Method and system for determining an arbitrary charging protocol in USB charging ports

• US 9,201,480 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2010
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Standard Microsystems Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Fischbach, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): TORRES RUIZ, JOHALI ALEJANDRA
• Application Number:
  US12/978,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20120166173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,804 Days
• Field of Search: 320/111, 320/107
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/30 Charge provided using DC bus or data bus of a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

An emulation system for determining an arbitrary charging protocol in USB charging ports and for optimally charging portable devices. The emulation system comprises a power switch for powering on the emulation system, a high-speed data switch for transferring data to and from the portable device, a USB receptacle port including data pins (D_P and D_M), V_BUS, and GND. The emulation system further comprises a profile database that stores one or more charging profiles including one or more stimulus-response pairs for each charging profile. The emulation circuit further includes emulation circuitry for detecting stimulus generated by the portable device and for generating responses according to the charging profiles.

Claims

1. An emulation circuit for emulating a charging profile and charging a portable device through a universal serial bus (USB) port, the system comprising:

a power switch for powering the emulation circuit;

a high-speed data switch for transferring data between the portable device and a host;

a USB receptacle port for communicating with the portable device;

a profile database for storing one or more charging profiles, wherein each of the one or more charging profiles includes one or more stimulus-response pairs associated with a charging mode;

a stimulus timer;

a response timer;

a profile timer; and

emulation circuitry configured for selecting a charging profile from the profile database, wherein the selected charging profile is determined by the emulation circuitry by;

selecting a first charging profile from the profile database, applying a voltage on the USB port, detecting, according to the stimulus timer, a first stimulus applied on the USB port by the portable device in response to the applied voltage, determining a corresponding response to the detected first stimulus based on the stimulus-response pairs associated with the first charging profile, applying, according to the response timer, the corresponding response on the USB port, and assigning the first charging profile as the selected charging profile if all of the stimulus-response pairs associated with the first charging profile are detected or selecting a second charging profile from the profile database if the profile timer expires before all of the stimulus response pairs associated with the first charging profile are detected.

2. The emulation circuit of claim 1, wherein the stimulus-response pairs of a charging profile are stored in a specific order and the emulation circuitry detects the stimulus generated by the portable device in the specific order.

3. The emulation circuit of claim 1, wherein the emulation circuitry detects a second stimulus after the first stimulus and the corresponding response to the first stimulus have been removed.

4. The emulation circuit of claim 1, wherein the emulation circuitry detects a second stimulus after applying a first response without removing the first response.

5. The emulation circuit of claim 1, wherein the charging profiles include one or more of battery charging specification (BCS) charging protocol or legacy charging protocols.

6. The emulation circuit of claim 1, wherein the emulation circuitry includes one or more of voltage source, current source, current sink, comparator, resistors, voltage dividers, or timers.

7. A method for charging a portable device using a universal serial bus (USB) port, the method comprising:

attaching the portable device to an emulation circuit through a USB connector;

powering the emulation circuit;

cycling through one or more charging profiles, according to a profile timer, wherein each charging profile is comprised of one or more stimulus-response pairs and wherein the charging profiles are stored in a charging profile database and wherein cycling continues if the profile timer expires before all of the stimulus response pairs associated with a charging profile are detected;

selecting a charging profile when a charging profile is identified that includes a charging mode allows the portable device to charge optimally.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

detecting a first stimulus associated with a charging profile; and

applying a first response associated with the first stimulus according to the stimulus-response pairs.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the stimulus-response pairs of a charging profile are cycled through in a predetermined order.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising detecting a next stimulus associated with the charging profile when the first response is removed.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising applying a next response associated with the next stimulus.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the next stimulus is detected even if the first response is not removed when the first stimulus is associated with a voltage pin of the USB port.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the portable device begins drawing current from the emulation circuit when all the stimulus-response pairs associated with the charging profile are applied.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the stimulus comprises at least one of voltage applied on a VBUS pin, high or low voltage signal applied on one or both data pins (DP and DM), high or low current signal applied on one or both the data pins (DP and DM).

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the response comprises at least one of voltage applied on a VBUS pin, high or low voltage signal applied on one or both data pins (DP and DM), high or low current signal applied on one or both of the data pins (DP and DM), pull-down resistor connected to one or both of the data pins, or a resistor-divider applied from VBUS to one or both of the data pins.

16. A method for emulating one or more charging profiles to charge a portable device through a USB port, the method comprising:

a) selecting a charging profile from a charging profile database;

b) applying the selected charging profile, wherein the charging profile includes one or more stimulus-response pairs and an associated charging mode;

c) applying a voltage on the USB port;

d) monitoring the USB port to detect a stimulus applied by the portable device in response to the applied voltage;

e) determining a corresponding response to the detected stimulus based on the stimulus-response pairs associated with the selected charging profile;

f) applying the corresponding response to the USB port;

g) abandoning the selected charging profile if all of the stimulus-response pairs associated with the selected charging profile are not detected within the time specified by a profile timer

h) repeating steps d-g until all the stimulus-response pairs associated with the selected charging profile have been detected.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising at least one of:

removing all the stimulus and the response from the USB port;

or

resetting the portable device and applying a next charging profile.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the stimulus-response pairs of a charging profile are stored in a specific order and wherein the stimulus are detected in the specific order they are stored.