METHOD AND CHARGING APPARATUS CONTROLLED BY COMPUTER FOR CONVERTING INPUT POWER INTO REQUIRED CHARGING VOLTAGE AND CHARGING CURRENT

• US 20060273764A1
• Filed: 05/18/2006
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ASUSTek Computer, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ASUSTek Computer, Inc.
• Inventors: Huang, Jen-Yuan
• Application Number:
  US11/419,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20060273764A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/151
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/30 Charge provided using DC bus or data bus of a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries

Abstract

A charging apparatus includes a control unit and a power converter. The control unit is used for generating a power control signal according to an input signal to adjust charging power. The power converter is electrically connected to the control unit, for converting input power into charging power, wherein the input signal is determined in accordance with a computer.

Claims

1. A charging apparatus comprises:

a control unit for generating a power control signal according to an input signal; and

a power converter electrically connected to the control unit for converting an input power into a charging power, wherein voltage values and current values of the charging power are set by the power control signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit is a micro controller, for processing a predetermined calculation in accordance with the input signal to generate the power control signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a memory unit, electrically connected to the micro controller, for storing a comparison table, wherein the predetermined calculation is referring to the comparison table in accordance with the input signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a bridge interface, electrically connected to the micro controller, for receiving a control signal and transferring the control signal into the input signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the computer comprises software to be an input interface for receiving a data, and the computer generates the control signal according to the data.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the bridge interface further receives the input power from the computer.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, being integrated on an add-on card and capable to be positioned on a housing of the computer.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a power input connector, electrically connected to the power converter, for receiving the input power providing outside the computer.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, being a portable device that is capable to be connected with the computer.

10. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the bridge interface is a universal serial bus (USB), an IEEE 1394 interface, or an RS-232 serial port.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, being integrated on a motherboard in a computer.

12. A method for controlling a charging status, the method comprises:

generating a power control signal according to an input signal; and

converting an input power into a charging power, wherein voltage values and current values of the charging power are set by the power control signal.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

storing a comparison table;

wherein the step for generating the power control signal further comprising;

generating the power control signal through referring to the comparison table in accordance with the input signal.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a control signal from a computer and transferring the control signal into the input signal.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

installing a software in the computer to be an input interface for receiving a data, and generating the control signal according to the data.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the control signal is received by a universal serial bus (USB), an IEEE 1394 interface, or an RS-232 serial port.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the input power is received by a universal serial bus (USB), an IEEE 1394 interface, or an RS-232 serial port.