Method and apparatus for power sharing

• US 9,917,462 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2015
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Won, Chiseon, Yu, Yongjun, Lee, Jongkyu, Choi, Siyoul, Kim, Hyunseok
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Omar, Ahmed
• Application Number:
  US14/621,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20150244185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 320103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips

Abstract

A method is provided comprising: detecting an electrical connection between a first device having a first battery and a second device having a second battery; receiving an indication of a residual power of the second battery; displaying, by the first device, a power sharing interface based on the indication of the residual power of the second battery; detecting an input to the interface specifying a threshold amount of power; transmitting power from the first battery to the second device until the threshold amount of power is transmitted.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a resistance value of an electrical connection between a first device having a first battery and a second device having a second battery;

receiving an indication of a residual power of the second battery;

in response to the detection of the resistance value, displaying, by the first device, a power sharing interface based on the indication of the residual power of the second battery;

detecting an input to the interface specifying an amount of power for transmission;

calculating an increased capacity of the second battery based on a sum of the residual power and the specified amount of power for transmission for display in the power sharing interface; and

transmitting the specified amount of power from the first battery to the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the power sharing interface includes an indication of charging direction that indicates whether the first device is a recipient of power or a provider of power.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the power sharing interface includes:

a first input element associated with the first battery which when activated causes the specified amount of power for transmission to be changed; and

a second input element associated with the second battery which when activated causes the specified amount of power for transmission to be changed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the power sharing interface identifies a plurality of hardware components of the second device along with a respective power consumption of each of the hardware components.

5. A method comprising:

detecting a resistance value of an electrical connection between a first device having a first battery and a second device having a second battery;

receiving an indication of a residual power of the second battery;

in response to the detection of the resistance value, displaying, by the first device, a power sharing interface based on the indication of the residual power of the second battery;

detecting an input to the interface specifying an amount of power for transmission;

calculating an increased capacity of the first battery based on a sum of a residual power of the first battery and the specified amount of power for transmission for display in the power sharing interface; and

receiving the specified amount of power from the second battery.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, in response to detecting that the specified amount of power is transmitted, transmitting to the second device a request to stop transmitting power to the first device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the power sharing interface includes an indication of charging direction that indicates whether the first device is a recipient of power or a provider of power.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the power sharing interface includes:

a first input element associated with the first battery which when activated causes the specified amount of power for transmission to be changed; and

a second input element associated with the second battery which when activated causes the specified amount of power for transmission to be changed.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the power sharing interface identifies a plurality of hardware components of the second device along with a respective power consumption of each of the hardware components.

10. An electronic device comprising a processor configured to:

detect a resistance value of an electrical connection between the electronic device having a first battery and a second device having a second battery;

receive an indication of a residual power of the second battery;

in response to the detection of the resistance value, display, by the electronic device, a power sharing interface based on the indication of the residual power of the second battery;

detect an input to the interface specifying an amount of power for transmission;

calculate an increased capacity of the second battery based on a sum of the residual power and the specified amount of power for transmission for display in the power sharing interface; and

transmit the specified amount of power from the first battery to the second device.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the power sharing interface includes an indication of charging direction that indicates whether the electronic device is a recipient of power or a provider of power.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the power sharing interface includes:

a first input element associated with the first battery which when activated causes the specified amount of power for transmission to be changed; and

a second input element associated with the second battery which when activated causes the specified amount of power for transmission to be changed.

13. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the power sharing interface identifies a plurality of hardware components of the second device along with a respective power consumption of each of the hardware components.

14. An electronic device comprising a processor configured to:

detect a resistance value of an electrical connection between the electronic device having a first battery and a second device having a second battery;

receive an indication of a residual power of the second battery;

in response to the detection of the resistance value, display, by the electronic device, a power sharing interface based on the indication of the residual power of the second battery;

detect an input to the interface specifying an amount of power for transmission;

calculate an increased capacity of the first battery based on a sum of a residual power of the first battery and the specified amount of power for transmission for display in the power sharing interface; and

receive the specified amount of power from the second battery.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to, in response to detecting that the specified amount of power is transmitted, transmitting to the second device a request to stop transmitting power to the electronic device.

16. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the power sharing interface includes an indication of charging direction that indicates whether the electronic device is a recipient of power or a provider of power.

17. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the power sharing interface includes:

a first input element associated with the first battery which when activated causes the specified amount of power for transmission to be changed; and

a second input element associated with the second battery which when activated causes the specified amount of power for transmission to be changed.

18. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the power sharing interface identifies a plurality of hardware components of the second device along with a respective power consumption of each of the hardware components.