Patent ID: 8742730

Claim:
A charging circuit that charges a battery with charge voltage and charge current, the charging circuit comprising: a constant voltage charge controller which detects the charge voltage and performs a constant voltage charging operation; a constant current charge controller which detects the charge current and performs a constant current charging operation; a controller which controls the constant voltage charge controller to perform the constant voltage charging operation during a period from when the charge voltage reaches a substantially fully charged voltage to when the charge current decreases to a charge completion current; and a terminal coupled to the battery, wherein the controller suspends charging of the battery when the constant voltage charging operation is being performed and detects whether or not the battery is coupled to the charging circuit based on a voltage at the terminal during the charging suspension, and wherein the controller controls the constant voltage charge controller and the constant current charge controller to repetitively suspend and restart the charging a number of times when the constant voltage charging operation is being performed.