Systems and methods for bidirectional two-port battery charging with boost functionality

• US 10,097,017 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2016
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Greening, Thomas C., Hasan, Kamran M., Wong, Edrick C. G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Memula, Suresh
• Application Number:
  US15/051,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20160380455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 320114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/082 Plural DC voltage, e.g. DC supply voltage with at least two different DC voltage levels
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/008 Plural converter units for generating at two or more independent and non-parallel outputs, e.g. systems with plural point of load switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/009 having two or more independently controlled outputs for DC-DC converter with intermediate AC H02M3/33561
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/10 Arrangements incorporating converting means for enabling loads to be operated at will from different kinds of power supplies, e.g. from ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1582 Buck-boost converters H02M3/1584 takes precedence

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments provide a charging system for a portable electronic device. The charging system includes a first bidirectional switching converter connected to a first power port of the portable electronic device, a low-voltage subsystem in the portable electronic device, and a high-voltage subsystem in the portable electronic device and a second bidirectional switching converter connected to a second power port of the portable electronic device, the low-voltage subsystem, and the high-voltage subsystem. The charging system also includes a control circuit that operates the first and second bidirectional switching converters to provide and receive power through the first and second power ports and convert an input voltage received through the first or second power port into a set of output voltages for charging an internal battery in the portable electronic device and powering the low-voltage subsystem and the high-voltage subsystem.

Claims

1. A charging system for a portable electronic device, comprising:

a first bidirectional switching converter connected to each of a first bidirectional power port of the portable electronic device, a low-voltage subsystem in the portable electronic device, and a high-voltage subsystem in the portable electronic device;

a second bidirectional switching converter connected to each of a second bidirectional power port of the portable electronic device, the low-voltage subsystem, and the high-voltage subsystem;

an internal battery connected to the low-voltage subsystem; and

a control circuit configured to operate one of the first and second bidirectional switching converters to distribute power between the high-voltage subsystem, the low-voltage subsystem, the first and second bidirectional power ports and the internal battery.

2. The charging system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second bidirectional switching converters is a single-input dual-output (SIDO) boost converter.

3. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

operate the first and second bidirectional switching converters based at least in part on a coupling of a power source, an external accessory, or an external battery to at least one of the first or second bidirectional power ports; and

operate the first and second bidirectional switching converters based on a state of the internal battery.

4. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

configure a set of switches in the first bidirectional switching converter to switch between up-converting power from the low-voltage subsystem to the high-voltage subsystem and up-converting power from the low-voltage subsystem to one of the first and second bidirectional power ports using a common inductor or mutually coupled inductors.

5. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

configure a set of switches in one of the first and second bidirectional switching converters connected to one of the first and second bidirectional power ports in the portable electronic device to;

up-convert power from one of the first and second bidirectional power ports to the low-voltage subsystem; and

using a common inductor or coupled inductors, up-convert power from the low-voltage subsystem to the high-voltage subsystem.

6. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

during a low-voltage state or an under-voltage state of the internal battery and a coupling of an external battery to the first power port;

operate the first bidirectional switching converter to down-convert power from the external battery to the low-voltage subsystem; and

operate the second bidirectional switching converter to up-convert power from the low-voltage subsystem to the high-voltage subsystem.

7. The charging system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second bidirectional switching converters is a single-input dual-output (SIDO) buck-boost converter.

8. The charging system of claim 7, wherein the SIDO buck-boost converter is configured to distribute current in either direction between the low-voltage subsystem and the first and second bidirectional power ports.

9. The charging system of claim 8, wherein the state of the internal battery is at least one of a high-voltage state, a low-voltage state, and an under-voltage state.

10. The charging system of claim 7, wherein the SIDO buck-boost converter is configured to prioritize the distribution of power between the high-voltage subsystem, the low-voltage subsystem, and the first and second bidirectional power ports when the voltage of the first and second bidirectional power ports is higher or lower than the voltage of the low-voltage subsystem.

11. The charging system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second bidirectional switching converters is a dual output SEPIC converter.

12. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to operate the first bidirectional switching converter to up-convert power from the low-voltage subsystem to the high-voltage subsystem with no power coming in or out of the first bidirectional power port.

13. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to operate the first bidirectional switching converter to up-convert power from a power source or an external battery connected to the first bidirectional power port to the low-voltage subsystem using an inductor or coupled inductors.

14. The charging system of claim 13, wherein the control circuit is further configured to operate the first bidirectional switching converter to up-convert power from the power source or the external battery connected to the first bidirectional power port to the high voltage subsystem using the inductor or coupled inductors.

15. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to operate the first bidirectional switching converter to down-convert power from a power source or an external battery connected to the first bidirectional power port to the low-voltage subsystem and up-convert power from the power source or the external battery connected to the first bidirectional power port to the high-voltage subsystem using a common inductor or coupled inductors.

16. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to operate the first bidirectional switching converter to up-convert power from the low-voltage subsystem to the high voltage sub-system and down-convert power from the low-voltage subsystem to an external accessory coupled to the first bidirectional power port using a common inductor or coupled inductors.

17. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to operate the first bidirectional switching converter to up-convert power from the low-voltage subsystem to the high-voltage subsystem and up-convert power from the low-voltage subsystem to an external accessory coupled to the first bidirectional power port using a common inductor or coupled inductors.

18. A method for managing power use in a portable electronic device having first and second bidirectional power ports, first and second bidirectional power converters respectively coupled to the first and second bidirectional power ports, and a low voltage subsystem, a high voltage subsystem, and an internal battery coupled to each of the first and second bidirectional switching converters, the method comprising:

controlling the first and second bidirectional switching converters to distribute power among the low-voltage subsystem, the high-voltage subsystem, and the first and second bidirectional power ports responsive to a determination whether each of the first and second bidirectional power ports is coupled to an external power source, an external battery, or an external accessory and one or more voltages selected from a group consisting of;

a voltage of the external power source, a voltage of the external battery, a voltage of the low-voltage subsystem, a voltage of the high-voltage subsystem, and a voltage of the internal battery.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising configuring at least one of the first and second bidirectional switching converters to switch between up-converting power from the low-voltage subsystem to the high-voltage subsystem and up-converting power from the low-voltage subsystem to one of the first and second bidirectional power ports using a common inductor or mutually coupled inductors.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising operating at least one of the first and second bidirectional switching converters to:

up-convert power from one of the first and second bidirectional power ports to the low-voltage subsystem; and

using a common inductor or coupled inductors, up-convert power from the low-voltage subsystem to the high-voltage subsystem.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the distributing of power further comprises prioritizing up-converting power from the low-voltage subsystem to the high-voltage subsystem over down-converting of the input voltage to the low-voltage subsystem.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein controlling the first and second bidirectional switching converters to distribute power among the low-voltage subsystem, the high-voltage subsystem, and the first and second bidirectional power ports further comprises operating the first bidirectional switching converter to up-convert power from the low-voltage subsystem to the high-voltage subsystem with no power coming in or out of the first bidirectional power port.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein controlling the first and second bidirectional switching converters to distribute power among the low-voltage subsystem, the high-voltage subsystem, and the first and second bidirectional power ports further comprises operating the first bidirectional switching converter to up-convert power from a power source or an external battery connected to the first bidirectional power port to the low-voltage subsystem using an inductor or coupled inductors.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein controlling the first and second bidirectional switching converters to distribute power among the low-voltage subsystem, the high-voltage subsystem, and the first and second bidirectional power ports further comprises operating the first bidirectional switching converter to up-convert power from the power source or the external battery connected to the first bidirectional power port to the high-voltage subsystem using the inductor or coupled inductors.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein controlling the first and second bidirectional switching converters to distribute power among the low-voltage subsystem, the high-voltage subsystem, and the first and second bidirectional power ports further comprises operating the first bidirectional switching converter to down-convert power from a power source or an external battery connected to the first bidirectional power port to the low-voltage subsystem and up-convert power from the power source or the external battery connected to the first bidirectional power port to the high-voltage subsystem using a common inductor or coupled inductors.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein controlling the first and second bidirectional switching converters to distribute power among the low-voltage subsystem, the high-voltage subsystem, and the first and second bidirectional power ports further comprises operating the first bidirectional switching converter to up-convert power from the low-voltage subsystem to the high-voltage subsystem and down-convert power from the low-voltage subsystem to an external accessory coupled to the first bidirectional power port using a common inductor or coupled inductors.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein controlling the first and second bidirectional switching converters to distribute power among the low-voltage subsystem, the high-voltage subsystem, and the first and second bidirectional power ports further comprises operating the first bidirectional switching converter to up-convert power from the low-voltage subsystem to the high-voltage subsystem and up-convert power from the low-voltage subsystem to an external accessory coupled to the first bidirectional power port using a common inductor or coupled inductors.