USB charging with separate controller bidirectional communication of charging capabilities

• US 10,014,703 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2014
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Tao, Zhang, Jiachuan, Mai, Junjie, Sun, Yingling
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIBENEDETTO, MICHAEL N
• Application Number:
  US14/562,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20160043586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 320103, 320137, 320107
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries

Abstract

USB charger apparatus and chargeable electronic devices are presented in which the device and charger use USB cable data lines to establish a bidirectional communications connection, and the charger provides charger capability information to a master controller of the electronic device via the communications connection. The device controller preferentially selects a fastest charging match between the charger capability information and device charging capability information, and sends configuration information through the communications connection to set the power supply level of the charger. The charger communicates power supply status information to the electronic device, and the device can reconfigure the charger power supply level accordingly.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a universal serial bus (USB) connector having a VBUS conductor, a DP conductor, a DN conductor, and a GND conductor;

a load coupled to the VBUS conductor and the GND conductor;

charger detection circuitry coupled to the VBUS conductor, the DP conductor and the DN conductor, the charger detection circuitry having a processor enable output, a controller enable output, and a switch control output;

first switch circuitry having a first terminal connected to the DP conductor, a control input connected to the switch control output, a processor terminal, and a controller terminal;

second switch circuitry having a first terminal connected to the DN conductor, a control input connected to the switch control output, a processor terminal, and a controller terminal;

a controller having a DP input connected to the controller terminal of the first switch circuitry, a DN input connected to the controller terminal of the second switch circuitry, a processor lead, and a controller enable input connected to the controller enable output, the controller including bidirectional digital communication circuitry for communicating over the DP and DN conductors when enabled by the controller enable output and being otherwise disabled; and

a processor having a DP input connected with the processor terminal of the first switch circuitry, a DN input connected to the processor terminal of the second switch circuitry, a processor enable input connected to the processor enable output, and a controller lead connected with the processer lead of the controller, the processor receiving charger capability information from the controller.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 in which the controller includes an I²C transceiver having a first input connected to the DP input, a second input connected to the DN input, an enable input connected to the controller enable input, and an information lead connected to the processor lead.

3. A Universal Serial Bus (USB) charger apparatus, comprising:

a USB connector including a VBUS conductor, a DP conductor, a DN conductor, and a GND conductor;

a power supply connected between the VBUS conductor and the GND conductor, and having a resistor array input;

a controller having a DP input connected to the DP conductor, a DN input connected to the DN conductor, and a resistor array control output, the controller including bidirectional digital communication circuitry for communicating over the DP and DN conductors; and

a resistor array having a resistor array control input connected to the resistor array control output, and a resistor array output connected to the resistor array input of the power supply.

4. The USB charger apparatus of claim 3 in which the controller is an I²C slave controller.

5. The USB charger apparatus of claim 3 in which the controller includes a variable resistor control output and including a variable resistor connected between the DP conductor and the DN conductor and having a control input connected to the variable resistor control output.

6. The USB charger apparatus of claim 3 including a low drop out supply connected to the VBUS conductor and having a supply lead connected to the controller.

7. A process of charging a universal serial bus device having a connector with a VBUS conductor, a DP conductor, a DN conductor, and a GND conductor, the process comprising:

(a) determining that a charger is connected to the connector with a charger detection circuit in the device connected to the VBUS conductor, the DP conductor, and the DN conductor;

(b) establishing a bidirectional digital communications connection with the connected charger via the DP and DN conductors, the establishing including switching the DP and DN conductors to a communications controller in the device and enabling the communications controller;

(c) receiving charger capability information from the charger in the communications controller in the device via the bidirectional digital communications connection on the DP and DN conductors;

(d) determining in processor circuitry in the device a match between the received charger capability information and device charging capability information stored in the device;

(e) configuring the charging capability of the charger via the communications connection to match the charging capability of the device;

(f) receiving charging power on the connector at the configured charging capability from the charger; and

(g) switching the DP and DN conductors from the communications controller to the processor circuitry and enabling the processor circuitry.

8. The process of claim 7 including:

(a) monitoring the DN and DP connectors for any communication of status changes from the charger; and

(b) reconfiguring the charger according to any received status changes from the charger.

9. The process of claim 7 in which the establishing includes establishing an I²C bidirectional digital communications connection.

13. The process of claim 7 in which the receiving charger capability information includes receiving voltage and current supply information.

10. A process of charging a universal serial bus device having a connector with a VBUS conductor, a DP conductor, a DN conductor, and a GND conductor, the process comprising:

(a) connecting a charger to the device via the connector;

(b) providing a default level of output power from a power supply in the charger to the device via the VBUS conductor and the GND conductor;

(c) establishing a bidirectional digital communications connection between a communications controller in the charger and the device via the DP and DN conductors;

(d) sending charger capability information to the device via the DP and DN conductors;

(e) receiving device charging capability information from the device in the charger via the bidirectional digital communications connection on the DP and DN conductors;

(f) configuring the charging capability of the charger via the communications connection to match the charging capability of the device; and

(g) sending charging power on the connector at the configured charging capability from the charger to the device.

11. The process of claim 10 including:

(a) monitoring the DN and DP connectors for any communication of status changes from the device; and

(b) reconfiguring the charger according to any received status changes from the device.

12. The process of claim 10 in which the establishing includes establishing an I2C bidirectional digital communications connection.

14. The process of claim 10 in which the sending charger capability information to the device includes sending voltage and current supply information.