Electronic device and method for controlling charging of the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9979220-B2
Application number	US-201615053880-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2016
Priority date	Feb 27, 2015
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

An electronic device of the present disclosure includes a battery cell configured to be electrically connected between a first node and a second node; an over current protection circuit configured to include a first terminal, a second terminal, and a switching element responsive to an occurrence of over current, and the first terminal is electrically connected to the first node; a power management integrated circuit configured to be electrically connected to the second terminal of the over current protection circuit; and a first protection circuit configured to be electrically connected between the first node and the power management integrated circuit, and to include at least one first passive element, wherein the power management integrated circuit monitors a voltage of the battery cell, based on at least a portion of a voltage or a current which is transmitted through the first protection circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a battery cell configured to be electrically connected between a first node and a second node;
an over current protection circuit configured to include a first terminal, a second terminal, and a switching element responsive to an occurrence of over current, and the first terminal is electrically connected to the first node;
a power management integrated circuit configured to be electrically connected to the second terminal of the over current protection circuit; and
a first protection circuit configured to be electrically connected between the first node and the power management integrated circuit, and to include a first passive element,
wherein the power management integrated circuit monitors a voltage of the battery cell, based on at least a portion of a voltage or a current which is transmitted through the first protection circuit.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a second protection circuit configured to be electrically connected between the second node and the power management integrated circuit, and to include a second passive element,
wherein the power management integrated circuit monitors a voltage of the battery cell, based on a voltage or a current which is transmitted through the second protection circuit.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the second passive element comprises a resistive element respectively.

4. The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising a third passive element configured to be electrically connected between the second node and the power management integrated circuit.

5. The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising a switching element configured to block a leakage path of a power connected to the second protection circuit, the power management integrated circuit, and ground.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the power management integrated circuit controls the switching element to block the leakage path according to an operation state of the over current protection circuit.

7. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the power management integrated circuit opens a circuit connected to the switching element for blocking the leakage path by controlling the switching element for blocking the leakage path, when the over current protection circuit is open.

8. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the power management integrated circuit opens a circuit connected to the switching element to block the leakage path by controlling the switching element for blocking the leakage path, when the voltage of the battery cell is at or above a preset threshold voltage value.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first node is electrically connected to a negative electrode of the battery cell, and the second node is electrically connected to a positive electrode of the battery cell.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first passive element includes a resistive element.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the power management integrated circuit controls a charging operation of the battery cell based on the voltage of the battery cell monitored.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the power management integrated circuit changes a charging method of the battery cell from a constant current (CC) method to a constant voltage (CV) method, when the voltage of the battery cell is at or above a preset reference voltage.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the power management integrated circuit monitors the voltage of the battery cell based on a differential sensing method.

14. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the power management integrated circuit comprises:
a first switch unit that controls a power transmitted to the battery cell from an interface;
a second switch unit that controls the power transmitted to at least one of the battery cell from the interface and the electronic device from the battery cell; and
a power control module configured to control the first switch unit and the second switch unit, and to change a charging method of the battery cell based on the voltage of the battery cell.

15. A method for controlling charging of an electronic device comprising a battery cell electrically connected between a first node and a second node, an over current protection circuit including a first terminal and a second terminal and the first terminal electrically connected to the first node, a power management integrated circuit electrically connected to the second terminal of the over current protection circuit, and a first protection circuit electrically connected between the first node and the power management integrated circuit including a first passive element, the method comprising:
monitoring a voltage of the battery cell, based on at least a portion of a voltage or a current which is transmitted through the first protection circuit.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the electronic device further comprises a second protection circuit including a second passive element between the power management integrated circuit and the battery cell, and the method further comprising monitoring a voltage of the battery cell, based on a voltage or a current which is transmitted through the second protection circuit.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the electronic device further comprises a switching element configured to block a leakage path of a power connected to the second protection circuit, the power management integrated circuit, and ground, and the method further comprising opening a circuit connected to the switching element for blocking the leakage path by controlling the switching element for blocking the leakage path, when the over current protection circuit is open.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising opening the circuit connected to the switching element for blocking the leakage path by controlling the switching element for blocking the leakage path, when the voltage of the battery cell is at or above a preset threshold voltage value.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the controlling a charging changes a charging method from a constant current (CC) method to a constant voltage (CV) method, when a voltage of the battery cell is at or above a preset reference voltage.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jung Kuchul
• Ryu Sanghyun
• Park Chulwoo
• Yoon Sunggeun

Classifications

• H02J7/90 Primary

  Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage · CPC title

• G01R19/0084

  Measuring voltage only · CPC title

• G01R31/3835

  involving only voltage measurements · CPC title

• H02J7/007 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G01R31/362

  Physics · mapped topic