Foldable electronic device and control method

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides foldable electronic equipment and a control method. The electronic equipment comprises a first folding part, a second folding part and a rotating shaft, a first battery and a charging interface are arranged in the first folding part, and a second battery is arranged in the second folding part; wherein a first charging branch circuit and a second charging branch circuit are arranged between the charging interface of the electronic equipment and the grounding end of the electronic equipment, the first battery is arranged in the first charging branch circuit, and the second battery is arranged in the second charging branch circuit; the first charging branch comprises M current control elements; the electronic equipment further comprises a control unit, and the control unit is used for increasing the resistance values of part or all of the M current control elements when the current charged to the first battery in the first charging branch is larger than a first preset threshold value, so that the adjusted current charged to the first battery in the first charging branch is smaller than or equal to the first preset threshold value. Therefore, the current of the branch does not exceed the maximum charging current of the battery, and the performance of the battery is protected.

Description

Foldable electronic device and control method

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on November 21, 2022, with application number 202211459679.1 and application name “Foldable electronic device and control method”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of terminal technology, and in particular to a foldable electronic device and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0003] With advancements in device technology, foldable electronic devices (such as foldable phones) have also gradually gained popularity. Compared to candy-bar phones, foldable phones have larger screens and therefore consume more power. Furthermore, due to the internal structure of foldable phones, they may not be able to accommodate a large single battery. To meet the battery life requirements of foldable devices, multiple batteries can be used to power them.

[0004] Currently, a foldable electronic device typically has one battery placed on each of the main board and the secondary board. When the foldable electronic device is connected to a charger, the charger charges the two batteries separately, or it can be understood that the two batteries are charged in parallel.

[0005] However, in the above implementation, when charging the battery, the battery on the mainboard of the foldable electronic device is prone to battery overheating, battery deformation, etc., resulting in damage to the battery performance.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] Embodiments of the present application provide a foldable electronic device and control method for use in the field of terminal technology. By disposing variable resistance elements at one or more locations in the charging circuit of the foldable electronic device, when the current in the branch circuit where the battery of the mainboard is located is high, the corresponding variable resistance element can increase its resistance based on a control signal sent by a control unit, thereby reducing the branch current.

[0008] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a foldable electronic device. The electronic device includes a first foldable portion, a second foldable portion, and a hinge, the first and second foldable portions being connected by the hinge. A first battery and a charging port are disposed in the first foldable portion, while a second battery is disposed in the second foldable portion. A first charging branch and a second charging branch are located between the charging port and a ground terminal of the electronic device, with the first charging branch located in the first foldable portion, and the second charging branch distributed between the first foldable portion, the second foldable portion, and the hinge. The first battery is located in the first charging branch, and the second battery is located in the second charging branch. The first charging branch includes M current-control elements, where M is a positive integer. The electronic device also includes a control unit configured to, when the current flowing through the first charging branch to the first battery exceeds a first preset threshold, increase the resistance of some or all of the M current-control elements, such that the adjusted current flowing through the first charging branch to the first battery is less than or equal to the first preset threshold. This reduces the current flowing through the first battery, thereby preventing overheating and deformation of the first battery and protecting battery performance.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the first charging branch further includes a first charger chip, which is located between the charging port and the first battery. M1 of the M current-control elements are located between the first charger chip and the first battery, where M1 is a positive integer less than or equal to M. Thus, placing the current-control elements between the first charger chip and the first battery can effectively regulate the current flowing from the first charging branch to the first battery.

[0010] The first charging branch also includes a first board-to-board connector, which is located between the first charger chip and the first battery; M1 current-control elements are located between the first charger chip and the first board-to-board connector; or, the M1 current-control elements are located between the first board-to-board connector and the first battery; or, some of the M1 current-control elements are located between the first charger chip and the first board-to-board connector, and other parts of the M1 current-control elements are located between the first board-to-board connector and the first battery. Thus, placing the current-control elements between the first charger chip and the first board-to-board connector, and / or between the first board-to-board connector and the first battery, can effectively regulate the current flowing to the first battery in the first charging branch.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the first charging branch further includes a first charger chip, which is located between the charging interface and the first battery. M2 of the M current-control elements are located between the first charger chip and the charging interface, where M2 is a positive integer less than or equal to M. Thus, placing the current-control elements between the first charger chip and the charging interface can effectively regulate the current flowing from the first charging branch to the first battery.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the first charging branch further includes a first detection unit, the first detection unit being located between the first battery and a ground terminal, and the first detection unit being configured to detect a current value charging the first battery. Thus, the first detection unit can accurately detect the current value charging the first battery.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the control unit is further configured to reduce the resistance of some or all of the M current-control elements when the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is less than a first preset threshold, so that the difference between the adjusted current charging the first battery in the first charging branch and the first preset threshold is less than the first preset value.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the control unit is configured to, when the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is greater than a first preset threshold, first increase the resistance of some or all of the M1 current-control elements located between the first charger chip and the first battery, and then increase the resistance of some or all of the M2 current-control elements located between the first charger chip and the charging interface, so that the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is adjusted to be less than or equal to the first preset threshold. Alternatively, the control unit is configured to, when the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is greater than the first preset threshold, first increase the resistance of some or all of the M1 current-control elements located between the first charger chip and the first battery, so that the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is adjusted to be less than or equal to the first preset threshold, and then reduce the resistance of some or all of the M2 current-control elements located between the first charger chip and the charging interface, so that the difference between the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch and the first preset threshold is less than the first preset value. In this way, the charging process can be made safe, the battery performance can be protected from damage, and the first battery can be charged at a faster speed, completing the charging in a shorter time, thereby improving the user experience.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the second charging branch includes N current-control elements, where N is a positive integer. The control unit is further configured to, when the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is less than a second preset threshold, reduce the resistance of some or all of the N current-control elements, such that the difference between the adjusted current charging the second battery in the second charging branch and the second preset threshold is less than the second preset value. Alternatively, the control unit is further configured to, when the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is greater than the second preset threshold, increase the resistance of some or all of the N current-control elements, such that the adjusted current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is less than or equal to the second preset threshold. This allows for faster charging of the second battery, improving the user experience, while also ensuring a safe charging process, preventing overheating and deformation of the second battery, and protecting battery performance.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the second charging branch further includes a second charger chip, which is located between the charging port and the second battery. Of the N current-control elements, N1 current-control elements are located between the second charger chip and the second battery, where N1 is a positive integer less than or equal to N. Thus, placing the current-control elements between the second charger chip and the second battery can effectively regulate the current flowing from the second charging branch to the first battery.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the second charging branch further includes a second board-to-board connector, located between the second charger chip and the second battery; N1 current-control elements are located between the second charger chip and the second board-to-board connector; or, N1 current-control elements are located between the second board-to-board connector and the second battery; or, some of the N1 current-control elements are located between the second charger chip and the second board-to-board connector, and another portion of the N1 current-control elements are located between the second board-to-board connector and the second battery. Thus, placing the current-control elements between the second charger chip and the second board-to-board connector, and / or between the second board-to-board connector and the second battery, can effectively regulate the current flowing to the second battery in the second charging branch.

[0018] In one possible implementation, N2 of the N current-control elements are located between the second charger chip and the charging interface, where N2 is a positive integer less than or equal to N. Thus, placing the current-control elements between the second charger chip and the charging interface can effectively regulate the current flowing from the second charging branch to the second battery.

[0019] In one possible implementation, N2 current-control elements are located in the first folded portion; or, N2 current-control elements are located in the second folded portion; or, some of the N2 current-control elements are located in the first folded portion, and the remaining N2 current-control elements are located in the second folded portion. Thus, placing the current-control elements between the second charger chip and the charging interface in the first folded portion, and / or placing the current-control elements between the second charger chip and the charging interface in the second folded portion, can effectively regulate the current flowing from the second charging branch to the second battery.

[0020] In one possible implementation, N3 current-control elements are provided between the second battery and the ground terminal, where N3 is a positive integer less than or equal to N. Thus, placing current-control elements between the second battery and the ground terminal can effectively regulate the current flowing from the second charging branch to the second battery.

[0021] In one possible implementation, N3 current-control elements are located on the first folded portion; or, N3 current-control elements are located in the second folded portion; or, N3 current-control elements are located in the rotating shaft; or, some of the N3 current-control elements are located in the first folded portion, some of the N3 current-control elements are located in the second folded portion, and the remainder of the N3 current-control elements are located in the rotating shaft. In this way, the current flowing from the second charging branch to the second battery can be effectively adjusted.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the electronic device according to claim 8 comprises a first board-to-board connector in the first charging branch, a second board-to-board connector in the second charging branch, and L current-control elements are provided between the first and second board-to-board connectors, where L is a positive integer. Thus, placing the current-control elements between the first and second board-to-board connectors effectively regulates the current flowing into the first or second battery.

[0023] In one possible implementation, L current-control elements are located in the first folded portion; or, L current-control elements are located in the second folded portion; or, some of the L current-control elements are located in the first folded portion, and the remaining L current-control elements are located in the second folded portion. Thus, placing the current-control elements between the first and second board-to-board connectors in the first folded portion, and / or placing the current-control elements between the first and second board-to-board connectors in the second folded portion, can effectively adjust the current charging the first battery or the second battery.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the second charging branch further includes a second detection unit located between the second battery and a ground terminal, the second detection unit configured to detect a current value charging the second battery. Thus, the second detection unit can accurately detect the current value charging the second battery.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the control unit is configured to, when the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is less than a second preset threshold, first reduce the resistance of some or all of the N1 current-control elements located between the second charger chip and the second battery, and then reduce the resistance of some or all of the N2 current-control elements located between the second charger chip and the charging interface, so that the difference between the adjusted current charging the second battery in the second charging branch and the second preset threshold is less than a preset value. Alternatively, the control unit is configured to, when the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is less than the second preset threshold, first reduce the resistance of some or all of the N1 current-control elements located between the second charger chip and the second battery, so that the adjusted current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is greater than the second preset threshold, and then increase the resistance of some or all of the N2 current-control elements located between the second charger chip and the charging interface, so that the difference between the adjusted current charging the second battery in the second charging branch and the second preset threshold is less than the preset value. In this way, the charging process can be made safe, the battery performance is protected from damage, and the second battery can be charged at a faster speed, completing the charging in a shorter time, thereby improving the user experience.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the capacity of the first battery is smaller than that of the second battery, and the maximum current that the first and second batteries can each withstand is positively correlated with their respective battery capacities. This effectively limits the number of current-control components in the circuits of foldable electronic devices, reducing heat dissipation generated by these components.

[0027] In one possible implementation, the control unit is configured to increase the resistance of some or all of the M current-control elements when the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch exceeds a first preset threshold, such that the difference between the adjusted first ratio and the second ratio is less than a third preset value. The first ratio is the ratio of the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch to the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch, and the second ratio is the ratio of the battery capacity of the first battery to the battery capacity of the second battery. In this way, by controlling the current-control elements through the control unit, the ratio of the current charging the first battery to the current charging the second battery is close to the capacity ratio of the two batteries, thereby ensuring the safety of the two batteries during charging and improving the charging speed of the batteries.

[0028] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a control method for a foldable electronic device, the method comprising: detecting the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch; when the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is greater than a first preset threshold, the control unit increases the resistance of some or all of the M current control elements, so that the adjusted current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is less than or equal to the first preset threshold.

[0029] In one possible implementation, when the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is less than a first preset threshold, the control unit reduces the resistance of some or all of the M current-control elements so that the difference between the adjusted current charging the first battery in the first charging branch and the first preset threshold is less than the first preset value.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the second charging branch includes N current-control elements, where N is a positive integer. When the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is less than a second preset threshold, the control unit reduces the resistance of some or all of the N current-control elements so that the difference between the adjusted current charging the second battery in the second charging branch and the second preset threshold is less than the second preset value. Alternatively, when the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is greater than the second preset threshold, the control unit increases the resistance of some or all of the N current-control elements so that the adjusted current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is less than or equal to the second preset threshold.

[0031] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method described in the second aspect.

[0032] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program. When the computer program is run, it enables the computer to execute the method described in the second aspect.

[0033] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip, the chip including a processor, the processor being used to call a computer program in a memory to execute the method described in the second aspect.

[0034] It should be understood that the second to fifth aspects of the present application correspond to the technical solutions of the first aspect of the present application, and the beneficial effects achieved by each aspect and the corresponding feasible implementation methods are similar and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a variable resistance element provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a foldable electronic device in an unfolded state provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a circuit structure of a foldable electronic device in some implementations;

[0038] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the hardware system structure of a foldable electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] FIG5 is a circuit diagram of a foldable electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] FIG6 is a schematic diagram showing the position of a flow control element provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] FIG7 is a schematic diagram showing the position of another flow control element provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIG8 is a schematic diagram showing the position of another flow control element provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] To facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, some of the terms and technologies involved in the embodiments of the present application are briefly introduced below:

[0045] 1. Flow control element

[0046] A current control element is an element used to control current. For example, the current control element can be an element that controls current by adjusting voltage, or a variable resistance element that controls current by adjusting resistance.

[0047] 2. Varistor element

[0048] A variable resistance element is a circuit element with a variable resistance value. For example, Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a possible variable resistance element. As shown in Figure 1, in an embodiment of the present application, the variable resistance element may include an external communication module, a control signal generator, a current-passing MOS driver circuit, a current-passing MOS, a current detection module, and a voltage detection module.

[0049] The current detection module is used to detect the current value flowing through the variable resistance element, and the voltage detection module is used to detect the voltage value at both ends of the variable resistance element.

[0050] The external communication module can obtain signals sent by other modules in the circuit, such as control signals from the control unit, through inter-integrated circuit (I2C) communication and general-purpose input / output (GPIO) communication. The control signal generator is used to generate an adjustment signal based on the control signal obtained by the external communication module and send the adjustment signal to the MOSFET drive control circuit. The MOSFET drive control circuit generates a drive signal based on the obtained adjustment signal. Based on the duty cycle of the generated drive signal, the drive circuit can control the MOSFET to operate in the cutoff region, linear region (also called the variable resistance region), and saturation region.

[0051] The duty cycle refers to the time ratio of a high-level pulse in a pulse cycle to the entire pulse cycle. For example, the duty cycle of a driving signal with a high-level pulse for 1 second and a low-level pulse for 1 second is 50%.

[0052] When the duty cycle of the drive signal is 100%, that is, when the drive signal is a continuous high-level signal, the flow MOS operates in the saturation region. When the duty cycle of the control signal is less than or equal to a certain value (such as 35%), the flow MOS operates in the cutoff region. When the duty cycle of the control signal is greater than a certain value (such as 35%) and less than 100%, the flow MOS operates in the linear region and the saturation region, and the resistance value of the flow MOS can change.

[0053] It is understandable that the variable resistance element may include more modules than the above modules, and the variable resistance element may also omit one or more modules among the above modules, which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0054] 3. Terminology

[0055] To facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the words "exemplary" or "for example" are used in the embodiments of this application to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design described in this application as "exemplary" or "for example" should not be interpreted as being preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0056] In the embodiments of the present application, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "more" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: the existence of A alone, the existence of A and B at the same time, and the existence of B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following items" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single items or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, c can be single or multiple.

[0057] It should be noted that the "at..." in the embodiments of the present application can be the instant when a certain situation occurs, or it can be a period of time after the situation occurs, and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this. In addition, the display interface provided in the embodiments of the present application is only an example, and the display interface can also include more or less content.

[0058] 4. Foldable electronic devices

[0059] The foldable electronic device provided in the embodiment of the present application may also be a terminal device with a foldable form. For example, the foldable electronic device may include a handheld device with image processing function, a vehicle-mounted device, etc. For example, some foldable electronic devices include: mobile phones, tablet computers, PDAs, laptop computers, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to wireless modems, vehicle-mounted devices, wearable devices, terminal devices in 5G networks or future evolved public land mobile communication networks (PLMNs), and the like. The terminal equipment in the network (PLMN), etc., is not limited to this in the embodiments of the present application.

[0060] As an example and not a limitation, in the embodiment of the present application, the foldable electronic device can also be a wearable device. Wearable devices can also be called wearable smart devices, which are a general term for wearable devices that use wearable technology to intelligently design and develop wearable devices for daily wear, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing and shoes. A wearable device is a portable device that is worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothes or accessories. Wearable devices are not only hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include full-featured, large-sized, and independent of smartphones to achieve complete or partial functions, such as smart watches or smart glasses, as well as those that only focus on a certain type of application function and need to be used in conjunction with other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0061] In addition, in the embodiment of the present application, the foldable electronic device can also be a terminal device in the Internet of Things (IoT) system. IoT is an important part of the future development of information technology. Its main technical feature is to connect objects to the network through communication technology, thereby realizing an intelligent network of human-machine interconnection and object-to-object interconnection.

[0062] In the embodiments of the present application, the electronic device or each network device includes a hardware layer, an operating system layer running on the hardware layer, and an application layer running on the operating system layer. The hardware layer includes hardware such as a central processing unit (CPU), a memory management unit (MMU), and memory (also known as main memory). The operating system can be any one or more computer operating systems that implement business processing through processes, such as the Linux operating system, the Unix operating system, the Android operating system, the iOS operating system, or the Windows operating system. The application layer includes applications such as browsers, address books, word processing software, and instant messaging software.

[0063] It will be understood that the embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the foldable electronic device.

[0064] For example, FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a foldable electronic device in an unfolded state provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0065] As shown in Figure 2, the foldable electronic device may include a first folding portion 101, a second folding portion 102, and a rotating mechanism 103 located between the first folding portion 101 and the second folding portion 102. The rotating mechanism 103 may be a rotating shaft. The rotating mechanism 103 is connected to the first folding portion 101 and the second folding portion 102, respectively, and the first folding portion 101 and the second folding portion 102 are located on either side of the rotating mechanism 103. For example, the first folding portion 101 is located to the left of the axis of the rotating mechanism 103, and the second folding portion 102 is located to the right of the axis of the rotating mechanism 103. The first folding portion 101 and the second folding portion 102 can each rotate around the axis of the rotating mechanism 103.

[0066] It should be noted that the foldable electronic device shown in Figure 2 is illustrated by taking the left-right distribution of the first folding part and the second folding part of a foldable mobile phone as an example. In specific implementations, there may be other distribution methods, for example, the first folding part and the second folding part are distributed up and down. Of course, the foldable electronic device in the embodiment of the present application may also be other folding devices, and the embodiment of the present application does not make specific limitations on this.

[0067] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of a foldable electronic device in some implementations. As shown in Figure 3, the circuit structure of the foldable electronic device may include a main board, a secondary main board, and a flexible printed circuit (FPC). In one possible implementation, the main board is disposed on the first foldable portion, the secondary main board is disposed on the second foldable portion, and the FPC is disposed on the hinge. The FPC on the hinge has traces distributed thereon, and electrical signals are transmitted between the main board and the secondary main board via these traces.

[0068] The motherboard can be soldered or mounted with a Type-C board, which includes a Type-C port. The terminal device can connect to an external power source through the Type-C port to charge the terminal device's battery. FPCs can be used to connect the terminal device's motherboard to the Type-C port, as well as between the secondary motherboard and the Type-C port, for electrical signal transmission.

[0069] For the sake of convenience, the FPC on the hinge can be called the hinge FPC, and the FPC between the mainboard, sub-mainboard and Type-C interface is called the main FPC.

[0070] A first battery may be provided on the main board, and a second battery may be provided on the secondary main board. The first battery may be mounted on the main board via board-to-board connectors (BTB), and the second battery may be mounted on the secondary main board via BTB connectors. After the foldable electronic device is connected to a charger, the charger charges the two batteries separately, or it can be understood that the two batteries are charged in parallel. In addition, an overvoltage protection (OVP) circuit and a first charger chip may be provided on the main board, and an OVP circuit and a second charger chip may be provided on the secondary main board. The OVP circuit is used to limit the input voltage to a safe range. When an overvoltage occurs, the overvoltage protection circuit protects the downstream electrical devices from damage. The first charger chip and the second charger chip may be switched capacitor (SC) charger chips. Both the first charger chip and the second charger chip can achieve the effect of halving the output voltage and doubling the output current, thereby realizing fast charging of the terminal device.

[0071] Both the first battery and the second battery can be discharged through a DC-DC conversion circuit (the BUCK circuit shown in FIG3 ), converting the DC power output by the battery into DC power suitable for the working circuit of the terminal device (the system Vsys voltage shown in FIG3 ).

[0072] It should be noted that, in a specific implementation, the main board and sub-main board may also be welded / carried with other more microelectronic devices, application chips, circuits, modules, etc., and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this.

[0073] It's understandable that because the Type-C port is closer to the battery on the motherboard, the charging path loss is low, while the Type-C port is farther from the battery on the secondary motherboard, the charging path loss is higher. Therefore, when charging the first and second batteries, the charging current flowing through the first battery is higher, while the charging current flowing through the second battery is lower. This makes the first battery more susceptible to overheating and deformation, which can impair battery performance.

[0074] In light of this, embodiments of the present application provide a foldable electronic device and control method. By installing variable resistor elements at one or more locations in the charging circuit of the foldable electronic device, when the current in the branch circuit where the battery resides on the mainboard is high, the corresponding variable resistor element can increase its resistance based on a control signal sent by a control unit, thereby reducing the branch current. This ensures that the branch current does not exceed the maximum charging current of the battery, preventing battery overheating and deformation, and protecting battery performance.

[0075] For example, FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a foldable electronic device 100 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0076] The foldable electronic device 100 may include a processor 110, an external memory interface 120, an internal memory 121, a universal serial bus (USB) interface 130, a charging management module 140, a power management module 141, a battery 142, an antenna 111, an antenna 222, a mobile communication module 150, a wireless communication module 160, an audio module 170, a speaker 170A, a receiver 170B, a microphone 170C, an earphone interface 170D, a sensor module 180, a button 190, a motor 191, an indicator 192, a camera 193, a display screen 194, and a subscriber identification module (SIM) card interface 195, etc. The sensor module 180 may include a pressure sensor 180A, a gyroscope sensor 180B, an air pressure sensor 180C, a magnetic sensor 180D, an acceleration sensor 180E, a distance sensor 180F, a proximity light sensor 180G, a fingerprint sensor 180H, a temperature sensor 180J, a touch sensor 180K, an ambient light sensor 180L, a bone conduction sensor 180M, etc.

[0077] It is understood that the structure illustrated in the embodiment of the present invention does not constitute a specific limitation on the foldable electronic device 100. In other embodiments of the present application, the foldable electronic device 100 may include more or fewer components than shown, or may combine or separate certain components, or arrange the components differently. The illustrated components may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0078] The processor 110 may include one or more processing units, for example, the processor 110 may include a system on chip (SOC) control chip, an application processor (AP), a modem processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a controller, a video codec, a digital signal processor (DSP), a baseband processor, and / or a neural-network processing unit (NPU). The different processing units may be independent devices or integrated into one or more processors.

[0079] The controller can generate operation control signals according to the instruction operation code and timing signal to complete the control of instruction fetching and execution.

[0080] Processor 110 may also include a memory for storing instructions and data. In some embodiments, the memory in processor 110 is a cache memory. This memory can store instructions or data that have just been used or are being recycled by processor 110. If processor 110 needs to use the instruction or data again, it can directly retrieve it from the memory. This avoids duplicate accesses, reduces processor 110 latency, and thus improves system efficiency.

[0081] In some embodiments, the processor 110 may include one or more interfaces. The interfaces may include an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) interface, an inter-integrated circuit sound (I2S) interface, a pulse code modulation (PCM) interface, a universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter (UART) interface, a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI), a general-purpose input / output (GPIO) interface, a subscriber identity module (SIM) interface, and / or a universal serial bus (USB) interface.

[0082] The I2C interface is a bidirectional synchronous serial bus that includes a serial data line (SDA) and a serial clock line (SCL). In some embodiments, the processor 110 may include multiple I2C bus lines. The processor 110 may be coupled to the touch sensor 180K, the charger, the flash, the camera 193, and the like via different I2C bus interfaces. For example, the processor 110 may be coupled to the touch sensor 180K via the I2C interface, enabling communication between the processor 110 and the touch sensor 180K via the I2C bus interface, thereby enabling the touch function of the foldable electronic device 100.

[0083] The I2S interface can be used for audio communication. In some embodiments, the processor 110 can include multiple I2S buses. The processor 110 can be coupled to the audio module 170 via the I2S bus to enable communication between the processor 110 and the audio module 170. In some embodiments, the audio module 170 can transmit audio signals to the wireless communication module 160 via the I2S interface, enabling the function of answering calls through a Bluetooth headset.

[0084] The PCM interface can also be used for audio communication, sampling, quantizing, and encoding analog signals. In some embodiments, the audio module 170 and the wireless communication module 160 can be coupled via a PCM bus interface. In some embodiments, the audio module 170 can also transmit audio signals to the wireless communication module 160 via the PCM interface, enabling the function of answering calls via a Bluetooth headset. Both the I2S interface and the PCM interface can be used for audio communication.

[0085] The UART interface is a universal serial data bus used for asynchronous communication. This bus can be a bidirectional communication bus. It converts the data to be transmitted between serial communication and parallel communication. In some embodiments, the UART interface is typically used to connect the processor 110 and the wireless communication module 160. For example, the processor 110 communicates with the Bluetooth module in the wireless communication module 160 via the UART interface to implement Bluetooth functionality. In some embodiments, the audio module 170 can transmit audio signals to the wireless communication module 160 via the UART interface, enabling the function of playing music through Bluetooth headphones.

[0086] The MIPI interface can be used to connect the processor 110 to peripheral devices such as the display 194 and the camera 193. MIPI interfaces include the camera serial interface (CSI) and the display serial interface (DSI). In some embodiments, the processor 110 and the camera 193 communicate via the CSI interface to implement the camera function of the foldable electronic device 100. The processor 110 and the display 194 communicate via the DSI interface to implement the display function of the foldable electronic device 100.

[0087] The GPIO interface can be configured via software. The GPIO interface can be configured as either a control signal or a data signal. In some embodiments, the GPIO interface can be used to connect the processor 110 to the camera 193, display 194, wireless communication module 160, audio module 170, sensor module 180, etc. The GPIO interface can also be configured as an I2C interface, an I2S interface, a UART interface, a MIPI interface, etc.

[0088] The USB interface 130 is an interface that complies with USB standards and may be a Mini USB interface, a Micro USB interface, a USB Type-C interface, or the like. The USB interface 130 can be used to connect a charger to charge the foldable electronic device 100, or to transfer data between the foldable electronic device 100 and peripheral devices. It can also be used to connect headphones to play audio. This interface can also be used to connect other electronic devices, such as augmented reality devices.

[0089] It is understood that the interface connection relationship between the modules illustrated in the embodiment of the present invention is merely an illustrative illustration and does not constitute a structural limitation on the foldable electronic device 100. In other embodiments of the present application, the foldable electronic device 100 may also adopt different interface connection methods from the above embodiments, or a combination of multiple interface connection methods.

[0090] The wireless communication function of the foldable electronic device 100 can be implemented through the antenna 111, the antenna 222, the mobile communication module 150, the wireless communication module 160, the modem processor and the baseband processor.

[0091] The charging management module 140 is configured to receive charging input from a charger. The charger can be either a wireless charger or a wired charger. In some wired charging embodiments, the charging management module 140 can receive charging input from the wired charger via the USB interface 130. In some wireless charging embodiments, the charging management module 140 can receive wireless charging input via the wireless charging coil of the foldable electronic device 100. While charging the battery 142, the charging management module 140 can also provide power to the electronic device via the power management module 141.

[0092] The power management module 141 is used to connect the battery 142, the charging management module 140, and the processor 110. The power management module 141 receives input from the battery 142 and / or the charging management module 140, and provides power to the processor 110, the internal memory 121, the display 194, the camera 193, and the wireless communication module 160. The power management module 141 can also be used to monitor parameters such as battery capacity, battery cycle count, and battery health status (leakage, impedance). In some other embodiments, the power management module 141 can also be set in the processor 110. In other embodiments, the power management module 141 and the charging management module 140 can also be set in the same device.

[0093] In the embodiment of the present application, at least one battery 142 is provided on the main board of the foldable electronic device 100, and at least one battery 142 is also provided on the sub-main board.

[0094] The foldable electronic device 100 implements display functionality through a GPU, display screen 194, and an application processor. The GPU is a microprocessor for image processing that connects the display screen 194 and the application processor. The GPU is used to perform mathematical and geometric calculations for graphics rendering. The processor 110 may include one or more GPUs that execute program instructions to generate or change display information. The display screen 194 is used to display images, videos, and receive sliding operations. In this embodiment of the present application, the display screen 194 may be a flexible, bendable screen.

[0095] The foldable electronic device 100 may further include a rotating mechanism, such as a rotating shaft, and the two folding parts of the foldable electronic device 100 may rotate around the axis of the rotating mechanism.

[0096] For example, FIG5 is a circuit diagram of a foldable electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0097] As shown in Figure 5, the foldable electronic device 100 includes a first folding portion 101, a second folding portion 102, and a rotating mechanism 103 located between the first folding portion 101 and the second folding portion 102. The rotating mechanism 103 can be a rotating shaft, and the first and second folding portions are connected by the rotating shaft. The first folding portion can be provided with a main board, and the second folding portion can be provided with a sub-main board.

[0098] A first battery and a charging interface are provided in the first folding part, and a second battery is provided in the second folding part; wherein, a first charging branch and a second charging branch are provided between the charging interface of the electronic device and the ground terminal of the electronic device, the first charging branch is located in the first folding part, and the second charging branch is distributed in the first folding part, the second folding part and the rotating shaft; the first battery is in the first charging branch, and the second battery is in the second charging branch.

[0099] The charging interface may be a Mini USB interface, a Micro USB interface, a Type-C interface, etc., and is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application. When the foldable electronic device is in a charging state, the foldable electronic device may be connected to a charger via the charging interface, and the charger may charge the first battery via the first charging branch, and the charger may charge the second battery via the second charging branch.

[0100] Because the distance between the charging port and the first battery is relatively close, the charging path loss is low, while the distance between the charging port and the second battery is relatively far, the charging path loss is high. Therefore, when the charger charges the first and second batteries, the current charging the first battery is relatively large, and the current charging the second battery is relatively small. Compared with the second battery, the first battery is more prone to battery overheating, battery deformation, etc., which can easily lead to damage to battery performance.

[0101] Therefore, a current control element may be provided on the first charging branch to reduce the current charged to the first battery, thereby reducing the possibility of damage to the performance of the first battery due to a large current charged to the first battery.

[0102] The first charging branch may include M current-controlling elements (not shown in FIG5 ), where M is a positive integer. That is, the first charging branch may include one or more current-controlling elements. In this embodiment of the present application, the current-controlling element may be the variable resistor element shown in FIG1 or other current-controlling element.

[0103] The foldable electronic device also includes a control unit. When the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is greater than a first preset threshold, the control unit increases the resistance of some or all of the M variable resistance elements so that the current charging the first battery in the adjusted first charging branch is less than or equal to the first preset threshold.

[0104] In the embodiment of the present application, the control unit may be a SOC control chip. It is understood that the control unit may be disposed in the first folding portion. Of course, the control unit may also be disposed in the second folding portion according to the actual layout of the product, that is, the control unit may be disposed in the first folding portion 101 or the second folding portion 102.

[0105] The first preset threshold value may be a rated charging current of the first battery. Charging the battery at the rated charging current can effectively shorten the battery charging time, improve the battery charging efficiency, extend the battery life, and protect the battery performance from being damaged.

[0106] Of course, the first preset threshold may also be the maximum charging current that the first battery can withstand or a value close to it, which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0107] In other words, when the charging current of the branch where the battery is located is high, the corresponding current control element can increase its resistance based on the control signal sent by the control unit, thereby reducing the charging current of the branch. This ensures that the charging current of the branch does not exceed the maximum charging current of the battery, reducing the occurrence of battery overheating and battery deformation, and protecting battery performance.

[0108] The first charging branch may further include a first detection unit, the first detection unit being located between the first battery and the ground terminal, and configured to detect a current value charging the first battery. In an embodiment of the present application, the first detection unit may be composed of a detection (gauge) element and a resistor connected in parallel therewith.

[0109] The first detection unit can send the detected current value charging the first battery to the control unit through a GPIO interface, an I2C interface, or the like. The control unit increases the resistance of some or all of the M variable resistance elements based on the acquired current value charging the first battery.

[0110] Based on the circuit shown in FIG5 , during the charging process, the foldable electronic device controls the current charged to the first battery as follows:

[0111] The charging interface of the foldable electronic device is connected to a charger, and the charger can power the first battery through the first charging branch and the second battery through the second charging branch. One or more current control elements are provided in the first charging branch. The foldable electronic device detects the current charging to the first battery through a first detection unit, and the control unit obtains the current value of the current charging to the first battery detected by the first detection unit through a GPIO interface or an I2C interface. When the current value of the current charging to the first battery is greater than a preset threshold, the control unit can reduce the current charging to the first battery by increasing the resistance of some or all of the current control elements in the first charging branch until the current value of the current charging to the first battery is less than or equal to the preset threshold.

[0112] In this way, the current charging the first battery can be reduced, thereby preventing the first battery from overheating, deforming, and the like, and protecting the battery performance from being damaged.

[0113] It should be noted that there are multiple possible ways to set the position of the flow control element in the first branch, and there are also multiple possible ways to set the number of flow control elements in the first branch. The following will illustrate several ways of setting the flow control element in the first branch with reference to Figures 6 to 8.

[0114] In a possible implementation, as shown in FIG6 , the first charging branch further includes a first charger chip, which is located between the charging interface and the first battery. M1 of the M current control elements are located between the first charger chip and the first battery, where M1 is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

[0115] The first charger chip can be an SC charger chip or a half-voltage charge pump chip (2:1 charge pump), etc., and is used to quickly charge the first battery. The first charger chip can achieve the effect of halving the output voltage and doubling the output current. In other words, the output voltage of the first fast-charging chip is approximately half of the input voltage of the first fast-charging chip, and the output current of the first fast-charging chip is approximately twice the input current of the first fast-charging chip.

[0116] M1 of the M current-control elements may be located between the first charger chip and the first battery. That is, all or some of the M current-control elements on the first charging branch may be located between the first charger chip and the first battery, and this is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application. For example, if three current-control elements are located on the first charging branch, one, two, or three current-control elements may be located between the first charger chip and the first battery.

[0117] The control strategy for the control element may include: controlling some of the M1 current-control elements between the first charger chip and the first battery to change the resistance of some of the current-control elements; or controlling the M1 current-control elements between the first charger chip and the first battery to change the resistance of all of the M1 current-control elements. When the control element controls the current-control elements, the control element may control the resistance of the current-control elements to change simultaneously or sequentially, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0118] In this way, by placing a current control element between the first charger chip and the first battery, the current size of the first charging branch charging the first battery can be effectively adjusted.

[0119] In a possible implementation, the first charging branch also includes a first board-to-board connector, which is located between the first charger chip and the first battery; M1 current-control elements are located between the first charger chip and the first board-to-board connector; or, M1 current-control elements are located between the first board-to-board connector and the first battery; or, some of the M1 current-control elements are located between the first charger chip and the first board-to-board connector, and another part of the M1 current-control elements are located between the first board-to-board connector and the first battery.

[0120] The first board-to-board connector is used to attach the first battery to the motherboard. The connection between the first charger chip and the first board-to-board connector corresponds to position 3 shown in FIG6 , and the connection between the first board-to-board connector and the first battery corresponds to position 5 shown in FIG6 .

[0121] That is to say, the M1 current control elements included between the first charger chip and the first battery can all be located at position 3, all at position 5, or some at position 3 and the rest at position 5.

[0122] For example, there are two current control elements between the first charger chip and the first battery. The two current control elements can be both located at position 3; or both located at position 5; or one located at position 3 and the other located at position 5.

[0123] It can be understood that since the battery may generate heat during the charging process, the current control element located between the charger chip and the first board-to-board connector is far away from the battery and is in the cold zone (also called the low temperature zone) of the foldable electronic device, and the current control element located between the first board-to-board connector and the first battery is closer to the battery and is in the hot zone (also called the heat concentration zone) of the foldable electronic device. Therefore, position 3 is more friendly to the heat consumption of the foldable electronic device than position 5.

[0124] The control strategy of the control unit for the flow control element can be: controlling some of the flow control elements located at position 3 and / or located at position 5, so that the resistance values ​​of some of the flow control elements change, or controlling all of the flow control elements located at position 3 and / or located at position 5, so that the resistance values ​​of all the flow control elements change.

[0125] In the process of the control unit controlling the flow control element, the control unit can simultaneously control the resistance value of the flow control element to change, or can control the resistance value of the flow control element to change sequentially. This embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0126] In this way, placing the current control element between the first charger chip and the first board-to-board connector, and / or between the first board-to-board connector and the first battery can effectively adjust the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch.

[0127] In a possible implementation, the first charging branch also includes a first charger chip, which is located between the charging interface and the first battery. M2 of the M current control elements are located between the first charger chip and the charging interface, and M2 is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

[0128] The area between the first charger chip and the charging interface may correspond to position 1 as shown in FIG. 6 .

[0129] M2 of the M current-control elements may be located between the first charger chip and the charging interface. That is, all or some of the M current-control elements on the first charging branch may be located between the first charger chip and the charging interface, and this is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application. For example, if three current-control elements are located on the first charging branch, one, two, or three current-control elements may be located between the first charger chip and the charging interface.

[0130] It is understandable that M2 of the M current control elements may also be located on the small board where the charging interface is located, such as the type-C small board where the type-C interface is located.

[0131] The control strategy of the control unit for the flow control element can be: controlling some of the flow control elements in position 1 so that the resistance of some of the flow control elements changes, or controlling all of the flow control elements in position 1 so that the resistance of all the flow control elements changes.

[0132] In the process of the control unit controlling the flow control element, the control unit can simultaneously control the resistance value of the flow control element to change, or can control the resistance value of the flow control element to change sequentially. This embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0133] In this way, by placing a current control element between the first charger chip and the charging interface, the current size of the first charging branch charging the first battery can be effectively adjusted.

[0134] In a possible implementation, when the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is greater than a first preset threshold, the control unit first increases the resistance of some or all of the M1 current-control elements located between the first charger chip and the first battery, and then increases the resistance of some or all of the M2 current-control elements located between the first charger chip and the charging interface, so that the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch after adjustment is less than or equal to the first preset threshold.

[0135] Alternatively, when the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is greater than a first preset threshold, the control unit first increases the resistance of some or all of the M1 current-control elements located between the first charger chip and the first battery, so that the adjusted current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is less than or equal to the first preset threshold, and then reduces the resistance of some or all of the M2 current-control elements located between the first charger chip and the charging interface, so that the difference between the adjusted current charging the first battery in the first charging branch and the first preset threshold is less than the first preset value.

[0136] It's understandable that because the first charger chip can double the output current, the current-control element located downstream of the first charger chip, i.e., between the first charger chip and the first battery, can better regulate current than the current-control element located upstream of the first charger chip, i.e., between the charging port and the first charger chip. For example, a change in resistance R of the current-control element between the charging port and the first charger chip can correspond to a current adjustment of K; a change in resistance R of the current-control element between the first charger chip and the ground terminal can correspond to a current adjustment of 4K. It should be noted that K and 4K are examples. Therefore, based on these characteristics, the resistance of the current-control element between the first charger chip and the first battery can be controlled to change first for coarse adjustment, and then the resistance of the current-control element between the charging port and the first charger chip can be controlled to change for fine adjustment.

[0137] That is, when the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is greater than a first preset threshold, the control unit may first increase the resistance of some or all of the M1 current-control elements located between the first charger chip and the first battery, thereby reducing the current charging the first battery through coarse adjustment so that the current charging the first battery is close to the first preset threshold but still greater than the first preset threshold. The control unit then increases the resistance of some or all of the M2 current-control elements located between the first charger chip and the charging port, thereby fine-adjusting so that the difference between the adjusted current charging the first battery in the first charging branch and the first preset threshold is less than or equal to the first preset threshold.

[0138] Alternatively, when the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is greater than a first preset threshold, the control unit first increases the resistance of some or all of the M1 current-control elements located between the first charger chip and the first battery, and through coarse adjustment, makes the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch less than the first preset threshold after adjustment, but with a large difference from the first preset threshold; the control unit then reduces the resistance of some or all of the M2 current-control elements located between the first charger chip and the charging interface, and through fine adjustment, makes the difference between the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch and the first preset threshold after adjustment less than the preset value.

[0139] By first coarsely adjusting and then fine-tuning the current charging the first battery, the current value can be adjusted with finer granularity, making the current regulation more precise and closer to the rated charging current of the battery. This ensures a safe charging process, protects battery performance, and achieves faster charging speeds for the first battery, completing charging in a shorter time and improving the user experience.

[0140] It should be noted that the above embodiment is described using the example where the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is greater than the first preset threshold. In a possible implementation, when the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is less than the first preset threshold, the control unit reduces the resistance of some or all of the M current-control elements so that the difference between the adjusted current charging the first battery in the first charging branch and the first preset threshold is less than the first preset value.

[0141] Among them, the first preset value can be the difference between the preset current of the first battery and the first preset threshold. The first preset value can be a smaller value, such as any value between 0A-0.02A, etc., and the embodiment of the present application does not make specific limitations on this.

[0142] In the embodiment of the present application, when the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is less than the first preset threshold, it can be that the current charging the first battery is less than the first preset threshold, and the difference between the current charging the first battery and the first preset threshold is large. For example, the difference between the current charging the first battery and the first preset threshold is greater than 0.1A.

[0143] That is to say, when the control unit obtains that the current charging the first battery detected by the first detection unit is less than the first preset threshold, the control unit can send a control signal for reducing the resistance of the current control element to some or all of the M current control elements of the first charging branch, so that the current value charging the first battery in the first charging branch increases until the current charging the first battery approaches the first preset threshold.

[0144] In this way, a faster charging speed of the first battery can be achieved, the user experience can be improved, and the charging process can be made safe.

[0145] It is understandable that the current in the second charging branch may be too large or too small, and the embodiment of the present application can also adjust the current of the second charging branch.

[0146] In one possible implementation, the second charging branch includes N current control elements, where N is a positive integer. In other words, the second charging branch may include one or more current control elements.

[0147] When the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is less than a second preset threshold, the control unit reduces the resistance of some or all of the N current-control elements so that the difference between the adjusted current charging the second battery in the second charging branch and the second preset threshold is less than the second preset value.

[0148] Among them, the second preset threshold can refer to the description of the first preset threshold, and will not be repeated in the embodiment of this application.

[0149] The second preset value may be the difference between the preset current of the second battery and the second preset threshold value. The second preset value may be a smaller value, such as any value between 0A and 0.02A, etc. This embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0150] It can be understood that in the embodiment of the present application, when the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is less than the second preset threshold, it can be that the current charging the second battery is less than the second preset threshold, and the difference between the current charging the second battery and the second preset threshold is large. For example, the difference between the current charging the second battery and the second preset threshold is greater than 0.1A.

[0151] That is, when the current charging the second battery is less than the second preset threshold, the control unit can send a control signal for reducing the resistance of the current-control element to some or all of the N current-control elements of the second charging branch, so that the current value charging the second battery in the second charging branch increases until the current charging the second battery approaches the second preset threshold.

[0152] In this way, a faster charging speed of the second battery can be achieved, the user experience is improved, and the charging process can be made safe.

[0153] In another possible implementation, when the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is greater than a second preset threshold, the control unit increases the resistance of some or all of the N current-control elements so that the adjusted current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is less than or equal to the second preset threshold.

[0154] In other words, when the charging current of the branch circuit containing the second battery is high, the corresponding current-control element can increase its resistance based on the control signal sent by the control unit, thereby reducing the charging current of the branch circuit. This ensures that the charging current of the branch circuit does not exceed the maximum charging current of the second battery, reducing battery overheating and deformation, and protecting battery performance.

[0155] The second charging branch may further include a second detection unit, located between the second battery and the ground terminal, for detecting the current value of the second battery. In the embodiment of the present application, the second detection unit may be composed of a detection (gauge) element and a resistor connected in parallel therewith.

[0156] The second detection unit can send the detected current value of charging the second battery to the control unit through a GPIO interface, an I2C interface, etc. The control unit increases or decreases the resistance of some or all of the N variable resistance elements according to the obtained current value of charging the second battery.

[0157] Based on the circuit shown in FIG5 , during the charging process, the foldable electronic device controls the current flowing into the second battery as follows:

[0158] The charging interface of a foldable electronic device is connected to a charger, and the charger can power the first battery through a first charging branch and the second battery through a second charging branch. One or more current control elements are provided in the second charging branch. The foldable electronic device detects the current charging the second battery via a second detection unit, and a control unit obtains the current value of the second battery charging detected by the second detection unit through a GPIO interface or an I2C interface. When the current value of the second battery charging is less than a second preset threshold, the control unit can increase the current charging the second battery by reducing the resistance of some or all of the current control elements in the second charging branch until the current value of the second battery charging approaches the second preset threshold. Alternatively, when the current value of the second battery charging is greater than the preset threshold, the control unit can increase the resistance of some or all of the current control elements in the second charging branch to reduce the current charging the second battery until the current value of the second battery charging is less than or equal to the preset threshold.

[0159] In this way, the second battery can be charged at a faster speed, improving the user experience, and the charging process can be made safe, avoiding battery overheating, battery deformation, etc. in the second battery, thereby protecting battery performance.

[0160] In a possible implementation, the second charging branch also includes a second charger chip, which is located between the charging interface and the second battery. N1 of the N current control elements are located between the second charger chip and the second battery, where N1 is a positive integer less than or equal to N.

[0161] The second charger chip can refer to the relevant description of the first charger chip, and will not be described in detail in this embodiment of the application.

[0162] N1 of the N current-control elements may be located between the second charger chip and the second battery. That is, all or some of the N current-control elements on the second charging branch may be located between the second charger chip and the second battery, and this is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application. For example, if two current-control elements are located on the second charging branch, one or two current-control elements may be located between the second charger chip and the second battery.

[0163] The control strategy for the control element may include: controlling some of the N1 current-control elements between the second charger chip and the second battery to change the resistance of some of the current-control elements; or controlling the N1 current-control elements between the second charger chip and the second battery to change the resistance of all N1 current-control elements. When the control element controls the current-control elements, the control element may control the resistance of the current-control elements to change simultaneously or sequentially, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0164] In this way, by placing a current control element between the second charger chip and the second battery, the current size of the second charging branch charging the first battery can be effectively adjusted.

[0165] In a possible implementation, the second charging branch also includes a second board-to-board connector, which is located between the second charger chip and the second battery; N1 current-control elements are located between the second charger chip and the second board-to-board connector; or, N1 current-control elements are located between the second board-to-board connector and the second battery; or, some of the N1 current-control elements are located between the second charger chip and the second board-to-board connector, and another part of the N1 current-control elements are located between the second board-to-board connector and the second battery.

[0166] The second board-to-board connector can refer to the relevant description of the first board-to-board connector, and will not be repeated in this embodiment of the application.

[0167] The position between the second charger chip and the second board-to-board connector may correspond to position 9 shown in FIG. 7 , and the position between the second board-to-board connector and the second battery may correspond to position 10 shown in FIG. 7 .

[0168] That is to say, the N1 current control elements included between the second charger chip and the second battery can all be located at position 9, or all at position 10, or some at position 9 and the rest at position 10.

[0169] For example, there are two current control elements between the second charger chip and the second battery. The two current control elements can be both located at position 9; or both located at position 10; or one located at position 9 and the other located at position 10.

[0170] It is understandable that since the battery may generate heat during the charging process, the current control element located between the charger chip and the second board-to-board connector is far away from the battery and is in the cold zone (also called the low temperature zone) of the foldable electronic device, and the current control element located between the second board-to-board connector and the second battery is closer to the battery and is in the hot zone (also called the heat concentration zone) of the foldable electronic device. Therefore, position 9 is more friendly to the heat consumption of the foldable electronic device than position 10.

[0171] The control strategy of the control unit for the flow control element can be: controlling some of the flow control elements located at position 9 and / or located at position 10 so that the resistance values ​​of some of the flow control elements change, or controlling all of the flow control elements located at position 9 and / or located at position 10 so that the resistance values ​​of all the flow control elements change.

[0172] In the process of the control unit controlling the flow control element, the control unit can simultaneously control the resistance value of the flow control element to change, or can control the resistance value of the flow control element to change sequentially. This embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0173] In this way, placing the current control element between the second charger chip and the second board-to-board connector, and / or between the second board-to-board connector and the second battery can effectively adjust the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch.

[0174] In a possible implementation, N2 current control elements among the N current control elements are located between the second charger chip and the charging interface, and N2 is a positive integer less than or equal to N.

[0175] The area between the second charger chip and the charging interface may correspond to position 2 or position 8 as shown in FIG. 7 .

[0176] N2 of the N current-control elements may be located between the second charger chip and the charging interface. That is, all or some of the N current-control elements on the second charging branch may be located between the second charger chip and the charging interface, and this is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application. For example, if three current-control elements are located on the second charging branch, one, two, or three current-control elements may be located between the second charger chip and the charging interface.

[0177] It is understandable that N2 of the N current control elements may also be located on the small board where the charging interface is located, such as the type-C small board where the type-C interface is located.

[0178] The control strategy of the control unit for the current control element can be: controlling some of the current control elements located between the second charger chip and the charging interface so that the resistance values ​​of some of the current control elements change, or controlling all of the current control elements located between the second charger chip and the charging interface so that the resistance values ​​of all the current control elements change.

[0179] In the process of the control unit controlling the flow control element, the control unit can simultaneously control the resistance value of the flow control element to change, or can control the resistance value of the flow control element to change sequentially. This embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0180] In this way, by placing a current control element between the second charger chip and the charging interface, the current size of the second charging branch charging the second battery can be effectively adjusted.

[0181] In a possible implementation, N2 flow control elements are located in the first folded portion; or, N2 flow control elements are located in the second folded portion; or, some of the N2 flow control elements are located in the first folded portion, and another part of the N2 flow control elements are located in the second folded portion.

[0182] Among them, the position located between the second charger chip and the charging interface and in the first folding part may correspond to position 2 as shown in Figure 7, and the position located between the second charger chip and the charging interface and in the second folding part may correspond to position 8 as shown in Figure 7.

[0183] That is to say, the N2 current control elements included between the second charger chip and the charging interface can all be located at position 2, all at position 8, or some at position 2 and the rest at position 8.

[0184] For example, there are three current control elements between the second charger chip and the charging interface. The three current control elements can all be located at position 2; or all be located at position 8; or one can be located at position 2 and the other two can be located at position 8, or two can be located at position 2 and the other one can be located at position 8.

[0185] The control strategy of the control unit for the flow control element can be: controlling some of the flow control elements located at position 2 and / or located at position 8 so that the resistance values ​​of some of the flow control elements change, or controlling all of the flow control elements located at position 2 and / or located at position 8 so that the resistance values ​​of all the flow control elements change.

[0186] In the process of the control unit controlling the flow control element, the control unit can simultaneously control the resistance value of the flow control element to change, or can control the resistance value of the flow control element to change sequentially. This embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0187] In this way, placing the current control element between the second charger chip and the charging interface and in the first folded portion, and / or placing the current control element between the second charger chip and the charging interface and in the second folded portion can effectively adjust the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch.

[0188] In a possible implementation, N3 current control elements are included between the second battery and the ground terminal, where N3 is a positive integer less than or equal to N.

[0189] The area between the second battery and the ground terminal may correspond to position 6, position 11 or position 12 as shown in FIG. 7 .

[0190] N3 of the N current-control elements may be placed between the second battery and the ground terminal. That is, all or some of the N current-control elements on the second charging branch may be placed between the second battery and the ground terminal, and this is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application. For example, if a total of three current-control elements are placed on the second charging branch, one, two, or three current-control elements may be placed between the second battery and the ground terminal.

[0191] The control strategy of the control unit for the flow-control element may be: controlling some of the flow-control elements located between the second battery and the ground terminal so that the resistance values ​​of some of the flow-control elements change, or controlling all of the flow-control elements located between the second battery and the ground terminal so that the resistance values ​​of all the flow-control elements change.

[0192] In the process of the control unit controlling the flow control element, the control unit can simultaneously control the resistance value of the flow control element to change, or can control the resistance value of the flow control element to change sequentially. This embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0193] In this way, by placing a current control element between the second battery and the ground terminal, the magnitude of the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch can be effectively adjusted.

[0194] In a possible implementation, N3 flow control elements are located on the first folded portion; or, N3 flow control elements are located in the second folded portion; or, N3 flow control elements are located in the rotating shaft; or, some of the N3 flow control elements are located in the first folded portion, some of the N3 flow control elements are located in the second folded portion, and the rest of the N3 flow control elements are located in the rotating shaft.

[0195] Among them, the position located between the second battery and the ground terminal and in the first folding portion may correspond to position 12 as shown in Figure 7, the position located between the second battery and the ground terminal and in the second folding portion may correspond to position 11 as shown in Figure 7, and the position located between the second battery and the ground terminal and in the rotating shaft may correspond to position 6 as shown in Figure 7.

[0196] It is understandable that the current control element located between the second battery and the ground terminal and in the rotating shaft can be connected to the second charging branch in parallel with the ground resistance in the rotating shaft.

[0197] That is to say, the N3 current control elements included between the second battery and the ground terminal can all be located at position 6, or all at position 11, or all at position 12; they can also be partially located at position 6 and the rest at position 11; they can also be partially located at position 6 and the rest at position 12; they can also be partially located at position 11 and the rest at position 12; they can also be partially located at position 6, partially located at position 11, and the rest at position 12.

[0198] The control strategy of the control unit for the flow control element can be: controlling some of the flow control elements located at position 6, at position 11, and / or at position 12, so that the resistance values ​​of some of the flow control elements change, or controlling all the flow control elements located at position 6, at position 11, and / or at position 12, so that the resistance values ​​of all the flow control elements change.

[0199] In the process of the control unit controlling the flow control element, the control unit can simultaneously control the resistance value of the flow control element to change, or can control the resistance value of the flow control element to change sequentially. This embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0200] In this way, the current size of the second charging branch charging the second battery can be effectively adjusted.

[0201] In a possible implementation, the first charging branch includes a first board-to-board connector, the second charging branch includes a second board-to-board connector, and L current control elements are included between the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector, where L is a positive integer.

[0202] The position between the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector may correspond to position 4 or position 7 as shown in FIG. 8 .

[0203] It is understood that the current flow direction of the branch between the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector is not fixed. When the voltage at the second board-to-board connector is higher than the voltage at the first board-to-board connector, the current flows to the first battery. Changing the resistance of the current-control element located between the first and second board-to-board connectors, and / or changing the resistance of the current-control element located between the charging port and the second board-to-board connector in the second charging branch can affect the current value charged to the first battery. When the voltage at the first board-to-board connector is higher than the voltage at the second board-to-board connector, the current flows to the second battery. Changing the resistance of the current-control element located between the first and second board-to-board connectors, and / or changing the resistance of the current-control element located between the charging port and the first board-to-board connector can affect the current value charged to the second battery.

[0204] It is understandable that the current control element located between the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector can also control the current charging to the first battery and / or the current charging to the second battery without being combined with the current control element in the first branch and / or the second branch.

[0205] The control strategy of the control unit for the flow control element can be: controlling some of the flow control elements located between the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector so that the resistance values ​​of some of the flow control elements change, or controlling all of the flow control elements located between the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector so that the resistance values ​​of all the flow control elements change.

[0206] In the process of the control unit controlling the flow control element, the control unit can simultaneously control the resistance value of the flow control element to change, or can control the resistance value of the flow control element to change sequentially. This embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0207] In this way, by placing a current control element between the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector, the magnitude of the current charged to the first battery or the second battery can be effectively adjusted.

[0208] In a possible implementation, L flow control elements are located in the first folded portion; or, L flow control elements are located in the second folded portion; or, some of the L flow control elements are located in the first folded portion, and the other part of the L flow control elements are located in the second folded portion.

[0209] Among them, the position located between the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector and in the first folding portion may correspond to position 4 as shown in Figure 8, and the position located between the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector and in the second folding portion may correspond to position 7 as shown in Figure 8.

[0210] That is to say, the L flow control elements included between the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector can all be located at position 4, all at position 7, or some at position 4 and the rest at position 7.

[0211] For example, there are three flow control elements between the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector. The three flow control elements can all be located at position 4; or all be located at position 7; or one can be located at position 4 and the other two can be located at position 7; or two can be located at position 4 and the other one can be located at position 7.

[0212] The control strategy of the control unit for the flow control element can be: controlling some of the flow control elements located at position 4 and / or located at position 7 so that the resistance values ​​of some of the flow control elements change, or controlling all of the flow control elements located at position 4 and / or located at position 7 so that the resistance values ​​of all the flow control elements change.

[0213] In the process of the control unit controlling the flow control element, the control unit can simultaneously control the resistance value of the flow control element to change, or can control the resistance value of the flow control element to change sequentially. This embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0214] In this way, placing the current control element between the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector and in the first folding portion, and / or placing the current control element between the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector and in the second folding portion can effectively adjust the current charging the first battery or charging the second battery.

[0215] In a possible implementation, when the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is less than a second preset threshold, the control unit first reduces the resistance of some or all of the N1 current-control elements located between the second charger chip and the second battery, and then reduces the resistance of some or all of the N2 current-control elements located between the second charger chip and the charging interface, so that the difference between the adjusted current charging the second battery in the second charging branch and the second preset threshold is less than the preset value.

[0216] Alternatively, when the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is less than a second preset threshold, the control unit first reduces the resistance of some or all of the N1 current-control elements located between the second charger chip and the second battery, so that the adjusted current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is greater than the second preset threshold, and then increases the resistance of some or all of the N2 current-control elements located between the second charger chip and the charging port, so that the difference between the adjusted current charging the second battery in the second charging branch and the second preset threshold is less than a preset value.

[0217] It's understandable that because the second charger chip can double the output current, the current-control element located downstream of the second charger chip, i.e., between the second charger chip and the ground terminal, regulates current more effectively than the current-control element located upstream of the second charger chip, i.e., between the charging port and the second charger chip. For example, a change in resistance R of the current-control element between the charging port and the second charger chip can correspond to a current adjustment of K; a change in resistance R of the current-control element between the second charger chip and the ground terminal can correspond to a current adjustment of 4K. It should be noted that K and 4K are examples. Therefore, based on these characteristics, the resistance of the current-control element between the second charger chip and the ground terminal can be controlled to change first for coarse adjustment, and then the resistance of the current-control element between the charging port and the second charger chip can be controlled to change for fine adjustment.

[0218] That is, when the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is less than the second preset threshold, the control unit may first reduce the resistance of some or all of the N1 current-control elements located between the second charger chip and the second battery, thereby increasing the current charging the second battery through coarse adjustment, so that the current charging the second battery approaches the second preset threshold, but the difference between the current charging the second battery and the second preset threshold is significantly greater. The control unit then reduces the resistance of some or all of the N2 current-control elements located between the second charger chip and the charging port, thereby fine-adjusting the current so that the difference between the adjusted current charging the second battery in the second charging branch and the second preset threshold is less than the preset value, that is, the current charging the second battery is very close to the second preset threshold.

[0219] Alternatively, when the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is less than a second preset threshold, the control unit first reduces the resistance of some or all of the N1 current-control elements located between the second charger chip and the second battery, thereby coarsely adjusting the resistance so that the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch after adjustment is greater than the second preset threshold. The control unit then increases the resistance of some or all of the N2 current-control elements located between the second charger chip and the charging port, thereby finely adjusting the resistance so that the difference between the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch after adjustment and the second preset threshold is less than a preset value.

[0220] It can be understood that the control unit between the second charger chip and the ground terminal may include the control unit between the second charger chip and the second battery, and may also include a control unit between the second battery and the ground terminal.

[0221] By coarsely adjusting the current flowing to the second battery and then fine-tuning it, the current value can be adjusted with finer granularity, resulting in more precise current regulation and a closer approximation to the battery's rated charging current. This ensures a safer charging process, protects battery performance, and achieves faster charging speeds for the second battery, completing charging in a shorter time and improving the user experience.

[0222] In a possible implementation, the battery capacity of the first battery is smaller than the battery capacity of the second battery, and the maximum current that the first battery and the second battery can each withstand is positively correlated with their respective battery capacities.

[0223] It is understandable that for foldable electronic devices, usually there are relatively more devices on the main board and relatively fewer devices on the sub-main board. Therefore, the battery that can be placed on the main board is smaller and the corresponding battery capacity is also smaller. The battery that can be placed on the sub-main board is larger and the corresponding battery capacity is also larger.

[0224] The maximum current that a battery can withstand is positively correlated with its capacity. This means that when the battery capacity is larger, the maximum current the battery can withstand is also larger. Conversely, when the battery capacity is smaller, the maximum current the battery can withstand is also smaller. For example, if the battery capacity is C, the maximum current the battery can withstand may be 0.3C-0.4C.

[0225] That is to say, the battery capacity of the first battery placed on the main board may be smaller than the battery capacity of the second battery placed on the sub-main board, and the maximum current that the first battery and the second battery can each withstand may be positively correlated with their respective battery capacities. Therefore, the maximum charging current corresponding to the first battery is smaller, and the maximum charging current corresponding to the second battery is larger.

[0226] Because the Type-C port is closer to the battery on the motherboard, the charging path loss is low. However, the Type-C port is farther away from the battery on the secondary motherboard, resulting in higher charging path loss. Therefore, when charging the first and second batteries, the charging current flowing through the first battery is higher, while the charging current flowing through the second battery is lower. Furthermore, because the maximum charging current for the first battery is lower, the first battery is more susceptible to overheating and deformation than the second battery, resulting in impaired battery performance.

[0227] In order to avoid battery overheating, battery deformation and other phenomena in the foldable electronic device, the current charging to the first battery can be mainly controlled. In this way, the number of current control elements in the circuit of the foldable electronic device can be effectively limited, and the heat consumption generated by the current control elements can be reduced.

[0228] In a possible implementation, when the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is greater than a first preset threshold, the control unit increases the resistance of some or all of the M current control elements so that the difference between the adjusted first ratio and the second ratio is less than a third preset value.

[0229] The first ratio may refer to the ratio of the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch to the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch, and the second ratio may refer to the ratio of the battery capacity of the first battery to the battery capacity of the second battery. The third preset value may be a smaller value, such as any value within 0.1, and is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0230] That is to say, the control unit can obtain the current charging the first battery and the current charging the second battery. The control unit can adjust the current charging the first battery and the current charging the second battery by increasing or decreasing the resistance of the current control element according to the battery capacity of the first battery and the battery capacity of the second battery, so that the first ratio is close to the second ratio.

[0231] For example, the ratio of the battery capacity of the first battery to the battery capacity of the second battery, i.e., the second ratio, is 1:2. When the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is greater than a first preset threshold, taking the ratio of the current charging the first battery to the current charging the second battery, i.e., the first ratio, as an example, is 3:2, the control unit may increase the resistance of some or all of the M current-control elements in the first branch, thereby reducing the current charging the first battery, until the difference between the first ratio and the second ratio is less than a third preset value, i.e., the first ratio is approximately 1:2. The resistance of the current-control elements in the second branch may be adjusted based on the current charging the second battery. When the current charging the second battery is greater than the second preset threshold, the control unit may increase the resistance of some or all of the N current-control elements in the second branch; and when the current charging the second battery is less than the second preset threshold, the control unit may decrease the resistance of some or all of the N current-control elements in the second branch.

[0232] It is understood that when the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is less than the first preset threshold, or when the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is less than the first preset threshold, or when the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is greater than the first preset threshold, the control unit may be triggered to adjust the current charging the first battery and the current charging the second battery. The current charging the first battery may be increased or decreased; the current charging the second battery may be increased or decreased. The result of the current adjustment by the control unit must satisfy the following requirement: the difference between the adjusted first ratio and the second ratio is less than a third preset value.

[0233] In this way, by controlling the current control element by the control unit, the ratio of the current charging to the first battery to the current charging to the second battery is close to the capacity ratio of the two batteries, which can ensure the safety of the two batteries during the charging process and improve the charging speed of the batteries.

[0234] It should be noted that, in the above embodiments, detection of whether the current charging the first battery is greater than the first preset threshold value, or detection of whether the current charging the second battery is greater than the second preset threshold value is used as an example for illustration. In a possible implementation, the foldable electronic device provided in the embodiment of the present application can also detect whether the current in the branch is greater than the threshold value through the current control element or the current control element detects whether the voltage on both sides of the current control element is greater than the threshold value, thereby enabling the control unit to adjust the resistance of the current control element and control the current charging to the battery.

[0235] Taking the variable resistance element shown in FIG1 as an example, the variable resistance element may include a current detection module and a voltage detection module.

[0236] In a possible implementation, corresponding current threshold values ​​may be set for variable resistance elements located at different positions.

[0237] When the current detection module of a variable resistor element in the first charging branch detects that the current flowing through the variable resistor element is greater than the current threshold value, the resistance of some or all of the variable resistor elements in the first charging branch can be increased. When the current detection module of a variable resistor element in the second charging branch detects that the current flowing through the variable resistor element is greater than the current threshold value, the resistance of some or all of the variable resistor elements in the second charging branch can be increased. When a current detection module of a varistor element located between the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector detects that the current value flowing through the varistor element is greater than the current threshold value, if the current in the branch between the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector flows to the first battery, the resistance of some or all of the varistor elements between the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector can be increased, and / or the resistance of some or all of the varistor elements between the charging port and the second board-to-board connector can be increased; if the current in the branch between the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector flows to the second battery, the resistance of some or all of the varistor elements between the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector can be increased, and / or the resistance of some or all of the varistor elements between the charging port and the first board-to-board connector can be increased.

[0238] When the current detection module of a variable resistor element in the first charging branch detects that the current flowing through the variable resistor element is less than the current threshold value and the difference is large, the resistance of some or all of the variable resistor elements in the first charging branch can be reduced. When the current detection module of a variable resistor element in the second charging branch detects that the current flowing through the variable resistor element is less than the current threshold value and the difference is large, the resistance of some or all of the variable resistor elements in the second charging branch can be reduced. When a current detection module of a varistor element located between the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector detects that the current value flowing through the varistor element is less than the current threshold value and the difference is large, if the current in the branch between the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector flows to the first battery, the resistance of some or all of the varistor elements between the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector can be reduced, and / or the resistance of some or all of the varistor elements between the charging port and the second board-to-board connector can be reduced; if the current in the branch between the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector flows to the second battery, the resistance of some or all of the varistor elements between the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector can be reduced, and / or the resistance of some or all of the varistor elements between the charging port and the first board-to-board connector can be reduced.

[0239] In another possible implementation, corresponding voltage thresholds can be set for variable resistor elements located at different locations. When the voltage detection module of a variable resistor element detects that the voltage value across the variable resistor element is greater than the voltage threshold value, or detects that the voltage value across the variable resistor element is less than the voltage threshold value and the difference is large, the control unit can control the variable resistor element in the charging circuit to change the resistance value of the variable resistor element. The control strategy can refer to the method for the control unit to control the current based on the current value detected by the current detection module, and can be adaptively changed. This embodiment of the application will not be described in detail.

[0240] In this way, the current charging the battery can be prevented from exceeding the maximum charging current of the battery, thus avoiding battery overheating, battery deformation, and the like, and protecting battery performance.

[0241] In addition, the foldable electronic device in the embodiment of the present application may further include an OVP circuit, which is respectively arranged in the first folding portion 101 and the second folding portion 102.

[0242] The OVP circuit, located within the first foldable portion 101, is connected in series between the charging port and the first charger chip. It protects the first charger chip from sudden high voltage or high current charging, which could damage it. The OVP circuit, located within the second foldable portion 102, is connected in series between the charging port and the second charger chip. It protects the second charger chip from sudden high voltage or high current charging, which could damage it.

[0243] It should be noted that the method provided in the embodiment of the present application for controlling the current value charging the battery by placing a current control element in the charging circuit of a foldable electronic device can also be applied to electronic devices that contain two or more batteries and the batteries are charged in parallel.

[0244] In summary, the above embodiments illustrate various positions in which the current control element can be set in the charging circuit of a foldable electronic device, and each position can correspond to position 1 to position 12 as shown in Figures 6 to 8. By adjusting the resistance of some or all of the current control elements, the current charging the battery in the foldable electronic device can be adjusted to avoid excessive charging current to protect battery performance from being damaged. The charging current charged to the battery can also be made close to the rated charging current corresponding to the battery, thereby increasing the charging speed of the battery. In addition, the battery capacity can be designed according to the stacking space of the foldable electronic device. When the space is fixed, the greater the current charged to the battery, the smaller the battery capacity. Therefore, the method of placing the current control element in the charging circuit of the foldable electronic device provided in the embodiment of the present application can achieve a design that maximizes the battery capacity.

[0245] In the embodiments of the present application, when providing a flow control element, the flow control element can be provided at the same location in a single branch, at multiple locations in a single branch, or simultaneously on multiple branches, depending on actual needs. Furthermore, there is no specific limit on the number of flow control elements in each branch. It is understood that the number of flow control elements provided in a foldable electronic device should not be excessive to avoid excessive heat release from the flow control elements when charging the foldable electronic device.

[0246] For example, Table 1 shows the position characteristics, current regulation effects, advantages and disadvantages, and preferred levels corresponding to the above-mentioned current control elements at each position.

[0247] Table 1

[0248] It is understandable that the preferred levels corresponding to different positions may be related to the advantages and disadvantages corresponding to each position, and may also be related to the difficulty of placing the flow control element at each position during actual implementation.

[0249] The present application also provides a control method for a foldable electronic device, which is applicable to the foldable electronic device provided in any one of the embodiments shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 8 . The method includes:

[0250] Detecting the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch; when the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is greater than a first preset threshold, the control unit increases the resistance of some or all of the M current-control elements so that the adjusted current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is less than or equal to the first preset threshold.

[0251] In a possible implementation, when the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is less than a first preset threshold, the control unit reduces the resistance of some or all of the M current-control elements so that the difference between the adjusted current charging the first battery in the first charging branch and the first preset threshold is less than the first preset value.

[0252] In a possible implementation, the second charging branch includes N current-control elements, where N is a positive integer. When the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is less than a second preset threshold, the control unit reduces the resistance of some or all of the N current-control elements so that the difference between the adjusted current charging the second battery in the second charging branch and the second preset threshold is less than the second preset value.

[0253] Alternatively, when the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is greater than a second preset threshold, the control unit increases the resistance of some or all of the N current-control elements so that the adjusted current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is less than or equal to the second preset threshold.

[0254] In this way, based on the control method of the foldable electronic device provided in the embodiment of the present application, the charging process can be made safe, the battery performance can be protected from damage, and a faster charging speed of the battery can be achieved, charging can be completed in a shorter time, and the user experience can be improved.

[0255] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 9, the electronic device includes a processor 901, a communication line 904 and at least one communication interface (communication interface 903 is exemplified in Figure 9).

[0256] The processor 901 may be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of the program of the present application.

[0257] Communications link 904 may include circuitry to transmit information between the aforementioned components.

[0258] The communication interface 903 uses any transceiver or other device for communicating with other devices or communication networks, such as Ethernet, wireless local area networks (WLAN), etc.

[0259] Possibly, the electronic device may further include a memory 902 .

[0260] The memory 902 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, an optical disc storage (including a compact disc, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc, Blu-ray disc, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory may be independent and connected to the processor via a communication line 904. The memory may also be integrated with the processor.

[0261] The memory 902 is used to store computer-executable instructions for executing the solution of the present application, and the execution is controlled by the processor 901. The processor 901 is used to execute the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 902, thereby implementing the method provided by the embodiment of the present application.

[0262] Possibly, the computer-executable instructions in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as application code, and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this.

[0263] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the processor 901 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 in FIG. 9 .

[0264] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, an electronic device may include multiple processors, such as processor 901 and processor 905 in Figure 9. Each of these processors may be a single-core (single-CPU) processor or a multi-core (multi-CPU) processor. The processor herein may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores for processing data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0265] In the above embodiment, the instructions stored in the memory for execution by the processor may be implemented in the form of a computer program product, wherein the computer program product may be pre-written in the memory or downloaded and installed in the memory in the form of software.

[0266] A computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function according to the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can store or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated. For example, the available medium can include magnetic media (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk or tape), optical media (e.g., digital versatile disc (DVD)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid state disk (SSD)).

[0267] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium. The methods described in the above embodiments can be implemented in whole or in part via software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. Computer-readable media can include computer storage media and communication media, and can also include any medium that can transfer a computer program from one location to another. The storage medium can be any target medium that can be accessed by a computer.

[0268] As one possible design, computer-readable media may include compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), RAM, ROM, EEPROM or other optical disc storage; computer-readable media may include magnetic disk storage or other magnetic disk storage devices. Moreover, any connecting line may also be appropriately referred to as a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio and microwave are included in the definition of medium. Disk and disc as used herein include compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and Blu-ray disc, where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically using lasers.

[0269] The above combinations are also included within the scope of computer-readable media. The above are only specific embodiments of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

[0270] It should be noted that the user information (including but not limited to user device information, user personal information, etc.) and data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, stored data, displayed data, etc.) involved in this application are all information and data authorized by the user or fully authorized by all parties, and the collection, use and processing of relevant data must comply with the relevant laws, regulations and standards of relevant countries and regions, and provide corresponding operation entrances for users to choose to authorize or refuse.

Claims

1. A foldable electronic device, characterized in that: The electronic device comprises a first folding portion, a second folding portion and a rotating shaft, wherein the first folding portion and the second folding portion are connected via the rotating shaft; A first battery and a charging port are provided in the first folding portion, and a second battery is provided in the second folding portion. A first charging branch and a second charging branch are provided between the charging port of the electronic device and the ground terminal of the electronic device. The first charging branch is located in the first folding portion, and the second charging branch is distributed in the first folding portion, the second folding portion, and the rotating shaft. The first battery is in the first charging branch, and the second battery is in the second charging branch. The first charging branch includes M current control elements, where M is a positive integer; The electronic device also includes a control unit, configured to increase the resistance of some or all of the M current-control elements when the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is greater than a first preset threshold, so that the adjusted current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is less than or equal to the first preset threshold.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein The first charging branch also includes a first charger chip, which is located between the charging interface and the first battery. M1 of the M current control elements are located between the first charger chip and the first battery, and M1 is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein: The first charging branch further includes a first board-to-board connector, and the first board-to-board connector is located between the first charger chip and the first battery; The M1 current control elements are located between the first charger chip and the first board-to-board connector; Alternatively, the M1 current control elements are located between the first board-to-board connector and the first battery; Alternatively, some of the M1 current control elements are located between the first charger chip and the first board-to-board connector, and another part of the M1 current control elements are located between the first board-to-board connector and the first battery.

4. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The first charging branch also includes a first charger chip, which is located between the charging interface and the first battery. M2 of the M current control elements are located between the first charger chip and the charging interface, and M2 is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4, characterized in that The first charging branch further includes a first detection unit, which is located between the first battery and the ground terminal. The first detection unit is used to detect the current value charging the first battery.

6. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The control unit is further configured to, when the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is less than the first preset threshold, reduce the resistance of some or all of the M current-control elements, so that the difference between the adjusted current charging the first battery in the first charging branch and the first preset threshold is less than the first preset value.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein: The control unit is configured to, when the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is greater than a first preset threshold, first increase the resistance of some or all of the M1 current control elements located between the first charger chip and the first battery, and then increase the resistance of some or all of the M2 current control elements located between the first charger chip and the charging interface, so that after adjustment, the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is greater than a first preset threshold. The battery current is less than or equal to a first preset threshold; Alternatively, the control unit is configured to, when the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is greater than a first preset threshold, first increase the resistance of some or all of the M1 current-control elements located between the first charger chip and the first battery so that the adjusted current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is less than or equal to the first preset threshold, and then reduce the resistance of some or all of the M2 current-control elements located between the first charger chip and the charging interface so that the difference between the adjusted current charging the first battery in the first charging branch and the first preset threshold is less than the first preset value.

8. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The second charging branch includes N current control elements, where N is a positive integer; The control unit is further configured to, when the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is less than a second preset threshold, reduce the resistance of some or all of the N current-control elements, so that the difference between the adjusted current charging the second battery in the second charging branch and the second preset threshold is less than the second preset value; Alternatively, the control unit is further configured to, when the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is greater than a second preset threshold, increase the resistance of some or all of the N current-control elements, so that the adjusted current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is less than or equal to the second preset threshold.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein: The second charging branch also includes a second charger chip, which is located between the charging interface and the second battery. N1 of the N current control elements are located between the second charger chip and the second battery, and N1 is a positive integer less than or equal to N.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, characterized in that The second charging branch further includes a second board-to-board connector, and the second board-to-board connector is located between the second charger chip and the second battery; The N1 current control elements are located between the second charger chip and the second board-to-board connector; Alternatively, the N1 current control elements are located between the second board-to-board connector and the second battery; Alternatively, some of the N1 current control elements are located between the second charger chip and the second board-to-board connector, and another part of the N1 current control elements are located between the second board-to-board connector and the second battery.

11. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein N2 of the N current control elements are located between the second charger chip and the charging interface, and N2 is a positive integer less than or equal to N.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein: The N2 flow control elements are located in the first folded portion; Alternatively, the N2 flow control elements are located in the second folded portion; Alternatively, some of the N2 flow-control elements are located in the first folded portion, and another part of the N2 flow-control elements are located in the second folded portion.

13. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein Between the second battery and the ground terminal, there are N3 current control elements, where N3 is a positive integer less than or equal to N.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein: The N3 flow control elements are located on the first folded portion; Alternatively, the N3 flow control elements are located in the second folded portion; Alternatively, the N3 flow control elements are located in the rotating shaft; Alternatively, some of the N3 flow control elements are located in the first folded portion, some of the N3 flow control elements are located in the second folded portion, and the rest of the N3 flow control elements are located in the rotating shaft.

15. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein The first charging branch includes a first board-to-board connector, the second charging branch includes a second board-to-board connector, and L current control elements are included between the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector, where L is a positive integer.

16. The electronic device according to claim 15, characterized in that The L flow control elements are located in the first folded portion; Alternatively, the L flow control elements are located in the second folded portion; Alternatively, some of the L flow-control elements are located in the first folded portion, and another part of the L flow-control elements are located in the second folded portion.

17. The electronic device according to claim 8, characterized in that The second charging branch further includes a second detection unit, which is located between the second battery and the ground terminal, and is used to detect a current value charging the second battery.

18. The electronic device according to claim 17, wherein: the control unit being configured to, when the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is less than a second preset threshold, first reduce the resistance of some or all of the N1 current-control elements located between the second charger chip and the second battery, and then reduce the resistance of some or all of the N2 current-control elements located between the second charger chip and the charging port, so that the difference between the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch and the second preset threshold after adjustment is less than a preset value; Alternatively, the control unit is configured to, when the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is less than a second preset threshold, first reduce the resistance of some or all of the N1 current-control elements located between the second charger chip and the second battery so that the adjusted current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is greater than the second preset threshold, and then increase the resistance of some or all of the N2 current-control elements located between the second charger chip and the charging port so that the difference between the adjusted current charging the second battery in the second charging branch and the second preset threshold is less than a preset value.

19. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein The battery capacity of the first battery is smaller than the battery capacity of the second battery, and the maximum current that the first battery and the second battery can each withstand is positively correlated with their respective battery capacities.

20. The electronic device according to claim 19, wherein The control unit is configured to, when the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is greater than a first preset threshold, increase the resistance of some or all of the M current-control elements so that the difference between the adjusted first ratio and the second ratio is less than a third preset value; the first ratio being the ratio of the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch to the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch, and the second ratio being the ratio of the battery capacity of the first battery to the battery capacity of the second battery.

21. A method for controlling a foldable electronic device, characterized in that: Applied to the foldable electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 20, the method comprising: detecting a current in the first charging branch that is charged to the first battery; When the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is greater than a first preset threshold, the control unit increases the resistance of some or all of the M current-control elements so that the adjusted current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is less than or equal to the first preset threshold.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that When the current charging the first battery in the first charging branch is less than the first preset threshold, the control unit reduces the resistance of some or all of the M current-control elements so that the difference between the adjusted current charging the first battery in the first charging branch and the first preset threshold is less than the first preset value.

23. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that The second charging branch includes N current control elements, where N is a positive integer; When the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is less than a second preset threshold, the control unit reduces the resistance of some or all of the N current-control elements so that the difference between the adjusted current charging the second battery in the second charging branch and the second preset threshold is less than the second preset value; Alternatively, when the current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is greater than a second preset threshold, the control unit increases the resistance of some or all of the N current-control elements so that the adjusted current charging the second battery in the second charging branch is less than or equal to the second preset threshold.

24. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: processor and memory; The memory stores computer-executable instructions; The processor executes the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory, so that the electronic device performs the method according to any one of claims 21 to 23.

25. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the method according to any one of claims 21 to 23 is implemented.

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