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

• US 9,948,109 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2016
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• 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:
  US15/161,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20160344193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 713300
• 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 power management system for managing power from a solar panel and a power adapter to power an electronic device, the power management system comprising:

a power stage configured to process electricity from a solar panel and from a power adapter to power an electronic device; and

a controller coupled to the power stage, the controller implementing one or more control loops to control the power stage based on whether the solar panel, the power adapter, or both are coupled to the power stage,

wherein responsive to receiving power from the solar panel, an input voltage of the power stage is adjusted at a first rate and a first step size based on an output power from the solar panel and at a second rate and a second step size based on an output power from the power stage.

2. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the power management system is further configured to track a maximum power point of the solar panel.

3. The power management system of claim 2, wherein the power management system is further configured to:

disable the tracking of the maximum power point of the solar panel responsive to receiving power from the power adapter.

4. The power management system of claim 1,

wherein the output power from the solar panel is determined based on the input voltage of the power stage and an input current of the power stage.

5. The power management system of claim 1,

wherein the output power from the power stage is determined based on an output current of the power stage.

6. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the first rate is smaller than the second rate and the first step size is larger than the second step size.

7. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the second rate is determined based in part on the first rate and the second step size is determined based in part on the first step size.

8. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a charger controller coupled to the power stage implementing the one or more control loops and a system controller coupled to the charger controller, the system controller responsive to an assessment of the availability and type of connected power source to manage the powering of the electronic device.

9. A method for supplying power to an electronic device, comprising:

using a power stage to process power received by the power stage to power the electronic device, wherein the power stage is configured to receive power from a solar panel and from a power adapter;

responsive to receiving power from a solar panel, adjusting an input voltage of the power stage at a first rate and a first step size based on an output power from the solar panel and at a second rate and a second step size based on an output power from the power stage.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising tracking a maximum power point of the solar panel.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

disabling the tracking of the maximum power point of the solar panel responsive to receiving power from the power adapter.

12. The method of claim 9,

wherein the output power from the solar panel is determined based on the input voltage of the power stage and an input current of the power stage.

13. The method of claim 9,

wherein the output power from the power stage is determined based on an output current of the power stage.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the first rate is smaller than the second rate and the first step size is larger than the second step size.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the second rate is determined based in part on the first rate and the second step size is determined based in part on the first step size.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon to cause a computer system to:

use a power stage to process power received by the power stage to power the computer system, wherein the power stage is configured to receive power from a solar panel and from a power adapter;

adjust an input voltage of the power stage, responsive to receiving power from a solar panel, at a first rate and a first step size based on an output power from the solar panel and at a second rate and a second step size based on an output power from the power stage; and

power a component of an electronic device using power received from at least one of the solar panel and the power adapter.

17. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 16, further comprising instructions to cause the computer system to track a maximum power point of the solar panel.

18. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 17, further comprising instructions to cause the computer system to:

disable the tracking of the maximum power point of the solar panel responsive to receiving the power from the power adapter.

19. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 16,

wherein the output power from the solar panel is determined based on the input voltage of the power stage and an input current of the power stage.

20. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 16,

wherein the output power from the power stage is determined based on an output current of the power stage.

21. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 16, wherein the first rate is smaller than the second rate and the first step size is larger than the second step size.