Power supply having a reduced number of switching elements

• US 7,956,578 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2007
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Odaohara, Shigefumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US11/746,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20070262651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,490 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/116, 320/126
• US Class Current: 320/116
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads

Abstract

There is provided a power supply capable of reducing switching elements. In a power supply, an AC/DC adapter 121 supplies electric power to a load 125 and a battery charger 122. The battery charger comprises a high side FET 102 and a low side FET 103 which operate according to a synchronous rectification method, and charges batteries 108 and 109. When a commercial power supply fails, a power outage detection circuit provided in the battery charger detects the power outage, and outputs a power outage signal. The battery charger which has received the power outage signal sets the high side FET to be ON KEEP. A discharge current from the battery flows via a discharge path 119. This enables a reduction in the number of FETs in comparison with other power supplies.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a power outage detection circuit which detects that an output voltage of a DC voltage source has been lowered, and outputs a power outage signal;

a battery charger, directly coupled to the charing and discharging path to a load, comprising a switching element which adjusts the output voltage generated by the DC voltage source, in performing a switching operation, and is set to be ON KEEP in response to the power outage signal; and

a battery which is charged by the battery charger and supplies the electric power to the load when the switching element is set to be ON KEEP;

wherein the switching element comprises a high side FET and a low side FET which operate in a synchronous rectification method, and on condition that the low side FET is off, the high side FET is set to be ON KEEP in response to the power outage signal.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the battery charger comprises a diode in which an anode is connected to the battery side and a cathode is connected to the load side.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein after the power outage signal is outputted and a predetermined delay time has elapsed, the high side FET is set to be ON KEEP.

4. An apparatus comprising:

a power outage detection circuit which detects that an output voltage of a DC voltage source has been lowered, and outputs a power outage signal;

a battery charger, directly coupled to the charing and discharging path to a load, including a switching element comprising a high side FET and a low side FET which operate in a synchronous rectification method, and the high side FET is set to be ON KEEP in response to the power outage signal;

a first charge/discharge path connected to the output of the battery charger;

a second charge/discharge path connected to the output of the battery charger;

a first battery connected to the first charge/discharge path; and

a second battery connected to the second charge/discharge path.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising an FET which is connected between the DC voltage source and the load, and is set to be OFF when a discharge current flows from the first battery or the second battery to the load.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising two FETs in which the first charge/discharge path and the second charge/discharge path are connected in series, respectively.

7. A system comprising:

an electronic device;

a power outage detection circuit which detects that an output voltage of a DC voltage source has been lowered, and outputs a power outage signal;

a battery charger, directly coupled to the charing and discharging path to a load, comprising a switching element which adjusts the output voltage generated by the DC voltage source, in performing a switching operation, and is set to be ON KEEP in response to the power outage signal; and

a battery which is charged by the battery charger and supplies the electric power to the load when the switching element is set to be ON KEEP;

wherein the switching element comprises a high side FET and a low side FET which operate in a synchronous rectification method, and on condition that the low side FET is off, the high side FET is set to be ON KEEP in response to the power outage signal.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the battery charger comprises a diode in which an anode is connected to the battery side and a cathode is connected to the load side.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein after the power outage signal is outputted and a predetermined delay time has elapsed, the high side FET is set to be ON KEEP.

10. An apparatus comprising:

an electronic device;

a power outage detection circuit which detects that an output voltage of a DC voltage source has been lowered, and outputs a power outage signal;

a battery charger, directly coupled to the charing and discharging path to a load, including a switching element comprising a high side FET and a low side FET which operate in a synchronous rectification method, and the high side FET is set to be ON KEEP in response to the power outage signal;

a first charge/discharge path connected to the output of the battery charger;

a second charge/discharge path connected to the output of the battery charger;

a first battery connected to the first charge/discharge path; and

a second battery connected to the second charge/discharge path.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the electronic device is a notebook computer.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the first battery and the first charge/discharge path are held in the same case together to form a battery pack, and the battery pack is mounted on a bay of the notebook computer.

13. The apparatus computer according to claim 11, wherein the first battery is held in a case to form a battery pack, the battery pack is mounted on a bay of the notebook computer, and the first charge/discharge path is implemented on a main body of the notebook computer.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the DC voltage source is an AC/DC adapter.