Power management for battery powered appliances

• US 20040075418A1
• Filed: 10/14/2003
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Constantin Spiridon, Vlad Mihail Popescu-Stanesti, William L. Densham
• Original Assignee: Constantin Spiridon, Vlad Mihail Popescu-Stanesti, William L. Densham
• Inventors: Spiridon, Constantin, Densham, William L., Popescu-Stanesti, Vlad Mihail
• Granted Patent: US 7,088,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/111
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 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 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters

Abstract

A power management topology for portable electronic devices that includes a feed-enabled AC/DC adapter that receives feedback data from a charge controller associated with the portable device. The feedback data can include battery charging current, battery voltage, or power requirements of the portable device. Using the feedback data, the external AC/DC adapter can adjust the DC output to meet the charging requirement of the battery and/or the power requirements of the portable device.

Claims

1. A power management topology for a portable electronic device, comprising:

a portable electronic device comprising a rechargeable battery and a charge controller comprising circuitry generating a feedback signal indicative of battery voltage and/or battery charging current; and

an external AC/DC adapter generating a DC source signal from an AC source, said adapter comprising a PWM generator generating a PWM signal and controller, said controller receiving said feedback signal and adjusting the duty cycle of said PWM signal thereby adjusting the voltage and/or current value of said DC source signal.

2. A topology as claimed in claim 1, wherein said portable electronic device further comprising a serial data interface and said feedback signal being generated as serial data, and wherein said AC/DC adapter further comprising a serial communications interface for receiving said serial data.

3. A topology as claimed in claim 1, wherein said feedback signal is an analog signal.

4. A topology as claimed in claim 1, wherein said portable electronic device further comprising modulation circuitry to modulate said feedback signal on top of said DC source signal, and said AC/DC adapter further comprising demodulation circuitry coupled to said DC source signal to demodulate said feedback signal.

5. A topology as claimed in claim 1, wherein charge controller further comprising circuitry to generate a feedback signal indicative of power requirements of said portable electronic device and battery charge current.

6. An AC/DC adapter, comprising a PWM generator generating a PWM signal, a controller receiving a feedback signal generated by an external portable electronic device, and a DC/DC converter circuit generating a DC source signal, said controller adjusting the duty cycle of said PWM signal based on said feedback signal thereby adjusting the voltage and/or current value of said DC source signal.