Switchable battery charger circuit

• US 8,004,247 B1
• Filed: 04/25/2008
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell International Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Zhang, Hong Liang
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): TORRES RUIZ, JOHALI ALEJANDRA
• Application Number:
  US12/110,028
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 320/138
• US Class Current: 320/138
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters

Abstract

In one or more embodiments, a battery charger switching circuit enables a device to automatically select between multiple device interfaces individual ones of which are connectable to different power supplies for recharging the device. In at least some embodiments, selection of a particular device interface is based upon the magnitude of the voltage associated with a particular power supply. For example, the battery charger switching circuit can ascertain charge voltages associated with individual power supplies and select a power supply having a greater magnitude of charge voltage. In at least some embodiments, the battery charger switching circuit can enable charge control circuits associated with a particular power supply and disable charge control circuits associated with unselected power supplies in a manner that reduces or eliminates leakage current associated with unselected power supplies.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

ascertaining voltage magnitudes associated with battery charging sources;

enabling, based on the ascertained voltage magnitudes, a first charge circuitry associated with a first one of the battery charging sources;

disabling a second charge circuitry associated with a second one of the battery charging sources, the second charge circuitry including a power transistor having a source or a drain operably coupled to the second one of the battery charging sources; and

preventing current leakage by connecting a bulk of the power transistor to a higher of;

a voltage associated with the second one of the battery charging sources;

or

a voltage associated with a battery to be charged.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the charge circuitry that is enabled is configured to enable a lithium-ion battery to be recharged.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the battery charging sources comprise at least an alternating current (AC) power source or a universal serial bus (USB) power source.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

ascertaining voltage magnitudes comprises comparing voltage magnitudes associated with the battery charging sources; and

enabling the charge circuitry comprises driving an enable line to enable a charge control circuit.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, for at least one of the battery charging sources, clamping a voltage associated with the at least one of the battery charging sources.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising charging a battery using the charge circuitry that has been enabled.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second charge circuitry includes a comparator for comparing the voltage associated with the second one of the battery charging sources with the voltage associated with the battery to be charged.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the power transistor comprises a PMOS power transistor.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the comparator is operably coupled to the power transistor and configured to prevent the current leakage by controlling the bulk of the power transistor such that the bulk of the power transistor is connected to the higher of:

the voltage associated with the second one of the battery charging sources, or

the voltage associated with the battery to be charged.

10. A battery charger circuit comprising:

a voltage detection circuitry configured to ascertain voltage magnitudes associated with battery charging sources;

a first charge circuitry configured to enable a battery to be charged from a first one of the battery charging sources;

a charge enable circuitry configured to;

enable, based on the voltage magnitudes ascertained by the voltage detection circuitry, the first charge circuitry associated with the first one of the battery charging sources;

disable a second charge circuitry associated with a second one of the battery charging sources, the second charge circuitry including a power transistor having a source or a drain operably coupled to the second one of the battery charging sources; and

a circuitry configured to prevent leakage current by connecting a bulk of the power transistor to the higher of;

a voltage associated with the second one of the battery charging sources;

or

a voltage associated with the battery to be charged.

11. The battery charger circuit of claim 10, wherein the charge circuitry and the second charge circuitry is configured to enable a lithium-ion battery to be recharged.

12. The battery charger circuit of claim 10, wherein the battery charging sources comprise one or more of at least an alternating current (AC) power source or a universal serial bus (USB) power source.

13. The battery charger circuit of claim 10, wherein:

the voltage detection circuitry comprises a comparator configured to compare the voltage magnitudes associated with the battery charging sources; and

the charge enable circuitry comprises a plurality of enable lines configured to enable respective charge control circuits operably coupled to respective charge circuitry.

14. The battery charger circuit of claim 10, further comprising, for at least one of the battery charging sources, a voltage clamp associated with the at least one of the battery charging sources.

15. The battery charger circuit of claim 10, wherein the circuitry configured to prevent leakage current includes a comparator configured to compare the voltage associated with the second one of the battery charging sources with the voltage associated with the battery to be charged.

16. The battery charger circuit of claim 15, wherein the power transistor comprises a PMOS power transistor.

17. The battery charger circuit of claim 15, wherein the bulk of the power transistor is controlled by the comparator such that the bulk is tied to the higher of:

the voltage associated with the second one of the battery charging sources;

or

the voltage of the battery to be charged.

18. A rechargeable device comprising the battery charger circuit of claim 10.

19. A battery charger circuit comprising:

means for ascertaining voltage magnitudes associated with battery charging sources;

means for enabling, based on ascertained voltage magnitudes, a first charge circuitry associated with a first one of the battery charging sources;

means for disabling a second charge circuitry associated with a second one of the battery charging sources, the second charge circuitry including a power transistor having a source or a drain operably coupled to the second one of the battery charging sources; and

means for connecting a bulk of the power transistor to a higher of;

a voltage associated with the second one of the battery charging sources;

or

a voltage associated with a battery to be charged.

20. The battery charger circuit of claim 19, wherein the second charge circuitry associated with the second one of the battery charging sources includes means for comparing the voltage associated with the second one of the battery charging sources with the voltage associated with the battery to be charged.