BOOSTING INPUT POWER

• US 20130285596A1
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhou, Pei-Qi, Yan, Wei
• Granted Patent: US 9,197,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations

Abstract

In one implementation, an input power management component receives an input power, and determines whether an input current and voltage satisfies predetermined thresholds. A boost component generates a boost output voltage using the input voltage if the input current satisfies a predetermined current threshold, and a step-down charging component converts the boost output voltage to a voltage for charging a battery and system power management.

Claims

1. An electronics system, comprising:

an input power management component that receives an input power, determines an input voltage satisfies an input voltage threshold, and in response to the input voltage satisfying the input voltage threshold, activates a boost enabled signal;

a boost component that determines the boost enabled signal is activated, and in response to the boost enabled signal being activated, generates a boost output voltage using an input voltage; and

a step-down charging component that converts the boost output voltage to an output for charging a battery.

2. The electronics system of claim 1, wherein the input power management component determines an input current does not satisfy an input current threshold, and in response to the input current not satisfying the input current threshold, instructs the step-down charge component to adjust an output capability based on a status of the input current.

3. The electronics system of claim 1, wherein the input power management component receives the input voltage via a universal serial bus.

4. The electronics system of claim 1, wherein the battery is a lithium-ion battery.

5. The electronics system of claim 4, wherein the lithium-ion battery includes at least one of two cells in series or three cells in series.

6. The electronics system of claim 1, further comprising a boost control feedback component that controls generation of the boost output voltage by the boost component based at least in part on feedback regarding the boost output voltage.

7. The electronics system of claim 1, wherein

the input power management component determines the input voltage does not satisfy the input voltage threshold;

and

in response to the input voltage not satisfying the input threshold, the boost component does not generate a boost output voltage using the input voltage.

8. The electronics system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the input power management component, the boost component, or the step-down charging component is included in a computing device.

9. The electronics system of claim 1, wherein the input power management component and step-down charging component are included in a first integrated circuit.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving an input power;

detecting an input voltage;

determining that the input voltage satisfies a first predetermined threshold;

in response to the input voltage satisfying the first predetermined threshold, boosting the input power to generate a high voltage output;

determining that the high voltage output does not exceed a second predetermined threshold; and

in response to the high voltage output not exceeding the second predetermined threshold, stepping down the high voltage output to a charging output.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining an input current is less than a lower limit; and

in response to the input current being less than the lower limit, increasing the charging output.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving the input power includes receiving the input power from a universal serial bus.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the stepping down the high voltage output to the charging output, includes stepping down the high voltage output to a charging output for a lithium-ion battery.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the stepping down the high voltage output to a charging voltage for the lithium-ion battery, includes stepping down the high voltage output to a charging output for a lithium-ion battery having at least one of two cells in series or three cells in series.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising controlling the boosting the input power based at least in part on feedback regarding the high voltage output.