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Device, system and method for charging a battery

  • US 9,711,983 B2
  • Filed: 04/09/2014
  • Issued: 07/18/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A device configured for charging by a charger, the charger comprising a controller and a respective regulator configured to convert power from an AC (alternating current) power supply to a DC (direct current) charging power, the charger being separate from the device, the device comprising:

  • a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port comprising a USB Identification (USBID) connector and a Voltage Bus (VBUS) connector;

    a battery; and

    ,circuitry comprising;

    a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) in-line between the USB port and the battery, the PMIC connected to the VBUS connector and the battery,a processor in communication with the USBID connector, anda wired link between the PMIC and the processor, the wired link for conveying existing charging conditions to the processor, the existing charging conditions comprising one or more of a charging current passing through the PMIC to the battery and a voltage drop across the PMIC, the circuitry lacking a regulator between the PMIC and the battery,the processor configured to;

    when the existing charging conditions are different from target charging conditions, transmit a power control signal over the USBID connector to the controller of the charger, the power control signal comprising the target charging conditions for controlling the respective regulator at the charger to output the DC charging power over the VBUS connector to the PMIC, according to the target charging conditions, the target charging conditions indicative of one or more of a target charging voltage and a target charging current to be received over the VBUS connector at the PMIC to charge the battery; and

    ,the PMIC configured to responsively receive the DC charging power over the VBUS connector from the charger according to the target charging conditions and convey the DC charging power to the battery for charging the battery,wherein regulating of the DC charging power occurs only by the regulator of the charger, according to the target charging conditions, and not in the circuitry of the device.

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