Charging System and Equipment and Method Thereof

• US 20160336766A1
• Filed: 08/31/2015
• Published: 11/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AVER Information Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AVER Information Incorporated
• Inventors: WENG, Chien-Wen, LIN, Lung-Te, LIN, Ta-Chun
• Granted Patent: US 9,800,065 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits

Abstract

A charging equipment includes a charging module, a communicating module, and a control module. The charging is configured to charge a device for charging according to a control signal and produces a detecting signal according to the magnitude of the output current. The communicating module has a communicating range. The communicating module selectively outputs the detecting signal produced by the charging module to the other charging equipment in the communicating range, or selectively receives the detecting signal produced by the other charging equipment in the communicating range. The control module electrically connects to the communicating module. The control module selectively produces the control signal according to an adjusting signal produced by the other charging equipment, or selectively produces the control signal and the adjusting signal according to the detecting signal produced by the other charging equipment and the detecting signal produced by the charging module.

Claims

1. A charging system, comprising:

a first charging equipment, comprising;

a first charging module electrically connected to an external power, for charging at least one first device for charging electrically connected to the first charging equipment according to a first control signal and generating a first detecting signal according to a magnitude of an output current from the first charging module;

a first communicating module having a first communicating range, for outputting the first detecting signal; and

a first control module electrically connected to the first communicating module, for generating the first control signal according to an adjusting signal received by the first communicating module; and

a second charging equipment, comprising;

a second charging module electrically connected to the external power, for charging at least one second device for charging electrically connected to the second charging equipment according to a second control signal and generating a second detecting signal according to a magnitude of an output current from the second charging module;

a second communicating module in the first communicating range, for receiving the first detecting signal and outputting the adjusting signal to the first communicating module; and

a second control module electrically connected to the second communicating module, for generating the second control signal and the adjusting signal according to the first detecting signal and the second detecting signal.

2. The system of claim 1, the first charging equipment further comprising:

a first detecting module, for generating a first indicating signal according to a first status, wherein the first status is in association with a location of the first device for charging placed in the first charging equipment, and the first control module controls the first charging module to regenerate the first detecting signal according to the first indicating signal, and the second control module further regenerates the second control signal and the adjusting signal according to the regenerated first detecting signal and the second detecting signal and makes the second communicating module output the regenerated adjusting signal to the first control module.

3. The system of claim 1, the second charging equipment further comprising:

a second detecting module, for generating a second indicating signal according to a second status, wherein the second status is in association with a location of the second device for charging placed in the second charging equipment, and the second control module controls the second charging module to regenerate the second detecting signal according to the second indicating signal, and the second control module further regenerates the second control signal and the adjusting signal according to the regenerated first detecting signal and the second detecting signal and makes the second communicating module output the regenerated adjusting signal to the first charging equipment.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first charging module comprises:

a first power unit electrically connected to the external power;

a first switch unit electrically connected to the first power unit, for providing a first current according to the first control signal by conducting electricity;

at least one first connecting unit electrically connected to the first switch unit, for receiving the first current and charging the first device for charging electrically connected to the first charging equipment with the first current; and

a first detecting unit electrically connected to the first connecting unit, for detecting the magnitude of the output current from the first connecting unit to the first device for charging and generating the first detecting signal according to the magnitude of the output current from the first connecting unit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second charging module comprises:

a second power unit electrically connected to the external power;

a second switch unit electrically connected to the second power unit, for providing a second current according to the second control signal by conducting electricity;

at least one second connecting unit electrically connected to the second switch unit, for receiving the second current and charging the second device for charging electrically connected to the second charging equipment with the second current; and

a second detecting unit electrically connected to the second connecting unit, for detecting the magnitude of the output current from the second connecting unit to the second device for charging and generating the second detecting signal according to the magnitude of the output current from the second connecting unit.

6. A charging equipment, comprising:

a charging module electrically connected to a external power, for charging at least one device for charging electrically connected to the charging equipment according to a control signal and generating a detecting signal according to the magnitude of the output current from the charging module;

a communicating module having a communicating range, for selectively outputting the detecting signal generated by the charging module to other charging equipments in the communicating range or receiving a detecting signal outputted from other charging equipments; and

a control module electrically connected to the communicating module, for selectively generating the control signal according to an adjusting signal outputted from other charging equipments or generating the control signal and an adjusting signal according to the detecting signal outputted from other charging equipments and the detecting signal generated by the charging module, and controlling the communicating module to output adjusting signal generated by the control module to other charging equipments.

7. The device of claim 6, further comprising:

a detecting module for generating a indicating signal according to a status, wherein the status is in association with a location of the device for charging placed in the charging equipment, and the control module controls the charging module to regenerate the detecting signal according to the indicating signal, and the control module selectively controls the communicating module to output the regenerated detecting signal, or the control module regenerates the control signal and the adjusting signal according to the regenerated detecting signal and the detecting signal outputted from other charging equipments and controls the communicating module to output the regenerated adjusting signal to other charging equipments.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the charging module comprises:

a power unit electrically connected to the external power or other charging equipment selectively;

a switch unit electrically connected to the power unit, for providing a charging current according to the control signal by conducting electricity;

at least one connecting unit electrically connected to the switch unit, for receiving the charging current and charging the device for charging electrically connected to the charging equipment with the charging current; and

a detecting unit electrically connected to the connecting unit, for detecting the magnitude of the output current from the connecting unit to the device for charging and generating the detecting signal according to the magnitude of the output current from the connecting unit.

9. A control method of a charging system for a plurality of charging equipments, the plurality of charging equipments defining as at least one first charging equipment and at least one second charging equipment, the method comprising:

charging the at least one first device for charging in the first charging equipment according to a first control signal;

charging the at least one second device for charging in the second charging equipment according to a second control signal;

detecting the magnitude of the output current from the first charging equipment to the first device for charging and generating a first detecting signal;

detecting the magnitude of the output current from the second charging equipment to the second device for charging and generating a second detecting signal;

outputting the first detecting signal from the first charging equipment to the second charging equipment;

generating the second control signal and an adjusting signal in the second charging equipment according to the first detecting signal and the second detecting signal;

outputting the adjusting signal from the second charging equipment to the first charging equipment; and

generating the first control signal in the first charging equipment according to the adjusting signal.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining whether each of the plurality of charging equipments is electrically connected to other charging equipment and defining the plurality of charging equipments electrically connected to each other as the first charging equipment and the second charging equipment.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

generating a first indicating signal in the first charging equipment according to a first status, the first status in association with a location of the first device for charging placed in the first charging equipment;

regenerating the first detecting signal in the first charging equipment according to the first indicating signal;

outputting the regenerated first detecting signal from the first charging equipment to the second charging equipment;

regenerating the second control signal and the adjusting signal in the second charging equipment according to the regenerated first detecting signal and the second detecting signal; and

outputting the regenerated adjusting signal from the second charging equipment to the first charging equipment.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein in the first charging equipment, the first charging equipment generates the first indicating signal every default period according to the first status.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

generating a second indicating signal in the second charging equipment according to a second status, the second status in association with a location of the second device for charging placed in the second charging equipment;

regenerating the second detecting signal in the second charging equipment according to the second indicating signal;

regenerating the second control signal and the adjusting signal in the second charging equipment according to the regenerated second detecting signal and the first detecting signal received by the first charging equipment; and

outputting the regenerated adjusting signal from the second charging equipment to the first charging equipment.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein in the second charging equipment, the second charging equipment generates the second indicating signal every default period according to the second status.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein in the step of the second charging equipment generating the second control signal and the adjusting signal according to first detecting signal and the second detecting signal, comprising:

the second charging equipment calculating a total output current according to the first detecting signal and the second detecting signal, and the total output current is the sum of the magnitude of the output current from the first charging equipment to charge the first device for charging and the magnitude of the output current from the second charging equipment to charge the second device for charging;

the second charging equipment determining whether the total output current exceeds a rated current;

when the total output current exceeds a rated current, the second charging equipment performing a power supplying sorting to the first charging equipment and the second charging equipment according to the magnitude of the output current from the first charging equipment and the second charging equipment; and

the second charging equipment generating the second control signal and the adjusting signal according to the power supplying sorting.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein when the total output current does not exceed the rated current, the second charging equipment generates the second control signal and the adjusting signal for the first charging equipment to charge the first device for charging and for the second charging equipment to charge the second device for charging.