Mobile terminal and controlling method thereof

• US 9,531,201 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2014
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Noh, Kensin, Jeoung, Euntaek, Ha, Jeunguk, Yang, Buyoung
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US14/321,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20150048803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 320/155
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location

Abstract

A mobile terminal including a battery; a wireless communication unit configured to provide wireless communication; a memory configured to store at least one user battery charging pattern previously used for charging the battery; and a controller configured to start a charging of the battery, estimate a battery charging stop time based on the stored user battery charging pattern, and control the charging speed of the battery to complete charging of the battery before the estimated battery charging stop time.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a battery;

a memory configured to store at least one condition for controlling a charging speed of the battery in charging the battery; and

a controller configured to;

when a charging of the battery starts, estimate a charging stop time at which the battery will stop being charged by a user based on the condition, and

control the charging speed of the battery to complete the charging of the battery before a charging start time of the battery reaches the estimated charging stop time,

wherein the controller is further configured to;

when the charging of the battery starts, estimate a battery charging completed time, and

control the charging speed of the battery according to a difference between the estimated battery charging stop time and the estimated battery charging completed time with reference to the battery charging start time.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein condition includes a charging start time and a charging stop time of the battery for the battery charging performed in a same time twice at least and

wherein when the charging start time of the battery is associated with the charging start time included in the condition, the controller recognizes the charging stop time included in the condition as the estimated charging stop time.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein when the charging start time of the battery approaches or matches the charging start time included in the condition, the controller recognizes the charging stop time included in the condition as the estimated charging stop time.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a position location unit configured to obtain a current location of the mobile terminal,

wherein the condition includes a charging start time of the battery and a charging stop time of the battery for the battery charging performed at a preset specific location,

wherein when the charging of the battery starts, the controller obtains the current location of the mobile terminal via the position location unit, and wherein when the obtained current location corresponds to the specific location included in the condition and the charging start time of the battery is associated with the charging start time included in the condition, the controller recognizes the charging stop time included in the condition as the estimated charging stop time.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the condition includes a charging start time of the battery and a charging stop time of the battery for the battery charging performed on a preset specific day, and wherein when a day of starting the charging of the battery matches the specific day included in the condition and the charging start time of the battery is associated with the charging start time included in the condition, the controller recognizes the charging stop time included in the condition as the estimated charging stop time.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

an illumination sensor configured to measure an ambient illumination of the mobile terminal,

wherein the condition includes a charging start time of the battery and a charging stop time of the battery for the battery charging performed at a preset illumination,

wherein when the charging of the battery starts, the controller obtains the ambient illumination of the mobile terminal via the illumination sensor, and

wherein when the obtained ambient illumination corresponds to the illumination included in the condition and the charging start time of the battery is associated with the charging start time included in the condition, the controller recognizes the charging stop time included in the condition as the estimated charging stop time.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the condition includes a preset user'"'"'s sleep start time and a preset user'"'"'s sleep end time and wherein when the charging start time of the battery is associated with the sleep start time, the controller recognizes the charging stop time included in the condition as the estimated charging stop time.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the condition includes an alarm output time for a preset morning call and wherein when the charging of the battery starts, the controller recognizes the alarm output time as the estimated charging stop time.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the condition includes an alarm output time of a preset schedule and wherein when the charging of the battery starts, the controller recognizes the alarm output time as the estimated charging stop time.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the condition includes an estimated arrival time of an arrival to a second location from a first location and wherein when the charging of the battery starts, the controller recognizes the estimated arrival time as the estimated charging stop time.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, further comprising:

a position location unit configured to obtain a current location of the mobile terminal,

wherein when the charging of the battery starts, the controller obtains a location at which the charging of the battery starts through the position location unit, and

wherein when the obtained location corresponds to the first location, the controller recognizes the estimated arrival time included in the condition as the estimated charging stop time.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein when the estimated charging stop time is longer than the estimated charging completed time, the controller decreases the charging speed of the battery in order for the battery to be fully charged for the estimated charging stop time.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein when the estimated charging stop time is shorter than the estimated charging completed time, the controller increases the charging speed of the battery in order for the battery to be fully charged for the estimated charging stop time.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller performs a forced compensation charging on the battery in order for the battery to be fully charged right before the current time reaches the estimated charging stop time.

15. A method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

estimating, via a controller of the mobile terminal, a charging stop time at which a battery of the mobile terminal will stop being charged by a user based on at least one condition preset for controlling a charging speed of the battery when a charging of the battery starts;

controlling, via the controller, the charging speed of the battery to complete the charging of the battery before a charging start time of the battery reaches the estimated charging stop time;

estimating, via the controller, a battery charging completed time when the charging of the battery starts; and

controlling, via the controller, the charging speed of the battery according to a difference between the estimated battery charging stop time and the estimated battery charging completed time with reference to the battery charging start time.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of when the charging of the battery starts, estimating a charging completed time of the battery, wherein the controlling step comprises the step of controlling the charging speed of the battery depending on a difference between the estimated charging stop time and the estimated charging completed time with reference to the charging start time of the battery.

17. The method of claim 16, the controlling step comprising the step of wherein when the estimated charging stop time is longer than the estimated charging completed.

18. The method of claim 16, the controlling step comprising the step of when the estimated charging stop time is shorter than the estimated charging completed time, increasing the charging speed of the battery in order for the battery to be fully charged for the estimated charging stop time.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of performing a forced compensation charging on the battery in order for the battery to be fully charged right before the current time reaches the estimated charging stop time.