Load current dependent reduction of charge battery current
First Claim
1. A method to charge batteries of portable devices simultaneously with supplying power to these devices for their operations is comprising the following steps:
- (1) providing a DC power source, a supply regulator, one or more rechargeable batteries, a battery charger controlled by a digital control unit, a voltage comparator, and a capacitor;
(2) setting charge current to charge batteries to a predefined default current level;
(3) delaying process flow for a defined time interval and go then to step (4);
(4) checking if voltage at inputs of said portable device and of said battery charger is lower than a defined threshold voltage, and, if positive, go to step (5) else go to step (7);
(5) checking, if said charge current is zero, and if positive, go to step (3) else go to step (6);
(6) decreasing said charge current and go then to step (3);
(7) checking if said charge current is smaller than said predefined default current level, and if positive, go to step (8), else go to step (3); and
(8) increasing said charge current and go then to step (3).
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Circuits and methods to charge batteries of a portable device simultaneously with supplying power to the device for its operation, using a power source with limited maximum current, as e.g. an USB port, have been achieved. The system invented relies upon digital control only. No direct sensing of the current required for the operation of the portable device is required. The control takes care that the sum of the charging current and of the current to run the portable device does not exceed the maximum allowable current of the power source. The current required to run the portable device has precedence over the charging current.
24 Citations
13 Claims
-
1. A method to charge batteries of portable devices simultaneously with supplying power to these devices for their operations is comprising the following steps:
-
(1) providing a DC power source, a supply regulator, one or more rechargeable batteries, a battery charger controlled by a digital control unit, a voltage comparator, and a capacitor; (2) setting charge current to charge batteries to a predefined default current level; (3) delaying process flow for a defined time interval and go then to step (4); (4) checking if voltage at inputs of said portable device and of said battery charger is lower than a defined threshold voltage, and, if positive, go to step (5) else go to step (7); (5) checking, if said charge current is zero, and if positive, go to step (3) else go to step (6); (6) decreasing said charge current and go then to step (3); (7) checking if said charge current is smaller than said predefined default current level, and if positive, go to step (8), else go to step (3); and (8) increasing said charge current and go then to step (3). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
Specification