JP2019109898A - Method, electronic device, and charger device for rapid USB charging - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a method, electronic device, and charger device for USB charging that reduce a charging time while reducing charge/feed level mismatch and product damage without requiring a user action.SOLUTION: In a charging system 100, an electronic device 120 and a USB charger 110 use USB cable data lines 130 to establish a bi-directional communication connection. The USB charger provides charger capability information to a master controller 124 of the electronic device through the bi-directional communication connection. The master controller preferentially selects a fastest charge match between the charger capability information and device charge capability information, and transmits configuration information through the bi-directional communication connection to set a power supply level of the USB charger . The USB charger communicates power supply status information to the electronic device, and the electronic device reconfigures the charger power supply level accordingly.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present disclosure relates to USB charging circuitry and an apparatus for interfacing an electronic device to a charging device using a USB cable.

  Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are commonly found on various portable devices, such as laptop computers, tablets, cell phones, MP3 players, etc., and also to provide interconnection for serial communication between devices. It is also provided to desktop computers, automobile dashboard consoles, etc. Also, the USB standard defines a charging capability that allows a cell phone or other portable device to operate with the power provided to the device via a USB cable. Also, this power feature of the USB system advantageously allows battery-powered devices to be charged using the power provided from the connected USB compatible device. Even if serial communication is not required between the charging device and the device, it is possible, for example, to utilize a dedicated charging device having multiple USB ports for charging various portable devices. The original USB implementation specifies charging at 5 V with charging current limited to 1 A, and subsequent revisions to the standard (eg USB 3.0, 3.1 etc) for example charging 5 V, 12 V, 20 V The battery voltage and charge current levels of 1A, 3A and 5A are used to define a quick charge at higher levels, thus corresponding to a charge of up to 100W. However, a mismatch between the USB charging source and the device being charged may result in product damage and / or the inability to minimize charging time. Thus, there is a need for improved USB charger devices and electronic devices in which charging power levels can be maximized without damage to the charger or the electronic device being charged.

  The embodiments disclosed herein automatically generate a USB charger by establishing a bi-directional communication connection or link along the USB data line of the USB cable between the USB charger and the electronic device to be charged. And provides a device and technique that targets better matching between the capabilities of the electronic device being charged and the electronic device being charged via the device and technique to detect and charge the capability of the USB charger. The best match with the capabilities of the electronic device is found and the electronic device to be charged sends programming or configuration information to the charger via this communication connection. This technique allows the device to configure or program the charger within the operating limits of both devices, and to preferentially select the highest practicable charge level for rapid charging. Also, in various embodiments, the charger may report status indications such as over-voltage, over-current and / or over-temperature conditions of its power supply, and the device reconfigures the charger accordingly to a lower charge level. It can. Thus, the present disclosure provides significant advantages in terms of reducing charge time while reducing charge / feed level mismatch and product damage without requiring user action.

  According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided, wherein the electronic device is coupled with a USB connector, a load, and conductive structures associated with the first and second data signal conductors of the USB cable. Controller, which acts to establish a bi-directional digital communication connection with the connected charger. The device may also use a communication connection to obtain charger capability information from a connected charger, and to connect the charger via the communication connection at least partially according to such charger capability information. And a processor programmed to selectively configure or reconfigure.

  In some embodiments, the device processor determines one or more matches between the charger capability information and the device charge capability information representative of a charge power level suitable for charging the electronic device. When programmed, the processor uses the communication connection to selectively configure or reconfigure the connected charger, at least partially according to the identified match.

  Also, in some embodiments, the electronic device receives charger status information from the connected charger via the communication connection, and the device processor at least partially communicates with the charger status information via the communication connection. According to the target, selectively reconfigure the connected charger. In some disclosed embodiments, the processor is programmed to preferentially configure the charger according to the fastest charge match between the charger capability information and the device charge capability information. Also, the processor in some embodiments is programmed to selectively reconfigure the connected charger using the communication connection to a slower charge match according to any received charger status information . In this way, for example, the overvoltage, excess, etc. are reduced, so as to reduce the charge level to reduce or avoid charger failure or damage, while maintaining the possibility of the fastest possible charging taking into account the charger situation. The charge status of the charger, such as current and / or over temperature conditions, may be used by the device processor for intelligent reconfiguration.

  In some embodiments, the electronic device has a switching control signal having a first state indicative of the detected connection of the charger and a second state indicative of the charger not being connected to the electronic device. It includes the provided charger detection circuit. The devices in these embodiments are further configured to selectively couple the USB cable data line with the controller when the switching control signal is in the first state, and when the switching control signal is in the second state. A switching circuit is included to decouple the USB data line from the controller.

The device controller in some embodiments implements an I ² C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) bus via a USB data line, and the device controller uses the first data line as a serial data line (SDA), and The second data line is used as a serial clock line (SCL) to operate as a master controller. Further embodiments can be implemented where the controller and the connected charger communicate using any suitable communication protocol, such as, for example, I ² C, Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART), Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), etc. It is.

  According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided for powering or charging an electronic device from a USB cable. The method uses a processor to establish a bi-directional digital communication connection along first and second data signal conductors of a USB cable to exchange data between the device and a connected charger. And obtaining the charger capability information from the connected charger using the digital communication connection. The method further comprises determining at least one match between the charger capability information and a device charge capability information representative of at least one charge power level suitable for charging the device, and charger capability information. Selectively configuring the connected charger using the communication connection, at least partially according to the fastest charge match between the device and the device charge capability information.

  Some embodiments of this method use a processor to receive charger status information from a connected charger, and connect using a communication connection to a slower charge match according to the charger status information. Selectively reconfiguring the stored charger.

  A further aspect of the present disclosure provides a USB charger device, wherein the USB charger device is for electrical connection to the first and second data signal conductors of the USB cable and to the first and second power conductors. And a power supply operative to supply power to the electronic device to be connected at one of a plurality of output power levels. The charger device also includes a controller that provides charger capability information representative of the plurality of output power levels to the connected electronic device using a bi-directional digital communication connection along the USB cable data signal conductor. The charger controller further selects the power supply to one of the plurality of output power levels to receive configuration information from the connected electronic device using the communication connection and at least partially according to such configuration information. Act to set or adjust.

  In some embodiments, the charger controller uses the communication connection to provide status information representative of at least one status of the power supply to the connected electronic device, the status information in some implementations comprising: Represents supply over-voltage and over-current and / or over-temperature conditions.

The controller in some embodiments acts as a slave controller, and the communication connection is an I ² C bus connection using a USB cable data line conductor as a serial data line and a serial clock line.

  In some embodiments, the USB charger controller is operative to control the power supply to provide a default power output level for powering or charging the connected electronic device, and the controller is connected Selectively adjust the power level of the power supply according to the configuration information received from the electronic device.

  The following description and drawings describe in detail some exemplary implementations of the present disclosure, showing several ways in which the various principles of the present disclosure may be implemented. However, the illustrated examples do not cover many possible embodiments of the present disclosure. Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present disclosure are set forth in the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic system diagram illustrating a USB charger and an electronic device connected by a USB cable to power or charge the device, in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure; Implement a bi-directional communication connection for intelligent charger power level configuration.

An electronic device embodiment implementing an I ² C master controller and a schematic diagram illustrating a connected charger embodiment implementing an I ² C slave controller for configuration of a charger using bi-directional digital communication is there.

Further details of an electronic device comprising an I ² C master controller comprising a transceiver for a serial data line SDA and a serial clock line SCL and a pull-up register so as to implement a bi-directional digital communication connection with a connected charger. FIG.

4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of a charger detection circuit in the electronic device of FIGS.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart describing an embodiment of a device operation method for powering or charging a device from a USB cable.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart describing an embodiment of a charger device operating method of powering or charging a connected device using a USB cable.

  One or more embodiments or implementations are described below in conjunction with the drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout, and various features are not necessarily drawn to scale.

  FIG. 1 shows a USB charger device 110 and an electronic device connected via USB cable 130 to power or charge device 120 using power carried from USB charger device 110 via USB cable 130. 1 shows a charging system 100 including 120. FIG. Device 120 may be any electronic device including, but not limited to, laptop computers, tablet computers, cell phones, etc. and has a load 122 that may receive power from charger 110 via USB cable 130. Also, the charger device 110 may be a dedicated charging device, a desktop computer, or any device having a power supply 112 and a USB connector 111 that act to provide power to the connected device 120 via the USB cable 130. It may be another device.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the charger 110 includes a USB connector 111, which is adapted to receive a plug or receptacle 132 of the USB cable 130, and electrical connection of the USB cable 130 to various conductors Conductive structures 151-154. In particular, the first conductive structure 151 provides an electrical connection to the first data signal conductor of the USB cable 130, which in this case is the positive data signal conductor DP or D +, and the second conductive structure 152 is negative. , And third and fourth conductive structures 153 and 154 respectively provide first and second (eg, positive and negative) power conductors VBUS of USB cable 130. And provide an electrical connection to GND. Charger connector 111 is optionally configured to interface with standard USB cable 130, which is, for example, an A-type or B-type USB cable plug or receptacle having any suitable number of connections according to the relevant USB standard. , And some embodiments of connector 111 may accommodate more than four connections and be adapted to receive or interface with male connector 132 (plug) or female connector (receptacle) It can be done.

  The charger device 110 is also coupled to the electronic device 120 connected via the third and fourth conductive structures 153 and 154 to supply power at one of a plurality of output power levels. And 112. In one non-limiting example, power supply 112 may be programmable to provide output power at 5V, 12V, or 20V, and may be able to provide output current at 1A, 3A, or 5A. In other embodiments, power supply 112 may implement other charge levels for voltage and current output, and more or less combinations to provide two or more programmable output power levels. Can be implemented.

Charger device 110 further includes a controller 114 and a memory or data store 116 that stores charger capability information 117 and status information 118. Controller 114 may be any suitable processor, control circuit, programmable logic, logic circuit, etc., and may include interface circuitry for transmitting and receiving digital data signals. The controller 114 is coupled to the conductive structures 151 and 152, and in some embodiments, using bi-directional digital communication connections established via the conductive structures 151 and 152 along the DP and DN conductors of the USB cable 130. , Operates as a slave controller to provide the connected electronic device 120 with charger capability information 117 representing two or more output power levels. In one possible implementation, for example, slave controller 114 can be an electronic processor mounted on a printed circuit board, and conductive structures 151 and 152 are electrically connected between slave controller 114 and connector 111 Are implemented as conductive circuit board traces. One or more intervening components, such as, for example, filter circuit components, may be connected between slave controller 114 and connector 111. Also, in some implementations, the bi-directional digital communication connection is I ² C using the first conductive structure 151 as a serial data line (SDA) and the second conductive structure 152 as a serial clock line (SCL) It is a bus connection, and the controller 114 operates as a slave controller to exchange data with the master controller 124 of the device 120. In another possible embodiment, charger controller 114 may operate as a master, such as in a multi-master system.

  In operation, as described further below, the charger controller 114 receives configuration information from, and configuration of, the connected electronic device 120 using a bi-directional digital communication connection via the USB cable 130. The power supply 112 is selectively set or adjusted to one of a plurality of output power levels in accordance with the information at least partially. Also, the illustrated charger device 110 may also use one or more power supplies, for example, using a bi-directional digital communication connection, to indicate power supply over-voltage conditions, over-current conditions, and / or over-temperature conditions. It acts to provide status information 117 representative of the situation to the connected electronic device 120. In this regard, charger 110 may include appropriate diagnostic circuitry, and controller 114 may be implemented as a programmed processor operative to evaluate diagnostic information regarding the status or operating condition of power supply 112 Status information 118 may be stored in electronic memory 116.

  The provided charger status information is intelligent to selectively select different desired power output levels and to transmit information via the communication connection to reconfigure the charger 110 accordingly. May be used by the electronic device 120. In one possible embodiment, the controller 114 controls the power supply 112 to provide default power output levels, such as 5 V and 1 A, to power or charge the device 120 and communicate from the connected electronic device 120 Selectively adjust the output level of the power supply 112 according to the configuration information received via the connection. Further, the charger 110 in some embodiments may be operable to modify or update the charger capability information 117 based on the status information 118 or based on other inputs, eg, power If the diagnostic information indicates that the supply 112 can no longer provide a constant voltage and / or current level, then the constant voltage or current capability indication may be deleted from the capability information 117.

  Electronic device 120 includes processor 122 with load 122, controller 124 and associated electronic memory 128, along with USB connector 121, and as described further below in connection with FIG. It may include additional circuitry such as circuitry 129 and switching circuitry. As seen in FIG. 1, the connector 121 is adapted to receive the connector 134 (eg, plug or receptacle) of the USB cable 130, and the conductive structures 141-144 for electrical connection, respectively, DP of the cable 130. , DN, VBUS, and GND conductors. The device 120 also includes a load 122 connected to the conductive structures 143 and 144, the load 122 operating various circuit elements of the device 120, a chargeable battery system, or other electrical loads in various embodiments. Power supply for

  The device controller 124 is coupled to the conductive structures 141 and 142 to communicate with the connected charger 110 and to exchange data with the connected charger 110 along the DP and DN conductors of the USB cable 130 Act selectively to establish a two-way digital communication connection. Device controller 124 may be any suitable analog and / or digital circuitry and may be programmable, and in various embodiments, includes processor components, programmable logic, and the like. The processor 126 is operatively coupled to the controller 124 and programmed to use the controller 124 to establish a bi-directional digital communication connection or link with the connected charger 110. In some implementations, the processor 126 may initiate communication connection establishment with the controller 124, or the connected charger 110 may initiate such communication connection establishment. Any suitable process may be implemented between the charger 110 and the controller 114, 124 of the device 120 to establish a bi-directional communication link along the DP and DN lines.

Once the communication link is established, the processor 126 of the device 120 obtains charger capability information 117 from the connected charger 110 via the bi-directional digital communication connection established by the controller 124 and the processor And the DN conductor and selectively configure or reconfigure the connected charger 110 using a bi-directional digital communication connection. In one possible embodiment, the electronic device 120 sends a message requesting the charger capability information 117 to the charger 110 via the communication link, and the controller 114 of the charger (operating as a slave) is requested It responds with a message including the capability information 117. In other possible embodiments, the charger 110 provides the charge capability information 117 without being prompted by the device 120. Appropriate message frames and communication protocols may be used by which the charger 110 provides the capability information 117 in a format recognizable by the device 120. To configure charger 110 in one embodiment, processor 126 of device 120 indicates a selected charge level recognizable by charger 110 to configure or program power supply 112 accordingly. Build one or more messages and send them to the charger 110 via communication links along the DP and DN lines. Many different embodiments are possible, and in such embodiments, controller 124 and connected charger 110 may be any, including I ² C, Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART), Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), etc. Communicate using appropriate communication protocols, but is not limited thereto.

  The configuration or reconfiguration is implemented by the processor 126 at least partially according to the charger capability information 117 received from the charger 110. Memory 128 in this embodiment stores device charge capability information 127 that represents one or more appropriate charge power levels at which power may be safely provided to load 122. In operation in accordance with one embodiment, device processor 126 may match one or more matches between charger capability information 117 received from charger 110 and device charge capability information 127 stored in memory 128. And selectively configure or reconfigure charger 110 using the bi-directional digital communication connection, at least partially according to the identified match. In some embodiments, processor 126 may also consider other factors in determining what configuration information to send to charger 110, such as, for example, charger status information received from charger 110. Good. The processor 126 receives charger status information from the connected charger 110 using the bi-directional digital communication connection, and uses the bi-directional digital communication connection according at least partially to the charger status information. It is programmed to selectively reconfigure 220 connected chargers 110. Also, in some implementations, device processor 126 preferentially configures charger 110 via the communication connection according to the fastest charge match between charger capability information 117 and device charge capability information 127. For example, charger 110 may report to device 120 that, by default, may start charging at 5V and may provide more rapid charging at 12V or 20V. If the device 120 may charge at one or both of these higher voltages, the device processor 126 may send a configuration message to the charger 110 to configure the charger power supply 112 to operate at 20 V. .

  Also, the device processor 126 in this embodiment follows the slower charge match between the charger capability information 117 and the device charge capability information 127 based at least in part on any received charger status information 118. The charger 110 may be selectively reconfigured. For example, if the slave controller 114 reports an overtemperature condition in the power supply 112, the device processor 126 may reconfigure the charger 110 by sending a reconfiguration message indicating the desired charging voltage level of 12V. In this example, charger controller 114 may then report the removal of the previously reported over-temperature condition, and device processor 126 then operates at the higher power output level (eg, 20 V in this example). The charger 110 may be reconfigured again to resume the

  In this manner, electronic device 120 may intelligently facilitate the safe operation of charger 110 while preferentially selecting the highest power output level within the capabilities of both charger 110 and device 120. Charging may be accelerated and power output levels may be selectively reduced as needed (eg, thereby slowing the charging process) according to reported power supply status information 118 from the charger 110. Also, this advantageous operation is not feasible with charging and device equipment that can not communicate with each other, and not with simple one-way communication. Also, the use of USB data lines DP and DN to advantageously implement a bi-directional digital communication connection avoids or reduces the need for excessive circuit modifications, and in such circuit modifications, chargers and devices In other approaches that use a power supply connection (e.g., VBUS) to communicate between them, AC coupled circuitry is required to interface the transmitter and receiver at either end of the USB cable 130. On the other hand, the concepts of the present disclosure utilize data signal conductors DP and DN to implement bi-directional communication, which facilitates intelligent rapid charging operations.

FIG. 2 illustrates further details of an embodiment of the charger 110 and the device 120, wherein in FIG. 2 an I ² C or Inter-Integrated Circuit bus communication link is established, and the charger controller 114 is I ² C. The device controller 124 is implemented as a slave controller for communication in a microcontroller unit (MCU), and operates as an I ² C master controller. Other bi-directional digital communication links may be implemented using, but not limited to, SPI, UART etc., DP and DN wires. As seen in FIG. 2, the charger 110 in the I ² C embodiment includes a low dropout (LDO) supply 113 that provides power to the slave controller 114, and the controller 114 supplies adjustable settings. The charger power supply 112 is configured via the resistor array 119 to provide 112. Also, the charger 110 includes a variable resistor R connected between the data lines 151 and 152, and the controller 114 is configured to selectively modify the resistance value of the resistor R. Any suitable variable resistance circuit element, such as a switching circuit, for interconnecting various individual registers in series, parallel, and / or a combination of series / parallel configurations between data lines 151 and 152 is a variable register. It can be used to implement R. The resistance value may, in some embodiments, be used to facilitate connection detection by device 120 as described further below. Also, controller 114 is operatively coupled to memory 116, which may store charger capability information 117 again, and store charger status information 118 as described above. In another possible embodiment, to provide the connected device 120 with charger capability information 117 representative of two or more output power levels that any general purpose I / O may be implemented by the power supply 112. , And may be operably coupled to device controller 114.

  As further shown in FIG. 2, the device in this case includes a charger detection circuit 129 coupled to the data lines 141 and 142, the first detection circuit 129 indicating that the connection of the charger 110 has been detected. And a second state indicating that there is no charger 110 connected to the device 120 via the USB connector 121. The switching control signal 166 is provided. Any suitable detection circuitry 129 may be used in various embodiments, non-limiting examples of which are further illustrated and described below in connection with FIG. Device 120 in the embodiment of FIG. 2 also includes a switching circuit comprising switches S1 and S2 coupled to receive switching control signal 166 from detection circuit 129. In this case, the switching circuit selects the first and second conductive structures 141 and 142 as the communication controller 124 when the switching control signal 166 is in the first state (i.e., when the charger 110 is connected). Act to couple together and select the first and second conductive structures 141 and 142 from the controller 124 when the switching control signal 166 is in the second state (e.g., when the charger is not connected). Act to uncouple.

Referring also to FIG. 3, a non-limiting example of I ² C master controller 124 is illustrated, including a transceiver 146 with an enable input that receives control signal 162 from charger detection circuit 129, and charger 110 is connected. When detected by the detection circuitry 129, the control signal 162 enables the transceiver 146, and otherwise disables it. Also, the charger detection circuit 129 in this example provides a control signal 164 to the device processor 126, thereby informing the processor 126 that the connected charger 110 has been detected. In this embodiment, the master controller 124 also includes pull-up resistors R1 and R2, R1 connected between the data line (SDA) and the positive supply voltage VCC, and R2 with the open drain I ² C bus. Are connected between the serial clock lines SCL and VCC to accommodate the interconnection of the transceivers 146 of FIG. The first switch S1 transmits the first conductive structure 141 (USB DP line) to the first data connection 141a to the processor 126 when the charger 110 is not connected (eg for normal USB communication) Or act upon control signal 166 to connect to an I ² C bus SDA connection 141 b that is coupled to controller transceiver 146 as shown (when charger 110 is connected to device 120). Also, S2 is similarly connected to the second conductive structure 142 (USB DN line), to the second data connection 142a to the processor 126 (when the charger 110 is not connected), or to the charger. Connect to an I ² C bus serial clock (SCL) connection when 110 is detected by detection circuitry 129.

Master controller 124 further provides a data transmission control transistor Ql operated by transceiver 146 to generate output data bits on SDA line 141b according to transmission control line 147 (TX), and provides a serial clock signal on SCL line 142b. And a clock control transistor Q2 operated by a control line 148 from the transceiver 146. In operation of the illustrated embodiment, the device controller 124 acts as a master controller to establish a bi-directional digital communication connection or link as an I ² C bus, and as illustrated, the bi-directional digital communication connection The first conductive structure 141 is used as the serial data line SDA, and the second conductive structure 142 is used as the serial clock line SCL. Also, as mentioned above, the charger controller 114 may be configured as a slave controller or as a master controller, suitable for transmitting and receiving data via the USB cable 130 according to any suitable communication protocol Transceiver circuitry.

One possible charger detection circuit embodiment 129 as illustrated in FIG. 4 is based on the detection of the connected USB charger 110 as described above for the charger detection control signals 162, 164 and 166. It includes a logic circuit 170 to provide. In this embodiment, the charger detection circuit 129 is connected to the conductive structures _141-144 and the VBUS line of the connected USB cable 130 exceeds the reference based on the comparison of the voltage of the connection 143 with the reference voltage V _{OTG_SESS_VLD.} A comparator 172 is provided that provides the logic circuit 170 with a signal indicating whether it has a positive voltage. The first conductive structure 141 (DP line) is connected to the switches S3 to S5 controlled by the logic circuit 170. Switch S3 selectively connects positive data source voltage reference V DP _SRC to DP line 141, and switch S 4 selectively connects current source 174 to provide current I DP _SRC to the DP line. Act in accordance with circuit 170. Also, switch S5 selectively connects line 141 with current source 176 IDP_SINK to conduct current from line 141 to circuit ground (conductive structure 144), and S5 also reads line 141 the voltage of line 141. It connects with the comparator 178 which compares with reference voltage V _{DAT_REF} . When switch S5 is closed, line 141 is also provided as an input to inverter 180, and the output of inverter 180 is AND gate 182 which provides a dedicated charge port detection signal (DCP_DET) as shown to logic circuit element 170. It is provided along with the output of comparator 178 as an input to.

The second conductive structure 142 is connected to the switches S6 to S8 of the charger detection circuit 129, as shown in FIG. 4, and the switch S6 is logic to selectively connect the line 142 with the data source voltage reference V _{DM SRC. Acting} in accordance with the signal from circuit 170, switch S8 is selectively closed by logic circuit 170 to connect the second data line (DN) to ground line 144 via pull-down resistor _{RDM_DWN} . Also, logic circuit 170 selects line 142 as current source 184 to conduct current to sink circuit I _{DM_SINK} to ground and to a comparator circuit including comparator 186 which compares the voltage to data reference voltage V _{DAT_REF.} Control switch S7 to connect, and the comparator output provides an input to AND gate 190 along with the output of inverter 188 to provide charger detection signal CHG_DET to logic 170 as shown.

In some embodiments, if there is a device connected to the device 120 via the USB cable 130, the charger detection circuit 129 and the master controller 124 follow the conventional USB detection procedure to confirm the type of the device. It may be used by processor 126. For example, the device 120 may have a battery charging specification 1.2 primary to distinguish between a standard downstream port (SDP), a charging downstream port (CDP), an accessory charger adapter (ACA), or a dedicated charging port (DCP). Detection or other suitable detection techniques may be implemented. For example, to detect if DCP is connected, primary detection may be implemented where logic circuit 170 turns on switches S3 and S7, in which case the USB charging standard is such that the connected DCP is a resistor (R DCP _DAT , Short circuit DP and DN through (not shown), and thus, the charger detection circuit 129 can detect the voltage of DN (via the comparator 186) close to V _{DP SRC} . The device 120 also compares the voltage on the DN line to the data reference voltage V _{DAT_REF} with S7 closed, and if the DN line voltage exceeds this reference, the logic circuit 170 determines whether the device 120 is DCP or CDP. It determines that it is connected to the heel. Also in this example, logic 170 is connected by closing switches S3 and S5, and by comparing the voltage on line 141 with reference _{VDAT_REF} , to selectively generate signal DCP_DET. CDP may be detected. In this regard, if the electronic device 120 detects that a dedicated charging port 110 is connected, some implementations may selectively use bi-directional digital communication connections or links using the DP and DN wires described above. Provide establishment.

  Referring also to FIGS. 5 and 6, FIG. 5 illustrates a process or method 200 for powering or charging electronic device 120 from USB cable 130. Although the method 200 in FIG. 5 and the method 300 in FIG. 6 are illustrated and described in the form of a series of acts or events, the various methods of the present disclosure, unless specifically described herein, perform such acts. Or it is not limited to the illustrated order of events. In this regard, unless specifically provided below, certain actions or events may occur in a different order and / or along with other actions or events than those illustrated and described herein. Not all illustrated steps may be required to implement a process and method in accordance with the present disclosure. The illustrated method is implemented in hardware as illustrated and described above and / or by processor executed software, processor executed to provide the adaptive intelligent charging function described in the present application. While the present disclosure may be implemented using firmware, FPGAs, logic circuitry, etc., or combinations thereof, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific illustrated or described applications and systems.

Process 200 in FIG. 5 illustrates the operation of electronic device 120 beginning at 202, wherein device 120 determines or detects at 204 whether a charger (eg, a DCP charger in one embodiment) is connected. Do. For example, charger detection circuit 129 may be used as described above with respect to FIG. 4 above to determine if a charger is connected. In the illustrated example, if the SDP is connected, or if the device is not connected to the USB connector 121 (NO at 204), the process continues at 204. If DCP, CDP, or ACA is detected (YES at 204), device 120 will establish 206 a bi-directional digital communication connection with connected charger 110 via DP and DN wires. Try. In the above embodiment, for example, charger detection circuit 129 operatively couples the DP and DN lines with I ² C master controller 124 via connections 141 b and 142 b as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In order to operate the switching circuits S1 and S2, the switching control signal 166 is asserted. As seen in FIG. 3, this provides pull-up resistors R1 and R2 respectively between DP and DN lines and VCC, thus DP as serial I ² C serial data line SDA and DN as serial. Used as a clock line SCL. In this example, the master controller 124 issues a START status indicating to the charger 110 connected that the address becomes available. Thereafter, the master controller 124 sends an ADDRESS corresponding to a predetermined address that is interpreted by the charger 110 as its own address, with an indication that a Read operation is desired. In response, the connected charger (slave) controller 114 responds with an acknowledgment and subsequently transmits data to the master controller 124, in this case charger capability information 117 from the charger memory 116. .

  When the receipt confirmation is received, the master controller 124 of the electronic device 120 determines that the bi-directional communication connection has been established (YES in 208 in FIG. 5), and receives charger capability information via the communication connection at 210. . The device processor 126 is provided with this charger capability information 117 from the controller 124, and the device processor 126 compares the charger capability information 117 with the locally stored device charge capability information 127 from the memory 128. Then, at 212, one or more matches between the charger capability information 117 and the device charge capability information 127 are determined. At 214, the device processor 126 selectively configures the connected charger 110 using a bi-directional digital communication connection by transmitting an ADDRESS with an indication of a write operation, followed by configuration A packet or frame indicates to slave controller 114 the desired power delivery output level selected by connected device 120. As mentioned above, in some embodiments, the device processor 126 preferentially selects the matching level corresponding to the fastest charge match between the charger capability information 117 and the device charge capability information 127 and selects it. , And transmits to the slave controller 114 at 214 in FIG. At 216, device 120 receives charge power at the configured level and monitors the communication connection for any further information from charger 110.

  At 218, the device may, for example, in some embodiments, any charger status information indicative of over-voltage, over-current, and / or over-temperature, or other conditions in the charger power supply 112 (eg, charging in FIG. 1) Device status information 118) is determined. If not received (NO at 218 in FIG. 5), the process 200 continues at 218 and the device 120 receives charging power at a preconfigured output level. If the charger status information 118 is received from the charger 110 (YES at 218), the device 120 selectively reconfigures the charger 110 at 220 via the communication connection according to the received charger status, The process returns to the charge operation at 216 and device controller 124 continues to monitor the DP and DN lines. In some implementations, the device processor 126 slows down the charging process when the over current, over voltage, and / or over temperature conditions are indicated by the charger 110, eg, at 218, as described above. Selectively reconfigure the charge level at.

  Referring also to FIG. 6, a process 300 for charger operation starting at 302 is illustrated, wherein at 304, the charger provides a default level of output power (eg, 5V at 1A) via VBUS and GND, Meanwhile, the DP and DN lines are monitored for communication from the connected electronic device 120. At 306, a determination is made as to whether a communication connection has been established, and if not (NO), the charger 110 continues to provide default voltages and current levels for charging the connected device 120. Once the communication connection is established (YES at 306), charger 308 transmits charger capability information 117 via DP and DN lines to connected device 120 at 308, at 310 (available The charger status information 118 may optionally be sent to the device 120.

  At 312, the charger 110 receives configuration information from the device 120 using the communication connection, such configuration information indicating a desired power delivery output level (eg, 20 V at 1 A). At 314, the charger controller 114 selectively sets the power level of the power supply 112 according to the received configuration information, and then, at 316, provides the power level while providing additional power from the connected device 120. Monitor the DP and DN lines again for communication. In some embodiments, charger 110 may also, for example, detect 318 a predetermined condition (eg, in one embodiment, over voltage, over current, and / or over temperature) at charger power supply 112. , Any updated status information 118 may be sent to the device 120 via the communication connection.

  At 320, the charger 110 determines if any reconfiguration information has been received via the DP and DN connections, and if not received (NO at 320), the process proceeds to 316 and the charger 110 The DP and DN lines are monitored for messages from connected devices 110 while maintaining the output at the current level, and at 318 any updated status information 118 is sent. If reconfiguration information is received from device 120 (YES at 320), charger 110 selectively adjusts the output power level at 322 in accordance with the reconfiguration information, and process 300 returns to 316 described above.

  The embodiments disclosed herein advantageously reuse the DP and DN connections of USB cable 130 to provide a bi-directional communication bus, and general purpose or other data storage on the connected charger 110 , Stores charger capability information 117 for transmission to the connected electronic device 120, and allows intelligent match determination and charge rate determination by the device 120 based on the actual capabilities of the charger 110 and the device 120 become. Also, the disclosed techniques facilitate updating the charger output level under control of the connected device 120 by providing power supply status information 118 from the charger 110, thereby mitigating product damage. Adaptive adjustments are promoted to facilitate and reduce the charging time. Thus, the disclosed apparatus and techniques provide significant advances for dedicated charging devices subject to user mismatches, and the disclosed device 120 and charger 110 automatically mitigate component damage or stress But intelligently use capability information supplemented by charger status information to facilitate rapid charging, and also apply analog-to-analog communication while maintaining USB compatibility and standard compliance between multiple devices and chargers It does not require additional circuitry associated with it.

The above examples are merely illustrative of some possible embodiments of the various aspects of the present disclosure, and one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate equivalent alternatives upon reading and understanding the present specification and the accompanying drawings. And / or modifications may be recalled. Also, while particular features of the present disclosure may be disclosed with respect to only one of a plurality of implementations, such features may be desirable and advantageous for any given or particular application, as well as other implementations. It may be combined with one or more other features of the form. Also, the terms "including", "includes", "having", "has", "with", or variations thereof Such terms, as used in the detailed description and / or claims, are intended to be as inclusive as the term "comprising".

Claims (20)

An electronic device,
A USB connector for receiving a universal serial bus (USB) cable connector, said USB connector being
A first conductive structure for electrical connection of the USB cable to a first data signal conductor;
A second conductive structure for electrical connection of the USB cable to a second data signal conductor;
A third conductive structure for electrical connection of the USB cable to a first power conductor;
A fourth conductive structure for electrical connection of the USB cable to a second power conductor;
Said USB connector, including
A load operatively coupled to receive power from the third and fourth conductive structures,
A charger coupled to the first and second conductive structures and connected along the first and second data signal conductors of the USB cable via the first and second conductive structures A controller that selectively acts to establish a bi-directional digital communication connection to exchange data;
A processor operably coupled to the controller, such that the processor obtains charger capability information from the connected charger using the bi-directional digital communication connection established by the controller. And the processor programmed to selectively configure or reconfigure the connected charger using the bi-directional digital communication connection at least partially according to the charger capability information.
Including electronic devices. An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein
An electronic memory storing device charge capability information representative of at least one charge power level suitable for charging the electronic device, the processor including at least at least between the charger capability information and the device charge capability information; Programmed to selectively configure or reconfigure the connected charger using the bi-directional digital communication connection to determine one match and at least partially according to the at least one match. Electronic devices. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein
And the processor is configured to receive charger status information from the connected charger using the bi-directional digital communication connection, and at least partially according to the charger status information. An electronic device programmed to selectively reconfigure the connected charger using: An electronic device according to claim 3, wherein
The processor preferentially configures the connected charger using the bi-directional digital communication connection according to the fastest charge match between the charger capability information and the device charge capability information; Selectively recharging the connected charger using the bi-directional digital communication connection to a slower charge match between the charger capability information and the device charge capability information according to the charger status information. An electronic device that is programmed to configure. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein
A first state coupled to the first and second conductive structures, the first state indicating a detected connection of the connected charger to the electronic device, and a charger not being connected to the electronic device A charger detection circuit operative to provide a switching control signal having a second state indicative of
A switching circuit coupled to receive the switching control signal from the charger detection circuit, wherein the switching circuit is configured to receive the first and second switching control signals when in the first state. Acting to selectively couple a conductive structure to the controller, and selectively disconnecting the first and second conductive structures from the controller when the switching control signal is in the second state. The switching circuit,
Including electronic devices. An electronic device according to claim 5, wherein
The controller acts as a master controller to establish the bi-directional digital communication connection as an I ² C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) bus, the bi-directional digital communication connection comprising the first conductive structure as a serial data line And an electronic device using the second conductive structure as a serial clock line. An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein
A first state coupled to the first and second conductive structures and indicative of a detected connection of the connected charger to the electronic device, and a charger not connected to the electronic device A charger detection circuit operative to provide a switching control signal having a second state indicating
A switching circuit coupled to receive the switching control signal from the charger detection circuit, wherein the switching circuit is configured to receive the first and second switching control signals when in the first state. Acting to selectively couple a conductive structure to the controller, and selectively disconnecting the first and second conductive structures from the controller when the switching control signal is in the second state. An electronic device, comprising: the switching circuit. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein
The controller acts as a master controller to establish the bi-directional digital communication connection as an I ² C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) bus, the bi-directional digital communication connection comprising the first conductive structure as a serial data line And an electronic device using the second conductive structure as a serial clock line. An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein
The controller acts as a master controller to establish the bi-directional digital communication connection as an I ² C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) bus, the bi-directional digital communication connection comprising the first conductive structure as a serial data line And an electronic device using the second conductive structure as a serial clock line. An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein
And the processor is configured to receive charger status information from the connected charger using the bi-directional digital communication connection, and at least partially according to the charger status information. An electronic device programmed to selectively reconfigure the connected charger using: An electronic device according to claim 10, wherein
The processor preferentially configures the connected charger using the bi-directional digital communication connection according to the fastest charge match between the charger capability information and the device charge capability information; Selectively reconfiguring the connected charger using the bi-directional digital communication connection according to a slower charge match between the charger capability information and the device charge capability information according to the charger status information Electronic devices that are programmed to A method for powering or charging an electronic device from a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable having first and second data signal conductors, the method comprising:
Bidirectional digital along the first and second data signal conductors of the USB cable to exchange data between the electronic device and a connected charger using a processor of the electronic device Establishing a communication connection,
Obtaining charger capability information from the connected charger using the bi-directional digital communication connection using the processor;
Using the processor to determine at least one match between the charger capability information and the device charge capability information representing at least one charge power level suitable for charging the electronic device;
The processor is used to selectively select the connected charger using the bi-directional digital communication connection, at least partially according to the fastest charge match between the charger capability information and the device charge capability information. To configure,
Method, including. The method according to claim 12, wherein
Receiving charger status information from the connected charger using the bidirectional digital communication connection using the processor;
The connected charger using the bi-directional digital communication connection to a slower charge match between the charger capability information and the device charge capability information according to the charger status information using the processor To selectively reconfigure
Method, including. The method according to claim 12, wherein
Establishing the bi-directional digital communication connection as an I ² C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) bus using the first conductive structure as a serial data line and the second conductive structure as a serial clock line The way, including. Universal Serial Bus (USB) charger device,
A connector for receiving a USB cable, said connector being
A first conductive structure for electrical connection of the USB cable to a first data signal conductor;
A second conductive structure for electrical connection of the USB cable to a second data signal conductor;
A third conductive structure for electrical connection of the USB cable to a first power conductor;
A fourth conductive structure for electrical connection of the USB cable to a second power conductor;
Said connector, including
A power supply operably coupled to supply power at one of a plurality of output power levels to the connected electronic device via the third and fourth conductive structures;
A controller coupled to the first and second conductive structures;
A charger capable of representing the plurality of output power levels using bi-directional digital communication connection along the first and second data signal conductors of the USB cable via the first and second conductive structures To provide information to the connected electronic device
Receiving configuration information from the connected electronic device using the bi-directional digital communication connection, and
Selectively setting or adjusting the power supply to one of the plurality of output power levels in accordance with the configuration information at least partially;
The controller, which acts selectively
Universal Serial Bus (USB) charger devices, including: The USB charger device according to claim 15, wherein
USB charger device, wherein the controller is operative to provide status information representing at least one status of the power supply to the connected electronic device using the bi-directional digital communication connection. 17. The USB charger device according to claim 16, wherein
A USB charger device, wherein the status information indicates at least one of an over-voltage condition, an over-current condition, and an over-temperature condition of the power supply. 17. The USB charger device according to claim 16, wherein
The bi-directional digital communication connection is an I ² C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) bus connection using the first conductive structure as a serial data line and the second conductive structure as a serial clock line, A USB charger device, wherein a controller acts as a slave controller to exchange data with a master controller of the connected electronic device along the first and second data signal conductors of the USB cable. The USB charger device according to claim 15, wherein
The bi-directional digital communication connection is an I ² C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) bus connection using the first conductive structure as a serial data line and the second conductive structure as a serial clock line, the controller A USB charger device, acting as a slave controller to exchange data with a master controller of the connected electronic device along the first and second data signal conductors of the USB cable. The USB charger device according to claim 15, wherein
The output of the power supply for the controller to provide a default power output level for powering or charging the connected electronic device, and in accordance with received configuration information from the connected electronic device. A USB charger device operative to control the power supply to selectively adjust levels.

Images