METHOD OF MANAGING THE CHARGING OF BATTERY AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE ADAPTED THERETO

• US 20160064980A1
• Filed: 09/02/2015
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jung, Kuchul, Yoon, Sunggeun
• Granted Patent: US 10,243,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/389 Measuring internal impedance, internal conductance or related variables
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/44 Testing lamps
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A method of managing the charging of a battery, and an electronic device adapted to the method are provided. The method of managing the charging of a battery installed to an electronic device includes: charging the battery; obtaining an internal resistance of the charging battery; determining whether the battery is functioning based on the internal resistance; and displaying, when the battery is malfunctioning, a message related to the danger while charging the battery.

Claims

1. A method of managing a charging of a battery installed to an electronic device comprising:

charging the battery;

obtaining an internal resistance of the charging battery;

determining, by a processor of the electronic device, whether the battery is functioning based on the internal resistance; and

displaying, if that the battery is malfunctioning is determined by the processor, a message related to the danger while charging the battery.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the battery is functioning comprises determining whether the internal resistance is within a range of resistance preset for a functioning state;

and

wherein displaying a message related to the danger while charging comprises displaying, when the internal resistance is not within the range of resistance preset for the functioning state, the danger-related message.

3. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising stopping the charging of the battery if that the battery is malfunctioning is determined by the processor.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein stopping the charging of the battery comprises stopping the charging of the battery if a voltage of the battery reaches a preset particular voltage while the battery is charged by a constant current.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the particular voltage comprises a full charge voltage preset to the battery.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising reducing, if that the battery is malfunctioning is determined by the processor, a charging current flowing to the battery.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting, if that the battery is malfunctioning is determined by the processor, a full charge voltage present to the battery to be a relatively small value.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the battery is functioning comprises determining whether the internal resistance is within a range of resistance for a functioning state, a range of resistance for a low level of danger, or a range of resistance for a high level of danger;

and

the method further comprises;

performing, if the internal resistance is within the range of resistance for the low level of danger, one of the following;

reducing the charging current flowing into the battery, setting a full charge voltage present to the battery to be the smaller value, or stopping the charging of the battery when the voltage of the battery reaches the full charge voltage while the battery is charged with a constant current; and

stopping the charging of the battery if the internal resistance is within the range of resistance for the high level of danger.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting, if that the battery is malfunctioning is determined by the processor, audible information through a speaker.

10. An electronic device comprising:

a battery;

an interface unit configured to receive a charging current from an external device;

a power management unit configured to charge the battery with the charging current;

a resistance obtaining unit configured to obtain an internal resistance of the battery in charging;

a display; and

a processor configured to;

determine whether the battery is functioning based on the internal resistance; and

control, if that the battery is malfunctioning is determined, the display to display a message related to the danger while charging the battery.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to control, if the internal resistance is not within a range of resistance preset for a functioning state, the display to display the danger-related message.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to control the power management unit to stop charging the battery when that the battery is malfunctioning is determined.

13. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to control the power management unit to reduce a charging current flowing to the battery if that the battery is malfunctioning is determined.

14. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein:

the controller is further configured to set, if that the battery is malfunctioning is determined, a full charge voltage present to the battery to be a relatively small value; and

the power management unit is further configured to stop charging the battery if the voltage of the battery reaches the full charge voltage of the relatively small value.

15. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the resistance obtaining unit is configured as an element of the power management unit.

16. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the resistance obtaining unit is configured as an element of the controller.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for storing software for executing the method of managing the charging of a battery, comprising instructions that cause one or more processors to:

charge the battery;

obtain an internal resistance of the charging battery;

determine whether the battery is functioning based on the internal resistance; and

display, if that the battery is malfunctioning is determined, a message related to the danger while charging the battery.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein to determine whether the battery is functioning comprises determining whether the internal resistance is within a range of resistance preset for a functioning state;

and

wherein to display a message related to the danger while charging comprises displaying, if the internal resistance is not within the range of resistance preset for the functioning state, the danger-related message.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to stop charging the battery if that the battery is malfunctioning is determined.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein to stop charging the battery comprises to stop charging the battery if the voltage of the battery reaches a preset particular voltage while the battery is charged by a constant current.