CASCADING POWER FOR ACCESSORIES

• US 20160094061A1
• Filed: 12/08/2015
• Published: 03/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Terlizzi, Jeffrey J., Andrews, Jonathan J., Kosut, Alexei, Hollabaugh, James M., Rich, Zachary C., Fritchman, Daniel J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,906,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for charging a host device from a charging source through an accessory are described. Upon detecting an input power signal from the charging source, an accessory may send an identification request to the host device and authenticate the host device based on the identification information received from the host device. Upon authenticating the host device, the accessory may enable a power path between the charging source and the host device to supply a charging current to charge the host device.

Claims

1. An accessory comprising:

a power module; and

an ID module coupled to the power module and configured to;

send ID information to an upstream charging source in response to receiving a first limited current from the charging source;

receive a charging current greater than the first limited current from the charging source in response to sending the ID information;

command the power module to supply a second limited current to a downstream device in response to receiving the charging current from the charging source.

2. The accessory of claim 1 wherein the ID module receives an ID request from the charging source after receiving the first limited current.

3. The accessory of claim 1 wherein the charging current is sufficient to enable the accessory to operate in a normal mode of operation.

4. The accessory of claim 3, wherein the power module supplies the second limited current when the accessory is in the normal mode of operation.

5. The accessory of claim 1 wherein the ID information includes a charge current indicator.

6. The accessory of claim 5, wherein the charge current indicator comprises a value identifying a charge level of a battery of the accessory.

7. The accessory of claim 1 wherein the ID module sends a downstream ID request to the downstream device after supplying the second limited current.

8. The accessory of claim 7 wherein the ID module commands the power module to send a downstream charging current to the downstream device that is greater than the second limited current after sending the downstream ID request.

9. The accessory of claim 1 wherein the first limited current is sufficient to power the ID module to send and receive the ID information.

10. An accessory comprising:

a power module; and

an ID module coupled to the power module and configured to;

send ID information containing a charge current indicator to an upstream charging source in response to receiving an ID request from the charging source;

receive a charging current based on the charge current indicator from the charging source in response to sending the ID information;

command the power module to supply a limited current to a downstream device in response to receiving the charging current from the charging source.

11. The accessory of claim 10 wherein the ID request comprises a limited current supplied by the charging source to the accessory.

12. The accessory of claim 10 wherein the charging current received by the accessory is less than an amount of current requested by the accessory in the charge current indicator.

13. The accessory of claim 10, wherein the charge current indicator comprises a value identifying a charge level of a battery of the accessory.

14. The accessory of claim 10, wherein the charge current indicator comprises a value representing an amount of current requested by the accessory.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, by an ID module of an accessory, a limited current from an upstream charging source;

sending, by the ID module, ID information to the charging source;

receiving, by the ID module, a charging current that is greater than the limited current in response to sending the ID information to the charging source;

sending, by the ID module, a command to a power module to supply a second limited current to a downstream device in response to receiving the charging current from the charging source.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

sending, by the ID module, a downstream ID request to the downstream device after supplying the second limited current.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

limiting, by the ID module, the amount of current supplied to the downstream device until the ID module receives downstream ID information from the downstream device.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving, by the ID module, a charge current indicator from the downstream device in response to supplying the second limited current.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

polling, by the ID module, the downstream device at a predetermined time interval to request a subsequent charge current indicator.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the charging current is sufficient to enable the accessory to operate in a normal mode of operation.