electronic machinery

Abstract

This electronic device comprises a first power supply port, a second power supply port, a first switching circuit that switches a power supply pathway to either of a first pathway for supplying first electric power to a power supply subject and a second pathway for supplying second electric power to the power supply subject, a step-up / -down circuit for raising or lowering the voltage of the second electric power, and a control device for controlling the step-up / -down circuit. The control device compares the first electric power and the second electric power when a first power supply adapter is connected to the first power supply port and a second power supply adapter is connected to the second power supply port, lowers the voltage of the second electric power to below the voltage of the first electric power if the first electric power is greater than the second electric power, and raises the voltage of the second electric power to above the voltage of the first electric power if the second electric power is greater than the first electric power.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to electronic devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a power supply control circuit that reduces degradation in the performance of a system to which power is supplied. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-063558 Summary of the Invention

[0004] The power supply control circuit of Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in terms of preventing a decrease in performance when multiple power sources are simultaneously supplied via multiple power supply paths.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide an electronic device capable of preventing a decrease in performance when multiple power sources are simultaneously supplied via multiple power supply paths.

[0006] An electronic device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a first power supply port to which a first power adapter is connected; a second power supply port to which a second power adapter is connected; a first switching circuit that switches the power supply path between a first path that is connected to the first power supply port and that supplies a first power to the power supply target, and a second path that is connected to the second power supply port and that supplies a second power to the power supply target; a step-up / step-down circuit disposed between the second power supply port and the first switching circuit in the second path, the step-up / step-down circuit increasing or decreasing a voltage of the second power; a control device that controls the step-up / step-down circuit; Equipped with The first switching circuit When a voltage of the first path is higher than a voltage of the second path, the power supply path is switched to the first path, and when a voltage of the second path is higher than a voltage of the first path, the power supply path is switched to the second path; The control device When the first power adapter is connected to the first power supply port and the second power adapter is connected to the second power supply port, the first power and the second power are compared, and if the first power is greater than the second power, the step-up / step-down circuit is controlled to make the voltage of the second power lower than the voltage of the first power, and if the second power is greater than the first power, the step-up / step-down circuit is controlled to make the voltage of the second power higher than the voltage of the first power.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to realize an electronic device that can prevent a decrease in performance when multiple power sources are simultaneously supplied via multiple power supply paths. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the electronic device of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 4 is a flowchart for explaining a power supply process of the electronic device of FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart for explaining a power supply path switching process of the electronic device of FIG. 1; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] (Background to this disclosure) The power supply control circuit in Patent Document 1 is based on the premise that the maximum power supply of the USB-PD adapter is 60 W, and when an AC adapter is connected, the power supply path of the USB-PD adapter is cut off, thereby reducing the output voltage to below the output voltage of the AC adapter.

[0010] In recent years, adapters compliant with the USB-PD standard, which supplies 100 W of power and a supply voltage of 20 V, have rapidly become popular. For example, suppose an AC adapter with a supply power of 85 W and a supply voltage of 16 V and a USB-PD adapter with a supply power of 100 W and a supply voltage of 20 V are connected to a personal computer equipped with the power control circuit described in Patent Document 1. In this case, the power control circuit described in Patent Document 1 will select the AC adapter with the lower supply power rather than the USB-PD adapter with the higher supply power. This can lead to increased battery charging time and may also degrade the performance of the electronic device, such as a slower CPU operating clock.

[0011] The present inventors have devised an electronic device that can more reliably switch to a power supply path that supplies more power when multiple powers are supplied simultaneously via multiple power supply paths, thereby preventing a decrease in performance, and have arrived at the following invention.

[0012] The electronic device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure includes: a first power supply port to which a first power adapter is connected; a second power supply port to which a second power adapter is connected; a first switching circuit that switches the power supply path between a first path that is connected to the first power supply port and that supplies a first power to the power supply target, and a second path that is connected to the second power supply port and that supplies a second power to the power supply target; a step-up / step-down circuit disposed between the second power supply port and the first switching circuit in the second path, the step-up / step-down circuit increasing or decreasing a voltage of the second power; a control device that controls the step-up / step-down circuit; Equipped with The first switching circuit When a voltage of the first path is higher than a voltage of the second path, the power supply path is switched to the first path, and when a voltage of the second path is higher than a voltage of the first path, the power supply path is switched to the second path; The control device When the first power adapter is connected to the first power supply port and the second power adapter is connected to the second power supply port, the first power and the second power are compared, and if the first power is greater than the second power, the step-up / step-down circuit is controlled to make the voltage of the second power lower than the voltage of the first power, and if the second power is greater than the first power, the step-up / step-down circuit is controlled to make the voltage of the second power higher than the voltage of the first power.

[0013] According to the electronic device of the first aspect, when multiple powers are supplied simultaneously via multiple power supply paths, it is possible to more reliably switch to a power supply path that supplies more power, thereby preventing a decrease in performance.

[0014] An electronic device according to a second aspect of the present disclosure includes: a second switching circuit; the second power supply port includes a third power supply port to which a third power adapter is connected and a fourth power supply port to which a fourth power adapter is connected; the second switching circuit switches the power supply path to either a third path connected to the third power supply port and supplying a third power to the power supply object, or a fourth path connected to the fourth power supply port and supplying a fourth power to the power supply object; The control device When the third power adapter is connected to the third power supply port and the fourth power adapter is connected to the fourth power supply port, the third power and the fourth power are compared, and if the third power is greater than the fourth power, the second switching circuit is controlled to switch the power supply path to the third path, and the third path constitutes the second path, and if the fourth power is greater than the third power, the second switching circuit is controlled to switch the power supply path to the fourth path, and the fourth path constitutes the second path.

[0015] According to the electronic device of the second aspect, it is possible to realize an electronic device that can prevent a decrease in performance even when multiple powers are simultaneously supplied via three or more power supply paths.

[0016] An electronic device according to a third aspect of the present disclosure includes: The control device When the third power adapter is connected to the third power supply port and the fourth power adapter is connected to the fourth power supply port, it is determined whether the second switching circuit can switch the power supply path based on the state of the power supply target.

[0017] According to the electronic device of the third aspect, it is possible to avoid an unintended power outage of the electronic device that may occur when the power supply path is switched under conditions where the load of the power supply target is large, for example.

[0018] An electronic device according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure includes: the power supply target includes a battery, The control device determines whether or not the second switching circuit can switch the power supply path based on the presence or absence of the battery and its remaining capacity.

[0019] According to the electronic device of the fourth aspect, for example, it is possible to more reliably avoid unintended power outages of the electronic device that may occur when the power supply path is switched under conditions where the load of the power supply target is large.

[0020] An electronic device according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure includes: the power supply target includes a processing device, When it is determined that the power supply path can be switched by the second switching circuit, the control device temporarily reduces the performance of the processing device and then controls the second switching circuit to switch the power supply path.

[0021] According to the electronic device of the fifth aspect, it is possible to more reliably avoid an unintended power outage of the electronic device that may occur when the power supply path is switched under conditions where the load of the power supply target is large.

[0022] An electronic device according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure includes: The control device temporarily reduces the performance of the processing device, and then controls the second switching circuit to turn off the third path and the fourth path before switching the power supply path.

[0023] According to the electronic device of the sixth aspect, it is possible to prevent a short circuit between the third power adaptor and the fourth power adaptor caused by multiple power supply paths being turned on simultaneously.

[0024] An electronic device according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure includes: The control device a first control device that acquires information about the third power and the fourth power from the third power supply port and the fourth power supply port; a second control device that controls the step-up / step-down circuit and also controls the second switching circuit based on information acquired by the first control device; It has the following characteristics.

[0025] According to the electronic device of the seventh aspect, it is possible to realize an electronic device that can more reliably prevent performance degradation even when multiple powers are simultaneously supplied via three or more power supply paths.

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, like components are denoted by like reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, the embodiments do not limit the present disclosure, but are merely examples, and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure.

[0027] 1, the electronic device 1 of this embodiment is, for example, a notebook personal computer (in other words, a laptop PC). The electronic device 1 includes a first unit 10 and a second unit 20. The first unit 10 is rotatably attached to the second unit 20 via a pair of hinges 30.

[0028] The first unit 10 has a display section 11. The display section 11 is configured, for example, with a substantially rectangular liquid crystal display panel.

[0029] The second unit 20 has an input section 21 including a keyboard and a touchpad, a first power supply port 50, and a second power supply port 60, and is configured so that a user can perform input processing via the input section 21. In this embodiment, the second unit 20 has two second power supply ports 60. The second unit 20 incorporates a central processing unit (CPU), a volatile storage device (RAM), a non-volatile storage device (ROM, SSD, etc.), a battery, etc. The non-volatile storage device (ROM, SSD, etc.) stores an operating system (OS), various application programs, various data, etc. The central processing unit (CPU) realizes various functions by reading the OS, application programs, and various data and performing arithmetic processing.

[0030] A legacy AC adapter (hereinafter referred to as AC adapter) that supplies, for example, 65 W of power and 16 V of voltage is connected to the first power supply port 50. The AC adapter is connected to a commercial power source via a household outlet or the like and receives a supply of power.

[0031] The second power supply port 60 is connected to, for example, a USB-PD (USB Power Delivery) adapter that supplies 100 W or less and a supply voltage of 5 to 20 V. In this embodiment, the second power supply port 60 is configured with a plurality of power supply ports (a third power supply port 61 and a fourth power supply port 62). Any USB-PD adapter is connected to the third power supply port 61 and the fourth power supply port 62. In other words, the third power adapter connected to the third power supply port 61 and the fourth power adapter connected to the fourth power supply port 62 may supply the same power but different supply voltages, or may supply different powers but the same supply voltage.

[0032] The first power supplied to the electronic device 1 via the first power supply port 50 or the second power supplied to the electronic device 1 via the second power supply port 60 is supplied to the power supply target 100. The power supply target 100 is, for example, a system that operates the electronic device 1, and includes a processing unit (CPU) and a battery.

[0033] The pair of hinges 30 can rotate the first unit 10 relative to the second unit 20 around a rotation axis extending along the width direction (e.g., the X direction) of the electronic device 1, thereby holding the first unit 10 at any angle relative to the second unit 20. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the pair of hinges 30 can hold the electronic device 1 in an open state in which the first unit 10 forms any angle (e.g., approximately 120 degrees as shown in FIG. 1) relative to the second unit 20. The pair of hinges 30 can also hold the electronic device 1 in a closed state in which the first unit 10 forms an angle of approximately zero degrees relative to the second unit 20. The closed state is a state in which the first unit 10 and the second unit 20 are closely opposed to each other and are approximately parallel.

[0034] 2, the electronic device 1 includes a first switching circuit 70, a second switching circuit 71, a step-up / step-down circuit 80, and a control device 90. The control device 90 controls the second switching circuit 71 and the step-up / step-down circuit 80.

[0035] The first switching circuit 70 is configured with, for example, a diode OR circuit, and switches the power supply path between a first path 110 connected to the first power supply port 50 and supplying a first power to the power supply target 100, and a second path 120 connected to the second power supply port 60 and supplying a second power to the power supply target 100. In detail, the first switching circuit 70 switches the power supply path to the first path 110 when the voltage of the first path 110 is higher than the voltage of the second path 120, and switches the power supply path to the second path 120 when the voltage of the second path 120 is higher than the voltage of the first path 110. In this embodiment, the power supply path between the first switching circuit 70 and the power supply target 100 constitutes a part of the first path 110 and also constitutes a part of the second path 120.

[0036] The second switching circuit 71 switches the power supply path between a third path 130 connected to the third power supply port 61 and supplying a third power to the power supply target 100, and a fourth path 140 connected to the fourth power supply port 62 and supplying a fourth power to the power supply target 100. In this embodiment, the power supply path between the second switching circuit 71 and the power supply target 100 constitutes a part of the third path 130 and also constitutes a part of the fourth path 140.

[0037] The step-up / step-down circuit 80 is disposed between the second power supply port 60 and the first switching circuit 70 in the second path 120, and increases or decreases the voltage of the second power. In this embodiment, the step-up / step-down circuit 80 is disposed between the first switching circuit 70 and the second switching circuit 71 in the second path 120.

[0038] The control device 90 includes, for example, a first control device 91 and a second control device 92. The first control device 91 is, for example, a USB-PD controller, and the second control device 92 is, for example, an EC (Embedded Controller). The second control device 92 is positioned higher in the system than the first control device 91.

[0039] Each of the first control device 91 and the second control device 92 has, for example, a processing unit (CPU) and a storage device (RAM, ROM, SSD). The non-volatile storage device stores an operating system (OS), various application programs, various data, etc. The processing device reads the OS, application programs, and various data and executes arithmetic processing to realize various functions.

[0040] The first control device 91 acquires information about the third power and the fourth power from the third power supply port 61 and the fourth power supply port 62. When the third power adapter is connected to the third power supply port 61 or the fourth power adapter is connected to the fourth power supply port 62, the first control device 91 performs negotiation with the third power adapter or the fourth power adapter in accordance with the USB-PD standard. Through this negotiation, information about the third power and the fourth power is acquired.

[0041] The second control device 92 controls the step-up / step-down circuit 80 and also controls the second switching circuit 71 based on the information acquired by the first control device 91 .

[0042] Specifically, when the first power adapter is connected to the first power supply port 50 and the second power adapter is connected to the second power supply port 60, the second control device 92 compares the first power and the second power. When the first power is greater than the second power, the second control device 92 controls the step-up / step-down circuit 80 to decrease the voltage of the second power so that it is lower than the voltage of the first power. As a result, the power supply path is switched to the first path 110, and the first power is supplied to the power supply target 100. When the second power is greater than the first power, the second control device 92 controls the step-up / step-down circuit 80 to increase the voltage of the second power so that it is higher than the voltage of the first power. As a result, the power supply path is switched to the second path 120, and the second power is supplied to the power supply target 100. In this embodiment, the first power, which is the power supplied by the AC adapter, is acquired in advance and stored in a storage device of the second control device 92.

[0043] For example, if no power adapter is connected to either the third power supply port 61 or the fourth power supply port 62, the second control device 92 determines that the second power adapter is not connected to the second power supply port 60.

[0044] For example, if a third power adapter is connected to the third power supply port 61 but a fourth power adapter is not connected to the fourth power supply port 62, the second control device 92 determines that the third power supply port 61 is the second power supply port 60 and that the third power adapter is the second power adapter.

[0045] For example, when a third power adapter is connected to the third power supply port 61 and a fourth power adapter is connected to the fourth power supply port 62, the second control device 92 compares the third power and the fourth power. If the third power is greater than the fourth power, the second control device 92 controls the second switching circuit 71 to switch the power supply path to the third path 130. In this case, the third path 130 constitutes the second path 120, and the second control device 92 determines that the third power supply port 61 is the second power supply port 60 and the third power adapter is the second power adapter. If the fourth power is greater than the third power, the second control device 92 controls the second switching circuit 71 to switch the power supply path to the fourth path 140. In this case, the fourth path 140 constitutes the second path 120, and the second control device 92 determines that the fourth power supply port 62 is the second power supply port 60 and the fourth power adapter is the second power adapter.

[0046] Before switching the power supply path to either the third path 130 or the fourth path 140, the second control device 92 determines whether or not the power supply path can be switched by the second switching circuit 71 based on the state of the power supply target 100. The state of the power supply target 100 refers to a state of the power supply target 100 in which no malfunction such as a power outage occurs when the power supply path is switched.

[0047] For example, if the power supply target 100 includes a battery, the second control device 92 determines whether or not the second switching circuit 71 can switch the power supply path based on the presence or absence of the battery and its remaining charge. As an example, if the remaining charge of the battery is 10% or more, the second control device 92 determines that the second switching circuit 71 can switch the power supply path. If the remaining charge of the battery is less than 10%, the second control device 92 considers the remaining charge of the battery to be 0%.

[0048] For example, if the power supply target 100 includes a processing unit (CPU), the second control device 92 determines that the second switching circuit 71 can switch the power supply path if the Prochot signal (a signal that suppresses the CPU clock frequency to 0.2 GHz) is asserted.

[0049] When it is determined that the second switching circuit 71 can switch the power supply path, the second control device 92 temporarily reduces CPU performance, turns off the third path 130 and the fourth path 140, and then controls the second switching circuit 71 to switch the power supply path. The reduction and increase of CPU performance is performed, for example, at PL4 (Power limit 4).

[0050] In this embodiment, when a power adapter is connected to or removed from each power supply port, a signal is output from each power supply port to the control device 90. The first control device 91 and the second control device 92 determine whether a power adapter is connected to each power supply port based on the signal output from each power supply port.

[0051] Next, a power supply process to the power supply target 100 when an AC adapter is connected to the first power supply port 50 and a USB-PD adapter is connected to the second power supply port 60 will be described.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 3, when an AC adapter is connected to the first power supply port 50 (step S1) and a USB-PD adapter is connected to the second power supply port 60 (e.g., the third power supply port 61) (step S2), the first control device 91 detects the connection of the USB-PD adapter (step S3) and obtains the power supply of the connected USB-PD adapter (step S4).

[0053] When the supply power of the USB-PD adapter is acquired, the second control device 92 determines whether the previously acquired supply power of the AC adapter (=first power) is smaller than the supply power of the USB-PD adapter (=second power) (step S5).

[0054] If it is determined that the first power is smaller than the second power (YES in step S5), the second control device 92 controls the step-up / step-down circuit 80 to set the output voltage of the step-up / step-down circuit 80 higher than the voltage of the AC adapter (step S6). As a result, the first switching circuit 70 switches the power supply path to the second path 120, and the second power is supplied to the power supply target 100 via the second path 120 (step S7), and the power supply process ends.

[0055] If it is determined that the first power is greater than (or equal to) the second power (NO in step S5), the second control device 92 controls the step-up / step-down circuit 80 to set the output voltage of the step-up / step-down circuit 80 lower than the voltage of the AC adapter (step S8). As a result, the first switching circuit 70 switches the power supply path to the first path 110, and the first power is supplied to the power supply target 100 via the first path 110 (step S9), and the power supply process ends.

[0056] Next, a power supply path switching process will be described when USB-PD adapters with different power supply capacities are connected to the third power supply port 61 and the fourth power supply port 62.

[0057] 4, when the first USB-PD adapter is connected to the third power supply port 61 (step S11), the second control device 92 controls the second switching circuit 71 to turn on the third path 130 (step S12). At this time, the first control device 91 obtains the power supplied by the first USB-PD adapter (=third power).

[0058] Thereafter, when the second USB-PD adapter is connected to the fourth power supply port 62 (step S13), the first control device 91 acquires the power supplied by the second USB-PD adapter (=fourth power), and the second control device 92 determines whether the fourth power is greater than the third power (step S14). If it is determined that the fourth power is less than the third power (or equal to the third power) (NO in step S14), the power supply path is not switched, and the power supply path switching process ends.

[0059] If it is determined that the fourth power is greater than the third power (YES in step S14), the second control device 92 determines whether or not switching of the power supply path is possible based on the state of the power supply target 100 (step S15). If it is determined that switching of the power supply path is impossible (NO in step S15), the power supply path is not switched, and the power supply path switching process ends.

[0060] If it is determined that the power supply path can be switched (YES in step S15), the second control device 92 temporarily reduces the CPU performance at power limit 4 (step S16). Thereafter, the second control device 92 controls the second switching circuit 71 to turn off the third path 130 and the fourth path 140 (step S17), and then turns on the fourth path 140 to switch the power supply path from the third path 130 to the fourth path 140 (step S18). After the power supply path is switched, the second control device 92 increases the CPU performance at power limit 4 (step S19), and the power supply path switching process ends.

[0061] The electronic device 1 can achieve the following effects.

[0062] The electronic device 1 includes a first power supply port 50 to which a first power adapter is connected, a second power supply port 60 to which a second power adapter is connected, a first switching circuit 70 that switches the power supply path to either a first path 110 or a second path 120, a step-up / step-down circuit arranged in the second path 120 between the second power supply port 60 and the first switching circuit 70, and a control device that controls the step-up / step-down circuit. The first switching circuit 70 switches the power supply path to the first path 110 when the voltage of the first path 110 is higher than the voltage of the second path 120, and switches the power supply path to the second path 120 when the voltage of the second path 120 is higher than the voltage of the first path 110. The control device 90 compares the first power and the second power when the first power adapter is connected to the first power supply port 50 and the second power adapter is connected to the second power supply port 60. When the first power is greater than the second power, the control device 90 controls the step-up / step-down circuit 80 to make the voltage of the second power lower than the voltage of the first power. When the second power is greater than the first power, the control device 90 controls the step-up / step-down circuit 80 to make the voltage of the second power higher than the voltage of the first power. With this configuration, when multiple powers are supplied simultaneously via multiple power supply paths, it is possible to realize an electronic device that can more reliably switch to a power supply path that supplies more power, thereby preventing a decrease in performance.

[0063] The electronic device 1 includes a third power supply port 61 to which a third power adapter is connected, a fourth power supply port 62 to which a fourth power adapter is connected, and a second switching circuit 71 that switches the power supply path to either the third path 130 or the fourth path 140. When the third power adapter is connected to the third power supply port 61 and the fourth power adapter is connected to the fourth power supply port 62, the control device 90 compares the third power and the fourth power. If the third power is greater than the fourth power, the control device 90 controls the second switching circuit 71 to switch the power supply path to the third path 130. In this case, the third path 130 constitutes the second path 120, and the third power supply port 61 constitutes the second power supply port 60. If the fourth power is greater than the third power, the control device 90 controls the second switching circuit 71 to switch the power supply path to the fourth path 140. In this case, the fourth path 140 constitutes the second path 120, and the fourth power supply port 62 constitutes the second power supply port 60. With this configuration, even when multiple powers are supplied simultaneously via three or more power supply paths, it is possible to realize an electronic device that can more reliably switch to a power supply path that supplies more power, thereby preventing a decrease in performance.

[0064] With recent improvements in CPU performance and demand for rapid charging, the load on the system of the electronic device 1 is increasing. If the power supply path is switched under conditions where the system load of the electronic device 1 is high, there is a risk that the power supply of the electronic device 1 will be turned off unintentionally by the user. In the electronic device 1, when the third power adapter is connected to the third power supply port 61 and the fourth power adapter is connected to the fourth power supply port 62, the control device 90 determines whether the power supply path can be switched by the second switching circuit 71 based on the state of the power supply target 100. With this configuration, it is possible to avoid, for example, an unintentional power supply shutdown of the electronic device 1 that may occur when the power supply path is switched under conditions where the load of the power supply target 100 is high.

[0065] The power supply target 100 includes a battery. The control device 90 determines whether or not the power supply path can be switched by the second switching circuit 71 based on the remaining charge of the battery. With this configuration, it is possible to more reliably avoid an unintended power outage of the electronic device 1 that may occur when the power supply path is switched under conditions where the load of the power supply target 100 is heavy, for example.

[0066] The power supply target 100 includes a processing device. When it is determined that the second switching circuit 71 can switch the power supply path, the control device 90 temporarily reduces the performance of the processing device and then controls the second switching circuit to switch the power supply path. With this configuration, it is possible to more reliably avoid an unintended power outage of the electronic device 1 that may occur when the power supply path is switched under conditions where the load of the power supply target 100 is high, for example.

[0067] When USB-PD adapters are connected to multiple USB Type-C ports and switching from one of the multiple power supply paths to another is required, a time period must be set during which power is not being supplied from either the source or destination power supply paths to avoid a short circuit between the USB-PD adapters. In the electronic device 1, the control device 90 temporarily reduces the performance of the processing unit, and then controls the second switching circuit 71 to turn off the third path 130 and the fourth path 140 before switching the power supply path. This configuration prevents a short circuit between the third and fourth power adapters caused by multiple power supply paths being turned on simultaneously.

[0068] The electronic device 1 can also be configured as follows.

[0069] The second power feed port 60 is not limited to being composed of the third power feed port 61 and the fourth power feed port 62, but may be composed of one power feed port or three or more power feed ports. For example, if the second power feed port 60 is composed of one power feed port, the second switching circuit 71 can be omitted. For example, suppose the second power feed port 60 is composed of three or more power feed ports, and power adapters are connected to the three or more power feed ports. In this case, the second control device 92 can be configured to compare the power supply of all the connected power adapters, determine that the power adapter with the highest power supply is the second power adapter, and determine that the power feed port connected to this power adapter is the second power feed port 60.

[0070] Each power supply port can be configured to be connectable to any power adapter depending on the design of the electronic device 1, etc.

[0071] The power supply target 100 may be any part in the electronic device 1 that requires power supply.

[0072] Steps S16 to S19 in FIG. 4 can be omitted.

[0073] The control device 90 is not limited to having the first control device 91 and the second control device 92, and may be configured with one control device or three or more control devices. Each control device may have a communication module that connects the control devices with each other via wire or wirelessly.

[0074] The electronic device 1 may include a communication module for transmitting and receiving information to and from an external device. For example, the electronic device 1 may store information such as the specifications of the AC adapter in an external device (e.g., a server) and acquire the information from the external device via communication as needed.

[0075] The first unit 10 may be provided with a central processing unit (CPU), a volatile storage device (RAM), a non-volatile storage device (ROM, SSD, etc.), a battery, etc.

[0076] Any of the various embodiments or modifications described above can be combined appropriately to achieve the effects of each. In addition, combinations of embodiments, combinations of examples, or combinations of embodiments and examples are possible, and combinations of features from different embodiments or examples are also possible.

[0077] Although the present disclosure has been described in connection with preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as included within the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims unless they depart therefrom. [Industrial Applicability]

[0078] The present disclosure is widely applicable to electronic devices including notebook personal computers. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1 Electronic equipment 10 Unit 1 11 Display section 20 Unit 2 21 Input section 30 Hinge 50 First power supply port 60 Second power supply port 61 Third power supply port 62 4th power supply port 70 First switching circuit 71 Second switching circuit 80 Step-up / step-down circuit 90 Control device 91 First control device 92 Second control device 100 Power Supply Target 110 Route 1 120 Route 2 130 Route 3 140 Route 4

Claims

1. a first power supply port to which a first power adapter is connected; a third power supply port to which a third power adapter is connected; a fourth power supply port to which the fourth power adapter is connected; a second power feed port having the third power feed port and the fourth power feed port; a first path connected to the first power supply port and configured to supply a first power to a power supply target; a second path including a third path connected to the third power supply port and supplying a third power to the power supply target, and a fourth path connected to the fourth power supply port and supplying a fourth power to the power supply target, and supplying power supplied through a path selected from a plurality of paths to the power supply target as a second power; a first switching circuit that switches the power supply path to the first path when a voltage of the first path is higher than a voltage of the second path, and switches the power supply path to the second path when a voltage of the second path is higher than a voltage of the first path; a second switching circuit that switches the power supply path from a plurality of paths including the third path and the fourth path included in the second path; a step-up / step-down circuit disposed between the second switching circuit and the first switching circuit, which increases or decreases the voltage of the second power; a control device that causes the second switching circuit to select a path that can supply greater power to the power supply target from among a plurality of paths included in the second path, compares the first power and the second power, and, if the first power is greater than the second power, controls the step-up / step-down circuit to make a voltage of the second power lower than a voltage of the first power, and, if the second power is greater than the first power, controls the step-up / step-down circuit to make a voltage of the second power higher than a voltage of the first power; An electronic device comprising:

2. The control device 2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein when the third power adapter is connected to the third power supply port and the fourth power adapter is connected to the fourth power supply port, it determines whether the second switching circuit can switch the power supply path based on the state of the power supply target.

3. the power supply target includes a battery, The electronic device according to claim 2 , wherein the control device determines whether the second switching circuit can switch the power supply path based on the presence or absence of the battery and its remaining capacity.

4. the power supply target includes a processing device, 4. The electronic device of claim 2 or 3, wherein when it is determined that the second switching circuit can switch the power supply path, the control device temporarily reduces performance of the processing device and then controls the second switching circuit to switch the power supply path.

5. 5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the control device temporarily reduces performance of the processing device, and then controls the second switching circuit to turn off the third path and the fourth path before switching the power supply path.

6. The control device a first control device that acquires information about the third power and the fourth power from the third power supply port and the fourth power supply port; a second control device that controls the step-up / step-down circuit and also controls the second switching circuit based on information acquired by the first control device; 6. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising:

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