauge IC is configured to detect at least one of a voltage and a current of the power source in the charging section charging a predetermined amount and before a fully charged state corresponding to completion of charging the power source, and to generate the gauging information based on the detected voltage or current.

7. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the gauge IC is configured to generate gauging information corresponding to a change of final charging current by using the power source information received from the charger IC in a full charging section in which charging of the power source is not less than a predetermined ratio.

8. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the gauge IC is configured to request the charger IC for completion of charging if the power source identifies a fully charged state.

9. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the charger IC is configured to transmit to the gauge IC a current amount for charging the power source and distribution information of a current amount for driving the control unit.

10. The terminal of claim 9, wherein the gauge IC is further configured to:

identify a charging state of the power source as a fully charged state when the current amount for charging the power source is less than a predefined value and the charging the power source is maintained for a predefined time, and to generate gauging information accordingly; and

generate gauging information corresponding to a charging state of the power source based on the distribution information when the current amount for charging the power source is decreased to a predetermined value according to the distribution of current for driving the control unit.

11. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the charger IC is configured to perform supplemental charging or recharging of the power source when a charged amount is decreased to a predetermined value due to a natural discharge after full charging of the power source, and to control the charging or recharging when the charged amount is less than the predefined amount by checking a power capacity of the power source.

12. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the charger IC is configured to block a power source pass of a charger according to the full charging of the power source and transmits information of fully charged state to the gauge IC, and the gauge IC is configured not to apply a micro current detected according to the information of fully charged state transmitted by the charger IC to the displaying a fuel gauge if the micro current is detected from the power source in the fully charged state.

13. A method of processing a power source state, comprising:

supplying an electric power to a charger IC for charging a power source;

controlling a pre-charging section of the power source with a predefined electric power when the power source is in one of a fully discharged or an almost fully discharged state;

transmitting power source information collected by the charger IC to a gauge IC for displaying a charging state of the power source as a fuel gauge;

generating, by the gauge IC, gauging information for displaying the fuel gauge based on the power source information; and

displaying the fuel gauge based on the gauging information.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising

transmitting information about the pre-charging section of the power source to the gauge IC.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the generating gauging information includes at least one of:

generating gauging information so that the power source state is displayed as “

0”

while the power source is in the pre-charging section and transmitting the gauging information to the control unit;

stopping detecting the power source while the power source is in the pre-charging section and generating gauging information based on the information transmitted by the charger IC; and

generating corresponding gauging information by detecting at least one of a voltage and current of the power source when completion information of the pre-charging section of the power source is received from the charger IC.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the generating gauging information includes one of:

detecting at least one of a voltage and current of the power source in a charging section charging more than a predetermined amount and before a fully charged state corresponding to completion of charging the power source, and generating the gauging information based on the detected voltage or current; and

generating gauging information corresponding to a change of final charging current by using the power source information received by the gauge IC from the charger IC.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the generating gauging information includes:

generating gauging information corresponding to a charging state of the power source based on the distribution information when a current amount for charging the power source and distribution information of a current amount for driving the control unit are transmitted to the gauge IC, or if the current amount for charging the power source is decreased to a predetermined value according to the distribution of current for driving the control unit.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

performing supplemental charging or recharging of the power source when a charged amount is decreased to a predetermined value due to a natural discharge after full charging of the power source, and performing the charging or recharging if the charged amount is identified less than the predefined value by checking a power capacity of the power source.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

blocking a power source pass of a charger corresponding to the full charging of the power source and transmitting information of full charging to the gauge; and

halting a micro current detected according to the information of full charging transmitted by the charger IC to the displaying a fuel gauge if the micro current is detected from the power source in the fully charged state.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

requesting the charger IC for completion of charging when the gauge IC identifies a fully charged state of the power source.