Series Battery Charger IC With Switched-Capacitor Charging Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery technologies and charging methods for series battery devices in portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones, face limitations in power storage capacity and efficiency, particularly with the advent of 5G technology, which demand higher power demands.
Innovation Solution
A charger integrated circuit that includes a direct charger, buck converter, switched capacitor, and linear charger to efficiently charge series battery devices, allowing for stable system voltage supply and reduced circuit complexity by omitting a buck-boost converter and adjusting operations based on input voltage variability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a series battery device with high voltage is used to increase power storage capacity, then the battery power storage capacity is improved, but the charging efficiency and stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The charging circuit is segmented into multiple independent charging paths: a direct charger path for high-voltage fast charging and a buck converter path for normal charging. Each path can operate independently or simultaneously, allowing the system to optimize charging efficiency for series battery devices while maintaining stability through dedicated current control for each path.
2Productivity
If multiple charging circuits are added to charge series battery devices, then the charging efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically selects between direct charger mode and buck converter mode based on real-time conditions such as input voltage levels and battery charging states. This dynamic adaptability allows the circuit to achieve high charging efficiency when needed while avoiding unnecessary complexity by deactivating certain paths when not required, thus optimizing the balance between performance and simplicity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a buck-boost converter is included to handle variable input voltage, then the adaptability is improved, but the device complexity and number of transistors increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the buck-boost converter from the charging circuit, replacing it with a simplified architecture that uses only a direct charger and a buck converter. This extraction eliminates the need for complex voltage boosting functionality while maintaining adaptability through the buck converter's ability to handle variable input voltages, thereby reducing the total number of transistors and circuit complexity.
4Speed
If fast charging is implemented for series battery devices, then the charging speed is improved, but the system voltage stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The direct charger acts as an intermediary component specifically designed to provide stable reference voltages and controlled current to the series battery device during fast charging. By introducing this dedicated charging path with proper voltage regulation and current limiting, the system achieves high charging speeds while maintaining voltage stability through the intermediary's buffering and regulation functions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables efficient and stable charging of high voltage series battery devices, reducing the number of circuits and transistors, and supports high-speed and normal charging modes, thereby enhancing battery life and performance in electronic devices.
Implementation Method 1
a switched capacitor configured to generate the first system current based on the first current, and to generate the second charging current based on the second current
Implementation Method 2
a buck converter configured to generate a second current and a second system current based on the input voltage
Data Source
AI summary
A charger integrated circuit is configured to charge a battery device including a first battery and a second battery connected in series. The circuit includes a direct charger configured to generate a first charging current and a first current based on an input voltage received from an input terminal, the first current used to generate a first system current, and a buck converter configured to generate a second current and a second system current based on the input voltage, the second current used to generate a second charging current. The circuit includes a switched capacitor configured to generate the first system current based on the first current, and to generate the second charging current based on the second current, and a linear charger configured to provide the first charging current and the second charging current to the battery device.