Electronic device, charger within the electronic device, and detecting method for detecting abnormal status of connector of electronic device

• US 10,181,742 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2016
• Issued: 01/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Inventors: Hsu, Chih-Yuan, Kuo, Yu-Yuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Pelton, Nathaniel
• Application Number:
  US15/006,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20160336761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• Field of Search: 320162
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits

Abstract

An electronic device including a connector and a charger is provided. The connector is arranged for coupling to a power supply external to the electronic device, wherein the power supply is arranged to provide a supply voltage to the electronic device to charge a battery of the electronic device. The charger is coupled to the connector and selectively operated in a normal mode or a self-test mode, wherein when the charger operates in the normal mode, the charger is arranged for receiving the supply voltage via a power pin of the connector to charge the battery of the electronic device; and when the charger operates in the self-test mode, the charger provides a specific voltage to the power pin of the connector.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a connector, arranged for coupling to a power supply external to the electronic device, wherein the power supply is arranged to provide a supply voltage to the electronic device to charge a battery of the electronic device; and

a charger, coupled to the connector and selectively operated in a normal mode or a self-test mode, wherein when the charger operates in the normal mode, the charger is arranged for receiving the supply voltage via a power pin of the connector to charge the battery of the electronic device; and

when the charger operates in the self-test mode, the charger provides a specific voltage to the power pin of the connector.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the charger is allowed to operate in the self-test mode no matter whether the connector is coupled to the power supply or not.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the specific voltage is greater than the supply voltage provided by the power supply.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a resistor, coupled between the charger and the connector; and

a current detector, wherein when the charger operates in the self-test mode and provides the specific voltage to the power pin of the connector, the current detector detects a current flowing through the resistor to generate a detecting result.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein when the current flowing through the resistor is lower than a threshold, the charger switches from the self-test mode to the normal mode;

and when the current flowing through the resistor is greater than the threshold, the current detector notifies a controller of the electronic device to show a warning message, noise, or vibration or to notify the power supply to disable the supply voltage or reduce an output current.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a voltage detector, for detecting a voltage of a non-power pin of the connector to generate a detecting result;

wherein when the voltage of the non-power pin is greater than a threshold, the voltage detector notifies a controller of the electronic device to show a warning message, noise, or vibration or to notify the power supply to disable or reduce the supply voltage or an output current.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a transistor, having a gate electrode, a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the gate electrode is controlled by a control signal provided by the charger, the first electrode is coupled to a ground pin of the connector, and the second electrode is coupled to a ground of the electronic device; and

a resistor, coupled between the ground pin of the connector and the ground of the electronic device.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein a default status of the transistor is off, and the electronic device further comprises:

a voltage detector, for detecting a voltage of a non-power pin of the connector to generate a detecting result;

wherein when the voltage of the non-power pin is greater than a threshold, the voltage detector notifies a controller of the electronic device to show a warning message, noise, or vibration or to notify the power supply to disable or reduce the supply voltage or an output current; and

when the voltage of the non-power pin is less than a threshold, the charger sends the control signal to turn on the transistor.

9. A charger, arranged to be positioned in an electronic device and coupled to a connector of the electronic device, wherein the connector is arranged for coupling to a power supply external to the electronic device, and the charger is selectively operated in a normal mode or a self-test mode;

wherein when the charger operates in the normal mode, the charger is arranged for receiving a supply voltage from the power supply via a power pin of the connector to charge a battery of the electronic device; and

when the charger operates in the self-test mode, the charger provides a specific voltage to the power pin of the connector.

10. The charger of claim 9, wherein the charger is allowed to operate in the self-test mode no matter whether the connector is coupled to the power supply or not.

11. The charger of claim 9, wherein the specific voltage is greater than the supply voltage provided by the power supply.

12. The charger of claim 9, further comprising:

a voltage detector, for detecting a voltage of a non-power pin of the connector to generate a detecting result;

wherein when the voltage of the non-power pin is greater than a threshold, the voltage detector notifies a controller of the electronic device to show a warning message, noise, or vibration or to notify the power supply to disable or reduce the supply voltage or an output current.

13. A detecting method of an electronic device, wherein the electronic device comprises a connector arranged for coupling to a power supply external to the electronic device, wherein the power supply is arranged to provide a supply voltage to the electronic device to charge a battery of the electronic device, and the detecting method comprises:

operating in a self-test mode and providing a specific voltage from a charger within the electronic device to the power pin of the connector; and

detecting a voltage or a current of the connector to generate a detecting result when the specific voltage is provided to the power pin of the connector.

14. The detecting method of claim 13, wherein the self-test mode is allowed to be operated no matter whether the connector is coupled to the power supply or not.

15. The detecting method of claim 13, wherein the specific voltage is greater than the supply voltage provided by the power supply.

16. The detecting method of claim 13, wherein the electronic device further comprises a resistor coupled between the charger and the connector, and the step of generating the detecting result comprises:

detecting a current flowing through the resistor to generate the detecting result; and

when the current flowing through the resistor is greater than a threshold, notifying a controller of the electronic device to show a warning message, noise, or vibration or to notify the power supply to disable or reduce the supply voltage or an output current.

17. The detecting method of claim 13, wherein the step of generating the detecting result comprises:

detecting a voltage of a non-power pin of the connector to generate the detecting result; and

when the voltage of the non-power pin is greater than a threshold, notifying a processor of the electronic device to show a warning message, noise, or vibration or to notify the power supply to disable the supply voltage or reduce an output current.

18. An electronic device, comprising:

a connector, arranged for coupling to a power supply external to the electronic device, wherein the power supply is arranged to provide a supply voltage to the electronic device to charge a battery of the electronic device;

a charger, coupled to the connector, for receiving the supply voltage to charge the battery;

a transistor, having a gate electrode, a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the gate electrode is controlled by a control signal provided by the charger, the first electrode is coupled to a ground pin of the connector, and the second electrode is coupled to a ground of the electronic device; and

a resistor, coupled between the ground pin of the connector and the ground of the electronic device.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein a default status of the transistor is off, and the electronic device further comprises:

a voltage detector, for detecting a voltage of a non-power pin of the connector to generate a detecting result;

wherein when the voltage of the non-power pin is greater than a threshold, the voltage detector notifies a controller of the electronic device to show a warning message, noise, or vibration or to notify the power supply to disable the supply voltage or reduce an output current; and

when the voltage of the non-power pin is less than a threshold, the charger sends the control signal to turn on the transistor.