CHARGING APPARATUS

• US 20080174277A1
• Filed: 12/13/2007
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: UENO, Tomotaka
• Application Number:
  US11/956,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20080174277A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/138
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/106 for load balancing, symmetrisation, or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection

Abstract

There is provided a charging apparatus that enables safe and stable charging operation upon switching of power supplies for charging use. The charging apparatus has: first power supply 111 that has a current limiting function; second power supply 112 that has a current limiting function lower than the current limiting function of first power supply 111; first charging circuit 120 that charges battery 101 using first power supply 111; second charging circuit 130 that charges battery 101 using second power supply 112; and power supply selecting circuit 140 that detects the voltage of the first power supply and the voltage of the second power supply and controls charging operation of the second charging circuit based on the detected results. The charging apparatus selects one of first charging circuit 120 and second charging circuit 130 based on the output voltage of first power supply 111 that has a current limiting function, and controls the charging current upon charging operation from second power supply 112 that has a lower current limiting function.

Claims

1. A charging apparatus comprising:

a battery;

a first power supply that has a current limiting function;

a second power supply that has a lower current limiting function than the first power supply;

a first charging circuit that charges the battery using the first power supply;

a second charging circuit that charges the battery using the second power supply; and

a control circuit that detects a voltage of the first power supply and a voltage of the second power supply and controls charging operation of the second charging circuit based on the detected results.

2. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the output voltage of the first power supply falls below a predetermined value, the control circuit stops the first charging circuit and controls the charging operation of the second charging circuit.

3. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit selects one of the first charging circuit and the second charging circuit based on the output voltage of the first power supply, and controls charging current from the second power supply upon charging operation from the second power supply.

4. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an external control section,

wherein the control circuit comprises a transmitting and receiving section that transmits and receives data to and from the external control section.

5. The charging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control circuit controls the charging operation of the second charging circuit based on the received data from the external control section.

6. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first power supply comprises an alternating current adapter, and the second power supply comprises a universal serial bus power supply.