Mobile terminal capable of being charged in a wired or wireless manner

• US 9,444,276 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2013
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Hong, Byoungyong, Park, Kyungsoon, Sin, Mansoo, Lee, Jeewoo
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, A. M.
• Application Number:
  US13/935,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20140191713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters

Abstract

A mobile terminal capable of being charged in a wired or wireless manner is disclosed. Some embodiments of the disclosed mobile terminal include a terminal body having a battery, a contact unit formed at one side of the terminal body and coupled to an adaptor, and a plurality of conductive lines configured to connect the contact unit with the battery, where a first conductive line passes through a first charging unit configured to charge the battery with power received wirelessly from a wireless power transmitter, where a second conductive line passes through the second charging unit, and the first conductive line and the second conductive line diverge at a first point and converge at a second point between the contact unit and the battery.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a terminal body having a battery;

a contact unit formed at one side of the terminal body and coupled to an adaptor; and

a plurality of conductive lines configured to connect the contact unit with the battery;

wherein a first conductive line of the plurality of conductive lines passes through a first charging unit configured to charge the battery with power received wirelessly from a wireless power transmitter,

wherein a second conductive line passes through the second charging unit, and

the first conductive line and the second conductive line diverge at a first point and converge at a second point between the contact unit and the battery.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the second conductive line of the plurality of conductive lines passes through a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein:

a resistance of the diverged first conductive line is A ohms;

a resistance of the diverged second conductive line is B ohms; and

a combined resistance of the diverged first conductive line and the diverged second conductive line is A*B/(A+B) ohms when a current is applied to the plurality of conductive lines via the adaptor.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein a voltage drop across each of the diverged first conductive line and the diverged second conductive line is approximately 0.7 V.

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

a switch configured to selectively connect the contact unit to at least one of the plurality of conductive lines; and

a controller configured to control at least the switch, the first charging unit, or the second charging unit.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to control at least the first charging unit or the second charging unit to stop charging the battery when a temperature of the battery exceeds a predetermined threshold value while the battery is being charged.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to control at least the first charging unit or the second charging unit to decrease an amount of a current charging the battery when a temperature of the battery exceeds a predetermined threshold value while the battery is being charged.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to control the switch to release a connection between the at least one of the plurality of conductive lines and the contact unit when a temperature of the battery exceeds a predetermined threshold value while the battery is being charged.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein:

the controller is further configured to perform at least a first operation, a second operation, or a third operation based on a temperature of the battery;

the first operation comprises controlling the switch to release a connection between the at least one of the plurality of conductive lines and the contact unit;

the second operation comprises at least determining whether to control the first charging unit or the second charging unit to charge the battery; and

the third operation comprises at least controlling the first charging unit or the second charging unit to reduce an amount of a current charging the battery.

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

a battery cover coupled to the terminal body and configured to cover the battery; and

a power receiving unit disposed at the battery cover and configured to wirelessly receive power from the wireless power transmitter.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the first charging unit is formed at the terminal body and positioned adjacent to the battery and the first charging unit is electrically connected to the power receiving unit via the first conductive line.

12. A mobile terminal comprising:

a terminal body having a battery;

a contact unit formed at one side of the terminal body and coupled to an adapter;

a plurality of charging units;

a plurality of conductive lines configured to connect the contact unit with the battery;

a switch configured to selectively connect the contact unit with at least one of the plurality of conductive lines; and

a controller configured to control the switch or the plurality of charging units such that a charged state of the battery is controlled,

wherein a first conductive line of the plurality of conductive lines passes through a first charging unit configured to charge the battery with power received wirelessly from a wireless power transmitter,

wherein a second conductive line passes through the second charging unit; and

the first conductive line and the second conductive line diverge at a first point and converge at a second point between the contact unit and the battery.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the second conductive line of the plurality of conductive lines passes through a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

14. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein:

the controller is further configured to perform at least a first operation, a second operation, or a third operation when a temperature of the battery exceeds a predetermined threshold value while the battery is being charged;

the first operation comprises controlling the switch to release the connection between the at least one of the plurality of conductive lines and the contact unit;

the second operation comprises determining whether to control at least one of the plurality of charging units to charge the battery; and

the third operation comprises controlling at least one of the plurality of charging units to reduce an amount of a current charging the battery.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein:

the controller is further configured to perform at least a first operation, a second operation, or a third operation when a temperature of at least one of the plurality of charging units exceeds a predetermined threshold value while the battery is being charged;

the first operation comprises controlling the switch to release the connection between the at least one of the plurality of conductive lines and the contact unit;

the second operation comprises determining whether to control at least one of the plurality of charging units to charge the battery; and

the third operation comprises controlling at least one of the plurality of charging units to reduce an amount of a current charging the battery.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 12, further comprising a battery cover coupled to the terminal body and configured to cover the battery, wherein:

the plurality of charging units comprises a first charging unit formed at the terminal body and electrically connected to the battery; and

the battery cover comprises a power receiving unit electrically connected to the first charging unit and configured to wirelessly receive power from a wireless power transmitter to charge the battery.