Charging apparatus and method for a secondary battery of a portably electronic device

• US 7,023,180 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2005
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Kazuo, Nagai, Tamiji, Yamamoto, Tadahisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Application Number:
  US11/102,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20050189926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• Field of Search: 320/125, 320/152, 320/157, 320/160, 320/162, 320/163, 320/164, 320/134, 320/136, 307/64, 307/66
• US Class Current: 320/162
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00714 in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage

Abstract

In the case of charging by a charging apparatus having a plurality of input terminals to which external power sources for charging a secondary battery are inputted, it is prevented that a current of the inputted power source is outputted to the outside from the other input terminals for charging which are not used. If there are inputs from a plurality of input terminals, the input power sources are controlled so that the battery is optimally charged. pnp-type transistors Q1 and Q2 are arranged between two input terminals of a terminal 11 for an external power adaptor and a terminal 12 for a holder and a secondary battery E1, respectively. When a control IC 13 detects an input power voltage of one of the transistors, the transistor on the detected side is turned on. If the control IC 13 detects both input power voltages, a priority is allocated under predetermined conditions and the secondary battery E1 is charged by the power source of the higher priority.

Claims

1. A charging apparatus comprising:

first and second input terminals to which power voltage sources are connected;

first and second semiconductor devices for power control in which said first and second input terminals are connected to input electrodes, respectively;

a secondary battery to which output electrodes of said first and second semiconductor devices for power control are connected in common and which is connected between said common connection electric potential point and a reference electric potential point;

a control circuit for controlling a terminal voltage and a charge current of said secondary battery to desired values;

switching signal generating means for detecting voltages which are generated at the input electrodes of said first and second semiconductor devices for power control and generating a switching signal for turning on a circuit between the input and output electrodes of said semiconductor device for power control at which the voltage has been detected; and

a stabilizing circuit that stabilizes the power voltage sources detects and includes at least one of an overcurrent protection circuit, a charge stop circuit, a constant current detecting circuit, and a constant voltage detection circuit,

wherein if the voltages are detected from the input electrodes of both of said first and second semiconductor devices for power control, the input power sources are controlled by turning on the circuit between the input and output electrodes of one of said first and second semiconductor devices such that in accordance with a priority protocol the semiconductor device located on the side in which the voltage is equal to or larger than a predetermined minimum voltage value is selected.