SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DYNAMIC POWER MANAGEMENT OF A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20090278506A1
• Filed: 05/06/2009
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: VESELIC, Dusan, GUTHRIE, Martin, WINGER, Lyall
• Granted Patent: US 8,217,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/160
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence

Abstract

The present relates to a system and method for dynamic power management of a mobile device. The mobile device has a plurality of loads and a battery charger electrically connected to a voltage rail. The method comprises monitoring the plurality of loads to determine when at least one of the loads will become active or inactive, determining a minimum required output voltage level to be provided by the voltage converter based on active loads and the at least one load that will become active or inactive and device operation; and adjusting an input voltage level via the voltage converter to provide the minimum required output voltage level on the voltage rail in advance of the at least one load becoming active or after the at least one load becomes inactive. The method further monitors the input voltage level, and determines whether the input voltage level is below a first predetermine threshold. When the input voltage level falls below the first threshold, the method reduces the output voltage level provided by the voltage converter thereby reducing a charging rate of the battery charger.

Claims

1. A method for dynamic power management of a mobile device, the mobile device comprising a plurality of loads (580, 585) and a battery charger (590) electrically connected to a voltage rail (555) of the mobile device, the method comprising:

monitoring the plurality of loads (580,585) to determine when at least one of the loads will become active or inactive;

determining a minimum required output voltage level (600) to be provided by the voltage converter (560) based on all active loads voltage level requirement and the at least one load that will become active or inactive voltage level requirement;

adjusting an input voltage level (595) via the voltage converter (560) to provide the minimum required output voltage level (600) on the voltage rail in advance of the at least one load becoming active or after the at least one load becomes inactive;

monitoring the input voltage level (595);

determining whether the input voltage level (595) is below a first predetermined threshold; and

when the input voltage level (595) is below the first predetermined threshold, reducing the output voltage level (600) provided by the voltage converter thereby reducing a charging rate of the battery charger (590).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

monitoring the output voltage level (600) of the voltage converter (560);

determining whether the output voltage level (600) of the voltage converter (560) is below a second threshold; and

when the output voltage level (600) of the voltage converter (560) is below the second threshold, control the battery charger (590) to reduce a charging current supplied to a charging battery (515).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the received input voltage level (595) increases the output voltage level (600) to a higher voltage level when the at least one load becomes active.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the received input voltage level (595) comprises reducing the output voltage level (600) to a lower voltage level when the at least one load becomes inactive.

5. A system for dynamic power management of a mobile device, the mobile device comprising a plurality of loads (580,585) and a battery charger (590) electrically connected to a voltage rail (555) of the mobile device, the system comprising:

a single voltage converter (560) electrically connected to the voltage rail (555) and configured to receive an input voltage level (595) and adjust the received input voltage level (595) to provide an output voltage level (600) to the voltage rail (555); and

a processor (545) configured to;

monitor the plurality of loads (580,585) to determine when at least one of the loads will become active or inactive;

determine a minimum required output voltage level (600) to be provided by the voltage converter (560) based on all active loads and the at least one load that will become active or inactive;

control the voltage converter (560) to adjust the input voltage level (595) to provide the minimum required output voltage level (600) on the voltage rail (555) in advance of the at least one load becoming active or after the at least one load becomes inactive;

monitor the input voltage level (595);

determine whether the input voltage level (595) is below a first predetermined threshold; and

when the input voltage level (595) is below the first predetermined threshold, control the voltage converter (560) to reduce the output voltage level (600) thereby reducing a charging rate of the battery charger (590).

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor (545) is further configured to:

monitor the output voltage level (600) of the voltage converter (560);

determine whether the output voltage level (600) of the voltage converter (560) is below a second predetermined threshold; and

when the output voltage level (600) of the voltage converter (560) is below the second predetermined threshold, control the battery charger (590) to reduce a charging current supplied to a charging battery (515).

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the adjusting of the received input voltage level (595) comprises increasing the output voltage level (600) to a higher voltage level when the at least one load becomes active.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the adjusting of the received input voltage level (595) comprises reducing the output voltage level (600) to a lower voltage level when the at least one load becomes inactive.

9. A computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed on a processor (545), cause the processor to:

monitor a plurality of loads (580, 585) connected to a voltage rail (555) to determine when at least one of the loads (580, 585)will become active or inactive;

determine a minimum required output voltage level (600) for the voltage rail (555) based on active loads and the at least one load that will become active or inactive; and

control a single voltage converter (560) to adjust an input voltage level (595) to provide the minimum required output voltage level (600) on the voltage rail (555) in advance of the at least one load becoming active or after the at least one load becomes inactive;

monitoring the input voltage level (595);

determining whether the input voltage level (595) is below a first predetermined threshold; and

when the input voltage level (595) is below the first predetermined threshold, reducing the output voltage level (600) provided by the voltage converter (560) thereby reducing a charging rate of the battery charger (590).