Parallel charger circuit with battery feedback control

Abstract

Generally, techniques are described for a device including an electrical storage device, an electrical load, and a first regulated power converter. The first regulated power converter includes a component configured to generate a first power signal for charging the electrical storage device using electrical energy received from a power source external to the device during a first time period. The second regulated power converter includes a component configured to determine a charging current for charging the electrical storage device and a component configured to determine a total current flowing through the electrical storage device, the total current comprising a current supplied by the second power converter minus a current sunk by the electrical load. The second regulated power converter further includes a component configured to generate a second power signal for charging the electrical storage device using electrical energy from the power source during a second time period that does not overlap with the first time period based on the determined total current.

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] background The device may include multiple built-in chargers, each capable of charging one or more power sources (e.g., batteries) of the device using power received from an external source. The built-in chargers may include main chargers and parallel chargers, each having different characteristics. Depending on the charging status, the device's controller may use the main charger or parallel charger to charge one or more power sources using power received from an external power source. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0002] overview In general, this disclosure covers devices including dual-type, built-in regulated chargers. A controller in a device with a regulated main charger and an unregulated parallel charger may adjust the amount of power supplied by the unregulated parallel charger by adjusting the amount of power supplied by an external power source that is powering the device. For example, the controller may measure the input current to the parallel charger and, based on the measured input current, output a request to the external power source to increase or decrease the amount of current supplied to the device. However, such a method may result in one or more disadvantages. For example, latency may be introduced due to communication with the external power source. For example, the input current to the parallel charger may not accurately represent the amount of current actually supplied to one or more energy storage devices (for example, because some of the current supplied by the parallel charger may be used by an electrical load including other system components). These disadvantages may result in unevenness in the amount of power supplied to one or more energy storage devices, which may be undesirable. [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] According to one or more of the techniques of this disclosure, a device may include a stable parallel charger and a controller that adjusts the operation of the parallel charger based on the amount of current actually supplied to one or more energy storage devices. In this way, the controller may reduce latency and / or smooth the amount of power supplied to one or more energy storage devices.

[0004] In one example, the device includes a power storage device, an electrical load, and a first stabilized power converter. The first stabilized power converter includes components configured to generate a first power signal for charging the power storage device using electrical energy received from an external power source during a first period. The device further includes a second stabilized power converter, the second stabilized power converter including components configured to determine a charging current for charging the power storage device and components configured to determine the total current flowing through the power storage device, the total current including the current supplied by the second power converter minus the current reduced by the electrical load, and the second stabilized power converter further includes components configured to generate a second power signal for charging the power storage device with the determined charging current, based on the determined total current, using electrical energy received from the power source during a second period that does not overlap with the first period.

[0005] In another example, the method includes the step of using a first stabilized power converter to generate a first power signal for charging a storage device using electrical energy received from a power source during a first period. The method includes the step of using a second stabilized power converter to determine a charging current for charging the storage device, and the step of using the second stabilized power converter to determine a total current flowing through the storage device, the total current being the current supplied by the second power converter minus a current reduced by an electrical load, and the method further includes the step of using the second stabilized power converter to generate a second power signal for charging the storage device with the determined charging current, based on the determined total current, using electrical energy received from the power source during a second period that does not overlap with the first period.

[0006] In another example, the system includes a battery storage device, an electrical load, and a first circuit for generating a first power signal to charge the battery storage device using electrical energy received from an external power source during a first period. The device also includes a second circuit for determining a charging current to charge the battery storage device. The second circuit further determines the total current flowing through the battery storage device, which includes the current supplied by the second power converter minus the current reduced by the electrical load. The second circuit further generates a second power signal to charge the battery storage device with the determined charging current, based on the determined total current, using electrical energy received from the power source during a second period that does not overlap with the first period.

[0007] Additional features, advantages, and embodiments of the disclosed subject matter may be described or become apparent by considering the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the accompanying claims. Furthermore, it should be understood that both the above summary and the following detailed description are illustrative and intended to provide further explanation without limiting the scope of the accompanying claims. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a system including a mobile device and a power adapter in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 schematically shows an example of a system including a mobile device and a power adapter in accordance with an example of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 schematically shows an example of a system including a mobile device and a power adapter in accordance with an example of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an exemplary operation of a parallel charger circuit that supplies charge to one or more power storage devices in accordance with an example of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 schematically shows an example of a mobile device and a power adapter in accordance with an example of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] Detailed Description FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a system 100 including a mobile device 102 and a power adapter 110 in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. The power adapter 110 can be an AC adapter, an AC / DC adapter, or an AC / DC converter. The power adapter 110 can be a type of external power source enclosed in a case (e.g., an AC plug). The power adapter 110 can also be a plug pack, a plug-in adapter, an adapter block, a household power adapter, a line power adapter, a power AC adapter, a power brick, and a power adapter. The power adapter 110 can include a transformer for converting the main power voltage to a lower voltage. As shown in FIG. 1, the power adapter 110 outputs a direct current (DC) power signal having a voltage level V BUS_IN and a current level I BUS_IN to the mobile device 102.

[0010] Mobile device 102 can represent any device that includes a power storage device rechargeable by an external power adapter such as power adapter 110. Examples of mobile device 102 include, but are not limited to, mobile phones (including so-called "smartphones"), smart glasses, smartwatches, portable speakers (including portable smart speakers), laptop computers, portable game systems, wireless game system controllers, and the like. In some examples, mobile device 102 can be a foldable device in that the components of mobile device 102 can be distributed across two housings joined by a hinge. As shown in the example of FIG. 1, mobile device 102 can include a main charger 112, a parallel charger 118, a processing circuit 108, and a power storage device 124.

[0011] Processing circuit 108 can represent a circuit configured to support the operation of mobile device 102 and can execute software (or, put differently, a set of instructions) that enables the execution of a hierarchical software layer for presenting various functions used by a user. Processing circuit 108 can execute, for example, a kernel that forms a base layer for an operating system to interface with various other processing units such as a camera, a microphone, sensors, and the like. Processing circuit 108 can also execute an operating system that presents an application space in which one or more applications (e.g., first-party and / or third-party applications) can be executed to present a graphical user interface for interacting with the user.

[0012] The processing circuit 108 may include one or more of the following: a microprocessor, a controller, a digital signal processor (DSP), an accelerated processing unit (APU), an application processor (AP), a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or equivalent discrete or integrated logic circuits. The functions resulting from the processing circuit 108 in this disclosure may be embodied as software, firmware, hardware, or a combination thereof (as described above). While the exemplary mobile device 102 in Figure 1 is shown to include one processing circuit 108, other exemplary mobile devices in accordance with this disclosure may include multiple processors (or multiple so-called “cores” (another way of saying a processor when packaged together)) configured to perform one or more functions resulting from the processing circuit 108 of the mobile device 102 individually or in various collaborative combinations.

[0013] The energy storage device 124 may be configured to store electrical energy used by the components of the mobile device 102. Examples of the energy storage device 124 include batteries such as secondary batteries and rechargeable batteries. Some examples of batteries include lithium-ion batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, or any other type of rechargeable battery such as nickel-metal hydride, lead-acid, or lithium-ion polymer batteries. In some examples, the energy storage device 124 may represent an array of energy storage devices. For example, if the mobile device 102 is a foldable device, the energy storage device 124 may include a first battery in a first housing of the foldable device and a second battery in a second housing of the foldable device.

[0014] The main charger 112 may represent a circuit configured to generate a power signal for charging the energy storage device 124 and / or for supplying power to other components of the mobile device 102. For example, the main charger 112 may operate as a DC / DC power converter. The main charger 112 may be a regulated power converter in that the voltage and / or current of the power signal output by the main charger 112 may be regulated by the operation of the components of the main charger 112. Examples of such power converters include DC / DC converters such as buck converters, boost converters, buck-boost converters, Cuk (also known as 2-inductor inverting converters), flyback converters, or any other type of regulated DC / DC converter.

[0015] During operation, the main charger 112 may generate heat as a byproduct of the power conversion process. For example, if the main charger 112 is a buck-type power converter, the amount of heat generated by the main charger 112 may have a positive correlation with the voltage of the input power signal received from the power adapter 110 (e.g., the higher the voltage, the more heat may be generated). The components of the main charger 112 may be selected to generate an acceptable amount of heat at a specific voltage of the input power signal (e.g., 5 volts). However, some charging standards may allow for increasing the voltage level of the input power signal to shorten the charging time, for example. To enable the mobile device 102 to utilize such high voltage levels, the mobile device 102 may include a second charging circuit, such as a parallel charger 118, which may generate less heat even with input power signals at higher voltage levels than the main charger 112.

[0016] The parallel charger 118 and the main charger 112 may be configured so that only one of them provides a power signal for charging the energy storage device 124 at any given time. For example, the main charger 112 may generate a first power signal for charging the energy storage device 124 during a first period using electrical energy received from an external power source (e.g., a power adapter 110). The parallel charger 118 may generate a second power signal for charging the energy storage device 124 during a second period that does not overlap with the first period, using electrical energy received from the power source. In some examples, as will be described in more detail below, the parallel charger 118 and the main charger 112 may operate at the same time (e.g., simultaneously) to accomplish different tasks. For example, at a specific time, the parallel charger 118 may convert the power signal received from the power adapter 110 to charge the energy storage device 124, while the main charger 112 generates a power signal for charging another device (for example, so that the mobile device 102 can simultaneously charge the energy storage device 124 and provide power to another device via wireless transmission).

[0017] In some cases, the parallel charger 118 may be an unregulated power converter. For example, the parallel charger 118 converts the input power signal into an output power signal with half the voltage and twice the current (e.g., V BUS_OUT =V BUS_IN / 2 and I BUS_OUT =2 * IBUS_IN It may also be a 2:1 switch-capacitor power converter that converts to ). In the example where the parallel charger 118 is an astable power converter, the processing circuit 108 can adjust the amount of current supplied to the energy storage device 124 by communicating with the power adapter 110. For example, the parallel charger 118 may output an indication of the amount of current flowing through the parallel charger 118. Based on the amount of current flowing through the parallel charger 118, the processing circuit 108 may output a request to the power adapter 110 to change the voltage of the power signal (VBUS_IN) supplied by the power adapter 110. This control loop, while allowing for several adjustments, may have one or more disadvantages. For example, the latency of feedback and control commands may be very large, resulting in a bandwidth of less than 0.1 Hz for the entire control scheme. For another example, the amount of current flowing through the parallel charger 118 may not accurately represent the amount of current actually supplied to the energy storage device 124 (for example, because some of the current supplied by the parallel charger may be used by the electrical load, including other system components such as the processing circuit 108). These disadvantages could result in inconsistencies in the amount of power supplied to the energy storage device 124, which may be undesirable. Similarly, if the electrical load draws power, the charging speed of the energy storage device 124 may decrease.

[0018] According to one or more techniques of this disclosure, the parallel charger 118 is based on the amount of current actually supplied to the energy storage device 124 (for example, I PSDIt may be a stable power converter including a controller configured to adjust the operation of the parallel charger 118 based on, for example, the controller of the parallel charger 118 may determine a charging current for charging the power storage device 124 (for example, if the power storage device 124 has a capacity of 2400 mAh, the controller may determine to charge the power storage device 124 with a charging current of 2400 mA to achieve a 1C charging rate). The controller of the parallel charger 118 may use any current level sensor such as a sense resistor to determine the total current flowing through the power storage device 124 (for example, I PSD ). The total current flowing through the power storage device 124 may include the current supplied by the parallel charger 118 (for example, I PC ) minus the current reduced by the electrical load (for example, I LOAD ). The controller may adjust the operation of the parallel charger 118 such that the amount of current actually provided to the power storage device 124 (for example, I PSD ) is approximately equal to the determined charging current. In this way, the controller may reduce latency and / or smooth the amount of power provided to the power storage device 124. Also, in this way, the parallel charger 118 may reduce the amount of time required to charge the power storage device 124.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a system 200 including a mobile device 202 and a power adapter 210 according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, the system 200 may be regarded as an example of the system 100 of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile device 202 may include a processing circuit 208, a main charger 212, a parallel charger 218, a current sensor 222, and a power storage device 224. The processing circuit 208, the main charger 212, the parallel charger 218, and the power storage device 224 may each perform operations similar to those of the processing circuit 108, the main charger 112, the parallel charger 118, and the power storage device 124 of FIG. 1.

[0020] In the example in Figure 2, the parallel charger 218 may include a controller 220 and a stabilized power converter 226. The stabilized power converter 226 can be any type of power converter capable of producing a stabilized output power signal. In some examples, the stabilized power converter 226 may be a switch-mode power converter. For example, the stabilized power converter 226 may be a buck converter, boost converter, buck-boost converter, Cuk (also known as a 2-inductor inverting converter), flyback converter, or any other type of stabilized DC / DC converter.

[0021] The controller 220 may be configured to control the operation of one or more components of the parallel charger 218, such as a stabilizing power converter 226. For example, the controller 220 may control the amount of current supplied by the stabilizing power converter 226 (e.g., I PC One or more signals (e.g., signal 228) may be output to the switch of the stabilized power converter 226 that adjusts the ). The controller 220 may be any combination of an analog controller and a digital controller. Examples of the controller 220 include, but are not limited to, one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), general-purpose microprocessors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable logic arrays (FPGAs), systems on a chip (SoC), or other equivalent integrated circuits or discrete logic circuits. In one specific example, the controller 220 may include an analog compensator.

[0022] As described above, according to one or more aspects of this disclosure, the controller 220 controls the amount of current flowing to the energy storage device 224 (for example, I PSD Based on this, the operation of the stabilizing power converter 226 can be controlled. For example, the controller 220 can control the operation of the stabilizing power converter 226 when the amount of current supplied by the stabilizing power converter 226 is reduced by other electrical loads (e.g., by the processing circuit 208). LOADRegardless of whether it is reduced as such, the current output of the stabilized power converter 226 can be adjusted to maintain the amount of current flowing through the energy storage device 224 at a specified charging current. In this way, the controller 220 can cause the stabilized power converter 226 to generate a power signal to charge the energy storage device 224 at a determined charging current based on the total amount of current flowing through the energy storage device 224.

[0023] As described above, the controller 220 may perform operations based on the amount of current flowing through the energy storage device 224. The controller 220 may perform operations based on the total amount of current flowing through the energy storage device 224 (e.g., I PSD Based on the signal received from the current sensor 222, which represents the current flowing through the energy storage device 224, the controller 220 can determine the amount of current flowing through the energy storage device 224. For example, as shown in Figure 2, the current sensor 222 may include a sensing resistor in series with the energy storage device 224 (for example, so that the current flowing through the energy storage device 224 also flows through the current sensor 222), and the controller 220 may receive an indication of the voltage drop across the sensing resistor. Since the voltage drop across the sensing resistor of the current sensor 222 is proportional to the amount of current flowing through the sensing resistor due to the resistance of the sensing resistor, the controller 220 can determine the total amount of current flowing through the energy storage device 224 based on the voltage drop across the sensing resistor and the resistance of the sensing resistor. The resistance of the sensing resistor of the current sensor 222 may be stored in the memory of the controller 220 or may be available to the controller 220.

[0024] As described above, the controller 220 can control the operation of the stabilizing power converter 226. For example, the controller 220 may output a signal 228 that controls the operation of the switch of the stabilizing power converter 226. In some examples, the signal 228 may be a pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal, and the controller 220 controls the amount of current output by the stabilizing power converter 226 (for example, by adjusting the duty cycle). PC The duty cycle of signal 228 may be adjusted to adjust the following:

[0025] During operation, the electrical load of the mobile device 202 may reduce some of the current supplied by the parallel charger 218. For example, the processing circuit 208 LOAD The amount of current shown as can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible that not all of the current generated by the stable power converter 226 flows to the energy storage device 224 (i.e., I PC I PSD (It may not be equal to) Therefore, the controller 220 will, if I PC When the stable power converter 226 is controlled to generate a certain value, the energy storage device 224 may not always be charged with the desired charging current. This can lead to various problems as described above (e.g., increased wear on the energy storage device 224, increased charging time, etc.).

[0026] As described above, according to one or more techniques of this disclosure, the controller 220 may control the operation of the stabilizing power converter 226 to compensate for the dynamic power consumption of the electrical load so that the amount of power flowing to the energy storage device 224 is relatively uniform and approximately equal to the desired charging current. For example, the controller 220 may continuously or periodically monitor the amount of current flowing to the energy storage device 224 based on a signal generated by the current sensor 222. In some cases, due to the use of the display of the mobile device 202 or additional calculations being performed by the processing circuit 208 during charging, LOAD If I increase, PSD The current may begin to decrease from the desired charging current. Controller 220 controls LOAD The increase of I PSD This can be detected as a decrease. The controller 220 adjusts the duty cycle or other parameters of signal 228 to supply a stable power supply 226. LOAD The change in I may be compensated for. PSD When it decreases (for example, I LOAD If (if it increases), controller 220 will PC Increase I accordingly PSDThe duty cycle of signal 228 may be increased to increase the value. As another example, PSD When it increases (for example, I LOAD If (I decreases), the controller 220 will PD Decreases I PSD The duty cycle of signal 228 may be reduced to decrease the noise. Controller 220 can implement this control loop at any sufficient frequency. As one special example, controller 220 implements the control loop at 100 kHz (i.e., I PSD The operation of the stable power converter 226 may be adjusted based on this.

[0027] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a system 300 including a mobile device 302 and a power adapter 310, according to an example of the present disclosure. In some examples, system 300 may be considered an example of system 100 in Figure 1 and / or system 200 in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 3, the mobile device 302 may include a processing circuit 308, a main charger 312, a parallel charger 318, a current sensor 322, a power storage device 324, a wireless power module 336, and a switch 338. The processing circuit 308, the main charger 312, the parallel charger 318, the current sensor 322, and the power storage device 324 may each perform at least the same operations as the processing circuit 208, the main charger 212, the parallel charger 218, the current sensor 222, and the power storage device 224 in Figure 2.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, the mobile device 302 may include a wireless power module 336 and a wired power interface 340. The wireless power module 336 may be a wireless power interface such as an inductive power interface that utilizes inductive power transmission for power supply from or to the wireless power module 336. The wireless power module 336 may use inductive coupling, resonant inductive coupling, capacitive coupling, magnetodynamic coupling, microwave coupling, or optical coupling. The wireless power module 336 may be used to exchange power with an external device 342. The wired power interface may be any wired connection that can exchange power with the mobile device 302. Examples of the wired power interface 340 include, but are not limited to, USB ports (e.g., micro USB, USB-C®, Thunderbolt®, etc.), dedicated connectors, end ports, and sleeve ports.

[0029] The mobile device 302 may be coupled with an external device 342. The external device 342 may be connected to a wired power interface 340 (for example, instead of a power adapter 310) or wirelessly coupled to a wireless power module 336. The external device 342 may include a USB charger for USB cable charging, such as a USB cable coupled to a computer, or a power brick for USB cable charging with a programmable power supply, such as a power adapter 310 via the wired power interface 340. The external device 342 may be an on-the-go USB load such as a headset or flash thumb drive, or it may be on a wireless device such as a headset or wireless charger.

[0030] In the example of Figure 3, the parallel charger 318 may include additional components and / or functions compared to the example of the parallel charger 218 in Figure 2. For example, in the example of Figure 3, the parallel charger 318 may be configured to operate as a bidirectional stabilizing power converter. Thus, the parallel charger 318 may be configured to selectively generate a first power signal for charging the energy storage device 324 using power supplied from an external power source (e.g., from the power adapter 310 via the wired power interface 340), and / or to generate a second power signal for providing power to an external device 342 coupled to the mobile device 302 (e.g., using electrical energy supplied from the energy storage device 324).

[0031] The parallel charger 318 may include components configured to direct the flow of electrical energy between the parallel charger 318 and external components. For example, the parallel charger 318 may include a power switch structure 330. As shown in the example in Figure 3, the power switch structure 330 may include two back-to-back connected load switches 332 and 334. The load switches 332 and 334 can function as multiplexers, allowing the power signal generated by the stabilizing power converter 326 to be selectively routed to various destinations (e.g., the wireless power module 336 or the energy storage device 324 and external devices 342 via the wired power interface 340), and allowing the stabilizing power converter 326 to generate the power signal using electrical energy received from various sources (e.g., the power adapter 310 and external devices 342). As an example, load switch 332 may allow the stabilizing power converter 326 to selectively obtain electrical energy from the power adapter 310 via the wired power interface 340. As another example, a load switch 334 may allow a stable power converter 326 to selectively obtain electrical energy from or supply electrical energy to an external device 342. Examples of load switches 332 and 334 include transistors (e.g., metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors: MOSFETs), vacuum tubes, logic gates, or network switches. Although load switches 332 and 334 are shown as each containing two switches, in some examples each of load switches 332 and 334 may contain only one switch.

[0032] It would be desirable to operate the mobile device 302 in the following diverse charging scenarios. Specifically, these charging scenarios include scenarios in which the mobile device 302 receives power from an external source (e.g., from a power adapter 310 via a wired power interface 340), scenarios in which the mobile device 302 supplies power to an external device, and scenarios in which the mobile device 302 receives power from an external source and simultaneously supplies power to an external device. Power transmission in such scenarios can occur over various connection types, including both wireless links (e.g., inductive wireless charging including wireless charging using the Qi standard) and wired links (e.g., universal serial bus (USB®) including USB Power Delivery (USB-PD)). Both the main charger 312 and the parallel charger 318 may be capable of bidirectional power transmission. As described below, the mobile device 302 may allocate operations to the main charger 312 and the parallel charger 318 to most efficiently handle each charging scenario.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, the switch 338 of the mobile device 302 may allow the main charger 312 to be selectively connected to the wireless power module 336. The main charger 312 and the parallel charger 318 can handle charging of external devices 342, such as cable charging, USB OTG / headset, wireless charging, reverse wireless charging, and charging of the energy storage device 324, even in coexisting use cases. The main charger 312 may also charge external devices via the switch 338, or the parallel charger 318 may charge external devices 342 via the load switch 334 of the power switch structure 330. In one example, the main charger 312 may support standard cable charging and wireless charging of the energy storage device 324, while the parallel charger 318 may support high-speed cable charging of the energy storage device 324 and power supply to external devices (e.g., USB OTG / headset or reverse wireless charging) via the power switch structure 330. In the example shown in Figure 3, there are three load switches (332, 334, and 338) to duplicate internal charging, external charging, and usage scenarios.

[0034] Table 1 lists feasible charging scenarios and corresponding operations for the main charger 312 and the parallel charger 318. In the following description, the acronym USB CHG indicates the use of the main charger for USB cable charging, such as a USB cable coupled to a computer or power brick. Parallel CHG indicates the use of the parallel charger 318 for USB cable charging with a programmable power supply, such as a power adapter 310. OTG indicates an on-the-go USB load, such as a headset or flash thumb drive. WLC Rx indicates a wireless receiver for normal wireless charging. WTx indicates a wireless transmitter for reverse wireless charging.

[0035] In Scenario 1, where a USB charger is connected to mobile device 302 and the battery storage device 324 is "dead" (e.g., <~2.6V), the parallel charger 318 is used to charge the battery storage device 324 via USB charging, such as the wired power interface 340. Since the voltage of the battery storage device is low, the external device 342 is not charged.

[0036] In Scenario 2, where a USB charger is connected to the mobile device 302 and the user desires to use reverse wireless charging, the main charger 312 may be used to charge the energy storage device 324, while the parallel charger 318 may be used for reverse wireless charging via the wireless power module 336.

[0037] In Scenario 3, where the wireless charger is coupled to the mobile device 302, the main charger 312 may be used to charge the energy storage device 324 via the wireless power module 336 and switch 338.

[0038] In Scenario 4, where the wireless charger is coupled to the mobile device 302 and a USB On-The-Go (OTG) external device, the main charger 312 can wirelessly charge via the wireless power module 336 and switch 338, while the parallel charger 318 supplies power to the OTG device via switch 338.

[0039] In Scenario 5-1, where the USB OTG device is coupled to the mobile device 302, the parallel charger 318 can supply power to the OTG device. However, the main charger 312 may supply power to the OTG device alternately with the parallel charger 318, as shown in Scenario 5-2.

[0040] In scenario 6-1, where the reverse wireless charger device is coupled to the mobile device 302, the main charger 312 may power the reverse wireless charger. However, the parallel charger 318 may power the reverse wireless charger alternately with the main charger 312, as shown in scenario 6-2.

[0041] In Scenario 7-1, where the reverse wireless charger device and the USB OTG device are coupled to the mobile device 302, the main charger 312 can power the reverse wireless charger, and the parallel charger 318 can power the OTG device. However, as shown in Scenario 7-2, the parallel charger 318 may alternately power the reverse wireless charger and the main charger with the main charger 312, and then power the USB OTG device.

[0042] Scenario 8 describes a scenario in which none of the devices, including the power adapter 310, are coupled.

[0043] [Table 1]

[0044] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating exemplary operation of a parallel charger circuit that provides charge to one or more energy storage devices, according to an example of this disclosure. The operation shown in Figure 4 is described in the context of the mobile device 302 of Figure 3 for illustrative purposes. However, other mobile devices may perform the operation shown in Figure 4.

[0045] During the first period, the main charger 312 of the mobile device 302 may generate a first power signal for charging the energy storage device 324 using electrical energy received from the power supply 310 (402). For example, if a USB charger is coupled to the mobile device 302 and the user wishes to use reverse wireless charging, the main charger 312 may be used to charge the energy storage device 324, and a parallel charger 318 may be used for reverse wireless charging via the wireless power module 336, and the main charger 312 may generate a power signal for charging the energy storage device 324 using electrical energy received from the power adapter 310 via the wired power interface 340.

[0046] During a second period (for example, different from and not overlapping with the first period), it may be desirable for the parallel charger 318 of the mobile device 302 to generate a power signal for charging the energy storage device 324. For example, if a USB charger is coupled to the mobile device 302, and the energy storage device 324 is "dead battery," and the parallel charger 318 can be used to charge the energy storage device 324 via USB charging, such as a wired power interface 340, it may be desirable for the parallel charger 318 of the mobile device 302 to generate a second power signal for charging the energy storage device 324. To generate the second power signal, the parallel charger 318 may determine a charging current to charge the energy storage device 324 (404). For example, the controller 320 of the parallel charger 318 may determine PSD A desired value can be determined for this. For example, the controller 320 may determine the charging current based on the capacity of the energy storage device 324, such as the 1C charging rate as described above. In some examples, the charging current determined by the controller 320 may be the same as the charging current provided by the main charger 312 during the first period. In some examples, the charging current determined by the controller 320 may be different from the charging current provided by the main charger 312 during the first period.

[0047] The parallel charger 318 can determine the total amount of current flowing to the energy storage device 324 (406). This total amount of current includes the current supplied by the parallel charger 318 minus the current reduced by the electrical load. For example, the controller 320 can determine the total amount of current flowing to the energy storage device 324 (e.g., I PSD The amount of current flowing through the energy storage device 324 may be determined based on the signal received from the current sensor 322, which represents ).

[0048] The parallel charger 318 may, during a second period that does not overlap with the first period, use the electrical energy received from the power supply 310 to generate a second power signal for charging the energy storage device 324 with a determined charging current based on the determined total current (408). For example, the controller 320 may PSD In order to bring it closer to the determined charging current, PC The duty cycle of one or more switches of the stabilizing power converter 326 of the parallel charger 318 may be adjusted to increase or decrease the value.

[0049] In some cases, it may be desirable for the parallel charger 318 of the mobile device 302 to generate a power signal to be supplied to an external device (e.g., external device 342 in Figure 3) during a third period (for example, a period different from and not overlapping with the second period). For example, if a wireless charger is coupled to the mobile device 302 and a USB on-the-go (OTG) external device, and the main charger 312 can wirelessly charge via the wireless power module 336 and switch 338, and the parallel charger 318 can supply power to the OTG device via switch 338, then it may be desirable for the parallel charger 318 of the mobile device 302 to generate a third power signal to be output to the external device 342 (e.g., the OTG device). Therefore, the parallel charger 318 can generate a third power signal to supply power to the external device coupled to the device using the electrical energy supplied from the energy storage device 324 during a third period that does not overlap with the second period (410).

[0050] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a mobile device and power adapter according to the examples of the present disclosure. In some examples, system 500 may be an example of system 100 in Figure 1 and / or system 200 in Figure 2 and / or system 300 in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 5, the mobile device 502 may include a processing circuit 508, a main charger 512, a parallel charger 518, a current sensor 522, a power storage device 524, a wireless power module 536, and a switch 538. The processing circuit 508, main charger 512, parallel charger 518, current sensor 522, and power storage device 524 may each perform at least the same operations as the processing circuit 208, main charger 212, parallel charger 218, current sensor 222, and power storage device 224 in Figure 2, and the processing circuit 308, main charger 312, parallel charger 318, current sensor 322, and power storage device 324 in Figure 3. The mobile device 502 can be coupled with the external device 542.

[0051] Overvoltage protection (OVP) can be useful in mobile devices, particularly in the USB path during charging. Therefore, some mobile devices may include OVP protection components, such as OVP switches, in the USB path. Including such OVP switches can result in one or more disadvantages, such as an increase in the number of components and increased board space. According to one or more techniques of this disclosure, the power flow through the mobile device 502 may be configured such that one of the load switches 532 / 534 provides OVP protection. Thus, the mobile device 502 can incorporate OVP protection without the need to include additional OVP protection components. As shown in Figure 5, switch 544 of load switch 532 may provide OVP functionality.

[0052] In the example in Figure 5, the entire power flow for power received between the power adapter 510 and the mobile device 502 via the wired power interface 540 passes through the parallel charger 518. The current from the power adapter 510 through the wired power interface 540 passes through the OVP switch 54. In an exemplary situation similar to Scenario 3 described above, where a wireless charger is coupled to the mobile device 502, the main charger 512 may be used to charge the energy storage device 524 via the wireless power module 536 and switch 538. In an exemplary situation like Scenario 2 described above, where a USB charger is coupled to the mobile device 502 and the user wants to use reverse wireless charging for an external device 542, the main charger 512 may be used to charge the energy storage device 524 by sending power from the wired power interface 540 to the main charger 512 and further to the energy storage device 524 via the OVP switch 544. The parallel charger 518 may also be used to reverse wirelessly charge the wireless power module 336 via the load switch 534 and further wirelessly to the external device 542.

[0053] The power adapter 510 can be directly coupled to the parallel charger 518 in the OVP switch 544 within the first pair of load switches 532. After passing through the OVP switch 540, BUS_IN It can pass through the stable power converter 526 and reach the energy storage device 524. Or, I BUS_IN The energy can reach the main charger 512 via the parallel charger 518, depending on the scenario described above, with respect to charging the energy storage device 524 and the external device 542.

[0054] The following numbered examples may illustrate one or more aspects of this disclosure. Example 1: The device comprises a power storage device, an electrical load, and a first stabilized power converter, the first stabilized power converter including a component configured to generate a first power signal for charging the power storage device using electrical energy received from an external power source during a first period, the device further comprises a second stabilized power converter, the second stabilized power converter including a component configured to determine a charging current for charging the power storage device and a component configured to determine a total current flowing through the power storage device, the total current including a current supplied by the second stabilized power converter minus a current reduced by the electrical load, the second stabilized power converter further includes a component configured to generate a second power signal for charging the power storage device with a determined charging current based on the determined total current, using electrical energy received from the power source during a second period that does not overlap with the first period.

[0055] Example 2: In the device of Example 1, the second stable power converter includes a bidirectional stable power converter, the components of which are further configured to generate a third power signal for supplying power to an external device coupled to the device using electrical energy supplied from the energy storage device during a third period that does not overlap with the second period.

[0056] Example 3: In the device of Example 1 or Example 2, the second stable power converter further comprises a buck converter configured to generate a second power signal for charging the energy storage device using the electrical energy received from the power source, and a controller electrically coupled to the buck converter, the controller controlling the duty cycle of the buck converter based on the determined total current amount such that the buck converter generates the second power signal with an amount of current equal to the determined charging current and the current reduced by the electrical load.

[0057] Example 4: The device of Example 3 further comprises a current sensor configured to generate a signal representing the total amount of current flowing through the energy storage device, and the controller is configured to determine the total amount of current flowing through the energy storage device based on the signal generated by the current sensor.

[0058] Example 5: In the device of Example 3 or Example 4, the controller updates the duty cycle of the buck converter at a frequency of 1 Hz to 100 kHz.

[0059] Example 6: Any one of the devices from Example 2 to Example 5 further comprises a first set of one or more load switches electrically coupled between the second stabilizing power converter and the power supply, and a second set of one or more load switches electrically coupled between the second stabilizing power converter and the external device.

[0060] Example 7: In the device of Example 6, the first set of load switches is configured to direct the electrical energy received from the power source to the second stabilized converter, and the second set of load switches is configured to direct the third power signal from the second stabilized converter to the external device.

[0061] Example 8: In the device of Example 6, a particular switch from the first set of load switches is configured to operate as an overvoltage protection switch, and the electrical energy used by the first stable power converter to generate the first power signal flows through that particular switch.

[0062] Example 9: Any one of the devices in Examples 2 to 8 further comprises a wired power interface, wherein the electrical energy used by the first stable power converter to generate the first power signal flows through the wired power interface, and the device further comprises a wireless power module, wherein the third power signal is output to the external device via the wireless power module.

[0063] Example 10: In any one of the devices in Examples 1 to 9, the electrical load includes one or more of the processing circuit and the display.

[0064] Example 11: In any one of the devices in Examples 1 to 10, the energy storage device includes a first energy storage device and a second energy storage device electrically coupled in parallel with the first energy storage device, wherein the second energy storage device has a different energy storage capacity than the first energy storage device.

[0065] Example 12: The method includes the steps of: generating a first power signal for charging a battery storage device using electrical energy received from a power source during a first period using a first stabilized power converter; determining a charging current for charging the battery storage device using a second stabilized power converter; and determining a total current flowing through the battery storage device using the second stabilized power converter, the total current including the current supplied by the second stabilized power converter minus the current reduced by the electrical load; and further including the step of generating a second power signal for charging the battery storage device with the determined charging current, based on the determined total current, using electrical energy received from the power source during a second period that does not overlap with the first period using the second stabilized power converter.

[0066] Example 13: The method of Example 12 further includes the step of using the second stable power converter, which includes a bidirectional stable power converter, to generate a third power signal for powering an external device coupled to the device, using the electrical energy supplied from the energy storage device during a third period that does not overlap with the second period.

[0067] Example 14: In the method of Example 12 or Example 13, the second stable power converter further comprises a buck converter that generates a second power signal for charging the energy storage device using the electrical energy received from the power source, the method further includes the step of controlling the duty cycle of the buck converter based on the determined total current amount by a controller electrically coupled to the buck converter, such that the buck converter generates the second power signal with an amount of current equal to the determined charging current and the current reduced by the electrical load.

[0068] Example 15: The method of Example 14 further includes the step of generating a signal by a current sensor representing the total amount of current flowing through the energy storage device, and the controller is configured to determine the total amount of current flowing through the energy storage device based on the signal generated by the current sensor.

[0069] Example 16: The method of Example 14 or Example 15 further includes the step of updating the duty cycle of the buck converter with the controller at a frequency of 1 Hz to 100 kHz.

[0070] Example 17: The method of Example 14 further includes the steps of directing the electrical energy received from the power source outside the second stabilizing power converter by a first set of one or more load switches electrically coupled between the second stabilizing power converter and the power source, and directing the third power signal from the energy storage device to the one or more external devices by a second set of one or more load switches electrically coupled between the second stabilizing power converter and one or more external devices.

[0071] Example 18: A combination of any of Examples 1 through 17. The above descriptions have been explained with reference to specific examples for illustrative purposes. However, the above illustrative descriptions are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the examples of the disclosed subject matter to the exact forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The examples have been selected and described to illustrate the principles of the examples of the disclosed subject matter and their practical applications, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to utilize these examples and various other examples that have been modified to suit specific intended uses.

Claims

1. A device, a power storage device; The electrical load and a first regulated power converter, the first regulated power converter including a component configured to generate a first power signal for charging the power storage device using electrical energy received from a power source external to the device during a first time period, the device further comprising: a second regulated power converter, the second regulated power converter comprising: a component configured to determine a charging current for charging the power storage device; and a component configured to determine a total amount of current flowing through the power storage device, the total amount of current comprising a current supplied by the second regulated power converter minus a current sunk by the electrical load, the second regulated power converter further comprising: a component configured to generate, during a second time period that does not overlap with the first time period, a second power signal for charging the power storage device at the determined charging current based on the determined total current amount using electrical energy received from the power source.

2. 10. The device of claim 1, wherein the second regulated power converter includes a bidirectional regulated power converter, and wherein components of the bidirectional regulated power converter are further configured to generate, during a third time period that does not overlap with the second time period, using electrical energy provided from the power storage device to generate a third power signal for powering an external device coupled to the device.

3. The second regulated power converter further comprises: a buck converter configured to generate the second power signal for charging the power storage device using the electrical energy received from the power source; and a controller electrically coupled to the buck converter, the controller controlling a duty cycle of the buck converter based on the determined total amount of current such that the buck converter generates the second power signal with an amount of current equal to the determined charging current and the current reduced by the electrical load.

4. 4. The device of claim 3, further comprising a current sensor configured to generate a signal representative of the total amount of current flowing through the power storage device, and wherein the controller is configured to determine the total amount of current flowing through the power storage device based on the signal generated by the current sensor.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the controller updates the duty cycle of the buck converter at a frequency between 1 Hz and 100 KHz.

6. a first set of one or more load switches electrically coupled between the second regulated power converter and the power source; The device of claim 2 , further comprising: a second set of one or more load switches electrically coupled between the second regulated power converter and the external device.

7. the first set of load switches configured to direct the electrical energy received from the power source to the second ballast converter; The device of claim 6 , wherein the second set of load switches is configured to direct the third power signal from the second regulated converter to the external device.

8. 7. The device of claim 6, wherein a particular switch in the first set of load switches is configured to operate as an overvoltage protection switch, and the electrical energy used by the first regulated power converter to generate the first power signal flows through the particular switch.

9. The device further comprises: a wired power interface through which the electrical energy used by the first regulated power converter to generate the first power signal flows, the device further comprising: The device of claim 2 , comprising a wireless power module, wherein the third power signal is output to the external device via the wireless power module.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the electrical load includes one or more of a processing circuit and a display.

11. 10. The device of claim 1, wherein the power storage device includes a first power storage device and a second power storage device electrically coupled in parallel with the first power storage device, the second power storage device having a different power storage capacity than the first power storage device.

12. 1. A method comprising: generating, by a first regulated power converter, a first power signal for charging a power storage device using electrical energy received from a power source during a first time period; determining a charging current for charging the power storage device by a second regulated power converter; and determining a total amount of current flowing through the power storage device by the second regulated power converter, the total amount of current comprising a current supplied by the second regulated power converter minus a current sunk by an electrical load, the method further comprising: generating, by the second regulated power converter, a second power signal for charging the power storage device with the determined charging current based on the determined total current amount using electrical energy received from the power source during a second time period that does not overlap with the first time period.

13. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating, by the second regulated power converter including a bidirectional regulated power converter, a third power signal for powering an external device coupled to the device using electrical energy provided by the power storage device during a third time period that does not overlap with the second time period.

14. The second regulated power converter further comprises a buck converter that generates the second power signal for charging the power storage device using the electrical energy received from the power source, and the method further comprises:

13. The method of claim 12, comprising controlling, by a controller electrically coupled to the buck converter, a duty cycle of the buck converter based on the determined total amount of current, such that the buck converter generates the second power signal with an amount of current equal to the determined charging current and the current reduced by the electrical load.

15. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating, by a current sensor, a signal representative of the total amount of current flowing through the power storage device, wherein the controller is configured to determine the total amount of current flowing through the power storage device based on the signal generated by the current sensor.

16. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising updating, by the controller, the duty cycle of the buck converter at a frequency between 1 Hz and 100 KHz.

17. directing the electrical energy received from the power source external to the second regulated power converter through a first set of one or more load switches electrically coupled between the second regulated power converter and the power source; 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: directing the third power signal from the power storage device to the one or more external devices with a second set of one or more load switches electrically coupled between the second regulated power converter and the one or more external devices.

18. A device, a power storage device; The electrical load and a first circuit for generating a first power signal for charging the power storage device using electrical energy received from a power source external to the device during a first time period; a second circuit, the second circuit comprising: determining a charging current for charging the power storage device; The second circuit is configured to determine a total amount of current flowing through the power storage device, the total amount of current including a current supplied by the second circuit minus a current reduced by the electrical load, and the second circuit further includes: and generating, during a second period that does not overlap with the first period, a second power signal for charging the power storage device at the determined charging current based on the determined total current amount using electrical energy received from the power source.

19. 20. The device of claim 18, wherein the second circuit comprises a third circuit for generating, during a third period that does not overlap with the second period, a third power signal using electrical energy provided from the power storage device to power an external device coupled to the device.

20. The second circuit further comprises: a third circuit for generating the second power signal using the electrical energy received from the power source to charge the power storage device; and a fourth circuit electrically coupled to the third circuit, the fourth circuit for controlling a duty cycle of the third circuit based on the determined total amount of current such that the third circuit generates the second power signal with an amount of current equal to the determined charging current and a current reduced by the electrical load.

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