Power management unit for portable electronic devices

• US 8,368,359 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2010
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chen, Chun-Po
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): PELTON, NATHANIEL R
• Application Number:
  US12/852,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20110241628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 320/162, 320/163
• US Class Current: 320/163
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence

Abstract

A power management unit (PMU) for supplying electrical energy to a circuitry of a portable electronic device includes a power supply module, a power detection module connected to the power supply module, and a power control module connected to the power detection module and the circuitry. The power supply module includes a battery, a charge controller, and an adapter. The power detection includes a detection resistor connected to the battery, the charge controller, and the adapter. The battery or the adapter provides electrical energy to the circuitry. The adapter further charges the battery to charge the battery when it is used to provide electrical energy to the circuitry. The charge controller detects the current for charging the battery via the detection resistor, and regulates the current for charging the battery when the charging current exceeds a predetermined value.

Claims

1. A power management unit (PMU) for supplying electrical energy to a circuitry of a portable electronic device, comprising:

a power supply module including a battery, a charge controller, and an adapter;

a power detection module connected to the power supply module, the power detection including a detection resistor connected to the battery, the charge controller, and the adapter; and

a power control module connected to the power detection module and the circuitry;

wherein the battery provides electrical energy to the circuitry through the power detection module and the power control module, or the adapter is connected to a power supply to regulate the voltage of electrical energy provided by the power supply to a predetermined value and provide the electrical energy having the predetermined voltage to the circuitry through the power detection module and the power control module;

the adapter further providing electrical energy of other supplies connected thereto to the battery through the detection resistor to charge the battery when it is used to provide electrical energy to the circuitry, the charge controller detecting the current for charging the battery via the detection resistor, and regulating the current for charging the battery when the charging current exceeds a predetermined value; and

wherein the power detection module includes a processor connected to the detection resistor, the battery, and the power control module;

the processor detects the current passing through the detection resistor and a voltage provided to the circuitry, calculates the power of the electrical energy provided to the circuitry according to the current passing through the detection resistor and the voltage provided to the circuitry;

and controls the power control module to limit the power of the electrical energy provided to the circuitry when the power of the electrical energy provided to the circuitry exceeds a predetermined value.

2. The PMU as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor includes a power supply controller integrated circuit (IC) connected to the detection resistor and the power control module, the power supply controller IC being a MAX4173F chip, the processor using the power supply controller IC to detect the current passing through the detection resistor and control the power control module.

3. The PMU as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the battery provides electrical energy to the circuitry through the power detection module and the power control module, the processor detects the voltage of the battery and calculates the power of the electrical energy provided to the circuitry according to the current passing through the detection resistor and the voltage of the battery.

4. The PMU as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the adapter provides electrical energy to the circuitry through the power detection module and the power control module, the processor calculates the power of the electrical energy provided to the circuitry according to the current passing through the detection resistor and the predetermined voltage of electrical energy provided by the adapter.

5. The PMU as claimed in claim 1, wherein the charge controller is connected to the battery to detect the voltage of the battery, and stops the charging process when the voltage of the battery exceeds a predetermined value.

6. The PMU as claimed in claim 4, wherein a predetermined value of the voltage of electrical energy provided by the adapter is also stored in the processor.

7. The PMU as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the power of the electrical energy provided to the circuitry exceeds a predetermined value, the processor controls the power control module to function, and the power control module drives the circuitry to work in a CPU thermal throttling status to decrease current provided to the circuitry.