CHARGER

• US 20150061574A1
• Filed: 08/27/2014
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: CHEN, WEN-HUA, LI, SHEN-KANG
• Application Number:
  US14/469,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20150061574A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00041 in response to measured battery parameters, e.g. voltage, current or temperature profile
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A charger for charging a first device and a second device includes a current output unit, a switching unit, an identification unit, and a control unit. The identification unit identifies the first device and the second device, and outputs identification signals accordingly. The control unit is coupled to the current output unit, the switching unit, and the identification unit. The control unit controls the current output unit to output a first charging current or a second charging current according to the identification signals, and controls the switching unit to establish a first current path or a second current path between the current output unit and the first device according to the identification signals.

Claims

1. A charger or charging a first device and a second device, the charger comprising:

a current output unit;

a switching unit;

an identification unit identifying one of the first device and the second device, and triggering a first voltage drop signal corresponding to the first device and a second voltage drop signal corresponding to the second device; and

a control unit coupled to the current output unit, the switching unit, and the identification unit;

wherein the control unit controls the current output unit to output a first charging current according to the first voltage drop signal, and controls the switching unit to establish a first current path between the current output unit and the first device; and

wherein the control unit controls the current output unit to output a second charging current according to the second voltage drop signal, and controls the switching unit to establish a second current path between the current output unit and the second device.

2. The charger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identification unit comprises a charging port, a first diode, and a second diode, the charging port is configured to be coupled to the first device or the second device, an anode of the first diode is coupled to the current output unit, and a cathode of first diode is coupled to the charging port, an anode of the second diode is coupled to the current output unit, and a cathode of second diode is coupled to the charging port.

3. The charger as claimed in claim 2, wherein the control unit comprises a processor and a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller coupled to the processor, the processor is coupled to the charging port to receive the first voltage drop signal and the second voltage drop signal, the processor outputs a first command to the PWM controller when the first voltage drop signal is received, and outputs a second command to the PWM controller when the second voltage drop signal is received.

4. The charger as claimed in claim 3, wherein the PWM controller is coupled to the current output unit, the PWM controller controls the current output unit to output the first charging current according to the first command, and controls the current output unit to output the second charging current according to the second command.

5. The charger as claimed in claim 3, wherein the processor comprises a first output pin and a second output pin, the first output pin is coupled to the switching unit to output a first control signal to the switching unit according to the first voltage drop signal, the second output pin is coupled to the switching unit to output a second control signal to the switching unit according to the second voltage drop signal.

6. The charger as claimed in claim 5, wherein the switching unit comprises a first thyristor, a second thyristor, a third thyristor, and a fourth thyristor, the first thyristor and the third thyristor are electronically connected between the current output unit and ground in series, the second thyristor and the fourth thyristor are electronically connected between the current output unit and ground in series, and are jointly parallel to the first thyristor and the third thyristor, each of the first thyristor, the second thyristor, the third thyristor, and the fourth thyristor comprises a gate, the gates of the first thyristor and the fourth thyristor are electronically connected to the first output pin, and the gates of the second thyristor and the third thyristor are electronically connected to the second output pin.

7. The charger as claimed in claim 6, wherein the switching unit further comprises a magnet and a coil, the coil is coiled on the magnet, a first end of the coil is electronically connected between the first thyristor and the third thyristor, and a second end of the coil is electronically connected between the second thyristor and the fourth thyristor.

8. The charger as claimed in claim 7, wherein the switching unit further comprises a first contact pin, a second contact pin, and an elastic sheet, the first contact pin is electronically connected between the cathode of the first diode and the charging port, and the second contact pin is electronically connected between the cathode of the second diode and the charging port, a first end of the elastic sheet is electronically connected to the current output unit, and a second end of the elastic sheet is adjacent to the magnet, and is positioned between the first contact pin and the second contact pin.

9. The charger as claimed in claim 8, wherein the switching unit further comprises a first spring and a second spring, the first spring is mechanically coupled to the first contact pin and the charging port, and is coupled to the elastic sheet via an insulation wire, the second spring is mechanically coupled to the second contact pin and the charging port, and is coupled to the elastic sheet via an insulation wire.

10. The charger as claimed in claim 8, wherein the current output unit, the elastic sheet, the first contact pin, and the charging port form the first current path, the current output unit, the elastic sheet, the second contact pin, and the charging port form the second current path.

11. A charger for charging a first device and a second device, the charger comprising:

a current output unit;

a switching unit;

an identification unit identifying the first device and the second device, and outputting identification signals accordingly;

a control unit coupled to the current output unit, the switching unit, and the identification unit;

the control unit is configured to control the current output unit to output a first charging current or a second charging current according to the identification signals, and is configured to control the switching unit to establish a first current path or a second current path between the current output unit and the first device according to the identification signals.

12. The charger as claimed in claim 11, wherein the identification unit outputs a first voltage drop signal corresponding to the first device and a second voltage drop signal corresponding to the second device, the control unit controls the current output unit to output the first charging current according to the first voltage drop signal, and controls the switching unit to establish the first current path according to the first voltage drop signal, the control unit controls the current output unit to output the second charging current according to the second voltage drop signal, and controls the switching unit to establish the second current path according to the second voltage drop signal.

13. The charger as claimed in claim 12, wherein the identification unit comprises a charging port, a first diode, and a second diode, the charging port is configured to be coupled to the first device or the second device, an anode of the first diode is coupled to the current output unit, and a cathode of first diode is coupled to the charging port, an anode of the second diode is coupled to the current output unit, and a cathode of second diode is coupled to the charging port.

14. The charger as claimed in claim 13, wherein the control unit comprises a processor and a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller coupled to the processor, the processor is coupled to the charging port to receive the first voltage drop signal and the second voltage drop signal, the processor outputs a first command to the PWM controller when the first voltage drop signal is received, and outputs a second command to the PWM controller when the second voltage drop signal is received.

15. The charger as claimed in claim 14, wherein the PWM controller is coupled to the current output unit, the PWM controller controls the current output unit to output the first charging current according to the first command, and controls the current output unit to output the second charging current according to the second command.

16. The charger as claimed in claim 14, wherein the processor comprises a first output pin and a second output pin, the first output pin is coupled to the switching unit to output a first control signal to the switching unit according to the first voltage drop signal, the second output pin is coupled to the switching unit to output a second control signal to the switching unit according to the second voltage drop signal.

17. The charger as claimed in claim 16, wherein the switching unit comprises a first thyristor, a second thyristor, a third thyristor, and a fourth thyristor, the first thyristor and the third thyristor are electronically connected between the current output unit and ground in series, the second thyristor and the fourth thyristor are electronically connected between the current output unit and ground in series, and are jointly parallel to the first thyristor and the third thyristor, each of the first thyristor, the second thyristor, the third thyristor, and the fourth thyristor comprises a gate, the gates of the first thyristor and the fourth thyristor are electronically connected to the first output pin, and the gates of the second thyristor and the third thyristor are electronically connected to the second output pin.

18. The charger as claimed in claim 17, wherein the switching unit further comprises a magnet and a coil, the coil is coiled on the magnet, a first end of the coil is electronically connected between the first thyristor and the third thyristor, and a second end of the coil is electronically connected between the second thyristor and the fourth thyristor.

19. The charger as claimed in claim 18, wherein the switching unit further comprises a first contact pin, a second contact pin, and an elastic sheet, the first contact pin is electronically connected between the cathode of the first diode and the charging port, and the second contact pin is electronically connected between the cathode of the second diode and the charging port, a first end of the elastic sheet is electronically connected to the current output unit, and a second end of the elastic sheet is adjacent to the magnet, and is positioned between the first contact pin and the second contact pin.

20. The charger as claimed in claim 19, wherein the switching unit further comprises a first spring and a second spring, the first spring is mechanically coupled to the first contact pin and the charging port, and is coupled to the elastic sheet via an insulation wire, the second spring is mechanically coupled to the second contact pin and the charging port, and is coupled to the elastic sheet via an insulation wire.