Method for controlling power supply and electronic device implementing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10409249-B2
Application number	US-201615156962-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2016
Priority date	May 18, 2015
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

An electronic device for controlling a power supply is provided. The electronic device includes a power unit configured to supply power, a power management unit configured to receive a supply of power from the power unit and to distribute the supplied power, a flood sensing unit connected to the power unit and located in a part of the electronic device most subject to flooding or fluid penetration, and a power control switch configured to, if a voltage level of the flood sensing unit is a first level indicating no detected flooding or fluid penetration, electrically connect the power unit and the power management unit to each other, and if the voltage level of the flood sensing unit is a second level indicating a detected flooding or fluid penetration, interrupt an electrical connection between the power unit and the power management unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a power unit configured to supply power and a signal corresponding to the power;
a power management unit configured to:
receive a supply of power from the power unit, and
distribute the supplied power;

a sensing unit;
a control circuit comprising a first switch and a logical operation unit; and
a power control switch configured to switch electrical connection between the power unit and the power management unit based on a signal received from the control circuit,
wherein the control circuit is configured to:
control, in response to receiving a first sensing signal, the first switch to output a control signal to the logical operation unit,
control, in response to the output signal from the first switch, the logical operation unit to output a signal for deactivating a power supply from the power unit to the power management unit to the power control switch based on the control signal, and to output a signal for deactivating the first switch to the first switch based on the control signal, and
control, in response to the signal for deactivating the first switch, the first switch to maintain a deactivated state when a second sensing signal is received from the sensing unit, and

wherein the first sensing signal is received from the sensing unit when sensing a flood of electronic device and the second sensing signal is received from the sensing unit when the flood of electronic device is not sensed.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the sensing unit comprises at least two conductive elements configured to electrically respond to flooding in the electronic device.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein one of the at least two conductive elements further comprises a resistor.

4. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein one of the at least two conductive elements further comprises an inductor.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the sensing unit further comprises a non-conductive absorber.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the sensing unit further comprises a projection shape configured to alter a contact profile of at least one of the conductive elements.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the sensing unit is disposed adjacent to at least one opening in a housing of the electronic device.

8. An electronic device for controlling a power supply, comprising:
a power unit configured to supply power and a signal corresponding to the power;
a power management unit configured to:
receive a supply of power from the power unit, and
distribute the supplied power;

a first sensing unit configured to sense flooding of the electronic device;
a control circuit comprising a first switch and a logical operation unit;
a power control switch configured to switch electrical connection between the power unit and the power management unit based on a signal received from the control circuit; and
a second sensing unit configured to sense a disassembly of at least a part of the electronic device;
wherein the control circuit is configured to:
control, in response to receiving a first sensing signal from the first sensing unit, the first switch to output a control signal to the logical operation unit,
control, in response to the output signal from the first switch, the logical operation unit to output a signal for deactivating a power supply from the power unit to the power management unit to the power control switch based on the control signal, and to output a signal for deactivating the first switch to the first switch based on the control signal,
control, in response to the signal for deactivating the first switch, the first switch to maintain a deactivated state when a second sensing signal is received from the sensing unit, and
control, in response to receiving a disassembly sensing signal from the second sensing unit, the logical operation unit to output a signal for activating a power supply from the power unit to the power management unit to the power control switch, and

wherein the first sensing signal is received from the first sensing unit when sensing a flood of electronic device and the second sensing signal is received from the first sensing unit when the flood of electronic device is not sensed.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the second sensing unit is further configured to sense a removal of at least one of a battery cover of the electronic device, a housing, and a fixing portion for fixing the housing.

10. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the control circuit comprises at least one switch.

11. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the control circuit comprises at least one logical operation unit.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the logical operation unit comprises an OR gate.

13. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the control circuit is disposed adjacent to at least one opening in a housing of the electronic device.

14. A method for controlling a power supply to an electronic device, comprising:
controlling, in response to receiving a first sensing signal from a first sensing unit, a first switch of a control circuit to output a control signal to a logical operation unit;
controlling, in response to the output signal from the first switch, the logical operation unit to output a signal for deactivating a power supply from the power unit to the power management unit to a power control switch based on the control signal;
deactivating the power supply from the power unit to the power management unit based on the signal for deactivating;
controlling the logical operation unit to output a signal for deactivating the first switch to the first switch based on the control signal; and
controlling, in response to the signal for deactivating the first switch, the first switch to maintain a deactivated state when a second sensing signal is received from the first sensing unit,
wherein the first sensing signal is received from the first sensing unit when sensing a flood of electronic device and the second sensing signal is received from the first sensing unit when the flood of electronic device is not sensed.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
sensing whether at least a part of the electronic device is disassembled through a second sensing unit; and
activating the power supply if a disassembly of the at least a part of the electronic device is sensed.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
confirming, if the power supply is activated, whether a power button is input; and
providing the power supply to the electronic device if the power button is input.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the activating of the power supply comprises:
controlling a logic operation unit to receive an input of a signal corresponding to a first level from the second sensing unit;
controlling a power control switch to receive an input of the signal corresponding to the first level from the logic operation unit; and
activating the power supply by activating a power management unit through the power control switch.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the sensing of the disassembly comprises:
sensing that a signal output through the second sensing unit is transitioned from a signal corresponding to a second level, to a signal corresponding to a first level.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the sensing of the disassembly comprises:
sensing the disassembly of the electronic device if a signal that is output through the second sensing unit is tra

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Junghoon
• Kim Jinwoo

Classifications

• H02H5/083

  responsive to the entry or leakage of a liquid into an electrical appliance (moisture alarm G08B21/20) · CPC title

• G05B19/0428 Primary

  Safety, monitoring (G05B19/0423 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y02B70/3241

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y04S20/227

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y04S20/20

  End-user application control systems · CPC title