CURRENT SHARING ARCHITECTURE FOR COMBINATION CHARGER

• US 20180159341A1
• Filed: 12/05/2016
• Published: 06/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: KADAM, NILESH ANKUSH, AGRAWAL, ARPIT, MURAHARI, SAIVARAPRASAD, SALAS, LUIS
• Granted Patent: US 10,615,632 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00714 in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage

Abstract

A charger apparatus a first port, a second port, a first circuit coupled to the first port, and a second circuit coupled to the second port. The charger also includes a controller, wherein the first circuit and the second circuit each receive a DC power signal generated from an AC input signal, and wherein the controller is structured and configured to determine whether a load current on the second circuit is above a threshold level and responsive to determining that the load current is above the threshold level, (i) cause the first circuit to advertise the first current at a level that is less than a maximum current level that may be advertised at the first port, and (ii) cause the second circuit to advertise the second current at a level that is equal to a maximum current level that may be advertised at the second port.

Claims

1. A charger apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a first port supported by the housing;

a second port supported by the housing, the second port being of a different type than the first port;

a first circuit coupled to the first port and structured to advertise a first current at the first port;

a second circuit coupled to the second port and structured to advertise a second current at the second port; and

a controller, wherein the first circuit and the second circuit each receive a DC power signal generated from an AC input signal provided to the charger apparatus, and wherein the controller is structured and configured to determine whether a load current on the second circuit is above a threshold level and responsive to determining that the load current on the second circuit is above the threshold level, (i) cause the first circuit to advertise the first current at a level that is less than a maximum current level that may be advertised at the first port, and (ii) cause the second circuit to advertise the second current at a level that is equal to a maximum current level that may be advertised at the second port.

2. The charger apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first port is a USB Type-C port and the second port is a USB Type-A port.

3. The charger apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is provided as part of the first circuit.

4. The charger apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is structured and configured to, responsive to the load current on the second circuit being below the threshold level, (i) cause the first circuit to advertise the first current at a level that is equal to the maximum current level that may be advertised at the first port, and (ii) cause the second circuit to advertise the second current at a level that is less than the maximum current level that may be advertised at the second port.

5. The charger apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first circuit is structured to measure a load current on the first circuit, wherein the controller is structured and configured to, responsive to the load current on the second circuit being below the threshold level and if the load current on the first circuit is above a second threshold, (i) cause the first circuit to advertise the first current at a level that is equal to the maximum current level that may be advertised at the first port, and (ii) cause the second circuit to advertise the second current at a level that is less than the maximum current level that may be advertised at the second port.

6. The charger apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the second circuit is structured to generate and provide to the controller a signal indicative of whether the load current on the second circuit is above the threshold, and wherein the controller is structured and configured to determine whether the load current on the second circuit is above the threshold level based on the signal.

7. The charger apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second circuit includes a comparator that is structured to generate the signal indicative of whether the load current on the second circuit is above the threshold by comparing a voltage measured in the second circuit to a voltage reference.

8. The charger apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second circuit includes an electronic switch controlled by a gate control circuit that receives a pulse width modulation output from the controller, and wherein the level of the first current is determined based on control of the electronic switch by the gate control circuit in response to the pulse width modulation output.

9. A method of controlling a charger apparatus that includes a first port and a second port of a different type than the first port, the method comprising:

receiving a DC power signal generated from an AC input signal provided to the charger apparatus;

determining whether a load current being provided to the second port is above a threshold level;

responsive to determining that the load current being provided to the second port is above the threshold level, (i) causing the first port to advertise a first current at a level that is less than a maximum current level that may be advertised at the first port, and (ii) causing the second port to advertise a second current at a level that is equal to a maximum current level that may be advertised at the second port.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first port is a USB Type-C port and the second port is a USB Type-A port.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising, responsive to the load current being provided to the second port being below the threshold level, (i) causing the first current to be advertised at the first port at a level that is equal to the maximum current level that may be advertised at the first port, and (ii) causing the second current to be advertised at the second port at a level that is less than the maximum current level that may be advertised at the second port.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising measuring a load current being provided to the first port, and responsive to the load current on the second circuit being below the threshold level and the load current being provided to the first port being above a second threshold, (i) causing the first current to be advertised at the first port at a level that is equal to the maximum current level that may be advertised at the first port, and (ii) causing the second current to be advertised at the second port at a level that is less than the maximum current level that may be advertised at the second port.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the threshold level and the second threshold level are adjustable.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the level of the first current is determined by controlling an electronic switch in response to a pulse width modulation output.

15. A computer program product including a non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a computer program comprising program code for implementing the method of claim 9.