Mobile terminal and charging method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10097032-B2
Application number	US-201615068883-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2016
Priority date	Aug 5, 2015
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

The application disclose a mobile terminal, a method for charging by a power source adapter for charging directly and a method for charging a mobile terminal, where firstly the power adaptor for charging directly is configured to communicate wirelessly with the mobile terminal, and then a strategy to identity the type of charging is designed in the mobile terminal dependent upon differently configured communication pins of a different charging device, so that the mobile terminal identifies automatically the type of the external device. Also a specialized rapid charging mode is designed for the power adaptor for charging directly, the battery of the mobile terminal being charged routinely is charged directly at large current by charging voltage output by the power adaptor for charging directly, and the volt value of the charging voltage is adjusted dynamically according to the varying voltage of the battery.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:
a battery configured to store electrical energy;
a USB interface configured to engage with an external device;
a wireless communication module configured to transmit and receive a wireless signal;
a microprocessor configured to, upon detecting the external device inserted into the USB interface:
control the wireless communication module to search for devices that can communicate wirelessly with the wireless communication module;
when the searched devices include the external device connected with the USB interface, determine whether the external device is a direct charging power source adaptor;
when the external device is a direct charging power source adaptor, connect the USB interface wirelessly with the power source adaptor;
when the USB interface and the power source adaptor are connected successfully, exchange data with the power source adaptor via the wireless communication module, and detect a voltage of the battery; and
when the voltage of the battery lies in a range delimited by preset direct charging thresholds, control a charging voltage output by the power source adaptor to charge the battery, and determine from a current voltage of the battery a value of the charging voltage output by the power source adaptor, wherein the range delimited by the preset direct charging thresholds corresponds with a voltage range of the battery corresponding to a constant-current charging phase in a dedicated charging port (DCP) charging mode.

2. The mobile terminal according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a direct charging switch connected between the USB interface and the battery, the microprocessor configured to, upon detecting that the voltage of the battery lies in the range delimited by the preset direct charging thresholds, close the direct charging switch to directly transmit the charging voltage output by the power source adaptor to the battery to charge the battery directly; and
a power source managing chip connected between the USB interface and the battery, the microprocessor configured to, upon detecting that the voltage of the battery leaves the range delimited by the preset direct charging thresholds, control the direct charging switch to receive the charging voltage output by the power source adaptor and to charge the battery.

3. A method for charging a mobile terminal, the method comprising:
detecting, by the mobile terminal, an external device inserted into a USB interface of the mobile terminal;
controlling a wireless communication module of the mobile terminal, and searching via the wireless communication module for devices that can communicate wirelessly with the wireless communication module;
when the searched devices include the external device connected with the USB interface, determining whether the external device is a direct charging power source adaptor; and
when the external device is a direct charging power source adaptor, connecting the USB interface wirelessly with the power source adaptor;
when the USB interface and the power source adaptor are connected successfully, exchanging, by the mobile terminal, data with the power source adaptor via the wireless communication module; and
detecting, by the mobile terminal, a voltage of a battery of the mobile terminal, and when the voltage of the battery lies in a range delimited by preset direct charging thresholds, directly transmitting a charging voltage output by the power source adaptor to the battery to charge the battery directly, and determining a value of the charging voltage output by the power source adaptor from a current voltage of the battery, wherein the range delimited by the preset direct charging thresholds corresponds with a voltage range of the battery corresponding to a constant-current charging phase in a dedicated charging port (DCP) charging mode.

4. The method for charging a mobile terminal according to claim 3 , further comprising conducting, by the mobile terminal, Bluetooth communication with the power source adaptor by:
upon detecting the external device inserted into the USB interface of the mobile terminal, controlling, by the mobile terminal, a Bluetooth module to search for external Bluetooth devices;
when the power source adaptor is connected with the USB interface of the mobile terminal, sending a Bluetooth match code to request matching with the power source adaptor;
when the matching succeeds, connecting with the power source adaptor; and
after the USB interface and the power source adaptor are connected successfully, exchanging, by the mobile terminal, data with the power source adaptor via the Bluetooth module.

5. The method for charging a mobile terminal according to claim 4 , wherein after the mobile terminal detects the external device inserted into the USB interface of the mobile terminal, the charging method further comprises:
detecting whether two differential data pins in the USB interface of the mobile terminal are shorted;
when the two differential data pins are not shorted, determining that the inserted external device is a host, and starting a standard downstream port (SDP) charging mode;
when the two differential data pins are shorted, determining that the inserted external device is a power source adaptor;
starting, by the mobile terminal, a wireless communication function of the mobile terminal, and searching for a direct charging power source adaptor matching therewith; and
when no matching direct charging power source adaptor is found, determining that the inserted external device is a normal power source adaptor, and starting a dedicated charging port (DCP) charging mode;
when the matching direct power source adaptor is found, connecting and communicating wirelessly with the matching power source adaptor, wherein two configuration pins in a charging interface of the matching power source adaptor that are connected with the two respective differential data pins of the USB interface of the mobile terminal are shorted.

6. The method for charging a mobile terminal according to claim 4 , wherein after the mobile terminal detects the external device inserted into the USB interface of the mobile terminal, the charging method further comprises:
detecting whether two differential data pins in the USB interface of the mobile terminal are shorted;
when the two differential data pins are shorted, determining that the inserted external device is a normal power source adaptor, and starting a dedicated charging port (DCP) charging mode;
when the two differential data pins are not shorted, conducting USB communication with the inserted external device;
when the USB communication succeeds, determining that the inserted external device is a host, and starting a standard downstream port (SDP) charging mode;
when the USB communication does not succeed, starting a wireless communication function of the mobile terminal, and searching for a direct charging power source adaptor matching therewith; and
when the matching direct charging power source adaptor is found, connecting and communicating wirelessly with the matching power source adaptor, wherein two configuration pins in a charging interface of the matching power source adaptor that are connected with the two respective differential data pins of the USB interface of the mobile terminal are disconnected.

7. The method for charging a mobile terminal according to claim 3 , wherein the voltage of the battery is a cell voltage Vbat_real of the battery, and the battery is charged directly by the power source adaptor in one of the following three direct charging processes:
(1) searching, by the mobile terminal, a preset reference table using the detected cell voltage Vbat_real of the battery for a target charging voltage value Vout

Assignees

• Hisense Mobile Communications Tech Co Ltd
• Hisense Usa Corp
• Hisense Int Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hu Ermeng
• Li Chunqian
• Du Wenjuan

Classifications

• H02J7/42

  with electronic devices having internal batteries, e.g. mobile phones · CPC title

• H02J7/485

  with provisions for charging different types of batteries · CPC title

• H02J7/96

  in response to battery voltage · CPC title

• H02J7/443 Primary

  using passive battery identification means, e.g. resistors or capacitors (identification by mechanical connections H02J7/751) · CPC title

• H02J7/00

  Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries · CPC title