Power control method, electronic device, and computer-readable medium

Abstract

An electronic device according to one embodiment disclosed herein may comprise: a first battery; a second battery; at least one module electrically connected to the first battery; memory for storing at least one instruction; and a processor driven by the second battery. For example, the at least one instruction, when executed by the processor, may cause the electronic device to: identify an operating state of the at least one module; determine, on the basis of the operating state, the magnitude of first power to be supplied to the at least one module among power from the first battery; and determine, on the basis of state information of the second battery, the magnitude of second power to be supplied to the second battery among the power.

Description

Power control methods, electronic devices, and computer-readable media

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2025-0014075 filed February 4, 2025 and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2025-0163352 filed November 3, 2025, and all contents disclosed in the documents of said Korean patent applications are incorporated herein as part of this specification.

[0002] The embodiments disclosed in this document relate to a power control method, an electronic device, and a computer-readable medium.

[0003] Recently, active research and development on secondary batteries has been underway. Here, secondary batteries refer to rechargeable batteries, encompassing conventional Ni / Cd and Ni / MH batteries as well as the more recent lithium-ion batteries. Among secondary batteries, lithium-ion batteries have the advantage of having a much higher energy density compared to conventional Ni / Cd and Ni / MH batteries. Furthermore, lithium-ion batteries can be manufactured to be compact and lightweight, making them suitable for use as power sources for mobile devices.

[0004] On the other hand, secondary batteries have disadvantages due to their rechargeable nature. For example, in environments where management such as charging, replacement, or maintenance is difficult, it may become impossible to continue using the secondary battery. Additionally, there is a problem where the performance of the secondary battery deteriorates as charge-discharge cycles are repeated.

[0005] To overcome the aforementioned problems, other types of next-generation batteries are being developed. For example, active research and development is being conducted on nuclear batteries (or beta batteries) that generate electricity using beta particles emitted during the decay of radioactive isotopes. Similarly, active research and development is also being carried out on nuclear batteries (or alpha batteries) that generate electricity through the alpha decay of alpha particles. However, while nuclear batteries provide stable power over the long term, their instantaneous output is relatively low, presenting a problem in that they are not suitable for devices requiring high power output.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device and a power control method thereof can be provided for adjusting and controlling the magnitude of power delivered from a nuclear battery to at least one module based on the operating state of at least one module included in the electronic device.

[0007] The technical problems to be solved by the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the technical problems described above, and other technical problems can be inferred from the following embodiments.

[0008] An electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a first battery, a second battery, at least one module electrically connected to the first battery, a memory storing at least one instruction, and a processor driven by the second battery. For example, when the at least one instruction is executed by the processor, the electronic device may be configured to check the operating state of the at least one module, determine the magnitude of a first power to be supplied to the at least one module from the power from the first battery based on the operating state, and determine the magnitude of a second power to be supplied to the second battery from the power from the first battery based on the state information of the second battery.

[0009] In an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first battery corresponds to a nuclear battery, and the second battery may correspond to a lithium-ion battery.

[0010] In an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one module may include a Global Positioning System (GPS) module. The at least one instruction may be configured such that, when executed by the processor, the electronic device checks the operation cycle of the GPS module and drives the GPS module based on the first power determined to be inversely proportional to the operation cycle.

[0011] In an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one module includes a Bluetooth module, and the at least one instruction may be configured such that, when executed by the processor, the electronic device checks the operating mode of the Bluetooth module, drives the Bluetooth module based on the first power corresponding to a first size when the operating mode is an Advertise mode, and drives the Bluetooth module based on the third power corresponding to a second size higher than the first size when the operating mode is a Connection mode.

[0012] In an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one instruction may be configured such that, when executed by the processor, the electronic device charges the second battery or a charging element electrically connected to the first battery and the at least one module based on at least a portion of the first power when the at least one module is in an OFF state.

[0013] In an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one module may include a sensor module. For example, the at least one instruction may be configured such that, when executed by the processor, the electronic device drives the sensor module in a first detection mode based on the first power to acquire sensor data, and when a predetermined event is detected based on the sensor data, drives the sensor module in a second detection mode based on auxiliary power through the second battery along with the first power to acquire sensor data.

[0014] In an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first sensing mode corresponds to a mode in which the sensor module operates at a first sampling period, and the second sensing mode corresponds to a mode in which the sensor module operates at a second sampling period shorter than the first sampling period. For example, the second sensing mode may be a sensing mode that is executed only when the SoC of the second battery is greater than or equal to a predetermined SoC.

[0015] In an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one instruction may be configured such that, when executed by the processor, the electronic device predicts the operating state corresponding to the current time based on pattern information of the electronic device identified through the at least one module, and determines the magnitude of the first power or the second power based on the prediction result.

[0016] In an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the pattern information includes a time-series location pattern of the electronic device, and the at least one instruction may be configured such that, when executed by the processor, the electronic device identifies a predicted time of movement in which the electronic device is predicted to move based on the time-series location pattern of the electronic device identified through a GPS module among the at least one module, identifies the time difference from the current time to the predicted time of movement, reduces the first power for the GPS module during a first time interval in which the time difference exceeds a first threshold time, and charges the charging element using the surplus power reduced.

[0017] In an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the pattern information includes a connection pattern between the electronic device and an external device, and the at least one instruction may be configured such that, when executed by the processor, the electronic device identifies a predicted time point in which the electronic device and the external device are predicted to be connected from the current time point based on the connection pattern between the electronic device and the external device identified through a Bluetooth module among the at least one module, identifies the time difference from the current time point to the predicted time point, and drives the Bluetooth module in Advertise mode based on a first power corresponding to a first size during a second time interval in which the time difference is less than or equal to a second threshold time.

[0018] In an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the pattern information includes a usage pattern of the electronic device, and the at least one instruction may be configured such that, when executed by the processor, the electronic device distinguishes and identifies an active time period and a dormant time period based on the usage pattern of the electronic device identified through a sensor module among the at least one module, and if the current time is included in the dormant time period, the first power for the sensor module is reduced, and the charging element is charged using the surplus power reduced.

[0019] In an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one instruction may be configured such that, when executed by the processor, the electronic device checks the state information including at least one of the State of Charge (SoC), State of Health (SoH), or temperature of the second battery, and if it is confirmed that the SoC is greater than or equal to a critical SoC, the SoH is less than or equal to a critical SoH, or the temperature is outside the critical temperature range, the charging element other than the second battery is charged through the charging power.

[0020] A power control method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include an operation of checking the operating state of at least one module electrically connected to a first battery, an operation of determining the magnitude of a first power to be supplied to the at least one module from the power from the first battery based on the operating state, and an operation of determining the magnitude of a second power to be supplied to the second battery from the power based on state information of a second battery distinguished from the first battery.

[0021] In a power control method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first battery corresponds to a nuclear battery, and the second battery may correspond to a lithium-ion battery.

[0022] A medium according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may be a computer-readable medium having a program stored on it for executing any one of the methods described above on a computer.

[0023] According to the embodiments disclosed in this document, an electronic device can be provided that performs efficient and adaptive power management by determining the amount of power deemed necessary based on the operating state of at least one module included in the electronic device from among the power generated through a nuclear battery, and by delivering the determined amount of power to at least one module.

[0024] The effects of the invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art from the description in the claims.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the operation of a power control method performed by an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the operation of a power control method performed by an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the operation of a power control method performed by an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the operation of a power control method performed by an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] In describing the embodiments, technical details that are well known in the technical field to which this disclosure belongs and are not directly related to this disclosure are omitted. This is intended to convey the essence of this disclosure more clearly without obscuring it by omitting unnecessary explanations.

[0032] For the same reason, some components in the attached drawings have been exaggerated, omitted, or schematically depicted. Additionally, the size of each component does not entirely reflect its actual dimensions. Identical or corresponding components in each drawing have been assigned the same reference numbers.

[0033] The advantages and features of the present disclosure and the methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below but may be implemented in various different forms. The embodiments provided are merely to ensure that the disclosure is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, and the present disclosure is defined only by the scope of the claims. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same components.

[0034] At this time, it will be understood that each block of the process flow diagrams and combinations of the flow diagrams can be executed by computer program instructions. Since these computer program instructions can be loaded into the processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing equipment, the instructions executed through the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing equipment create means for performing the functions described in the flow diagram block(s). Since these computer program instructions can also be stored in computer-available or computer-readable memory that can be directed toward the computer or other programmable data processing equipment to implement functions in a specific way, the instructions stored in such computer-available or computer-readable memory can also produce a manufactured item containing means of instruction for performing the functions described in the flow diagram block(s). Since computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment, the instructions that execute the computer or other programmable data processing equipment by creating a process that is executed by a computer through a series of operation steps performed on the computer or other programmable data processing equipment can also provide steps for executing the functions described in the flow diagram block(s).

[0035] Additionally, each block may represent a module, segment, or part of code containing one or more executable instructions for executing a specific logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative execution examples, the functions mentioned in the blocks may occur out of order. For instance, two blocks described in succession may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or the blocks may be executed in reverse order according to their corresponding functions.

[0036] In this embodiment, the term "part" refers to a software or hardware component, such as an FPGA or ASIC, and the "part" performs certain roles. However, the meaning of "part" is not limited to software or hardware. The "part" may be configured to reside in an addressable storage medium or configured to operate one or more processors. Thus, for example, the "part" includes components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, as well as processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functions provided within the components and "parts" may be combined into a smaller number of components and "parts" or further separated into additional components and "parts." Furthermore, the components and "parts" may be implemented to operate one or more CPUs within a device or secure multimedia card.

[0037] The expression “at least one of a, b, and c” described throughout the specification may include ‘a alone’, ‘b alone’, ‘c alone’, ‘a and b’, ‘a and c’, ‘b and c’, or ‘a, b, and c all’.

[0038] The "terminal" mentioned below may be implemented as a computer or portable terminal capable of connecting to a server or other terminal via a network. Here, the computer includes, for example, a notebook, desktop, or laptop equipped with a web browser, and the portable terminal is a wireless communication device that ensures portability and mobility, and may include all types of handheld-based wireless communication devices such as IMT (International Mobile Telecommunication), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), W-CDMA (W-Code Division Multiple Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), communication-based terminals, smartphones, tablet PCs, etc.

[0039] Methods implemented by the software or algorithms disclosed in this document may be implemented as a program and stored on a computer-readable recording medium (or storage medium). The program may include computer-readable code or program instructions for executing a plurality of steps. In one embodiment, the recording medium may be implemented as a device such as, for example, a server, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a read-only memory (ROM), a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, or an optical data storage device. In one embodiment, if a camera of a machine such as a computer identifies a QR code or a document, the QR code or the document may also be considered a recording medium, and there is no limitation on the type of recording medium as long as it can be read and executed by a computer. In one embodiment, the program may be stored on a single recording medium, or it may be distributed and stored on multiple recording media within a networked computer system to execute parts of the program in a distributed manner.

[0040] In one embodiment, a computer-readable recording medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory recording medium. Here, the term "non-transitory" means that the recording medium is a tangible device and is not a transient signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and is not intended to distinguish between cases where data stored on the recording medium is stored semi-permanently and cases where it is stored temporarily. Meanwhile, this is merely one embodiment, and the recording medium may be modified to be transitory.

[0041] The method according to one embodiment may be provided by being included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a computer-readable medium (e.g., CD-ROM), distributed online through an application store (e.g., upload, download), or distributed directly between two or more terminal devices. The method according to one embodiment may be implemented as the computer program itself.

[0042] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement them. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0043] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0044]

[0045] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 1, the electronic device (100) may include a memory (110), a processor (120), a first battery (130), a second battery (140), and at least one module (150). According to an embodiment, the electronic device (100) illustrated in FIG. 1 may further include at least one component (e.g., a display, an input device, a sensor, or an output device) in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0047] According to one embodiment, the memory (110) may include volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory.

[0048] According to one embodiment, the memory (110) may store data used by at least one component of the electronic device (100) (e.g., processor (120)). For example, the data may include software (or related instructions), input data, or output data. In one embodiment, the instructions may cause the electronic device (100) to perform operations defined by the instructions when executed by the processor (120).

[0049] According to one embodiment, the memory (110) may store instructions or data. For example, the memory (110) may store at least one instruction that causes the electronic device (100) (or the processor (120)) to perform various operations when executed by the processor (120). For example, a program (or at least one instruction) stored in the memory (110) may be executed by the processor (120).

[0050] According to one embodiment, the memory (110) may include a plurality of storage devices of different types. For example, the memory (110) may include a volatile and / or non-volatile storage medium. For example, the memory (110) may include at least one of a read-only memory (ROM), an eMMC (Embedded Multi-Media Card), or any combination thereof. For example, the memory (110) may include a buffer for temporarily storing data and a data area for storing data transferred from the buffer or an external device.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may be implemented as a computer or a similar device according to hardware, software, or a combination thereof. In hardware, the processor (120) may be implemented in the form of an electronic circuit that processes electrical signals to perform control functions, and in software, it may be implemented in the form of a program that drives the hardware processor (120). According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may be operatively connected to a component included in the electronic device (100) to control the connected component.

[0052] According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may include a central processing unit, an application processor, a graphics processing unit, a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor.

[0053] Meanwhile, unless otherwise specifically mentioned in the following description, the operation of the electronic device (100) may be interpreted as being performed under the control of the processor (120). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) may be implemented as at least one of a notebook, desktop, laptop, and server computing device that acquires and processes various information regarding a battery from an external device.

[0054] According to one embodiment, the first battery (130) may include a nuclear battery.

[0055] For example, the first battery (130) can convert energy released as a radioactive isotope decays into electricity.

[0056] For example, the first battery (130) may include an alpha cell that converts alpha rays emitted as a radioactive isotope undergoes alpha decay into power.

[0057] For example, the first battery (130) may include a beta cell that converts beta rays emitted as a radioactive isotope undergoes beta decay into power.

[0058] According to one embodiment, the second battery (140) may include a battery that converts external electrical energy into the form of chemical energy for storage and generates electricity when needed. The second battery (140) may include a rechargeable battery capable of charging and discharging.

[0059] For example, the second battery (140) may include a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery, but the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, the second battery (140) may include at least one of a lead-acid battery, a nickel-cadmium (NiCd) battery, a lithium-ion polymer (Li-ion polymer) battery, an LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery, an NCM (Nickel, Cobalt, Manganese) battery, or any combination thereof.

[0060] According to one embodiment, at least one module (150) may mean a set of unit modules arranged to provide various functions through an electronic device (100).

[0061] For example, at least one module (150) may include a low-power module that performs a function by consuming power less than or equal to a specified power. As an example, at least one module (150) may include a Global Positioning System (GPS) module, a Bluetooth (or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)) module, and a sensor module.

[0062] Additionally or generally, at least one module (150) may further include various types of modules with relatively low power consumption. For example, at least one module (150) may include a Near Field Communication (NFC) module and / or a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) module.

[0063] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) can check the operating state of at least one module (150) and, based on the checked operating state, determine the magnitude (or amount) of power to be supplied from the first battery (130) to at least one module (150).

[0064] For example, the electronic device (100) can determine the amount of required power required for at least one module (150) based on the operating state (e.g., operating mode, operating cycle, activation status, etc.) and determine the amount of required power determined as the magnitude of the power.

[0065] For example, when at least one module (150) is in the OFF state, the electronic device (100) can charge the second battery (140) and / or charging element (e.g., supercapacitor) based on at least a portion of the power generated through the first battery (130).

[0066] The first battery (130) corresponds to a nuclear battery and continuously generates power, so the electronic device (100) does not need to transfer the generated power to at least one module (150), and can utilize at least a portion of the remaining surplus power to charge the second battery (140). At this time, the electronic device (100) further includes a charging element that stores surplus power, and can adjust the amount of second power to charge the second battery (140) from the surplus power based on the State of Charge (SoC), State of Health (SoH), and temperature of the second battery (140), and charge the charging element through the second power according to the adjustment result.

[0067]

[0068] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an electronic device (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0069] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device (100) may include at least one of a processor (120), a first battery (130), a second battery (140), a GPS module (151), a Bluetooth module (152), a sensor module (153), a charging element (190), or any combination thereof.

[0070] According to one embodiment, the processor (120) is driven based on power supplied from the second battery (140), and the GPS module (151), Bluetooth module (152), and sensor module (153) can be driven based on power supplied from the first battery (130) and / or charging element (190).

[0071] According to one embodiment, the second battery (140) may be charged based on at least a portion of the power generated from the first battery (130). For example, the electronic device (100) may check the surplus power remaining from the power generated from the first battery (130) that is not delivered to the GPS module (151), Bluetooth module (152), and sensor module (153), check the status information of the second battery (140), check the second power calculated based on the status information, and charge the second battery (140) based on the second power among the surplus power. Power transfer between the first battery (130), the second battery (140), the GPS module (151), the Bluetooth module (152), and the sensor module (153) may be achieved through the control of a circuit including a switch placed between each component.

[0072]

[0073] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the operation of a power control method performed by an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0074] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) can perform the operations disclosed in FIG. 3. For example, at least some of the components included in the electronic device (100) (e.g., memory (110), processor (120), first battery (130), second battery (140) and at least one module (150) of FIG. 1) may be configured to perform the operations of FIG. 3.

[0075] In the following embodiments, the operations S310 to S330 may be performed sequentially, but are not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of each operation may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. Additionally, content corresponding to or overlapping with the above description in relation to FIG. 3 may be briefly explained or omitted.

[0076] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) can check the operating status of at least one module (S310).

[0077] Here, "operation state" can be understood to include one of the ON / OFF state, operation cycle, and operation mode of at least one module.

[0078] For example, the electronic device (100) can determine the interval between when the GPS module transmits a signal or receives a signal as the operation cycle. That is, the "operation cycle" may refer to the period during which the GPS module receives or transmits a signal (e.g., a satellite signal). For example, the operation cycle may be 5 seconds when the GPS module receives a signal once every 5 seconds.

[0079] For example, the electronic device (100) can determine the time interval between a first time point when a communication signal is output from the GPS module and a second time point when a communication signal is output after the first time point as the output operation cycle. For example, if the GPS module outputs a communication signal once every 5 seconds, the electronic device (100) can determine the output operation cycle of the GPS module as 5 seconds.

[0080] For example, the electronic device (100) can determine the operation cycle of the GPS module based on the setting value of the GPS module, the operation log, or the status information provided by the GPS module (e.g., NMEA data, timestamp, etc.) through the processor (120).

[0081] For example, the electronic device (100) can check which mode the Bluetooth module is operating in. The operating modes of the Bluetooth module may include an Advertise mode and a Connection mode. In addition, among the operating modes of the Bluetooth module, the Connection mode may include an Observer mode, a Central mode, a Peripheral mode, etc.

[0082] For example, the Advertise mode may also be defined as an advertising mode or a broadcast mode. The Advertise mode may, for example, be a mode for transmitting data to a device. Through the Advertise mode, the electronic device (100) can identify an external device to perform a connection via Bluetooth communication.

[0083] For example, the Connection mode may also be defined as an advertising mode or a broadcast mode. The Connection mode may be defined, for example, as a mode in which communication is performed after the electronic device (100) and an external device are connected. Through the Connection mode, the electronic device (100) can transmit and receive various data with the external device.

[0084] For example, the electronic device (100) can check the operating status of the sensor module, including the power status (e.g., OFF, Sleep, Standby, Active), sampling and reporting settings (e.g., whether there is a delay in the sampling period and reporting time), and the operating mode (e.g., event-based, period-based, etc.). The electronic device (100) can check the operating status of the sensor module through a device associated with the sensor module (e.g., sensor driver, sensor hub, PMIC).

[0085] For example, the sensor module may include a gyroscope sensor, a proximity sensor, a magnetic sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, and / or a temperature sensor. The electronic device (100) can check the operating state by taking into account the characteristics of each sensor module.

[0086] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) can determine the magnitude of the first power to be supplied to at least one module of the power from the first battery based on the operating state (S320).

[0087] The electronic device (100) can determine how much power to supply to at least one module from the power generated by the first battery based on the operating state of at least one module.

[0088] For example, the electronic device (100) can determine the magnitude of the first power so as to be inversely proportional to the operation cycle of the GPS module. The electronic device (100) can drive the GPS module based on the determined first power. That is, the electronic device (100) can determine that a relatively large power is required because the amount of computation and communication frequency are high when the operation cycle of the GPS module is small.

[0089] For example, the electronic device (100) can determine the amount of first power to be delivered to the Bluetooth module from the power generated through the first battery (130) according to the power consumption predefined for each of the Advertise mode and Connection mode.

[0090] Generally, Advertise mode requires relatively low power consumption for the level of discovering peripheral devices, but Connection mode may require relatively high power consumption for connecting with actual peripheral devices and transmitting and receiving data. Accordingly, when the operating mode of the Bluetooth module is Advertise mode, the electronic device (100) can drive the Bluetooth module with a first power of a first size generated through the first battery (130), and when the operating mode of the Bluetooth module is Connection mode, it can drive the Bluetooth module with a third power of a second size higher than the first size generated through the first battery (130).

[0091] For example, the electronic device (100) can acquire sensor data by driving the sensor module in a first detection mode based on a first power corresponding to a reference output (e.g., low power). Subsequently, when a predetermined event is detected based on the sensor data acquired from the sensor module, the electronic device (100) can continue to acquire sensor data by driving the sensor module in a second detection mode based on auxiliary power from a second battery along with a first power corresponding to a first size.

[0092] That is, the electronic device (100) can operate the sensor module in a first detection mode that runs at relatively low power, and then, when a predetermined event signal is acquired, operate the sensor module in a second detection mode that runs at relatively high power.

[0093] At this time, the electronic device (100) may determine at least one sensor among the sensor modules to be driven in a second detection mode based on the type of a predetermined event. Here, the first detection mode corresponds to a mode in which the sensor module operates at a first sampling period (e.g., 1 Hz or less), and the second detection mode corresponds to a mode in which the sensor module operates at a second sampling period shorter than the first sampling period (e.g., 10 Hz or more). The electronic device (100) may drive the sensor module in the second detection mode only when the SoC of the second battery is greater than or equal to a predetermined SoC (e.g., 60%).

[0094] For example, when a user initiates a call function through the electronic device (100), the electronic device (100) can detect a predetermined event corresponding to the call function start event based on sensor data obtained through a proximity sensor (e.g., an infrared sensor or a capacitive sensor) included in the sensor module. Accordingly, the electronic device (100) can further supply auxiliary power through a second battery to at least one sensor (e.g., a proximity sensor) corresponding to the call function among the sensor modules that were operating in a first detection mode by the first power, and operate at least one sensor in a second detection mode.

[0095] For example, when a user performs exercise (e.g., running, high-intensity training) while carrying the electronic device (100), the electronic device (100) can detect a predetermined event corresponding to an exercise start event based on location information via a GPS module, speed information via an accelerometer, and / or vibration information, etc. Accordingly, the electronic device (100) can supply additional auxiliary power via a second battery to at least one sensor (e.g., accelerometer, gyroscope, GPS module, etc.) corresponding to the exercise function among the sensor modules that were operating in a first detection mode by the first power, and operate at least one sensor in a second detection mode. Additionally, in response to identifying that the user has ended the exercise based on the sensor data described above, the electronic device (100) can switch the operation mode of at least one sensor back to the first detection mode and operate it.

[0096] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) can determine the magnitude of the second power to be supplied to the second battery based on the state information of the second battery (S330).

[0097] The first battery continuously generates a certain amount of power due to its chemical properties, and if this power is greater than the power required by at least one module, surplus power may be generated. Therefore, the electronic device (100) can utilize the surplus power to charge the second battery and / or charging element without wasting it.

[0098] For example, the electronic device (100) can charge the second battery (140) and / or charging element using the remaining surplus power, excluding the power consumed by at least one module (150) including a GPS module, a Bluetooth module, and a sensor module, from the power generated through the first battery (130).

[0099] If the status information of the second battery (140) satisfies a predetermined condition, it is determined that there is no need to charge the second battery (140), and the excess power can be stored in another component (e.g., a charging element (or a super capacitor)).

[0100] For example, the electronic device (100) can check state information including the State of Charge (SoC), State of Health (SoH), and temperature of the second battery, and determine whether to charge and the target of charging based on the result of the check. For example, if it is confirmed based on the state information that the SoC of the second battery is above a threshold SoC (e.g., 70%), the SoH is below a threshold SoH (e.g., 80%), or the temperature is outside the threshold temperature range (e.g., 10 to 40 degrees), the second power is not supplied to the second battery at all, and instead, the charging element can be charged using the second power.

[0101] Additionally or generally, the electronic device (100) can predict the operating state of at least one module corresponding to the current time based on pattern information of the electronic device (100) identified through at least one module (e.g., time-based location pattern of the electronic device (100), connection pattern between the electronic device (100) and an external device, and usage pattern of the electronic device (100)), and determine the magnitude of the first power and the second power based on the prediction result. In the following description of FIGS. 4 to 6, the power determination logic based on the prediction result will be described in detail later.

[0102]

[0103] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the operation of a power control method performed by an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0104] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) can perform the operations disclosed in FIG. 4. For example, at least some of the components included in the electronic device (100) (e.g., memory (110), processor (120), first battery (130), second battery (140) and at least one module (150) of FIG. 1) may be configured to perform the operations of FIG. 4.

[0105] In the following embodiments, the operations S410 to S430 may be performed sequentially, but are not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of each operation may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. Additionally, content corresponding to or overlapping with the above description in relation to FIG. 4 may be briefly explained or omitted.

[0106] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) can identify the time-series location pattern of the electronic device (100) through a GPS module (S410).

[0107] For example, the electronic device (100) can record the location of the electronic device (100) by time period based on location data obtained through a GPS module, and can identify a location pattern that appears repeatedly by analyzing the recording results. A location pattern refers to a tendency of a user carrying the electronic device (100) to be at a specific location at a specific time period, and for example, regular movement such as arriving at work around 8 a.m. every morning and returning home around 7 p.m. every evening may correspond to this.

[0108] For example, the electronic device (100) can learn these location patterns over a long period of time and use them as basic data to predict the likelihood of the user moving at a specific time in the future.

[0109] For example, if a user leaves home around 7:50 a.m. every weekday morning and arrives at work around 8:20 a.m., the electronic device (100) can identify a time-based location pattern such as “commute time = 7:50~8:20, departure = home, arrival = work” based on the operation log of the GPS module.

[0110] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) can determine the time difference from the current time point to the predicted time point of movement of the electronic device based on the time-based position pattern (S420).

[0111] For example, the electronic device (100) can identify the location where the electronic device (100) is located as an anchor point by applying a density-based clustering algorithm (e.g., DBSCAN) based on location data acquired through a GPS module. Subsequently, the electronic device (100) can define the time when movement between anchor points is detected as a movement event and identify the start time of each movement event as a movement prediction time. Here, the start time can be determined as the first timestamp at which the location of the electronic device (100) begins to move away from a predetermined distance (e.g., a radius of 50m) from the anchor point. The electronic device (100) can generate a repetitive movement pattern based on timestamps recorded by day of the week and time of day, and determine multiple movement prediction times based on the movement pattern. Among the multiple movement prediction times, the electronic device (100) can identify the time difference between the current time and one movement prediction time corresponding to the future closest to the current time.

[0112] For example, if the current time is 7:40 AM, the electronic device (100) can predict that the user will start moving from home to the company in about 10 minutes based on the time-based location pattern. In this case, the time difference may be 10 minutes.

[0113] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) can reduce the first power for the GPS module during a first time interval in which the time difference exceeds a first threshold time, and charge the charging element using the surplus power reduced (S430).

[0114] For example, the electronic device (100) may temporarily reduce the amount of first power to be supplied to the GPS module during the first time interval. That is, the electronic device (100) may prevent unnecessary power consumption by not maintaining the operating mode of the GPS module in a high-power mode (or high-period mode) during the time interval, but by increasing the sampling interval or switching to a low-power mode. Furthermore, the electronic device (100) may utilize the surplus power remaining from deciding not to supply to the GPS module to charge the second battery and / or charging element.

[0115] For example, the electronic device (100) can reduce the operation cycle of the GPS module after the first time interval. That is, when the time difference enters below the first threshold time, the electronic device (100) can increase the sampling frequency of the GPS module by gradually increasing the magnitude of the first power to be supplied to the GPS module. Through this, the electronic device (100) can automatically switch the GPS module to a precision tracking mode at the time when it is predicted that the user will start actual movement.

[0116] For example, based on the user's location pattern by time zone, the electronic device (100) can predict that the user will start moving from home to work at 8:00 AM. If the first threshold time corresponds to 15 minutes, all time zones prior to 7:45 AM can be defined as the first time zone. Accordingly, the electronic device (100) can reduce the first power to the GPS module and operate in low-power mode until 7:45 AM, and set the sampling interval to 1 minute or more. Along with this, the charging element and / or the second battery can be charged using the surplus power. Subsequently, when 7:45 AM arrives, the electronic device (100) can increase the magnitude of the first power to be supplied to the GPS module and the sampling frequency, and shorten the sampling cycle. At this time, the electronic device (100) can gradually increase the magnitude of the first power to be supplied to the GPS module from the first magnitude to the second magnitude. Additionally, when the time of movement prediction arrives, the electronic device (100) can drive the GPS module based on the first power corresponding to the second size and accurately track the commute route.

[0117]

[0118] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the operation of a power control method performed by an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0119] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) can perform the operations disclosed in FIG. 5. For example, at least some of the components included in the electronic device (100) (e.g., memory (110), processor (120), first battery (130), second battery (140) and at least one module (150) of FIG. 1) may be configured to perform the operations of FIG. 5.

[0120] In the following embodiments, the operations of S510 to S530 may be performed sequentially, but are not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of each operation may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. Additionally, content corresponding to or overlapping with the above description in relation to FIG. 5 may be briefly explained or omitted.

[0121] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) can identify a connection pattern between the electronic device and an external device through a Bluetooth module (S510).

[0122] For example, the electronic device (100) can identify a connection pattern between the electronic device (100) and an external device based on the connection history between the electronic device (100) and an external device over a predetermined past time interval (e.g., 2 weeks) through a Bluetooth module.

[0123] For example, the electronic device (100) can identify external device connection patterns, including the timing, frequency, duration, and list of preferred devices, by referring to past connection logs, user activity time zones, app execution history, etc., stored in memory.

[0124] For example, if a user has a habit of connecting the electronic device (100) to a smartwatch around 8 a.m. on weekdays, the electronic device (100) can analyze the connection logs from the previous two weeks to identify an external device connection pattern such as “connected to smartwatch between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. every day.”

[0125] For example, if a user has a habit of connecting the electronic device (100) to the vehicle Bluetooth audio during the evening commute (e.g., 6 PM to 7 PM), the electronic device (100) can analyze the connection logs from the previous two weeks to identify an external device connection pattern such as “connected to the vehicle Bluetooth audio between 6 PM and 7 PM every day.”

[0126] For example, if it is confirmed that the electronic device (100) is connected to a specific external device for more than n days during a predetermined time range (e.g., between 8:00 and 9:00 AM or between 6:00 and 7:00 PM), the electronic device (100) may determine the average time point of the said time range as the predicted time point when the electronic device (100) and the external device are expected to be connected.

[0127] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) can determine the time difference from the current time point to the predicted time point between the electronic device and the external device based on the connection pattern (S520).

[0128] For example, the electronic device (100) can dynamically adjust the power to be supplied to the Bluetooth module based on the time difference and predict in advance when the connection preparation should begin.

[0129] For example, if the electronic device (100) predicts that the current time is 7:55 AM and that a Bluetooth connection between the electronic device (100) and the vehicle Bluetooth audio is expected around 8:00 AM based on the external device connection pattern, it may determine that the time difference corresponds to 5 minutes. In this case, the electronic device (100) may determine that the time difference corresponds to a second threshold time (e.g., 5 minutes) or less and prepare to gradually switch from the Bluetooth module's operating mode low-power standby mode (or disabled mode) to an active mode.

[0130] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) can drive the Bluetooth module in Advertise mode based on a first power corresponding to a first size during a second time interval in which the time difference is less than or equal to a second threshold time (S530).

[0131] Advertise mode is a mode in which the electronic device (100) periodically sends out advertising packets to notify external devices of its presence, and consumes relatively lower power compared to Connection mode. Through this, the electronic device (100) can be prepared for external devices to access it before the predicted connection time, without consuming unnecessarily high power.

[0132] Afterward, when an external device (e.g., a vehicle Bluetooth audio) detects the electronic device (100) through Bluetooth Scan and pairing (or connection) is completed, the electronic device (100) switches the operation mode of the Bluetooth module from Advertise mode to Connection mode and can drive the Bluetooth module based on a first power corresponding to a second size higher than a first size.

[0133]

[0134] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the operation of a power control method performed by an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0135] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) can perform the operations disclosed in FIG. 6. For example, at least some of the components included in the electronic device (100) (e.g., memory (110), processor (120), first battery (130), second battery (140) and at least one module (150) of FIG. 1) may be configured to perform the operations of FIG. 6.

[0136] In the following embodiments, the operations of S610 to S630 may be performed sequentially, but are not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of each operation may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. Additionally, content corresponding to or overlapping with the above description in relation to FIG. 5 may be briefly explained or omitted.

[0137] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) can identify the usage pattern of the electronic device (100) by a user corresponding to the electronic device through a sensor module (S610).

[0138] For example, the electronic device (100) can identify the user's usage pattern of the electronic device (100) by using various sensor modules such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a proximity sensor, and an illuminance sensor.

[0139] For example, the usage pattern of the electronic device (100) can be identified by classifying it as an “active period” for periods during which continuous touch input is detected while the screen of the electronic device (100) is turned on (or a certain app is running) for a certain period of time or longer, and as a “dormant period” for periods during which the electronic device (100) is fixed on a desk or in a pocket and the screen remains off for a certain period of time or longer.

[0140] For example, the electronic device (100) can define the initial activity time interval and the sleep time interval as “07:00-23:00” and “23:00-07:00”, respectively, and then correct the activity time interval and the sleep time interval based on the usage pattern.

[0141] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) can distinguish and verify the active time period and the dormant time period based on the user's usage pattern (S620).

[0142] For example, the electronic device (100) can analyze the user usage pattern over time and divide multiple time intervals (e.g., 24 hours a day) into operating time intervals and resting time intervals.

[0143] For example, the operating time period of the electronic device (100) corresponds to a time period in which the electronic device (100) is primarily active to perform various functions such as screen display, communication, and sensor data collection, and the dormant time period may correspond to a time period in which the user does not use the electronic device (100) or the frequency of operation is less than a predetermined frequency, thereby minimizing the functional activity of the electronic device (100).

[0144] For example, the time period during which messenger, email, and calls are active (e.g., 07:00 to 23:00) can be defined as the active time period, and the remaining time period (e.g., 23:00 to 07:00) can be defined as the dormant time period.

[0145] According to one embodiment, if the current time is included in the sleep time interval, the electronic device (100) can reduce the first power for the sensor module and charge the charging element using the surplus power reduced (S630).

[0146] For example, if the electronic device (100) determines that the current time is a sleep time interval (e.g., 23:00 to 07:00), it can reduce the power supplied to the sensor module to minimize unnecessary power consumption. At this time, the sensor module may be switched to an event-based detection mode (e.g., activated only when movement occurs) or a low-period sampling mode.

[0147] Additionally or generally, depending on the user's settings, the electronic device (100) may cut off the first power to the sensor module entirely when the current time corresponds to a sleep time interval, and charge the charging element and / or the second battery based on the first power.

[0148]

[0149] The electronic device (100) according to the above-described embodiments may include a processor, memory for storing and executing program data, permanent storage such as a disk drive, a communication port for communicating with an external device, and user interface devices such as a touch panel, a key, an icon, etc. Methods implemented as software modules or algorithms may be stored on a computer-readable recording medium as computer-readable code or program instructions executable on the processor. Here, computer-readable recording media include magnetic storage media (e.g., ROM (read-only memory), floppy disk, hard disk, etc.) and optical reading media (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD: Digital Versatile Disc). Computer-readable recording media may be distributed across networked computer systems, allowing computer-readable code to be stored and executed in a distributed manner. The medium may be readable by a computer, stored in memory, and executed by a processor.

[0150] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be represented by functional block configurations and various processing steps. These functional blocks may be implemented by various numbers of hardware and / or software configurations that execute specific functions. For example, the embodiments may employ integrated circuit configurations such as memory, processing, logic, look-up tables, etc., which can execute various functions by the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices. Similar to how components may be implemented as software programming or software elements, the embodiments may be implemented in programming or scripting languages ​​such as C, C++, Java, assembler, etc., including various algorithms implemented as combinations of data structures, processes, routines, or other programming configurations. Functional aspects may be implemented as algorithms executed on one or more processors. Additionally, the embodiments may employ prior art for electronic configuration, signal processing, and / or data processing. Terms such as “mechanism,” “element,” “means,” and “configuration” may be used broadly and are not limited to mechanical and physical configurations. The above terms may include the meaning of a series of software processes (routines) in conjunction with processors, etc.

[0151] The aforementioned embodiments are merely examples, and other embodiments may be implemented within the scope of the claims set forth below.

Claims

1. In an electronic device, First battery; Second battery; At least one module electrically connected to the first battery; Memory for storing at least one instruction; and A processor driven by the second battery; comprising, When the above at least one instruction is executed by the processor, the electronic device: Check the operating status of at least one module mentioned above, and Based on the above operating state, the magnitude of the first power to be supplied to the at least one module from the power from the first battery is determined, and Based on the state information of the second battery, configured to determine the magnitude of the second power to be supplied to the second battery from the power, Electronic device.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above-mentioned first battery corresponds to a nuclear battery, and The above second battery corresponds to a lithium-ion battery, Electronic device.

3. In Paragraph 2, The above at least one module includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) module, and When the above at least one instruction is executed by the processor, the electronic device: Check the operation cycle of the above GPS module, and Configured to drive the GPS module based on the first power determined to be inversely proportional to the above operation cycle, Electronic device.

4. In Paragraph 2, The above at least one module includes a Bluetooth module, and When the above at least one instruction is executed by the processor, the electronic device: Check the operation mode of the above Bluetooth module, and When the above operation mode is Advertise mode, the Bluetooth module is driven based on the above first power, and When the above operation mode is Connection mode, the Bluetooth module is configured to drive based on the above third power, and The magnitude of the first power is smaller than the magnitude of the third power. Electronic device.

5. In Paragraph 2, When the above at least one instruction is executed by the processor, the electronic device: When the above at least one module is in an OFF state, the charging element is configured to charge the second battery or the first battery and the at least one module electrically connected to the first battery based on at least a portion of the first power. Electronic device.

6. In Paragraph 5, The above at least one module includes a sensor module, and When the above at least one instruction is executed by the processor, the electronic device: Based on the first power, the sensor module is driven in a first detection mode to acquire sensor data, and When a predetermined event is detected based on the sensor data, the sensor module is configured to operate in a second detection mode based on auxiliary power through the second battery along with the first power to acquire sensor data. Electronic device.

7. In Paragraph 6, The above first detection mode corresponds to a mode in which the sensor module operates at a first sampling period, and The second detection mode above corresponds to a mode in which the sensor module operates with a second sampling period shorter than the first sampling period, and is executed only when the SoC of the second battery is greater than or equal to a predetermined SoC. Electronic device.

8. In Paragraph 5, When the above at least one instruction is executed by the processor, the electronic device: Based on pattern information of the electronic device identified through at least one module, the operating state corresponding to the current time is predicted, and Configured to determine the magnitude of the first power or the second power based on the prediction result, Electronic device.

9. In Paragraph 8, The above pattern information includes the time-based location pattern of the electronic device, and When the above at least one instruction is executed by the processor, the electronic device: Based on the time-series location pattern of the electronic device identified through the GPS module among the at least one module, a predicted time of movement at which the electronic device is predicted to move is identified, and Check the time difference from the current point in time to the predicted movement point in time, and The above-mentioned time difference is configured to reduce the first power for the GPS module during a first time interval in which the above-mentioned time difference exceeds a first threshold time, and to charge the charging element using the surplus power reduced by the amount of reduction. Electronic device.

10. In Paragraph 8, The above pattern information includes a connection pattern between the electronic device and an external device, and When the above at least one instruction is executed by the processor, the electronic device: Based on the connection pattern between the electronic device and the external device identified through the Bluetooth module among the at least one module, a predicted time when the electronic device and the external device are expected to be connected from the current time is identified, and Check the time difference from the current point in time to the predicted point in time, and The Bluetooth module is configured to operate in Advertise mode based on the first power corresponding to the first size during a second time interval in which the above time difference is less than or equal to the second threshold time. Electronic device.

11. In Paragraph 8, The above pattern information includes the usage pattern of the electronic device, and When the above at least one instruction is executed by the processor, the electronic device: Based on the usage pattern of the electronic device identified through the sensor module among the at least one module, the active period and the dormant period are distinguished and confirmed, When the above current time is included in the above dormant time interval, the first power for the sensor module is reduced, and the charging element is charged using the surplus power reduced by the amount of surplus power, configured to Electronic device.

12. In Paragraph 8, When the above at least one instruction is executed by the processor, the electronic device: Checking the state information including at least one of the SoC (State of Charge), SoH (State of Health), or temperature of the second battery, and If it is confirmed that the above SoC is greater than or equal to the critical SoC, the above SoH is less than or equal to the critical SoH, or the above temperature has deviated from the critical temperature range, the charging element other than the second battery is configured to be charged using the above charging power. Electronic device.

13. In a power control method performed by an electronic device, An operation to check the operating status of at least one module electrically connected to the first battery; Based on the above operating state, an operation to determine the magnitude of the first power to be supplied to the at least one module from the power from the first battery; and An operation to determine the magnitude of the second power to be supplied to the second battery among the power, based on state information of the second battery distinguished from the first battery; comprising Power control method.

14. In Paragraph 13, The above-mentioned first battery corresponds to a nuclear battery, and The above second battery corresponds to a lithium-ion battery, Power control method.

15. A computer-readable medium storing a program for executing the method of paragraph 13 on a computer.

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