Method and apparatus for displaying charging-state of battery of portable terminal

Abstract

A method and apparatus for displaying a battery charging-state is disclosed. The method comprises measuring the charged voltage of a battery unit, determining the charging stage of the measured charged voltage, and sequentially and cyclically displaying icons that indicate a charging stage.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for displaying a battery charging-state of a portable terminal, comprising:
 (a) measuring a charged voltage of a battery unit; 
 (b)determining a charging stage of the measured charged voltage; 
 (c) sequentially and cyclically displaying during a charging period a plurality of sequential icons that are sequentially displayed in a unique sequence of icons changing states during each respective level of charge as an indication of both: 
 (1) a specific stage of a level of charge in said battery unit from a charged state of each respective charging stage to a fully charged state, and (2) that the battery unit is currently undergoing a charging operation; 
 (d) repeating step (a) to step (c) until the battery unit is fully charged; 
 wherein each specific stage of the level of charge is displayed according to a pre-stored display sequence for the icons. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the steps of measuring, determining, and displaying are repeated until the battery unit is fully charged, wherein a single icon is steadily displayed. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining the charging stage is performed by using charging stage display information formed of different values of charging voltages that are matched with icon data associated with each of the charging stages. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the icon data comprises types and display sequence of icons to be displayed sequentially while recharging the battery, according to the charging stages. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of sequentially displaying icons serves to display the icons in sequence based on types and display sequence. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of sequentially displaying icons serves to display icons, distinguishing between a region of the icons indicating that a charging stage has been completed and another region indicating that charging is presently occurring. 
     
     
       7. A portable terminal comprising:
 a storage unit for storing charging stage display information where the charging stage of a voltage is associated with icon data; 
 a battery unit for accepting a charging voltage supplied from a power source and for converting the charged voltage into a digital signal; 
 a controller for determining icon data based on the stage of charging of the charged voltage; and 
 a display unit for displaying said icon data sequentially and repeatedly at each respective charging state during a charging period a plurality of sequential icons that are sequentially displayed in a unique sequence of icons changing states during each respective level of charge as an indication of both: 
 (1) a specific stage of a level of charge in said battery unit from an initial charged state of each respective charging stage to a fully charged state, and (2) that the battery unit is currently undergoing a charging operation; 
 wherein each specific stage of the level of charge is displayed according to a pre-stored display sequence for the icons. 
 
     
     
       8. The terminal of  claim 7 , wherein the controller comprises a charging stage determining unit. 
     
     
       9. The terminal of  claim 7 , wherein the controller displays icons, distinguishing between a region of the icons indicating that a charging stage has been completed and another region indicating that charging is presently occurring. 
     
     
       10. A portable terminal comprising:
 a battery unit receiving a charging voltage, 
 a charge determining unit measuring a level of voltage charge in said battery unit and determining an icon from a plurality of icons based on said measured level of voltage charge; and 
 a display unit sequentially displaying each of said plurality of icons beginning from said determined icon, excluding selected ones of said plurality of icons and repeatedly displaying each of said plurality of icons until the battery unit is fully charged; 
 wherein each specific stage of the level of charge is displayed according to a pre-stored display sequence for the icons that is a unique display sequence of icons changing states during each respective level of charge as an indication of both: 
 (1) a specific stage of a level of charge in said battery unit from an initial charged state of each respective charging stage to a fully charged state, and (2) that the battery unit is currently undergoing a charging operation. 
 
     
     
       11. The portable terminal of  claim 10 , wherein the charging determining unit comprises:
 a memory containing a plurality of progressively higher, non-overlapping, voltage ranges and icon information associated with each of said ranges. 
 
     
     
       12. The portable terminal of  claim 11 , wherein the step of determining an icon comprises:
 selecting one of said plurality of voltages ranges based on said measured voltage level; and 
 selecting an icon associated with the selected voltage range. 
 
     
     
       13. The portable terminal of  claim 11 , wherein the step of displaying further comprises the steps of:
 displaying each of said icons in a different color. 
 
     
     
       14. The portable terminal of  claim 10 , the charge determining unit further comprising:
 an analog-to-digital converter for converting said measured level of voltage to a digital signal. 
 
     
     
       15. The portable terminal of  claim 10 , wherein said icon display is held steady when a full level of charge is determined. 
     
     
       16. The portable terminal of  claim 11 , wherein said selected excluded icons are icons associated with voltage ranges lower than said measured voltage. 
     
     
       17. The portable terminal of  claim 11 , wherein each of said icons includes a plurality of sub-icons, wherein said sub-icons represent one of said plurality of voltage ranges. 
     
     
       18. A portable terminal comprising:
 a rechargeable battery unit receiving a charging voltage; 
 a controller for:
 (a)measuring a voltage charge in said battery unit; 
 (b)converting said measured voltage charge into a digital signal; 
 (c) determining an icon sequence based on said digital signal; and 
 (d) repeating step (a) to step (c) until the battery unit is fully charged; 
 
 a display unit for cyclically displaying said icon sequence corresponding to a pre-stored display sequence for the icons that is a unique display sequence of icons changing states during each respective level of charge as an indication of both: 
 (1) a specific stage of a level of charge in said battery unit from an initial charged state of each respective charging stage to a fully charged state, and (2) that the battery unit is currently undergoing a charging operation. 
 
     
     
       19. The terminal of  claim 18 , wherein said icon sequence is determined based on said measured signal is within one of a plurality of non-overlapping, progressive higher voltage ranges. 
     
     
       20. The terminal of  claim 19 , wherein the determination of an icon sequence is performed by comparing said digital signal value to a plurality of range values. 
     
     
       21. A method for displaying a charging status for a battery unit of an electronic device, comprising:
 (a) measuring, by a controller of the electronic device, a charged voltage of the battery unit;   (b) determining, by the controller, a charging stage of the electronic device based on the measured voltage;   (c) cyclically displaying each of a plurality of icons in a sequence ranging from the charging stage to a fully charged stage on a display unit of the electronic device during a charging operation; and   (d) repeating step (a) to step (c) until the battery unit is fully charged,   wherein the displaying each of the plurality of icons in sequence indicates (1) the charging stage and (2) the battery unit is undergoing the charging operation,   wherein, if the charging stage is changed during the charging operation, each of the plurality of icons is displayed in a sequence ranging from the changed charging stage to the fully charged stage on the display unit of the electronic device.    
     
     
       22. The method of claim 21, wherein a single icon corresponding to the fully charged stage is displayed if the battery unit is fully charged.  
     
     
       23. The method of claim 21, wherein the determining the charging stage is performed by the controller using charging stage information corresponding to the charged voltage.  
     
     
       24. The method of claim 23, wherein the each of the plurality of icons is displayed in a sequence during the charging operation based on the charging stage information.  
     
     
       25. The method of claim 24, wherein the charging stage information includes the plurality of icons and a display sequence for an icon.  
     
     
       26. The method of claim 21, wherein cyclically displaying icons includes distinguishing between a region of the icons indicating that a respective charging stage has been completed and another region of the icons indicating that charging is presently occurring.  
     
     
       27. An electronic device comprising:
 a battery unit;   a display unit configured to display a charging status for the battery unit of the electronic device;   a controller configured to (a) measure a charged voltage of the battery unit, (b) determine a charging stage of the electronic device based on the measured voltage, (c) control to display cyclically each of a plurality of icons in a sequence ranging from the charging stage to a fully charged stage on a display unit of the electronic device during a charging operation and (d) repeat step (a) to step (c) until the battery unit is fully charged,   wherein, if the charging stage is changed during the charging operation, each of the plurality of icons is displayed in a sequence ranging from the changed charging stage to the fully charged stage on the display unit of the electronic device.    
     
     
       28. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the controller comprises a charging stage determining unit.  
     
     
       29. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the controller controls to display cyclically icons to include distinguishing between a region of the icons indicating that a respective charging stage has been completed and another region of the icons indicating that charging is presently occurring.  
     
     
       30. A method for displaying a charging status for a battery unit of an electronic device, comprising:
 measuring by a controller of the electronic device a charged voltage of the battery unit;   cyclically displaying a plurality of icons individually in a first sequence corresponding to a first charging stage, a second charging stage and a fully charged stage on a display unit of the electronic device if a charged voltage measured by the controller corresponds to the first charging stage; and   cyclically displaying a portion of the plurality of icons individually in a second sequence corresponding to the second charging stage and the fully charged stage on the display unit if a charged voltage measured by the controller corresponds to the second charging stage,   wherein at least the portion of the plurality of icons are sequentially displayed to indicate that the battery unit is undergoing a charging operation, and   wherein, if the first charging stage is changed to the second charging stage during the charging operation, the portion of the plurality of icons in the second sequence corresponding to the second charging stage and the fully charged stage are cyclically displayed on the display unit individually.    
     
     
       31. The method of claim 30, wherein a measured voltage corresponding to the second charging stage is higher than a measured voltage corresponding to the first charging stage.  
     
     
       32. An electronic device comprising:
 a battery unit;   a display unit configured to display a charging status for the battery unit of the electronic device;   a controller configured to measure a charged voltage of the battery unit, control to display cyclically a plurality of icons individually in a first sequence corresponding to a first charging stage, a second charging stage and a fully charged stage on a display unit of the electronic device if a charged voltage measured by the controller corresponds to the first charging stage and control to display cyclically a portion of the plurality of icons individually in a second sequence corresponding to the second charging stage and the fully charged stage on the display unit if a charged voltage measured by the controller corresponds to the second charging stage,   wherein at least the portion of the plurality of icons are sequentially displayed to indicate that the battery unit is undergoing a charging operation, and   wherein, if the first charging stage is changed during the second charging stage during the charging operation, the portion of the plurality of icons in the second sequence corresponding to the second charging stage and the fully charged stage are cyclically displayed on the display unit individually.