Power converter, controller, and charging circuitry and method

Abstract

Power converters, controllers, and charging circuitry and methods are provided. In one example, a power converter for use with a programmable power supply circuit includes a charging circuit and a battery. The charging circuit is configured to be coupled to the programmable power supply circuit. The programmable power supply circuit is configured to provide a regulated DC input voltage. The charging circuit includes a dc-dc converter configured to be coupled to the programmable power supply circuit and configured to convert a regulated DC input voltage to a system output voltage at a node. A battery is coupled to the dc-dc converter and is configured to be charged or discharged indirectly or directly via the node. The charging circuit also includes a charging transistor coupled in series between the dc-dc converter and the battery via a node and configured to enable or disable charging or discharging of the battery.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application is a continuation of U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 792,528, filed August 1, 2024, and claims priority and benefit thereto; that U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 792,528 is a continuation of U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 585,075, filed February 23, 2024, and claims priority and benefit thereto; that U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 585,075 is a partial continuation of U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 446,462, filed August 8, 2023, and claims priority and benefit thereto thereto; the entire contents of all these U.S. patent applications are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to power electronic devices, and more particularly, for example, to power converters, controllers, and charging circuit systems and methods. Background Technology

[0004] Today, many electronic products, such as mobile computing devices and / or communication products (e.g., smartphones, laptops, ultrabooks, tablets, etc.), support a variety of charging schemes. For example, some electronic devices can enable high-speed charging, using relatively high output power to quickly charge the battery in the electronic device to provide a better user experience, or enable maintenance charging mode, using low output power to extend battery life and prevent battery degradation. To support charging schemes for different applications or system conditions, battery chargers need to dynamically adjust the output voltage and / or current in response to commands from the electronic product. Therefore, designing highly efficient power conversion circuits, improving charging capabilities and circuit design flexibility, and meeting the power requirements of different electronic products have become key challenges in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a power converter for use with a programmable power supply circuit. In some embodiments, the power converter includes a charging circuit and a battery. The charging circuit is electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit, which is configured to provide a regulated DC input voltage. The charging circuit includes a first DC-DC converter electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit and configured to convert the regulated DC input voltage into a system output voltage at an output node. The battery is electrically coupled to the first DC-DC converter and configured to charge or discharge indirectly or directly via the output node. The charging circuit also includes a charger transistor electrically coupled in series between the first DC-DC converter and the battery via the output node and configured to enable or disable charging or discharging of the battery.

[0006] In some embodiments, the power converter includes a charging circuit and a battery. The charging circuit is electrically coupled to a programmable power supply circuit configured to provide a regulated DC input voltage. The charging circuit includes a first DC-DC converter electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit and configured to convert the regulated DC input voltage into a system output voltage at an output node. The battery is electrically coupled to the first DC-DC converter and configured to be charged or discharged indirectly or directly via the output node. The charging circuit also includes a second DC-DC converter series-coupled between the programmable power supply circuit and the battery. One of the first and second DC-DC converters is an unregulated converter.

[0007] In some embodiments, the power converter includes a charging circuit and a battery. The charging circuit is electrically coupled to a programmable power supply circuit configured to provide a regulated DC input voltage. The charging circuit includes a first DC-DC converter electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit and configured to convert the regulated DC input voltage into a system output voltage at an output node. The battery is electrically coupled to the first DC-DC converter and configured to be charged or discharged indirectly or directly via the output node. The charging circuit also includes a second DC-DC converter series-coupled between the programmable power supply circuit and the battery, and the first and second DC-DC converters are configured to operate simultaneously.

[0008] In some embodiments, the power converter includes a charging circuit and a battery. The charging circuit is electrically coupled to a programmable power supply circuit configured to provide a regulated DC input voltage. The charging circuit includes a first DC-DC converter electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit and configured to convert the regulated DC input voltage into a system output voltage at an output node. The battery is electrically coupled to the first DC-DC converter and configured to be charged or discharged indirectly or directly via the output node. The charging circuit also includes a boost converter or charge pump converter electrically coupled between the battery and the output node.

[0009] In some embodiments, the power converter includes a charging circuit and a battery. The charging circuit is electrically coupled to a programmable power supply circuit configured to provide a regulated DC voltage at an output node as the system output voltage. The charging circuit includes a first DC-DC converter electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit at its output node and configured to perform voltage conversion between the system output voltage and the battery voltage. The battery is electrically coupled to the first DC-DC converter and configured to charge or discharge directly or indirectly based on its voltage.

[0010] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a method for charging and discharging a battery. In some embodiments, the method includes: during a first time period, converting a regulated DC input voltage into a system output voltage at an output node by a first DC-DC converter electrically coupled to a programmable power supply circuit; during a charging period of the first time period, charging the battery electrically coupled to the first DC-DC converter indirectly or directly via the output node based on the system output voltage; and during a second time period, discharging the battery to provide the system output voltage via the output node. The regulated DC input voltage is output by the programmable power supply circuit during the first time period.

[0011] In some embodiments, the method includes: during a charging period in a first time period, charging the battery electrically coupled to the first DC-DC converter via the output node, either indirectly or directly, based on the system output voltage, by performing a voltage conversion between the system output voltage and the battery voltage of the battery; and during a second time period, discharging the battery to provide the system output voltage via the output node. The system output voltage is a regulated DC voltage output by the programmable power supply circuit at the output node during the first time period.

[0012] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a method for controlling a charging circuit. The method includes: receiving battery information from an electrical device to be charged; receiving one or more characteristic parameters from the electrical device; selecting a target charging mode from a plurality of charging mode candidates based on the battery information and the one or more characteristic parameters; and controlling a controller to adjust one or more operating parameters of the charging circuit based on the selected target charging mode for charging the electrical device.

[0013] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a controller for controlling a charging circuit. The controller includes: a memory storing a set of instructions; and one or more processors coupled to the memory and configured to execute a set of instructions to cause the controller to perform operations including: selecting a target charging mode from a plurality of charging mode candidates based on battery information of a battery received from an electrical device to be charged and one or more characteristic parameters; and adjusting one or more operating parameters of the charging circuit for charging the electrical device based on the selected target charging mode.

[0014] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a charging device. The charging device includes a charging circuit and a controller. The charging circuit is electrically coupled to a programmable power supply circuit configured to provide a regulated DC input voltage. The charging circuit includes a first DC-DC converter electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit and configured to convert the regulated DC input voltage into an output voltage at an output node. The controller is configured to: receive battery information from an electrical device to be charged; receive one or more characteristic parameters; select a target charging mode from a plurality of charging mode candidates based on the battery information and one or more characteristic parameters; and adjust one or more operating parameters of the charging circuit based on the selected target charging mode for charging the electrical device.

[0015] Additional features and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the embodiments. The features and advantages of the disclosed embodiments may be realized and obtained by means of the elements and combinations set forth in the claims. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Embodiments and various aspects of this disclosure are illustrated in the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. Note that, in accordance with standard industry practice, the various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or decreased for clarity of discussion.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of an exemplary power converter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of another exemplary power converter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 3A This is a block diagram of another exemplary power converter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 3B Some embodiments according to this disclosure are shown in Figure 3A The power flow during the discharge phase of the battery in the power converter.

[0021] Figure 3C Some embodiments according to this disclosure are shown in Figure 3A The power flow during the charging phase of the battery in the power converter.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a block diagram of another exemplary power converter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a block diagram of another exemplary power converter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a block diagram of another exemplary power converter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 7A This is a block diagram of another exemplary power converter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 7B Some embodiments according to this disclosure are shown in Figure 7A An exemplary power flow during the discharge phase of a battery in a power converter.

[0027] Figure 7C Some embodiments according to this disclosure are shown in Figure 7A An exemplary power flow during the charging phase of a battery in a power converter.

[0028] Figure 8 This is a block diagram of another exemplary power converter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of a method for charging and discharging a battery according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 10 This is a flowchart of another method for charging and discharging a battery according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 11 This is a block diagram of an example charging system for electrical equipment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 12 This is a diagram illustrating the charging characteristics of several charging mode candidates according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 13 This is a flowchart of a method for controlling a charging circuit according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 14 This is a diagram of an example charging mode selector based on some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0035] Figure 15 This is a diagram illustrating an example lookup table (LUT) containing a set of candidate operation parameters according to some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0036] Figure 16This is a diagram illustrating a performance plane for a charging mode according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 17 This is a diagram illustrating the mapping between the training set and the corresponding result set of a neural network according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 18A This is a block diagram of an example charging circuit according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figures 18B to 18E Some embodiments according to this disclosure are shown. Figure 18A Example charging modes and corresponding power flows in the charging circuit.

[0040] Figures 19 to 23 This is a block diagram of an example charging circuit according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0041] Figure 24A This is a block diagram of another example charging circuit according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0042] Figure 24B and Figure 24C Some embodiments according to this disclosure are shown. Figure 24A Example power flow in a charging circuit.

[0043] Figure 25 This is a block diagram of another example charging circuit according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0044] The following disclosure provides numerous exemplary implementations or examples for achieving different features of the provided subject matter. Simplified examples of specific components and arrangements are described below to illustrate this disclosure. Of course, these are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. Furthermore, reference numerals and / or letters may be repeated in various examples within this disclosure. Such repetition is for simplicity and clarity and does not in itself prescribe a relationship between the various implementations and / or configurations discussed.

[0045] The terms used in this specification generally have their ordinary meaning in the art and in the specific context in which each term is used. The use of examples in this specification (including examples of any terms discussed herein) is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the scope and meaning of this disclosure or any exemplary terminology. Similarly, this disclosure is not limited to the various embodiments given in this specification.

[0046] Although the terms “first,” “second,” etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element may be referred to as a second element without departing from the scope of the embodiments, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0047] Furthermore, for ease of description, spatial relative terms such as “below,” “under,” “below,” “above,” and “above” may be used herein to describe the relationship between one element or feature and another, as shown in the accompanying drawings. In addition to the orientations depicted in the drawings, spatial relative terms are intended to cover different orientations of the device in use or operation. The device may be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptors used herein may be interpreted accordingly.

[0048] In this document, the term "coupling" may also be referred to as "electrical coupling," and the term "connection" may be referred to as "electrical connection." "Coupling" and "connection" may also be used to describe two or more elements cooperating or interacting with each other.

[0049] According to various embodiments, as further described herein, various battery charging / discharging topologies are provided to achieve efficient power supply systems and provide improved charging capabilities and / or increased design flexibility to batteries. Power converters according to various embodiments can be configured to charge batteries within the converter device and provide system voltages for various applications with different voltage requirements (e.g., mobile applications), and enable multi-mode battery charging in response to various scenarios and system conditions.

[0050] In some implementations, the power converter, according to various embodiments, can dynamically switch between charging / discharging modes in response to various conditions and desired outcomes. Mode selection can be based on commands from the user to provide a personalized power management strategy, or it can be based on commands from the controller to achieve optimized power management. Examples of charging / discharging modes may include a high-power charging mode that requires less charging time to complete the charging process, an efficient charging mode that causes less damage to the battery and extends battery life and performance, etc.

[0051] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of an exemplary power converter 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As used herein, a power converter may refer to a device that includes power and electronic components comprising power conversion circuitry. Figure 1The power converter 100 includes a charging circuit comprising a DC-DC converter 110 and a battery 120 electrically coupled to the DC-DC converter 110. In some embodiments, the charging circuit of the power converter 100 may further include a converter electrically coupled between the battery 120 and an output node 104 providing the system output voltage Vsys. In some embodiments, the converter may be a boost converter or a charge pump converter with a fixed offset between the battery voltage of the battery 120 and the system output voltage Vsys. Specifically, Figure 1 The charging circuit is electrically coupled to a programmable power supply circuit 902. The programmable power supply circuit 902 may be an adjustable voltage source (AVS) and is configured to provide a regulated DC input voltage V1. The voltage level of the regulated DC input voltage V1 can be dynamically adjusted by the programmable power supply circuit 902 in response to a corresponding command. In some embodiments, the regulated DC input voltage V1 may be a supply voltage from an AC-DC adapter connected to the power converter 100. The DC-DC converter 110 is electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit 902 and is configured to convert the regulated DC input voltage V1 into a system output voltage Vsys at the output node 104 of the power converter 100. The battery 120 is configured to be charged or discharged indirectly or directly via the output node 104. Figure 1 As shown in the embodiments, battery 120 can be directly charged by the power output of DC-DC converter 110. In some embodiments, the charging circuit of power converter 100 may further include a converter (e.g., a boost converter or charge pump converter) that provides a fixed offset between the battery voltage of battery 120 and the system output voltage Vsys.

[0052] In some implementations, the DC-DC converter 110 may be a buck converter, a boost converter, a charge pump converter, etc., but this disclosure is not limited thereto. As used in this disclosure, the term "charge pump" refers to a device configured to convert an input voltage (e.g., ...) into a voltage converter. Figure 1 The regulated DC input voltage V1 is converted into the output voltage (e.g., Figure 1The system output voltage Vsys in the system is a switched capacitor network. Examples of such charge pumps include cascaded multiplier switched capacitor networks, Dickson switched capacitor networks, ladder switched capacitor networks, series-parallel switched capacitor networks, Fibonacci switched capacitor networks, and Doubler switched capacitor networks, all of which can be configured as multiphase or single-phase networks. Additionally, in the context of this disclosure, a power conversion circuit that converts a higher input voltage supply to a lower output voltage level is generally referred to as a buck converter because the converter "steps down" the input voltage. A power conversion circuit that converts a lower input voltage supply to a higher output voltage level is generally referred to as a boost converter because the converter "steps up" the input voltage. Furthermore, some power converters, generally referred to as "buck-boost converters," can be configured to convert an input voltage supply to an output voltage with a wide range, wherein the output voltage can be higher or lower than the input voltage. In various embodiments, the power converter can be bidirectional, and depending on how the power supply is connected to the converter, it can be a boost converter or a buck converter.

[0053] therefore, Figure 1 The power converter 100 provides a charging mechanism, wherein a single DC-DC converter 110 is configured to convert a regulated DC input voltage V1 into a system output voltage Vsys, and the system output voltage Vsys can be used to directly charge the battery 120 and provide the system voltage required by circuitry or devices in the next power stage connected to the output node 104. When the programmable power supply circuit 902 is the power source, the power converter 100 receives the regulated DC input voltage V1 from the programmable power supply circuit 902 as the input voltage, wherein the appropriate voltage level is controlled and regulated by the programmable power supply circuit 902. When the battery 120 is the power source, the converter 130 can be configured to provide the system output voltage Vsys accordingly. Therefore, the voltage range of the system output voltage Vsys can be narrower and within the desired voltage range. For example, in some embodiments, for 2S cell (i.e., two battery cells connected in series) applications with a narrow voltage DC (NVDC) architecture, the system output voltage Vsys can be in the range of approximately 9V to 5V. Additionally, Figure 1 The architecture shown also provides greater flexibility in regulating the input voltage of the DC-DC converter 110 to maximize power efficiency. Since the system output voltage Vsys can be indirectly controlled and regulated based on the regulated DC input voltage V1, the DC-DC converter 110 can be a highly efficient unregulated converter. This reduces the switching losses of the power converter 100 and improves its overall efficiency.

[0054] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of another exemplary power converter 200 according to some embodiments of this disclosure. Figure 1 Compared to power converter 100, power converter 200 further includes charger transistor 210 and switching device 220 electrically coupled in parallel with charger transistor 210. For example... Figure 2 As shown, charger transistor 210 is series-coupled between DC-DC converter 110 and battery 120 via output node 104. Charger transistor 210 is configured to enable or disable charging or discharging of battery 120. For example, when battery 120 is fully charged, charger transistor 210 can be controlled in response to a corresponding control command from controller IC (not shown) to disable charging of battery 120 by disconnecting battery 120 from DC-DC converter 110. On the other hand, when battery 120 needs charging, charger transistor 210 can be controlled in response to a corresponding control command from controller IC to enable charging of battery 120 based on the system output voltage Vsys output from DC-DC converter 110.

[0055] Similarly, when the power converter 200 receives a regulated DC input voltage V1 and performs power conversion based on the regulated DC input voltage V1 to provide a system output voltage Vsys, the charger transistor 210 can be controlled in response to a corresponding control command from the controller IC to disable the discharge of the battery 120 by disconnecting the battery 120 from the output node 104. On the other hand, when the battery 120 needs to output a system output voltage Vsys for the next stage, the charger transistor 210 can be controlled in response to a corresponding control command from the controller IC to cause the battery 120 to discharge at the desired power level.

[0056] Figure 2 The power converter 200 in the middle can provide the system output voltage Vsys and provide power to charge the battery 120 by using an adjustable voltage source (e.g., a regulated DC input voltage V1 from the programmable power supply circuit 902) instead of a fixed voltage source, thereby realizing a new charging mechanism.

[0057] In some embodiments, switching device 220 is an optional switching element. Switching device 220, connected in parallel with charger transistor 210, is configured to bypass charger transistor 210 when switching device 220 is closed. Specifically, where applicable, in response to a power mode, switching device 220 can be controlled and used to bypass charger transistor 210, providing a low-resistance power path between battery 120 and output node 104. Therefore, overall power efficiency can be improved. For example, when using programmable power supply circuit 902 as the power source, power converter 200 can receive a regulated DC input voltage V1 to provide an efficient system output voltage Vsys. During constant current (CC) mode, switching device 220 can be enabled to bypass charger transistor 210. Additionally, when using battery 120 as the power source, switching device 220 can also be enabled to bypass charger transistor 210, allowing battery 120 to directly provide system output voltage Vsys to output node 104 of power converter 200.

[0058] In some implementations, the charging circuit of the power converter 200 may include additional components. Figure 2 The circuit shown is an example and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. For example, similar to... Figure 1 In some implementations, the charging circuit of the power converter 200 may further include another boost converter or charge pump converter to provide a fixed offset between the battery voltage Vbat of the battery 120 and the system output voltage Vsys, ensuring that the system output voltage Vsys does not reach or exceed the battery voltage Vbat. In some implementations, the charging path including the charger transistor 210 may therefore be removed accordingly.

[0059] Figure 3A This is a block diagram of another exemplary power converter 300 according to some embodiments of this disclosure. Figure 2 Compared to power converter 200, power converter 300 also includes another DC-DC converter 310. For example... Figure 3A As shown, DC-DC converter 310 is series-coupled between programmable power supply circuit 902 and battery 120. Charger transistor 210 is electrically coupled between DC-DC converter 110 and DC-DC converter 310. In some embodiments, DC-DC converter 110 and DC-DC converter 310 are configured to operate simultaneously.

[0060] For example, Figure 3B Some embodiments according to this disclosure are shown in Figure 3A The power flow during the discharge phase of the battery 120 in the power converter 300. For example... Figure 3BAs shown, during the discharge phase of battery 120, DC-DC converter 310 can be configured to convert the battery voltage Vbat output by battery 120 into a first voltage (e.g., voltage Vm) received by DC-DC converter 110. DC-DC converter 110 is configured to regulate and provide system output voltage Vsys in response to the first voltage (e.g., voltage Vm) from DC-DC converter 310.

[0061] For example, Figure 3C Some embodiments according to this disclosure are shown in Figure 3A The power flow during the charging phase of the battery 120 in the power converter 300. For example... Figure 3C As shown, during the charging phase of battery 120, DC-DC converter 110 is configured to provide a system output voltage Vsys in response to a regulated DC input voltage V1 from programmable power supply circuit 902. DC-DC converter 310 is configured to provide a charging voltage Vc to battery 120 in response to a regulated DC input voltage V1 from programmable power supply circuit 902.

[0062] In various embodiments, different converter types can be applied to achieve a high-efficiency converter for DC-DC converter 310. For example, DC-DC converter 310 can be a magnetically based unregulated converter, an LLC converter, a switched capacitor (SC) based converter, etc. In some embodiments, one of DC-DC converter 110 and DC-DC converter 310 can be an unregulated converter, while the other of DC-DC converter 110 and DC-DC converter 310 can be a regulated converter. During the discharge phase of battery 120, the system output voltage Vsys can be regulated by the regulated converter. During the charging phase of battery 120, the system output voltage Vsys and the charging voltage Vc can be regulated by the regulated converter and the programmable power supply circuit 902 that provides the regulated DC input voltage V1.

[0063] For example, if the DC-DC converter 110 is an unregulated converter, then in Figure 3B During the discharge phase of the battery 120 shown, the system output voltage Vsys can be indirectly controlled and regulated by a DC-DC converter 310 that provides a regulated voltage Vm. Figure 3C During the charging phase of the battery 120 shown, the system output voltage Vsys can be indirectly controlled and regulated by the programmable power supply circuit 902 that provides a regulated DC input voltage V1, and the charging voltage Vc can be regulated by the DC-DC converter 310.

[0064] In another example, if the DC-DC converter 310 is an unregulated converter, then in Figure 3BDuring the discharge phase of the battery 120 shown, the system output voltage Vsys can be controlled and regulated by the DC-DC converter 110 that outputs the system output voltage Vsys. Figure 3C During the charging phase of the battery 120 shown, the charging voltage Vc can be indirectly controlled and regulated by the programmable power supply circuit 902 that provides a regulated DC input voltage V1, and the system output voltage Vsys can be regulated by the DC-DC converter 110. Figures 3A to 3C This implementation achieves a flash charging mechanism by using a regulated converter and a high-efficiency unregulated converter to provide a system output voltage Vsys at a high voltage (HV) level and a charging voltage Vc at the desired level for the battery 120. Overall power efficiency can be improved by operating DC-DC converter 110 and DC-DC converter 310 simultaneously. In some implementations, different charging / discharging modes can be achieved by selecting which converter to enable or disable.

[0065] Figure 4 This is a block diagram of another exemplary power converter 400 according to some embodiments of this disclosure. Figures 3A to 3C Compared to the power converter 300, the power converter 400 also includes another DC-DC converter 410, and the DC-DC converter 110 and the DC-DC converter 410 are electrically coupled in parallel.

[0066] In some embodiments, DC-DC converter 410 and DC-DC converter 110 operate with the same conversion ratio. In some embodiments, one of DC-DC converter 410 and DC-DC converter 110 may be unregulated. By arranging DC-DC converter 410 and DC-DC converter 110 in parallel, the power path providing the system output voltage Vsys or the charging voltage of battery 120 can be optimized, wherein DC-DC converter 410 and DC-DC converter 110 operate together to provide additional power.

[0067] Similar to power converter 300, in some embodiments, switching device 220 is electrically coupled in parallel with charger transistor 210. During the charging phase of battery 120, switching device 220 is closed to bypass charger transistor 210 to achieve efficient charging of battery 120. During the discharging phase of battery 120, switching device 220 is closed to bypass charger transistor 210 to provide system output voltage Vsys from battery 120. Therefore, when drawing power from battery 120, the system output voltage Vsys can be the battery voltage Vbat, rather than the voltage reduced due to the voltage drop across charger transistor 210.

[0068] In some other embodiments, the charging circuit of the power converter 300 or 400 may include additional components. Figures 3A to 3C as well as Figure 4 The charging circuit shown is an example and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. For example, similar to... Figure 1 In some implementations, the charging circuit of power converter 300 or 400 may further include another boost converter or charge pump converter to provide a fixed offset between the battery voltage Vbat of battery 120 and the system output voltage Vsys, ensuring that the system output voltage Vsys does not reach or exceed the battery voltage Vbat and is at a specific level (e.g., 5V). In some implementations, the charging path including charger transistor 210 may therefore be removed accordingly.

[0069] In the above Figures 1 to 4 In some implementations, the programmable power supply circuit 902 can be used as an adjustable and dynamic input voltage source instead of a fixed input voltage source in conventional designs. The programmable power supply circuit 902 can be applied to maximize power efficiency by adjusting the input voltage of DC-DC converters in the power converter (e.g., DC-DC converters 110, 310, and 410). In some implementations, the battery 120 can be connected to a boost converter or charge pump converter to output a regulated system output voltage Vsys. Therefore, the voltage range of the system output voltage Vsys can be narrower. In some implementations, a fixed offset between the battery voltage Vbat of the battery 120 and the system output voltage Vsys can be ensured.

[0070] Figure 5 This is a block diagram of another exemplary power converter 500 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. (As described above) Figures 1 to 4 Compared to the aforementioned implementation, the power converter 500 is designed for a wide-voltage DC (WVDC) architecture. Figures 1 to 4 Compared to the NVDC architecture in the embodiments described herein, the power converter 500 can be configured to provide a system output voltage Vsys with a wider voltage range. In some embodiments, in the WVDC architecture, the system output voltage Vsys can be in a voltage range of about 20V to 5V, which is wider than the voltage range of about 9V to 5V of the exemplary NVDC architecture, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0071] like Figure 5 As shown, the power converter 500 includes a charging circuit comprising a DC-DC converter 510 and a battery 520 electrically coupled to the DC-DC converter 510. Specifically, Figure 5The charging circuit is electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit 902. Similar to the embodiment described above, the programmable power supply circuit 902 can be an adjustable voltage source (AVS). The programmable power supply circuit 902 is configured to provide a regulated DC voltage V1 as the system output voltage Vsys to the next stage at the output node 504 of the power converter 500.

[0072] DC-DC converter 510 is electrically coupled to programmable power supply circuit 902 at output node 504 and is configured to perform voltage conversion between system output voltage Vsys and battery voltage Vbat of battery 520. Battery 520 is electrically coupled to DC-DC converter 510 and is configured to charge or discharge directly or indirectly based on battery voltage Vbat.

[0073] The power converter 500 provides a charging mechanism without placing a charger transistor in the charging circuit of the power converter 500. In some embodiments, the DC-DC converter 510 may be a low-dropout regulator (LDO).

[0074] Figure 6 This is a block diagram of another exemplary power converter 600 according to some embodiments of this disclosure. The power converter 600 can also be designed for WVDC architectures. Figure 5 Compared to the power converter 500, the power converter 600 also includes a charger transistor 610 and switching devices 620 and 630 electrically coupled to the charger transistor 610.

[0075] like Figure 6 As shown, charger transistor 610 is series-coupled between DC-DC converter 510 and battery 520, and is configured to enable or disable charging or discharging of battery 520. Switching device 620 is parallel-coupled to charger transistor 610 and is configured to bypass charger transistor 610 when switching device 620 is closed. Switching device 630 is parallel-coupled to DC-DC converter 510 and is configured to enable direct charging or discharging between battery 520 and output node 504 of power converter 600 when switching device 630 is closed. In some embodiments, charger transistor 610 and one or more of switching devices 620 and 630 may be optional.

[0076] Specifically, the charger transistor 610, electrically coupled between the DC-DC converter 510 and the battery 520, minimizes the voltage and current ripple of the battery voltage Vbat across the battery 520. Similar to the embodiments described above, the charger transistor 610 and the switching device 620 can be configured to enable or disable charging or discharging of the battery 520. The detailed operation of the charger transistor 610 and the switching device 620 is similar to that of the charger transistor 210 and the switching device 220, and therefore will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0077] In some implementations, switching devices 620 and 630 can be used to enable direct charging of battery 520. For example, when battery 520 is directly charged in direct charging mode using the system output voltage Vsys (or the regulated DC voltage V1 from programmable power supply circuit 902), switching devices 620 and 630 can close in response to a corresponding control command from controller IC (not shown) to provide a low-resistance power path between battery 520 and output node 504. Therefore, overall power efficiency can be improved.

[0078] On the other hand, when a voltage conversion between the system output voltage Vsys and the battery voltage Vbat of battery 520 is required, switching device 630 can be disconnected, and battery 520 is charged by the voltage output from DC-DC converter 510. In other words, charger transistor 610, switching device 620, and switching device 630 can be controlled separately according to various system conditions and desired results, thereby operating power converter 600 in various power modes to supply system output voltage Vsys to the load and effectively charge or discharge battery 520 without damaging battery 520 (e.g., overcharging or overvoltage). In some embodiments, power converter 600 can dynamically switch between different power modes by detecting system conditions to automatically optimize its operation.

[0079] Figure 7A This is a block diagram of another exemplary power converter 700 according to some embodiments of this disclosure. Figure 6 Compared to power converter 600, power converter 700 also includes another DC-DC converter 710. In some embodiments, one of DC-DC converter 510 and DC-DC converter 710 may be an unregulated converter (which may be a high-efficiency converter), while the other of DC-DC converter 510 and DC-DC converter 710 may be a regulated converter. Figure 7AAs shown, DC-DC converter 710 is series-coupled between programmable power supply circuit 902 and battery 520. Charger transistor 610 is electrically coupled between DC-DC converter 510 and DC-DC converter 710. In some embodiments, DC-DC converter 510 and DC-DC converter 710 are configured to operate simultaneously in certain power modes, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0080] Figure 7B Some embodiments according to this disclosure are shown in Figure 7A An exemplary power flow during the discharge phase of the battery 520 in the power converter 700. Figure 7B Power path 720 indicates an exemplary power flow during the discharge phase of battery 520. In power path 720, during the discharge phase of battery 520, DC-DC converter 710 is configured to convert the battery voltage Vbat output by battery 520 into the desired system output voltage Vsys. (See diagram below.) Figure 7B As shown, in some embodiments, in response to a corresponding control command from the controller IC, the switching device 620 can be closed to provide an additional power path 730 during the discharge phase of the battery 520, wherein the DC-DC converter 510 is configured to convert the battery voltage Vbat output by the battery 520 into the desired system output voltage Vsys. Therefore, the power converter 700 can supply greater output power using relatively low-rated DC-DC converters 510 and 710 in response to system requests. When the required output power is relatively low, the power converter 700 can also activate one of the DC-DC converters 510 and 710 to reduce power losses, thereby improving overall power efficiency.

[0081] Figure 7C Some embodiments according to this disclosure are shown in Figure 7A An exemplary power flow during the charging phase of the battery 520 in the power converter 700. Figure 7C Power path 740 indicates an exemplary power flow during the charging phase of battery 520. In power path 740, during the charging phase of battery 520, when the system output voltage Vsys is not within the desired voltage range for charging battery 520, DC-DC converter 710 is configured to convert the system output voltage Vsys (or the regulated DC voltage V1 from programmable power supply circuit 902) into the desired charging voltage Vc for battery 520. On the other hand, when programmable power supply circuit 902 is able to provide a regulated DC voltage V1 at an optimized voltage level as the charging voltage Vc to directly charge battery 520, switching devices 620 and 630 can close to provide power path 750 to enable direct charging and thus improve efficiency.

[0082] It should be understood that Figure 7B and Figure 7C The power paths 720 to 750 shown are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. In various embodiments, the power converter 700 may accordingly control the DC-DC converters 510 and 710, the charger transistor 610, and the switching devices 620 and 630 to operate in a desired charging or discharging mode, to charge or discharge the battery 520 using the programmable power supply circuit 902 or the battery 520 as a power source, and to output the system output voltage Vsys as needed by the system.

[0083] Figure 8 This is a block diagram of another exemplary power converter 800 according to some embodiments of this disclosure. Figures 7A to 7C Compared to the power converter 700, the power converter 800 also includes another DC-DC converter 810. Similar to... Figures 7A to 7C In this implementation, one of the DC-DC converter 510 and the DC-DC converter 810 can be an unregulated converter, while the other of the DC-DC converter 510 and the DC-DC converter 810 can be a regulated converter.

[0084] like Figure 8 As shown, DC-DC converters 510 and 810 are electrically coupled in parallel. In some embodiments, DC-DC converters 510 and 810 operate with the same conversion ratio. By arranging DC-DC converters 510 and 810 in parallel, the power path providing the system output voltage Vsys or the charging voltage of battery 520 can be optimized, where DC-DC converters 510 and 810 operate together to provide additional power. Therefore, similar to... Figures 7A to 7C The power converters 700 and 800 can also utilize relatively low-rated DC-DC converters 510 and 810 to supply greater output power in response to system requests, enabling flash charging. When the required output power is relatively low, the power converter 800 can also activate one of the DC-DC converters 510 and 810 to reduce power losses, thereby improving overall power efficiency.

[0085] Similar to the power converter 700, in some embodiments, the switching device 620 is electrically coupled in parallel with the charger transistor 610. During the charging phase of the battery 520, the switching device 620 can be closed to bypass the charger transistor 610 to achieve efficient charging of the battery 520. During the discharging phase of the battery 520, the switching device 620 can be closed to bypass the charger transistor 610 to directly provide the system output voltage Vsys from the battery 520. Therefore, when drawing power from the battery 520, the system output voltage Vsys can be the battery voltage Vbat, rather than the voltage reduced due to the voltage drop across the charger transistor 610.

[0086] In some embodiments, one or both of DC-DC converters 510 and 810 may be boost converters or charge pump converters to provide a fixed offset between the battery voltage Vbat of battery 520 and the system output voltage Vsys, thereby ensuring that the system output voltage Vsys is at a specific level when one or both of switching devices 620 and 630 are off and power flows through one or both of DC-DC converters 510 and 810. In some other embodiments, the charging circuitry of power converter 700 or 800 may include additional components. The charging circuitry shown herein is exemplary and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0087] In the above Figures 5 to 8 In some implementations, the programmable power supply circuit 902 can be used as an adjustable and dynamic input voltage source in various wide-voltage DC architectures, replacing the fixed input voltage source in conventional designs. The programmable power supply circuit 902 can be applied to maximize power efficiency by adjusting the input voltage of DC-DC converters in the power converter (e.g., DC-DC converters 510, 710, and 810). In some implementations, the battery 520 can be connected to a boost converter or charge pump converter to output a regulated system output voltage Vsys. Therefore, the voltage range of the system output voltage Vsys can be narrower. In some implementations, a fixed offset between the battery voltage Vbat of the battery 520 and the system output voltage Vsys can be ensured.

[0088] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of a method 900 for charging and discharging a battery according to some embodiments of this disclosure. It should be understood that... Figure 9 Additional operations are performed before, during, and / or after the method 900 described herein, and some other processes may only be briefly described herein. Method 900 may be performed by a power converter (e.g., the one described above). Figures 1 to 4 The power converters 100, 200, 300 or 400 shown in the embodiments may be used, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0089] like Figure 9 As shown, method 900 includes operations 910, 920, and 930. In operation 910, during a first time period, the programmable power supply circuit (e.g., Figure 1 The programmable power supply circuit 902 is electrically coupled to the power converter and used as a power source. The power converter is configured to: during a first time period, via a first DC-DC converter (e.g., electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit)... Figure 1 The DC-DC converter 110 in the middle will output a regulated DC input voltage (e.g., from the programmable power supply circuit) from the programmable power supply circuit. Figure 1 The regulated DC input voltage V1 in the circuit is converted into voltage at the output node (e.g., Figure 1 The system output voltage at output node 104 (e.g., Figure 1 The system output voltage Vsys in the figure. In some implementations, the first DC-DC converter can be a boost converter or a charge pump converter.

[0090] In operation 920, during the charging period of the first time period, the power converter is configured to be electrically coupled to the battery of the first DC-DC converter (e.g., based on the system output voltage, indirectly or directly via the output node) through the output node. Figure 1 The battery in the middle is 120 (charged).

[0091] In operation 930, during the second time period, the battery is used as a power source, and the power converter is configured to discharge the battery to provide the system output voltage via the output node.

[0092] In some implementations, during the charging period in operation 920 or during the second period in operation 930, the power converter may be configured to transmit power via a charger transistor (e.g., Figure 2 The charger transistor 210 in the first DC-DC converter is used to enable or disable battery charging or discharging. This charger transistor is series-coupled between the first DC-DC converter and the battery via the output node. Additionally, in some embodiments, during operations 920 or 930, the power converter can be configured to close a switching device electrically coupled in parallel with the charger transistor during a charging period or a second period to bypass the charger transistor. Therefore, the power converter can provide a power path with lower resistance to improve overall power efficiency.

[0093] In some embodiments, method 900 may further include operating a plurality of DC-DC converters electrically coupled to each other. For example, the power converter may be configured to simultaneously operate a first DC-DC converter and a second DC-DC converter series-coupled between a programmable power supply circuit and a battery (e.g., Figures 3A to 3C or Figure 4The first and second DC-DC converters (310 or 410) provide the system output voltage at the output node. One of the first and second DC-DC converters may be an unregulated converter. In some embodiments, the charger transistor may be electrically coupled between the first and second DC-DC converters. In other embodiments, the first and second DC-DC converters may be electrically coupled in parallel.

[0094] For example, as previously stated Figure 3B The operation of the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter, as discussed herein, may include: during a second time period, the second DC-DC converter converts the battery voltage (e.g., the battery voltage output by the battery) from the battery. Figure 3B The battery voltage Vbat is converted into a first voltage (e.g., Figure 3B The voltage Vm in the first DC-DC converter is used to provide the system output voltage.

[0095] In some implementations, as previously stated Figure 3C The operation of the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter, as discussed herein, may include: during a charging period, the first DC-DC converter regulating and providing a system output voltage in response to a regulated DC input voltage from a programmable power supply circuit; and the second DC-DC converter providing a charging voltage to the battery (e.g., in response to a regulated DC input voltage from a programmable power supply circuit). Figure 3C The charging voltage Vc in the middle.

[0096] Additionally, as previously stated Figures 2 to 4 The method 900 for charging and discharging a battery, as discussed herein, may further include: during the charging period, closing a switching device electrically coupled in parallel with a charger transistor (e.g., ...). Figures 2 to 4 The switching device 220 in the middle bypasses the charger transistor, and / or during the second period, the switching device is closed to bypass the charger transistor to provide the system output voltage from the battery. Therefore, the power converter can provide a power path with lower resistance to improve overall power efficiency.

[0097] Figure 10 This is a flowchart of another method 1000 for charging and discharging a battery according to some embodiments of this disclosure. It should be understood that... Figure 10 Additional operations are performed before, during, and / or after the method 1000 described herein, and some other processes may only be briefly described herein. Method 1000 may be performed by a power converter (e.g., the one described above). Figures 5 to 8The power converters shown in the embodiments (such as any one of the power converters 500, 600, 700 or 800) are used, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0098] like Figure 10 As shown, method 1000 includes operations 1010 and 1020. In operation 1010, during a first time period, the programmable power supply circuit (e.g., Figure 5 The programmable power supply circuit 902 is electrically coupled to the power converter and serves as a power source. During the charging period of the first time period, the power converter is configured to power the first DC-DC converter (e.g., ...). Figure 5 The DC-DC converter 510 in the middle is directly or indirectly electrically coupled to the battery (e.g., the first DC-DC converter) of the first DC-DC converter. Figure 5 The battery (520) in the middle is charged. Specifically, the first DC-DC converter is at the output node (e.g., Figure 5 At output node 504, the power converter is electrically coupled to a programmable power supply circuit, and is configured to apply the system output voltage to the battery voltage (e.g., ...) by means of the battery voltage. Figure 5 Voltage conversion between the battery voltage (Vbat) and the system output voltage (e.g., Vbat) to determine the voltage based on the system output voltage. Figure 5 The system output voltage (Vsys) charges the battery via the output node. During the first period, the system output voltage is a regulated DC voltage output at the output node by the programmable power supply circuit.

[0099] In operation 1020, during the second time period, the battery is used as a power source, and the power converter is configured to discharge the battery to provide the system output voltage via the output node.

[0100] As previously Figure 6 As discussed herein, in operations 1010 and 1020, method 1000 may also include via a charger transistor (e.g., Figures 6 to 8 The charger transistor 610 enables or disables battery charging or discharging, and is series-coupled between the first DC-DC converter and the battery via an output node. Additionally, the power converter can be configured to close a first switching device (e.g., connected in parallel with the charger transistor) during a charging period or a second period. Figures 6 to 8 The power converter can also be configured to close a second switching device (e.g., 620) electrically coupled in parallel with the first DC-DC converter during a charging period or a second period. Figures 6 to 8 The switching device 630 in the middle enables direct charging or discharging between the battery and the output node.

[0101] As previously Figures 7A to 7C and Figure 8As discussed herein, method 1000 may further include operating a first DC-DC converter and a second DC-DC converter electrically coupled between a programmable power supply circuit and a charger transistor (e.g., Figures 7A to 7C and Figure 8 (referring to DC-DC converters 710 or 810 in the original text). In some embodiments, one of the first and second DC-DC converters is an unregulated converter, while the other is a regulated converter. As previously mentioned... Figures 7A to 7C As discussed previously, the charger transistor can be electrically coupled between the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter. Figure 8 As discussed earlier, the first and second DC-DC converters can be electrically coupled in parallel. By using multiple DC-DC converters, the power converter can supply greater output power in response to system requests using DC-DC converters with relatively low power ratings, and can operate in different charging or discharging modes according to different scenarios and system conditions by controlling the DC-DC converters individually. The operational details have already been discussed above, so for the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0102] Various battery charging / discharging topologies are provided according to different implementations to achieve efficient power supply systems, offering improved charging capabilities and / or increased design flexibility for batteries compared to existing solutions. The proposed power converter can be configured to charge batteries within the converter device and provide system voltage for various mobile applications with different voltage requirements, and enables multi-mode battery charging in response to various scenarios and system conditions.

[0103] In some implementations, the power converter can dynamically switch between charging / discharging modes in response to various conditions and desired outcomes. Mode selection can be based on commands from the user to provide a personalized power management strategy, or on commands from the controller to achieve optimized power management. Examples of charging / discharging modes may include a high-power charging mode that requires less charging time to complete the charging process, and an efficient charging mode that causes less damage to the battery and extends battery life and performance.

[0104] Various charging circuit architectures are provided, as further described herein, to achieve efficient power supply systems, provide improved charging mode candidates, and increase design flexibility, according to various embodiments. Charging devices or modules according to these embodiments can be configured to charge internal batteries within the charging device or module and provide an output voltage for charging electronic devices. Users or controllers can utilize the flexibility provided by the proposed charging architectures and control methods to enable the charging device or module to automatically or dynamically switch between different charging modes in response to manual commands, adjusting charging efficiency, charging power, or required charging time to meet diverse charging needs in various applications and to achieve multi-mode battery charging in response to various scenarios and system conditions.

[0105] In some implementations, charging devices or modules according to various embodiments can dynamically switch between different charging / discharging modes in real time in response to various conditions and desired results. Mode selection can be based on commands from the user to provide a personalized power management strategy, or it can be based on commands from the controller to achieve optimized power management. Examples of charging / discharging modes may include: high-power charging modes that require less charging time to complete the charging process; efficient charging modes that cause less damage to the battery and extend battery life and performance; and various intermediate charging modes that balance the trade-off between charging time and efficiency.

[0106] Figure 11 This is a block diagram of an example charging system 1100 for electrical equipment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 11 The charging system 1100 includes a charging device 1110 having a charging circuit 1112, a battery 1114 electrically coupled to the charging circuit 1112, and a controller 1116 for controlling the charging circuit 1112. The charging circuit 1112 is electrically coupled to an electrical device 1120 having an internal battery 1122 and is configured to charge the electrical device 1120 under the control of the controller 1116. The controller 1116 includes a memory 1162 and one or more processors 1164 coupled to the memory 1162. The charging system 1100 also includes a programmable power supply circuit 1130 as a power source for the charging device 1110.

[0107] Specifically, Figure 11The charging circuit 1112 is electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit 1130. The programmable power supply circuit 1130 may be an adjustable voltage source (AVS) and is configured to provide a regulated DC input voltage V1. The voltage level of the regulated DC input voltage V1 may be dynamically adjusted by the programmable power supply circuit 1130 in response to a corresponding command from the controller 1116. In some embodiments, the regulated DC input voltage V1 may be a supply voltage from an AC-DC adapter. The DC-DC converter in the charging circuit 1112 may be electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit 1130 and is configured to convert the regulated DC input voltage V1 into an output voltage V2 at the output node of the charging device 1110. In some embodiments, the battery 1114 within the charging device 1110 is configured to be charged or discharged directly or indirectly by power from the charging circuit 1112 or the programmable power supply circuit 1130. The output node of the charging device 1110 can be electrically coupled directly or via a separate charging cable to one or more electrical devices 1120, which have internal batteries 1122 for supplying the power required by the electrical devices 1120. Therefore, the batteries 1122 in the electrical devices 1120 can be charged accordingly.

[0108] In some embodiments, the charging circuit 1112 may include one or more DC-DC converters to perform power conversion between a regulated DC input voltage V1, an output voltage V2, and / or the battery voltage Vbat of the battery 1114 within the charging device 1110. As used herein, a power converter may refer to a device that includes power and electronic components comprising power conversion circuitry. For example, the charging circuit 1112 may include a buck converter, a boost converter, or a charge pump converter, etc., but this disclosure is not limited thereto. As used herein, the term "charge pump" refers to a device configured to convert an input voltage (e.g., Vbat) into a DC-DC converter. Figure 11 The regulated DC input voltage V1 is converted into the output voltage (e.g., Figure 11The output voltage V2 is a switched capacitor network. Examples of such charge pumps include cascaded multiplier switched capacitor networks, Dixon switched capacitor networks, ladder switched capacitor networks, series-parallel switched capacitor networks, Fibonacci switched capacitor networks, and voltage multiplier switched capacitor networks, all of which can be configured as multiphase or single-phase networks. Additionally, in the context of this disclosure, a power conversion circuit that converts a higher input voltage supply to a lower output voltage level is generally referred to as a buck converter because the converter "steps down" the input voltage. A power conversion circuit that converts a lower input voltage supply to a higher output voltage level is generally referred to as a boost converter because the converter "boosts" the input voltage. Furthermore, some power converters, generally referred to as "buck-boost converters," can be configured to convert an input voltage supply to an output voltage with a wide range, wherein the output voltage can be higher or lower than the input voltage. In various embodiments, the power converter can be bidirectional, and can be either a boost converter or a buck converter depending on how the power supply is connected to the converter.

[0109] like Figure 11 As shown in the embodiments, when the electrical device 1120 is connected to the charging device 1110, the controller 1116 can correspondingly control the charging circuit 1112 and / or the programmable power supply circuit 1130 to operate in a target charging mode, thereby charging the battery 1122 of the electrical device 1120, and dynamically switch between charging modes in response to various conditions and desired results (e.g., fast high-power charging or slower but more efficient charging with less damage to the battery). For example, the memory 1162 can store a set of instructions, and one or more processors 1164 coupled to the memory 1162 can be configured to execute the set of instructions stored in the memory 1162 to cause the controller 1116 to perform operations for controlling the charging circuit 1112 and / or the programmable power supply circuit 1130.

[0110] In some implementations, the target charging mode may be selected from multiple charging mode candidates. Figure 12 Figure 1200 illustrates the charging characteristics of several charging mode candidates 1210 to 1270 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 12 As shown, charging mode candidates 1210 to 1270 can provide different charging powers and charging efficiencies. Battery charging optimization involves various trade-offs between several factors, such as charging time (e.g., the speed or time taken to fully charge the battery or charge it to a certain percentage), power efficiency, and battery temperature. Generally speaking, as Figure 12As shown in Figure 1200, charging mode candidate 1210 with a slower charging speed (or lower charging voltage) typically consumes less power and thus achieves higher power efficiency with reduced power consumption, which also extends long-term battery life. More specifically, slow charging generally provides higher energy efficiency when the battery is nearly empty, while energy consumption may become less efficient when the battery reaches its full capacity, regardless of the charging method used. On the other hand, charging mode candidate 1220, which may use a fast charging mode with higher voltage (or power), allows the battery to charge faster and reduces the total charging time, but has lower power efficiency and may have a negative impact on long-term battery life / health. In view of the above, an optimized charging mode should be determined based on multiple factors, including device type, battery capacity, current state of battery health, charging mode, personal usage patterns, etc. It should be understood that the factors mentioned above are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Charging mode candidates 1230, 1240, 1250, 1260, and 1270 represent multiple different charging modes that can be dynamically selected and implemented.

[0111] Figure 13 This is a flowchart of a method 1300 for controlling a charging circuit according to some embodiments of this disclosure. It should be understood that... Figure 13 Additional operations are performed before, during, and / or after method 1300 as described herein, and some other processing may only be briefly described herein. Method 1300 may be controlled by a controller (e.g., the one described above). Figure 11 The controller 1116 shown in the embodiment is executed, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0112] like Figure 13 As shown, method 1300 includes steps 1310 to 1360. In step 1310, the controller determines whether a mode selection command has been received from a user. In response to detecting a mode selection command from the user (step 1310 - Yes), in step 1320, the controller selects a target charging mode from the charging mode candidates according to the mode selection command. In other words, the user can charge electrical devices (e.g., Figure 11 The electrical device 1120 in the controller allows the user to manually select the desired charging mode (e.g., fast charging mode). Various wired or wireless communication protocols can be used to send the corresponding mode selection command from the electrical device to the controller. Based on the received mode selection command, the controller can control the charging process according to the user's preference. When the user selects another charging mode, the controller can dynamically adjust the charging operation in response to the updated mode selection command. Therefore, the target charging mode can change in response to manual selection during a single charging cycle of the battery.

[0113] In response to determining that no mode selection command has been received from the user (step 1310 - No), the controller can determine the target charging mode through steps 1330 and 1340 to achieve automatic adaptive charging. In step 1330, the controller receives data from the electrical device to be charged and provides the received data to the charging mode selector.

[0114] Specifically, the controller can receive battery information from the electrical device 1120 to be charged, specifically from the battery 1122. For example, the battery information from the electrical device 1120 to be charged may include the battery's state of charge (SOC), state of health (SOH), temperature, or any combination thereof.

[0115] Additionally, the controller may receive one or more characteristic parameters from the electrical device 1120. Characteristic parameters may include various data associated with the electrical device 1120. For example, characteristic parameters may include: device type (e.g., mobile device, home appliance, electric vehicle, etc.), user usage patterns of the electrical device, location information, positioning information, time information, movement information, device temperature information, ambient temperature information (internal or external to the device), real-time power consumption information, real-time carbon emission information, historical power consumption information, or any combination thereof.

[0116] In some implementations, the usage pattern may depend on the time of day or day of the week, the user's location, etc. For example, during weekday working hours or when the user is commuting between the office and home, a fast charging mode can be selected to charge the user's mobile phone, while during midnight or when the mobile phone is at home, a power efficiency mode, where charging speed may not be the most important factor, can be selected. In various implementations, the location information, positioning information, time information, and movement information of the electrical device 1120 can be collected from corresponding internal sensors within the electrical device 1120 (e.g., Global Positioning System (GPS) sensors, Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), etc.) or obtained from an external Internet server.

[0117] In some embodiments, device temperature information can be obtained from an internal temperature sensor of the electrical device 1120, and includes one or more of the following: the average device temperature of the electrical device 1120, the highest device temperature of the electrical device 1120, or the device surface temperature of the electrical device 1120, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, environmental information, such as ambient temperature information, weather information, and traffic information, can be obtained from external sensors or a server. Note that the various characteristic parameters described above are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0118] Figure 14This is a diagram of an example charging mode selector 1400 according to some embodiments of this disclosure. Figure 14 As shown, the charging mode selector 1400 may include an inference engine 1410. For example... Figure 14 As shown, the inference engine 1410 is configured to receive and process battery information (e.g., battery health information (SOH) 1420 and remaining battery charge information (SOC) 1440) and characteristic parameters (e.g., environmental information 1430, usage mode information 1450, and context-aware information 1460) from the battery 1122 of the electrical device 1120, and to process the received data to appropriately output a selected target charging mode 1470. For example, environmental information 1430 may include real-time ambient temperature data collected by a temperature sensor, and context-aware information 1460 may be real-time data collected and inferred based on inertial sensors. Usage mode information 1450 may be inferred by a machine learning model and depends on the location of the electrical device 1120, the time of day, a day of the week, etc.

[0119] The charging mode selector 1400 can be configured to select a target charging mode based on one or more received data points and to set multiple rules. For example, the charging mode selector 1400 can select a first mode (e.g., a high-efficiency and low-power charging mode) in response to received battery health information 1420 indicating poor battery health / life. In another example, the charging mode selector 1400 can also select the first mode if environmental information 1430 indicates that the date and time of day match a Flex Alert issued by a utility company. If the user has already manually selected a fast charging mode for the electrical equipment, the charging mode selector 1400 can also send an alert to notify the user and confirm with the user whether to switch from fast charging mode to high-efficiency charging mode.

[0120] Additionally, if mode information 1450 indicates a "nighttime sleep" scenario, and context-aware information 1460 indicates that the electrical device to be charged is not moving, and remaining battery power information 1440 indicates that the estimated time to reach a predetermined percentage of full battery power (e.g., 80%) is within the user's expected remaining sleep time, then charging mode selector 1400 can also select a first mode (e.g., a high-efficiency and low-power charging mode) because fast charging is unnecessary in this case. On the other hand, if remaining battery power information 1440 indicates that the estimated time to reach a predetermined percentage of full battery power (e.g., 80%) exceeds the user's expected remaining sleep time, then charging mode selector 1400 can select a different fast charging mode to accelerate charging. In some embodiments, the fast charging mode can be selected based on the difference (or ratio) between the estimated time to reach the predetermined percentage and the expected remaining sleep time.

[0121] Refer again Figure 13 Through the above operations, after obtaining battery information and one or more characteristic parameters, in step 1340 of method 1300, the controller can use the charging mode selector 1400 to process the received data and select a target charging mode from the charging mode candidates based on the battery information and one or more characteristic parameters. It should be understood that the above example rules and settings are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. In various embodiments, the charging mode selector 1400 can apply various preset rules or user-created custom rules to determine the target charging mode.

[0122] Therefore, through the operations of steps 1310 to 1340, the target charging mode can be selected manually by the user or automatically based on the received data. Additionally, in response to updated commands from the user, or updated characteristic parameters and / or battery information received from the electronic device to be charged, the controller can dynamically change the target charging mode during the battery charging cycle by repeating steps 1310 to 1340.

[0123] Then, in step 1350, the controller can determine the operation of the charging circuit (e.g., based on the selected target charging mode and the architecture of the charging circuit) Figure 11 The operating parameters of the charging circuit 1112 in the circuit. In some embodiments, the operating parameters may be represented by an architecture and an operating descriptor vector Arch(m, i), which is a descriptor vector used for power delivery (PD) and battery charging. The descriptor vector components include the values ​​of the operating parameters of the i-th architecture (1 ≤ i ≤ I) for implementing the target charging mode m (1 ≤ m ≤ M), where I and M represent the total number of available circuit architectures and the total number of available target modes, respectively. Specifically, in step 1350, the controller may retrieve the selected corresponding target operating parameter set from a plurality of candidate operating parameter sets stored in memory, for example, through a lookup operation as described below, based on the target charging mode and the architecture of the charging circuit.

[0124] Then, in step 1360, the controller may adjust one or more operating parameters of the charging circuit based on the selected target charging mode for charging the electrical device 1120. For example, the controller 1116 may provide corresponding commands to the charging circuit 1112 or the programmable power supply circuit 1130 based on the descriptor vector Arch(m, i) and the corresponding target operating parameter set.

[0125] Figure 15 This illustrates some embodiments of the present disclosure, including storage in memory for... Figure 13 A diagram of an example lookup table (LUT) 1500 for the candidate operation parameter set in method 1300. (See diagram 1500.) Figure 15 As shown, each row of lookup table 1500 represents the corresponding charging mode m, and each column of lookup table 1500 represents the corresponding architecture i of the charging circuit. The corresponding cell in the m-th row and i-th column contains a descriptor vector Arch(m, i), which represents the target set of operating parameters for the i-th circuit architecture when operating in charging mode m, where i is the index of the architecture and m is the index of the charging mode. The components of the vector Arch(m, i) are the values ​​of the parameter set p(m, i, j) specific to the i-th architecture operating in charging mode m, where j is the index of the operating parameter. An example vector Arch(m, i) can be represented by the following formula:

[0126] [Mathematical Expression 1]

[0127]

[0128] In the above formula, p(m, i, j) represents the j-th operation parameter, DC k This represents the k-th DC-DC converter among the total K DC-DC converters in the charging circuit 1112, and S p Let J represent the p-th bypass switch among the P switches in the charging circuit 1112, where 1 ≤ j ≤ J, 1 ≤ k ≤ K, and 1 ≤ p ≤ P. The values ​​of J, K, and P determine the total dimension of the vector Arch(m, i).

[0129] The operating parameters p(m, i, j) are associated with one or more of the following: the voltage level of the supply voltage (e.g., voltage V1) output by the adjustable voltage source (AVS) in the programmable power supply circuit 1130, the architecture of the charging circuit 1112, or the power flow direction of one or more power converters in the charging circuit 1112.

[0130] In some implementations, the first operating parameter p(m, i, 1) can be used to describe the voltage value or voltage range of the AVS supply voltage. For example, the parameter p(m, i, 1) can be a real number and quantized as a finite set of values ​​(e.g., a set of q values: p(m, i, 1)1, p(m, i, 1)2, ..., p(m, i, 1)) corresponding to different voltage levels (e.g., 5V, 12V, 15V, 18V, 24V, 36V, 48V, 60V, etc.). q In some implementations, one or more second operation parameters p(m, i, 2, DC) k () can be used to represent the k-th DC-DC converter in charging circuit 1112. k The corresponding enable / disable flags. For example, parameter p(m, i, 2, DC) k A value of "true" (e.g., "1") indicates that the k-th DC-DC converter in the charging circuit 1112 is DCk Is it enabled or active, and the parameter p(m, i, 2, DC) k A false value (e.g., "0") indicates the kth DC-DC converter in the charging circuit 1112. k It is disabled or inactive. In some implementations, one or more third operation parameters p(m, i, 3, S) p () can be used to represent the p-th bypass switch S in the charging circuit 1112. p The corresponding closed / open flag. For example, parameter p(m, i, 3, S) p A true value (e.g., "1") indicates that the p-th bypass switch S in the charging circuit 1112 is true. p Closed, while the parameter p(m, i, 3, S) p A false value (e.g., "0") indicates the p-th bypass switch S in the charging circuit 1112. p disconnect.

[0131] In some implementations, the fourth operating parameter p(m, i, J, d) can be used to indicate the power flow direction of the power converter in the charging circuit 1112. The parameter p(m, i, J, d) can be a binary value, wherein the parameter p(m, i, J, d) can be a first value (e.g., "1") indicating the positive direction of the power flow or a second value (e.g., "0") indicating the reverse direction of the power flow.

[0132] For example, a charging circuit 1112 with two DC-DC converters and three bypass switches can have a 7×1 vector Arch(m, i). This is because the components of the vector Arch(m, i) are [15; 1; 0; 1; 1; 0; 1]. T The operating parameters indicate that when the i-th architecture operates in the m-th charging mode, the supply voltage output by the adjustable voltage source (AVS) is configured to 15 volts, the first DC-DC converter is configured to be active and the second DC-DC converter is configured to be inactive, the first and second bypass switches are closed and the third bypass switch is open, and the power converter operates in the positive direction.

[0133] The values ​​of each candidate set, represented by the descriptor vector Arch(m, i) and associated with the corresponding architecture i and the corresponding charging mode candidate m, can be obtained by the processor. For example, the processor can obtain each candidate set by applying a neural network to process multiple input parameters. In various implementations, the neural network can be implemented in different ways. For example, the neural network can be a perceptron network, a classifier network, an optimization network, or any combination thereof. In some implementations, the neural network is configured to perform a regression between the set of operating parameters and the corresponding charging efficiency, corresponding charging power, or the time to reach the battery's full charge percentage, which will be discussed in more detail later.

[0134] Figure 16 This illustrates some embodiments of the invention for use in accordance with the present disclosure. Figure 13 The diagram shows the performance plane 1600 of method 1300 corresponding to the charging mode of the i-th architecture. In performance plane 1600, the x-axis represents the charging time required to fully charge, and the y-axis represents the charging efficiency. The coordinate pair (Xm, Ym) defines the corresponding set of charging characteristics for the m-th charging mode. In some implementations, the charging time required to fully charge (i.e., Xm) may change over time as battery health deteriorates. For example, in XY performance plane 1600, point 1610 at (X1, Y1) may represent a first charging mode that provides the highest charging efficiency, and point 1620 at (XN, YN) may represent a second charging mode that provides the shortest required charging time. Points 1630 and 1640 may represent other intermediate modes that provide different charging characteristics.

[0135] The parameters (e.g., components of the vector Arch(m, i)) that will generate the coordinate pair (Xm, Ym) describing the target charging mode (mode m1640) can be determined by processing the input vector through a neural network. The input vector can contain multiple input parameters for the neural network. In some implementations, the input parameters of the neural network may include the target charging mode, the architecture of the charging circuit, ambient temperature, and battery information, etc. For example, the input vector can be represented as: M1 to M W These are measurements that affect the efficiency of battery charging circuits and power delivery, such as ambient temperature and battery information. A neural network can respond to a received input vector and output a descriptor vector Arch(m, i) as its output vector.

[0136] In some implementations, different neural network models can be used for different temperature values. The actual measured temperature value can be quantified as a finite set of temperature values ​​corresponding to the neural network model. In other words, the neural network model can be trained for different temperatures in the set of temperature values, and the neural network parameters can be temperature-dependent. In some other implementations, the neural network parameters can also depend on battery information (e.g., battery age), which can be quantified by the number of charging cycles performed on the battery.

[0137] Figure 17 This is a graph illustrating a mapping 1700 between a training set 1710 (e.g., in a J-dimensional vector space) of Arch(m, i) vectors according to some embodiments of this disclosure and a corresponding result set 1720 of values ​​on a two-dimensional performance plane. The training set 1710 may be a multidimensional vector space (e.g., a 7-dimensional vector space) of the vectors Arch(m, i). Figure 17As shown, the mapping between pairs from training set 1710 and result set 1720 is used to determine the neural network parameters. In other words, the neural network can learn neural network parameters from training set 1710 and result set 1720, which define the "fit" between training set 1710 and result set 1720, or the regression from result set 1720 to training set 1710 or from training set 1710 to result set 1720. After training the neural network, the neural network can then generate a prediction vector Arch(m, i) for a given specific input coordinate pair (Xm, Ym) of the target charging pattern. Note that the target patterns 1610, 1620, 1630, and 1640 on the XY performance plane may be related to, for example, Figure 17 The result set 1720 shown is inconsistent. In some implementations, the neural network can be a multilayer perceptron (MLP) network and can be trained using methods such as backpropagation.

[0138] As described above, a neural network can be a classifier network. Specifically, the classifier network is configured to classify an input vector into a set of U classes, which are defined based on a predetermined finite set of values ​​of the components of Arch(m, i) and their combinations. As explained above, the first operational parameter p(m, i, 1) can be quantized into a finite set of q distinct values. By definition, the remaining operational parameters p(m, i, 2, ..., DC) are... k ) and p(m,i,3,S p Arch(m, i, j, d) and p(m, i, j, d) are binary. For a specific architecture (e.g., the i-th architecture), supervised learning can be used to train a classifier network using a finite-sized training dataset containing a specific set of Arch(m, i) vectors and their corresponding result coordinate pairs (Xm, Ym). After training, when fed the desired target charging pattern and corresponding coordinate pairs (Xm, Ym) in operation, the network will produce a specific value for the Arch(m, i) vector as the classification result. In some implementations, the classifier network can be a perceptron network and trained using various methods such as backpropagation. For example, the neural network can be a multilayer perceptron (MLP).

[0139] In some implementations, the neural network may also be an optimization network configured to determine its network state, which maximizes / optimizes the value of a certain objective function represented by the values ​​of neural network parameters (e.g., node-to-node interconnection weights and node nonlinearities (activation functions)) and the states of network nodes associated with the components of the output vector Arch(m, i).

[0140] The network objective function can be defined based on the efficiency of the charging circuitry and power delivery for a specific i-th architecture. The network iterates (or updates) the values ​​of the states of its nodes according to a recursion specific to that network (e.g., a Hopfield network). The iteration converges to a state that maximizes the network objective function. In other words, the network objective function iteratively reaches its local or global minimum. Then, when the desired maximum efficiency pattern (e.g., ...) is reached... Figure 16 When the first charging mode is reached at point 1610 in the network, the state (i.e., the output vector) is used as an architecture parameter. In some implementations, the network can be a Hopfield network, where its specific objective function (or "energy function") is defined in a manner related to circuit efficiency. The states of network nodes correspond to the components of the output vector Arch(m, i). For example, node-to-node interconnect weights can be determined through training based on backpropagation.

[0141] Therefore, by training a neural network and using the trained neural network to obtain the components of each vector Arch(m, i) associated with the corresponding architecture and charging mode, the controller can adjust the charging efficiency or charging power or the time to reach the full charge percentage of the battery 1122 by adjusting the corresponding operating parameters in step 1360 of method 1300.

[0142] Figure 18A This is a block diagram of an example charging circuit 1800 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figures 18B to 18E Some embodiments according to this disclosure are shown. Figure 18A Example charging modes and corresponding power flows in a charging circuit. Figures 18A to 18E In the illustrated architecture, the charging circuit 1800 includes a DC-DC converter 1810, a DC-DC converter 1820, a charger transistor 1830, and a switching device 1840 electrically coupled in parallel with the charger transistor 1830. The battery 1114 is electrically coupled to the DC-DC converter 1820. Specifically, the charging circuit 1800 is electrically coupled to a programmable power supply circuit 1130, which can be an adjustable voltage source (AVS) and is configured to provide a regulated DC input voltage V1. In response to a corresponding command from the controller 1116, the voltage level of the regulated DC input voltage V1 can be dynamically adjusted by the programmable power supply circuit 1130, as described above. Figure 11 The implementation methods have been discussed, so for the sake of brevity, the details will not be repeated here.

[0143] In some embodiments, the DC-DC converter 1810 may be a buck converter, a boost converter, a charge pump converter, etc., but this disclosure is not limited thereto. As used herein, the term "charge pump" refers to a switched capacitor network configured to convert an input voltage (e.g., a regulated DC input voltage V1) into an output voltage (e.g., an output voltage V2). Examples of such charge pumps include cascaded multiplier switched capacitor networks, Dixon switched capacitor networks, ladder switched capacitor networks, series-parallel switched capacitor networks, Fibonacci switched capacitor networks, and voltage multiplier switched capacitor networks, all of which can be configured as multiphase or single-phase networks. Additionally, in the context of this disclosure, a power conversion circuit that converts a higher input voltage supply to a lower output voltage level is generally referred to as a buck converter because the converter "steps down" the input voltage. A power conversion circuit that converts a lower input voltage supply to a higher output voltage level is generally referred to as a boost converter because the converter "steps up" the input voltage. Additionally, some power converters, often referred to as "buck-boost converters," can be configured to convert an input voltage supply into an output voltage with a wide range, where the output voltage can be higher or lower than the input voltage. In various implementations, the power converter can be bidirectional, and can be either a boost converter or a buck converter depending on how the power supply is connected to the converter.

[0144] like Figure 18A As shown, DC-DC converter 1810 is electrically coupled to programmable power supply circuit 1130 and configured to convert regulated DC input voltage V1 into output voltage V2 at output node 1890 of charging circuit 1800. Battery 1114 is configured to be charged or discharged indirectly or directly via output node 1890. DC-DC converter 1820 is series-coupled between programmable power supply circuit 1130 and battery 1114. Charger transistor 1830 is electrically coupled between DC-DC converter 1810 and DC-DC converter 1820. In some embodiments, DC-DC converter 1810 and DC-DC converter 1820 may be configured to operate simultaneously.

[0145] In some implementations, in step 1360, the controller can selectively control the voltage level of the supply voltage (e.g., regulated DC input voltage V1) output by the programmable power supply circuit 1130 based on the selected target charging mode. Therefore, the output voltage V2 at output node 1890 is controlled to a desired level corresponding to the target charging mode. For example, in a first charging mode that provides high charging efficiency using low power output (e.g., ...), ... Figure 16In point 1610, the voltage V1 can be reduced, allowing the DC-DC converter 1810 to achieve high efficiency with a small conversion ratio. The first charging mode can provide an efficiency improvement of approximately 5% to 10% and reduce net carbon emissions, which is suitable for use cases where charging time is a less critical factor, such as charging during bedtime. A second charging mode, using high power output, provides the required short charging time (e.g., ...). Figure 16 In point 1620, voltage V1 can be increased, where the DC-DC converter 1810 operates with a relatively large conversion ratio. The second charging mode can provide faster charging and allow users to use the device with less waiting time, which is suitable for time-sensitive use cases such as gaming, charging a phone call before work, etc. In other intermediate charging modes (e.g., Figure 16 In points 1630 and 1640, the voltage V1 can be dynamically increased or decreased based on detected conditions and / or user selection.

[0146] In some implementations, in step 1360, the controller may selectively enable or disable one or more power converters in the charging circuit based on the selected target charging mode. For example, in some charging modes, DC-DC converter 1820 may be disabled when a single DC-DC converter 1810 is sufficient to perform power conversion in the target charging mode.

[0147] In some implementations, in step 1360, the controller can selectively control the power flow of one or more DC-DC converters 1810 and 1820 based on the selected target charging mode. For example, in response to selecting a first charging mode, the controller can control the target power converter to receive input power from a first terminal and provide output power through a second terminal. In response to selecting a second charging mode, the controller can control the target power converter to receive input power from a second terminal and provide output power through a first terminal. In response to selecting a third charging mode, the controller can disable the target power converter to stop power flow through it.

[0148] For example, Figure 18B Some embodiments according to this disclosure are shown in Figure 18A Example charging modes and power flow during the discharge phase of battery 1114 in charging circuit 1800. (Example:) Figure 18B As shown, during the discharge phase of battery 1114, DC-DC converter 1820 can be configured to convert the battery voltage Vbat output by battery 1114 into a first voltage (e.g., voltage Vm) received by DC-DC converter 1810. DC-DC converter 1810 is configured to regulate and provide an output voltage V2 in response to the first voltage (e.g., voltage Vm) from DC-DC converter 1820. Therefore, in response to the selected... Figure 18B In the charging mode, the controller can control the target power converter (e.g., DC-DC converter 1820) to receive input power from the first terminal and provide output power through the second terminal.

[0149] For example, Figure 18C Some embodiments according to this disclosure are shown in Figure 18A Another example of charging mode and power flow during the charging phase of battery 1114 in charging circuit 1800. (e.g.) Figure 18C As shown, during the charging phase of battery 1114, DC-DC converter 1810 is configured to provide an output voltage V2 in response to a regulated DC input voltage V1 from programmable power supply circuit 1130. DC-DC converter 1820 is configured to provide a charging voltage Vc to battery 1114 in response to the regulated DC input voltage V1 from programmable power supply circuit 1130. Therefore, in response to the selected... Figure 18C In the charging mode, the controller can control the target power converter (e.g., DC-DC converter 1820) to receive input power from the second terminal and provide output power through the first terminal.

[0150] For example, Figure 18D Some embodiments according to this disclosure are shown. Figure 18A Another example of charging mode and power flow in the charging circuit 1800. For example, Figure 18D The charging mode can be the first charging mode (e.g., Figure 16 Point 1610 in the middle). For example Figure 18D As shown, voltage V1 can be reduced, and DC-DC converter 1810 is configured to provide output voltage V2 in response to a regulated DC input voltage V1 from programmable power supply circuit 1130. In response to the selected... Figure 18D In the charging mode, the controller can also disable the target power converter (e.g., DC-DC converter 1820) to stop power from flowing through the target power converter.

[0151] For example, Figure 18E Some embodiments according to this disclosure are shown. Figure 18A Another example of charging mode and power flow in the charging circuit 1800. For example, Figure 18E The charging mode can be a second charging mode (e.g., Figure 16 Point 1620 in the middle). For example Figure 18E As shown, in response to the regulated DC input voltage V1 from the programmable power supply circuit 1130, the voltage V1 can be increased, and both DC-DC converters 1810 and 1820 are enabled to allow greater power to flow through the charging circuit 1800 to provide the output voltage V2.

[0152] In some other implementations, in step 1360, the controller may selectively enable or disable one or more switching devices (e.g., switching device 1840) based on the selected target charging mode to bypass the charger transistor (e.g., charger transistor 1830). For example, in one or more intermediate charging modes (e.g., ... Figure 16 In points 1630 and 1640, there is a switching device 1840. Additionally, in one or more intermediate charging modes, the controller can selectively operate the target power converter (e.g., DC-DC converter 1820) in the forward or reverse direction in response to the desired output voltage V2 of the selected target charging mode. In the above... Figure 18B and Figure 18C Examples are provided in the implementation details, so for the sake of brevity, the details are omitted here.

[0153] Note that different converter types can be applied in various embodiments to achieve a high-efficiency converter for DC-DC converter 1820. For example, DC-DC converter 1820 can be a magnetically based unregulated converter, an LLC converter, a switched capacitor (SC) based converter, etc. In some embodiments, one of DC-DC converter 1810 and DC-DC converter 1820 can be an unregulated converter, while the other of DC-DC converter 1810 and DC-DC converter 1820 can be a regulated converter. During the discharge phase of battery 1114, the output voltage V2 can be regulated by the regulated converter. During the charging phase of battery 1114, the output voltage V2 and the charging voltage Vc can be regulated by the regulated converter and the programmable power supply circuit 1130 that provides the regulated DC input voltage V1.

[0154] For example, if the DC-DC converter 1810 is an unregulated converter, then in Figure 18B During the discharge phase of the battery 1114 shown, the output voltage V2 can be indirectly controlled and regulated by a DC-DC converter 820 that provides a regulated voltage Vm. Figure 18C During the charging phase of the battery 1114 shown, the output voltage V2 can be indirectly controlled and regulated by the programmable power supply circuit 1130 that provides the regulated DC input voltage V1, and the charging voltage Vc can be regulated by the DC-DC converter 1820.

[0155] In another example, if the DC-DC converter 1820 is an unregulated converter, then in Figure 18B During the discharge phase of the battery 1114 shown, the output voltage V2 can be controlled and regulated by the DC-DC converter 1810 that outputs the voltage V2. Figure 18CDuring the charging phase of the battery 1114 shown, the charging voltage Vc can be indirectly controlled and regulated by the programmable power supply circuit 1130 that provides a regulated DC input voltage V1, and the output voltage V2 can be regulated by the DC-DC converter 1810. Figures 18A to 18D This implementation achieves a flash charging mechanism by using a regulated converter and a high-efficiency unregulated converter to provide an output voltage V2 at a high voltage (HV) level and a charging voltage Vc at the desired level for the battery 1114. Overall power efficiency can be improved by operating DC-DC converters 1810 and 1820 simultaneously. In some implementations, different charging / discharging modes can be achieved by selecting which DC-DC converter 1810 or 1820 to enable or disable.

[0156] Apart from Figures 18A to 18E In addition to the architecture shown, the controller can also adjust the operating parameters of other architectures in response to the selected target charging mode. In the following paragraphs, this will be combined with... Figures 19 to 25 Other possible architectures for charging circuits in charging devices are discussed, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0157] Figure 19 This is a block diagram of another example charging circuit 1900 according to some embodiments of this disclosure. Figure 19 In the illustrated architecture, the charging circuit 1900 includes DC-DC converters 1810 and 1910. In some embodiments, DC-DC converter 1910 can be considered a bidirectional buck converter providing a system voltage (e.g., output voltage V2). In other embodiments, DC-DC converter 1910 can be considered a bidirectional boost converter for charging or discharging battery 1114 via output node 1990. Battery 1114 is electrically coupled to DC-DC converter 1910. DC-DC converter 1910 is electrically coupled between battery 1114 and output node 1990, which provides output voltage V2. In some embodiments, DC-DC converter 1910 can be a boost converter or charge pump converter providing a fixed offset between the battery voltage of battery 1114 and output voltage V2. Similar to the embodiments described above, DC-DC converter 1810 is electrically coupled to programmable power supply circuit 1130 and configured to convert regulated DC input voltage V1 into output voltage V2 at output node 1990. Battery 1114 is configured to be charged or discharged indirectly or directly via output node 1990.

[0158] Therefore, the charging circuit 1900 provides a charging mechanism in which a single DC-DC converter 1810 is configured to convert a regulated DC input voltage V1 into an output voltage V2, and the output voltage V2 can be used to charge the battery 1114 and provide the system voltage required by circuitry or devices in the next power stage connected to the output node 1990. When the programmable power supply circuit 1130 is the power source, the charging circuit 1900 receives the regulated DC input voltage V1 from the programmable power supply circuit 1130 as an input voltage, wherein the appropriate voltage level is controlled and regulated by the programmable power supply circuit 1130. When the battery 1114 is the power source, the DC-DC converter 1910 can be configured to provide the output voltage V2 accordingly. Therefore, the voltage range of the output voltage V2 can be narrower and within the desired voltage range. For example, in some embodiments, for 2S cell (i.e., two battery cells connected in series) applications with a narrow voltage DC (NVDC) architecture, the output voltage V2 can be in the range of approximately 9V to 5V. Additionally, Figure 19 The architecture shown also provides greater flexibility in regulating the input voltage of the DC-DC converter 1810 to maximize power efficiency. Because the output voltage V2 can be indirectly controlled and regulated based on the regulated DC input voltage V1, the DC-DC converter 1810 can be a highly efficient unregulated converter. Therefore, switching losses can be reduced and overall efficiency can be improved.

[0159] Figure 20 This is a block diagram of another example charging circuit 2000 according to some embodiments of this disclosure. Figure 19 Compared to the charging circuit 1900, the charging circuit 2000 also includes a charger transistor 1830 and a switching device 1840 electrically coupled in parallel with the charger transistor 1830. For example... Figure 20 As shown, the charger transistor 1830 is series-coupled between the DC-DC converter 1810 and the battery 1114 via the output node 2090. The charger transistor 1830 is configured to enable or disable charging or discharging of the battery 1114. For example, when the battery 1114 is fully charged, the charger transistor 1830 can be controlled in response to a corresponding control command from the controller 1116 to disable charging of the battery 1114 by disconnecting the battery 1114 from the DC-DC converter 1810. On the other hand, when the battery 1114 needs charging, the charger transistor 1830 can be controlled in response to a corresponding control command from the controller 1116 to enable charging of the battery 1114 based on the output voltage V2 output from the DC-DC converter 1810.

[0160] Similarly, when the charging circuit 2000 receives a regulated DC input voltage V1 and performs power conversion based on the regulated DC input voltage V1 to provide an output voltage V2, the charger transistor 1830 can be controlled in response to a corresponding control command from the controller 1116 to disable the discharge of the battery 1114 by disconnecting the battery 1114 from the output node 2090. On the other hand, when the battery 1114 needs to output an output voltage V2 for the next stage, the charger transistor 1830 can be controlled in response to a corresponding control command from the controller 1116 to cause the battery 1114 to discharge at the desired power level. Therefore, the charging mechanism can be implemented by using an adjustable voltage source (e.g., the regulated DC input voltage V1 from the programmable power supply circuit 1130) instead of a fixed voltage source to provide the output voltage V2 and provide the power to charge the battery 1114.

[0161] In some embodiments, switching device 1840 is an optional switching element. Switching device 1840, connected in parallel with charger transistor 1830, is configured to bypass charger transistor 1830 when switching device 1840 is closed. Specifically, switching device 1840 can be controlled and used to bypass charger transistor 1830 in response to a selected charging mode, and provides a low-resistance power path between battery 1114 and output node 2090. Therefore, overall power efficiency can be improved. For example, when using programmable power supply circuit 1130 as the power source, charging circuit 2000 can receive a regulated DC input voltage V1 to provide an efficient output voltage V2. During constant current (CC) mode, switching device 1840 can be enabled to bypass charger transistor 1830. Alternatively, when using battery 1114 as the power source, switching device 1840 can also be enabled to bypass charger transistor 1830, allowing battery 1114 to directly supply output voltage V2 to output node 2090. Figure 20 The circuit shown is an example and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. For example, similar to... Figure 19 In some implementations, the charging circuit 2000 may further include another boost converter or charge pump converter to provide a fixed offset between the battery voltage Vbat of the battery 1114 and the output voltage V2, ensuring that the output voltage V2 does not reach or exceed the battery voltage Vbat. In some implementations, the charging path including the charger transistor 1830 may therefore be removed accordingly.

[0162] Figure 21 This is a block diagram of another example charging circuit 2100 according to some embodiments of this disclosure. Figures 18A to 18ECompared to the charging circuit 1800, the charging circuit 2100 also includes another DC-DC converter 2110, and the DC-DC converter 1810 and the DC-DC converter 2110 are electrically coupled in parallel.

[0163] In some embodiments, DC-DC converter 1810 and DC-DC converter 2110 operate with the same conversion ratio. In some embodiments, one of DC-DC converter 2110 and DC-DC converter 1810 may be unregulated. By arranging DC-DC converter 2110 and DC-DC converter 1810 in parallel, the power path providing the output voltage V2 at output node 2190 or the charging voltage of battery 1114 can be optimized, wherein DC-DC converter 2110 and DC-DC converter 1810 operate together to provide additional power.

[0164] Similar to charging circuit 1800, in some embodiments, switching device 1840 is electrically coupled in parallel with charger transistor 1830. During the charging phase of battery 1114, switching device 1840 is closed to bypass charger transistor 1830 to achieve efficient charging of battery 1114. During the discharging phase of battery 1114, switching device 1840 is closed to bypass charger transistor 1830 to provide output voltage V2 from battery 1114. Therefore, when drawing power from battery 1114, output voltage V2 can be the battery voltage Vbat, rather than the voltage reduced due to the voltage drop across charger transistor 1830.

[0165] Figures 18A to 18E as well as Figure 21 The charging circuit shown is an example and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. For example, similar to the embodiments described above, charging circuit 1800 or 2100 may also include another boost converter or charge pump converter to provide a fixed offset between the battery voltage Vbat of battery 1114 and the output voltage V2, ensuring that the output voltage V2 does not reach or exceed the battery voltage Vbat and is at a specific level (e.g., 5V). In some embodiments, the charging path including charger transistor 1830 may therefore be removed accordingly.

[0166] In the above Figures 18A to 18E arrive Figure 21In some implementations, the programmable power supply circuit 1130 can be used as an adjustable and dynamic input voltage source, replacing the fixed input voltage source in conventional designs. The programmable power supply circuit 1130 can be applied to maximize power efficiency by adjusting the input voltage of the DC-DC converter. In some implementations, the battery 1114 can be connected to a boost converter or charge pump converter to output a regulated output voltage V2. This allows for a narrower voltage range for the output voltage V2. In some implementations, a fixed offset between the battery voltage Vbat of the battery 1114 and the output voltage V2 can be ensured.

[0167] Figure 22 This is a block diagram of another example charging circuit 2200 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Compared to the embodiments described above, the charging circuit 2200 is designed for a wide voltage DC (WVDC) architecture. Compared to the NVDC architecture in the above embodiments, the charging circuit 2200 can be configured to provide an output voltage V2 with a wider voltage range. In some embodiments, in the WVDC architecture, the output voltage V2 can be in a voltage range of approximately 20V to 5V, which is wider than the approximately 9V to 5V voltage range of the example NVDC architecture, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0168] like Figure 22 As shown, the charging circuit 2200 includes a DC-DC converter 2210. The battery 1114 is electrically coupled to the DC-DC converter 2210. Specifically, the charging circuit 2200 is electrically coupled to a programmable power supply circuit 1130. Similar to the embodiment described above, the programmable power supply circuit 1130 can be an adjustable voltage source (AVS). The programmable power supply circuit 1130 is configured to provide a regulated DC voltage V1 as an output voltage V2 to the next stage at the output node 2290 of the charging circuit 2200.

[0169] DC-DC converter 2210 is electrically coupled to programmable power supply circuit 1130 at output node 2290 and is configured to perform voltage conversion between output voltage V2 and battery voltage Vbat of battery 1114. Battery 1114 is electrically coupled to DC-DC converter 2210 and is configured to charge or discharge directly or indirectly based on battery voltage Vbat.

[0170] The charging circuit 2200 provides the charging mechanism without arranging the charger transistor within the charging circuit 2200. In some embodiments, the DC-DC converter 2210 may be a low-dropout regulator (LDO).

[0171] Figure 23 This is a block diagram of another example charging circuit 2300 according to some embodiments of this disclosure. The charging circuit 2300 can also be designed for WVDC architectures. Figure 22 Compared to the charging circuit 2200, the charging circuit 2300 also includes a charger transistor 2310 and switching devices 2320 and 2330 electrically coupled to the charger transistor 2310.

[0172] like Figure 23 As shown, charger transistor 2310 is series-coupled between DC-DC converter 2210 and battery 1114, and is configured to enable or disable charging or discharging of battery 1114. Switching device 2320 is parallel-coupled to charger transistor 2310 and is configured to bypass charger transistor 2310 when switching device 2320 is closed. Switching device 2330 is parallel-coupled to DC-DC converter 2210 and is configured to enable direct charging or discharging between battery 1114 and output node 2390 of charging circuit 2300 when switching device 2330 is closed. In some embodiments, one or more of charger transistors 2310 and switching devices 2320 and 2330 may be optional.

[0173] Specifically, the charger transistor 2310, electrically coupled between the DC-DC converter 2210 and the battery 1114, minimizes the voltage and current ripple of the battery voltage Vbat across the battery 1114. Similar to the embodiments described above, the charger transistor 2310 and the switching device 2320 can be configured to enable or disable charging or discharging of the battery 1114. The detailed operation of the charger transistor 2310 and the switching device 2320 is similar to that described above and therefore will not be repeated herein for the sake of brevity.

[0174] In some implementations, switching devices 2320 and 2330 can be used to enable direct charging of battery 1114. For example, when battery 1114 is directly charged in direct charging mode using output voltage V2 (or regulated DC voltage V1 from programmable power supply circuit 1130), switching devices 2320 and 2330 can close in response to a corresponding control command from controller 1116 to provide a low-resistance power path between battery 1114 and output node 2390. Therefore, overall power efficiency can be improved.

[0175] On the other hand, when a voltage conversion between the output voltage V2 and the battery voltage Vbat of battery 1114 is required, the switching device 2330 can be disconnected, and battery 1114 is charged by the voltage output by DC-DC converter 2210. In other words, the charger transistor 2310, switching device 2320, and switching device 2330 can be controlled separately according to various system conditions and desired results, thereby operating the charging circuit 2300 in various charging modes to supply the output voltage V2 to the load and effectively charge or discharge battery 1114 without damaging battery 1114 (e.g., overcharging or overvoltage). In some embodiments, the charging circuit 2300 can dynamically switch between different charging modes by detecting system conditions to automatically optimize its operation.

[0176] Figure 24A This is a block diagram of another example charging circuit 2400 according to some embodiments of this disclosure. Figure 23 Compared to the charging circuit 2300, the charging circuit 2400 also includes another DC-DC converter 2410. In some embodiments, one of the DC-DC converters 2210 and 2410 may be an unregulated converter (which may be a high-efficiency converter), while the other of the DC-DC converters 2210 and 2410 may be a regulated converter. Figure 24A As shown, DC-DC converter 2410 is series-coupled between programmable power supply circuit 1130 and battery 1114. Charger transistor 2310 is electrically coupled between DC-DC converter 2210 and DC-DC converter 2410. In some embodiments, DC-DC converter 2210 and DC-DC converter 2410 are configured to operate simultaneously in certain power modes, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0177] Figure 24B Some embodiments according to this disclosure are shown in Figure 24A Example power flow during the discharge phase of battery 1114 in charging circuit 2400. Figure 24B Power path 2420 in the diagram indicates an example power flow during the discharge phase of battery 1114. In power path 2420, during the discharge phase of battery 1114, DC-DC converter 2410 is configured to convert the battery voltage Vbat output from battery 1114 into the desired output voltage V2 at output node 2490 of charging circuit 2400. (As shown...) Figure 24BAs shown, in some embodiments, in response to a corresponding control command from controller 1116, switching device 2320 can be closed to provide an additional power path 2430 during the discharge phase of battery 1114, wherein DC-DC converter 2210 is configured to convert the battery voltage Vbat output by battery 1114 into the desired output voltage V2. Therefore, charging circuit 2400 can supply greater output power using relatively low-rated DC-DC converters 2210 and 2410 in response to system requests. When the required output power is relatively low, charging circuit 2400 can also enable one of DC-DC converters 2210 and 2410 to reduce power loss, thereby improving overall power efficiency.

[0178] Figure 24C Some embodiments according to this disclosure are shown in Figure 24A Example power flow during the charging phase of battery 1114 in charging circuit 2400. Figure 24C Power path 2440 indicates an example power flow during the charging phase of battery 1114. In power path 2440, during the charging phase of battery 1114, when the output voltage V2 is not within the desired voltage range for charging battery 1114, DC-DC converter 2410 is configured to convert the output voltage V2 (or the regulated DC voltage V1 from programmable power supply circuit 1130) into the desired charging voltage Vc for battery 1114. On the other hand, when programmable power supply circuit 1130 is able to provide a regulated DC voltage V1 at an optimized voltage level as the charging voltage Vc to directly charge battery 1114, switching devices 2320 and 2330 can close to provide power path 2450 to enable direct charging and thus improve efficiency.

[0179] It should be understood that Figure 24B and Figure 24C The power paths 2420 to 2450 shown are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. In various embodiments, the charging circuit 2400 may accordingly control the DC-DC converters 2210 and 2410, the charger transistor 2310, and the switching devices 2320 and 2330 to operate in a desired charging or discharging mode to charge or discharge the battery 1114 and output the output voltage V2 as needed by the system, using either the programmable power supply circuit 1130 or the battery 1114 as a power source.

[0180] Figure 25 This is a block diagram of another example charging circuit 2500 according to some embodiments of this disclosure. Figure 23 Compared to the charging circuit 2300, the charging circuit 2500 also includes another DC-DC converter 2510. Similar to... Figures 24A to 24CIn the implementation of the method, one of DC-DC converter 2210 and DC-DC converter 2510 can be an unregulated converter, while the other of DC-DC converter 2210 and DC-DC converter 2510 can be a regulated converter.

[0181] like Figure 25 As shown, DC-DC converters 2210 and 2510 are electrically coupled in parallel. In some embodiments, DC-DC converters 2210 and 2510 operate with the same conversion ratio. By arranging DC-DC converters 2210 and 2510 in parallel, the power path providing the output voltage V2 at output node 2590 or the charging voltage of battery 1114 can be optimized, where DC-DC converters 2210 and 2510 operate together to provide additional power. Therefore, similar to Figures 24A to 24C The charging circuits 2400 and 2500 can also utilize relatively low-rated DC-DC converters 2210 and 2510 to supply greater output power in response to system requests, enabling flash charging. When the required output power is relatively low, the charging circuit 2500 can also activate one of the DC-DC converters 2210 and 2510 to reduce power loss, thereby improving overall power efficiency.

[0182] Similar to charging circuit 2400, in some embodiments, switching device 2320 is electrically coupled in parallel with charger transistor 2310. During the charging phase of battery 1114, switching device 2320 can be closed to bypass charger transistor 2310 to achieve efficient charging of battery 1114. During the discharging phase of battery 1114, switching device 2320 can be closed to bypass charger transistor 2310 to directly provide output voltage V2 from battery 1114. Therefore, when drawing power from battery 1114, output voltage V2 can be the battery voltage Vbat, rather than the voltage reduced due to the voltage drop across charger transistor 2310.

[0183] In some embodiments, one or both of DC-DC converters 2210 and 2510 may be boost converters or charge pump converters to provide a fixed offset between the battery voltage Vbat of battery 1114 and the output voltage V2, thereby ensuring that the output voltage V2 is at a specific level when one or both of switching devices 2320 and 2330 are off and power flows through one or both of DC-DC converters 2210 and 2510. In some other embodiments, charging circuit 2400 or 2500 may include additional components. The charging circuit shown herein is an example and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0184] In the above Figures 22 to 25In some implementations, the programmable power supply circuit 1130 can be used as an adjustable and dynamic input voltage source in various wide-voltage DC architectures, replacing the fixed input voltage source in conventional designs. The programmable power supply circuit 1130 can be applied to maximize power efficiency by adjusting the input voltage of DC-DC converters (e.g., DC-DC converters 2210, 2410, and 2510) in the power converter. In some implementations, the battery 1114 can be connected to a boost converter or charge pump converter to output a regulated output voltage V2. This allows for a narrower voltage range for the output voltage V2. In some implementations, a fixed offset between the battery voltage Vbat of the battery 1114 and the output voltage V2 can be ensured.

[0185] Various charging circuit architectures are provided according to different implementations to achieve efficient power supply systems, offering improved charging mode candidates and increasing design flexibility compared to existing solutions. The proposed charging devices or modules can be configured to charge internal batteries within the device or module and provide an output voltage for charging electronic devices. Users or controllers can leverage the flexibility provided by the proposed charging architecture and control methods to enable the charging devices or modules to automatically or dynamically switch between different charging modes in response to manual commands, adjusting charging efficiency, charging power, or required charging time to meet diverse charging needs in various applications and to achieve multi-mode battery charging in response to various scenarios and system conditions.

[0186] In some implementations, the proposed charging device or module can dynamically switch between different charging / discharging modes in real time in response to various conditions and desired outcomes. Mode selection can be based on user commands to provide personalized power management strategies, or on commands from the controller to achieve optimized power management. Examples of charging / discharging modes may include: high-power charging modes that require less charging time to complete the charging process; efficient charging modes that cause less damage to the battery and extend battery life and performance; and various intermediate charging modes that balance the trade-off between charging time and efficiency.

[0187] In the foregoing specification, numerous specific details have been described with reference to which implementation methods may vary. Certain adjustments and modifications may be made to the described implementation methods. It is also intended that the order of steps shown in the accompanying drawings is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit to any particular order of steps. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that these steps may be performed in different orders while implementing the same method.

[0188] Various exemplary embodiments described herein can be described in the general context of method steps or processes, and the method steps or processes can be implemented in one aspect by a computer program product embodied in a transient or non-transitory computer-readable medium. For example, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may store a set of instructions executable by one or more processors of a device to cause the device to perform a method for controlling a charging circuit. Computer-readable media may include removable storage devices and non-removable storage devices, including but not limited to read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), etc.

[0189] It should be understood that certain features of the specification described in the context of separate embodiments for clarity may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, for the sake of brevity, various features of this specification described in the context of a single embodiment may also be provided individually or in any suitable sub-combination, or appropriately provided in any other described embodiment of this specification. Certain features described in the context of various embodiments should not be considered essential features of those embodiments unless the embodiment is inoperable without those elements.

[0190] The various implementation methods can be further described using the following terms / paragraphs:

[0191] 1. A power converter for use with a programmable power supply circuit, the power converter comprising:

[0192] A charging circuit electrically coupled to a programmable power supply circuit configured to provide a regulated DC input voltage, the charging circuit including: a first DC-DC converter electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit and configured to convert the regulated DC input voltage into a system output voltage at an output node; and

[0193] A battery, electrically coupled to a first DC-DC converter, is configured to be charged or discharged indirectly or directly via an output node.

[0194] The charging circuit also includes a charger transistor, which is series-coupled between the first DC-DC converter and the battery via the output node, and is configured to enable or disable the charging or discharging of the battery.

[0195] 2. The power converter according to Clause 1 further includes:

[0196] A boost converter or charge pump converter coupled between the battery and the output node.

[0197] 3. The power converter according to Clause 1 or Clause 2 further includes:

[0198] A switching device electrically coupled in parallel with a charger transistor and configured to bypass the charger transistor when the switching device is closed.

[0199] 4. A power converter for use with a programmable power supply circuit, the power converter comprising:

[0200] A charging circuit electrically coupled to a programmable power supply circuit configured to provide a regulated DC input voltage, the charging circuit including: a first DC-DC converter electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit and configured to convert the regulated DC input voltage into a system output voltage at an output node; and

[0201] A battery, electrically coupled to a first DC-DC converter, is configured to be charged or discharged indirectly or directly via an output node.

[0202] The charging circuit also includes a second DC-DC converter that is series-coupled between the programmable power supply circuit and the battery. One of the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter is an unregulated converter.

[0203] 5. The power converter according to Clause 4, wherein the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter are configured to operate simultaneously.

[0204] 6. The power converter according to Clause 4 or Clause 5 further includes:

[0205] A boost converter or charge pump converter coupled between the battery and the output node.

[0206] 7. The power converter according to any one of Clauses 4 to 6, wherein, during the discharge phase of the battery, the second DC-DC converter is configured to convert the battery voltage output by the battery into a first voltage received by the first DC-DC converter, and the first DC-DC converter is configured to regulate and provide a system output voltage in response to the first voltage from the second DC-DC converter.

[0207] 8. The power converter according to any one of Clauses 4 to 7, wherein, during the battery charging phase, the first DC-DC converter is configured to provide a system output voltage in response to a regulated DC input voltage from a programmable power supply circuit, and the second DC-DC converter is configured to provide a charging voltage to the battery in response to a regulated DC input voltage from a programmable power supply circuit.

[0208] 9. The power converter according to any one of clauses 4 to 8 further comprises:

[0209] A charger transistor, which is series-coupled between the first DC-DC converter and the battery via the output node, and is configured to enable or disable the charging or discharging of the battery.

[0210] 10. The power converter according to Clause 9 further includes:

[0211] A switching device electrically coupled in parallel with a charger transistor and configured to bypass the charger transistor when the switching device is closed.

[0212] 11. The power converter according to Clause 9 or Clause 10, wherein the charger transistor is electrically coupled between the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter.

[0213] 12. A power converter for use with a programmable power supply circuit, the power converter comprising:

[0214] A charging circuit electrically coupled to a programmable power supply circuit configured to provide a regulated DC input voltage, the charging circuit comprising:

[0215] A first DC-DC converter, which is electrically coupled to a programmable power supply circuit and configured to convert a regulated DC input voltage into a system output voltage at an output node;

[0216] A battery electrically coupled to a first DC-DC converter and configured to be charged or discharged indirectly or directly via an output node;

[0217] The charging circuit also includes a second DC-DC converter that is series-coupled between the programmable power supply circuit and the battery, and the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter are configured to operate simultaneously.

[0218] 13. The power converter according to Clause 12, wherein the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter are electrically coupled in parallel.

[0219] 14. The power converter according to Clause 12 or Clause 13 further includes:

[0220] A charger transistor, which is series-coupled between the first DC-DC converter and the battery via the output node, and is configured to enable or disable the charging or discharging of the battery.

[0221] 15. The power converter according to Clause 14 further includes:

[0222] A switching device electrically coupled in parallel with a charger transistor and configured to bypass the charger transistor when the switching device is closed.

[0223] 16. The power converter according to Clause 14 or Clause 15, wherein the charger transistor is electrically coupled between the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter.

[0224] 17. A power converter for use with a programmable power supply circuit, the power converter comprising:

[0225] A charging circuit electrically coupled to a programmable power supply circuit configured to provide a regulated DC input voltage, the charging circuit including: a first DC-DC converter electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit and configured to convert the regulated DC input voltage into a system output voltage at an output node; and

[0226] A battery, electrically coupled to a first DC-DC converter, is configured to be charged or discharged indirectly or directly via an output node.

[0227] The charging circuit also includes a boost converter or charge pump converter electrically coupled between the battery and the output node.

[0228] 18. The power converter according to Clause 17, wherein the charging circuit further includes a second DC-DC converter series electrically coupled between the programmable power supply circuit and the battery.

[0229] 19. A power converter for use with a programmable power supply circuit, the power converter comprising:

[0230] A charging circuit electrically coupled to a programmable power supply circuit configured to provide a regulated DC voltage at an output node as the system output voltage. The charging circuit includes: a first DC-DC converter electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit at its output node and configured to perform voltage conversion between the system output voltage and the battery voltage; and...

[0231] A battery electrically coupled to a first DC-DC converter and configured to charge or discharge directly or indirectly based on the battery voltage.

[0232] 20. The power converter according to Clause 19 further includes:

[0233] A charger transistor, which is series-coupled between the first DC-DC converter and the battery, is configured to enable or disable the charging or discharging of the battery.

[0234] 21. The power converter according to Clause 20 further includes:

[0235] A first switching device is electrically coupled in parallel with a charger transistor and is configured to bypass the charger transistor when the first switching device is closed.

[0236] 22. The power converter according to Clause 20 or Clause 21 further includes:

[0237] A second switching device is electrically coupled in parallel with the first DC-DC converter and is configured to enable direct charging or discharging between the battery and the output node when the second switching device is closed.

[0238] 23. The power converter according to any one of clauses 20 to 22 further comprises:

[0239] A second DC-DC converter is electrically coupled between a programmable power supply circuit and a charger transistor.

[0240] 24. The power converter according to Clause 23, wherein one of the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter is an unregulated converter, and the other of the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter is a regulated converter.

[0241] 25. The power converter according to Clause 23 or Clause 24, wherein the charger transistor is electrically coupled between the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter.

[0242] 26. The power converter according to any one of Clauses 23 to 25, wherein the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter are electrically coupled in parallel.

[0243] 27. A method for charging and discharging a battery, comprising:

[0244] During the first time period, the first DC-DC converter, electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit, converts the regulated DC input voltage into the system output voltage at the output node;

[0245] During the charging period of the first time period, the battery is charged indirectly or directly via the output node to the first DC-DC converter based on the system output voltage; and

[0246] During the second time period, the battery is discharged to provide the system output voltage via the output node.

[0247] The regulated DC input voltage is output by the programmable power supply circuit during the first time period.

[0248] 28. The method described pursuant to Clause 27 further includes:

[0249] The charging or discharging of the battery is enabled or disabled via a charger transistor, which is series-coupled between the first DC-DC converter and the battery via the output node.

[0250] 29. The method described under Clause 28 further includes:

[0251] During the charging period or the second period, the switching device electrically coupled in parallel with the charger transistor is closed to bypass the charger transistor.

[0252] 30. The method described pursuant to Clause 28 or Clause 29 further includes:

[0253] The first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter are operated simultaneously to provide the system output voltage at the output node. The second DC-DC converter is series-coupled between the programmable power supply circuit and the battery.

[0254] 31. The method according to Clause 30, wherein operating the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter comprises:

[0255] During the second time period, the battery voltage output from the battery is converted into the first voltage by the second DC-DC converter; and

[0256] The first voltage is regulated by the first DC-DC converter to provide the system output voltage.

[0257] 32. The method according to Clause 30 or Clause 31, wherein operating the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter comprises:

[0258] During the charging period, the first DC-DC converter regulates and provides the system output voltage in response to the regulated DC input voltage from the programmable power supply circuit; and

[0259] The second DC-DC converter provides charging voltage to the battery in response to the regulated DC input voltage from the programmable power supply circuit.

[0260] 33. The method according to any one of clauses 30 to 32, wherein one of the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter is an unregulated converter.

[0261] 34. The method according to any one of clauses 30 to 33, wherein the charger transistor is electrically coupled between the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter.

[0262] 35. The method according to any one of clauses 30 to 34, wherein the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter are electrically coupled in parallel.

[0263] 36. The method described pursuant to Clause 35 further includes:

[0264] During the charging period, a switching device electrically coupled in parallel with the charger transistor is closed to bypass the charger transistor.

[0265] 37. The method described pursuant to Clause 36 further includes:

[0266] During the second period, the switching device is closed to bypass the charger transistor in order to provide the system output voltage from the battery.

[0267] 38. A method for charging and discharging a battery, comprising:

[0268] During the charging period of the first time period, the first DC-DC converter, electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit at the output node, performs voltage conversion between the system output voltage and the battery voltage, and charges the battery electrically coupled to the first DC-DC converter indirectly or directly via the output node based on the system output voltage; and

[0269] During the second time period, the battery is discharged to provide the system output voltage via the output node.

[0270] The system output voltage is a regulated DC voltage output by the programmable power supply circuit at the output node during the first time period.

[0271] 39. The method described under Clause 38 further includes:

[0272] The charging or discharging of the battery is enabled or disabled via a charger transistor, which is series-coupled between the first DC-DC converter and the battery via the output node.

[0273] 40. The method described under Clause 39 further includes:

[0274] During the charging period or the second period, the first switching device electrically coupled in parallel with the charger transistor is closed to bypass the charger transistor.

[0275] 41. The method described pursuant to Clause 39 or Clause 40 further comprises:

[0276] During the charging period or the second period, the second switching device, which is electrically coupled in parallel with the first DC-DC converter, is closed to enable direct charging or discharging between the battery and the output node.

[0277] 42. The method according to any one of clauses 39 to 41 further comprises:

[0278] Operate a first DC-DC converter and a second DC-DC converter, the second DC-DC converter being electrically coupled between a programmable power supply circuit and a charger transistor, wherein one of the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter is an unregulated converter, and the other of the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter is a regulated converter.

[0279] 43. The method according to Clause 42, wherein the charger transistor is electrically coupled between the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter.

[0280] 44. The method according to Clause 42 or Clause 43, wherein the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter are electrically coupled in parallel.

[0281] The various implementation methods can be further described using the following terms / paragraphs:

[0282] 1. A method for controlling a charging circuit, the method comprising: receiving battery information of a battery from an electrical device to be charged; receiving one or more characteristic parameters from the electrical device; selecting a target charging mode from a plurality of charging mode candidates based on the battery information and one or more characteristic parameters; and controlling a controller to adjust one or more operating parameters of the charging circuit based on the selected target charging mode for charging the electrical device.

[0283] 2. The method according to paragraph 1, wherein one or more characteristic parameters include data associated with the electrical equipment, including: equipment type, user usage pattern of the electrical equipment, location information, positioning information, time information, movement information, equipment temperature information, ambient temperature information, real-time power consumption information, real-time carbon emission information, historical power consumption information, or any combination thereof.

[0284] 3. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1 or 2, wherein the equipment temperature information includes one or more of the average equipment temperature, the maximum equipment temperature, or the equipment surface temperature.

[0285] 4. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 3, wherein the battery information includes the battery state of charge, battery health status, temperature, or a combination thereof.

[0286] 5. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 4, wherein adjusting one or more operating parameters of the charging circuit based on the selected target charging mode includes: adjusting the charging efficiency or charging power or the time to reach the percentage of the battery's full charge.

[0287] 6. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 5, wherein one or more operating parameters are associated with one or more of the following: the voltage level of the supply voltage output by the adjustable voltage source in the charging circuit, the architecture of the charging circuit, or the power flow direction of one or more power converters in the charging circuit.

[0288] 7. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 6, wherein adjusting one or more operating parameters of the charging circuit based on the selected target charging mode comprises: selectively enabling or disabling one or more power converters in the charging circuit based on the selected target charging mode.

[0289] 8. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 7, wherein adjusting one or more operating parameters of the charging circuit based on a selected target charging mode comprises: selectively controlling the voltage level of the supply voltage output from an adjustable voltage source in the charging circuit based on the selected target charging mode.

[0290] 9. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 8, wherein adjusting one or more operating parameters of the charging circuit based on a selected target charging mode comprises: selectively controlling the power flow direction of one or more power converters in the charging circuit based on the selected target charging mode.

[0291] 10. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 9, wherein selectively controlling the power flow direction of one or more power converters in the charging circuit further comprises: in response to selecting a first charging mode, controlling a target power converter to receive input power from a first terminal and provide output power through a second terminal; and in response to selecting a second charging mode, controlling a target power converter to receive input power from a second terminal and provide output power through a first terminal.

[0292] 11. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 10, wherein selectively controlling the power flow direction of one or more power converters in the charging circuit further comprises: disabling a target power converter to stop power flow through the target power converter in response to selecting a third charging mode.

[0293] 12. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 11, wherein controlling the controller to operate the charging circuit based on a selected target charging mode includes: selectively enabling or disabling one or more switching devices to bypass the charger transistor in the charging circuit based on the selected target charging mode.

[0294] 13. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 12 further includes: in response to detecting a mode selection command from a user, selecting a target charging mode from a plurality of charging mode candidates according to the mode selection command.

[0295] 14. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 13 further includes: determining a plurality of operating parameters for operating the charging circuit based on the selected target charging mode and the architecture of the charging circuit.

[0296] 15. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 14 further comprises: retrieving a selected corresponding target operating parameter set from a plurality of candidate operating parameter sets stored in a memory, based on the target charging mode and the architecture of the charging circuit.

[0297] 16. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 15 further comprises: obtaining each candidate set by the processor, each candidate set being associated with one of the architecture of the charging circuit and the charging mode candidates.

[0298] 17. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 16, wherein obtaining each candidate set by the processor comprises: applying a neural network to process multiple input parameters to obtain each candidate set.

[0299] 18. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 17, wherein the input parameters for the neural network include the target charging mode, the architecture of the charging circuit, the ambient temperature, and battery information.

[0300] 19. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 18, wherein the neural network is configured to perform regression between the set of operating parameters and the corresponding charging efficiency or the corresponding charging power or the time to reach the percentage of the battery's full charge.

[0301] 20. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 19, wherein the neural network is a perceptron network, a classifier network, an optimization network, or any combination thereof.

[0302] 21. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 20, further comprising: changing the target charging mode during a battery charging cycle.

[0303] 22. A controller for controlling a charging circuit, the controller comprising: a memory storing a set of instructions; one or more processors coupled to the memory and configured to execute the set of instructions to cause the controller to perform operations including: selecting a target charging mode from a plurality of charging mode candidates based on battery information of a battery received from an electrical device to be charged and one or more characteristic parameters; and adjusting one or more operating parameters of the charging circuit for charging the electrical device based on the selected target charging mode.

[0304] 23. The controller according to paragraph 22, wherein one or more characteristic parameters include data associated with the electrical equipment, including: equipment type, user usage pattern of the electrical equipment, location information, positioning information, time information, movement information, equipment temperature information, ambient temperature information, real-time power consumption information, real-time carbon emission information, historical power consumption information, or any combination thereof.

[0305] 24. The controller according to any one of paragraphs 22 or 23, wherein the device temperature information includes one or more of the average device temperature, the maximum device temperature, or the device surface temperature.

[0306] 25. The controller according to any one of paragraphs 22 to 24, wherein the battery information includes the battery state of charge, battery health status, temperature, or a combination thereof.

[0307] 26. The controller according to any one of paragraphs 22 to 25, wherein the operation further includes: adjusting one or more operating parameters of the charging circuit based on the selected target charging mode to adjust the charging efficiency or charging power or the time to reach a percentage of full battery charge.

[0308] 27. The controller according to any one of paragraphs 22 to 26, wherein one or more operating parameters are associated with one or more of the following: the voltage level of the supply voltage output by the adjustable voltage source in the charging circuit, the architecture of the charging circuit, or the power flow direction of one or more power converters in the charging circuit.

[0309] 28. The controller according to any one of paragraphs 22 to 27, wherein the operation further includes: selectively enabling or disabling one or more power converters in the charging circuit based on the selected target charging mode.

[0310] 29. The controller according to any one of paragraphs 22 to 28, wherein operation further includes: selectively controlling the voltage level of the supply voltage output from the adjustable voltage source in the charging circuit based on the selected target charging mode.

[0311] 30. The controller according to any one of paragraphs 22 to 29, wherein the operation further includes: selectively controlling the power flow direction of one or more power converters in the charging circuit based on the selected target charging mode.

[0312] 31. The controller according to any one of paragraphs 22 to 30, wherein the controller is configured to control the target power converter to receive input power from a first terminal and provide output power through a second terminal in response to the selection of a first charging mode, and to control the target power converter to receive input power from a second terminal and provide output power through a first terminal in response to the selection of a second charging mode.

[0313] 32. The controller according to any one of paragraphs 22 to 31, wherein the controller is configured to disable the target power converter to stop power flow through the target power converter in response to the selection of a third charging mode.

[0314] 33. The controller according to any one of paragraphs 22 to 32, wherein the operation further includes: selectively enabling or disabling one or more switching devices to bypass the charger transistor in the charging circuit based on the selected target charging mode.

[0315] 34. The controller according to any one of paragraphs 22 to 33, wherein the operation further includes: in response to detecting a mode selection command from a user, selecting a target charging mode from a plurality of charging mode candidates according to the mode selection command.

[0316] 35. The controller according to any one of paragraphs 22 to 34, wherein the operation further includes: determining a plurality of operating parameters for operating the charging circuit based on the selected target charging mode and the architecture of the charging circuit.

[0317] 36. The controller according to any one of paragraphs 22 to 35, wherein the operation further includes: retrieving a corresponding target set of the selected operating parameters from a plurality of candidate operating parameter sets stored in a memory, based on the target charging mode and the architecture of the charging circuit.

[0318] 37. The controller according to any one of paragraphs 22 to 36, wherein each candidate set is associated with one of the charging mode candidates and the architecture of the charging circuit, and is obtained by the processor.

[0319] 38. The controller according to any one of paragraphs 22 to 37, wherein each candidate set is obtained by the processor by applying a neural network to process multiple input parameters.

[0320] 39. The controller according to any one of paragraphs 22 to 38, wherein the input parameters for the neural network include the target charging mode, the architecture of the charging circuit, the ambient temperature, and battery information.

[0321] 40. The controller according to any one of paragraphs 22 to 39, wherein the neural network is configured to perform regression between the set of operating parameters and the corresponding charging efficiency or the corresponding charging power or the time to reach the percentage of the battery's full charge.

[0322] 41. The controller according to any one of paragraphs 22 to 40, wherein the neural network is a perceptron network, a classifier network, an optimization network, or any combination thereof.

[0323] 42. The controller according to any one of paragraphs 22 to 41, wherein the operation further includes: changing the target charging mode during a battery charging cycle.

[0324] 43. A charging device, comprising: a charging circuit electrically coupled to a programmable power supply circuit configured to provide a regulated DC input voltage, the charging circuit including: a first DC-DC converter electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit and configured to convert the regulated DC input voltage into an output voltage at an output node; and a controller configured to: receive battery information from an electrical device to be charged; receive one or more characteristic parameters; select a target charging mode from a plurality of charging mode candidates based on the battery information and one or more characteristic parameters; and adjust one or more operating parameters of the charging circuit based on the selected target charging mode for charging the electrical device.

[0325] 44. The charging device according to paragraph 43, wherein one or more characteristic parameters include data associated with the electrical device, including: device type, user usage pattern of the electrical device, location information, positioning information, time information, movement information, device temperature information, ambient temperature information, real-time power consumption information, real-time carbon emission information, historical power consumption information, or any combination thereof.

[0326] 45. The charging device according to any one of paragraphs 43 or 44, wherein the device temperature information includes one or more of the average device temperature, the maximum device temperature, or the device surface temperature.

[0327] 46. ​​The charging device according to any one of paragraphs 43 to 45, wherein the battery information includes the battery state of charge, battery health status, temperature, or a combination thereof.

[0328] 47. The charging device according to any one of paragraphs 43 to 46, wherein the controller is configured to adjust one or more operating parameters of the charging circuit based on a selected target charging mode to adjust the charging efficiency or charging power or the time to reach a percentage of full battery capacity.

[0329] 48. The charging device according to any one of paragraphs 43 to 47, wherein one or more operating parameters are associated with one or more of the following: the voltage level of the supply voltage output by the adjustable voltage source in the charging circuit, the architecture of the charging circuit, or the power flow direction of one or more power converters in the charging circuit.

[0330] 49. The charging device according to any one of paragraphs 43 to 48 further comprises: a battery electrically coupled to a first DC-DC converter and configured to charge or discharge indirectly or directly via an output node; wherein the charging circuit further comprises a second DC-DC converter series electrically coupled between a programmable power supply circuit and the battery, one of the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter being an unregulated converter; and wherein the controller is further configured to selectively enable or disable the first DC-DC converter or the second DC-DC converter based on a selected target charging mode.

[0331] 50. The charging device according to any one of paragraphs 43 to 49, wherein the controller is further configured to selectively control the voltage level of the regulated DC input voltage based on the selected target charging mode.

[0332] 51. The charging device according to any one of paragraphs 43 to 50, further comprising: a battery electrically coupled to a first DC-DC converter and configured to charge or discharge indirectly or directly via an output node; wherein the charging circuit further comprises a second DC-DC converter series electrically coupled between a programmable power supply circuit and the battery, one of the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter being an unregulated converter; and wherein the controller is further configured to selectively control the power flow direction of the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter based on a selected target charging mode.

[0333] 52. The charging device according to any one of paragraphs 43 to 51, wherein the controller is configured to control the second DC-DC converter to receive input power from the first terminal and provide output power through the second terminal in response to the selection of a first charging mode, and to control the second DC-DC converter to receive input power from the second terminal and provide output power through the first terminal in response to the selection of a second charging mode.

[0334] 53. The charging device according to any one of paragraphs 43 to 52, wherein the controller is configured to disable the second DC-DC converter in response to the selection of a third charging mode to stop power flow through the second DC-DC converter.

[0335] 54. The charging device according to any one of paragraphs 43 to 53, wherein the charging circuit further comprises: a battery electrically coupled to a first DC-DC converter and configured to charge or discharge indirectly or directly via an output node; a charger transistor electrically coupled in series between the first DC-DC converter and the battery via an output node and configured to enable or disable charging or discharging of the battery; and a switching device electrically coupled in parallel with the charger transistor and configured to bypass the charger transistor when the switching device is closed; wherein the controller is further configured to selectively enable or disable the switching device to bypass the charger transistor based on a selected target charging mode.

[0336] 55. The charging device according to any one of paragraphs 43 to 54, wherein, in response to detecting a mode selection command from a user, the controller is further configured to select a target charging mode from a plurality of charging mode candidates according to the mode selection command.

[0337] 56. The charging device according to any one of paragraphs 43 to 55, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a plurality of operating parameters for operating the charging circuit based on the selected target charging mode and the architecture of the charging circuit.

[0338] 57. The charging device according to any one of paragraphs 43 to 56, wherein the controller is further configured to retrieve a selected set of target operating parameters from a plurality of candidate operating parameters stored in a memory, based on a target charging mode and the architecture of the charging circuit.

[0339] 58. The charging device according to any one of paragraphs 43 to 57, wherein each candidate set is obtained by a processor and associated with one of the charging mode candidates and the architecture of the charging circuit.

[0340] 59. The charging device according to any one of paragraphs 43 to 58, wherein the processor is configured to apply a neural network to process multiple input parameters to obtain each candidate set.

[0341] 60. The charging device according to any one of paragraphs 43 to 59, wherein the input parameters for the neural network include the target charging mode, the architecture of the charging circuit, the ambient temperature, and battery information.

[0342] 61. The charging device according to any one of paragraphs 43 to 60, wherein the neural network is configured to perform regression between a set of operating parameters and a corresponding charging efficiency or a corresponding charging power or the time to reach a percentage of full battery charge.

[0343] 62. The charging device according to any one of paragraphs 43 to 61, wherein the neural network is a perceptron network, a classifier network, an optimization network, or any combination thereof.

[0344] 63. The charging device according to any one of paragraphs 43 to 62, wherein the controller is further configured to change the target charging mode during a battery charging cycle.

[0345] The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments to enable those skilled in the art to better understand aspects of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will recognize that they can readily use this disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures to achieve the same objectives and / or advantages of the embodiments described herein. Those skilled in the art will also recognize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of this disclosure, and that various changes, substitutions, and modifications can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A power converter for use with a programmable power supply circuit configured to provide a regulated DC input voltage, the power converter comprising: A battery configured to be charged or discharged directly or indirectly via a node; as well as The charging circuit includes: A first DC-DC converter, coupled to the battery, wherein the first DC-DC converter is configured to be coupled to the programmable power supply circuit and configured to convert the regulated DC input voltage into a system output voltage at the node; and A charger transistor, which is connected in series between the first DC-DC converter and the battery via the node and is configured to enable or disable charging or discharging of the battery.

2. The power converter according to claim 1, further comprising: A boost converter or charge pump converter is coupled between the battery and the node.

3. The power converter according to claim 1, further comprising: A switching device, which is coupled in parallel with the charger transistor and configured to bypass the charger transistor when the switching device is closed.

4. A power converter for use with a programmable power supply circuit configured to provide a regulated DC input voltage, the power converter comprising: A battery configured to be charged or discharged directly or indirectly via a node; as well as The charging circuit includes: A first DC-DC converter, coupled to the battery, wherein the first DC-DC converter is configured to be coupled to the programmable power supply circuit and configured to convert the regulated DC input voltage into a system output voltage at the node; and A boost converter or charge pump converter is coupled between the battery and the node.

5. The power converter according to claim 4, wherein, The charging circuit also includes a second DC-DC converter, which is configured to be coupled in series between the programmable power supply circuit and the battery.

6. A method for charging and discharging a battery, the method comprising: During the first time period, a first DC-DC converter electrically coupled to the battery and the programmable power supply circuit converts the regulated DC input voltage into the system output voltage at the node; During the charging period of the first time period, the battery is charged directly or indirectly via the node based on the system output voltage; as well as During the second time period, the battery is discharged to provide the system output voltage via the node. The regulated DC input voltage is output by the programmable power supply circuit during the first time period.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: The charging or discharging of the battery is enabled or disabled via a charger transistor, which is connected in series with the first DC-DC converter and the battery via the node.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: During the charging period or the second period, a switching device electrically coupled in parallel with the charger transistor is closed to bypass the charger transistor.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: The first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter are operated simultaneously to provide the system output voltage at the node, wherein the second DC-DC converter is series-coupled between the programmable power supply circuit and the battery.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, Operating the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter includes: During the second time period, the battery voltage output from the battery is converted into a first voltage by the second DC-DC converter; and The first voltage is regulated by the first DC-DC converter to provide the system output voltage.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein, Operating the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter includes: During the charging period, the first DC-DC converter adjusts and provides the system output voltage in response to the regulated DC input voltage from the programmable power supply circuit; and The second DC-DC converter provides a charging voltage to the battery in response to the regulated DC input voltage from the programmable power supply circuit.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein, One of the first DC-DC converter or the second DC-DC converter is an unregulated converter.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The charger transistor is electrically coupled between the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter are electrically coupled in parallel.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: During the charging period, a switching device electrically coupled in parallel with the charger transistor is closed to bypass the charger transistor.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: During the second time period, the switching device is closed to bypass the charger transistor in order to provide the system output voltage from the battery.

17. A method for charging and discharging a battery, the method comprising: During the charging period of the first time period, the battery is charged directly or indirectly via the node by a first DC-DC converter electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit at the node by performing a voltage conversion between the system output voltage and the battery voltage of the battery electrically coupled to the first DC-DC converter. as well as During the second time period, the battery is discharged to provide the system output voltage via the node. The system output voltage is a regulated DC voltage output by the programmable power supply circuit at the node during the first time period.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: The charging or discharging of the battery is enabled or disabled via a charger transistor, which is connected in series with the first DC-DC converter and the battery via the node.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising: During the charging period or the second period, a first switching device electrically coupled in parallel with the charger transistor is closed to bypass the charger transistor.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising: During the charging period or the second period, a second switching device electrically coupled in parallel with the first DC-DC converter is closed to enable direct charging or discharging between the battery and the node.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising: The first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter are operated, the second DC-DC converter being electrically coupled between the programmable power supply circuit and the charger transistor, wherein one of the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter is an unregulated converter, and the other of the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter is a regulated converter.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein, The charger transistor is electrically coupled between the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein, The first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter are electrically coupled in parallel.

24. A controller for controlling a charging circuit, the controller comprising: A memory configured to store a set of instructions; One or more processors, coupled to the memory and configured to execute the set of instructions to cause the controller to perform operations, said operations including: Based on battery information received from the electrical device to be charged and one or more characteristic parameters, a target charging mode is selected from multiple charging mode candidates. as well as The charging circuit adjusts one or more operating parameters based on the selected target charging mode to charge the electrical device.

25. The controller according to claim 24, wherein, The one or more characteristic parameters include data associated with the electrical equipment, including equipment type, user usage pattern of the electrical equipment, location information, positioning information, time information, movement information, equipment temperature information, ambient temperature information, real-time power consumption information, real-time carbon emission information, historical power consumption information, or any combination thereof.

26. The controller according to claim 25, wherein, The device temperature information includes one or more of the average device temperature, maximum device temperature, or device surface temperature.

27. The controller according to claim 24, wherein, The battery information includes the battery's state of charge, battery health status, temperature, or a combination thereof.

28. The controller according to claim 24, wherein, The operation also includes: The charging circuit adjusts one or more operating parameters based on the selected target charging mode to adjust the charging efficiency or charging power or the time to reach the full charge percentage of the battery.

29. The controller according to claim 24, wherein, The one or more operating parameters are associated with one or more of the following: the voltage level of the supply voltage output by the adjustable voltage source of the charging circuit, the architecture of the charging circuit, or the power flow direction of one or more power converters of the charging circuit.

30. The controller according to claim 24, wherein, The operation also includes: Based on the selected target charging mode, one or more power converters of the charging circuit are selectively enabled or disabled.

31. The controller according to claim 24, wherein, The operation also includes: Based on the selected target charging mode, the voltage level of the supply voltage output by the adjustable voltage source of the charging circuit is selectively controlled.

32. The controller according to claim 24, wherein, The operation also includes: Based on the selected target charging mode, the power flow direction of one or more power converters in the charging circuit is selectively controlled.

33. The controller according to claim 32, wherein, The controller is configured to control the target power converter to receive input power from a first terminal and provide output power through a second terminal in response to the selection of a first charging mode, and is also configured to control the target power converter to receive the input power from the second terminal and provide the output power through the first terminal in response to the selection of a second charging mode.

34. The controller according to claim 33, wherein, The controller is configured to disable the target power converter in response to the selection of a third charging mode, thereby preventing power from flowing through the target power converter.

35. The controller according to claim 24, wherein, The operation also includes: Based on the selected target charging mode, one or more switching devices are selectively enabled or disabled to bypass the charger transistors of the charging circuit.

36. The controller according to claim 24, wherein, The operation also includes: In response to detecting a mode selection command from a user, the target charging mode is selected from the plurality of charging mode candidates according to the mode selection command.

37. The controller according to claim 24, wherein, The operation also includes: Based on the selected target charging mode and the architecture of the charging circuit, a number of operating parameters for operating the charging circuit are determined.

38. The controller according to claim 37, wherein, The operation also includes: Based on the target charging mode and the architecture of the charging circuit, the corresponding target set of the selected multiple operating parameters is retrieved from multiple candidate sets of the multiple operating parameters stored in the second memory.

39. The controller according to claim 38, wherein, Each candidate set is associated with one of the plurality of charging mode candidates and the architecture of the charging circuit, and is obtained by the processor.

40. The controller according to claim 39, wherein, Each candidate set is obtained by the processor by applying a neural network to process multiple input parameters.

41. The controller according to claim 40, wherein, The input parameters for the neural network include the target charging mode, the architecture of the charging circuit, the ambient temperature, and the battery information.

42. The controller according to claim 40, wherein, The neural network is configured to perform regression between the set of the plurality of operating parameters and the corresponding charging efficiency or the corresponding charging power or the time to reach the percentage of the battery fully charged.

43. The controller according to claim 40, wherein, The neural network is a perceptron network, a classifier network, an optimization network, or any combination thereof.

44. The controller according to claim 24, wherein, The operation also includes: The target charging mode is changed during the charging cycle of the battery.

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