Charger Control Circuit for Portable Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing charger control solutions for portable electronic devices require additional components and lower efficiency due to the need for voltage boosting and dedicated chargers, and they often reconnect the main battery when the system voltage falls below the main battery voltage, preventing secondary battery discharge below the main battery voltage.
Innovation Solution
A charger control circuit that detects the presence and value of voltage at a first charger terminal to determine whether a secondary battery or external charger is connected, allowing power to be supplied accordingly, eliminating the need for voltage boosting and dedicated chargers by using a three-voltage range system to distinguish between the two and control current flow based on predetermined operating states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If voltage boosting is performed to comply with charger input requirements, then charger compatibility is improved, but device complexity and cost increase due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The charger input terminal is designed to universally accept both secondary batteries and external chargers without requiring voltage boosting circuitry. The control circuit identifies the connected device type and configures the power management system accordingly, making the same terminal serve multiple functions (battery charging and external power input) without additional hardware components.
Solution Approach 2:
The voltage boosting function is extracted and eliminated from the system. Instead of always performing voltage boosting to ensure charger compatibility, the system directly accepts the input voltage from external chargers or secondary batteries and manages power distribution based on the detected device type, removing the need for additional boosting components.
2Adaptability or versatility
If voltage boosting is performed to comply with charger input requirements, then charger compatibility is improved, but power delivery efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage boosting operation is removed from the power delivery path. The system accepts external charger voltage directly without conversion, eliminating energy losses associated with voltage boosting while maintaining compatibility through intelligent device identification and power management configuration.
3Reliability
If a dedicated battery charger is used for secondary battery charging, then charging functionality is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The existing charger control circuit is designed to universally handle both external charger connections and secondary battery connections through the same terminal. The control circuit automatically identifies the connected device type and activates the appropriate power management mode, eliminating the need for a separate dedicated battery charger while maintaining reliable charging functionality.
4Stability of the object's composition
If main battery is reconnected when system voltage falls below main battery voltage, then system stability is improved, but secondary battery discharge is prevented below main battery voltage
Solution Approach 1:
The power management system dynamically adjusts its behavior based on the detected device type at the charger terminal. When a secondary battery is detected, the system allows discharge below the main battery voltage threshold. When an external charger is detected, the system maintains the traditional reconnection behavior. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making the voltage threshold flexible rather than fixed.
Solution Approach 2:
The voltage threshold for main battery reconnection is changed based on the detected device type. The control circuit modifies the operating parameters of the power management system to allow secondary battery discharge below the main battery voltage when appropriately configured, while maintaining system stability through parameter adaptation rather than fixed thresholds.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
A charger control circuit (CC) comprises a first charger terminal (CT1) and a system terminal (ST) and is configured to assign a voltage applied at the first charger terminal (CT1) to one of at least three voltage ranges by performing at least one voltage comparison. The charger control circuit (CC) is configured to determine and distinguish, based on the assignment, whether an external charger (EXC1) or a secondary battery (SBAT) is connected to the first charger terminal (CT1). Furthermore, the charger control circuit (CC) is configured to, depending on a predetermined operating state of the first charger terminal (CT1), supply power from the secondary battery (SBAT) or the external charger (EXC1) to a portable electronic device via the system terminal (ST) when the secondary battery (SBAT) or the external charger, respectively, is connected to the first charger terminal (CT1).