PORTABLE POWER SOURCE TO PROVIDE POWER TO AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE VIA AN INTERFACE

• US 20090189460A1
• Filed: 03/31/2009
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Novotney, Donald J., Dorogusker, Jesse L., Tupman, David John, Farrar, Doug M., Fisher, Joseph R. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 7,816,811 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/126
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034

Abstract

A portable power source is configured for use with an electronic device. The portable power source cooperates and communicates with the electronic device via a peripheral bus to which the electronic device is attachable. The portable power source includes circuitry to process a power request signal from the electronic device to determine whether a device connected to a bus interface of the portable power source is requesting power from the portable power source.

Claims

1. A power source comprising:

an interface;

power generating circuitry operatively coupled to generate and provide power to an electronic device via the interface; and

control circuitry configured to;

control the power generating circuitry to selectively generate and provide power to the electronic device based on a signal provided from the electronic device via the interface; and

control the power generating circuitry to generate and provide power to the electronic device during an initialization condition regardless of whether the electronic device is providing the signal.

2. The power source of claim 1, wherein the initialization condition is when the power source is unaware of a state of the electronic device.

3. The power source of claim 1, wherein the initialization condition includes a condition when the electronic device is first connected to the power source after being not connected.

4. The power source of claim 1, wherein the power source is configured to receive external batteries, and wherein the initialization condition includes when external batteries are first inserted into the power source.

5. The power source of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to make an initial determination that the electronic device is connected to the interface of the power source.

6. The power source of claim 5, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine whether the electronic device is no longer connected to the interface of the power source; and

based on determining that the electronic device is no longer connected to the interface of the power source, control the power generating circuitry to refrain from generating and providing power to the electronic device.

7. The power source of claim 1, wherein the power generating circuitry is configured to provide two different voltages to the electronic device.

8. The power source of claim 7, wherein the power generating circuitry includes a 5 volt power generating circuit and a 1.9 volt power generating circuit.

9. The power source of claim 1, further comprising terminal circuitry configured to receive power from a portable source of power and to supply power to the power generating circuitry.

10. The power source of claim 1, further comprising a cable detachably coupled to the interface.

11. A method of operating a power source, the method comprising:

selectively operating power generating circuitry of the power source to generate and provide power based on a signal, the signal being provided from the electronic device to the power source via an interface of the power source; and

controlling the power generating circuitry to generate and provide power to the electronic device during an initialization condition regardless of whether the electronic device is providing the signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the initialization condition is when the power source is unaware of a state of the electronic device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the initialization condition includes a condition when the electronic device is first connected to the power source after being not connected.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the power source is configured to receive external batteries, and wherein the initialization condition includes when external batteries are first inserted into the power source.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising making an initial determination that the electronic device is connected to the interface of the power source.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining whether the electronic device is no longer connected to the interface of the power source; and

based on determining that the electronic device is no longer connected to the interface of the power source, controlling the power generating circuitry to refrain from generating and providing power to the electronic device.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating, with the power generating circuitry, two different voltages; and

providing the two different voltages to the electronic device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the two different voltages are 5 volt and 1.9 volts.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving power at terminal circuitry of the power source from a portable source of power and supplying power to the power generating circuitry.

20. A power source comprising:

an interface;

power generating circuitry operatively coupled to generate and provide power to an electronic device via the interface; and

control circuitry configured to;

control the power generating circuitry to selectively generate and provide power to the electronic device based on a signal provided from the electronic device via the interface; and

control the power generating circuitry to generate and provide power to the electronic device during an initialization condition, wherein the initialization condition includes when the power source is unaware of a state of the electronic device.