Smart power adaptor and method for controlling power supplay thereof

• US 9,413,262 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2014
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Midastek Microelectronic Inc.
• Original Assignee: Midastek Microelectronic Inc.
• Inventors: Yang, Muh-Rong
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US14/291,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20150263638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 320/128
• 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: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4278 Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/04 by static converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A smart power adaptor and a method of controlling power supply thereof are provided. The smart power adaptor includes a power conversion circuit and a control unit. The power conversion circuit is configured to convert an alternating current (AC) power into a direct current (DC) power for providing to a load device. The control unit is coupled to the power conversion circuit. The control unit is configured to apply a corresponding power-supply control mean according to a power state through communication of a charging communication protocol of a battery module of the load device to control an operation of the power conversion circuit, so that the power conversion circuit uses different power conversion behaviors to generate the DC power in response to changing of the power status.

Claims

1. A smart power adaptor, comprising:

a power conversion circuit, configured to convert an alternating current (AC) power into a direct current (DC) power for providing to a load device; and

a control unit, coupled to the power conversion circuit, and configured to adopt a corresponding power-supply control means to control an operation of the power conversion circuit according to a power state of a battery module of the load device,

wherein, such that the power conversion circuit uses at least one of a plurality of different power conversion operations to generate the DC power in response to changing of the power state, and the power conversion operations are operated respectively based on different electronic characteristics.

2. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit further obtains battery specification information from a charge control chip of the battery module through a transmission interface, and takes the battery specification information as a basis for adjusting a plurality of the power-supply control means.

3. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 2, wherein the battery specification information includes a battery service life characteristic and a number of charge cycles, and when the control unit determines that the number of charge cycles of the battery module reaches a predetermined number, the control unit adjusts at least one of a predetermined power parameter and a charging behaviour criterion of each of the power-supply control means, wherein the predetermined number is determined by the control unit according to the battery service life characteristic.

4. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit further sets a predetermined power parameter and a charging behaviour criterion of a plurality of different power-supply control means, and controls the operation of the power conversion circuit according to the predetermined power parameter and the charging behaviour criterion.

5. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 4, wherein the predetermined power parameter comprises at least one of a predetermined voltage parameter, a predetermined current parameter and a predetermined charging time parameter.

6. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 4, wherein the charging behaviour criterion comprises at least one of an upper limit voltage condition, an upper limit current condition and an upper limit temperature condition.

7. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit communicates with a charge control chip of the battery module through a transmission interface to obtain a power mode command, wherein the power mode command indicates the power state of the battery module.

8. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 7, wherein when the control unit receives a pre-charge mode command sent by the charge control chip, the control unit uses a low current power-supply control means to control the power conversion circuit, and the power conversion circuit provides the DC power with a current value lower than a first predetermined current value to charge the battery module.

9. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 7, wherein when the control unit receives a constant current charge mode command sent by the charge control chip, the control unit uses a constant current power-supply control means to control the power conversion circuit, and the power conversion circuit provides the DC power with a constant current to charge the battery module.

10. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 7, wherein when the control unit receives a constant voltage charge mode command sent by the charge control chip, the control unit uses a constant voltage power-supply control means to control the power conversion circuit, and the power conversion circuit provides the DC power with a constant voltage to charge the battery module.

11. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 7, wherein when the control unit receives a replenish charge mode command sent by the charge control chip, the control unit uses a low current power-supply control means to control the power conversion circuit, and the power conversion circuit provides the DC power with a current value lower than a second predetermined current value to charge the battery module.

12. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit obtains the power state of the battery module by detecting the DC power provided to the load device.

13. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 12, wherein when the control unit determines that the power state is matched with a first power condition, the control unit uses a low current power-supply control means to control the power conversion circuit, and the power conversion circuit provides the DC power with a current value lower than a predetermined current value to charge the battery module.

14. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 13, wherein when a charge current of the battery module is smaller than a first predetermined current threshold, the control unit determines that the power state is matched with the first power condition.

15. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 13, wherein when a current amount ratio of the battery module is greater than or equal to a first predetermined ratio, the control unit determines that the power state is matched with the first power condition.

16. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 12, wherein when the control unit determines that the power state is matched with a second power condition, the control unit uses a constant current power-supply control means to control the power conversion circuit, and the power conversion circuit provides the DC power with a constant current to charge the battery module.

17. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 16, wherein when a charge current of the battery module is greater than or equal to a second predetermined current threshold, the control unit determines that the power state is matched with the second power condition.

18. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 11, wherein when the control unit determines that the power state is matched with a third power condition, the control unit uses a constant voltage power-supply control means to control the power conversion circuit, and the power conversion circuit provides the DC power with a constant voltage to charge the battery module.

19. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 18, wherein when a battery voltage of the battery module is greater than or equal to a first predetermined voltage threshold, the control unit determines that the power state is matched with the third power condition.

20. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power conversion circuit comprises:

an input stage circuit, configured to receive the AC power and rectify and filter the AC power to generate a rectified voltage;

a power stage circuit, coupled to the input stage circuit, and configured to convert the rectified voltage into a DC voltage; and

a switching mode power regulation circuit, coupled to the power stage circuit and the control unit, and controlled by the control unit to regulate the DC voltage, so as to generate the DC power.

21. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 20, wherein the switching mode power regulation circuit is one of a constant current and constant voltage switch circuit, a pulse width modulation switch circuit and a synchronous rectifying circuit.

22. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 20, wherein the DC power comprises a DC output voltage and a DC output current, and the control unit comprises:

a microcontroller (MCU), configured to adopt the corresponding power-supply control means to control a switch operation of the switching mode power regulation circuit according to the power state, so as to adjust at least one of the DC output voltage and the DC output current.

23. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 22, wherein the control unit further comprises:

a protection circuit, coupled to the microcontroller, configured to detect an operation state of the smart power adaptor, and sending a state detection signal to the microcontroller.

24. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 23, wherein the protection circuit comprises at least one of an over current protection circuit, an over voltage protection circuit and an over temperature protection circuit.

25. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 22, wherein the control unit further comprises:

a power detecting circuit, coupled to the microcontroller, configured to detect the DC power provided to the load device, and accordingly outputting an output power signal to the microcontroller.

26. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 22, wherein the control unit further comprises:

a wakeup circuit, coupled to the microcontroller, configured to detect whether the smart power adaptor is connected to the load device, and sending a wakeup signal to the microcontroller when determining that the smart power adaptor is connected to the load device.

27. The smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 22, wherein the control unit further comprises:

a prompt module, coupled to the microcontroller, and configured to generate a power-supply state prompt according to a state indication signal sent by the microcontroller.

28. A method for controlling power supply of a smart power adaptor, comprising:

receiving an alternating current (AC) power;

converting the AC power into a direct current (DC) power for providing to a load device; and

adopting a corresponding power-supply control means to control generation of the DC power according to a power state of a battery module of the load device, and using at least one of different power conversion operations to generate the DC power in response to changing of the power state, wherein the power conversion operations are operated respectively based on different electronic characteristics.

29. The method for controlling power supply of the smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 28, wherein the step of adopting the corresponding power-supply control means to control generation of the DC power according to the power state of the battery module of the load device comprises:

obtaining battery specification information from a charge control chip of the battery module through a transmission interface;

selecting a plurality of different power-supply control means according to the battery specification information;

setting a predetermined power parameter and a charging behaviour criterion of each power-supply control means; and

generating the DC power according to the predetermined power parameter and the charging behaviour criterion.

30. The method for controlling power supply of the smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 29, wherein the battery specification information comprises a battery service life characteristic and a number of charge cycles, and the step of adopting the corresponding power-supply control means to control generation of the DC power according to the power state of the battery module of the load device comprises:

determines whether the number of charge cycles reaches a predetermined number; and

adjusting at least one of the predetermined power parameter and the charging behaviour criterion when the number of charge cycles reaches the predetermined number, wherein the predetermined number is determined according to the battery service life characteristic.

31. The method for controlling power supply of the smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 28, wherein the step of adopting the corresponding power-supply control means to control generation of the DC power according to the power state of the battery module of the load device comprises:

receiving a power mode command from a charge control chip of the battery module through a transmission interface, wherein the power mode command indicates the power state of the battery module; and

adopting the power-supply control means corresponding to the power mode command to control generation of the DC power.

32. The method for controlling power supply of the smart power adaptor as claimed in claim 28, wherein the step adopting the corresponding power-supply control means to control generation of the DC power according to the power state of the battery module of the load device comprises:

detecting the DC power provided to the load device, so as to obtain the power state of the battery module;

comparing the power state with a plurality of power conditions; and

adopting the power-supply control means corresponding to the power condition matched with the power state to control generation of the DC power.