Systems and methods for simultaneously charging a battery with multiple power sources

• US 10,069,319 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2016
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Greening, Thomas C., Hasan, Kamran M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Doan, Nghia
• Application Number:
  US15/083,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20170264122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 320138-140, 320160-162
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule

Abstract

Systems and methods for power management are disclosed herein. In one disclosed embodiment, a battery charging system includes a battery charger for simultaneously charging a battery (and/or providing power to a system load) with multiple power sources, using a closed-loop charging servo target based on measurements taken by one or more gauges. In some embodiments, the multiple power sources may be utilized simultaneously according to a charging profile that specifies, e.g., one or more battery charging parameters, as well as according to determined priority levels for one or more of the multiple power sources coupled to the battery. In some embodiments, the priority level of a given power source is not fixed; rather, the priority level for the given power source may change based upon the characteristics of the given power source. In some embodiments, the priority levels for the multiple power sources are implemented using cascaded voltage target values.

Claims

1. A battery charging system, comprising:

a controller configured to couple to a battery gauge of a battery and a plurality of power converters, so as to supply power to a terminal of the battery,

wherein the controller is configured to;

assign a priority level to each of the plurality of power converters, and

repeatedly update a servo target at a first rate in accordance with a first feedback control loop process that is based on a comparison between one or more profile target values of a charging profile and one or more battery metrics,

wherein the one or more battery metrics are measured by the battery gauge,

wherein the plurality of converters are configured to simultaneously charge the battery, in accordance with their respective assigned priority level and the servo target.

2. The battery charging system of claim 1, further comprising the battery gauge, wherein the battery gauge is coupled with one or more sensors in the battery, and at least one of the one or more battery metrics is based on at least one of a battery current or a battery voltage measured by the one or more sensors.

3. The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to set a target value for each of the plurality of power converters based, at least in part, on the servo target.

4. The battery charging system of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to set the target value of the power converter having the highest assigned priority level to the value of the servo target.

5. The battery charging system of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to set decreasing target values for each of the plurality of power converters in decreasing order of assigned priority level.

6. The battery charging system of claim 5, wherein the target value for a given power converter is set to the target value of the power converter having an immediately higher priority level minus a difference offset amount.

7. The battery charging system of claim 6, wherein the difference offset amount is determined based, at least in part, on an accuracy of the given power converter and the power converter having the immediately higher priority level.

8. The battery charging system of claim 6, wherein the difference offset amount is not fixed for each of the plurality of power converters.

9. The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the assigned priority level of a power converter is based, at least in part, on a characteristic of a power supply coupled to the power converter.

10. The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the assigned priority level of a power converter is not fixed.

11. The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to hold the servo target at a fixed value when each of the plurality of power converters is limited by at least one of:

a battery rail voltage, an input voltage of the given power converter, an input current of the given power converter, a die thermal limit, or a duty cycle of the given power converter.

12. The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of power converters comprises a uni-directional power converter.

13. The battery charging system of claim 1, further comprising a charging profile selector, wherein the charging profile selector is configured to update the one or more profile target values of the charging profile based on the one or more battery metrics measured by the battery gauge.

14. A method performed by a battery charging system, comprising:

assigning a priority level to a plurality of power converters;

measuring, by a battery gauge of a battery, one or more battery metrics of the battery;

repeatedly updating a servo target at a first rate, in accordance with a first feedback control loop process that is based, at least in part, on a comparison between one or more profile target values of a charging profile and the one or more battery metrics; and

repeatedly adjusting the plurality of power converters that supply power to a terminal of the battery,

wherein the plurality of power converters are configured to simultaneously charge the battery, in accordance with their respective assigned priority level and the servo target.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

comparing the one or more battery metrics to the corresponding profile target values of the charging profile to determine a minimum error, and

updating the servo target based on the minimum error, in accordance with the first feedback control loop process.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein configuring the plurality of power converters further comprises:

setting a target value of the power converter having the highest assigned priority level to the value of the servo target; and

setting decreasing target values for each of the plurality of power converters in decreasing order of assigned priority level.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

adjusting the assigned priority level of at least one of the plurality of power converters.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

holding the servo target at a fixed value when each of the plurality of power converters is limited by at least one of;

a battery rail voltage, an input voltage of the given power converter, an input current of the given power converter, a die thermal limit, or a duty cycle of the given power converter.

19. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a battery; and

a controller, wherein the controller is configured to;

couple to a battery gauge, wherein the battery gauge is configured to measure one or more battery metrics of the battery;

couple to a plurality of power converters, wherein the plurality of power converters are configured to supply power to a terminal of the battery;

assign a priority level to each of the plurality of power converters; and

repeatedly update a servo target of a first feedback control loop at a first rate, based on a comparison between a charging profile and the one or more battery metrics determined by the battery gauge,

wherein the plurality of converters are configured to simultaneously charge the battery, in accordance with their respective assigned priority level and the servo target.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 19, wherein the controller is further configured to set a target value for each of the plurality of power converters based, at least in part, on the servo target.

21. The portable electronic device of claim 20, wherein the controller is further configured to set the target value of the power converter having the highest assigned priority level to the value of the servo target.

22. The portable electronic device of claim 20, wherein the controller is further configured to set decreasing target values for each of the plurality of power converters in decreasing order of assigned priority level.

23. The portable electronic device of claim 22, wherein the target value for a given power converter is set to the target value of the power converter having an immediately higher priority level minus a difference offset amount.

24. The portable electronic device of claim 23, wherein the difference offset amount is determined based, at least in part, on an accuracy of the given power converter and the power converter having the immediately higher priority level.

25. The portable electronic device of claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of power converters comprises a uni-directional power converter.

26. The portable electronic device of claim 19, wherein the assigned priority level of a power converter is based, at least in part, on a characteristic of a power supply coupled to the power converter.