Usb charger, mobile terminal and charging method thereof

• US 9,787,120 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2015
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spreadtrum Communications USA
• Original Assignee: Spreadtrum Communications USA
• Inventors: Chen, Liangjin, Lei, Peng, Liang, Wangping, Zhang, Fuqiang, Zhang, Mingwei, Luan, Guobing
• Primary Examiner(s): Memula, Suresh
• Application Number:
  US14/718,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20160064977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 320114
• 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 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage

Abstract

A USB charger, a mobile terminal, and a charging method are provided. The USB charger for charging a mobile terminal, includes a first logic control unit through which bidirectional communication is established between the USB charger and the mobile terminal, wherein the first logic control unit is configured to: send, to the mobile terminal, a first signal which includes a maximum output capability of the USB charger; receive, from the mobile terminal, a second signal which indicates magnitude of a voltage requested by the mobile terminal; and adjust a voltage output from the USB charger to be consistent with the voltage requested by the mobile terminal. Accordingly, the USB charger and the mobile terminal can communicate with each other through a single signal wire. Thus, the voltage output from the USB charger can be intelligently controlled, so as to charge the mobile terminal in a fast, safe, and simply way.

Claims

1. A USB charger adapted to charge a mobile terminal, comprising a first logic control unit through which bidirectional communication is established between the USB charger and the mobile terminal, wherein the first logic control unit is configured to:

send, to the mobile terminal, a first signal which comprises a maximum output capability of the USB charger;

receive, from the mobile terminal, a second signal which indicates magnitude of a voltage requested by the mobile terminal; and

adjust a voltage output from the USB charger to be consistent with the voltage requested by the mobile terminal, and the first logic control unit comprises a first comparator.

2. The USB charger according to claim 1, wherein the voltage requested by the mobile terminal is determined based on the maximum output capability of the USB charger and a maximum load capability of the mobile terminal.

3. The USB charger according to claim 1, wherein the bidirectional communication is established through one signal wire of an interface of the USB charger.

4. The USB charger according to claim 3, wherein the signal wire comprises a data signal wire D+, a data signal wire D−

, or an ID signal wire.

5. The USB charger according to claim 3, wherein the a gate of the first switch transistor is coupled with the first logic control circuit, a source of the first switch transistor is grounded, and a drain of the first logic control circuit is coupled with the signal wire.

6. The USB charger according to claim 3, wherein the first comparator has a first input terminal coupled with the signal wire, an output terminal coupled with the first logic control circuit, and a second input terminal coupled with a voltage of 2V.

7. The USB charger according to claim 3, wherein the signal wire comprises a data signal wire D+ and a data signal wire D−

, and the data signal wire D+ and the data signal wire D−

are coupled together.

8. The USB charger according to claim 1, wherein the first signal and the second signal are pulse signals.

9. The USB charger according to claim 1, wherein the first logic control unit further comprises:

a first logic control circuit, and a first switch transistor, wherein the first logic control circuit is configured to;

send the first signal to the mobile terminal through the first switch transistor, and receive and parse the second signal from the mobile terminal.

11. The mobile terminal according to claim 7, wherein the voltage requested by the mobile terminal is determined based on the maximum output capability of the USB charger and a maximum load capability of the mobile terminal.

12. The mobile terminal according to claim 7, wherein the bidirectional communication is established through one signal wire of a USB interface of the mobile terminal.

13. The mobile terminal according to claim 12, wherein the one signal wire comprises a data signal wire D+, a data signal wire D−

, or an ID signal wire.

14. The mobile terminal according to claim 12, wherein a gate of the second switch transistor is coupled with the second logic control circuit, a source of the second switch transistor is grounded, and a drain of the second logic control circuit is coupled with the signal wire and a pull-up resistor.

15. The mobile terminal according to claim 12, wherein the second comparator has a first input terminal coupled with the signal wire, an output terminal coupled with the second logic control circuit, and a second input terminal coupled with a voltage of 2V.

16. The mobile terminal according to claim 12, wherein the signal wire comprises a data signal wire D+ and a data signal wire D−

, and the data signal wire D+ and the data signal wire D−

are coupled together.

10. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a second logic control unit through which bidirectional communication is established between the mobile terminal and USB charger, wherein the second logic control unit is configured to;

receive, from the USB charger, a first signal which comprises a maximum output capability of the USB charger;

send, to the USB charger, a second signal which indicates magnitude of a voltage requested by the mobile terminal; and

adjust a charging setting, when a voltage output from the USB charger is consistent with the voltage requested by the mobile terminal, and the second logic control unit comprises a second comparator.

17. The mobile terminal according to claim 10, wherein the first signal and the second signal are pulse signals.

18. The mobile terminal according to claim 10, wherein the second logic control unit further comprises:

a second logic control circuit, and a second switch transistor, wherein the second logic control circuit is configured to;

send the second signal to the USB charger through the second switch transistor, and receive the first signal from the USB charger thorough the second comparator.

19. A method of charging a mobile terminal, comprising:

sending a handshake request signal to a USB charger;

receiving, from the USB charger, a first signal which comprises a maximum output capability of the USB charger;

sending, to the USB charger, a second signal which indicates magnitude of a voltage requested by the mobile terminal; and

adjusting a charging setting of the mobile terminal when a voltage output from the USB charger is consistent with the voltage requested by the mobile terminal.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising detecting a type of the USB charger.

21. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

detecting a charging state of the mobile terminal; and

adjusting a charging current when the charging state is detected abnormal.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the first signal, the second signal and the handshake request signal are pulse signals.

23. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

charging the mobile terminal with a regular voltage, when the first signal is not received from the USB charger.

24. A method of charging a mobile terminal by a USB charger, comprising:

receiving a handshake request signal from the mobile terminal;

sending, to the mobile terminal, a first signal which comprises a maximum output capability of the USB charger;

receiving, from the mobile terminal, a second signal which indicates magnitude of a voltage requested by the mobile terminal; and

adjusting a voltage output from the USB charger to be consistent with the voltage requested by the mobile terminal.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising:

charging the mobile terminal with a regular voltage, when the handshake request signal received is unable to be parsed by the USB charger.

26. The method according to claim 24, further comprising:

charging the mobile terminal with a regular voltage, when the USB charger is disconnected with the mobile terminal.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein the first signal, the second signal and the handshake request signal are pulse signals.