Patent Description:
Recently, the use of electronic devices that are easy to carry, such as smartphones, tablet personal computers (PCs), wearable devices, etc., has proliferated, and the electronic devices are configured to perform various functions. For example, a variety of functions such as voice communication, Internet search, still and video photography, music playback, video watching, etc., may be performed in the electronic devices. In such portable devices, power is supplied through internal batteries. Naturally, power consumption of the batteries increases as the number of functions being performed rises.

To lengthen the use time of the electronic devices along with the increasing power consumption, the capacities of the batteries connected to the electronic devices have recently increased, and to charge the batteries of the electronic devices, chargers such as travel adaptors (TAs) which charge the batteries through a universal serial bus (USB) cable have been used.

The document <CIT> relates to a portable telecommunications device having a charging interface for connection to an external power supply for charging a battery of the portable telecommunications device.

The document <CIT> relates to a power-regulator circuit having load-dependent operating modes.

The document <CIT> relates to power supplies for battery powered devices.

As stated above, due to the increasing capacity of the battery, a time required for charging the battery is also increasing. To shorten the charging time of the battery, the battery may be charged with high power by raising a voltage of the charger. However, in the case that high power is supplied to charge the battery, heat emission may occur in a charging unit for charging the battery in the electronic device, increasing a power loss and thus lowering charging efficiency.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are made to solve the foregoing or other problems, and provide a method for charging a battery of an electronic device based on information associated with the battery and the electronic device.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device includes a connector that includes a first terminal to which a voltage is applied by an external device and a second terminal for transmitting and receiving data, a first charging unit configured to charge a battery connected to the electronic device by using the voltage applied to the first terminal, and a second charging unit configured to charge the battery by dropping the voltage applied to the first terminal based on a preset voltage drop rate. The first charging unit may include a first switch connected with the first terminal, a communication unit configured to transmit information through the second terminal, and a first controller configured to obtain first information corresponding to a voltage of the battery, control the communication unit to transmit the first information to a charger connected with the connector, and control the first switch to supply a voltage adjusted based on the first information by the charger to the second charging unit through the first terminal.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for charging a battery in an electronic device which includes a connector including a first terminal to which a voltage is applied by an external device and a second terminal for transmitting and receiving data, a first charging unit configured to charge the battery connected to the electronic device by using the voltage applied to the first terminal, and a second charging unit configured to charge the battery by dropping the voltage applied to the first terminal based on a preset voltage drop rate, includes obtaining first information corresponding to a voltage of the battery, transmitting the first information to a charger connected with the connector, from a communication unit of the first charging unit through the second terminal, controlling a first switch of the first charging unit connected with the first terminal to supply a voltage adjusted by the charger based on the first information to the second charging unit through the first terminal, and charging the battery using the voltage dropped by the second charging unit.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a battery charging method and an electronic device may be provided which shorten a charging time, minimize heat emission, and improve charging efficiency by using information related to the battery.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be disclosed with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, embodiments and terms used therein are not intended to limit the present disclosure to particular embodiments, and it should be construed as including various modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. In the present disclosure, an expression such as "A or B," "at least one of A or/and B," or "one or more of A or/and B" may include all possible combinations of together listed items. Expressions such as "first," "second," "primarily," or "secondary," used herein may represent various elements regardless of order and/or importance and do not limit corresponding elements. When it is described that an element (such as a first element) is "operatively or communicatively coupled with/to" or "connected" to another element (such as a second element), the element can be directly connected to the other element or can be connected to the other element through another element (e.g., a third element).

An expression "configured to (or set)" used in the present disclosure may be replaced with, for example, "suitable for," "having the capacity to," "adapted to," "made to," "capable of," or "designed to" according to a situation. Alternatively, in some situation, an expression "apparatus configured to" may mean that the apparatus "can" operate together with another apparatus or component. For example, a phrase "a processor configured (or set) to perform A, B, and C" may be a dedicated processor (e.g., an embedded processor) for performing a corresponding operation or a generic-purpose processor (such as a central processing unit (CPU) or an application processor) that can perform a corresponding operation by executing at least one software program stored at a memory device.

Examples of the electronic device according to embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of a smartphone, a tablet personal computer (PC), a mobile phone, a video phone, an e-book reader, a desktop PC, a laptop computer, a netbook computer, a workstation, a server, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), a MP3 player, a medical device, a camera, or a wearable device. The wearable device may include at least one of an accessory-type device (e.g., a watch, a ring, a bracelet, an anklet, a necklace, glasses, contact lenses, or a head-mounted device (HMD)), a fabric- or clothes-integrated device (e.g., electronic clothes), a body attaching-type device (e.g., a skin pad or tattoo), or a body implantable device. In some embodiments, the electronic device may include, for example, a television (TV), a digital video disk (DVD) player, audio equipment, a refrigerator, an air conditioner, a vacuum cleaner, an oven, a microwave oven, a laundry machine, an air cleaner, a set-top box, a home automation control panel, a security control panel, a TV box (e.g., Samsung HomeSync™, Apple TV™, or Google TV™), a game console, an electronic dictionary, an electronic key, a camcorder, and an electronic frame.

In other embodiments, the electronic device may include at least one of various medical equipment (for example, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), an imaging device, or an ultrasonic device), a navigation system, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, an event data recorder (EDR), a flight data recorder (FDR), a vehicle infotainment device, electronic equipment for ships (e.g., a navigation system and gyro compass for ships), avionics, a security device, a vehicle head unit, an industrial or home robot, a drone, an automatic teller's machine (ATM), a Point of Sales (POS), Internet of things (e.g., electric bulbs, various sensors, electricity or gas meters, sprinkler devices, fire alarm devices, thermostats, streetlights, toasters, exercise machines, hot-water tanks, heaters, boilers, and so forth). According to some embodiments, the electronic device may include a part of a furniture, building/structure or a part of a vehicle, an electronic board, an electronic signature receiving device, a projector, and various measuring instruments (e.g., a water, electricity, gas, electric wave measuring device, etc.). According to various embodiments, the electronic device may be flexible or may be a combination of two or more of the above-described various devices. Herein, the term "user" used in various embodiments of the present disclosure may refer to a person who uses the electronic device or a device using the electronic device.

Referring to <FIG>, an electronic device <NUM> in a network environment <NUM> according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is disclosed. The electronic device <NUM> may include a bus <NUM>, a processor <NUM>, a memory <NUM>, an input/output (I/O) interface <NUM>, a display <NUM>, and a communication interface <NUM>. According to some embodiments, the electronic device <NUM> may omit at least one of the foregoing elements or may further include other elements. The bus <NUM> may include a circuit for connecting, e.g., the elements <NUM> to <NUM> and delivering communication (e.g., a control message or data) between the elements <NUM> to <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may include one or more of a central processing unit (CPU), an application processor (AP), and a communication processor (CP). The processor <NUM> performs operations or data processing for control and/or communication of, for example, at least one other elements of the electronic device <NUM>.

The memory <NUM> may include a volatile and/or nonvolatile memory. The memory <NUM> may store, for example, instructions or data associated with at least one other elements of the electronic device <NUM>. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the memory <NUM> may store software and/or a program <NUM>. The program <NUM> may include at least one of, for example, a kernel <NUM>, middleware <NUM>, an application programming interface (API) <NUM>, and/or an application program (or "application") <NUM>, and the like. At least some of the kernel <NUM>, the middleware <NUM>, and the API <NUM> may be referred to as an operating system (OS). The kernel <NUM> may control or manage, for example, system resources (e.g., the bus <NUM>, the processor <NUM>, the memory <NUM>, etc.) used to execute operations or functions implemented in other programs (e.g., the middleware <NUM>, the API <NUM>, or the application program <NUM>). The kernel <NUM> provides an interface through which the middleware <NUM>, the API <NUM>, or the application program <NUM> accesses separate components of the electronic device <NUM> to control or manage the system resources.

The middleware <NUM> may work as an intermediary for allowing, for example, the API <NUM> or the application program <NUM> to exchange data in communication with the kernel <NUM>. In addition, the middleware <NUM> may process one or more task requests received from the application program <NUM> based on priorities. For example, the middleware <NUM> may give a priority for using a system resource (e.g., the bus <NUM>, the processor <NUM>, the memory <NUM>, etc.) of the electronic device <NUM> to at least one of the application programs <NUM>, and may process the one or more task requests. The API <NUM> is an interface used for the application <NUM> to control a function provided by the kernel <NUM> or the middleware <NUM>, and may include, for example, at least one interface or function (e.g., an instruction) for file control, window control, image processing or character control. The I/O interface <NUM> may deliver, for example, an instruction or data input from a user or another external device to other component(s) of the electronic device <NUM>, or output an instruction or data received from other component(s) of the electronic device <NUM> to a user or another external device.

The display <NUM> may include, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) display, or an electronic paper display. The display <NUM> may, for example, display various contents (e.g., a text, an image, video, an icon, and/or a symbol, etc.) to users. The display <NUM> may include a touch screen, and receives a touch, a gesture, proximity, or a hovering input, for example, by using an electronic pen or a part of a body of a user. The communication interface <NUM> establishes communication between the electronic device <NUM> and an external device (e.g., a first external electronic device <NUM>, a second external electronic device <NUM>, or a server <NUM>). For example, the communication interface <NUM> may be connected to a network <NUM> through wireless communication or wired communication to communicate with an external device (e.g., the second external electronic device <NUM> or the server <NUM>).

Wireless communication may include a cellular communication protocol using at least one of, for example, long-term evolution (LTE), LTE advance (LTE-A), code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband CDMA (WCDMA), universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), wireless broadband (WiBro), global system for mobile communications (GSM), and so forth. According to an embodiment, the wireless communication may include at least one of Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Zigbee, near field communication (NFC), magnetic secure transmission (MST), radio frequency (RF), or a body area network (BAN). According to an embodiment, the wireless communication may include a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). The GNSS may include, for example, at least one of a global positioning system (GPS), a global navigation satellite system (Glonass), a Beidou navigation satellite system ("Beidou"), and Galileo, the European global satellite-based navigation system. Hereinbelow, "GPS" may be used interchangeably with "GNSS". The wired communication may include, for example, at least one of a universal serial bus (USB), a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a recommended standard (RS)-<NUM>, power line communication, a plain old telephone service (POTS), and so forth. The network <NUM> may include a telecommunications network, for example, at least one of a computer network (e.g., a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN)), Internet, or a telephone network.

Each of the first external electronic device <NUM> and the second external electronic device <NUM> may be a device of the same type as or a different type than the electronic device <NUM>. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, some or all of operations performed by the electronic device <NUM> may be performed in another electronic device or a plurality of electronic devices (e.g., the electronic device <NUM> or <NUM>, or the server <NUM>). According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the electronic device <NUM> has to perform a function or a service automatically or at a request, the electronic device <NUM> may request another device (e.g., the electronic devices <NUM> or <NUM> or the server <NUM>) to perform at least some functions associated with the function or the service instead of or in addition to executing the function or the service. The other electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM> or <NUM> or the server <NUM>) may execute the requested function or additional function and deliver the execution result to the electronic device <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may then process or further process the received result to provide the requested function or service.

<FIG> is a block diagram of an electronic device <NUM> according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The electronic device <NUM> may form the entire electronic device <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> or a part of the electronic device <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>. The electronic device <NUM> may include one or more processors (e.g., application processors (APs)) <NUM>, a communication module <NUM>, a subscriber identification module (SIM) <NUM>, a memory <NUM>, a sensor module <NUM>, an input device <NUM>, a display <NUM>, an interface <NUM>, an audio module <NUM>, a camera module <NUM>, a power management module <NUM>, a battery <NUM>, an indicator <NUM>, and a motor <NUM>. The processor <NUM> controls multiple hardware or software components connected to the processor <NUM> by driving an operating system (OS) or an application program, and performs processing and operations with respect to various data. The processor <NUM> may be implemented with, for example, a system on chip (SoC). According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the server <NUM> may include a graphic processing unit (GPU) and/or an image signal processor. The processor <NUM> may include at least some of the elements illustrated in <FIG> (e.g., the cellular module <NUM>). The processor <NUM> loads an instruction or data received from at least one of other elements (e.g., a non-volatile memory) into a volatile memory to process the instruction or data, and stores result data in the non-volatile memory.

The communication module <NUM> may have a configuration that is the same as or similar to the communication interface <NUM>. The communication module <NUM> may include, for example, the cellular module <NUM>, a WiFi module <NUM>, a Bluetooth (BT) module <NUM>, a GNSS module <NUM>, a near field communication (NFC) module <NUM>, and a radio frequency (RF) module <NUM>. The cellular module <NUM> may provide, for example, a voice call, a video call, a text service, or an Internet service over a communication network. According to an embodiment, the cellular module <NUM> identifies and authenticates the electronic device <NUM> in a communication network by using the SIM <NUM> (e.g., a SIM card). According to an embodiment, the cellular module <NUM> may perform at least one of functions that may be provided by the processor <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the cellular module <NUM> may include a communication processor (CP). According to some embodiment, at least some (e.g., two or more) of the cellular module <NUM>, the WiFi module <NUM>, the BT module <NUM>, the GNSS module <NUM>, and the NFC module <NUM> may be included in one integrated chip (IC) or IC package. The RF module <NUM> may, for example, transmit and receive a communication signal (e.g., an RF signal). The RF module <NUM> may include a transceiver, a power amp module (PAM), a frequency filter, a low noise amplifier (LNA), or an antenna. According to another embodiment, at least one of the cellular module <NUM>, the WiFi module <NUM>, the BT module <NUM>, the GNSS module <NUM>, and the NFC module <NUM> may transmit and receive an RF signal through the separate RF module. The SIM <NUM> may, for example, include a card including a SIM or an embedded SIM, and may include unique identification information (e.g., an integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID) or subscriber information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)).

The memory <NUM> (e.g., the memory <NUM>) may, for example, include an internal memory <NUM> and/or an external memory <NUM>. The internal memory <NUM> may, for example, include at least one of a volatile memory (e.g., dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), etc.), and a non-volatile memory (e.g., one time programmable read only memory (OTPROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable and programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM), etc.), mask ROM, flash ROM, a flash memory, or a solid-state drive (SSD). The external memory <NUM> may further include flash drive, for example, compact flash (CF), secure digital (SD), micro-SD, mini-SD, extreme Digital (xD), a multi-media card (MMC), or a memory stick. The external memory <NUM> may be functionally or physically connected with the electronic device <NUM> through various interfaces.

The sensor module <NUM> measures physical quantity or senses an operation state of the electronic device <NUM> to convert the measured or sensed information into an electric signal. The sensor module <NUM> may, for example, include at least one of a gesture sensor 240A, a gyro sensor 240B, a pressure sensor 240C, a magnetic sensor 240D, an acceleration sensor 240E, a grip sensor 240F, a proximity sensor <NUM>, a color sensor <NUM> (e.g., red/green/blue (RGB) sensor), a biometric sensor 240I, a temperature/humidity sensor 240J, an illumination sensor <NUM>, or a ultraviolet (UV) sensor <NUM>. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor module <NUM> may include an E-nose sensor (not shown), an electromyography (EMG) sensor (not shown), an electroencephalogram (EEG) sensor (not shown), an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor (not shown), an infrared (IR) sensor, an iris sensor, and/or a fingerprint sensor. The sensor module <NUM> may further include a control circuit for controlling at least one sensor included therein. In some embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may further include a processor configured to control the sensor module <NUM> as part of or separately from the processor <NUM>, to control the sensor module <NUM> during a sleep state of the processor <NUM>.

The input device <NUM> may include, for example, a touch panel <NUM>, a (digital) pen sensor <NUM>, a key <NUM>, or an ultrasonic input device <NUM>. The touch panel <NUM> may use at least one of a capacitive type, a resistive type, an IR type, or an ultrasonic type. The touch panel <NUM> may further include a control circuit. The touch panel <NUM> may further include a tactile layer to provide tactile reaction to the user. The (digital) pen sensor <NUM> may include a recognition sheet which is a part of the touch panel <NUM> or a separate recognition sheet. The key <NUM> may also include a physical button, an optical key, or a keypad. The ultrasonic input device <NUM> senses ultrasonic waves generated by an input means through a microphone (e.g., the microphone <NUM>) and checks data corresponding to the sensed ultrasonic waves.

The display <NUM> (e.g., the display <NUM>) may include a panel <NUM>, a hologram device <NUM>, a projector <NUM>, and/or a control circuit for controlling them. The panel <NUM> may be implemented to be flexible, transparent, or wearable. The panel <NUM> may be configured with the touch panel <NUM> in one module. According to an embodiment, the panel <NUM> may include a pressure sensor (or a "force sensor", interchangeably used hereinafter) capable of measuring a strength of a pressure by a user's touch. The pressure sensor may be implemented integrally with the touch panel <NUM> or may be implemented as one or more sensors separate from the touch panel <NUM>. The hologram device <NUM> may show a stereoscopic image in the air by using interference of light. The projector <NUM> may display an image onto a screen through projection of light. The screen may be positioned inside or outside the electronic device <NUM>. The interface <NUM> may include an HDMI <NUM>, a USB <NUM>, an optical interface <NUM>, or a D-subminiature (D-sub) <NUM>. The interface <NUM> may be included in the communication interface <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>. Additionally or alternatively, the interface <NUM> may include a mobile high-definition link (MHL) interface, an SD/multi-media card (MMC) interface, or an Infrared Data Association (IrDA) interface.

The audio module <NUM> may bi-directionally convert sound and an electric signal. At least one element of the audio module <NUM> may be included in the input/output interface <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>. The audio module <NUM> may process sound information input or output through the speaker <NUM>, the receiver <NUM>, the earphone <NUM>, or the microphone <NUM>. The camera module <NUM> is, for example, a device capable of capturing a still image or a moving image, and according to an embodiment, may include one or more image sensors (e.g., a front sensor or a rear sensor), a lens, an image signal processor (ISP), or a flash (e.g., an LED, a xenon lamp, etc.). The power management module <NUM> manages power of the electronic device <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the power management module <NUM> may include a power management integrated circuit (PMIC), a charger IC, or a battery fuel gauge. The PMIC may have a wired and/or wireless charging scheme. The wireless charging scheme may include a magnetic-resonance type, a magnetic induction type, and an electromagnetic type, and may further include an additional circuit for wireless charging, for example, a coil loop, a resonance circuit, or a rectifier. The battery gauge may measure the remaining capacity of the battery <NUM> or the voltage, current, or temperature of the battery <NUM> during charging. The battery <NUM> may include, for example, a rechargeable battery and/or a solar battery.

The indicator <NUM> displays a particular state, for example, a booting state, a message state, or a charging state, of the electronic device <NUM> or a part thereof (e.g., the processor <NUM>). The motor <NUM> may convert an electric signal into mechanical vibration or generates vibration or a haptic effect. The electronic device <NUM> may include a device for supporting the mobile TV (e.g., a GPU) to process media data according to a standard such as digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB), digital video broadcasting (DVB), or mediaFlo™. Each of the foregoing elements described herein may be configured with one or more components, names of which may vary with a type of the electronic device. In various embodiments, some components of the electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>) may be omitted or may further include other elements, and some of the components may be coupled to form one entity and identically perform functions of the components before being coupled.

<FIG> is a block diagram of a programming module according to various embodiments. According to an embodiment, a programming module <NUM> (e.g., the program <NUM>) may include an OS for controlling resources associated with an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>) and/or various applications (e.g., the application program <NUM>) executed on the OS. The OS may include Android™, iOS™, Windows™, Symbian™, Tizen™, or Bada™. Referring to <FIG>, the programming module <NUM> may include a kernel <NUM> (e.g., the kernel <NUM>), middleware <NUM> (e.g., the middleware <NUM>), an application programming interface (API) <NUM> (e.g., the API <NUM>), and/or an application <NUM> (e.g., the application program <NUM>). At least a part of the programming module <NUM> may be preloaded on an electronic device or may be downloaded from an external device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>, or the server <NUM>).

The kernel <NUM> may include a system resource manager <NUM> and/or a device driver <NUM>. The system resource manager <NUM> may perform control, allocation, retrieval of system resources, and so forth. According to an embodiment, the system resource manager <NUM> may include a process management unit, a memory management unit, or a file system management unit. The device driver <NUM> may include, for example, a display driver, a camera driver, a Bluetooth driver, a shared memory driver, a USB driver, a keypad driver, a WiFi driver, an audio driver, or an inter-process communication (IPC) driver. The middleware <NUM> may provide functions that the application <NUM> commonly requires or provide various functions to the application <NUM> through the API <NUM> to allow the application <NUM> to use a limited system resource in an electronic device. According to an embodiment, the middleware <NUM> may include at least one of a runtime library <NUM>, an application manager <NUM>, a window manager <NUM>, a multimedia manager <NUM>, a resource manager <NUM>, a power manager <NUM>, a database manager <NUM>, a package manager <NUM>, a connectivity manager <NUM>, a notification manager <NUM>, a location manager <NUM>, a graphic manager <NUM>, or a security manager <NUM>.

The runtime library <NUM> may include a library module that a compiler uses to add a new function through a programming language while the application <NUM> is executed. The runtime library <NUM> performs input/output management, memory management, or calculation function processing. The application manager <NUM> manages a life cycle of the applications <NUM>. The window manager <NUM> manages a graphic user interface (GUI) resource used in a screen. The multimedia manager <NUM> recognizes a format necessary for playing media files and performs encoding or decoding on a media file by using a codec appropriate for a corresponding format. The resource manager <NUM> manages a source code or a memory space of the applications <NUM>. The power manager <NUM> manages a battery or power and provides power information necessary for an operation of the electronic device. According to an embodiment, the power manager <NUM> may operate with basic input/output system (BIOS). The database manager <NUM> generates, searches or changes a database used for at least one application among the applications <NUM>. The package manager <NUM> manages the installation or update of an application distributed in a package file format.

The connectivity manager <NUM> manages a wireless connection. The notification manager <NUM> provides an event, e.g., an arriving message, an appointment, proximity notification, etc. The location manager <NUM> manages location information of an electronic device. The graphic manager <NUM> manages, for example, a graphic effect to be provided to a user or a user interface relating thereto. The security manager <NUM> provides, for example, system security or user authentication. According to an embodiment, the middleware <NUM> may further include a telephony manager for managing a voice or video call function of the electronic device or a middleware module forming a combination of functions of the above-described components. According to an embodiment, the middleware <NUM> provides a module specified for each type of an OS. Additionally, the middleware <NUM> may delete some of existing elements or add new elements dynamically. The API <NUM> may be provided as a set of API programming functions with a different configuration according to the OS. In the case of Android or iOS, for example, one API set may be provided by each platform, and in the case of Tizen, two or more API sets may be provided.

The application <NUM> may include one or more applications capable of providing a function, for example, a home application <NUM>, a dialer application <NUM>, a short messaging service/multimedia messaging service (SMS/MMS) application <NUM>, an instant message (IM) application <NUM>, a browser application <NUM>, a camera application <NUM>, an alarm application <NUM>, a contact application <NUM>, a voice dial application <NUM>, an e-mail application <NUM>, a calendar application <NUM>, a media player application <NUM>, an album application <NUM>, a clock application <NUM>, a health care application (e.g., an application for measuring an exercise amount, a blood sugar, etc.), or an environment information providing application (e.g., an application for providing air pressure, humidity, or temperature information or the like). According to an embodiment, the application <NUM> may include an information exchange application supporting information exchange between the electronic device and an external electronic device. The information exchange application may include, for example, a notification relay application for transferring specific information to the external electronic device or a device management application for managing the external electronic device. For example, the notification relay application may deliver notification information generated in another application of the electronic device to an external electronic device or may receive notification information from the external electronic device and provide the notification information to the user. The device management application may manage (e.g., install, remove, or update) a function (e.g., turn on/turn off of an external electronic device itself (or a part thereof) or control of brightness (or resolution) of a display) of an external device communicating with the electronic device, a service provided by an application operating in an external electronic device or provided by the external electronic device (e.g., a call service or a message service). According to an embodiment, the application <NUM> may include an application (e.g., device health care application of mobile medical equipment) designated according to an attribute of the external electronic device. According to an embodiment, the application <NUM> may include an application received from the external electronic device. The at least a part of the programming module <NUM> may be implemented (e.g., executed) by software, firmware, hardware (e.g., the processor <NUM>), or a combination of two or more of them, and may include, for example, modules, programs, routines, sets of instructions, or processes for performing one or more functions.

<FIG> is a block diagram of an electronic device and a charger according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device <NUM> may include a connector <NUM> and a first charging unit <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may be connected with a charger <NUM> through the connector <NUM> and be supplied with power from the charger <NUM>. The connector <NUM> may include a first terminal to which a voltage is applied from an external device and a second terminal for transmitting and receiving data to and from the external device. The connector <NUM> may further include another terminal(s) based on a preset criterion associated with the connector <NUM>, e.g., a criterion described in related standards, in addition to the first and second terminals.

For example, the connector <NUM> may be configured to be connected with a USB connector that supports a USB type C, and thus, the connector <NUM> may further include terminals based on a criterion described in standards related to the USB type C. The first terminal may be connected with a voltage line <NUM> of the USB connector, and a voltage may be applied to the first terminal by an external electronic device. The second terminal may be connected to a data line <NUM> of the USB connector for data transmission and reception, and transmit and receive data to and from an external electronic device through the data line <NUM>. For example, the data line <NUM> may include a D+/D- line or a configuration channel (CC) line of the USB connector that supports the USB type C.

The electronic device <NUM> may further include a converter <NUM> that converts data into a data format that may be transmitted through the data line <NUM> of the USB connector to transmit the data to an external device through the data line <NUM>. For example, when the data line <NUM> includes the CC line, the converter <NUM> may convert data into a data format that may be transmitted through the CC line to transmit the data to the external device through the CC line. Thus, the electronic device <NUM> may convert data for transmission to the external device into a data format that may be transmitted through the CC line, and transmit the data, the format of which is converted, to the external device through the CC line. The data converter <NUM> may be an element that is separate from the first charging unit <NUM> or may be included in the first charging unit <NUM>.

The electronic device <NUM> may further include a protection device such as an over voltage protector (OVP) <NUM>, an over current protector (OCP), an over temperature protector (OTP), a under voltage lock out (UVLO), or the like. For example, as shown in <FIG>, the OVP <NUM> may be arranged between the first terminal and the first charging unit <NUM>, and when the voltage to be applied to the first terminal is greater than or equal to a predefined threshold voltage, the voltage may be blocked to protect elements of the electronic device <NUM>. Other protection devices (e.g., OTP, UVLO, OCP, etc.) may also be used to protect the elements of the electronic device <NUM>.

According to present invention, the first charging unit <NUM> charges a battery <NUM> connected to the electronic device <NUM> with the power applied to the first terminal from the charger <NUM>. At least one of the power of the battery <NUM> or the power supplied from the charger <NUM> may be supplied to a system <NUM> to drive the system <NUM>. The system <NUM> may include all of the elements included in the electronic device <NUM> as well as the elements of the electronic device <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>. For example, all the elements included in the electronic device <NUM> may be illustrated in <FIG> or <FIG>.

The first charging unit <NUM> obtains information associated with the battery <NUM> that is to be charged. The first charging unit <NUM> obtains first information corresponding to the voltage of the battery <NUM> and uses this first information to charge the battery <NUM>. The first charging unit <NUM> may obtain information associated with the battery <NUM>, which includes at least one of a charging current of the battery <NUM>, a state of charge (SOC) of the battery <NUM>, a surface temperature of the electronic device <NUM>, a temperature of the battery <NUM>, or consumed current of the battery <NUM>, as well as the first information, and use the obtained information to charge the battery <NUM>. Note that the information associated with the battery <NUM> is merely an example, and a variety of information associated with the battery <NUM>, available for identifying the output voltage or output current of the charger <NUM>, may be used.

The first charging unit <NUM> transmits the first information corresponding to the voltage of the battery <NUM> to the charger <NUM>, and a voltage adjusted by the charger <NUM> based on the first information is applied to the first terminal. The first charging unit <NUM> may transmit the first information to the charger <NUM> through the second terminal of the connector <NUM> by using a communication unit in the first charging unit <NUM>. The first charging unit <NUM> may transmit the first information to the charger <NUM> by using an element of the electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the communication interface <NUM>, the I/O interface <NUM>, etc.).

The first charging unit <NUM> may transmit the information associated with the battery <NUM>, which includes at least one of the charging current of the battery <NUM>, the SOC of the battery <NUM>, the surface temperature of the electronic device <NUM>, the temperature of the battery <NUM>, or the consumed current of the battery <NUM>, to the charger <NUM>, and receive a voltage or a current adjusted based on the first information and the information associated with the battery <NUM>.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the first charging unit <NUM> may further transmit second information corresponding to a voltage drop rate that is set in the electronic device <NUM> to the charger <NUM>. For example, the voltage drop rate may be identified using a value of a current required for charging the battery <NUM> and a maximum value of a current set for a first line connecting the first terminal with the second charging unit <NUM>. For example, when a value of the current required for charging the battery <NUM> is 6A and a maximum value of the current set for the first line is 3A, a voltage drop rate may be identified as <NUM>/<NUM>.

The maximum value of the current set for the first line is a feature associated with the first line and thus may be a fixed value. The value of the current required for charging the battery <NUM> may be fixed to a value set at the time of manufacturing of the electronic device <NUM>, or may be changed by user's setting, etc. Thus, the voltage drop rate may also be fixed to a value set at the time of manufacturing of the electronic device <NUM>, or may be changed by user's setting, etc..

When a current having a value exceeding the maximum value of the current set for the first line is applied through the first terminal, each element of the electronic device <NUM> may be damaged. To apply a current having a value less than or equal to the maximum value of the current set for the first line, the second information corresponding to the voltage drop rate may be transmitted to the charger <NUM>. The second information may be transmitted each time when the electronic device <NUM> and the charger <NUM> are connected with each other. The second information may be transmitted in the initial connection between the electronic device <NUM> and the charger <NUM>, and for subsequent connections, may be transmitted only when the voltage drop rate is changed.

The value of the current required for battery charging may be set less than or equal to a maximum value of a current set for a second line connecting the second charging unit <NUM> with the battery <NUM>. When the value of the current required for battery charging is set to a value exceeding the maximum value of the current set for the second line, each element of the electronic device <NUM> may be damaged. Subsequently, the value of the current required for battery charging may be set to a value less than or equal to the maximum value of the current set for the second line.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the first line may be configured to have a maximum value of a current less than the maximum value of the current set for the second line. As a value of a current used for charging the battery <NUM> increases, a time required for charging the battery <NUM> decreases. However, generally, as a maximum value of a current set for a line increases, a production cost may increase and the amount of lost power may increase. Thus, to reduce a production cost and produced heat while charging the battery <NUM> with a high value of a current for reducing the charging time of the battery <NUM>, the second line that directly supplies power to the battery <NUM> may be configured to have a maximum value of a current greater than that of the first line.

The charger <NUM> may receive the first information and the second information from the electronic device <NUM>. The charger <NUM> may also receive the information associated with the battery <NUM> from the electronic device <NUM>. The charger <NUM> receives the first information and the second information through a terminal for data transmission and reception, included in a connector <NUM> of the charger <NUM>. The charger <NUM> may identify a voltage or a current to be supplied to the electronic device <NUM> based on the first information, and adjust an output voltage or current of the charger <NUM> to output the identified voltage or current. The charger <NUM> may identify at least one of a voltage or a current to be supplied to the electronic device <NUM>, based on the first information and the second information, and adjust at least one of the output voltage or output current of the charger <NUM> to output the identified voltage or current. Hereinbelow, for convenience of a description, the description will be made focusing on adjustment of the output voltage by the charger <NUM>, but the charger <NUM> may adjust at least one of the output voltage or the output current.

The first charging unit <NUM> controls a switch included in the first charging unit <NUM> to supply the voltage adjusted based on the first information to the second charging unit <NUM> through the first terminal. The switch is a switch connected with the first terminal, in which the voltage applied to the first terminal is supplied to the first charging unit <NUM> when the switch is turned on, and the voltage applied to the first terminal is supplied to the second charging unit <NUM> without being supplied to the first charging unit <NUM> when the switch is turned off.

When the voltage adjusted based on the first information is applied, the first charging unit <NUM> controls the switch included therein to supply the adjusted voltage applied to the first terminal to the second charging unit <NUM> such that the battery <NUM> is charged through the second charging unit <NUM>. The first charging unit <NUM> may detect an acknowledgement signal received in response to a voltage adjust request sent to the charger <NUM> or detect a magnitude of voltage to be applied to the first terminal to identify whether the adjusted voltage is applied to the first terminal.

The the second charging unit <NUM> drops voltage to be applied to the first terminal based on a voltage drop rate set in the electronic device <NUM> and supplies the dropped voltage to the battery <NUM> which is then charged with the dropped voltage. For example, the second charging unit <NUM> may drop the adjusted voltage to be applied to the first terminal based on a voltage drop rate through at least one voltage converter of the second charging unit <NUM>. The second charging unit <NUM> may supply the voltage dropped through the at least one voltage converter to the battery <NUM> which may then be charged with the dropped voltage. A detailed method for charging the battery <NUM> through the second charging unit <NUM> will be described later.

<FIG> shows graphs of changes in an applied voltage and a battery voltage according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

The graphs illustrated in <FIG> show a change in an applied voltage, a battery voltage, and a charging current of a charger during charging of a battery when the charger is connected to the electronic device <NUM> at a point in time t<NUM>.

The electronic device <NUM> performs battery charging by switching between a conventional battery charging scheme in which a fixed voltage is supplied from the charger to charge the battery, and a battery charging scheme in which the voltage adjusted based on the first information is supplied from the charger to charge the battery. The electronic device <NUM> may use the conventional battery charging scheme in a period where battery charging with the fixed voltage is needed.

Hereinbelow, for convenience, it is assumed that battery charging starts from the point in time t<NUM> and a magnitude of voltage before start of charging is 3V. It is also assumed that a battery voltage less than <NUM>. 5V from the point in time t<NUM> to a point in time t<NUM> is less than a first threshold value and a battery voltage greater than or equal to <NUM>. 4V after a point in time t<NUM> is greater than or equal to a second threshold value. Herein, the first threshold value may be set higher than a final discharge voltage of the battery by a specific amount according to characteristics of the battery, the electronic device <NUM>, or the charger. The second threshold value may be set lower than a fully-charged voltage of the battery by a particular amount according to the characteristics of the battery, the electronic device <NUM>, or the charger.

When the battery needs to be or should be charged with low current, the electronic device <NUM> may charge the battery using the conventional battery charging scheme in which a fixed voltage (e.g., of 5V) is supplied to charge the battery. For example, when the battery voltage is lowered close to the final discharge voltage as shown from t<NUM> to t<NUM>, and when the charger resumes charging after being connected to the electronic device <NUM>, or when the electronic device <NUM> reduces the charging current of the battery in a high-temperature or low-temperature environment, then the battery may be charged using the conventional battery charging scheme.

To precisely control voltage and charging current of the battery, the electronic device <NUM> may use the conventional battery charging scheme in which the fixed voltage (e.g., of 5V) is supplied to charge the battery. In this way, the electronic device <NUM> may control battery charging more precisely.

The electronic device <NUM> may need to control the voltage and charging current of the battery more precisely at a charging termination point in time of the battery when the voltage of the battery increases close to the fully-charged voltage of the battery, for example, as in a period after t<NUM>. Thus, the electronic device <NUM> may use the conventional battery charging scheme in a period after t<NUM>.

In a period where high-speed charging of the battery is desired or needed, the electronic device <NUM> may perform battery charging in by using a battery charging scheme in which the voltage adjusted based on the first information corresponding to the voltage of the battery is supplied from the charger <NUM> to charge the battery. For example, to minimize heat produced during high-speed charging of the battery and increase the efficiency of the charging, in the periods from t<NUM> to t<NUM> where the battery voltage is greater than or equal to the first threshold value and is less than the second threshold value, the electronic device <NUM> may use the battery charging scheme in which the voltage adjusted based on the first information corresponding to the voltage of the battery is supplied from the charger <NUM> to charge the battery.

The electronic device <NUM> may send a request to the charger <NUM> for adjustment of the applied voltage to change the battery charging scheme in a period needing the high-speed charging. For example, when identifying that the battery voltage is greater than or equal to the first threshold value and is less than the second threshold voltage, the electronic device <NUM> may send a request to the charger for adjustment of the voltage to be applied to the first terminal. The charger <NUM> may adjust the voltage to be applied to the electronic device 101in response to the request received from the electronic device <NUM>.

For example, the charger may adjust the voltage to be applied to the electronic device <NUM> based on the first information received from the electronic device <NUM>. For example, the charger may identify current voltage of the battery based on the first information. The charger may adjust the voltage to be applied to the electronic device <NUM> to a voltage raised from the current voltage of the battery based on the voltage drop rate set in the electronic device <NUM>. The charger may identify the voltage drop rate set in the electronic device <NUM> based on the second information corresponding to the voltage drop rate received from the electronic device <NUM>. The charger may also identify the voltage drop rate set in the electronic device <NUM> from previously stored information.

For example, the charger may adjust the voltage to be applied to the electronic device <NUM> to a voltage raised as two times large as the identified voltage of the battery when the voltage drop rate set in the electronic device <NUM> is <NUM>/<NUM>. As illustrated in <FIG>, the charger may adjust the voltage to be applied to the electronic device <NUM> to a voltage of <NUM> V into which a battery voltage of <NUM> V identified at t<NUM> is doubled.

As the voltage of the battery increases due to charging of the battery, the charger may raise the voltage to be applied to the electronic device <NUM>. For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, the charger may adjust the voltage to be applied to the electronic device <NUM> to a voltage of <NUM> V into which a battery voltage of <NUM> V identified at t<NUM> is doubled. Likewise, the charger may adjust the voltage to be applied to the electronic device <NUM> to a voltage of <NUM> V into which a battery voltage of <NUM> V identified at t<NUM> is doubled.

The charger may identify a voltage to be lost during the supply of the applied voltage to the battery. Thus, the charger may adjust the voltage to be applied to the electronic device <NUM> to a voltage resulting from adding the lost voltage to the voltage raised based on the voltage drop rate. For example, although not shown in <FIG>, the charger may adjust the voltage to be applied to the electronic device <NUM> to a voltage resulting from adding the identified lost voltage to a voltage of 7V into which a battery voltage of <NUM>. 5V identified at t<NUM> is doubled. Similarly, the charger may adjust the voltage to be applied to the electronic device <NUM> to a voltage resulting from adding the identified lost voltage to a voltage into which battery voltage identified from t<NUM> to t<NUM> is doubled.

The electronic device <NUM> may charge the battery by fixedly supplying current identified based on capacity of the battery to the battery or may change a charging current based on the voltage of the battery changing with charging of the battery. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may change the charging current based on profile information indicating a relationship between preset voltage and current used for charging.

For example, even when a voltage of the battery is greater than or equal to the first threshold value and is less than the second threshold value, a value of a current to be supplied to the battery may be reduced to precisely control a voltage and a current of the battery. For example, as in a period from t<NUM> to t<NUM> in <FIG>, when a voltage of the battery is close to a full-charged voltage of the battery, i.e., when the voltage of the battery is greater than or equal to a preset particular voltage, a value of the current to be supplied to the battery may be reduced to precisely control the voltage and current of the battery. Accordingly, the voltage and current of the battery may be precisely controlled.

As described above, the electronic device <NUM> may efficiently perform battery charging by switching the above-described battery charging schemes. Herein below, a detailed description will be made of a battery charging scheme in which the electronic device <NUM> charges the battery with a voltage adjusted by the charger based on the first information.

<FIG> is a flowchart of a method for charging a battery in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

In operation <NUM>, a first controller <NUM> of a first charging unit <NUM> included in the electronic device <NUM> obtains first information corresponding to a voltage of a battery <NUM> connected to the electronic device <NUM>. Referring to <FIG>, the battery <NUM> may be electrically connected with the first charging unit <NUM> and a second charging unit <NUM>. The first charging unit <NUM> may obtain the first information corresponding to the voltage of the battery <NUM>. The second charging unit <NUM> may obtain the first information and deliver the obtained first information to the first charging unit <NUM>. Moreover, the first charging unit <NUM> may further obtain the second information corresponding to a voltage drop rate that is set in the electronic device <NUM> or the information associated with the battery. The information associated with the battery may include at least one of the charging current of the battery, the SOC of the battery, the surface temperature of the electronic device <NUM>, the temperature of the battery, or the consumption current of the battery.

In operation <NUM>, the first controller <NUM> transmits the first information to the charger <NUM> through the second terminal of the connector by using a communication unit <NUM> of the first charging unit <NUM>. The first controller <NUM> may transmit the second information or the information associated with the battery to the charger <NUM> through the second terminal by using the communication unit <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> is connected with the charger <NUM> through the connector. The charger <NUM> applies a voltage to the first terminal of the connector and transmits and receives data to and from the electronic device <NUM> through the second terminal of the connector.

In <FIG>, it is assumed that the connector is connected to a USB connector of the charger <NUM> that supports a USB type C. In this case, the second terminal may be connected to a D+/D- line <NUM> or CC lines CC1 and CC2 <NUM> of the USB connector. Thus, the communication unit <NUM> of the first charging unit <NUM> may transmit the first information or the second information related to the battery to a communication unit <NUM> of the charger <NUM> through the D+/D- line <NUM> or the CC lines CC1 and CC2 <NUM>.

Moreover, when the first controller <NUM> transmits the first information or the second information through the CC line, the first controller <NUM> may convert a data format of the first information or the second information into a data format that is transmittable through the CC line through a converter (not shown), and then transmit the data-format-converted first information or second information to the charger <NUM>.

While the first information, the second information, or the information associated with the battery is illustrated as being transmitted through the communication unit <NUM> included in the first charging unit <NUM>, it may be transmitted to the charger <NUM> through an element of the electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the communication interface <NUM>, the I/O interface <NUM>, etc.).

The first controller <NUM> may send a request for adjustment of the voltage to be applied to the first terminal to the charger <NUM> based on at least one of the obtained first information or information associated with the battery. The first controller <NUM> may identify whether to switch the battery charging scheme based on the obtained first information or information associated with the battery, as described with reference to <FIG>. For example, the first controller <NUM> may identify based on at least one of the first information or the information associated with the battery whether to charge the battery with a low current by using the conventional battery charging scheme or to charge the battery at a high speed without having to control the voltage and the current of the battery more precisely. When identifying that the voltage of the battery <NUM> is greater than or equal to a preset first threshold value and is less than a second threshold value based on the first information, the first controller <NUM> may control the communication unit <NUM> to send a request for adjustment of the voltage to be applied to the first terminal to the charger <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the first controller <NUM> controls a switch <NUM> to supply the adjusted voltage applied to the first terminal to the second charging unit <NUM> through the first terminal. The switch <NUM> of the first charging unit <NUM> is connected with the first terminal, in which the voltage applied to the first terminal is supplied to the first charging unit <NUM> when the switch <NUM> is turned on, and the voltage applied to the first terminal is supplied to the second charging unit <NUM> when the switch <NUM> is turned off.

The charger <NUM> may include an analog current (AC)-digital current (DC) converter <NUM> for converting an AC voltage supplied from a power source to a DC voltage and a communication unit <NUM> for transmitting and receiving data to and from an external device. The charger <NUM> may receive the first information received through the communication unit <NUM>. The charger <NUM> may identify a voltage or current to be supplied to the electronic device <NUM> based on the first information, and adjust the voltage or current supplied to the electronic device <NUM> to the identified voltage or current through the AC-DC converter <NUM>. The charger <NUM> may apply the adjusted voltage or current to the first terminal of the electronic device <NUM>. The charger <NUM> may further receive the second information corresponding to the voltage drop rate or the information associated with the battery from the electronic device <NUM> to adjust a voltage or a current, and adjust the voltage by further using the second information or the information associated with the battery as well as the first information.

More specifically, the charger <NUM> may identify a current voltage of the battery <NUM> from the first information. The charger <NUM> may raise the identified current voltage of the battery <NUM> based on the voltage drop rate identified from the second information. For example, the charger <NUM> may raise the current voltage of the battery <NUM> to n*V1 when the current voltage of the battery <NUM> is V1 and the voltage drop rate is <NUM>/n.

In operation <NUM>, a second controller <NUM> of the second charging unit <NUM> may charge the battery by using a voltage dropped based on the voltage drop rate through a voltage converter <NUM> of the second charging unit <NUM>. The second controller <NUM> may control an operation of the voltage converter <NUM>, and the voltage converter <NUM> may drop the adjusted voltage based on the voltage drop rate.

For example, the second controller <NUM> may drop the voltage of n*V1 applied to the first terminal by the charger <NUM> to V1 based on the voltage drop rate of <NUM>/n. A detailed method for controlling the voltage converter <NUM> to drop the adjusted voltage by the second controller <NUM> will be described later.

The second controller <NUM> may supply the voltage dropped by the voltage converter <NUM> to the battery <NUM> which may then be charged with the dropped voltage.

A first line <NUM> connecting the first terminal with the second charging unit <NUM> may be configured to have a maximum value of a current, which is less than that of a current, set for a second line <NUM> connecting the second charging unit <NUM> with the battery <NUM>. As a value of a current used for charging the battery <NUM> increases, a time required for charging the battery <NUM> decreases. However, generally, as a maximum value of a current set for a line increases, a production cost may increase and the amount of lost power may increase. Thus, to reduce a cost and produced heat while charging the battery <NUM> with a high value of a current for reducing the charging time of the battery <NUM>, the second line <NUM> that directly supplies power to the battery <NUM> may be configured to have a maximum value of a current greater than that of the first line <NUM>.

<FIG> is a circuit diagram of a voltage converter according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, the voltage converter included in the second charging unit <NUM> may include a switched capacitor circuit including a plurality of switches Φ<NUM> and Φ<NUM> that are opened or short-circuited based on a duty cycle corresponding to a voltage drop rate set in the electronic device <NUM> and a capacitor C.

The second controller included in the second charging unit may control an operation of the voltage converter by controlling at least one of the plurality of switches Φ<NUM> and Φ<NUM> of the voltage converter or the duty cycle.

For example, the second controller may control the plurality of switches Φ<NUM> and Φ<NUM> to operate the voltage converter once the voltage adjusted by the charger is applied to the first terminal. The second controller may control the duty cycle to drop the voltage to be supplied to the voltage converter depending on the voltage drop rate. For example, when the voltage drop rate is <NUM>/<NUM>, the second controller may control the duty cycle to remain at <NUM>, and when the voltage drop rate is <NUM>/<NUM>, the second controller may control the duty cycle to remain at <NUM>. As such, by adjusting the duty cycle based on the voltage drop rate, the second controller may control the voltage converter to drop the voltage to be supplied based on the voltage drop rate.

The second charging unit <NUM> may include a plurality of voltage converters to drop the adjusted voltage to be applied to the first terminal and may control an operation of each of the plurality of voltage converters through the second controller. The second controller may control the operation of each of the plurality of voltage converters by controlling a plurality of switches or a duty cycle of each of the plurality of voltage converters.

For example, the second controller may drop the adjusted voltage based on the voltage drop rate by controlling the plurality of switches and the duty cycle of each of the plurality of voltage converters. The second controller may maintain the duty cycle of each of the plurality of voltage converters at a fixed value and select at least one voltage converter from among the plurality of voltage converters to drop the adjusted voltage. The second controller may control the selected at least one voltage converter to operate in a voltage drop mode for dropping an input voltage and the other converters to operate in a bypass mode for bypassing the input voltage, thereby dropping the adjusted voltage based on the voltage drop rate.

For example, when a duty cycle of each of the plurality of voltage converters is fixed to <NUM>, a voltage supplied through one voltage converter may be dropped by <NUM>/<NUM> times thereof. In this case, when the voltage drop rate is <NUM>/<NUM>, the second controller may select two voltage converters from among the plurality of voltage converters and control the two selected voltage converters to operate in the voltage drop mode and the other voltage converters to operate in the bypass mode. Thus, a voltage supplied to the second charging unit <NUM> may be dropped by <NUM>/<NUM> times thereof by each of the two selected voltage converters, such that the voltage may be dropped by a total of <NUM>/<NUM> times thereof.

<FIG> is a flowchart of a method for adjusting a duty cycle of a voltage converter in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

In <FIG>, a description will be made of an operation of the electronic device <NUM> with respect to a change in a voltage drop rate when the second charging unit <NUM> includes one voltage converter <NUM> and a second controller <NUM> for controlling the voltage converter <NUM> as in <FIG>.

In operation <NUM>, when a value of current required for battery charging is changed, the first controller of the first charging unit <NUM> may adjust the voltage drop rate set in the electronic device <NUM> based on the changed value of the current. The voltage drop rate set in the electronic device <NUM> may be identified using a value of current required for battery charging and a maximum value of current set for the first line connecting the first terminal of the connector with the second charging unit <NUM>. Thus, when the value of the current required for battery charging is changed, the first controller may adjust the voltage drop rate set in the electronic device <NUM> based on the changed value of the current.

The first controller may obtain information corresponding to temperature of the electronic device <NUM>, temperature of the battery, or temperature of the charger and adjust the voltage drop rate based on at least one of the obtained temperature of the electronic device <NUM>, temperature of the battery, or temperature of the charger. For example, when at least one of the temperature of the electronic device <NUM>, the temperature of the battery, or the temperature of the charger increases, the first controller may adjust the voltage drop rate to increase a magnitude of a voltage to be applied by the charger so as to reduce a magnitude of charging current of the battery. For example, when at least one of the temperature of the electronic device <NUM>, the temperature of the battery, or the temperature of the charger increases, the first controller may adjust the voltage drop rate from <NUM>/<NUM> to <NUM>/<NUM> and transmit information corresponding to the adjusted voltage drop rate to the charger. Thus, the charger may adjust a voltage to be applied to the electronic device <NUM> based on information corresponding to the adjusted voltage drop rate, and apply the adjusted voltage to the electronic device <NUM>.

The first controller may send a request for reduction of a magnitude of current to be applied to the charger when at least one of the temperature of the electronic device <NUM>, the temperature of the battery, or the temperature of the charger increases. Upon receiving the request, the charger may adjust the current such that the magnitude of the current to be applied to the electronic device <NUM> is reduced, and apply the adjusted current to the electronic device <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the first controller may control the communication unit of the first charging unit <NUM> to transmit third information corresponding to the adjusted voltage drop rate to the charger. The charger may adjust the voltage to be applied to the electronic device <NUM> based on the voltage drop rate set in the electronic device <NUM> or the information associated with the battery as well as the voltage of the battery. Therefore, when the voltage drop rate is adjusted, the first controller may transmit the third information corresponding to the adjusted voltage drop rate to the charger. The charger may adjust the voltage to be applied to the electronic device <NUM> based on the received third information.

In operation <NUM>, the first controller may transmit the third information corresponding to the adjusted voltage drop rate to the second controller <NUM>. Since the second controller <NUM> drops the voltage to be applied, based on the voltage drop rate, the first controller may transmit the third information corresponding to the adjusted voltage drop rate to the second controller <NUM> when the voltage drop rate is adjusted.

When a value of current required for battery charging is changed, the first controller may transmit information corresponding to the changed value of the current to the second controller <NUM>. In this case, the second controller <NUM> may adjust the voltage drop rate based on the information corresponding to the changed value of the current received from the first controller.

In operation <NUM>, the second controller <NUM> may adjust a duty cycle of the voltage converter <NUM> to correspond to the adjusted voltage drop rate identified from the third information received from the first controller.

In operation <NUM>, the second controller <NUM> may control the voltage converter <NUM> to drop the adjusted voltage by using the third information with the charger based on the adjusted duty cycle.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the second charging unit <NUM> may further include a current sensing unit <NUM> for sensing current of the battery and a voltage sensing unit <NUM> for sensing the voltage of the battery. The second charging unit <NUM> may sense the voltage and the current of the battery through the current sensing unit <NUM> and the voltage sensing unit <NUM>, without through the first charging unit <NUM>.

The second controller <NUM> may further sense at least one of a voltage or a current to be applied from the charger, a voltage output through the voltage converter <NUM>, or a temperature of the battery. The second controller <NUM> may perform various protection functions for guaranteeing stability of the electronic device <NUM> by using the sensed information. For example, the second controller <NUM> may, by using the sensed information, perform input over-voltage protection (blocking when a magnitude of an input voltage is greater than or equal to a preset threshold value), output over-voltage protection (blocking when a magnitude of an output voltage of the voltage converter <NUM> is greater than or equal to a preset threshold value), input discharging (self-discharging in charger attachment/detachment), battery voltage monitoring (no charging in battery attachment/detachment), current limit (current blocking when a magnitude of a battery charging current is equal to a preset current amplitude or greater than the preset current amplitude by a preset threshold value), over-current protection (blocking when the magnitude of the input current is greater than or equal to a preset threshold value), a soft start voltage (stepwise increasing the input voltage), a soft start current (stepwise increasing the input current), over-temperature protection (stopping charging when the temperature of the battery or the temperature of the electronic device is greater than or equal to a preset threshold value), and a watch dog function.

The second charging unit <NUM> may be controlled according to a signal received from the first charging unit <NUM> or a processor (e.g., an AP, etc.) of the electronic device <NUM>. Thus, the second charging unit <NUM> may be shut down based on a signal received from the first charging unit <NUM> or the processor of the electronic device <NUM> in a situation where fast reaction is required. In this way, a danger occurring in a charging situation may be prevented, thus improving safety during charging of the electronic device <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flowchart of a method for selecting at least one voltage converter in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

In <FIG>, a description will be made of an operation of the electronic device <NUM> with respect to a change in a voltage drop rate when the second charging unit <NUM> includes a plurality of voltage converters <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> and a second controller <NUM> for controlling the plurality of voltage converters <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> as in <FIG>.

In operation <NUM>, when a value of a current required for battery charging is changed, the first controller of the first charging unit <NUM> may adjust the voltage drop rate set in the electronic device <NUM> based on the changed value of the current.

In operation <NUM>, the first controller may control the communication unit of the first charging unit <NUM> to transmit third information corresponding to the adjusted voltage drop rate to the charger. The charger may adjust the voltage to be applied to the electronic device <NUM> based on the received third information.

In operation <NUM>, the first controller may transmit the third information corresponding to the adjusted voltage drop rate to the second controller <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the second controller <NUM> may select at least one which is to operate in a voltage drop mode for dropping an input voltage from among the plurality of voltage converters <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>, based on the adjusted voltage drop rate identified from the third information received from the first controller. As the voltage drop rate is adjusted, the number of voltage converters used for the voltage drop is changed, such that the second controller <NUM> may select at least one voltage converter that is to operate in the voltage drop mode.

For example, it is assumed that one voltage converter is configured to drop a voltage to <NUM>/<NUM> times thereof. In this case, when the voltage drop rate is adjusted from <NUM>/<NUM> to <NUM>/<NUM>, the second controller <NUM> may select three voltage converters from among a plurality of voltage converters to drop a voltage based on the adjusted voltage drop rate.

In operation <NUM>, the second controller <NUM> may control the selected at least one converter to operate in the voltage drop mode to drop the voltage adjusted by the charger using the third information based on the adjusted voltage rate. The non-selected other voltage converters may be controlled to operate in the bypass mode for bypassing the input voltage.

Each of the foregoing elements described herein may be configured with one or more components, names of which may vary with a type of the electronic device. In various embodiments, the electronic device may include at least one of the foregoing elements, some of which may be omitted or to which other elements may be added. In addition, some of the elements of the electronic device according to various embodiments may be integrated into one entity to perform functions of the corresponding elements in the same manner as before they are integrated.

A term "module" used herein may mean, for example, a unit including one of or a combination of two or more of hardware, software, and firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, a logic block, a part, or a circuit. The "module" may be a part configured integrally, a minimum unit or a portion thereof performing one or more functions. The "module" may be implemented mechanically or electronically, and may include an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and a programmable-logic device performing certain operations already known or to be developed.

At least a part of an apparatus (e.g., modules or functions thereof) or a method (e.g., operations) according to various embodiments may be implemented with an instruction stored in a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., the memory <NUM>) in the form of a programming module. When the instructions are executed by a processor (for example, the processor <NUM>), the processor may perform functions corresponding to the instructions.

The computer-readable recording medium includes hard disk, floppy disk, or magnetic media (e.g., a magnetic tape, optical media (e.g., compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM) or digital versatile disc (DVD), magneto-optical media (e.g., floptical disk), an embedded memory, and so forth. The instructions may include a code generated by a compiler or a code executable by an interpreter. Modules or programming modules according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include one or more of the foregoing elements, have some of the foregoing elements omitted, or further include additional other elements. Operations performed by the module, the program, or another component according to various embodiments may be carried out sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order or omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

According to various embodiments, there is provided a storage medium having stored therein instructions that are configured to cause at least one processor, when executed by the at least one processor, to perform at least one operation included in a method for charging a battery in an electronic device which includes a connector including a first terminal to which a voltage is applied by an external device and a second terminal for transmitting and receiving data, a first charging unit configured to charge the battery connected to the electronic device by using the voltage applied to the first terminal, and a second charging unit configured to charge the battery by dropping the voltage applied to the first terminal based on a preset voltage drop rate, in which the at least one operation includes obtaining first information corresponding to a voltage of the battery, transmitting the first information to a charger connected with the connector, from a communication unit of the first charging unit through the second terminal, controlling a first switch of the first charging unit connected with the first terminal to supply a voltage adjusted by the charger based on the first information to the second charging unit through the first terminal, and charging the battery using the voltage dropped by the second charging unit.

Claim 1:
An electronic device (<NUM>) comprising:
a connector (<NUM>) comprising a first terminal to which a voltage is applied by a charger (<NUM>) and a second terminal for transmitting and receiving data; and
a first charging unit (<NUM>) configured to charge a battery (<NUM>) of the electronic device by using a first voltage applied to the first terminal,
characterised in that the electronic device further comprises:
a second charging unit (<NUM>) configured to charge the battery by using a dropped voltage obtained by dropping a second voltage applied to the first terminal based on a predetermined voltage drop rate;
a first switch (<NUM>) connected with the first terminal;
a communication unit (<NUM>) ; and
a first controller (<NUM>) configured to obtain first information corresponding to a voltage of the battery, control the communication unit to transmit the first information to the charger connectable with the connector through the second terminal, and control the first switch to supply the second voltage adjusted by the charger based on the first information and the predetermined voltage drop rate, to the second charging unit through the first terminal.