METHOD AND APPARATUS OF FAST BATTERY CHARGING WITH UNIVERSAL HIGH POWER INPUT SOURCE

• US 20150035477A1
• Filed: 07/23/2014
• Published: 02/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Li, Qiong M., Qian, Jinrong, Wong, Sai Bun S., Britton, Jonathan L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,356,460 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• 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 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage

Abstract

Methods, electronic devices and USB charger apparatus are presented for fast USB charging, in which a high voltage master of the device detects a connected high voltage charger and selectively connects a current circuit to source or sink a current to or from one USB cable data signal conductor while providing a non-zero voltage to the other USB cable data signal conductor to configure the charger apparatus to provide charging power at a particular high voltage level above a nominal voltage level.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a universal serial bus (USB) connector for receiving a USB cable for connection to an associated high voltage adapter, the USB connector comprising a first conductive structure for electrical connection to a first data signal conductor of the USB cable, a second conductive structure for electrical connection to a second data signal conductor of the USB cable, a third conductive structure for electrical connection to a first power conductor of the USB cable, and a fourth conductive structure for electrical connection to a second power conductor of the USB cable;

a load operatively coupled to receive electrical power via the third and fourth conductive structures at a nominal voltage level or at least one of a plurality of high voltage levels above the nominal voltage level;

a transmit circuit coupled with the first and second conductive structures of the USB connector, the transmit circuit selectively operative in first and second transmitter states and comprising;

a current circuit selectively operative to conduct a non-zero predetermined current through a USB compliant impedance of the associated HV adapter to create a non-zero differential voltage across the first and second conductive structures, the current circuit comprising one of a current source selectively operative in the second transmitter state to source the non-zero predetermined current to one of the first and second conductive structures and a current sink selectively operative in the second transmitter state to sink the non-zero predetermined current from the one of the first and second conductive structures, and

a voltage source selectively operative in the second transmitter state to provide a non-zero voltage to another one of the first and second conductive structures; and

a processor programmed to selectively place the transmit circuit in the first transmitter state to disable the transmit circuit to instruct the associated high voltage adapter to provide electrical power to the electronic device via the USB cable at the nominal voltage level or to selectively place the transmit circuit in the second transmitter state to instruct the associated high voltage adapter to provide electrical power to the electronic device via the USB cable at a first one of the high voltage levels.

2. The electronic device of claim 1:

wherein the first data signal conductor of the USB cable is a positive data signal conductor;

wherein the second data signal conductor of the USB cable is a negative data signal conductor;

wherein the current circuit is coupled between the first conductive structure and a circuit ground, and wherein the current circuit is selectively operative in the second transmitter state to sink the non-zero predetermined current from the first conductive structure, and

wherein the voltage source is coupled between the second conductive structure and the circuit ground and wherein the voltage source is selectively operative in the second transmitter state to provide the non-zero voltage to the second conductive structure.

3. The electronic device of claim 1:

wherein the first data signal conductor of the USB cable is a positive data signal conductor;

wherein the second data signal conductor of the USB cable is a negative data signal conductor;

wherein the current circuit is coupled between the second conductive structure and a circuit ground, and wherein the current circuit is selectively operative in the second transmitter state to sink the non-zero predetermined current from the second conductive structure; and

wherein the voltage source is coupled between the first conductive structure and the circuit ground and wherein the voltage source is selectively operative in the second transmitter state to provide the non-zero voltage to the first conductive structure.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, comprising a switching circuit operative in a first switch state to connect the current circuit to the first conductive structure and to connect the voltage source to the second conductive structure, and in a second switch state to connect the current circuit to the second conductive structure and to connect the voltage source to the first conductive structure.

5. The electronic device of claim 4,

wherein the processor is programmed to selectively place the transmit circuit in the second transmitter state by placing the switching circuit in the first switch state to cause the current circuit to sink the non-zero predetermined current from the first conductive structure and to cause the voltage source to provide the non-zero voltage to the second conductive structure instruct the associated high voltage adapter to provide electrical power to the electronic device via the USB cable at the first one of the high voltage levels;

and

wherein the processor is programmed to selectively place the transmit circuit in a third transmitter state by placing the switching circuit in the second switch state to cause the current circuit to sink the non-zero predetermined current from the second conductive structure and to cause the voltage source to provide the non-zero voltage to the first conductive structure to instruct the associated high voltage adapter to provide electrical power to the electronic device via the USB cable at a second one of the high voltage levels.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the processor is programmed to sequentially place the transmit circuit in the second and third states in any order to instruct the associated high voltage adapter to provide electrical power to the electronic device via the USB cable at a third one of the high voltage levels.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the first data signal conductor of the USB cable is a positive data signal conductor;

and wherein the second data signal conductor of the USB cable is a negative data signal conductor.

8. The electronic device of claim 6, comprising a transceiver circuit coupled with the first and second conductive structures of the USB connector, the transceiver circuit selectively operative to provide bidirectional communications to exchange data with the associated high voltage adapter via the first and second data signal conductors of the USB cable;

wherein the processor is programmed to;

read data from the associated high voltage adapter via the transceiver circuit to determine high voltage capabilities of the associated high voltage adapter, and

write data to the associated high voltage adapter via the transceiver circuit to selectively instruct the associated high voltage adapter to provide electrical power to the electronic device via the USB cable at a particular one of the high voltage levels based at least partially on the high voltage capabilities of the associated high voltage adapter.

9. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the first data signal conductor of the USB cable is a positive data signal conductor;

and wherein the second data signal conductor of the USB cable is a negative data signal conductor.

10. The electronic device of claim 5, comprising a transceiver circuit coupled with the first and second conductive structures of the USB connector, the transceiver circuit selectively operative to provide bidirectional communications to exchange data with the associated high voltage adapter via the first and second data signal conductors of the USB cable;

wherein the processor is programmed to;

read data from the associated high voltage adapter via the transceiver circuit to determine high voltage capabilities of the associated high voltage adapter, and

write data to the associated high voltage adapter via the transceiver circuit to selectively instruct the associated high voltage adapter to provide electrical power to the electronic device via the USB cable at a particular one of the high voltage levels based at least partially on the high voltage capabilities of the associated high voltage adapter.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, comprising a transceiver circuit coupled with the first and second conductive structures of the USB connector, the transceiver circuit selectively operative to provide bidirectional communications to exchange data with the associated high voltage adapter via the first and second data signal conductors of the USB cable;

wherein the processor is programmed to;

read data from the associated high voltage adapter via the transceiver circuit to determine high voltage capabilities of the associated high voltage adapter, and

write configuration data to the associated high voltage adapter via the transceiver circuit to selectively instruct the associated high voltage adapter to provide electrical power to the electronic device via the USB cable at a particular one of the high voltage levels based at least partially on the high voltage capabilities of the associated high voltage adapter.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the processor is programmed to repeatedly write to a particular register of the associated high voltage adapter after writing the configuration data to the associated high voltage adapter.

13. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to selectively disable the current circuit after placing the transmit circuit in the second transmitter state to conserve power.

14. A Universal Serial Bus (USB) charger apparatus, comprising:

a connector for receiving a USB cable, the connector comprising a first conductive structure for electrical connection to a first data signal conductor of the USB cable, a second conductive structure for electrical connection to a second data signal conductor of the USB cable, a third conductive structure for electrical connection to a first power conductor of the USB cable, and a fourth conductive structure for electrical connection to a second power conductor of the USB cable;

a power supply coupled with the third and fourth conductive structures and selectively operative to supply electrical power to a connected electronic device via the third and fourth conductive structures at a nominal voltage level or at least one of a plurality of high voltage levels above the nominal voltage level at least partially according to at least one configuration signal;

a USB compliant resistance coupled across the first and second conductive structures;

a configuration circuit operatively coupled with the power supply to provide the at least one configuration signal at least partially according to at least one select signal; and

a controller coupled with the first and second conductive structures, the controller comprising;

a detector circuit operative to compare a voltage of at least one of the first and second conductive structures with a voltage reference and to provide a detector output signal in a first state when the voltage of the at least one of the first and second conductive structures exceeds the voltage reference, to provide the detector output signal in a different second state when the voltage of the at least one of the first and second conductive structures is less than or equal to the voltage reference, and to provide the detector output signal in the second state in the absence of the voltage of the at least one of the first and second conductive structures, and

a select circuit operative to sense a polarity of a differential voltage across the first and second conductive structures, to selectively provide the at least one select signal to the configuration circuit according to the sensed polarity of the differential voltage when the detector output signal is in the first state and to provide the at least one select signal in a predetermined default state to cause the power supply to supply electrical power to the connected electronic device via the third and fourth conductive structures at the nominal voltage level when the detector output signal is in the second state.

15. The USB charger apparatus of claim 14, wherein the select circuit comprises:

at least one comparator having a first input connected to the first conductive structure, a second input connected to the second conductive structure and an output providing a comparator output signal according to the sensed polarity of the differential voltage; and

at least one flip flop with a set input coupled to receive the comparator output signal, an inverted reset input coupled to receive the detector output signal, an enable input coupled to receive the detector output signal, and an output operative to provide the at least one select signal according to the sensed polarity of the differential voltage when the detector output signal is in the first state and to provide the at least one select signal in the predetermined default state when the detector output signal is in the second state.

16. The USB charger apparatus of claim 14, wherein the configuration circuit is operative to provide the at least one configuration signal at least partially according to a plurality of binary select signals;

and wherein the controller is operative to provide the plurality of binary select signals according to the sensed polarity of the differential voltage and the detector output signal.

17. The USB charger apparatus of claim 14, wherein the configuration circuit comprises:

a resistive divider circuit comprising;

first and second resistances coupled between an output terminal of the power supply and a circuit ground, and an intermediate node connecting the first and second resistances to control a configuration signal voltage provided to a feedback voltage input of the power supply;

a third resistance; and

a switching circuit coupled to selectively connect the third resistance in parallel with one of the first and second resistances to modify the configuration signal voltage when the at least one select signal is in a first state.

18. The USB charger apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller comprises a transceiver circuit coupled with the first and second conductive structures, the transceiver circuit selectively operative to provide bidirectional communications to exchange data with the connected electronic device via the first and second data signal conductors of the USB cable;

and

wherein the select circuit comprises a processor programmed to;

provide data to the connected electronic device via the transceiver circuit to indicate high voltage capabilities of the power supply,

receive configuration data from the connected electronic device via the transceiver circuit, and

provide the at least one select signal to the configuration circuit at least partially according to the configuration data.

19. A method for fast charging an electronic device via a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable, the method comprising:

detecting connection of a high voltage adapter to the electronic device via a USB cable using a USB compliant detection process;

selectively sourcing or sinking a non-zero predetermined current to or from one of a first data signal conductor and a second data signal conductor of the USB cable while providing a non-zero voltage to another one of the first and second data signal conductors to configure the connected high voltage adapter to provide charging power to the electronic device via first and second power conductors of the USB cable at a particular high voltage level above a nominal voltage level;

selectively adjusting provision of the charging power by the connected high voltage adapter to one of a second particular high voltage level and a default voltage level without repeating the USB compliant detection process; and

automatically adjusting provision of the charging power by the high voltage adapter to the default voltage level without repeating the USB compliant detection process in response to disconnection of the high voltage adapter from the electronic device.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising:

reading data from the connected high voltage adapter via the first and second data signal conductors to determine high voltage capabilities of the connected high voltage adapter; and

writing configuration data to the connected high voltage adapter via the first and second data signal conductors to selectively instruct the connected high voltage adapter to provide electrical power to the electronic device via the first and second power conductors of the USB cable at a particular one of a plurality of high voltage levels based at least partially on the high voltage capabilities of the connected high voltage adapter.