Power supply, conversion adapter, and power supply device

Abstract

To provide a power supply device compatible with a DC power input terminal of an information communication device such as a laptop including a proprietary DC power input terminal and capable of supplying the DC power required by the information communication device, power supplies constituting the power supply device, and a conversion adapter.SOLUTION: A power supply device 100 comprises a power supply 10 including a power supply plug unit 11 input with AC power, an AC / DC conversion circuit 12 converting AC power into DC power, and a DC output unit 13 outputting the converted power, and a conversion adapter 20 including a jack 25 having a shape compatible with the DC power input unit of a specific personal computer. The power supply 10 detects the type of the conversion adapter 20 and outputs the DC power corresponding to the conversion adapter 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a power supply device, a conversion adapter, and a power supply apparatus used for power supply to information communication devices such as notebook computers.

Background Art

[0002] Regarding the connection between a power supply device and an electronic device such as a notebook computer, for example, the following inventions are disclosed.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019-109898) discloses a method, an electronic device, and a charger device for USB charging that reduce charging time while reducing charging / power supply level mismatches and product damage without requiring user operation. In the charging system described in Patent Document 1, an electronic device and a USB charger use a USB cable data line to establish a bidirectional communication connection. The USB charger provides charger capability information to the master controller of the electronic device via the bidirectional communication connection. The master controller preferentially selects the fastest charging match between the charger capability information and the device charging capability information, and transmits configuration information via the bidirectional communication connection to set the power supply level of the USB charger. The USB charger transmits power supply status information to the electronic device, and the electronic device reconfigures the charger power supply level accordingly.

[0004] Patent Document 2 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-117702) discloses a portable charger that improves the convenience of the user for operations at the start of charging. The portable charger described in Patent Document 2 includes a power plug section, a DC output section, a power conversion circuit, and a control device. The power plug section is configured to be connectable to the output section of a power supply facility, and AC power is input from the output section of the power supply facility. The DC output section is configured to be connectable to the power receiving section of a power supply target, and outputs DC power to the power receiving section of the power supply target. The power conversion circuit is configured to convert the AC power input from the power plug section into DC power and output it to the DC output section. The control device controls the power conversion circuit. The DC output section has a start switch. When the start switch is operated by a user, it instructs the control device to control the power conversion circuit so that the DC output section outputs DC power. However, when at least one of the power plug section and the DC output section is not connected, the start switch is disabled.

[0005] Patent Document 3 (Japanese Patent Translation Publication No. 2017-521777) discloses an apparatus and method for distinguishing a dedicated charger, a non-floating charger, and a floating charger in order to adjust a charging current. The portable device described in Patent Document 3 is provided with a charger detection circuit. The charger detection circuit is configured to detect whether the connected Universal Serial Bus (USB) charger complies with the USB battery charging specification. When the connected USB charger does not comply with the battery charging specification, the charger detection circuit is further configured to detect whether this non-compliant USB charger is a non-compliant floating charger or a non-compliant dedicated charger. When it is determined that the connected USB charger is a non-compliant dedicated USB charger, the portable electronic device can be configured to draw up to the maximum charging current according to the USB battery charging specification.

[0006] Patent Document 4 (Japanese Patent Translation Publication No. 2016-531368) discloses a method for changing the default current limit value of a USB power system. The electronic system described in Patent Document 4 may include a cable detector component for detecting a plug connected to a port, a source detector component for determining the identification display of a power source, and a circuit configuration for changing the input current limit value or output current limit value of an electronic device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0007]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0008] In recent years, USB-PD (USB Power Delivery) has been established as a charging standard for USB-Type-C. When a charger compatible with USB-PD, a USB-C cable, and information communication devices such as a notebook computer compatible with USB-PD are combined, it has become possible to supply power of up to 100W or 240W (USB-PD3.1). Furthermore, since USB-PD3.0 and later, as an option to promote optimal charging, a PPS (Programable Power Supply) function has been added, and a charger can finely set the voltage and current output to information communication devices compatible with PPS. However, in reality, there are many information communication devices that are not compatible with USB-PD or do not have a PPS function, and it is considered that they will not disappear rapidly in the future. In particular, in notebook computers, the terminal shapes, required input voltages, and currents of the DC power input parts vary depending on the model or manufacturer. Regarding the differences in the terminal shapes of the DC power input section, it can be addressed by preparing output jacks with different shapes for each notebook computer. However, it is difficult to prepare chargers compatible with each notebook computer for the differences in the required input voltage and current. As a result, for example, a charger with a 20V output is used to charge a notebook computer with a 19V input specification, resulting in large power losses, significant heat generation in the charger and / or the notebook computer, and in some cases, problems such as damage.

[0009] In the charging system described in Patent Document 1, an electronic device and a charger device can exchange charger capability information and device charging capability information via a USB cable, and the power supply level of the optimal charger can be reconfigured. However, in charging a notebook computer that does not support USB-PD, especially a notebook computer equipped with a unique DC power input terminal, although the shape of the output jack of the conversion adapter can be matched to the shape of the notebook computer, the device charging capability information required by the notebook computer cannot be provided to the charger. Therefore, the output voltage and current on the charger side cannot be optimized, and the problems of power loss, heat generation, and / or damage cannot be solved.

[0010] The portable charger described in Patent Document 2 is characterized in that a start switch is provided in the DC output section, and the start switch is invalidated when at least one of the power plug section and the DC output section is not connected. However, this charger does not have a function of detecting the voltage or current required by the connected electronic device, and a function of adjusting the voltage or current of the DC output section according to the voltage or current required by the connected electronic device.

[0011] The portable device described in Patent Document 3 is provided with a charger detection circuit. When it is detected that the connected USB charger does not conform to the specification, and it is determined that the connected USB charger is a non-compliant dedicated USB charger, it can be configured to draw up to the maximum charging current according to the USB battery charging specification. However, in the case of a conventional notebook computer equipped with a unique DC power input terminal, since the device charging capacity information required by the notebook computer cannot be provided to the charger, the output voltage and current on the charger side cannot be optimized.

[0012] The electronic system described in Patent Document 4 can change the default current limit value by including a cable detector component, a source detector component, and a circuit configuration for changing the input current limit value or output current limit value of the electronic device. However, also in this case, in the case of a notebook computer equipped with a unique DC power input terminal, since there is no path to change the current limit value of the charger from the notebook computer side, the output current on the charger side cannot be optimized.

[0013] The main object of the present invention is to provide a power supply device that is compatible with the DC power input terminal of an information and communication device such as a notebook computer equipped with a unique DC power input terminal and can supply the DC power required by the information and communication device, and a power supply and a conversion adapter that constitute the power supply device. Another object of the present invention is to provide a power supply device that can protect the power supply device and the information and communication device by stopping the output of the power supply device when the power supply device cannot supply the DC power required by the information and communication device, and a power supply and a conversion adapter that constitute the power supply device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0014] (1) A power supply according to one aspect includes a power plug portion to which AC power is input, an AC / DC conversion circuit that converts AC power into DC power, a DC output portion that outputs the converted power, and a detection portion that detects the type of a conversion adapter when the conversion adapter having a shape adapted to the DC power input portion of a specific personal computer is connected to the DC output portion.

[0015] Conventionally, in information and communication devices such as notebook computers, a power supply with a jack of a specific shape and specifications of a specific DC voltage and current output was provided as an accessory or a separately sold item, and this power supply was used when using the information and communication device. However, these power supplies were sometimes difficult to use because of reasons such as their large overall shape. On the other hand, in small information and communication devices such as smartphones, USB power supplies that are small and can be directly plugged into a household AC outlet have been widely used. Furthermore, in recent years, USB-PD (USB Power Delivery) has been established as a charging standard for USB-Type-C. When a power supply compatible with USB-PD, a USB-C cable, and an information and communication device such as a notebook computer compatible with USB-PD are combined, it has become possible to supply power up to 100W or 240W (USB-PD3.1). Therefore, even in somewhat large information and communication devices such as notebook computers, by combining with a power supply compatible with USB-PD and a USB-C cable, it has become possible to use them in combination with a USB power supply that is small and can be directly plugged into a household AC outlet. However, in information and communication devices of the type that input charging power from a conventional DC power input section, even if they are equipped with a USB-C terminal, it may not be possible to input charging power from a USB-C cable.

[0016] For this reason, a conversion adapter is provided that uses a USB-C terminal as an input and has a jack of a shape that fits the DC power input section of a specific notebook computer or the like as an output. However, these conventional conversion adapters simply perform conversion of the terminal shape, and even if a USB-C cable is connected to the input side, they cannot provide information such as which notebook computer the charging is used for and what the appropriate input voltage and current of the notebook computer are to the USB power supply via the USB-C cable.

[0017] The power supply device according to one aspect includes a detection unit that detects the type of the conversion adapter connected to the DC output unit. By detecting the type of the conversion adapter with the detection unit, the type of the notebook computer that the jack of the conversion adapter fits can be recognized, and information on the required input voltage and / or current of the notebook computer can be obtained. In addition, an AC output unit (power outlet) may be further added to the power supply device. In this case, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the number of insertion ports of the power outlet by connecting the power supply device to the power outlet.

[0018] (2) The power supply device according to the second invention may output DC power corresponding to the conversion adapter from the DC output unit when the detection unit detects the type of the conversion adapter in the power supply device according to one aspect.

[0019] There are multiple types of input voltages for notebook computers, such as 16V, 19V, 20V, etc. For example, when a voltage of 20V is applied to a notebook computer with a 16V input, heat generation on the notebook computer side increases, power loss occurs, and it may even lead to destruction. On the other hand, when a voltage of 15V is applied to a notebook computer with a 20V input, in many notebook computers, charging cannot be performed and the charging mark cannot be displayed. However, there are also devices that can be charged even at 15V. In that case, the maximum current that can flow through the charger is output from the charger, causing the charger to generate heat and potentially leading to destruction. Or, the charger may repeatedly perform "output → stop due to over current value → output", which may also lead to destruction. In the power supply device according to the second invention, by detecting the type of the conversion adapter, recognizing the type of the notebook computer that the jack of the conversion adapter fits, and outputting the required DC power (voltage, current) of the notebook computer, problems such as inability to charge, large power loss, and destruction in the worst case can be prevented.

[0020] (3) The power supply according to the third invention may not supply power from the DC output section in the case where, in the power supply according to the second invention, it is not possible to output DC power corresponding to the conversion adapter from the DC output section.

[0021] For example, in a power supply that can output a voltage of up to 15V, when it is recognized from the type of the conversion adapter that the voltage required by the connected notebook computer is 20V, and if the notebook computer is one that can be charged even at 15V, if the power supply outputs a voltage of 15V, the maximum current that can flow through the power supply will be output from the power supply, causing the power supply to heat up and possibly lead to destruction. Alternatively, it is also conceivable that the power supply repeats "output → stop due to over current value → output" and ultimately leads to destruction. In the power supply according to the third invention, in order to prevent the above situation, when the power supply cannot output the voltage required by the notebook computer to which the conversion adapter is connected, the power supply from the DC output section is not performed.

[0022] (4) The power supply according to the fourth invention may further include a display unit that displays the detected result when the type of the conversion adapter is detected in the power supply according to any one of the third inventions in one aspect.

[0023] In this case, by displaying the detected result, it is possible to confirm that the safety function of the power supply is working and give the user a sense of security. Also, when there are multiple DC output sections in the power supply, the user can easily grasp that the output power of the DC output section to which the conversion adapter is not connected may be suppressed.

[0024] (5) The power supply according to the fifth invention may be connected between the DC output section and the conversion adapter via a USB-C cable in the power supply according to any one of the fourth inventions in one aspect, and the type of the conversion adapter may be detected by VID (Vender ID) and PID (Product ID).

[0025] The power supply and the conversion adapter are equipped with USB-C terminals. By connecting the DC output part and the conversion adapter via a USB-C cable, sharing with a USB-PD (Power Delivery) compatible power supply becomes possible. Also, by setting VID and PID in the conversion adapter connected by a USB cable, VID and PID are detected in accordance with the USB standard specifications, and the type of the conversion adapter and further the type of the notebook computer compatible with the conversion adapter can be easily identified from VID and PID.

[0026] (6) The power supply according to the sixth invention is, in a power supply according to any of the fifth inventions from one aspect, when the DC output part is directly connected to a personal computer via a USB-C cable, it may operate as a USB-PD compatible power supply. Note that USB-PD is an abbreviation of USB-Power Delivery.

[0027] In the power supply according to the sixth invention, the DC output part is composed of a USB-C terminal and can be directly connected to a personal computer via a USB-C cable. Therefore, when connected to a USB-PD compatible notebook computer via a USB-PD compatible USB-C cable, it can be operated as a USB-PD compatible USB power supply. In this case, power is supplied to a notebook computer equipped with a conventional DC power input part via a conversion adapter, and power is directly supplied to a recent USB-PD compatible notebook computer or the like, so that one power supply can be used for a wide range of applications, which is convenient.

[0028] (7) A conversion adapter that conforms to other situations is a conversion adapter that can be connected to a power supply that conforms to any of the inventions from one situation to the sixth. It includes a DC input part connected to the power supply, a jack with a shape suitable for the DC power input part of a specific personal computer and that supplies DC power, a power supply detection part that detects the type of the power supply, and a protection circuit that stops the output of DC power from the jack when the power supply cannot supply the power required by a specific personal computer.

[0029] The conversion adapter according to the seventh invention can detect the type of the connected power supply, and thus can obtain the specifications of the DC power that the power supply can supply. And when the power supply cannot supply the DC power (voltage, current) required by the personal computer, for example, when the maximum output voltage of the power supply is 15V and the voltage required by the personal computer is 20V, depending on the type of the personal computer, the maximum current that can flow through the power supply may be output from the power supply, causing the power supply to heat up and lead to destruction. Or it is also conceivable that the power supply repeats "output → stop due to over current value → output" and leads to destruction. In such a case, the conversion adapter according to the seventh invention can prevent the worst situation by stopping the output of DC power from the jack. Note that the connection method between the power supply and the conversion adapter and the detection method by the power supply detection part are not particularly limited. For example, the power supply and the conversion adapter may be connected by a USB-C cable, and the conversion adapter may detect the type of the power supply by detecting the VID (Vender ID) and PID (Product ID) of the power supply.

[0030] (8) The conversion adapter according to the eighth invention is the conversion adapter according to the seventh invention. When the power supply detection part cannot detect the type of the power supply, the output of the power supply may be output as it is, or the output may be stopped.

[0031] Since the type of personal computer to which the jack of the output section of the conversion adapter is connected is limited, it is possible to grasp specifications such as whether the protection circuit of the personal computer operates when the power supply cannot supply the DC power required by the personal computer. Therefore, the conversion adapter may, for example, output the output of the power supply as it is or stop the output depending on the type of personal computer to which the conversion adapter is connected.

[0032] (9) A power supply device according to another aspect includes a power supply according to any one of the first to sixth inventions and a conversion adapter according to the seventh or eighth invention. When the power supply and the conversion adapter are connected, the power supply outputs DC power corresponding to a specific personal computer to which the jack of the conversion adapter is compatible, and stops the output when the power supply cannot output DC power corresponding to the specific personal computer.

[0033] In a power supply device according to another aspect, information on the DC power required by the personal computer to be connected is determined according to the type of the conversion adapter. By detecting the type of the conversion adapter, the power supply can recognize the information on the DC power required by the personal computer to be connected. Therefore, the power supply device according to another aspect can provide the personal computer with the optimal DC power by setting the DC output of the power supply to the DC power required by the personal computer to be connected. Also, when the power supply cannot supply the DC power required by the personal computer, by stopping the output of the power supply, it is possible to prevent situations such as excessive power loss or damage to the power supply or the personal computer.

[0034] (10) In the power supply device according to the tenth invention, in a power supply device that follows other aspects, when the power supply has DC output parts of two or more systems and a conversion adapter is connected to one of the DC output parts, the output power of the power supply may be preferentially distributed to the DC output part on the side to which the conversion adapter is connected.

[0035] Conventionally, in a power supply with DC output parts of two systems, the distribution of DC power to the two DC output parts is fixed. For example, in a power supply with a maximum output of 70 W, the output 1 is often 45 W and the output 2 is often 25 W. And, for example, when the DC power required by a personal computer is 65 W, a charger with the above-mentioned fixed DC power distribution cannot supply the DC power required by the personal computer. On the other hand, in the power supply device according to the tenth invention, when a conversion adapter is connected to one of the DC output parts, the power supply can detect the type of the conversion adapter to recognize the information on the DC power required by the connected personal computer, and can preferentially distribute the required DC power. Specifically, the DC power required by the personal computer, that is, 65 W, can be distributed to the conversion adapter, and the personal computer can be charged with appropriate DC power.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0036]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0037] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Also, in the case of the same reference numerals, their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions thereof will not be repeated.

[0038] [Power Supply Device 100] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a power supply device 100 composed of a power supply 10 and a conversion adapter 20. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a power supply device 100a composed of a power supply 10a having two output systems and a conversion adapter 20. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the power supply 10. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a conversion adapter 20 having a jack 25 in a shape adapted to the DC power input portion of different notebook computers 30. In FIG. 1, the power supply 10 and the conversion adapter 20 are connected by a USB-C cable 40, and the output of the conversion adapter 20 supplies DC power to the notebook computer 30 via a jack 25 in a shape adapted to the DC power input portion of a specific notebook computer 30. Note that in the present embodiment, the object to which the conversion adapter 20 supplies DC power is described as the notebook computer 30, but the object to which DC power is supplied is not limited to the notebook computer 30. For example, even if it is an information communication device such as a personal computer (personal computer) other than a notebook type or a tablet type computer, as long as it is a device that supplies DC power via a jack 25 having a specific shape, the power supply device 100 of the present invention can supply DC power. Also, in this embodiment, the power supply 10 and the conversion adapter 20 are connected by a USB-C cable 40. However, the cable connecting the power supply 10 and the conversion adapter 20 does not have to be a USB-C cable 40 as long as it includes a cable for supplying DC power and a signal cable for connecting the detection unit 14 of the power supply 10 and the power supply detection unit 23 of the conversion adapter 20. The power supply 10 includes a power plug unit 11, an AC / DC conversion circuit 12, a USB port unit 13, a detection unit 14, a control unit 15, and a display unit 16. Note that the power supply 10 may be connected to the power plug unit 11 and may include one or more power outlet units to which other power plugs can be inserted. The AC / DC conversion circuit 12 inputs AC power from the power plug unit 11 and outputs DC power with a predetermined voltage and current from the USB port unit 13 according to a request from the control unit 15. The detection unit 14 is connected to the USB port unit 13 and acquires information such as the VID (Vender ID) and PID (Product ID) of the conversion adapter 20 via the USB-C cable 40. If the cable connecting the power supply 10 and the conversion adapter 20 is not a USB-C cable 40, the type of the conversion adapter 20 may be detected by a method other than detecting the VID and PID.

[0039] When the control unit 15 detects information on the conversion adapter 20 to which the detection unit 14 is connected, it instructs the AC / DC conversion circuit 12 to supply DC power with the necessary voltage and current based on the detected information such as the VID and PID. If the power supply 10 cannot supply the required voltage or current, it instructs the AC / DC conversion circuit 12 to stop the power supply. Also, when information such as the VID and PID cannot be obtained, or when the VID and PID are obtained but the specifications such as the voltage and current corresponding to the VID and PID are unknown, the power supply 10 outputs general-purpose DC power (voltage, current) unique to the power supply 10. When the control unit 15 detects information on the conversion adapter 20, it displays the detection using an LED or the like of the display unit 16. Also, a liquid crystal display or the like may be provided on the display unit 16 to display information such as the output voltage and current.

[0040] The conversion adapter 20 includes a USB port section 21, a protection circuit 22, a power supply detector section 23, a control section 24, and a jack 25. The protection circuit 22 is inserted between the USB port section 21 and the jack 25, and stops the DC power supply from the jack 25 when necessary. The protection circuit 22 can be composed of, for example, a power FET. The power supply detector section 23 is connected to the USB port section 21, and acquires information such as the VID (Vender ID) and PID (Product ID) of the power supply 10 via the USB-C cable 40. When the cable connecting the power supply 10 and the conversion adapter 20 is not a USB-C cable 40, the detection of the type of the power supply 10 may be performed by a method other than the detection of VID and PID. When the control section 24 detects the information of the power supply 10 to which the power supply detector section 23 is connected, it grasps the DC power (voltage, current) that the power supply 10 can supply based on the detected information such as VID and PID. If the power supply 10 cannot supply the required voltage or current, the protection circuit 22 is cut off to stop the power supply. Also, when the information of the power supply 10 cannot be detected, the control section 24 supplies the general-purpose power from the power supply 10 to the personal computer as it is or stops the power supply according to the general-purpose output setting of the conversion adapter 20. This general-purpose output setting may be fixed according to the personal computer to which the conversion adapter 20 is compatible, or a changeover switch (not shown) may be provided on the conversion adapter 20 to make it switchable. The shape of the jack 25 is different for each compatible notebook computer 30 (see FIG. 4). By checking whether it is compatible with the DC power input section of the notebook computer 30, it is guaranteed that the conversion adapter 20 is a conversion adapter 20 corresponding to that notebook computer 30.

[0041] FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration diagram of a power supply device 100a including a power supply 10a having two output systems and a conversion adapter 20. The configuration diagram of FIG. 2 has an output distribution unit 18 for distributing the output of the AC / DC conversion circuit 12 and a second USB port unit 13a added to the configuration diagram of FIG. 1. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the power supply device 100 in FIG. 1, the description is omitted. In the case of normal use, the power supply 10a having two output systems distributes the output power of the AC / DC conversion circuit 12 at a fixed ratio. For example, when the capacity of the power supply 10a is a maximum of 70W, in normal use, the USB port unit 13 is 45W and the USB port unit 13a is 25W. However, in the power supply device 100a of the present invention, when a conversion adapter 20 is connected to the USB port unit 13 via a USB-C cable 40, the distribution of power to the USB port unit 13 to which the conversion adapter 20 is connected is prioritized. For example, when the power supply 10a detects the connection of the conversion adapter 20 and determines that the notebook computer 30 to which the conversion adapter 20 supplies DC power requires 65W of power, the output distribution unit 18 changes the power distribution ratio so as to distribute 65W of power to the USB port unit 13 and supply 5W of power to the USB port unit 13a. Thereby, in the power supply device 100a of the present invention, it is possible to avoid the shortage of power supply to the notebook computer 30 (a state where no charging mark is displayed) that occurs when the conventional conversion adapter 20b is connected to the power supply 10a with two output systems (maximum output 70W). Although FIG. 2 shows a configuration diagram of the power supply 10a having two output systems, it may have three or more output systems as necessary. In this case, all systems may be of the USB-C standard, or a plurality of standards may be mixed, such as some systems being of the USB-C standard and other systems being of the USB-A standard. In addition, the output distribution of the output distribution unit 18 is not limited to the above example. For example, according to the type of the detected conversion adapter 20, the power distribution ratio between the USB port unit 13 to which the conversion adapter 20 is connected and the other USB port units 13a may be appropriately changed to a preset ratio.

[0042] [Appearance of the power supply 10a and the conversion adapter 20] FIG. 3(A) is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the power supply device 10a when viewed from the front side, and FIG. 3(B) is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the power supply device 10a when viewed from the back side. When using the power supply device 10a, hold the housing 19 and insert the power plug portion 11 into a power outlet (not shown), and insert a USB-C cable 40 into the USB port portion 13. Further, if necessary, a plug of another electrical device may be inserted into the power outlet portion 17. If a stepped portion is provided on the housing 19 and the USB port portion 13 is provided on the stepped portion, it is preferable that the connector portion of the USB-C cable 40 is protected. Also, it is convenient if the power plug portion 11 is rotatably fixed to the housing 19.

[0043] FIGS. 4(A), (B), (C), and (D) each show an example of the appearance of a conversion adapter 20 provided with a jack 25 having a shape adapted to the DC power input portion of different personal computers. When using the conversion adapter 20, insert a USB-C cable 40 having the other end connected to the power supply devices 10, 10a into the USB port portion 21, and insert the jack 25 into a notebook personal computer 30 to which it is adapted. The shape of the DC power input portion of the notebook personal computer 30 differs depending on the manufacturer or model of the notebook personal computer 30. By checking whether the jack 25 is adapted to the DC power input portion of the personal computer, it is ensured that the conversion adapter 20 is a conversion adapter 20 corresponding to that notebook personal computer 30.

[0044] [Operation Flow of Power Supply Devices 10 and Conversion Adapter 20] FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of the operation flow of the power supply device 10. Hereinafter, based on FIG. 5, the operation flow of the power supply device 10 will be described. (Step S01) Wait until the conversion adapter 20 is connected. (Step S02) When the conversion adapter 20 is connected, display the connection on the display portion 16 (such as an LED). (Step S03) Obtain the VID and PID of the conversion adapter 20 through the USB-C cable 40, and check whether the conversion adapter 20 is the conversion adapter 20 corresponding to the power supply 10 of the present invention. (Step S04) If the conversion adapter 20 is the conversion adapter 20 corresponding to the power supply 10 of the present invention, obtain the power requirement of the notebook computer 30 powered by the conversion adapter 20. Note that when the conversion adapter 20 is the conversion adapter 20 corresponding to the power supply 10 of the present invention, the power requirement can be obtained by obtaining the VID and PID. (Step S05) Check whether the power supply 10 can supply DC power as required by the notebook computer 30. (Step S06) If the power supply 10 can supply power as required by the notebook computer 30, supply DC power as required. (Step S07) If the power supply 10 cannot supply power as required by the notebook computer 30, do not supply power. (Step S08) If the conversion adapter 20 is not the conversion adapter 20 corresponding to the power supply 10 of the present invention, output the general-purpose power (voltage, current) specific to the power supply 10.

[0045] Fig. 6 shows a flowchart of the operation flow of the conversion adapter 20. Hereinafter, based on Fig. 6, the operation flow of the conversion adapter 20 will be described. (Step S11) Wait until the power supply 10 is connected. (Step S12) Obtain the VID and PID of the power supply 10 through the USB-C cable 40, and check whether the power supply 10 is the power supply 10 corresponding to the conversion adapter 20 of the present invention. (Step S13) When the power supply 10 is the power supply 10 corresponding to the conversion adapter 20 of the present invention, the power requirement of the notebook computer 30 connected to the conversion adapter 20 is transmitted through the USB-C cable 40. When the power supply 10 is the power supply 10 corresponding to the conversion adapter 20 of the present invention, the power requirement can be transmitted by transmitting the VID and PID of the conversion adapter 20. (Step S14) Check whether the power supply 10 can supply power as required by the notebook computer 30. When the power supply 10 is the power supply 10 corresponding to the conversion adapter 20 of the present invention, the power supply capacity of the power supply 10 can be obtained by obtaining the VID and PID of the power supply 10. (Step S15) If the power supply 10 can supply power as required by the notebook computer 30, output DC power as required. (Step S16) If the power supply 10 cannot supply power as required by the notebook computer 30, stop the output of DC power. Specifically, a switch composed of an FET or the like in the protection circuit 22 is cut off. (Step S17) When the power supply 10 is not the power supply 10 corresponding to the conversion adapter 20 of the present invention, check whether the conversion adapter 20 is set to output general-purpose power. Whether the conversion adapter 20 outputs general-purpose power is determined for each conversion adapter 20 according to the specifications of the protection circuit or the like of the corresponding notebook computer 30. For example, when it is assumed that problems such as excessive heat generation of the power supply 10 and / or the notebook computer 30 occur when an off-spec voltage or current is supplied to the corresponding notebook computer 30, the conversion adapter 20 corresponding to that notebook computer 30 is set not to output general-purpose power. (Step S18) When the conversion adapter 20 is set to output general-purpose power, the conversion adapter 20 supplies the general-purpose power supplied from the power feeder 10 to the notebook computer 30 as it is. When the conversion adapter 20 is set not to output general-purpose power, the output of DC power is stopped. Specifically, a switch composed of an FET or the like in the protection circuit 22 is turned off (step S16).

[0046] [Modification Example of Usage of Power Feeder 10] Fig. 7 shows a schematic configuration diagram when the power feeder 10 is directly connected to a notebook computer 30a equipped with a USB port section 31 and compatible with USB-PD. In this case, the USB port section 13 of the power feeder 10 is connected to the USB port section 31 of the notebook computer 30a via a USB-C cable 40. Also, in this case, the power feeder 10 operates in accordance with the standard specifications of a USB-PD compatible power feeder. Therefore, the description of the operation of the power feeder 10 is omitted.

[0047] [Configuration Example of Power Supply Device 100b Composed of Conventional Power Feeder 10b and Conversion Adapter 20b] Fig. 8 shows a configuration diagram of a power supply device 100b composed of a conventional power feeder 10b and a conversion adapter 20b. Also in this case, the power feeder 10b and the conversion adapter 20b are connected via a USB-C cable 40. Therefore, the USB I / F 14a of the power feeder 10b and the USB I / F 23a of the conversion adapter 20b can acquire the VID and PID of the connected power feeder 10b and conversion adapter 20b. However, the power supply device 100b composed of the conventional power feeder 10b and the conversion adapter 20b has the following problems. (a) Even if the power feeder 10b acquires the VID and PID of the conversion adapter 20b, it cannot acquire the power requirement of the notebook computer 30 to which the conversion adapter 20b supplies power. (b) Even if the conversion adapter 20b acquires the VID and PID of the power feeder 10b, it cannot confirm whether the power feeder 10b can supply DC power as required by the notebook computer 30. Therefore, in the power supply device 100b composed of the power supply 10b according to the prior art and the conversion adapter 20b, the power supply 10b cannot supply DC power as required by the power demand of the notebook computer 30. Further, even when the power supply 10 cannot supply power as required by the power demand of the notebook computer 30, it cannot stop the power supply. Furthermore, when comparing the conversion adapter 20 of the present invention with the conversion adapter 20b of the prior art, the protection circuit 22 is inserted between the input and output of the DC power of the conversion adapter 20 in the conversion adapter 20 of the present invention, while there is no protection circuit 22 in the conversion adapter 20 of the prior art. And, when an abnormal voltage or current is supplied to the notebook computer 30 powered by the conversion adapter 20 of the present invention, and problems such as excessive heat generation of the power supply 10 and / or the notebook computer 30 are assumed, the conversion adapter 20 can cut off the supply of DC power. However, in the power supply device 100b composed of the power supply 10b and the conversion adapter 20b according to the prior art, the supply of DC power of the conversion adapter 20b cannot be cut off.

[0048] As described above, the power supply device 100 composed of the power supply 10 and the conversion adapter 20 of the present invention (A) By connecting the conversion adapter 20 having the jack 25 in a shape adapted to the DC power input part of a specific notebook computer 30 to the power supply 10, DC power as required by the specific notebook computer 30 can be supplied. (B) When the power supply 10 cannot supply the DC power required by a specific notebook computer 30, it can stop the supply of DC power and prevent problems such as unstable operation caused by supplying out-of-specification power, for example, excessive heat generation of the power supply 10 and / or the notebook computer 30. (C) Even when the conversion adapter 20 is connected to the power supply 10b of the prior art, when an unstable operation caused by supplying out-of-specification power is assumed, the protection circuit 22 of the conversion adapter 20 can stop the supply of DC power to the notebook computer 30. has the following advantageous effects.

[0049] In the present invention, the power plug unit 11 corresponds to the 'power plug unit', the AC / DC conversion circuit 12 corresponds to the 'AC / DC conversion circuit', the USB port units 13 and 13a correspond to the 'DC output unit', the notebook computer 30 corresponds to the 'personal computer', the jack 25 corresponds to the 'jack', the conversion adapter 20 corresponds to the 'conversion adapter', the detection unit 14 corresponds to the 'detection unit', the power supply units 10 and 10a correspond to the 'power supply unit', the display unit 16 corresponds to the 'display unit', the USB-C cable 40 corresponds to the 'USB-C cable', the USB port unit 21 corresponds to the 'DC input unit', the power supply detection unit 23 corresponds to the 'power supply detection unit', the protection circuit 22 corresponds to the 'protection circuit', and the power supply device 100 corresponds to the 'power supply device'.

[0050] A preferred embodiment of the present invention is as described above, but the present invention is not limited thereto. It will be understood that various embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Further, in this embodiment, the actions and effects according to the configuration of the present invention are described, but these actions and effects are merely examples and do not limit the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0051] 10, 10a, 10b Power supply unit 11 Power plug unit 12 AC / DC conversion circuit 13, 13a, 21, 31 USB port unit 14 Detection unit (USB I / F) 16 Display unit 20, 20b Conversion adapter 22 Protection circuit 23 Power supply detection unit (USB I / F) 25 Jack 30, 30a Notebook computer 40 USB-C cable 100, 100a, 100b Power supply device

Claims

1. A power plug unit to which AC power is input, an AC / DC conversion circuit that converts AC power into DC power, a DC output unit that outputs the converted power, a feeder comprising: a detection unit that detects the type of the conversion adapter when the conversion adapter having a jack in a shape adapted to the DC power input unit of a specific personal computer is connected to the DC output unit.

2. The feeder according to claim 1, wherein when the detection unit detects the type of the conversion adapter, DC power corresponding to the conversion adapter is output from the DC output unit.

3. The feeder according to claim 2, wherein when DC power corresponding to the conversion adapter cannot be output from the DC output unit, power supply from the DC output unit is not performed.

4. The feeder according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit that displays the detection when the type of the conversion adapter is detected.

5. The feeder according to claim 1, wherein the DC output unit and the conversion adapter are connected via a USB-C cable, and the type of the conversion adapter is detected by a VID (Vendor ID) and a PID (Product ID).

6. The feeder according to claim 1, wherein when the DC output unit is directly connected to a personal computer via a USB-C cable, it operates as a USB-PD compatible feeder.

7. A conversion adapter connectable to the feeder according to claim 1, a DC input unit connected to the feeder, a jack having a shape adapted to the DC power input unit of the specific personal computer and supplying DC power, a feeder detection unit that detects the type of the feeder, a protection circuit that stops the output of DC power from the jack when the feeder cannot supply the power required by the specific personal computer.

8. The conversion adapter according to claim 7, wherein when the feeder detection unit cannot detect the type of the feeder, the output of the feeder is output as it is or the output is stopped.

9. A feeder according to any one of claims 1 to 6, a conversion adapter according to claim 7 or 8, and when the feeder and the conversion adapter are connected, DC power corresponding to the specific personal computer to which the jack of the conversion adapter is adapted is output. A power supply device that stops output when the power supply cannot output DC power corresponding to the specific personal computer.

10. The power supply device according to claim 9, wherein when the power supply includes the DC output units of two or more systems and the conversion adapter is connected to one of the DC output units, the output power of the power supply is preferentially distributed to the DC output unit on the side to which the conversion adapter is connected.

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