Electronic Apparatus, Charge Controlling Method, and Computer-Readable Recording Medium

• US 20170104359A1
• Filed: 07/21/2016
• Published: 04/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: JUNG, Ji-hoon, KIM, Bon-chul, BANG, Sung-rok, KIM, Ki-young
• Granted Patent: US 10,547,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00714 in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage

Abstract

An electronic apparatus, a charge controlling method, and a computer-readable recording medium are provided. The electronic apparatus includes a battery unit including a battery and configured to supply power to components of the electronic apparatus using power of the battery, a charging circuit configured to, in response to the power being received from an external adapter, charge the battery using the received power, and a controller configured to detect a charging state of the battery, divide a charging process into a plurality of charging periods according to the detected charging state, and control the charging circuit to provide different target voltages to the divided charging periods and target currents determined according to the different target voltages and preset power consumption to the battery.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a battery unit including a battery and configured to supply power to components of the electronic apparatus;

a charging circuit configured to, in response to power being received from an external adapter, charge the battery using the received power; and

a controller configured to detect a charging state of the battery, divide a charging process into a plurality of charging periods according to the detected charging state, and control the charging circuit to provide different target voltages to the divided charging periods and target currents determined according to the different target voltages and preset power consumption to the battery.

2. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller controls the charging circuit to provide a first constant current to the battery until a charge voltage approaches a first target voltage corresponding to the charging state, and control the charging circuit to provide a second constant current smaller than the first constant current to the battery until the charge voltage approaches a second target voltage larger than the first target voltage in response to the first target voltage being achieved.

3. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller controls the charging circuit to provide a constant voltage corresponding to a final target voltage to the battery in response to the final target voltage being achieved.

4. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller measures a battery voltage and determine the charging state of the battery based on the measured battery voltage.

5. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller controls the charging circuit to provide a constant current smaller than the target currents or to receive a discharge current from the battery in an idle period between adjacent ones of the plurality of charging periods.

6. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the idle period includes a plurality of idle sections in which different constant currents are provided.

7. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the idle period is more than 0 (zero) seconds and less than 60 seconds.

8. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the controller measures a battery voltage in the idle period.

9. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a wireless charging unit configured to receive wireless power from an external power transmitter and charge the battery by converting the received wireless power to power having a preset level, wherein the controller controls the wireless charging unit to provide the determined target currents to the battery.

10. A charge controlling method of an electronic apparatus, the method comprising:

detecting a charging state of a battery; and

dividing a charging process into a plurality of charging periods according to the detected charging state and charging the battery with different target voltages according to the divided charging periods and target currents determined according to the different target voltages and preset power consumption.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the charging includes:

providing a first constant current to the battery until a charge voltage approaches a first target voltage corresponding to the charging state; and

providing a second constant current smaller than the first constant current to the battery until the charge voltage approaches a second target voltage larger than the first target voltage in response to the first target voltage being achieved.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising providing a constant voltage corresponding to a final target voltage to the battery in response to the final target voltage being achieved.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the detecting includes measuring a battery voltage and detecting the charging state of the battery based on the measured battery voltage.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the charging includes providing a constant current smaller than the target currents or to receive a discharge current from the battery in an idle period between adjacent ones of the plurality of charging periods.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the idle period includes a plurality of idle sections in which different constant currents are provided.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the idle period is more than 0 (zero) seconds and less than 60 seconds.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the detecting includes measuring a battery voltage in the idle period.

18. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising receiving wireless power from an external power transmitter and converting the received wireless power to power having a preset level.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium including a program for executing a charge controlling method of an electronic apparatus including a charging circuit, the method comprising:

detecting a charging state of a battery; and

dividing a charging process into a plurality of charging periods according to the detected charging state and controlling the charging circuit to charge the battery with target voltages different according to the divided charging periods and target currents determined according to the different target voltages and preset power consumption.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the controlling includes controlling the charging circuit to provide a constant current smaller than the target currents or receiving a discharge current from the battery in an idle period between adjacent ones of the plurality of charging periods, and

the detecting includes measuring a battery voltage in the idle period.