Power Adapter Dynamic Charging Current Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing power adapters charge mobile terminals with constant current, lacking flexibility and potentially causing safety risks due to inflexible charging strategies that do not adjust according to the battery's voltage levels, which can lead to overcharging or damage.

Innovation Solution

A power adapter with a communication unit and an adjustment unit that receives battery parameters from a terminal, determining and adjusting the output current based on the battery's voltage or electric quantity, allowing for multiple stages of charging current reduction as the battery voltage increases, thereby avoiding safety issues.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If constant current charging is used, then the charging implementation is simple, but the charging flexibility is poor and cannot adjust according to battery voltage levels

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecharging implementation simplicityVSAvoidcharging flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic charging current adjustment by dividing the charging process into multiple stages, where the charging current is dynamically changed from a first current value to a second current value based on battery voltage thresholds. This dynamic adjustment mechanism resolves the contradiction by making the charging system adaptable to different battery states while maintaining implementation feasibility through structured control logic.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the charging current parameter from a fixed constant value to a variable value that depends on battery voltage levels. By establishing voltage-threshold-based current adjustment rules, the system transforms the charging current from a static parameter to a dynamic one, thereby improving charging flexibility without excessive complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If large current is used to charge quickly, then charging speed is improved, but safety risks increase due to potential overcharging or battery damage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecharging speedVSAvoidcharging safety
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the charging process into multiple stages with different current values. The first charging stage uses a higher current value for faster charging when battery voltage is low, while the second charging stage uses a lower current value when battery voltage reaches certain thresholds. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high charging speed in early stages while ensuring safety in later stages, resolving the contradiction between productivity and reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamic current adjustment based on real-time battery voltage monitoring. By automatically switching between different current values according to voltage thresholds, the system adapts the charging intensity to match the battery's actual state, thereby maintaining high charging efficiency while preventing overcharging and safety issues.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If charging current is adjusted dynamically based on battery state, then charging flexibility and safety are improved, but device complexity increases due to communication and control units

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecharging flexibilityVSAvoidadapter structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs feedback control by monitoring battery voltage levels and adjusting charging current accordingly. The power adapter includes a communication unit that receives battery state information and a processing unit that adjusts current based on this feedback. This feedback mechanism enables flexible and safe charging while maintaining reasonable complexity through standardized control loops.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables the battery to provide its own state information (voltage levels, charging status) to the power adapter through the communication interface. The battery essentially serves itself by reporting its state, which simplifies the adapter's complexity as it only needs to process this self-reported information and adjust current accordingly, rather than requiring complex monitoring systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3101770B1Power adapter and terminal
Publication Date: 2019.05.15 GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP LTD
  • EP3101770B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2

AI summary

A power adapter (10) and a terminal (20). The power adapter (10) comprises a power conversion unit (11), a charging interface (12), a communications unit (13), and an adjustment unit (14). The power conversion unit forms a charging loop with a terminal through the charging interface, so as to charge a battery of the terminal. The communications unit receives a battery parameter sent by the terminal, the battery parameter being used for indicating a current voltage value or a current electric quantity of the battery of the terminal. The adjustment unit determines the current voltage value of the battery or a target current value corresponding to the current electric quantity, and adjusts an output current value of the power adapter to the target current value. The power adapter and the terminal can improve the flexibility of selecting a charging current.