Mobile electronic device and charge control method

• US 9,590,440 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2014
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Shuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Sun
• Application Number:
  US14/567,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20150198637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 320/114
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process

Abstract

A mobile electronic device includes a first charging terminal that is to be brought into contact with a second charging terminal of a battery charger, a battery that is charged by electric power that is supplied from an external power supply via the first charging terminal, a resistor that is arranged between the first charging terminal and the battery, and a processor that measures voltage values of both ends of the resistor, that calculates, on the basis of the voltage values of the both ends, a terminal voltage value of the second charging terminal, and a resistance value of the resistor, an electric power consumption value of a contact portion in which the first charging terminal is brought into contact with the second charging terminal, and that stops charging the battery when the electric power consumption value is equal to or greater than a threshold.

Claims

1. A mobile electronic device comprising:

a first charging terminal that is to be brought into contact with a second charging terminal of a battery charger;

a battery that is to be charged by electric power supplied from an external power supply via the first charging terminal;

a resistor that is arranged between the first charging terminal and a charge circuit prior to the battery; and

a processor that measures voltage values of both ends of the resistor, calculates, based on a given resistance value and the measured voltage values of the resistor, a terminal voltage value of the second charging terminal, and an electric power consumption value of a contact portion in which the first charging terminal is brought into contact with the second charging terminal, and stops charging the battery when the electric power consumption value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value.

2. The mobile electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the processor sets an electric current flowing in the resistor to a first electric current value and a second electric current value that is different from the first electric current value, measures a first voltage value associated with the first electric current value and a second voltage value associated with the second electric current value at an input end of the resistor, and calculates the terminal voltage value based on the first electric current value, the second electric current value, the first voltage value, and the second voltage value.

3. The mobile electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the processor sets an electric current flowing in the resistor to a first electric current value and a second electric current value that is different from the first electric current value, measures a first voltage value associated with the first electric current value and a second voltage value associated with the second electric current value at an output end of the resistor, and calculates the terminal voltage value based on the first electric current value, the second electric current value, the first voltage value, and the second voltage value.

4. A computer-implemented charge control method for charging a battery included in a mobile electronic device, wherein the mobile electronic device has a first charging terminal to be brought into contact with a second charging terminal of a battery charger, and the battery is to be charged by electric power supplied from an external power supply via the first charging terminal, the charge control method comprising:

measuring, by a processor, voltage values of both ends of a resistor arranged between the first charging terminal and a charge circuit prior to the battery;

calculating, by the processor and based on a given resistance value and the measured voltage values of the resistor, a terminal voltage value of the second charging terminal, and an electric power consumption value of a contact portion in which the first charging terminal is brought into contact with the second charging terminal; and

stopping charging the battery activated by the processor, when the electric power consumption value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value.