System and method for efficiently implementing a battery controller for an electronic device
First Claim
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1. A system for effectively managing operating power for an electronic device, comprising:
- a battery pack coupled to said electronic device for supplying said operating power to said electronic device; and
a battery controller configured to alternately manage said battery pack in one of a single-cell implementation and a dual-cell implementation, said battery controller including a charge pump to provide an internal controller power supply for operating said battery controller in said single-cell implementation, said battery pack being implemented in said single-cell implementation, said battery controller coordinating a startup procedure for said battery pack during which a battery charger is connected to said battery pack in a discharged state, said battery controller responsively closing a charge switch that is coupled between said battery charger and a battery cell of said battery pack, said charge switch passing a charger voltage from said battery charger to a charger input of said charge pump, said charge pump responsively generating a charge pump output voltage at a pre-determined voltage level to a charger regulator that filters said charge pump output voltage, said charger regulator then generating said internal controller power supply so that a CPU of said battery controller may begin executing battery controller instructions to control operations of said battery pack.
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Abstract
A system and method for effectively managing operating power for an electronic device may include a battery pack coupled to the electronic device for supplying operating power to the electronic device. A battery controller may be configured as a single integrated-circuit device to alternately manage the battery pack either in a single-cell implementation or in a dual-cell implementation. The battery controller may include a charge pump device to provide an internal controller power supply for operating the battery controller in the single-cell implementation.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A system for effectively managing operating power for an electronic device, comprising:
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a battery pack coupled to said electronic device for supplying said operating power to said electronic device; and a battery controller configured to alternately manage said battery pack in one of a single-cell implementation and a dual-cell implementation, said battery controller including a charge pump to provide an internal controller power supply for operating said battery controller in said single-cell implementation, said battery pack being implemented in said single-cell implementation, said battery controller coordinating a startup procedure for said battery pack during which a battery charger is connected to said battery pack in a discharged state, said battery controller responsively closing a charge switch that is coupled between said battery charger and a battery cell of said battery pack, said charge switch passing a charger voltage from said battery charger to a charger input of said charge pump, said charge pump responsively generating a charge pump output voltage at a pre-determined voltage level to a charger regulator that filters said charge pump output voltage, said charger regulator then generating said internal controller power supply so that a CPU of said battery controller may begin executing battery controller instructions to control operations of said battery pack. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A system for effectively managing operating power for an electronic device, comprising:
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a battery pack coupled to said electronic device for supplying said operating power to said electronic device; and a battery controller configured to alternately manage said battery pack in one of a single-cell implementation and a dual-cell implementation, said battery controller including a charge pump to provide an internal controller power supply for operating said battery controller in said single-cell implementation, an analog-to-digital converter module of said battery controller monitoring a battery voltage of said battery pack as it discharges while supplying said operating power to said electronic device, a CPU of said battery controller controlling a shutdown procedure for said battery pack when a pre-determined discharged voltage level is sensed by said analog-to-digital converter module, said CPU responsively opening a discharge switch in said battery pack, said CPU toggling a CPSEL line to switch from a battery voltage of said battery pack at a battery input of said charge pump to a charger voltage from said battery charger at a charger input of said charge pump to thereby generate said internal controller power supply, said internal controller power supply responsively descending below a reset threshold if said battery charger is not connected to said battery pack, said battery pack then entering a shutdown state until said battery charger is connected to said battery pack and a startup procedure is performed by said battery controller to charge said battery pack.
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5. A system for effectively managing operating power for an electronic device, comprising:
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a battery pack coupled to said electronic device for supplying said operating power to said electronic device; and a battery controller configured to alternately manage said battery pack in one of a single-cell implementation and a dual-cell implementation, said battery controller including a charge pump to provide an internal controller power supply for operating said battery controller in said single-cell implementation, said battery controller including a UART device that is implemented to communicate with said electronic device via a single transmit/receive pin on an integrated circuit device that contains said battery controller, said UART thus supporting a single-pin UART interface to conserve available connection pins on said integrated circuit device of said battery controller, said UART device receiving a timebase signal from a precision instruction oscillator that is implemented on an integrated circuit that includes said battery controller, said instruction oscillator accurately generating a UART clock signal to said UART for synchronizing UART operations.
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6. A method for effectively managing operating power for an electronic device, comprising the steps of:
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supplying said operating power for said electronic device from a battery pack coupled to said electronic device; and managing said battery pack alternately in one of a single-cell implementation and a dual-cell implementation by utilizing a battery controller that includes a charge pump to provide an internal controller power supply for operating said battery controller in said single-cell implementation, said battery pack being implemented in said single-cell implementation, said battery controller coordinating a startup procedure for said battery pack during which a battery charger is connected to said battery pack in a discharged state, said battery controller responsively closing a charge switch that is coupled between said battery charger and a battery cell of said battery pack, said charge switch passing a charger voltage from said battery charger to a charger input of said charge pump, said charge pump responsively generating a charge pump output voltage at a pre-determined voltage level to a charger regulator that filters said charge pump output voltage, said charger regulator then generating said internal controller power supply so that a CPU of said battery controller may begin executing battery controller instructions to control operations of said battery pack. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A method for effectively managing operating power for an electronic device, comprising the steps of:
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supplying said operating power for said electronic device from a battery pack coupled to said electronic device; and managing said battery pack alternately in one of a single-cell implementation and a dual-cell implementation by utilizing a battery controller that includes a charge pump to provide an internal controller power supply for operating said battery controller in said single-cell implementation, an analog-to-digital converter module of said battery controller monitoring a battery voltage of said battery pack as it discharges while supplying said operating power to said electronic device, a CPU of said battery controller controlling a shutdown procedure for said battery pack when a pre-determined discharged voltage level is sensed by said analog-to-digital converter module, said CPU responsively opening a discharge switch in said battery pack, said CPU toggling a CPSEL line to switch from a battery voltage of said battery pack at a battery input of said charge pump to a charger voltage from said battery charger at a charger input of said charge pump to thereby generate said internal controller power supply, said internal controller power supply responsively descending below a reset threshold if said battery charger is not connected to said battery pack, said battery pack then entering a shutdown state until said battery charger is connected to said battery pack and a startup procedure is performed by said battery controller to charge said battery pack.
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10. A method for effectively managing operating power for an electronic device, comprising the steps of:
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supplying said operating power for said electronic device from a battery pack coupled to said electronic device; and managing said battery pack alternately in one of a single-cell implementation and a dual-cell implementation by utilizing a battery controller that includes a charge pump to provide an internal controller power supply for operating said battery controller in said single-cell implementation, said battery controller including a UART device that is implemented to communicate with said electronic device via a single transmit/receive pin on an integrated circuit device that contains said battery controller, said UART thus supporting a single-pin UART interface to conserve available connection pins on said integrated circuit device of said battery controller, said UART device receiving a timebase signal from a precision instruction oscillator that is implemented on an integrated circuit that includes said battery controller, said instruction oscillator accurately generating a UART clock signal to said UART for synchronizing UART operations.
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Specification