METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR CHARGING A BATTERY IN A PERIPHERAL DEVICE
First Claim
1. A power manager unit for managing power delivered to a battery powered device, comprising:
- a main bus;
an inrush current limiter, wherein the inrush current limiter limits current from a power line connected to the inrush current limiter;
a voltage converter unit connected to the main bus and to the output of the inrush current limiter;
a voltage sensor unit coupled to the main bus and arranged to sense a voltage on the main bus; and
a switchover circuit arranged to, upon connection of a power line to the inrush current limiter-causing the voltage sensor unit to sense a voltage on the main bus above a predefined threshold, connect the voltage converter unit to the battery powered device, and upon detection that the battery is in a fully charged state, disconnect the battery from the voltage converter unit such that no current flows to or from the battery.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A power manager for managing power delivered to a battery operated peripheral device is disclosed. The power manager includes an input current limiter arranged to suppress a power surge associated with an insertion event by a power cable arranged to provide an external voltage. A voltage converter unit coupled to the input current limiter converts the received external voltage to a supply voltage that is transmitted by way of a main bus to a voltage sensor unit coupled thereto. During the insertion event, a comparator unit coupled to the voltage sensor, sends a first switching signal to a switchover circuit that responds by connecting the peripheral device and an uncharged battery to the main bus such that the supply voltage is provided thereto. When the battery is substantially fully charged, the switchover circuit responds by electrically disconnecting the battery so as to not overcharge the battery.
-
Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A power manager unit for managing power delivered to a battery powered device, comprising:
-
a main bus; an inrush current limiter, wherein the inrush current limiter limits current from a power line connected to the inrush current limiter; a voltage converter unit connected to the main bus and to the output of the inrush current limiter; a voltage sensor unit coupled to the main bus and arranged to sense a voltage on the main bus; and a switchover circuit arranged to, upon connection of a power line to the inrush current limiter-causing the voltage sensor unit to sense a voltage on the main bus above a predefined threshold, connect the voltage converter unit to the battery powered device, and upon detection that the battery is in a fully charged state, disconnect the battery from the voltage converter unit such that no current flows to or from the battery. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
-
-
5. A method of managing power delivered to a battery powered device, comprising:
-
receiving an external voltage through a data port in the device; converting the external voltage from the data port to a supply voltage on a main bus using a voltage converter unit; sensing a voltage on the main bus higher than a predetermined threshold; generating a switching signal based upon the sensed voltage when the sensed voltage is greater than the predefined threshold; and upon detection of the switching signal and upon detection that the battery is in a fully charged state, disconnecting the battery from the voltage converted unit such that no current flows to or from the battery. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
-
-
8. A system comprising:
-
a battery powered device having a central processing unit (CPU); a power manager unit for managing power delivered to a battery powered device, comprising; an inrush current limiter arranged to receive power from a power line connected to the power manager unit and limit current output of the inrush current limiter; a buck converter connected to the output of the inrush current limiter and arranged to convert a voltage from the output of the inrush current limiter to a different voltage on a main bus; a voltage sensor unit coupled to the main bus and arranged to sense a voltage on the main bus; a comparator unit coupled to the voltage sensor unit arranged to generate a first switching signal when the voltage sensor unit detects a voltage on the main bus above a first predefined threshold, wherein the first predefined threshold is based on the forward voltage drop wherein the comparator unit is further arranged to generate a reset signal when the power line is disconnected from the main bus and the voltage sensor unit detects a voltage on the main bus less than the second predefined threshold; and a switchover circuit coupled to the comparator unit arranged to respond to the first switching signal by concurrently disconnecting the voltage converter unit from the battery such that no current flows to or from the battery if the battery is in a fully charged state wherein the switchover circuit is arranged to respond to the reset signal by disconnecting the battery from the battery powered device to avoid deep discharge of the battery; and wherein the CPU is configured to respond to the reset signal by entering a sleep state. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method for managing power delivered to a battery-operated peripheral device by way of a cable arranged to carry electrical power from an external electrical supply to the peripheral device, the peripheral device having a chargeable battery and an active circuit, the method comprising:
-
when the active circuit is operational and the battery is not in either a low-charged or a substantially fully-charged state, then providing electrical power from both the electrical supply and the battery to the operational active circuit; when the active circuit is operational and the battery is in the low-charged state, then providing electrical power only from the electrical supply to the operational active circuit; and when the active circuit is operational and the battery is substantially fully charged then disconnecting the battery from the electrical supply and providing electrical power only from the battery to the operational active circuit. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A portable consumer electronic product having at least a battery and an active circuit coupled to the battery, comprising:
-
a sensor unit arranged to detect if the battery is in a low-charged state and whether data is transmitted over a cable connected to an electrical supply, wherein the presence of the data indicates that the cable is connected to the device; a switchover circuit arranged to, in response to the detection of data on the cable connected to the electrical supply, when the active circuit is operational and the battery is not in either a low-charged or a substantially fully-charged state, then provide electrical power from both the electrical supply and the battery to the operational active circuit; when the active circuit is operational and the battery is in the low-charged state, then provide electrical power only from the electrical supply to the operational active circuit; and when the active circuit is operational and the battery is substantially fully charged then disconnect the battery from the electrical supply and providing electrical power only from the battery to the operational active circuit. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
-
Specification