Power management systems for accepting adapter and solar power in electronic devices

• US 9,348,388 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2012
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Kisun, Pandya, Manisha P., Elkayam, Shimon
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, VINCENT HUY
• Application Number:
  US13/597,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20130290743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 320/101, 320/107
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments provide a power management system that supplies power to components in an electronic device. The power management system includes a system microcontroller (SMC) and a charger. During operation, the power management system accepts power from at least one of a power adapter and a solar panel. Next, the power management system supplies the power to components in the electronic device without using a converter circuit between the solar panel and the power management system.

Claims

1. A method for supplying power to components in an electronic device, comprising:

providing a power management system in the electronic device for accepting power from at least one of a power adapter and a solar panel; and

using the power management system to supply the power to the components without using a converter circuit between the solar panel and the power management system, wherein an input voltage of the power management system is adjusted based on two output powers of the power management system, and wherein the input voltage is determined based at least on an inductor current of an inductor within a power converter in the power management system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein using the power management system to supply the power to the components involves:

tracking a maximum power point of the solar panel.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein tracking the maximum power point of the solar panel involves:

measuring one or more output powers associated with at least one of the solar panel and the power management system; and

adjusting the input voltage of the power management system based on the output powers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein measuring the one or more output powers involves at least one of:

calculating a first output power of the solar panel based on the input voltage and the input current to the power management system; and

tracking a second output power of the power management system by measuring the inductor current of the inductor in the power management system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first output power is calculated using a system microcontroller of the power management system, and wherein the second output power is tracked using a charger of the power management system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the charger comprises an analog circuit.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein adjusting the input voltage of the power management system based on the one or more output powers involves at least one of:

adjusting the input voltage at a first rate and a first step size based on the first output power; and

adjusting the input voltage at a second rate that is higher than the first rate and a second step size that is smaller than the first step size based on the second output power.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the inductor current is measured using at least one of:

a DCR sensing technique;

a resistor sensing technique;

a transformer sensing technique;

a field effect transistor sensing technique; and

an on-resistance sensing technique.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is at least one of a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a portable media player, and a mobile phone.

10. A power management system in an electronic device, comprising:

a system microcontroller; and

a charger,

wherein the power management system is configured to;

accept power from at least one of a power adapter and a solar panel; and

supply the power to components in the electronic device without using a converter circuit between the solar panel and the power management system, wherein an input voltage of the power management system is adjusted based on two output powers of the power management system, and wherein the input voltage is determined based at least on an inductor current of an inductor within a power converter in the power management system.

11. The power management system of claim 10, wherein supplying the power to the components involves at least:

tracking a maximum power point of the solar panel.

12. The power management system of claim 11, wherein tracking the maximum power point of the solar panel involves:

measuring one or more output powers associated with at least one of the solar panel and the power management system; and

adjusting the input voltage of the power management system based on the output powers.

13. The power management system of claim 12, wherein measuring the one or more output powers involves at least one of:

calculating a first output power of the solar panel based on the input voltage and the input current to the power management system; and

tracking a second output power of the power management system by measuring the inductor current of the inductor in the power management system.

14. The power management system of claim 13, wherein the first output power is calculated using the system microcontroller, and wherein the second output power is tracked using the charger.

15. The power management system of claim 14, wherein the charger comprises an analog circuit.

16. The power management system of claim 13, wherein adjusting the input voltage of the power management system based on the output powers involves at least one of:

adjusting the input voltage at a first rate and a first step size based on the first output power; and

adjusting the input voltage at a second rate that is higher than the first rate and a second step size that is smaller than the first step size based on the second output power.

17. The power management system of claim 13, wherein the inductor current is measured using at least one of:

a DCR sensing technique;

a resistor sensing technique;

a transformer sensing technique;

a field effect transistor sensing technique; and

an on-resistance sensing technique.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for supplying power to components in an electronic device, the method comprising:

providing a power management system in the electronic device for accepting power from at least one of a power adapter and a solar panel; and

using the power management system to supply the power to the components without using a converter circuit between the solar panel and the power management system, wherein an input voltage of the power management system is adjusted based on two output powers of the power management system, and the input voltage is determined based at least on an inductor current of an inductor within a power converter in the power management system.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein using the power management system to supply the power to the components involves at least:

tracking a maximum power point of the solar panel.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein tracking the maximum power point of the solar panel involves:

measuring one or more output powers associated with at least one of the solar panel and the power management system; and

adjusting the input voltage of the power management system based on the output powers.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein measuring the one or more output powers involves at least one of:

calculating a first output power of the solar panel based on the input voltage and the input current to the power management system; and

tracking a second output power of the power management system by measuring the inductor current of the inductor in the power management system.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein adjusting the output voltage of the power management system based on the output powers involves at least one of:

adjusting the input voltage at a first rate and a first step size based on the first output power; and

adjusting the input voltage at a second rate that is higher than the first rate and a second step size that is smaller than the first step size based on the second output power.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the inductor current is measured using at least one of:

a DCR sensing technique;

a resistor sensing technique;

a transformer sensing technique;

a field effect transistor sensing technique; and

an on-resistance sensing technique.

24. An electronic device, comprising:

a set of components powered by at least one of a battery, a power adapter, and a solar panel; and

a power management system, comprising

a system microcontroller; and

a charger,

wherein the power management system is configured to;

accept power from at least one of the power adapter and the solar panel; and

supply the power to at least one of the battery and the components without using a converter circuit between the solar panel and the power management system, wherein an input voltage of the power management system is adjusted based on two output powers of the power management system, which is determined based at least on an inductor current of an inductor within a power converter in the power management system.

25. The electronic device of claim 24, wherein supplying the power to the components involves at least:

tracking a maximum power point of the solar panel.

26. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein tracking the maximum power point of the solar panel involves:

measuring one or more output powers associated with at least one of the solar panel and the power management system; and

adjusting the input voltage of the power management system based on the output powers.

27. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein measuring the output powers involves at least one of:

calculating a first output power of the solar panel based on the input voltage and the input current to the power management system; and

tracking a second output power of the power management system by measuring the inductor current of the inductor in the power management system.

28. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein adjusting the output voltage of the power management system based on the output powers involves at least one of:

adjusting the input voltage at a first rate and a first step size based on the first output power; and

adjusting the input voltage at a second rate that is higher than the first rate and a second step size that is smaller than the first step size based on the second output power.