Dedicated power supply apparatus, terminal. power supply system, and power supply method

• US 20070046268A1
• Filed: 08/24/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Irie, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 7,631,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/202
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/30 Charge provided using DC bus or data bus of a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule

Abstract

A dedicated power supply apparatus includes a regulator that receives power from an external power source, two signal lines to which the regulator is connected, and two resistors, each placed between the regulator and an associated one of the two signal lines.

Claims

1. A dedicated power supply apparatus comprising:

a regulator that receives power from an external power source;

two signal lines to which the regulator is connected; and

two resistors, each placed between the regulator and an associated one of the two signal lines.

2. A terminal comprising:

a connection portion to be connected to an external device;

a battery that receives power from the external device via the connection portion;

a detector that detects a data signal from the external device when the connection portion is connected to the external device;

a determination unit that determines whether the external device is a dedicated power supply apparatus on the basis of a detection result obtained by the detector; and

a controller that controls charging of the battery on the basis of a determination result obtained by the determination unit.

3. The terminal according to claim 2, wherein the data signal from the external device is a signal indicating that the external device performs data communication.

4. The terminal according to claim 3, further comprising a current converter that converts, on the basis of determination performed by the determination unit, the amount of charging current from a first current prior to the determination to a second current larger than the first current.

5. A terminal comprising:

a connection portion to be connected to an external device;

a battery that receives power from the external device via the connection portion;

a detector that detects whether signal lines included in the connector are maintained at predetermined logical states;

a determination unit that determines whether the external device is a dedicated power supply apparatus on the basis of a detection result obtained by the detector; and

a controller that controls charging of the battery on the basis of a determination result obtained by the determination unit.

6. The terminal according to claim 5, further comprising a current converter that converts, on the basis of determination performed by the determination unit, the amount of charging current from a first current prior to the determination to a second current larger than the first current.

7. A power supply system comprising:

a dedicated power supply apparatus; and

a terminal, to which power is supplied from the dedicated power supply apparatus,

wherein the dedicated power supply apparatus includes

a regulator that receives power from an external power source,

two signal lines to which the regulator is connected, and

two resistors, each placed between the regulator and an associated one of the signal lines, and

wherein the terminal includes

a connection portion to be connected to an external device,

a battery that receives power from the external device via the connection portion,

a detector that detects data from the external device when the connection portion is connected to the external device,

a determination unit that determines whether the external device is the dedicated power supply apparatus on the basis of a detection result obtained by the detector, and

a controller that controls charging of the battery on the basis of a determination result obtained by the determination unit.

8. A power supply method comprising the steps of:

detecting whether an external device is connected;

receiving power from a detected external device and starting charging;

detecting a data signal from the external device after starting charging; and

controlling the amount of power received from the external device on the basis of a result of detecting the data signal from the external device after starting charging.

9. A terminal comprising:

connection means for being connected to an external device;

battery means for receiving power from the external device via the connection means;

detecting means for detecting a data signal from the external device when the connection means is connected to the external device;

determining means for determining whether the external device is a dedicated power supply apparatus on the basis of a detection result obtained by the detecting means; and

control means for controlling charging of the battery on the basis of a determination result obtained by the determining means.