BATTERY CHARGE SYSTEM AND METHOD CAPABLE OF OPERATING IN DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS

• US 20140032953A1
• Filed: 03/26/2013
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intersil Americas LLC (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intersil Americas LLC (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Wei, Jia, Kafi, Majid
• Granted Patent: US 9,218,043 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/323
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/155 using semiconductor devices only

Abstract

A controller configurable to operate in either in an NVDC mode or a standard mode. The controller includes mode logic that detects a mode value indicative of the selected mode and that asserts a corresponding mode signal, and control logic that is configured to operate according to the selected battery charging mode based on the mode signal and that provides a control signal accordingly. In the standard mode, the control signal is in either an on or off state depending upon presence of an external adapter and the charge state of the battery. In the NVDC mode, the control signal may operate in a linear mode if the battery is deeply discharged. A battery detector provides a battery indication that is used to switch the regulation operating point of an external system voltage. A power monitor output provides an indication of power being provided via the system voltage.

Claims

1. A controller that is configurable to operate according to a selected one of a plurality of battery charger configurations, said controller comprising:

a mode terminal and a control terminal;

mode logic, coupled to said mode terminal, that is configured to detect a mode value via said mode terminal wherein said mode value is indicative of one of an NVDC battery charging mode and a standard battery charging mode and that asserts a mode signal indicative thereof; and

control logic, coupled to said control terminal, that is configured to operate according to a selected one of said NVDC battery charging mode and said standard battery charging mode based on said mode signal and that operates a control signal provided to said control terminal indicative of said selected one of said NVDC battery charging mode and said standard battery charging mode.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein said mode logic is configured to detect a value of an external resistor coupled to said mode terminal indicative of one of said NVDC battery charging mode and said standard battery charging mode.

3. The controller of claim 1, wherein said mode logic is configured to detect a voltage level of said mode terminal indicative of one of said NVDC battery charging mode and said standard battery charging mode.

4. The controller of claim 1, wherein when said standard battery charging mode is indicated by said mode signal, said control logic asserts said control signal in one of on and off states, and wherein when said NVDC battery charging mode is indicated by said mode signal, said control logic asserts said control signal in one of said on and off states or otherwise operates said control signal in a linear mode.

5. The controller of claim 1, further comprising:

adapter detect logic which asserts an adapter present signal indicative of presence of an external power adapter;

comparator logic which asserts a battery level signal indicating whether a battery voltage is at least a predetermined voltage level; and

wherein when said NVDC battery charging mode is indicated, said control logic is configured to;

assert said control signal in a linear mode when said adapter present signal indicates a presence of said external power adapter and when said battery level signal indicates battery voltage is below said predetermined level;

assert said control signal in a selected one of an on state or an off state when said adapter present signal indicates a presence of said external power adapter and when said battery level signal indicates battery voltage is at least said predetermined level; and

assert said control signal in said on state when said adapter present signal indicates absence of said external power adapter and when said battery level signal indicates battery voltage is at least said predetermined level.

6. The controller of claim 5, wherein when said standard battery charging mode is indicated, said control logic is configured to:

assert said control signal in said on state when said adapter present signal indicates absence of said external power adapter and when said battery level signal indicates battery voltage is at least said predetermined level; and

assert said control signal in said off state when said adapter present signal indicates presence of said external power adapter.

7. The controller of claim 1, further comprising:

an error amplifier which asserts an error signal indicative of a relative error of an external system voltage relative to a reference voltage level;

wherein said mode logic further asserts a lower regulation voltage level and an upper regulator voltage level;

a battery detect terminal which provides a battery presence signal indicative of a presence of an external battery; and

a switch circuit which selects said upper regulator voltage level as said reference voltage level when said battery presence signal indicates said presence of an external battery, and which selects said lower regulator voltage level as said reference voltage level when said battery presence signal indicates an absence of said external battery.

8. The controller of claim 1, further comprising:

a battery terminal providing a battery voltage;

an adapter terminal providing an adapter voltage;

a power monitor terminal;

sense circuitry providing an adapter current level and a battery current level; and

power monitor logic that is configured to provide a power monitor signal indicating system power via said power monitor terminal, wherein said power monitor signal comprises said adapter voltage multiplied by said adapter current level plus said battery voltage multiplied by said battery current level when said battery current level indicates battery discharging.

9. The controller of claim 8, wherein said power monitor logic is further configured to provide said power monitor signal comprising said adapter voltage multiplied by said adapter current level minus said battery voltage multiplied by said battery current level when said battery current level indicates battery charging.

10. An electronic device, comprising:

a battery charge system, comprising;

a converter and battery charger circuit that is configured according to a selected one of an NVDC battery charging configuration and a standard battery charging configuration, wherein said converter and battery charger circuit includes at least one switch control input for controlling switching to regulate a system voltage on an output node and further includes a battery control input;

a mode select circuit indicative of an NVDC battery charging mode for said NVDC battery charging configuration and a standard battery charging mode for said standard battery charging configuration; and

a controller having a mode terminal coupled to said mode select circuit and having at least one switch control output coupled to said at least one switch control input of said converter and battery charger circuit, wherein said controller is configured to provide a battery control signal via a battery control terminal to said battery control input to operate said converter and battery charger circuit according to said selected one of said NVDC battery charging mode and said standard battery charging mode.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, further comprising:

a battery node for coupling a battery;

wherein said converter and battery charger circuit comprises;

at least one power switch and an inductor coupled to said at least one switch control output of said controller and coupled to said output node; and

a battery switch having current terminals coupled between said output node and said battery node and having a control node coupled to said battery control terminal of said controller; and

wherein said mode select circuit is configured to be indicative of said NVDC battery charging mode for said NVDC battery charging configuration.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, further comprising:

a battery node for coupling a battery;

wherein said converter and battery charger circuit comprises;

at least one power switch and an inductor coupled to said at least one switch control output of said controller, coupled to said output node, and coupled to said battery node; and

a battery switch having current terminals coupled between said output node and said battery node and having a control node coupled to said battery control terminal of said controller; and

wherein said mode select circuit is configured to be indicative of said standard battery charging mode for said standard battery charging configuration.

13. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein said mode select circuit comprises a resistor having a resistance indicative of one of said NVDC battery charging mode and said standard battery charging mode.

14. The electronic device of claim 10, further comprising:

a battery sensor providing a battery detect signal indicating whether a battery is present; and

wherein said controller comprises a battery detect terminal receiving said battery detect signal and is further configured to regulate said system voltage at a predetermined maximum voltage level when a battery is indicated as being present and to regulate said system voltage at a predetermined minimum voltage level when a battery is indicated as not being present.

15. The electronic device of claim 10, further comprising:

a battery;

an AC/DC adapter;

wherein said controller comprises at least one input for sensing battery current of said battery, at least one input for sensing battery voltage of said battery, at least one input for sensing adapter current of said AC/DC adapter, and at least one input for sensing adapter voltage of said AC/DC adapter; and

wherein said controller comprises a power monitor terminal providing a power monitor signal, wherein said power monitor signal indicates said adapter voltage multiplied by said adapter current plus said battery voltage multiplied by said battery current when said battery current indicates that said battery is discharging.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein said power monitor signal indicates said adapter voltage multiplied by said adapter current minus said battery voltage multiplied by said battery current when said battery current indicates that said battery is charging.

17. The electronic device of claim 10, further comprising a processor and a memory coupled to said battery charge system.

18. A method of operating a controller that is configured to operate according to a selected one of an NVDC battery charging mode and a standard battery charging mode, comprising:

receiving an adapter indication that indicates presence of an AC/DC adapter;

receiving a battery voltage;

receiving a mode value indicative of one of the NVDC battery charging mode and the standard battery charging mode;

providing a battery switch control signal which operates according to the NVDC battery charging mode or the standard battery charging mode based on the mode value;

wherein when the NVDC battery charging mode is indicated, said providing a battery switch control signal comprises;

operating the battery switch control signal in a linear mode when the AC/DC adapter is present and when the battery voltage is less than a predetermined minimum level;

operating the battery switch control signal in a selected one of an off state and an on state when the AC/DC adapter is present and when the battery voltage is at least the predetermined minimum level; and

operating the battery switch control signal in the on state when the AC/DC adapter is absent and when the battery voltage is at least the predetermined minimum level; and

wherein when the standard battery charging mode is indicated, said providing a battery switch control signal comprises operating the battery switch control signal in the off state when the when the AC/DC adapter is present and operating the battery switch control signal in the on state when the AC/DC adapter is present and the battery voltage is at least the predetermined minimum level.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

detecting presence of a battery;

when the battery is present, selecting a reference voltage to regulate an external system voltage at a predetermined maximum level; and

when the battery is not present, switching the reference voltage to regulate the external system voltage at a predetermined minimum level.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining an adapter current and an adapter voltage of the AC/DC adapter;

determining a battery current;

providing a power monitoring signal indicative of the adapter current multiplied by the adapter voltage plus the battery voltage multiplied by the battery current when the battery is discharging; and

providing the power monitoring signal indicative of the adapter current multiplied by the adapter voltage minus the battery voltage multiplied by the battery current when the battery is charging.