Electronic apparatus and driving control method thereof

• US 9,923,368 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Jeong-gyu, Choi, Yeong-bok
• Primary Examiner(s): Yen, Paul J
• Application Number:
  US13/613,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20130205140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,014 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence

Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes an input unit to receive an input of DC power from an external adaptor, a battery unit to store the received DC power, a first control unit to drive the electronic apparatus using power of the battery unit or power received from the input unit in a first operation mode, and to drive the electronic apparatus using both the power of the battery unit and the power input from the input unit in a second operation mode, and a power control unit to prevent a mode of the electronic apparatus from being changed to the second operation mode according to a state of the battery unit.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus having a plurality of operation modes, the electronic apparatus comprising:

an input circuit configured to receive an input of DC power from an external adaptor;

a battery configured to store the received DC power, the battery removable from the electronic apparatus;

a first controller configured to use selectively provided power to operate the electronic apparatus in a first operation mode using power of only the battery or power of only the input circuit, and to use the selectively provided power to operate the electronic apparatus in a second operation mode using both the power of the battery and the power input from the input circuit simultaneously;

a power controller configured to selectively provide the power input through the input circuit and the battery to the first controller and to prevent an operating mode of the electronic apparatus from being changed from the first operation mode to the second operation mode according to a detected charge state of the mounted battery being less than or equal to a predetermined capacity and according to a supply of the DC power received by the input circuit, and upon detecting the battery is not mounted in the electronic apparatus; and

a display to display an alert message when a mode of the electronic apparatus is changed to the second operation mode and the second operation mode is maintained longer than a predetermined time,

wherein the first controller using the selectively provided power comprises at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphic processor, and a CPU having a graphic processor embedded therein.

2. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the power controller controls to provide the power input through the input circuit to the first controller selectively according to an operation mode of the electronic apparatus; and

the power controller controls the battery to be charged with the power input through the input circuit according to an operation mode of the electronic apparatus and a charge state of the battery.

3. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a comparison circuit to detect a current of the power input through the input circuit; and

wherein, when the detected current is greater than or equal to a predetermined current, the comparison circuit controls the first controller to be operated in a third operation mode in which power lower than power of the first operation mode is consumed.

4. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the comparison circuit comprises:

a first voltage generator to generate a voltage value corresponding to a current value of the power input through the input circuit,

a second voltage generator to generate a predetermined reference voltage value corresponding to the predetermined current, and

a circuit to compare an output voltage of the first voltage generator and an output voltage of the second voltage generator, and to provide a result of the comparing to the first controller.

5. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the power controller obtains information on a rated power of the adaptor and controls the second voltage generator to generate a predetermined reference voltage value corresponding to the obtained information.

6. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface to display information indicating that the electronic apparatus is operated in a third operation mode, when a mode of the electronic apparatus is changed to the third operation mode.

7. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a second controller to provide information on a state of the battery and a state of the input circuit to the first controller.

8. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second controller is a main board chipset.

9. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the first operation mode is a mode in which the first controller is operated by a predetermined first thermal design power; and

the second operation mode is a mode in which the first controller is operated by a second thermal design power that is higher than the first thermal design power, using both power of the battery and power input from the input circuit.

10. A driving control method of an electronic apparatus which has a plurality of operation modes, the method comprising:

selectively providing power to a controller to operate the electronic apparatus in a first operation mode according to a predetermined first thermal design power; and

changing an operation mode of the electronic apparatus to a second operation mode, in which the controller selectively provides power to the controller to operate the electronic apparatus according to a second thermal design power higher than the first thermal design power, using both a DC power provided from an external adaptor and a power of a battery simultaneously according to an operation load of the electronic apparatus, the battery removable from the electronic apparatus; and

displaying an alert message when a mode of the electronic apparatus is changed to the second operation mode and the second operation mode is maintained longer than a predetermined time,

wherein the changing comprises preventing the operation mode of the electronic apparatus from being changed from the first operation mode to the second operation mode according to a detected charge state of the mounted battery being less than or equal to a predetermined capacity and according to a supply of the DC power provided from the external adaptor, and upon detecting the battery is not mounted in the electronic apparatus, and

wherein the controller using the selectively provided power comprises at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphic processor, and a CPU having a graphic processor embedded therein.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

detecting a current of power input through an input circuit; and

when the detected current is greater than or equal to a predetermined current, changing a mode to a third operation mode in which the controller consumes power lower than power of the first operation mode.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

obtaining information of rated power of the adaptor,

wherein the predetermined current is a current value corresponding to the obtained information.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising;

when a mode of the electronic apparatus is changed to the third operation mode, displaying information indicating that the electronic apparatus is operated in the third operation mode.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer-readable codes as program to execute a driving control method in an electronic apparatus which has a plurality of operation modes, the driving control method of an electronic apparatus which has a plurality of operation modes comprising:

selectively providing power to a controller to operate the electronic apparatus in a first operation mode according to a predetermined first thermal design power;

changing an operation mode of the electronic apparatus to a second operation mode, in which the controller selectively provides power to the controller to operate the electronic apparatus according to a second thermal design power higher than the first thermal design power, using both a DC power provided from an external adaptor and a power of a battery simultaneously according to an operation load of the electronic apparatus, the battery removable from the electronic apparatus;

displaying an alert message when a mode of the electronic apparatus is changed to the second operation mode and the second operation mode is maintained longer than a predetermined time,

wherein the changing comprises preventing the operation mode of the electronic apparatus from being changed from the first operation mode to the second operation mode according to a detected charge state of the mounted battery being less than or equal to a predetermined capacity and according to a supply of the DC power provided from the external adaptor, and upon detecting the battery is not mounted in the electronic apparatus and according to a supply of the DC power provided from the external adaptor, and

wherein the controller using the selectively provided power comprises at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphic processor, and a CPU having a graphic processor embedded therein.