Patent Publication Number: US-2013249500-A1

Title: Electronic device and method for charging electronic device

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to charging systems and methods, and more particularly to an electronic device, a storage medium, and a method for charging the electronic device. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Electronic devices are typically charged through a universal serial bus (USB) 2.0 interface. However, a single USB 2.0 interface is only limited to 500 mA of charging current when charging an electronic device through the USB 2.0 interface. With the increase of battery capacity of these electronic device, the maximum charging current the battery can withstand is increasing. In order to improve the power capacity, a USB 3.0 interface is beginning to be used for charging. The charging current inputted through the USB 3.0 interface can reach 900 mA, but the electronic device may not be able to recognize the USB 3.0 interface and thus limits the charging current to only be 500 mA using the present charging system, which reduces the charging efficiency. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of one embodiment of an electronic device including a charging system. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of one embodiment of function modules of the charging system in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for charging an electronic device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In general, the word “module”, as used herein, refers to logic embodied in hardware or firmware, or to a collection of software instructions, written in a programming language, such as, Java, C, or assembly. One or more software instructions in the modules may be embedded in firmware, such as in an EPROM. The modules described herein may be implemented as either software and/or hardware modules and may be stored in any type of non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or other storage device. Some non-limiting examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include CDs, DVDs, BLU-RAY, flash memory, and hard disk drives. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of one embodiment of an electronic device  1  including a charging system  14 . In the embodiment, the electronic device  1  further includes a battery  10 , at least one processor  12 , a first universal serial bus (USB) interface  16 , and a storage device  18 . The electronic device  1  is electrically connected to a power supply equipment  2  through the first USB interface  16  when the electronic device  1  is charged from the power supply equipment  2 . In one embodiment, the power supply equipment  2  can be a computer including a second USB interface  22  and a charging unit  20 . The electronic device  1  may be a cell phone, a mobile device, or a personal digital assistant (PDA) device. 
     The batter  10  provides power for the electronic device  1 , and can be charged by the charging unit  20  of the power supply equipment  2  through the first USB interface  16 . The first USB interface  16  is connected to the second USB interface  22  when the batter  10  of the electronic device  1  is charged by the charging unit  20  of the power supply equipment  2 . 
     In one embodiment, the charging system  14  includes a plurality of function modules (see  FIG. 2  below), which include one or more program in the form of computerized codes that are stored in the storage device  18  and executed by the processor  12 , to provide a charging function of the electronic device  1 . 
     The storage device  18  may include any type(s) of non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as a hard disk drive, a compact disc, a digital video disc, or a tape drive. The storage device  18  stores the computerized code of the function modules of the charging system  14 . The at least one processor  12  may be a processor unit, a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA). 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of one embodiment of the function modules of the charging system  14 . In the embodiment, the charging system  14  may include a calculation module  200 , a read module  202 , a determination module  204 , and a processing module  206 . The functions of the function modules  200 - 206  are illustrated in  FIG. 3  and described below. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for charging the electronic device  1 . Depending on the embodiment, additional steps may be added, others removed, and the ordering of the steps may be changed. 
     In step S 300 , the calculation module  200  sets an initial value of a charging current (denoted the charging current value as “Icharge”) of the battery  10 , and sets a charging current increment (denoted as “ΔI”) for charging the electronic device  1 . For example, the calculation module  200  may set the initial value of the charging current as 400 mA, and set the charging current increment as 10 mA. 
     In step S 301 , the calculation module  200  gradually increases the charging current value Icharge by the charging current increment ΔI based on the initial value of the charging current. 
     In step S 302 , the read module  202  reads an instant charge current passing through the first USB interface  16 , and reads an instant voltage value (denoted as “Vusb”) of the first USB interface  16 , which is a voltage across the first USB interface  16 . 
     In step S 303 , the determination module  204  compares a current voltage value Vusb with a preset voltage value (denoted as “V”) to determine if Vusb is greater than V during the increasing process of the charging current value Icharge. The preset voltage value V is preset as the minimum voltage value for the first USB interface  16  to work normally. If Vusb is greater than V, step S 304  is implemented. Otherwise, if Vusb is not greater than V, step S 306  is implemented. 
     In step S 304 , the determination module  204  compares a current value of Icharge with a maximum charging current value (denoted as “Imax”) of the battery  10  to determine if Icharge is less than Imax. If Icharge is less than Imax, step S 301  is repeated. Otherwise, if Icharge is not less than Imax, step S 305  is implemented. 
     In step S 305 , the processing module  206  controls the battery  10  of the electronic device  1  charge from the charging unit  20  of the power supply equipment  2  by setting the maximum charging current value Imax as the value of the charging current. 
     In step S 306 , the processing module  206  calculates a current difference between the current Icharge and the charging current increment ΔI, and controls the battery  10  of the electronic device  1  charge from the charging unit  20  of the power supply equipment  2  by setting the current difference as the value of the charging current. 
     Although certain inventive embodiments of the present disclosure have been specifically described, the present disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications may be made to the present disclosure without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.