Energy conserving charger controller, circuitry and method
First Claim
1. A charger controller system for use with AC/DC adapter charger devices for recharging batteries of consumer electronic devices, which AC/DC adapter chargers are stand-alone or integrated with said consumer electronic devices (CEDs), comprising in operative combination:
- a) a current controlling circuit element in series with, and intermediate between, a mains AC supply of power and an AC output for an AC/DC adapter device having a DC output for providing charging current to a CED connected to said AC/DC adapter;
b) a current measuring circuit element connected downstream of said current controlling circuit element for measuring the current flow to said AC output and assessing the CED battery charge state;
c) a microprocessor having leads connected to said current measurement circuit for receiving signals from said current measurement circuit representative of current draw on said AC output and said CED battery charge state, said microprocessor having a programmable control algorithm code structure;
d) said microprocessor control algorithm code is structured to periodically assess the charge state of said CED battery and responsive thereto, to provide trigger signals to said current controlling circuit to enable, switch ON, or interrupt, turn OFF, flow of mains AC current to said AC output in response to the rate of current draw assessed charge state of said CED battery, said control algorithm code is structured to learn the measured charging load cycle of a CED battery which is connected to said AC/DC adapter DC output, and to provide, switch ON, full mains AC current to said AC output when said CED battery charge state requires charging power, turn OFF mains AC current to said AC output when said CED battery is no longer present or said CED battery charge state no longer requires charging power being in a trickle-charge maintenance mode, maintains said mains AC current OFF to prevent trickle-charge, and turns mains AC current ON again once the charge state of said CED battery is assessed as requiring full charging current;
e) a power storage device connected to said microprocessor to provide power to said microprocessor when mains power is absent; and
f) said system providing substantial energy savings as compared to uncontrolled AC adapter charger devices by preventing charger hysteresis and heat energy losses when said consumer electronic devices are not connected to otherwise uncontrolled AC adapter charger devices or the batteries of said CEDs are substantially fully charged or in a trickle-charge maintenance mode.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An energy-conserving charger controller system, including charge sensing circuitry and operational algorithm, reduces parasitic lost energy by automatically “learning” the unique charging signature of a consumer electronic device (CED) battery to determine and sense when a it is being charged or not, and implementing conversion (from mains AC to DC) to occur only when a device needs charge. The inventive system employs a current measurement circuit, a microprocessor controller including a timing circuit and control algorithm code structure, a TRIAC current switch and an on-board battery. The inventive system and method is universal, being independent of the charger design, and may be an independent device upstream of the charger (between it and the mains power supply), integrated with an AC adapter charger unit, integrated into a CED, or part of a power strip for individually and independently controlling each AC adapter plugged into the strip.
-
Citations
16 Claims
-
1. A charger controller system for use with AC/DC adapter charger devices for recharging batteries of consumer electronic devices, which AC/DC adapter chargers are stand-alone or integrated with said consumer electronic devices (CEDs), comprising in operative combination:
-
a) a current controlling circuit element in series with, and intermediate between, a mains AC supply of power and an AC output for an AC/DC adapter device having a DC output for providing charging current to a CED connected to said AC/DC adapter; b) a current measuring circuit element connected downstream of said current controlling circuit element for measuring the current flow to said AC output and assessing the CED battery charge state; c) a microprocessor having leads connected to said current measurement circuit for receiving signals from said current measurement circuit representative of current draw on said AC output and said CED battery charge state, said microprocessor having a programmable control algorithm code structure; d) said microprocessor control algorithm code is structured to periodically assess the charge state of said CED battery and responsive thereto, to provide trigger signals to said current controlling circuit to enable, switch ON, or interrupt, turn OFF, flow of mains AC current to said AC output in response to the rate of current draw assessed charge state of said CED battery, said control algorithm code is structured to learn the measured charging load cycle of a CED battery which is connected to said AC/DC adapter DC output, and to provide, switch ON, full mains AC current to said AC output when said CED battery charge state requires charging power, turn OFF mains AC current to said AC output when said CED battery is no longer present or said CED battery charge state no longer requires charging power being in a trickle-charge maintenance mode, maintains said mains AC current OFF to prevent trickle-charge, and turns mains AC current ON again once the charge state of said CED battery is assessed as requiring full charging current; e) a power storage device connected to said microprocessor to provide power to said microprocessor when mains power is absent; and f) said system providing substantial energy savings as compared to uncontrolled AC adapter charger devices by preventing charger hysteresis and heat energy losses when said consumer electronic devices are not connected to otherwise uncontrolled AC adapter charger devices or the batteries of said CEDs are substantially fully charged or in a trickle-charge maintenance mode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A microprocessor for controlling flow of current to an AC load, said micro-processor being interposed between said load and an AC mains power supply line, comprising:
a) a circuit including; i) a low power input; ii) at least one measured current draw signal input; iii) a trigger signal output; iv) a clock; v) a memory structure; and vi) a control algorithm having a programmable code structure which causes said microprocessor to selectively output trigger signals to a current control circuit element in accord with the functional events of;
periodically awakening said microprocessor from a sleep state in which said mains power to said AC load has been interrupted, triggering said current control circuit element to enable said mains power to flow to said AC load, checking the value of the measured mains power current draw signal input, and if the measured current corresponds to a value representative of when a load is present and drawing mains power, permits said mains power to flow uninterrupted, and if the measured current draw signal input corresponds to a value representative of when a load is not present or drawing current representative of trickle-charge maintenance mode of said AC load, interrupts said mains power and returns to a sleep mode.- View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
-
11. A method of conserving electrical energy by reducing the loss of electrical energy by an AC adapter charger connected to a mains line power supply for recharging a CED battery when said CED battery is either not connected to said charger or at or near the full charge capacity of said battery, whether said AC adapter charger is stand alone or integrated with said CED, comprising the steps of:
-
a) automatically monitoring the draw of current of said AC adapter charger by periodic awakening of a battery-powered microprocessor having control algorithm code structure that cyclically evaluates measured current draw until a step change in current draw is detected, either from a low charge rate state to high charge rate or high charge rate state to low charge rate state; b) permitting current to flow from said mains line power supply to said AC adapter charger when said monitored current draw step change is representative of charging load current draw on said AC adapter charger; c) automatically interrupting current flow from said mains line to said AC adapter charger so that there is zero mains current flow, when said current draw step change is monitored to be representative of substantial absence of charging load on said AC adapter as when said CED battery is not connected or is in a trickle charge maintenance mode; d) permitting said microprocessor to revert to a sleep mode after a preselected number of cyclic evaluations of step change from high charge rate state to low charge rate state; and e) reducing parasitic hysteresis and heat electrical energy loss, in an amount being substantially the difference between said zero current flow and flow to said AC adapter charger when it is connected to mains yet there is no CED battery being charged or said CED battery is in a trickle charge maintenance mode. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
Specification