METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETECTING POWER SUPPLY SOURCE ELECTRICAL CURRENT CAPACITY

• US 20120215468A1
• Filed: 02/23/2011
• Published: 08/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: GERIS, Ryan Alexander, HYDE, Jameson Bauer
• Granted Patent: US 8,793,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/61
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/40 Testing power supplies testing photovoltaic devices H02S50/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 50/00 Monitoring or testing of PV systems, e.g. load balancing or fault identification
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

An apparatus and method for determining a power supply electrical current capacity. In one example, an operating circuit is placed into an operating mode that causes the operating circuit to have a determined electrical current consumption. A charging circuit that is electrically connected in parallel with the operating circuit is configured to provide a maximum charging current to a power pack. After configuring the charging circuit, a value of a measured charging current provided to the power pack is received. After receiving the value of the measured charging current, an electrical current supply capacity value of the external power supply is determined as a function of the determined electrical current consumption and the value of the measured charging current.

Claims

1. A method for determining a power supply electrical current capacity, the method comprising:

performing the following with a processor;

placing an operating circuit into an operating mode that causes the operating circuit to have a determined electrical current consumption;

configuring a charging circuit to provide a maximum charging current to a power pack, wherein the charging circuit is electrically connected in parallel with the operating circuit;

receiving, subsequent to the configuring, a value of a measured charging current provided to the power pack; and

determining, subsequent to the receiving, an electrical current supply capacity value of an external power supply as a function of the determined electrical current consumption and the value of the measured charging current.

2. The method of claim 1, the placing the operating circuit into an operating mode comprises placing the operating circuit into a standby mode.

3. The method of claim 1, the configuring a charging circuit to provide a maximum charging current to a power pack comprising:

monitoring a supply voltage provided by the external power supply; and

varying charging current to the power pack to cause the supply voltage to be a specified minimum supply voltage.

4. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

detecting the operating circuit is in a second operating mode;

determining that the second operating mode has an electrical current consumption greater than the electrical current supply capacity value; and

configuring, in response to determining the second operating mode has an electrical current consumption greater than the electrical current supply capacity value, a charging circuit of an electronic device to supply the operating circuits with power from the power pack.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the electrical current supply capacity value to a charging manager;

determining a maximum charging current value as a function of the electrical current supply capacity value; and

limiting, under control of the charging manager, charging current delivered to the power pack to the maximum charging current value.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining a time remaining until the power pack is charged as a function of the maximum charging current value.

7. The method of claim 5, the determining the maximum charging current value being further a function of an electrical current consumption of the operating circuit.

8. An apparatus for determining a power supply electrical current capacity, the apparatus comprising:

an operating circuit;

a charging circuit electrically connectable to a power pack and electrically connected in parallel with the operating circuit;

an electrical current measurement device electrically connected to the power pack and measuring electrical current flowing into the power pack;

an external power connection detachably connecting to an external power supply, the external power connection being electrically connected to and supplying power to the operating circuit and the charging circuit; and

a controller, communicatively coupled to the operating circuit and the charging circuit, the controller;

placing the operating circuit into an operating mode, the operating circuit having a determined electrical current consumption while operating in the operating mode;

configuring the charging circuit to provide a maximum charging current to the power pack;

receiving, from the electrical current measurement device subsequent to the configuring, a value of a measured charging current provided to the power pack; and

determining, subsequent to the receiving, an electrical current supply capacity value of the external power supply as a function of the determined electrical current consumption and the value of the measured charging current.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, the operating mode comprising a standby mode.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, the apparatus further comprising a voltage measurement device measuring a measured input voltage at the external power connection,

the controller further:

receives, from the voltage measurement device, readings of the measured input voltage; and

configures the charging circuit to provide a maximum charging current to the power pack by configuring the charging circuit to vary charging current to the power pack to cause the measured input voltage to be a specified minimum supply voltage.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, the charging circuit switchably configurable to supply power to the operating circuit from the power pack, the controller further:

detecting that the operating circuit is in a second operating mode,

determining that the operating circuit has an electrical current consumption in the second operating mode that is greater than the electrical current supply capacity value; and

configuring, in response to determining the second operating mode has an electrical current consumption in the second operating mode that is greater than the electrical current supply capacity value, the power supply to supply power to the operating circuits from the power pack.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, the controller further:

determining a maximum charging current value for the power pack as a function of the electrical current supply capacity value; and

configuring the charging circuit to limit charging current delivered to the power pack to the maximum charging current value.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, the controller further determining, as a function of the maximum charging current value, a time remaining until the power pack is charged.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, the controller further determining the maximum charging current value as a further function of an electrical current consumption of the operating circuit.

15. A computer program product for determining a power supply electrical current capacity, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable program code, the computer readable program code comprising instructions for;

placing an operating circuit into an operating mode, the operating circuit having a determined electrical current consumption while operating in the operating mode;

configuring a charging circuit to provide a maximum charging current to a power pack, the charging circuit being electrically connected in parallel with the operating circuit;

receiving, subsequent to the configuring, a value of a measured charging current provided to the power pack; and

determining, subsequent to the receiving, an electrical current supply capacity value of an external power supply as a function of the determined electrical current consumption and the value of the measured charging current.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, the instructions for placing the operating circuit into an operating mode comprising instructions for placing the operating circuit into a standby mode.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, the instructions for configuring a charging circuit to provide a maximum charging current to a power pack comprising instructions for:

monitoring a supply voltage provided by the external power supply; and

varying charging current to the power pack to cause the supply voltage to be a specified minimum supply voltage.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, the computer readable program code further comprising instructions for:

detecting that the operating circuit is in a second operating mode,

determining that the second operating mode has an electrical current consumption greater than the electrical current supply capacity value; and

configuring, in response to determining the second operating mode has an electrical current consumption greater than the electrical current supply capacity value, a charging circuit of an electronic device to supply the operating circuits with power from the power pack.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, the computer readable program code further comprising instructions for:

providing the electrical current supply capacity value to a charging manager;

determining a maximum charging current value as a function of the electrical current supply capacity value; and

limiting, under control of the charging manager, charging current delivered to the power pack to the maximum charging current value.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, the computer readable program code further comprising instructions for determining a time remaining until the power pack is charged as a function of the maximum charging current value.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, the determining the maximum charging current value being as a further function of an electrical current consumption of the operating circuit.

22. A power supply circuit that determines a power supply electrical current capacity, the power supply circuit comprising:

a power supply output to supply electrical current to an external operating circuit;

a charging circuit electrically connectable to a power pack and electrically connected in parallel with the power supply output;

an electrical current measurement device electrically connected to the power pack and measuring electrical current flowing into the power pack;

an external power connection detachably connecting to an external power supply, the external power connection being electrically connected to and supplying power to the power supply output and the charging circuit;

an operating circuit control interface connecting to the operating circuit to exchange configuration commands with the operating circuit; and

a controller, communicatively coupled to the operating circuit control interface and the charging circuit, the controller;

placing the operating circuit into an operating mode, the operating circuit having a determined electrical current consumption while operating in the operating mode;

configuring the charging circuit to provide a maximum charging electrical current to the power pack;

receiving, from the electrical current measurement device subsequent to the configuring, a value of a measured charging current provided to the power pack; and

determining, subsequent to the receiving, an electrical current supply capacity value of the external power supply as a function of the determined electrical current consumption and the value of the measured charging current.

23. The power supply circuit of claim 22, further comprising the power pack, and the power pack being electrically connected to the charging circuit.

24. A portable electronic device that determines a power supply electrical current capacity, the portable electronic device comprising:

an operating circuit;

a power pack;

a charging circuit electrically connected to the power pack and electrically connected in parallel with the operating circuit;

an electrical current measurement device electrically connected to the power pack and measuring electrical current flowing into the power pack;

an external power connection detachably connecting to an external power supply, the external power connection being electrically connected to and supplying power to the operating circuit and the charging circuit; and

a controller, communicatively coupled to the operating circuit and the charging circuit, the controller;

placing the operating circuit into an operating mode, the operating circuit having a determined electrical current consumption while operating in the operating mode;

configuring the charging circuit to provide a maximum charging current to the power pack;

receiving, from the electrical current measurement device subsequent to the configuring, a value of a measured charging current provided to the power pack; and

determining, subsequent to the measuring, an electrical current supply capacity value of the external power supply as a function of the determined electrical current consumption and the value of the measured charging current.

25. The portable electronic device of claim 24, further comprising a housing containing the operating circuit, the charging circuit, the electrical current measurement device, and the controller, and

the external power connection being physically attached to the housing.