DEVICE, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CHARGING A BATTERY

• US 20150295441A1
• Filed: 04/09/2014
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: WINGER, Lyall Kenneth, ABDELSAMIE, Ahmed, SCHWARTZ, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 9,711,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G06F 13/4081 Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004
• 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: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A device, system and method for charging a battery are provided. The device comprises: a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port; a battery in communication with the USB port; and, circuitry in communication with the USB port and the battery, the circuitry configured to: transmit a power control signal over the USB port, the power control signal comprising data indicative of one or more of a power, a voltage and a current to be received over the USB port to charge the battery; and, responsively receive the power for charging the battery over the USB port.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port;

a battery in communication with the USB port; and

,

circuitry in communication with the USB port and the battery, the circuitry configured to;

transmit a power control signal over the USB port, the power control signal comprising data indicative of one or more of a power, a voltage and a current to be received over the USB port to charge the battery; and

,

responsively receive the power for charging the battery over the USB port.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the power control signal comprises a pulsed width modulation (PWM) signal transmitted over a USB Identification (USBID) connector of the USB port, and the power is responsibly received over a Voltage Bus (VBUS) connector of the USB port.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the power control signal comprises an analog signal transmitted over a VBUS connector of the USB port, and the power is responsibly received over the VBUS connector.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the power control signal comprises a digital signal transmitted over one or more of a USB D+ connector and a USB D−

connectors of the USB port, and the power is responsibly received over a VBUS connector of the USB port.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the power control signal comprises one or more of a PWM signal, an analog signal and a digital signal transmitted over one or more of a USBID connector, a VBUS connector, a USB D+ connector, and a USB D-connector, of the USB port, and the power is responsibly received over the VBUS connector.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to:

determine a target current to be received at the USB port for charging the battery; and

adjust the power control signal so that the target current is received at the USB port.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to:

determine a target voltage to be received at the USB port for charging the battery, and adjust the power control signal so that the target voltage is received at the USB port.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry comprises a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) in line between the USB port and the battery, the PMIC configured to:

determine one or more of a received voltage and a received current from the USB port; and

the circuitry further configured to;

adjust the power control signal based on one or more of the received voltage and the received current so that one or more of;

the received current approaches a target current; and

the received voltage approaches a target voltage.

9. A method comprising:

at a device comprising;

a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port;

a battery in communication with the USB port; and

, circuitry in communication with the USB port and the battery,

transmitting, using the circuitry, a power control signal over the USB port, the power control signal comprising data indicative of one or more of a power, a voltage and a current to be received over the USB port to charge the battery; and

,

responsively receiving, at the circuitry, the power for charging the battery over the USB port.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the power control signal comprises a pulsed width modulation (PWM) signal transmitted over a USB Identification (USBID) connector of the USB port, and the power is responsibly received over a Voltage Bus (VBUS) connector of the USB port.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the power control signal comprises an analog signal transmitted over a VBUS connector of the USB port, and the power is responsibly received over the VBUS connector.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the power control signal comprises a digital signal transmitted over one or more of a USB D+ connector and a USB D−

connectors of the USB port, and the power is responsibly received over a VBUS connector of the USB port.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the power control signal comprises one or more of a PWM signal, an analog signal and a digital signal transmitted over one or more of a USBID connector, a VBUS connector, a USB D+ connector, and a USB D-connector, of the USB port, and the power is responsibly received over the VBUS connector.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining, at the circuitry, a target current to be received at the USB port for charging the battery; and

adjusting the power control signal so that the target current is received at the USB port.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining, at the circuitry, a target voltage to be received at the USB port for charging the battery; and

adjusting, at the circuitry, the power control signal so that the target voltage is received at the USB port.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the circuitry comprises a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) in line between the USB port and the battery, the PMIC configured to:

determine one or more of a received voltage and a received current from the USB port; and

the circuitry configured to;

adjust the power control signal based on one or more of the received voltage and the received current so that one or more of;

the received current approaches a target current; and

the received voltage approaches a target voltage.

17. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method comprising:

at a device comprising;

a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port;

a battery in communication with the USB port; and

, circuitry in communication with the USB port and the battery,

transmitting, using the circuitry, a power control signal over the USB port, the power control signal comprising data indicative of one or more of a power, a voltage and a current to be received over the USB port to charge the battery; and

,

responsively receiving, at the circuitry, the power for charging the battery over the USB port.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, the method further comprising:

determining, at the circuitry, a target current to be received at the USB port for charging the battery; and

adjusting the power control signal so that the target current is received at the USB port.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, the method further comprising:

determining, at the circuitry, a target voltage to be received at the USB port for charging the battery; and

adjusting, at the circuitry, the power control signal so that the target voltage is received at the USB port.

20. A system comprising:

a charger comprising;

a respective USB (Universal Serial Bus) port; and

respective circuitry configured to receive a power control signal over the respective USB port; and

, responsively transmit power over the respective USB port according to data in the power control signal; and

,

a device comprising;

a USB port configured to communicate with the respective USB port of the charger;

a battery in communication with the USB port; and

, circuitry in communication with the USB port and the battery, the circuitry configured to;

transmit the power control signal over the USB port to the charger, the data in the power control signal comprising data indicative of one or more of a power, a voltage and a current to be received over the USB port to charge the battery; and

, responsively receive the power for charging the battery over the USB port.