Apparatus and method for supplying power in mobile terminal

1. An apparatus for supplying power in a mobile terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a battery;

a controller having a communication processor and an application processor;

a power management integration circuit of the application processor including a buck-boost converter for converting a battery voltage to output a specific voltage; and

a plurality of regulators configured to:

regulate the specific voltage output from the buck-boost converter to voltages of respective corresponding constituent elements, and

output the regulated voltages, the buck-boost converter operating in a buck mode when the battery voltage is greater than the specific voltage, and the buck-boost converter operating in a boost mode when the battery voltage is less than the specific voltage,

wherein the constituent elements include:

the controller configured to control an operation of the mobile terminal;

a touch panel configured to:

generate an input, and

provide the generated input signal to the controller; and

a display configured to display an operation of the mobile terminal under the control of the controller, and to which a voltage from the power management integration circuit is supplied.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the specific voltage is greater than a maximum operation voltage used from the constituent elements.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

confirm the mode of the buck-boost converter, and

display the boost mode on the display when the mode of the buck-boost converter is the boost mode.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the buck-boost converter comprises:

a buck converter including a resistive DC/DC voltage converter;

a boost converter including a boost DC/DC voltage converter; and

a selector configured to:

select the buck converter when the battery voltage is greater than an output voltage of the buck-boost converter to apply the battery voltage to the selected buck converter,

select the boost converter when the battery voltage is less than the output voltage of the buck-boost converter to apply the battery voltage to the selected boost converter, and

select both of the buck converter and the boost converter when the battery voltage is at a threshold voltage of the output voltage of the buck-boost converter to apply the battery voltage to the selected buck and boost converters.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the buck-boost converter comprises:

a buck converter including a resistive DC/DC voltage converter;

a boost converter including a boost DC/DC voltage converter; and

a selector configured to:

select the buck converter when the battery voltage is greater than an output voltage of the buck-boost converter and apply the battery voltage to the selected buck converter,

select the boost converter when the battery voltage is less than the output voltage of the buck-boost converter and apply the battery voltage to the selected boost converter, and

directly apply the battery voltage to the regulators when the battery voltage is at a threshold voltage of the output voltage of the buck-boost converter.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the battery comprises a silicon based battery.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 ,

wherein the specific voltage is set to a voltage between 3.3V and 3.5V, and

wherein the regulators generate voltages between 2.2V and 3.3V.

8. An apparatus for supplying power in a mobile terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a battery;

a controller having a communication processor and an application processor;

a power management integration circuit of the application processor including a plurality of buck-boost converters configured to:

convert a battery voltage into specific voltages having different values, and

output the converted specific voltages to respective corresponding constituent elements, the buck-boost converters operating in a buck mode when the battery voltage is greater than the specific voltages, and the buck-boost converters operating in a boost mode when the battery voltage is less than the specific voltages;

the controller configured to control an operation of the mobile terminal;

a touch panel configured to:

generate an input, and

provide the generated input signal to the controller; and

a display configured to display an operation of the mobile terminal under the control of the controller, and to which a voltage from the power management integration circuit is supplied.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

confirm modes of the buck-boost converters, and

limit a corresponding function of the mobile terminal according to an output voltage of the buck-boost converter operating in the boost mode.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the buck-boost converter comprises:

a buck converter including a resistive DC/DC voltage converter;

a boost converter including a boost DC/DC voltage converter; and

a selector configured to:

select the buck converter when the battery voltage is greater than an output voltage of the buck-boost converter and g the battery voltage to the selected buck converter,

select the boost converter when the battery voltage is less than the output voltage of the buck-boost converter and apply the battery voltage to the selected boost converter, and

select both of the buck converter and the boost converter when the battery voltage is at a threshold voltage of the output voltage of the buck-boost converter and apply the battery voltage to the selected buck and boost converters.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the buck-boost converter comprises:

a buck converter including a resistive DC/DC voltage converter;

a boost converter including a boost DC/DC voltage converter; and

a selector configured to:

select the buck converter when the battery voltage is greater than an output voltage of the buck-boost converter and apply the battery voltage to the selected buck converter,

select the boost converter when the battery voltage is less than the output voltage of the buck-boost converter and apply the battery voltage to the selected boost converter, and

directly apply the battery voltage to the regulators when the battery voltage is at a threshold voltage of the output voltage of the buck-boost converter.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the battery comprises a silicon based battery.

13. An apparatus for supplying power in a mobile terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a controller having a communication processor and an application processor;

a touch panel configured to generate and provide an input signal to the controller;

a display configured to display an operation of the mobile terminal under control of the controller;

a battery; and

a power management integration circuit including:

a power management integration circuit of the communication processor; and

a power management integration circuit of the application processor configured to supply a voltage to the constituent elements, the power management integration circuit of the application processor including:

a buck-boost converter configured to:

convert a battery voltage, and

output a specific voltage, and

a plurality of regulators configured to:

regulate the specific voltage output from the buck-boost converter to voltages of respective corresponding constituent elements, and

output the regulated voltages,

wherein the buck-boost converter is configured to operate in a buck mode when the battery voltage is greater than the specific voltage, and

wherein the buck-boost converter is configured to operate in a boost mode when the battery voltage is less than the specific voltage.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the power management integration circuit comprises:

a power controller configured to:

detect a battery voltage,

output a buck mode control signal when the battery voltage is greater than a preset voltage, and

output a boost mode control signal when the battery voltage is less than the preset voltage;

an application processor power management integration circuit including:

a buck-boost converter, and

a plurality of regulators connected to the buck-boost converter, the buck-boost converter configured to operate in a buck mode or a boost mode to output the battery voltage as a specific voltage according to a mode control signal from the power controller, and the plurality of regulators configured to:

regulate specific voltages of the buck-boost converter to voltages of the respective corresponding constituent elements, and

output the regulated voltages to constituent elements operated under control of the application processor; and

a communication processor power management integration circuit configured to:

convert the battery voltage into a preset voltage, and

output the converted voltage to constituent elements operated under control of the communication processor.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the power controller is further configured to confirm a mode of the buck-boost converter and generate an alarm when a low voltage of the battery is in the boost mode.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the battery comprises a silicon based battery.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the buck-boost converter of the application processor power management integration circuit comprises:

a buck converter including a resistive DC/DC voltage converter;

a boost converter including a boost DC/DC voltage converter; and

a selector configured to:

apply the battery voltage to a buck converter when the power controller outputs the buck mode control signal,

output the battery voltage to a boost converter when the power controller outputs the boost mode control signal, and

directly apply the battery voltage to the regulators when the power controller generates a buck-boost mode control signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein a buck-boost converter of the application processor power management integration circuit comprises:

a buck converter including a resistive DC/DC voltage converter;

a boost converter including a boost DC/DC voltage converter; and

a selector configured to:

apply the battery voltage to a buck converter when the power controller outputs the buck mode control signal,

output the battery voltage to a boost converter when the power controller outputs the boost mode control signal, and

apply the battery voltage to the buck converter and the boost converter when the power controller generates a buck-boost mode control signal.

19. A method of supplying power in a portable terminal including a battery, the method comprising:

inspecting a battery voltage;

operating the mobile terminal in a buck mode when the battery voltage is greater than an output voltage of a buck-boost converter to output a preset voltage;

operating the mobile terminal in a boost mode to output a preset voltage when the battery voltage is less than the output voltage of a buck-boost converter;

operating the mobile terminal in a buck-boost mode when the battery voltage is at a threshold voltage of the output voltage of the buck-boost converter; and

regulating the output preset voltage to an operation voltage of a corresponding constituent element to supply operation power.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the operating of the mobile terminal comprises:

applying the battery voltage to a buck converter when a buck mode control signal is output so that the battery voltage is converted;

applying the battery voltage to a boost converter when a boost mode control signal is output so that the battery voltage is converted; and

applying the battery voltage to the buck converter and the boost converter when a buck-boost mode control signal is output so that the battery voltage is converted.