Battery Management Infrastructure

Abstract

Briefly, disclosed herein are example architectures and / or circuit topologies that may be implemented in whole or in part to facilitate and / or support one or more operations and / or techniques for a battery management infrastructure, such as for use with one or more power converters that may comprise one or more switched capacitor power converters.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 165,519, filed March 24, 2021, entitled “Battery Management Infrastructure,” the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to power conversion, and more particularly to a battery management infrastructure for use with power converters, which may comprise, for example, switched capacitor power converters. [Background technology]

[0003] At times, some electronic devices, such as portable electronic devices (e.g., smartphones, laptops, tablet computers, etc.), may be used while plugged into an alternating current (AC) power source. During this time, a battery manager or similar device or system may, if appropriate, charge an associated battery and provide power to operate the portable electronic device itself. In some cases, for example, if the AC power source is disconnected, the battery manager or similar device or system may switch over and the battery may provide power to the electronic device. At times, increased demands on various loads in battery-powered portable electronic devices may shorten battery life. To address these or similar challenges, in some cases, greater battery cell counts may be incorporated into such devices. However, as the battery depletes, this may result in longer battery charging times. Thus, how to implement more effective and / or more efficient battery management, for example, to extend battery life or shorten battery charging times, continues to be an area of ​​development. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0004] Although the subject matter is described with particularity throughout the specification, both as to organization and / or method of operation, together with its objects, features, and / or advantages, can best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an implementation of an example battery management infrastructure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example charging circuit implementation with one or more respective charge pumps. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example charging circuit implementation with one or more respective charge pumps. [Figure 4] 2 shows a graph of battery charging current. [Diagram 5] 2 shows a graph of battery charging voltage. [Figure 6] 1 illustrates one implementation of a CC-CV charging transistor or charger. [Figure 7A] 1 shows one implementation of an integrated CP and BKBST converter topology. [Figure 7B] 7B shows a first embodiment of a tunable version of the inductor of FIG. 7A. [Figure 7C] 7B shows a second embodiment of a tunable version of the inductor of FIG. 7A. [Figure 8] 1 illustrates an implementation of an example integrated buck converter topology. [Figure 9] 1 illustrates an implementation of an example two-phase integrated Buck converter topology. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an implementation of an example system bus converter. [Figure 11A] ~ [Figure 11C] 1 illustrates example implementations of various circuit topologies. [Figure 12] 1 illustrates example implementations of various circuit topologies. [Figure 13] 1 illustrates example implementations of various circuit topologies. [Figure 14] 1 illustrates example implementations of various circuit topologies. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an implementation of an example load switch. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a system that may include a local network (eg, a second device and a computer-readable medium) and / or another type of network, such as a computing and / or communication network. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0005] In the following detailed description, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which like reference characters may indicate corresponding and / or similar parts throughout.

[0006] Disclosed herein are several example architectures and / or circuit topologies that may be used in whole or in part to facilitate and / or support one or more operations and / or techniques for a battery management infrastructure, such as for use with one or more power converters that may comprise one or more switched capacitor power converters. As discussed in more detail below, in one or more particular embodiments, the battery management infrastructure may incorporate, for example, one or more charge pumps (CPs) and / or hybrid converters to facilitate and / or support power delivery in and / or for, for example, battery-powered portable electronic devices. To clarify the description of one or more concepts, reference is made at times to one or more particular circuits and / or topologies, such as, for example, a particular switched capacitor circuit and / or a particular switched capacitor circuit topology. However, it should be understood that such references are provided merely as examples and should not be construed as limiting.

[0007] It should be noted that throughout this disclosure, "charge pump" should be broadly construed to refer to a variety of charge pumps such as resonant charge pumps (e.g., charge pumps with inductive elements, LC filters, etc.), non-resonant charge pumps, adiabatic, partially adiabatic, non-adiabatic, fully resonant, partially resonant, etc., to name just a few. In general, for example, in higher power applications, a resonant charge pump may be used, and in lower power applications, a non-resonant charge pump may be used.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating one implementation of an example battery management infrastructure 100. In one implementation, the battery management infrastructure 100 can include, for example, a portable electronic device, shown as a mobile device 102 (e.g., a smartphone, a laptop, a tablet computer, etc.). The mobile device 102 can be capable of receiving power (e.g., to facilitate and / or support charging of a battery or battery stack 104) via, for example, a wired power supply path (e.g., USB-C, etc.), generally referenced via arrow 106. It should be noted that the terms "battery" and "battery stack" can be used interchangeably herein. The mobile device 102 can also be capable of receiving power (e.g., to facilitate and / or support charging of a battery 104) via, for example, a wireless power supply path (e.g., Qi, etc.), generally referenced via arrow 108. It should be noted that the particular power supply path can depend, at least in part, on the capabilities of the mobile device, among other aspects. For example, a smartphone can be capable of receiving power via a wired as well as a wireless power supply path, and a laptop computer can be capable of receiving power via a wired power supply path. It should also be noted that in some cases, for example, the mobile device 102 may be able to provide power if a load is connected to an appropriate USB cable, such as USB cables 122 and / or 124 discussed below.

[0009] Also as shown, one or more adapters, such as AC / DC adapters 110 and 112, may be used to facilitate and / or support the power delivery. In at least one implementation, the AC / DC adapters 110 and / or 112 may comprise, for example, a Type C USB travel adapter that may be attached to a wall outlet that provides AC voltage. In some cases, with respect to the wireless power delivery path 108, the AC / DC adapter 110 may provide DC voltage (e.g., to generate higher frequency AC) via, for example, a USB cable 122 to an inverter 114 that may be part of the wireless transmitter 116. Also as shown, the wireless transmitter 116 and / or the inverter 114 may comprise a first coil that may be in proximity to a second coil within the mobile device 102 to form an air core transformer, generally referenced 118. The air core transformer 118 may, for example, allow energy provided by the first coil to be available to the second coil so that such energy may be used to charge an applicable battery (e.g., battery 104, etc.), as discussed in more detail below. The voltage provided via the air core transformer 118 may be rectified using one or more applicable techniques, for example via a suitable circuit, which in one particular implementation may include, for example, a bridge rectifier and a low dropout regulator (LDO) 120, and such rectified voltage may then be provided within the mobile device 102 (e.g., as 20-30 VDC, etc.).

[0010] In one implementation, with respect to the wired power supply path 106, for example, the AC / DC adapter 112 can provide power to the mobile device 102 directly, for example, via a suitable USB cable 124. Depending on the implementation, the power provided to the mobile device 102 via the wired power supply path 106 can range between 5 volts and 50 volts, which in turn can depend at least in part on the particular mobile device 102, its usage, etc. Although not shown, the battery management infrastructure 100 and / or the mobile device 102 can further comprise one or more suitable controllers, for example, to facilitate and / or support one or more battery management related operations and / or techniques. For example, at times, such one or more controllers can provide one or more control signals to a suitable control circuit CTRL 126. In one implementation, the CTRL 126 may be capable of communicating with the AC / DC adapter 112 and / or 110, which may involve sending one or more appropriate commands (e.g., digital information, etc.) via the USB cable 124 and / or the air gap of the air core transformer 118 (as shown via link 127 and USB cable 122). Such one or more commands may, for example, instruct the AC / DC adapter 112 and / or 110 to provide a regulated input voltage and / or current to charge the battery 104 or to adjust the AC voltage output of the inverter 114. This may be useful, for example, in implementations where the mobile device 102 may not have voltage regulation capabilities (e.g., may have a charge pump, may not have the necessary switches, etc.), but may provide a desired voltage to the battery depending on the applicable AC / DC adapter, for example, via appropriate control circuitry (e.g., the CTRL 126, etc.).

[0011] In one implementation, regulated power can be provided to the battery 104 alternately via the wired power supply path 106, for example by closing switch S2 and opening switch S1, or via the wireless power supply path 108, for example by closing switch S1 and opening switch S2. The CTRL 126 and / or other suitable circuitry in the mobile device 102 can determine which power supply path to use to provide regulated power to the battery 104, for example by closing and / or opening switches S1 and S2. In some cases, the bypass switch S3 can be used at least in part to facilitate and / or support a fixed input voltage (e.g., 5V, etc.) from a legacy AC / DC converter. As shown, in some cases, the bypass switch S3 can allow the regulated power to skip the charge pump (CP) stage 128 (e.g., 2:1, etc.) by closing switch S3 and opening switch S2. As can also be seen, the output of the charge pump stage 128 can provide an input to a charging circuit 130 having one or more charge pumps (e.g., CP / 3L), which charges the battery 104 and / or supplies a system voltage V SYS It will also be appreciated that one or more suitable power architectures for charging circuitry, generally referenced 132, incorporating one or more charge pumps, can be implemented in whole or in part within the battery management infrastructure 100, for example, to facilitate and / or support charging of the battery 104.

[0012] 2 and 3 are schematic diagrams illustrating example charging circuit implementations including one or more respective charge pumps (CP / CHRG circuits) 200, 300. In some cases, the CP / CHRG circuits 200, 300 may be implemented, for example, in whole or in part, instead of or in addition to the charging circuit 132 of FIG. 1. The CP / CHRG circuits 200, 300 may, for example, facilitate and / or support charging of the respective batteries 202, 302 and may convert a system voltage V SYScan be provided.

[0013] As shown, depending on the implementation, the conversion ratio of the initial CP 204, 304 may be fixed (e.g., 2x, 3x, 4x, etc.) or may be reconfigurable. In some implementations, each CP / CHRG circuit 200, 300 may include, for example, an additional CP (e.g., fixed conversion ratio or reconfigurable) 214, 314, a buck-boost (BKBST) converter 206, 306, and a control signal V C The charging transistors 208, 308 may include a constant current, constant voltage (CC-CV) charging transistor controlled by a . The CC-CV charging transistors 208 and 308 may be connected in series with the respective batteries (e.g., 202 and 302) to regulate and / or control the battery charging, for example. Particular examples of CC-CV charging transistors or simply CC-CV chargers are discussed in more detail below. In some implementations, the CP 214 and / or 314 and / or the BKBST converter 206 and / or 306 may incorporate gallium nitride (GaN) or any other suitable compound semiconductor switches, as also discussed below.

[0014] Each CP / CHRG circuit 200, 300 may further comprise, for example, a respective bypass switch 210, 310. Such bypass switch 210, 310 may be used, for example, to bypass an associated CP (e.g., CP 204, CP 304, etc.) if appropriate or desired. By way of example and not limitation, if the voltage provided via the USB source is non-programmable (e.g., fixed, etc.) and / or relatively low (e.g., about 5 volts, etc.), the CP (e.g., initial CP 204, 304, etc.) may not be capable of providing a more accurate or otherwise suitable voltage to the applicable battery (e.g., 202, 302, etc.), and thus the CP may be bypassed, for example, via closing the applicable bypass switch (e.g., switch 210, 310, etc.). Typically, but not necessarily, a CP may be useful with a relatively high voltage, programmable voltage supply, etc.

[0015] Because the BKBST converter 206, 306 may be capable of receiving a relatively wide input range and providing a relatively wide output range for the battery, the BKBST converter 206, 306 may be used, at least in part, to support one or more legacy type applications. For example, as indicated above, if the voltage provided via the USB source is non-programmable (e.g., fixed, etc.) and / or relatively low (e.g., may require boosting), the initial CP (e.g., 204, 304, etc.) may be bypassed and routed to an applicable BKBST converter (e.g., 206, 306, etc.). With respect to the BKBST converter, a back plane or feature may be used to lower the voltage provided from the USB, and a boost plane or feature may be used to increase the voltage provided from the USB, for example, using one or more suitable techniques that facilitate and / or support proper battery charging.

[0016] According to some implementations, the battery 202, 302 can be charged through several phases, such as preconditioning, constant current, and constant voltage. In some cases, these phases can be further subdivided, for example, into several sub-phases or zones. By way of example, these sub-phases or zones can include, for example, a trickle charge phase, a pre-charge phase, a constant current (CC) phase, and a constant voltage (CV) or taper phase. In these or similar charging phases, the charger can, for example, monitor one or more applicable temperatures and reduce the charging current, for example, if a particular monitored temperature meets or exceeds its threshold. By way of example and not of limitation, FIGS. 4 and 5 show graphs of battery charging current and battery charging voltage, respectively. With reference also to the accompanying tables 402, 502, in the trickle charge phase, the battery can be charged at a trickle current I TC During the precharge phase, the battery is charged with the precharge current I PC The battery voltage is VCC1 When the threshold is exceeded, the battery is charged with, for example, a first fast-charging constant current I CC1 The battery voltage is V CC2 If the threshold is exceeded, the second fast charge constant current I CC2 When the battery voltage is V REG When this occurs, the battery REG The charge current is gradually reduced as the battery approaches full charge. The point at which the charge pump (CP) operation switches to the switcher (SW) operation during the taper or constant voltage phase can be determined by various trigger points, e.g., time, voltage, current, etc. When the battery current reaches I TERM When this is reached, charging is complete.

[0017] 2 and 3, the charging of the battery 202, 302 can be controlled in whole or in part by a charging transistor, such as a CC-CV charging transistor 208, 308, which supplies the system bus V SYS can be isolated from the battery 202, 302. Even if the battery 202, 302 is depleted, V SYS For example, the may be adjusted above a minimum or otherwise suitable system voltage level that may otherwise prevent one or more downstream loads from operating satisfactorily. In some cases, there may be a requirement that a particular system be able to operate without the presence of a battery.

[0018] In some cases, for example, if the battery 202, 302 falls below a particular system voltage level (e.g., below a minimum voltage level), then the corresponding CC-CV charging transistor 208, 308 may operate in a linear or LDO mode, such that V SYS and the battery voltage V BAT In another example, the battery voltage V BATrises above a particular system voltage level (e.g., above a minimum voltage level), the corresponding CC-CV charging transistor 208, 308, for example, rises above the minimum V DS In some cases, the CC-CV charging transistors 208, 308 may be turned off in one or more "sleep" states to reduce current draw in the battery. The CC-CV charging transistors 208, 308 may also be turned off in one or more preconditioning stages (e.g., I TC &I PC ) may be able to at least partially control the charging current.

[0019] In one implementation, to further reduce this voltage drop, an optional low on-resistance (low R ON ) switch can be placed in parallel with the CC-CV charging transistor (e.g., because the CC-CV charging transistor can act as a parasitic element). Thus, in some implementations, another switch (e.g., a lower resistance switch, etc.) can be placed in parallel with the CC-CV charging transistor and can be turned on to mitigate undesirable parasitic effects. For example, various materials can be incorporated into the CC-CV charging transistor or similar switch, such as GaN, silicon carbide (SiC), or any other suitable compound.

[0020] Thus, in one implementation, V SYS A charging transistor, such as CC-CV charging transistor 208, 308, can be connected between the V SYS It may be useful to allow for a voltage drop across the battery. In the embodiment of FIG. SYS For example, connect the CP214 directly to V SYSThis can be done, for example, to provide power to one or more systems that drain or require a significant amount of power (e.g., more than the battery 202 can provide). SYS In the embodiment of FIG. 3, for example, the battery 302 may have a significant amount of power (e.g., V SYS If a larger amount of power is required, for example, CP314 of the charging circuit 316 can be connected directly to the battery 302. As an example, if the battery has a very high charging capacity, such as in a mobile phone, it may be useful to implement the embodiment of FIG. 3. Then, V SYS When is large, for example, V SYS When powering a larger microprocessor (eg, in a laptop) and battery charging speed is less important, it may be useful to implement the embodiment of FIG.

[0021] By way of example and not limitation, a particular implementation of a CC-CV charging transistor or charger is illustrated in Figure 6. As can be seen, a controller 600 for a battery 602 (which may comprise multiple cells) may, for example, receive one or more measurements (e.g., temperature (TEMP), battery current I, etc.) to facilitate and / or support, for example, one or more battery charging operations and / or techniques. BAT , V REG , V SYS , one or more current points, voltage points, etc.) may be obtained. For example, based at least in part on processing the obtained measurements (e.g., matching currents, voltages, etc.), the controller 600 may select an appropriate control voltage V C may be applied to a CC-CV charging transistor or charger 608 to manage one or more applicable and / or appropriate phases, such as those discussed above. FIG. 6 also illustrates the use of a low R ON An example of a bypass switch 610 is shown.

[0022] As shown in Figure 7A, in one implementation, a portion of the CP / CHRG circuit 200 from Figure 2, including CP214 and BKBST converter 206, can be integrated into circuit 700. For example, boost mode can be achieved by closing switches S61, S62 and opening switches S63, S64. For example, buck mode can be achieved by closing switch S71 and opening switch S72. Capacitor C71 provides output smoothing and charge storage.

[0023] In some cases, V SYS The output voltage is determined by the adjustable inductance L V 7. The inductor 702 may be regulated by modulating the voltage at the input of the inductor 702, shown as . This may require a higher inductance value and / or a higher switching frequency. Sometimes, for example when voltage regulation is not needed or otherwise useful, the voltage at the input of the inductor 702 may not be modulated, which may require a lower inductance and / or a lower switching frequency.

[0024] In some cases, an adjustable inductance L can be provided by opening and closing a switch that adds or subtracts one or more additional inductors. V can be achieved. For example, FIG. 7B shows a first embodiment of a tunable version of inductor 702 of FIG. 7A. By opening switch S11, the inductance is the series sum of inductors L11 and L12, while by closing switch S11, the inductance is only L11. As another example, FIG. 7C shows a second embodiment of a tunable version of inductor 702 of FIG. 7A. By opening switch S21, the inductance is only L22, while by closing switch S21, the inductance is L21 in parallel with L22.

[0025] In some cases, a tunable inductor L may be used, for example, via changing the inductance of the inductor by passing a current through the inductor. V For example, an adjustable inductor L V may have three terminals, two of which are standard terminals. The third terminal may be where a bias current is passed through the inductor, which may saturate part of the inductor core, which in turn may lower its inductance. Thus, in some cases, a switch, for example to regulate the output voltage, may not be necessary or otherwise useful.

[0026] According to one implementation, in buck mode, there can be two modes of operation: regulated buck mode or unregulated buck mode. Unregulated mode can involve operating a charge pump (CP), and regulated mode can involve operating a buck converter. For example, in unregulated mode, for example in a 2X charge pump, S61 and S63 can be closed (turned on) with S62 and S64 open, which can charge the capacitor C61 of the CP, and the output cycle can be when S64 and S62 are closed (turned on) with S61 and S63 open, and so on. By alternating between these states, a 2X voltage divider can be created. However, a third state can be added to regulate. For example, a ground state can be added to the input of inductor 702 by turning on S63 and S64, or S61 and S62 can be turned on to charge V IN can be connected to inductor 702. IN Thus, depending on the duty cycle, V IN / 2 to ground or V IN / 2 and V IN The output voltage V SYS can be adjusted.

[0027] By way of example and not limitation, the operation of one example of an integrated CP and BKBST converter is shown below in Table 1. It should be noted that in some cases, dead-time states can be added between states A through E.

[0028] [Table 1]

[0029] Table 2 below shows the different modes that can be achieved by cycling between the states shown in Table 1.

[0030] [Table 2]

[0031] Although not shown in Figure 7A, it should also be noted that, for example, a suitable controller may be used at least in part to facilitate and / or support operation of the integrated CP and BKBST converters. For example, the controller may include level shifter circuitry, gate driver circuitry, control circuitry (e.g., turning on and off applicable switches, etc.), etc.

[0032] Figure 8 shows an implementation of an example integrated buck converter topology 800 in which the CP and buck-boost converters are integrated into a buck-only design by removing switches S71 and S72 from the integrated topology of Figure 7. This implementation can improve buck-boost efficiency, at least in part, by removing one series switch (S71).

[0033] FIG. 9 illustrates an implementation of an example two-phase integrated buck converter topology 900 in which two examples of CP and buck converters (denoted by unprimed and primed reference numbers) (see, e.g., FIG. 8) are integrated into a two-phase buck-only design. The two-phase design can be useful when there are significant increases or jumps in the input voltage. In some cases, the two-phase design can also reduce noise on the input voltage. The two-phase design can operate in a similar manner as discussed above (e.g., operate as a CP, buck, multi-level) and can be used to reduce the noise of the V C A charging transistor 608, such as a CC-CV charging transistor, controlled by a control signal may also be provided. C The control signals can be provided via applicable control circuitry that can communicate with a suitable controller (e.g., see FIG. 6) to facilitate and / or support proper charging of the battery 602 (e.g., by sensing current to the battery, measuring the state of charge, etc.), also as discussed above.

[0034] 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an implementation of an example system bus converter 1000, in which a suitable charging circuit with CP can be used to charge V SYS In some cases, V SYS can be used, at least in part, as inputs to various power converters to provide different power converter outputs. Thus, as shown, example power converter combinations can include those shown in Table 3.

[0035] [Table 3]

[0036] In one implementation, module 2 may be the same or similar to module 1, but may have a phase-shifted switching frequency, which may allow for a higher output current, for example.

[0037] 11A-C through 14 show implementations of various converter circuit topology examples. In this example, FIG. 11A shows an inductance L, an input-side series switch S H1 , and the input side shunt switch S L1 FIG. 11B shows a buck (BK) topology with an inductance L and an output-side series switch S in this example. H2 , and output side shunt switch S L2 FIG. 11C shows a boost (BST) topology with an inductance L and an input-side series switch S H3 , input side shunt switch S L3 , output series switch S H4 , and output side shunt switch S L4 As should be apparent from other examples of the present disclosure, the inductance L in FIGS. 11A-C is replaced by a variable inductance L V can be used.

[0038] FIG. 12 shows an example of a charge pump (CP) topology with three capacitors C1, C2, C3 and an associated set of series and shunt switches marked by their respective timing phases (1 or 2).

[0039] FIG. 13 shows the circuit of FIG. 8, but with the addition of a capacitor C A , series switch S A , and shunt switch S B The operating conditions will be similar to those specified in Table 1 above.

[0040] FIG. 14 shows a circuit similar to that of FIG. 7A, but with an additional capacitor C after the inductor 702. B , series switch S C , and shunt switch S DThis topology can facilitate and / or support operating the buck-boost charger as a CP or as a multi-level buck-boost. Again, the operating conditions would be similar to those defined in Table 1 above.

[0041] Depending on the implementation, the example circuit topologies shown in Figures 11A-C through 14 may be used, for example, in whole or in part, to facilitate and / or support one or more battery management operations and / or techniques, such as those discussed above.

[0042] FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example circuit topology 1500 that can be used in whole or in part to implement, for example, one or more load switches. Typically, USB protocols may require the use of a load switch, which is a switch that blocks voltage via opening a connector on a mobile device and disconnecting the rest of the device (e.g., a phone or laptop). In some cases, for example, a load switch may be implemented as a bidirectional switch, which may allow forward and / or reverse power to be stopped. A typical MOSFET may have a body diode in parallel with it. Thus, to prevent the body diodes from conducting, it may be useful to connect two switches in series, with the body diodes of the switches facing each other or away from each other (i.e., in opposite directions). A control circuit may set a voltage to turn on one or more load switches associated with the circuit topology 1500, and may measure the current I through a particular load switch (e.g., to detect overcurrent, etc.). SEN1 , I SEN2 It can also sense the following:

[0043] In one implementation, two load switches can be used. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, a first load switch 1502 with a first pair of series-connected MOSFET switches Sw1, Sw2 is connected directly between the USB bus and the charge pump CP, and a second load switch 1504 with a second pair of series-connected MOSFET switches Sw3, Sw4 is connected between the USB bus and nearby CP1506 to act as a bypass path. In legacy applications (e.g., older, lower voltage, etc.), there may be an input voltage of 5V, 9V, 15V, or 20V, in which case CP1506 can be bypassed. In high voltage applications, such as where there may be an input voltage of about 28V, 36V, or 48V, then CP1506 can be utilized to reduce the output voltage to the charger system.

[0044] As also discussed, a controller may communicate with various elements to facilitate and / or support proper battery charging (e.g., sense input voltage, determine which load switches to turn on, etc.). For example, FIG. 15 shows a USB bus line, I, connected to the gates of switch pair Sw1, Sw2 of a first load switch 1502 and switch pair Sw3, Sw4 of a second load switch 1504 to select a current path (through or around CP 1506) to open or close the switch pairs. SEN1 and I SEN2 4 shows a control circuit CTRL configured to sense the upper current.

[0045] Furthermore, because certain load switches are placed before the charge pump, there may be no need or use of high voltage disconnect switches in the charge pump; if appropriate, the load switches can be used as disconnect switches.

[0046] The load switch (e.g., load switches 1502, 1504) may also be capable of protecting one or more GaN devices that may be located downstream. The GaN devices may be constructed, for example, as normally-on or normally-off devices, although normally-off devices may generally be considered superior to normally-on devices. For example, the use of normally-on GaN devices may create safety concerns. Thus, the load switch may be used to turn off the power to protect downstream GaN devices, if necessary. The load switch may be implemented with any suitable combination of one or more other protection circuits or elements (e.g., disconnect switches, etc.), which may depend on the particular implementation. It may also be possible for the master controller 1508 to coordinate between several system or other elements to facilitate one or more appropriate operations and / or processes, negotiating between the load switch, the GaN devices, the charge pumps, etc. It should also be noted that in some implementations, the load switch may also be capable of controlling the slew rate of applicable voltage transitions (e.g., positive, negative), such as the voltage transitions at CP 1506.

[0047] Example System Implementations In an example embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, an embodiment of a system can comprise a local network (e.g., second device 1604 and computer readable medium 1640) and / or another type of network, such as a computing and / or communication network. For purposes of illustration, therefore, FIG. 16 illustrates an embodiment of a system 1600 that can be used to implement either or both types of networks. The network 1608 can comprise one or more network connections, links, processes, services, applications, and / or resources that facilitate and / or support communications, such as, for example, exchange of communication signals, between, for example, the first computing device 1602 and the third computing device 1606, which can comprise, for example, one or more client computing devices and / or one or more server computing devices. By way of example and not limitation, the network 1608 can include wireless and / or wired communication links, telephone and / or telecommunication systems, Wi-Fi networks, Wi-MAX networks, the Internet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or any combination thereof.

[0048] Referring now to FIG. 16, in one embodiment, the first and third devices 1602 and 1606 may be capable of rendering a graphical user interface (GUI) for network devices and / or computing devices, such as to allow a user operator to engage in the use of the system. The second device 1604 may potentially perform a similar function in this figure. Similarly, in FIG. 16, the first device 1602 may interface with the second device 1604, which may, for example, in one embodiment, also include features of a client computing device and / or a server computing device. The processor (e.g., processing device) 1620 and the memory 1622, which may comprise a primary memory 1624 and a secondary memory 1626, may communicate, for example, by a communication bus 1615. The term "computing device" in the context of this patent application refers to a system and / or device, such as a computing apparatus, capable of processing (e.g., performing calculations) and / or storing digital content, such as electronic files, electronic documents, measurements, text, images, video, audio, etc., in the form of signals and / or states. Thus, in the context of this patent application, a computing device may include hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof (excluding software itself). The second device 1604, as shown in FIG. 16, is merely an example and claimed subject matter is not limited in scope to this particular example.

[0049] In FIG. 16, the first device 1602 can provide one or more sources of executable computer instructions, for example, in the form of physical states and / or signals (e.g., stored in memory states). The first device 1602 can communicate with the second device 1604, for example, by a network connection, such as via a network 1608. The connection may be physical, but not necessarily tangible. Although the second device 1604 in FIG. 16 shows various tangible physical components, the claimed subject matter is not limited to computing devices having only these tangible components, as other implementations and / or embodiments can include alternative configurations that can include, for example, additional or fewer tangible components that function differently but achieve similar results. Rather, the examples are provided merely as illustrations. It is not intended that the claimed subject matter be limited in scope to the illustrative examples.

[0050] In certain implementations, one or more of the computing devices 1602, 1604, and / or 1606 may include one or more power converter circuits, such as one or more example circuits described herein. In certain implementations, a two-stage power converter circuit, such as one or more example circuits described herein, may be utilized to provide power to any of a wide range of circuit types, processors, memory devices, communication interfaces, etc. Additionally, in certain implementations, one or more of the computing devices 1602, 1604, and / or 1606 may include circuits, processors, oscillators, etc. that control various functionality and / or operations associated with the two-stage power converter.

[0051] Memory 1622 may comprise any non-transitory storage mechanism. Memory 1622 may comprise, for example, a primary memory 1624 and a secondary memory 1626, and additional memory circuits, mechanisms, or combinations thereof may be used. Memory 1622 may comprise, for example, random access memory, read-only memory, etc., in the form of, for example, one or more storage devices and / or systems, such as, for example, disk drives, including, for example, optical disk drives, tape drives, solid state memory drives, etc., just to name a few.

[0052] The memory 1622 can be utilized to store a program of executable computer instructions. For example, the processor 1620 can fetch executable instructions from the memory and proceed with the execution of the fetched instructions. The memory 1622 can also comprise a memory controller for accessing a computer readable medium 1640 that can carry and / or make accessible, for example, digital content that can include executable code and / or instructions, by the processor 1620 and / or some other device, such as, for example, a controller that can execute computer instructions. Under the direction of the processor 1620, a non-transitory memory, such as a memory cell that stores a physical state (e.g., a memory state), having, for example, a program of executable computer instructions, can be executed by the processor 1620 to enable, for example, the generation of a signal to be communicated over a network, as previously described. As also previously suggested, the generated signal can also be stored in the memory.

[0053] Memory 1622 may store electronic files and / or electronic documents such as those associated with one or more users, and may also comprise a computer-readable medium capable of carrying and / or making accessible content, including, for example, executable code and / or instructions, by processor 1620 and / or some other device, such as, by way of example, a controller capable of executing computer instructions. The terms electronic file and / or electronic document are used throughout this document to refer to a set of stored memory states and / or a set of physical signals that are associated in such a way as to form an electronic file and / or electronic document. That is, it is not meant to implicitly refer to a particular syntax, format and / or approach used with respect to, for example, a set of associated memory states and / or a set of associated physical signals. It is further noted that the association of memory states is, for example, in a logical sense, and not necessarily in a tangible physical sense. Thus, while the signal and / or state components of an electronic file and / or electronic document should be logically associated, for example, their storage may reside in one or more different locations within a tangible physical memory, in one embodiment.

[0054] 16, the processor 1620 may comprise one or more circuits, such as digital circuits, that implement at least a portion of a computational procedure and / or process. By way of example and not limitation, the processor 1620 may comprise one or more processors, such as a controller, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit, a digital signal processor, a programmable logic device, a field programmable gate array, or the like, or any combination thereof. In various implementations and / or embodiments, the processor 1620 may perform signal processing, typically substantially in accordance with fetched executable computer instructions, such as to manipulate, construct, etc., signals and / or states, e.g., signals and / or states generated in a manner that may be communicated and / or stored in memory.

[0055] FIG. 16 also illustrates the second device 1604 as including an input / output component 1632 operable with, for example, an input / output device, such that signals and / or states can be appropriately communicated between devices, such as the second device 1604 and an input device and / or the second device 1604 and an output device. The user can utilize an input device, such as a computer mouse, a stylus, a trackball, a keyboard, and / or any other similar device that can receive a user's actions and / or movements as input signals. Similarly, in a device with speech-to-text capabilities, the user can speak into the device to generate input signals. The user can utilize an output device, such as a display, a printer, and / or any other device that can provide a signal to the user and / or generate stimuli, such as visual stimuli, audio stimuli, and / or other similar stimuli.

[0056] Words, phrases, and contexts It will be understood that the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, e.g., for simplicity and / or clarity of the figures. For example, dimensions of some aspects may be exaggerated relative to others. Additionally, it should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized. Additionally, structural and / or other changes may be made without departing from the claimed subject matter. References to the "subject matter" throughout this specification refer to the subject matter intended to be covered by one or more implementations, or any portion thereof, and are not necessarily intended to refer to a complete implementation, a particular combination of implementations, or any portion thereof. It should also be noted that directions and / or references, e.g., upper, lower, top, bottom, etc., may be used to facilitate discussion of the drawings and are not intended to limit the application of the particular subject matter. Thus, the following detailed description should not be construed as limiting the subject matter and / or equivalents thereof.

[0057] References throughout this specification to an implementation, an embodiment, an embodiment, an embodiment, etc., mean that a particular feature, structure, characteristic, etc. described in connection with a particular implementation and / or embodiment is included in at least one implementation and / or embodiment of the subject matter. Thus, for example, the appearance of such phrases in various places throughout this specification is not necessarily intended to refer to the same implementation and / or embodiment, or to any one particular implementation and / or embodiment. Furthermore, it should be understood that the particular features, structures, characteristics, etc. described can be combined in various ways in one or more implementations and / or embodiments and thus are within the intended scope. Of course, as is always the case generally in the specification of a patent application, these and other issues may vary in the particular context of use. In other words, throughout this disclosure, the particular context of description and / or use provides useful guidance regarding the reasonable inferences to be drawn. However, similarly, "in this context" generally refers, without further limitation, to at least the context of this patent application.

[0058] In the context of this patent application, the terms "connection", "component" and / or similar terms are intended to be physical, but not necessarily always tangible. Thus, whether these terms refer to tangible subject matter may vary in the particular context of use. As an example, a tangible connection and / or tangible connection path may be created by a tangible electrical connection, such as a conductive path including a metal or other conductor capable of passing an electric current between two tangible components. Similarly, as is typically the case, a tangible connection path may be at least partially influenced and / or controlled such that the tangible connection path may be opened or closed when resulting from the influence of one or more externally derived signals, such as an external current and / or voltage, as for an electrical switch. Non-limiting examples of electrical switches include transistors, diodes, and the like. However, a "connection" and / or "component" in the particular context of use may also be physical, but non-tangible, such as a connection between a client and a server over a network, particularly a wireless network, which generally refers to the ability of the client and server to send, receive, and / or exchange communications, as will be discussed in more detail below.

[0059] In certain contexts of use, such as in certain contexts where tangible components are discussed, the terms "coupled" and "connected" are therefore used in such a way that these terms are not synonymous. Similar terms may also be used in such a way that a similar intent is indicated. Thus, "connected" is used to indicate that, for example, two or more tangible components, etc., are in tangible direct physical contact. Thus, using the previous example, two tangible components that are electrically connected are physically connected through a tangible electrical connection, as previously discussed. However, "coupled" is used to mean that potentially two or more tangible components are in tangible direct physical contact. Nevertheless, "coupled" is also used to mean that two or more tangible components, etc., are not necessarily in tangible direct physical contact, but can cooperate, communicate, and / or interact, such as by being "optically coupled." Similarly, the term "coupled" is also understood to mean indirectly connected. It is further noted that in the context of this patent application, memory, such as memory components and / or memory states, are intended to be non-transient, and thus the term physical, at least when used with respect to memory, necessarily implies that such memory components and / or memory states are tangible, to continue the example.

[0060] Additionally, in this patent application, a distinction exists between being "on" and being "over" in certain contexts of use, such as situations where tangible components (and / or, similarly, tangible materials) are discussed. As an example, deposition of a material "on" a substrate refers in this latter example to deposition with direct physical and tangible contact between the deposited material and the substrate, with no intermediate, such as an intermediate substance. Nevertheless, deposition "over" a substrate is understood to potentially include deposition "on" a substrate (since being "on" can also be accurately described as being "over"), but also to include situations where there are one or more intermediates, such as one or more intermediate substances, between the deposited material and the substrate, and the deposited material is not necessarily in direct physical and tangible contact with the substrate.

[0061] In the appropriate particular context of use, where tangible materials and / or tangible components are discussed, a similar distinction is made between being "beneath" and being "under." In such particular context of use, "beneath" is intended to necessarily imply physical and tangible contact (similar to "on" as just explained), whereas "under" potentially includes situations where there is direct physical and tangible contact, but does not necessarily imply direct physical and tangible contact, such as when one or more intermediate substances are present. Thus, "on" is understood to mean "directly above" and "beneath" is understood to mean "directly below."

[0062] Unless otherwise indicated, in the context of this patent application, the term "or" when used to relate a list such as A, B, or C is intended to mean A, B, and C, which is used herein in an inclusive sense, and A, B, or C, which is used herein in an exclusive sense. With this understanding, "and" is used in an inclusive sense and is intended to mean A, B, and C, while "and / or" may be used with sufficient caution to make it clear that all of the foregoing meanings are intended, although such use is not required. Similarly, the term "based on" and / or similar terms are not necessarily intended to convey an exhaustive list of elements, but rather are understood to permit the presence of additional elements not necessarily explicitly recited.

[0063] In the preceding description, various aspects of the claimed subject matter have been described. For purposes of explanation, details such as quantities, systems and / or configurations have been defined by way of example. In other instances, well-known features have been omitted and / or simplified so as not to obscure the claimed subject matter. While certain features have been illustrated and / or described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes and / or equivalents will now occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is therefore to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and / or variations as fall within the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0064] The foregoing description is intended to be illustrative and not limiting of the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims, and it is to be understood that other embodiments are within the scope of the claims. In particular, the scope of the invention includes any and all practicable combinations of one or more of the processes, machines, manufactures, or compositions of matter set forth in the following claims. Thus, even if some or all of the dependent claims are written in a single dependent relationship, it is to be understood that the present application fully supports multiple dependency of such claims on some or all of the other claims. (Note that parenthetical reference numbers for claim elements are for ease of reference to such elements, and do not in themselves indicate a specific ordering or enumeration of the elements required. Moreover, such reference numbers may be reused in dependent claims as references to additional elements without being considered to initiate a conflicting coding sequence.)

Claims

1. An integrated circuit for charging a battery, comprising: a plurality of first switches connected to the one or more capacitors to form a charging circuit; Controller and Equipped with The controller: a control circuit that operates the plurality of first switches to selectively connect the one or more capacitors to one or more inductors, controls a charging circuit to operate in one of a plurality of charging modes, converts a first voltage to a second voltage, and selectively provides regulation, the second voltage being supplied by one or more inductors for each of the charging modes to charge a battery.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first voltage is an input voltage provided from a voltage source via a wired power supply path comprising a USB cable.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 2, wherein the first voltage is an input voltage from a programmable voltage supply via the USB cable.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first voltage is an input voltage provided from a voltage source via a wireless power supply path.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the controller further comprises a control circuit for controlling a load switch between a voltage source and the charging circuit.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 5, wherein the load switch is a bidirectional switch.

7. The integrated circuit of claim 5, wherein the load switch comprises a pair of MOSFET switches connected in series with body diodes arranged in opposite directions.

8. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the controller further comprises a control circuit for detecting an input current on a USB bus line.

9. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of charging modes includes an unregulated charging mode in which the charging circuit operates as a charge pump to supply the second voltage.

10. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of charging modes includes a regulated charging mode in which the charging circuit operates as a converter to provide the second voltage.

11. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of charging modes includes a first regulated charging mode and a second regulated charging mode, and the control circuitry controls the plurality of first switches to: in the first regulated charging mode, at least one of the one or more inductors is configured to be operated to selectively connect to a first terminal of at least one of the one or more capacitors, to a second terminal of at least one of the one or more capacitors, or to ground, and the plurality of first switches are configured to operate according to a first state sequence when the charging circuit is configured to operate in the first regulated charging mode; and an integrated circuit configured to operate in the second regulated charging mode to selectively connect at least one of the one or more inductors to a first terminal of at least one of the one or more capacitors or a second terminal of at least one of the one or more capacitors, and configured to operate the plurality of first switches according to a second state sequence different from the first state sequence when the charging circuit is configured to operate in the second regulated charging mode.

12. The integrated circuit of claim 1, the plurality of charging modes includes a first regulated charging mode and a second regulated charging mode; in the first regulated charging mode, the charging circuit is configured to operate the plurality of first switches to provide the regulation by modulating a voltage level at an input of the one or more inductors between an intermediate voltage level and ground, the intermediate voltage level being a voltage level between ground and a voltage level of a voltage received at a first switch of one of the plurality of first switches; and an integrated circuit configured to, in the second regulated charging mode, operate the plurality of first switches to provide the regulation by modulating a voltage level at an input of the one or more inductors between a voltage level received at the first switches and the intermediate voltage level.

13. A power converter comprising: a charging circuit configured to operate in a plurality of charging modes, including a regulated charging mode and an unregulated charging mode, for charging the battery; The charging circuit comprises: a first capacitor and a second capacitor; A plurality of switches connected in series, a first switch connected between a first terminal of the first capacitor and a first terminal of the second capacitor; a second switch connected between the second terminal of the first capacitor and the second terminal of the second capacitor; a third switch connected to the first terminal of the second capacitor; a fourth switch connected between the second terminal of the second capacitor and ground; the plurality of switches comprising: a controller configured to control the plurality of switches to operate the charging circuit in one of the charging modes; The power converter.

14. The power converter of claim 13, wherein in a first one of the charging modes, the charging circuit operates as a charge pump, and in a second one of the charging modes, the charging circuit operates as a multi-level converter.

15. The power converter of claim 13, wherein the charging circuit is configured to receive an input voltage from a voltage source via a wired power supply path or a wireless power supply path, and the charging circuit comprises a two-phase converter.

16. The power converter of claim 13, further comprising an inductance connected to the output of the charging circuit, wherein the controller supplies a first inductance value or a second inductance value lower than the first inductance value to the output of the charging circuit in response to the charging mode so as to provide different inductance values ​​in the regulated charging mode and the unregulated charging mode.

17. The power converter of claim 16, wherein the inductance comprises a plurality of inductors, and further comprising a fifth switch configured to switchably disconnect at least one of the plurality of inductors connected in series with the fifth switch.

18. A power converter as described in claim 16, wherein the inductance comprises one or more inductors connected in series, and further comprising a fifth switch configured to switchably bypass at least one of the one or more inductors connected in parallel with the fifth switch.

19. A power converter as described in claim 13, further comprising a plurality of bypass switches configured to be opened and closed to connect an input of the charging circuit to a wired power supply path or a wireless power supply path, the charging circuit comprising a multi-phase converter.

20. A battery management system for powering a battery configured to store and discharge power, comprising: a charging circuit configured to receive a first voltage, operate with one or more switching configurations of one or more capacitors and one or more inductors to convert the first voltage to a second voltage, and output the second voltage to supply power to charge the battery, the one or more inductors being connected between one or more switches and the one or more capacitors; a controller configured to control the charging circuit to operate in one of a plurality of charging modes, the charging modes including a regulated charging mode and an unregulated charging mode, and wherein power for charging the battery flows through at least one of the one or more inductors in each of the charging modes; The battery management system.

21. A battery management system as described in claim 20, further comprising a plurality of bypass switches configured to be opened and closed to connect the charging circuit to a wired power supply path or a wireless power supply path.

22. A coil configured to receive energy from a nearby wireless transmitter and output the first voltage via the wireless power supply path; a control circuit configured to provide commands to the proximate wireless transmitter to adjust the first voltage; The battery management system of claim 21 further comprising:

23. A battery management system as described in claim 20, further comprising a load switch connected to the charging circuit for selectively enabling or disabling the flow of power to or from the charging circuit.

24. The battery management system of claim 23, wherein the load switch is a bidirectional switch configured to selectively enable or disable forward or reverse power flow.

25. The battery management system of claim 23, wherein the load switch comprises a pair of MOSFET switches connected in series with body diodes arranged in reverse.

26. The battery management system of claim 23, wherein the controller further comprises a control circuit for controlling the load switch.

27. The battery management system of claim 23, wherein the charging circuit is further configured to provide a system voltage for powering one or more loads.

28. The battery management system of claim 20, wherein the charging circuit is configured to operate in one or more switching configurations to selectively provide regulation of the second voltage to a regulated voltage.

29. The battery management system of claim 20, wherein the charging mode further includes a second regulated charging mode, and wherein the charging circuit, in the one or more switching configurations: in the regulated charging mode, at least one of the one or more inductors is configured to operate to selectively connect to a first terminal of at least one of the one or more capacitors, to a second terminal of at least one of the one or more capacitors, or to ground, and the one or more switches are configured to operate according to a first state sequence when the charging circuit is configured to operate in the regulated charging mode; and a first terminal of at least one of the one or more inductors configured to selectively connect to a first terminal of at least one of the one or more capacitors or a second terminal of at least one of the one or more capacitors in the second regulated charging mode; and when the charging circuit is configured to operate in the second regulated charging mode, the one or more switches are configured to operate according to a second state sequence that is different from the first state sequence.

30. The one or more switches are a first switch coupled to a first terminal of at least one of the one or more capacitors; a second switch connected between at least one of the one or more inductors and a first terminal of at least one of the one or more capacitors; a third switch connected between at least one of the one or more inductors and a second terminal of at least one of the one or more capacitors; and a fourth switch connected between ground and the second terminal of at least one of the one or more capacitors. The battery management system of claim 20, comprising:

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