Charging circuit for battery-powered device

• US 10,250,059 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2016
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Aldehayyat, Yazan, Reyes, Ricardo Marquez, Shah, Manish K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rossoshek, Helen
• Application Number:
  US15/269,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20180083470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• 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 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1582 Buck-boost converters H02M3/1584 takes precedence

Abstract

A charging circuit comprises a power node electrically connectable to a power supply unit, a battery node electrically connectable to a battery, a device node electrically connected to a device load, a reversible buck-boost converter operatively intermediate the power node and the battery node, a first switch operatively intermediate the power node and the device node, a second switch operatively intermediate the battery node and the device node; and logic operatively connected to the first switch, the second switch, and the reversible buck-boost converter. The logic is configured to operate the first switch, the second switch, and the reversible buck-boost converter based on a plurality of different conditions.

Claims

1. A charging circuit, comprising:

a power node electrically connectable to a power supply unit;

a battery node electrically connectable to a battery;

a device node electrically connected to a device load;

a reversible buck-boost converter operatively intermediate the power node and the battery node;

a first switch operatively intermediate the power node and the device node;

a second switch operatively intermediate the battery node and the device node, such that electrical current from the battery node does not flow to the device node without passing through the reversible buck-boost converter when the second switch is turned off; and

logic operatively connected to the first switch, the second switch, and the reversible buck-boost converter, the logic configured to;

based on first conditions, turn on the first switch, turn off the second switch, and operate the reversible buck-boost converter in a forward buck mode;

based on second conditions, turn on the first switch, turn off the second switch, and operate the reversible buck-boost converter in a reverse boost mode;

based on third conditions, turn on the first switch, turn off the second switch, and operate the reversible buck-boost converter in a forward boost mode;

based on fourth conditions, turn on the first switch, turn off the second switch, and operate the reversible buck-boost converter in a reverse buck mode; and

based on fifth conditions, turn off the first switch, turn on the second switch, and turn off the reversible buck-boost converter.

2. The charging circuit of claim 1, wherein the first conditions include a voltage at the power node from the power supply unit being greater than a voltage of the battery and a power requirement of the device load being less than a power capability of the power supply unit.

3. The charging circuit of claim 1, wherein the second conditions include a voltage at the power node from the power supply unit being greater than a voltage of the battery and a power requirement of the device load being greater than a power capability of the power supply unit.

4. The charging circuit of claim 1, wherein the third conditions include a voltage at the power node from the power supply unit being less than a voltage of the battery and a power requirement of the device load being less than a power capability of the power supply unit.

5. The charging circuit of claim 1, wherein the fourth conditions include a voltage at the power node from the power supply unit being less than a voltage of the battery and a power requirement of the device load being greater than a power capability of the power supply unit.

6. The charging circuit of claim 1, wherein the fifth conditions include the power supply unit being disconnected from the power node.

7. The charging circuit of claim 1, wherein, based on sixth conditions, the logic is further configured to turn off the first switch, turn on the second switch, and operate the reversible buck-boost converter in the forward boost mode.

8. The charging circuit of claim 7, wherein the sixth conditions include a voltage at the power node from the power supply unit being less than a voltage threshold of the device load and a power requirement of the device load being less than a power capability of the power supply unit.

9. The charging circuit of claim 8, wherein the battery is charged with power during the sixths conditions.

10. The charging circuit of claim 1, wherein, based on seventh conditions, the logic is further configured to turn off the first switch, turn on the second switch, and operate the reversible buck-boost converter in the forward boost mode, and wherein the seventh conditions include a voltage at the power node from the power supply unit being less than a voltage threshold of the device load and a power requirement of the device load being greater than a power capability of the power supply unit.

11. The charging circuit of claim 10, wherein, the battery discharges power during the seventh conditions.

12. The charging circuit of claim 1, wherein the power node is electrically connected to a power interface.

13. The charging circuit of claim 12, wherein the power interface includes a universal serial bus connector.

14. The charging circuit of claim 1, wherein the first switch and the second switch include MOSFETs.

15. The charging circuit of claim 1, wherein the reversible buck-boost converter includes an inductor operatively intermediate a first pair of transistors and a second pair of transistors.

16. An electronic device, comprising:

a power interface configured to receive power from a power supply unit;

a battery;

a reversible buck-boost converter operatively intermediate the power interface and the battery;

a device load including one or more power consuming components;

a first switch operatively intermediate the power interface and the device load;

a second switch operatively intermediate the battery and the device load, such that electrical current from the battery node does not flow to the device node without passing through the reversible buck-boost converter when the second switch is turned off; and

logic operatively connected to the first switch, the second switch, and the reversible buck-boost converter, the logic configured to;

based on first conditions, turn on the first switch, turn off the second switch, and operate the reversible buck-boost converter in a forward buck mode;

based on second conditions, turn on the first switch, turn off the second switch, and operate the reversible buck-boost converter in a reverse boost mode;

based on third conditions, turn on the first switch, turn off the second switch, and operate the reversible buck-boost converter in a forward boost mode;

based on fourth conditions, turn on the first switch, turn off the second switch, and operate the reversible buck-boost converter in a reverse buck mode; and

based on fifth conditions, turn off the first switch, turn on the second switch, and turn off the reversible buck-boost converter.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein, based on sixth conditions, the logic is further configured to turn off the first switch, turn on the second switch, and operate the reversible buck-boost converter in the forward boost mode, and wherein the sixth conditions include a voltage from the power supply unit being less than a voltage threshold of the device load and a power requirement of the device load being less than a power capability of the power supply unit.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein based on seventh conditions, the logic is further configured to turn off the first switch, turn on the second switch, and operate the reversible buck-boost converter in the forward boost mode, and wherein the seventh conditions include a voltage from the power supply unit being less than a voltage threshold of the device load and a power requirement of the device load being greater than a power capability of the power supply unit.

19. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the power interface includes a universal serial bus connector.

20. An electronic device, comprising:

a power interface configured to receive power from a power supply unit;

a battery;

bidirectional step up/down circuitry operatively intermediate the power interface and the battery;

a device load including one or more power consuming components;

a first switch operatively intermediate the power interface and the device load;

a second switch operatively intermediate the battery and the device load, such that electrical current from the battery does not flow to the device load without passing through the bidirectional step up/down circuitry when the second switch is turned off; and

logic operatively connected to the first switch, the second switch, and the bidirectional step up/down circuitry, the logic configured to set the first switch, the second switch, and the bidirectional step up/down circuitry based on conditions of the power supply unit, the battery, and the device load.