Electronic device and method for communicating with external device through power source line

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020321792-A1
Application number	US-202016812070-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 6, 2020
Priority date	Apr 4, 2019
Publication date	Oct 8, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device includes a battery, a charging integrated circuit (IC) configured to control a charging state of the battery, a connector pin for receiving power from an external device, the connector pin including a first connector pin for receiving a high potential voltage from the external device and a second connector pin for receiving a low potential voltage from the external device, a touch sensor, and a controller. The controller receives power from the external device through the connector pin based on the detection of the external device being connected to the connector pin, charges the battery using a high potential voltage, detects a user input through the touch sensor while the battery is charged, and stops the charging of the battery and outputs a current corresponding to state information of the electronic device through the first connector pin based on the detection of the given user input.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device for supplying power to an external device, comprising:
a housing including at least one groove for keeping the external device; a connector pin configured to supply power to the external device, the connector pin comprising:
a first connector pin positioned in an area of the groove to supply a high potential voltage, and
a second connector pin positioned in another area of the groove to supply a low potential voltage;
a power supply configured to supply a given high potential voltage to the first connector pin; a current sensing circuit configured to detect a current of the first connector pin; and a controller operatively connected to the connector pin, the power supply, and the current sensing circuit, wherein the controller is configured to:
supply a given high potential voltage to the first connector pin based on a detection of the external device being connected to the connector pin,
detect the current of the first connector pin while the given high potential voltage is supplied,
extract digital information based on a current change of a given range or more being detected in the first connector pin, and
perform a given function based on the extracted digital information.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface device,
wherein the controller is further configured to:
identify a state of the external device based on the extracted digital information, and
control the user interface device to output a given notification related to the identified state of the external device.

3 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the state of the external device comprises the external device being in a Bluetooth pairing mode.

4 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the user interface device comprises an LED device.

5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a sensing resistor positioned between the power supply and the first connector pin,
wherein the current sensing circuit is configured to:
detect currents at both ends of the sensing resistor, and
transmit a comparison value between the currents at both ends of the sensing resistor to the controller.

6 . The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
receive the comparison value from the current sensing circuit, and extract the digital information based on a change in the current of the first connector pin based on the comparison value exceeding a reference value.

7 . A method of driving an electronic device for supplying power to an external device,
wherein the electronic device comprises a housing including at least one groove for keeping the external device, a connector pin configured to supply power to the external device, the connector pin comprising a first connector pin positioned in an area of the groove to supply a high potential voltage and a second connector pin positioned in another area of the groove to supply a low potential voltage, a power supply configured to supply a given high potential voltage to the first connector pin, and a current sensing circuit configured to detect a current of the first connector pin, and wherein the method comprises:
supplying a given high potential voltage to the first connector pin based on a detection of the external device being connected to the connector pin,
detecting the current of the first connector pin while the given high potential voltage is supplied,
extracting digital information based on a current change of a given range or more being detected in the first connector pin, and
performing a given function based on the extracted digital information.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
identifying a state of the external device based on the extracted digital information; and outputting a given notification related to the identified state of the external device.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the state of the external device comprises the external device being in a Bluetooth pairing mode.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the electronic device further comprises a sensing resistor positioned between the power supply and the first connector pin; and detecting the current of the first connector pin comprises:
detecting currents at both ends of the sensing resistor, and
identifying a comparison value between the currents at both ends of the sensing resistor.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein extracting digital information comprises:
comparing the comparison value with a reference value; and extracting the digital information based on a change in the current of the first connector pin based on the comparison value exceeding the reference value.

12 . An electronic device comprising:
a battery; a charging integrated circuit (IC) configured to control a charging state of the battery; a connector pin for receiving power from an external device, the connector pin comprising:
a first connector pin for receiving a high potential voltage from the external device and,
a second connector pin for receiving a low potential voltage from the external device;
a touch sensor; and a controller operatively connected to the charging IC, the connector pin, and the touch sensor, wherein the controller is configured to:
receive given power from the external device through the connector pin based on a detection of the external device being connected to the connector pin,
charge the battery using a given high potential voltage,
detect a given user input through the touch sensor while the battery is charged, and
stop the charging of the battery and output a given current corresponding to state information of the electronic device through the first connector pin based on the detection of the given user input.

13 . The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
switch to a data transmission mode based on the detection of the given user input; generate a control signal corresponding to the state information of the electronic device; and generate the given current based on the generated control signal.

14 . The electronic device of claim 13 , further comprising:
a pull-down resistor connected to the first connector pin; and a switching element positioned between the first connector pin and the pull-down resistor to control a connection between the first connector pin and the pull-down resistor in response to the control signal.

15 . The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the data transmission mode comprises a mode to notify that the mode of the electronic device is a Bluetooth pairing mode.

16 . A method of driving an electronic device,
wherein the electronic device comprises a battery, a connector pin for receiving power from an external device, the connector pin comprising a first connector pin for receiving a high potential voltage from the external device and a second connector pin for receiving a low potential voltage from the external device, and a touch sensor, wherein the method comprises:
receiving a given high potential voltage from the external device through the connector pin based on a detection of the external device being connected to the connector pin,
charging the battery using the given high potential voltage,
detecting a given user input through the touch sensor while the battery is charged, and
stopping the charging of the battery and outputting a given current corresponding to state information of the electronic device through the first connector pin based on the detection of the g

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Rhee Daesun
• Cho Jonghyuk

Classifications

• H02J7/685

  using connection detecting circuits (H02J7/68 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J7/62

  against overcurrent · CPC title

• H02J7/825

  Detection of fully charged condition · CPC title

• H02J7/42

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

• H02J7/751 Primary

  concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries · CPC title