Power supply for portable electronic device

Abstract

This invention provides a power supply system suitable for a portable electronic device having a computer system and adapted to be electrically connected to an adapter to obtain output power. The power supply system includes a power input terminal, a power supply terminal, a first switching element, a battery, a second switching element, a supercapacitor, and a control unit. The power input terminal is adapted to be electrically connected to the adapter to obtain output power, and the power supply terminal is electrically connected to the power input terminal to supply power to the computer system. The battery is electrically connected to the power supply terminal via the first switching element. The supercapacitor is electrically connected to the power supply terminal via the second switching element. The control unit is adapted to, when the system load of the computer system exceeds the maximum wattage of the adapter, to deactivate the first switching element and activate the second switching element.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This case relates to power supply technology for electronic devices, and in particular to a power supply system for portable electronic devices. Prior Technology

[0002] Lithium-ion batteries are commonly used in portable electronic devices as their power source. However, due to their chemical properties, the capacity of lithium-ion batteries gradually decreases with use. Generally, the lifespan of a lithium-ion battery is between 300 and 500 cycles; frequent charge-discharge cycles significantly shorten its lifespan. Therefore, avoiding unnecessary charge-discharge cycles to extend battery life is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides a power supply system suitable for a portable electronic device having a computer system and adapted to be electrically connected to an adapter to obtain output power from the adapter. The power supply system includes a power input terminal, a power supply terminal, a first switching element, a battery, a second switching element, a supercapacitor, and a control unit. The power input terminal is adapted to be electrically connected to the adapter to obtain output power, and the power supply terminal is electrically connected to the power input terminal to supply power to the computer system. The battery is electrically connected to the power supply terminal via the first switching element. The supercapacitor is electrically connected to the power supply terminal via the second switching element. The control unit is adapted to, when the system load of the computer system exceeds the maximum wattage of the adapter, to deactivate the first switching element and activate the second switching element.

[0004] The power supply system provided in this case can temporarily supplement the insufficient wattage of the adapter by supplying power from the supercapacitor when the system load of the computer system exceeds the maximum power supply wattage of the adapter. In this way, in addition to avoiding the system protection mechanism from being triggered by the instantaneous high current discharge of the battery and limiting the system performance, the combination of supercapacitors and batteries can also effectively utilize the advantages of supercapacitors in fast charging and discharging and high power output to improve system performance, and also help to extend battery life and reduce the frequency and cost of battery replacement. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0005] The first figure is a block diagram of a power supply system provided according to an embodiment of this case; The second figure is a block diagram of a power supply system provided according to another embodiment of this case; and The third figure is a block diagram of a power supply system provided according to yet another embodiment of this case. Implementation

[0006] The specific implementation methods of this case will be described in more detail below with reference to the schematic diagrams. The advantages and features of this case will become clearer based on the following description and the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that the drawings are all in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, and are only used to facilitate and clarify the illustration of the embodiments of this case.

[0007] The first figure is a block diagram of a power supply system 100 provided according to an embodiment of this invention. This power supply system 100 is suitable for a portable electronic device 10 powered by an internally installed battery BA. The portable electronic device 10 has a computer system 12 and is adapted to be electrically connected to an adapter AD to obtain an output power V0 from the adapter AD.

[0008] As shown in the figure, this power supply system 100 includes a power input terminal P1, a power supply terminal P2, a first switching element SW1, a battery BA, a second switching element SW2, a supercapacitor SC, and a control unit 120.

[0009] The power input terminal P1 is electrically connected to the adapter AD to obtain the output power V0. The power supply terminal P2 is electrically connected to the power input terminal P1 and is suitable for supplying power to the computer system 12.

[0010] The battery BA is electrically connected to the power supply terminal P2 via a first switching element SW1 and has a battery voltage VB. In one embodiment, the battery BA is a lithium battery, such as a lithium-ion battery or a lithium polymer battery. In another embodiment, the first switching element SW1 is a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor.

[0011] Supercapacitors (SCs) are electrochemical capacitors that store energy through the polarization of the electrolyte. They primarily store energy by creating an electrical double-layer and redox charges on the electrode surface. No chemical reaction occurs during energy storage, and they can be repeatedly charged and discharged hundreds of thousands of times, exhibiting rapid charge-discharge characteristics and a remarkably long lifespan.

[0012] The supercapacitor SC is electrically connected to the power supply terminal P2 via a second switching element SW2 and has a capacitor voltage VC. The capacitor voltage VC of the supercapacitor SC is approximately the same as the battery voltage VB of the battery BA. In one embodiment, the second switching element SW2 is a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor.

[0013] The control unit 120 includes a battery charging circuit 122 and a supercapacitor charging circuit 124. The battery charging circuit 122 is adapted to detect the system voltage VS of the computer system 12 via the power supply terminal P2, and control the conduction state of the first switching element SW1 based on the system voltage VS. The supercapacitor charging circuit 124 is adapted to detect the system voltage VS of the computer system 12 via the power supply terminal P2, and control the conduction state of the second switching element SW2 based on the system voltage VS.

[0014] When the adapter AD supplies power to the computer system 12 of the portable electronic device 10, if the system load of the computer system 12 (mainly from the central processing unit) suddenly increases to a level higher than the maximum power supply wattage of the adapter AD, both the battery charging circuit 122 and the supercapacitor charging circuit 124 will detect a decrease in the system voltage VS at the power supply terminal P2. At this time, the battery charging circuit 122 will turn off the first switching element SW1, and the supercapacitor charging circuit 124 will turn on the second switching element SW2.

[0015] Specifically, when the adapter AD supplies power to the computer system 12 of the portable electronic device 10, and both the battery BA and the supercapacitor SC are fully charged, both the first switching element SW1 and the second switching element SW2 will be in an interrupted state. At this time, if the system load of the computer system 12 suddenly increases to a level exceeding the maximum power supply wattage of the adapter AD, the supercapacitor charging circuit 124 detects a decrease in the system voltage VS at the power supply terminal P2 and controls the second switching element SW2 to switch from an interrupted state to an on state. In contrast, the first switching element SW1 remains in an interrupted state.

[0016] Thus, when the system load of computer system 12 suddenly increases to a level exceeding the maximum power supply wattage of adapter AD, the supercapacitor SC can replace the battery BA to provide instantaneous power, compensating for the insufficient power supply wattage. Furthermore, since the supercapacitor SC can withstand a greater number of charge-discharge cycles than lithium-ion batteries, this invention helps reduce the number of charge-discharge cycles of battery BA, thereby extending battery BA's lifespan.

[0017] It is worth noting that, limited by the size of the supercapacitor SC and the power supply it can provide, in this embodiment, the supercapacitor SC replaces the battery BA to provide power for a short period when the system load suddenly increases and exceeds the maximum power supply wattage of the adapter AD. If the system load remains under heavy load, the battery BA needs to be switched to provide power to maintain the stability of system operation.

[0018] For example, the supercapacitor charging circuit 124 can detect the capacitor voltage VC of one of the supercapacitors SC and the capacitor discharge current IC of one of the supercapacitors SC to obtain a capacitor charge value. When the supercapacitor charging circuit 124 detects that the capacitor charge value has decreased to below a preset value due to discharge, it can cut off the second switching element SW2 and notify the battery charging circuit 122 to turn on the first switching element SW1, so that the battery BA can provide power.

[0019] Please also refer to Figure 2, which is a block diagram of the power supply system 200 provided according to another embodiment of this case.

[0020] The main difference between the power supply system 200 in this embodiment and the power supply system 100 in the embodiment of the first figure lies in the different architectures of the control units 120 and 220.

[0021] As shown in the figure, the control unit 220 of this embodiment includes a battery charging circuit 222, a supercapacitor charging circuit 224, and a microprocessor 226.

[0022] The battery charging circuit 222 is adapted to detect the system voltage VS of the computer system 12 through the power supply terminal P2 to generate a detection signal S1, and is adapted to control the conduction state of the first switching element SW1. The supercapacitor charging circuit 224 is adapted to control the conduction state of the second switching element SW2.

[0023] The microprocessor 226 is electrically connected to the battery charging circuit 222 and the supercapacitor charging circuit 224. In one embodiment, the microprocessor 226 may be an embedded controller (EC) and electrically connected to the battery charging circuit 222 and the supercapacitor charging circuit 224 via a system management bus (SMBUS).

[0024] The microprocessor 226 is adapted to receive the detection signal S1 from the battery charging circuit 222 and, based on the detection signal S1, notify the battery charging circuit 222 and the supercapacitor charging circuit 224 to control the conduction state of the first switching element SW1 and the second switching element SW2.

[0025] When the adapter AD supplies power to the computer system 12 of the portable electronic device 10, if the system load of the computer system 12 (mainly from the central processing unit) suddenly rises to a level higher than the maximum power supply wattage of the adapter AD, the battery charging circuit 222 will detect a decrease in the system voltage VS at the power supply terminal P2.

[0026] At this time, the battery charging circuit 222 will generate an overload signal S1' and send it to the microprocessor 226. Based on the overload signal S1', the microprocessor 226 will notify the battery charging circuit 222 to put the first switching element SW1 into an interrupt state, and notify the supercapacitor charging circuit 224 to put the second switching element SW2 into a conduction state.

[0027] Please also refer to Figure 3, which is a block diagram of the power supply system 300 provided according to another embodiment of this case.

[0028] The main difference between the power supply system 300 in this embodiment and the power supply system 100 in the embodiment of the first figure lies in the different architectures of the control units 120 and 320.

[0029] As shown in the figure, the control unit 320 of this embodiment includes a battery charging circuit 322, a supercapacitor charging circuit 324, and a microprocessor 326.

[0030] The battery charging circuit 322 is adapted to control the conduction state of the first switching element SW1. The supercapacitor charging circuit 324 is adapted to detect the system voltage VS of the computer system 12 through the power supply terminal P2 to generate a detection signal S2, and is adapted to control the conduction state of the second switching element SW2.

[0031] The microprocessor 326 is electrically connected to the battery charging circuit 322 and the supercapacitor charging circuit 324. In one embodiment, the microprocessor 326 may be an embedded controller (EC) and electrically connected to the battery charging circuit 322 and the supercapacitor charging circuit 324 via a system management bus (SMBUS).

[0032] The microprocessor 326 is adapted to receive the detection signal S2 from the supercapacitor charging circuit 324, and to notify the battery charging circuit 322 and the supercapacitor charging circuit 324 to control the conduction state of the first switching element SW1 and the second switching element SW2 according to the detection signal S2.

[0033] When the adapter AD supplies power to the computer system 12 of the portable electronic device 10, if the system load of the computer system 12 (mainly from the central processing unit) suddenly rises to a level higher than the maximum power supply wattage of the adapter AD, the supercapacitor charging circuit 324 will detect a decrease in the system voltage VS at the power supply terminal P2.

[0034] At this time, the supercapacitor charging circuit 324 will generate an overload signal S2' and send it to the microprocessor 326. The microprocessor 326 will notify the battery charging circuit 322 to put the first switching element SW1 into an interrupt state according to the overload signal S2', and notify the supercapacitor charging circuit 324 to put the second switching element SW2 into a conduction state.

[0035] In summary, the power supply systems 100, 200, and 300 provided in this case can temporarily supplement the insufficient wattage of adapter AD when the system load of computer system 12 exceeds the maximum power supply wattage of adapter AD. This not only avoids triggering the system protection mechanism and limiting system performance due to the instantaneous high-current discharge of battery BA, but also, because supercapacitor SC can withstand a large number of charge-discharge cycles, combining supercapacitor SC with battery BA can effectively utilize the advantages of supercapacitor SC's rapid charging and discharging and high power output to improve system performance, and help extend battery BA life, reducing the frequency and cost of battery BA replacement.

[0036] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this case and do not limit the scope of this case in any way. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art to the technical means and content disclosed in this case without departing from the scope of the technical means of this case shall be deemed to have remained within the scope of protection of this case.

[0037] 100, 200, 300: Power supply system 10: Portable electronic devices 12: Computer System AD: Adapter V0: Output power P1: Power input terminal P2: Power supply terminal SW1: First switching element SW2: Second switching element BA: Battery SC: Supercapacitor 120, 220, 320: Control Unit 122, 222, 322: Battery charging circuit 124, 224, 324: Supercapacitor charging circuit 226, 326: Microprocessors VB: Battery voltage VC: Capacitor voltage VS: System Voltage IC: Capacitor discharge current S1, S2: Detection signals S1', S2': Overload signal

Claims

1. A power supply system suitable for a portable electronic device having a computer system and adapted to be electrically connected to an adapter to obtain one of the output powers of the adapter, the power supply system comprising: a power input terminal adapted to be electrically connected to the adapter to obtain the output power; a power supply terminal electrically connected to the power input terminal and adapted to supply power to the computer system; a first switching element; a battery electrically connected to the power supply terminal through the first switching element; a second switching element; a supercapacitor electrically connected to the power supply terminal through the second switching element; and a control unit adapted to, when the system load of the computer system exceeds the maximum power supply wattage of the adapter, to disable the first switching element and enable the second switching element to be active.

2. The power supply system as described in claim 1, wherein, The battery has a battery voltage, and the supercapacitor has a capacitor voltage, the battery voltage being approximately the same as the capacitor voltage.

3. The power supply system as described in claim 1, wherein, The first switching element is a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor.

4. The power supply system as described in claim 1, wherein, The second switching element is a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor.

5. The power supply system as described in claim 1, wherein, The control unit includes a battery charging circuit adapted to detect a system voltage of the computer system through the power supply terminal and control the first switching element according to the system voltage.

6. The power supply system as described in claim 1, wherein, The control unit includes a supercapacitor charging circuit adapted to detect a system voltage of the computer system through the power supply terminal and control the second switching element based on the system voltage.

7. The power supply system as described in claim 1, wherein, The control unit includes a battery charging circuit, a supercapacitor charging circuit, and a microprocessor. The battery charging circuit is adapted to detect a system voltage of the computer system through the power supply terminal, and when the system voltage drops, it generates an overload signal and sends it to the microprocessor. The microprocessor notifies the battery charging circuit to put the first switching element in an interrupted state based on the overload signal, and notifies the supercapacitor charging circuit to put the second switching element in an on state.

8. The power supply system as described in claim 1, wherein, The control unit includes a battery charging circuit, a supercapacitor charging circuit, and a microprocessor. The supercapacitor charging circuit is adapted to detect a system voltage of the computer system through the power supply terminal, and when the system voltage drops, it generates an overload signal and sends it to the microprocessor. The microprocessor notifies the battery charging circuit to put the first switching element in an interrupted state based on the overload signal, and notifies the supercapacitor charging circuit to put the second switching element in an on state.

9. The power supply system as described in claim 8, wherein, The supercapacitor charging circuit is adapted to detect the capacitor voltage of one of the supercapacitors and the capacitor discharge current of one of the supercapacitors, thereby obtaining a capacitor charge value, and when the capacitor charge value is lower than a preset value, to put the second switching element into an interrupt state.

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