Cascading power for accessories

• US 9,240,700 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2012
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Terlizzi, Jeffrey J., Andrews, Jonathan J., Kosut, Alexei, Hollabaugh, James M., Rich, Zachary C., Fritchman, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, NGHIA M
• Application Number:
  US13/607,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20140070774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 320/116, 320/124
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for charging a host device from a charging source through an accessory are described. Upon detecting an input power signal from the charging source, an accessory may send an identification request to the host device and authenticate the host device based on the identification information received from the host device. Upon authenticating the host device, the accessory may enable a power path between the charging source and the host device to supply a charging current to charge the host device.

Claims

1. An accessory comprising:

a power module; and

an identification (ID) module coupled to the power module, wherein the ID module is configured to;

send a signal to the power module to supply a limited current to a downstream device in response to detecting an input power signal from an upstream device coupled to the accessory;

send an ID request to the downstream device;

receive ID information from the downstream device;

authenticate the downstream device based on the ID information; and

send a signal to the power module to enable a power path between the upstream device and the downstream device to supply a charging current greater than the limited current to the downstream device such that the downstream device can be operated in a normal mode and can provide a limited current to a downstream host connected to the downstream device.

2. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the ID information comprises a charge current indicator that is used by the accessory to determine an amount of charging current to provide to the downstream device.

3. The accessory of claim 2, wherein the charge current indicator comprises a value identifying a charge level of a battery of the downstream device.

4. The accessory of claim 3, wherein the ID module is configured to send, a command to the upstream device, wherein the command comprises the value identifying the charge level of the battery of the downstream device.

5. The accessory of claim 2, wherein the charge current indicator comprises a value representing an amount of current requested by the downstream device.

6. The accessory of claim 5, wherein the ID module is configured to send a command to the upstream device comprising a value representing at least the amount of current requested by the downstream device.

7. The accessory of claim 2, wherein the power path is maintained in a disabled state if the downstream device is not authenticated.

8. A method comprising:

receiving, by an accessory, an input power signal from an upstream device;

sending a signal to a power module to supply a limited current to a downstream device;

sending, by the accessory, an identification (ID) request to the downstream device;

receiving, by the accessory, an ID response from the downstream device, wherein the ID response includes a charge current indicator;

authenticating, by the accessory, the downstream device based on the ID response; and

enabling, by the accessory, a power path between the upstream device and the downstream device to provide a charging current to the downstream device, wherein the charging current provided to the downstream device is based on the charge current indicator and the downstream device operates in a normal mode and can provide a limited current to a downstream host connected to the downstream device and temporarily incapable of authentication.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the charge current indicator comprises a value identifying a charge level of a battery of the downstream device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the charge current indicator comprises a value representing an amount of current requested by the downstream device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the limited current to the downstream device enables the downstream device to send the ID response.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

maintaining the power path in a disabled state if the ID response from the downstream device is not recognized by the accessory.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

adjusting the charging current based on a subsequent charge current indicator received from the downstream device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the subsequent charge current indicator represents an updated charge level of the battery of the downstream device.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

polling the downstream device at a predetermined time interval to request the subsequent charge current indicator.

16. A method comprising:

receiving, by an accessory, an input power signal from an upstream device;

supplying a limited current to a first downstream device;

sending, by the accessory, a first identification (ID) request to the first downstream device;

receiving, by the accessory, a first ID response from the first downstream device, wherein the first ID response includes a first charge current indicator;

authenticating, by the accessory, the first downstream device based on the first ID response;

sending, by the accessory, a second ID request to a second downstream device;

receiving, by the accessory, a second ID response from the second downstream device, wherein the second ID response includes a second charge current indicator;

authenticating, by the accessory, the second downstream device based on the second ID response;

distributing, by the accessory, a current from the upstream device to the first and second downstream devices based on the first and second charge current indicators such that the second downstream device can be operated in a normal mode and can provide a limited current to a downstream host connected to the second downstream device wherein the downstream host is temporarily incapable of authentication.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a subsequent charge current indicator from at least one of the first and second downstream devices; and

redistributing, by the accessory, the current from the upstream device to the first and second downstream devices based in part on the subsequent charge current indicator.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first and second charge current indicators represents a charge level of the battery of the respective downstream device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first and second charge current indicators comprises a value representing an amount of current requested by the respective downstream device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein a first charging current is provided to the first downstream device and a second charging current is provided to the second downstream device, wherein the first and second charging current are proportional to the values of the first and second charge current indicators, respectively.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein distributing the current from the upstream device comprises providing a first charging current to the first downstream device while a power path between the upstream device and the second downstream device is disabled.