Portable apparatus of emergency power supply and battery charger

• US 7,859,133 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2005
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Smart Power Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Smart Power Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Kim, Sang-Min, Noh, Suck, Youn, Dae-Young, Kim, Hyun-June
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman; Jared J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amrany; Adi
• Application Number:
  US12/159,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20090026843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,841 Days
• Field of Search: 307 64- 66
• US Class Current: 307/66
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads

Abstract

The present invention relates to a portable apparatus combining a battery charger with an emergency power supply, including: a hand-held body; an AC input section, a battery section; a DC output section; an LED display section; and a control circuit section. Accordingly, the inventive portable apparatus combining a battery charger with an emergency power supply functions as an adapter for supplying electric power to an electronic device and a charger for charging a battery contained therein when being applied with an external power supply, and functions as an emergency power supply for supplying proper electric power to the electric device using a built-in charged battery when being not applied with the external electric power supply.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

an AC-to-DC converter with an AC input and a first DC output node;

a charge controller receiving as an input DC power from the first DC output node and having a charging output node;

a battery compartment disposed to receive a replaceable rechargeable battery;

a DC-to-DC converter with a first DC input node and a second DC output node;

a current limiter with a second DC input node and a third DC output node;

the AC-to-DC converter disposed to receive AC power at its AC input from an AC source, the AC power being fused and passing through an electromagnetic interference filter, thence to a bridge rectifier having an output, the output thereof being capacitively filtered and provided in a pulse-width-modulated manner by means of a first pulse-width modulator to a primary winding of a transformer, the transformer having a secondary winding yielding an electrical output, the electrical output being rectified and filtered, the output providing a feedback signal by means of an optoelectronic coupler to the first pulse-width modulator, the rectified and filtered output comprising the first DC output node;

the charge controller disposed to receive DC power at its input, the DC power coupled by means of a semiconductor switch to the battery compartment by way of the charging output output node, the semiconductor switch controlled by a charge circuit responsive to a voltage measured at the charging output node for controlling the semiconductor switch, the charge circuit providing signals to light-emitting diodes communicating to a human user a charging status of a battery if located in the battery compartment;

the DC-to-DC converter disposed to receive DC power at its first DC input node from the battery compartment, said DC power switched by a manually operated switch, said switched DC power provided to a boost circuit operating in a pulse-width-modulated manner by means of a second pulse-width modulator together with a series inductor, the boost circuit providing boosted DC power to its second DC output node, the boosted DC power providing a feedback signal to the second pulse-width modulator;

the current limiter receiving DC power at its second DC input node from both the first DC output node of the AC-to-DC converter and the second DC output node of the DC-to-DC converter, the current limiter providing feedback to both the first pulse-width modulator of the AC-to-DC converter and the second pulse-width modulator of the DC-to-DC converter, the current limiter further comprising a light-emitting diode communicating to a human user a powered status of the apparatus, the current-limited DC power provided to the third DC output node;

the AC-to-DC converter, the charge controller, the battery compartment, the DC-to-DC converter, and the current limiter all disposed within a body, the AC input comprising a flip-type plug disposed, within the control of a human user, to be retracted inwardly from the body and received in the body when not being used;

the battery compartment having a door disposed to be opened so as to permit installation of a battery therein and disposed to be closed so as to keep such a batter within the compartment;

the third DC output node comprising a universal-serial-bus connector.

2. A method for use with apparatus comprising an AC-to-DC converter with an AC input and a first DC output node;

a charge controller receiving as an input DC power from the first DC output node and having a charging output node;

a battery compartment disposed to receive a replaceable rechargeable battery;

a DC-to-DC converter with a first DC input node and a second DC output node;

a current limiter with a second DC input node and a third DC output node;

the AC-to-DC converter disposed to receive AC power at its AC input from an AC source, the AC power being fused and passing through an electromagnetic interference filter, thence to a bridge rectifier having an output, the output thereof being capacitively filtered and provided in a pulse-width-modulated manner by means of a first pulse-width modulator to a primary winding of a transformer, the transformer having a secondary winding yielding an electrical output, the electrical output being rectified and filtered, the output providing a feedback signal by means of an optoelectronic coupler to the first pulse-width modulator, the rectified and filtered output comprising the first DC output node;

the charge controller disposed to receive DC power at its input, the DC power coupled by means of a semiconductor switch to the battery compartment by way of the charging output output node, the semiconductor switch controlled by a charge circuit responsive to a voltage measured at the charging output node for controlling the semiconductor switch, the charge circuit providing signals to light-emitting diodes communicating to a human user a charging status of a battery if located in the battery compartment;

the DC-to-DC converter disposed to receive DC power at its first DC input node from the battery compartment, said DC power switched by a manually operated switch, said switched DC power provided to a boost circuit operating in a pulse-width-modulated manner by means of a second pulse-width modulator together with a series inductor, the boost circuit providing boosted DC power to its second DC output node, the boosted DC power providing a feedback signal to the second pulse-width modulator;

the current limiter receiving DC power at its second DC input node from both the first DC output node of the AC-to-DC converter and the second DC output node of the DC-to-DC converter, the current limiter providing feedback to both the first pulse-width modulator of the AC-to-DC converter and the second pulse-width modulator of the DC-to-DC converter, the current limiter further comprising a light-emitting diode communicating to a human user a powered status of the apparatus, the current-limited DC power provided to the third DC output node;

the AC-to-DC converter, the charge controller, the battery compartment, the DC-to-DC converter, and the current limiter all disposed within a body, the AC input comprising a flip-type plug disposed, within the control of a human user, to be retracted inwardly from the body and received in the body when not being used;

the battery compartment having a door disposed to be opened so as to permit installation of a battery therein and disposed to be closed so as to keep such a batter within the compartment;

the third DC output node comprising a universal-serial-bus connector;

the method comprising the steps of;

applying AC power to the AC input;

inserting a battery into the battery compartment, the battery not yet fully charged;

charging the first battery by means of the AC power;

at the same time as the charging of the first battery, powering a consumer electronic device from the universal-serial-bus connector, thereby either charging the consumer electronic device or permitting its operation or both;

at a later time, removing the AC power from the AC input;

turning on the switch; and

from the first battery, powering the consumer electronic device from the universal-serial-bus connector, thereby either charging the consumer electronic device or permitting its operation or both.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step, carried out at such time as the first battery has been charged, of:

removing the first battery and inserting a second battery not yet fully charged.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step, carried out at such time as the first battery is discharged, of:

replacing the first battery with a second battery; and

from the second battery, powering the consumer electronic device from the universal-serial-bus connector, thereby either charging the consumer electronic device or permitting its operation or both.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the event of a load at the current limiter being higher than a predetermined value brings about a feedback signal to both the first pulse-width modulator of the AC-to-DC converter and the second pulse-width modulator of the DC-to-DC converter, the signal causing one or both of the first pulse-width modulator of the AC-to-DC converter and the second pulse-width modulator of the DC-to-DC converter to provide a maximum duty cycle.