KR20000008583A - Power supply of portable electronic system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A power supply of portable electronic system is provided to extend usable time using internal battery as well as external battery pack. CONSTITUTION: The power supply comprises a housing with an electronic circuit, a first adaptor, a first battery, a first connector, a power supplier, a second adaptor, a second battery, and a charger. The first adaptor converts alternating current(AC) input voltage to direct current(DC) voltage and supplies to system. The first battery set up in the housing and connects the electronic circuit and supplies power to system. The first connector connects the electronic circuit in housing and locates external section of the housing. The power supplier with a second connector connects the first connector and joins with external side of the housing. The power supplier has the second adaptor and the second battery and charger. The charger gives power through the second adaptor to the second battery.

Description

POWER SUPPLY APPARATUS FOR PORTABLE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a system operated by a secondary battery such as a portable computer, a model device, a headphone stereo (walkman), a portable telephone, and more particularly, by a battery mounted inside and outside a portable electronic system. The present invention relates to a portable electronic system.

Today, battery-powered electronic systems, such as portable computers, video camcorders, model devices, or portable telephones, are becoming popular due to the advantages of being portable and on the go.

In particular, due to the development of computer technology, the spread of portable computers has been very high in recent years. This is because a portable computer has the advantage of being able to be used anywhere or on the go without using AC power. Thus, portable computers essentially use a battery to power the computer system.

1 shows an external view of a portable computer system, which is an example of a battery operated device. Referring to FIG. 1, the portable computer system 100 is simple to carry by miniaturizing and reducing the weight of additional devices compared to a desktop top computer. The computer system is powered by a power source provided from AC adapter 110. When AC power cannot be supplied, power is supplied from a battery 120 mounted inside the portable computer system 100.

2 shows a typical power supply scheme of a portable computer system with a battery pack according to one embodiment of the prior art.

Referring to FIG. 2, an AC adapter 110 for converting a voltage of AC 100 to 240V into a stable DC voltage is supplied to the computer system 100 under the control of a power control unit 124. The switch 122 for switching things is connected. The DC voltage of the node 123 is input to the regulator 126, the charging circuit 132, the DC / DC converter 134, the DC / DC converter of the LCD panel 150, and the DC / AC inverter 152. . The regulator 126 supplies the power supply voltage of the microcontroller 130 constantly.

The microcontroller 130 operates by a power source provided from the regulator 126 and controls the power control unit 124, the charging circuit 128, and the DC / DC converter 134. The microcontroller 130 charges the battery pack 120 according to the information on the chemical characteristics of the battery pack 120, the charge / discharge state, a dead cell, etc. provided from the battery detection circuit 132. A signal for controlling is output to the charging circuit 132.

The battery pack 120 typically includes nickel cadmium (Ni-Cd), nickel metal hydride (Ni_MH), or lithium ion (Li-Ion) battery cells, and is charged by the battery charging circuit 132. .

The DC / DC converter 134 obtains various DC power supplies (eg, 3.3V, 5V, 12V, etc.) required by the portable computer system from the AC adapter 110 or the battery pack 120. A central processing unit (CPU), video circuits, audio circuits, various disk drives (HDD, FDD, CD-ROM drive), various storage devices, and the like are supplied to the system unit 136 mounted thereon.

The DC / DC converter 140 and the DC / AC inverter 140 of the LCD panel 250 convert the DC voltage input from the AC adapter 110 or the battery pack 120 into an AC voltage having a high voltage (for example, about 500 V). A cold cathode fluorescent lamp of a liquid crystal display (LCD) 142 is provided.

The blocking diode D1 prevents the current charged in the battery 120 from flowing into the charging circuit 128 and being discharged. The blocking diode D2 prevents power input from the AC adapter 110 from being directly input to the battery 120.

Batteries powering portable computer systems should be compact and light in weight. However, due to the slow development of battery technology, a single battery cannot power a portable computer for a long time. Most portable computer systems are designed so that only one battery pack can be inserted. Therefore, when using a portable computer system for a long time as a battery, there was an inconvenience of carrying an extra charged battery pack. In order to carry a spare battery pack to be used in advance, it has to be charged in advance, but each battery pack takes a long time to charge.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a portable electronic system having an external battery pack for prolonging the battery usage time of the portable electronic system.

1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a portable computer system which is an example of a battery operated device;

2 is a block diagram showing an exemplary power supply scheme of a portable computer system with a battery pack according to one embodiment of the prior art;

3A and 3B show an appearance of a portable computer system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

4A and 4B show an appearance of a portable computer system according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention;

5A-5B are block diagrams showing block diagrams of an internal circuit configuration of a portable computer system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating the internal circuit configuration when an external battery pack is mounted in the portable computer system; FIG.

7 is a diagram illustrating an AC adapter embedded in an external battery pack of the present invention;

8 illustrates a battery pack mounted inside a portable computer system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

9 illustrates a battery pack mounted external to a portable computer system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

10 illustrates an AC adapter connected to a portable computer system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. And

11 is a diagram illustrating an AC adapter connected to an external battery pack mounted in a portable computer system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

* Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings *

100: portable computer system 110: AC adapter

120, 220: battery pack 124, 224: power control unit

126, 226 regulator 130, 230 microcontroller

134, 234: DC / DC converter 128, 228: charging circuit

136, 236: system unit 132, 232: battery detection circuit

152, 252: DC / DC converters and DC / AC inverters

156, 256: LCD panel 300a, 300b: External battery pack

302a, 302b: Battery connector 310, 410: AC adapter

320, 420: external battery charging circuit 330, 430: external battery

According to a feature of the present invention for achieving the object of the present invention as described above, the portable electronic system comprises: a housing in which an electronic circuit is disposed; A first adapter converting an AC input voltage into a stable DC voltage and providing the system to the system; A first battery mounted inside the housing and connected to the electronic circuit to supply power to the system; A first connector disposed inside the housing and connected to the electronic circuit and exposed to the outside of the housing; Means for supplying power to the computer system having a second connector coupled to the first connector, the second connector being coupled to an outer surface of the housing, wherein the power supply means converts an AC input voltage into a stable DC voltage. A second adapter to convert and provide to the system and the power supply means; A second battery for powering the system; A charging means for receiving power from the second adapter and supplying charging power to the second battery, when the power supply means is mounted to the system and no power is supplied from the first adapter. Receives power from the power supply means.

In a preferred embodiment, the system comprises charging means for charging the first battery with power supplied from the first and second adapters.

In a preferred embodiment, the first adapter is an integrated low capacity adapter and the second adapter is a detachable high capacity adapter.

In a preferred embodiment, the first connector is arranged to be exposed to the rear side of the housing, the power supply comprising a cradle located at the bottom of the housing; A jaw portion integrally formed from the rear end of the cradle, the second connector disposed, and positioned outside the rear surface of the housing; The power supply is coupled to the housing from a rearward direction of the housing, the supports being formed integrally from both sides of the cradle, respectively, and located on the exterior of both sides of the housing. When the connector is engaged, it supports the housing.

(Example)

The present invention relates to a portable electronic system operated by a secondary battery such as a portable computer, a model device, a headphone stereo (walkman), a portable telephone, and the like. A large capacity battery pack is mounted outside the portable electronic system to extend the use time of the portable electronic system in the absence of external power. The external battery pack includes a secondary battery and a charging circuit for supplying a charging current. The external battery pack is connected to a portable electronic system by a connector and has a structure that can be easily installed / removed by a user.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 11.

3A and 3B show the appearance of a portable computer system according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention.

3A shows a portable computer 200 equipped with a battery pack 220 and an external battery pack 300a. Referring to FIG. 3A, the external battery pack 300a includes a connector 302a and is coupled with a connector (not shown) provided at the rear of the portable computer 200. The battery pack 300a is provided with a power jack (not shown) at the rear to receive DC power from the AC adapter 310. The battery pack 300a is charged by a current supplied from the adapter 310.

3B shows the appearance when the portable computer and the external battery pack are combined. Referring to FIG. 3B, the portable computer 200 is coupled to be mounted on the upper flat surface of the external battery pack 300a. Supports respectively positioned outside both sides of the external battery pack 300a allow the portable computer 200 to be fixed to the external battery pack 300a. When the portable computer 200 and the external battery pack 300a are combined, the portable computer 200 may receive power from the external battery pack 300a as well as the battery 220 mounted on the main body.

4A and 4B show the appearance of a portable computer system according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

4A shows a portable computer 200 equipped with a battery pack 220 and an external battery pack 300b. The portable computer 200 performs the same functions as the components of the portable computer shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. The external battery pack 300b has a top surface and both side surfaces, and a connector 302b is provided on the top surface of the external battery pack 300b. Two lockers are provided on both side surfaces of the external battery pack 300b having the same length as the height of the main body of the computer 200 in a direction of being coupled / detached with the portable computer 200. The top surface of the external battery pack 300b is formed to have a predetermined slope. The battery pack 300b is provided with a power jack (not shown) at the rear to receive DC power from the AC adapter 310. The battery pack 300b is charged by the current supplied from the adapter 310. The bottom of the portable computer 200 is provided with a connector (not shown) that can be coupled to the connector 302a of the external battery pack 300b.

4B shows an appearance when a portable computer and an external battery pack are combined. Referring to FIG. 4B, the portable computer 200 is coupled to be mounted on the top inclined surface of the external battery pack 300b. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the connectors (not shown) behind the portable computer 200 from being blocked by the external battery pack 300b. The lockers 306a and 306b respectively positioned on both sides of the external battery pack 300b allow the portable computer 200 to be fixed to the external battery pack 300a. When the portable computer 200 and the external battery pack 300b are combined, the portable computer 200 may receive power from the external battery pack 300b as well as the battery 220 mounted on the main body.

5A through 5B show block diagrams of an internal circuit configuration of a portable computer system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5a shows in block form the internal circuitry of a portable computer system operating from a power source supplied from an AC adapter. Referring to FIG. 5A, an AC adapter 110 for converting a voltage of AC 200 to 240 V into a stable DC voltage may be supplied into the computer system 200 under the control of a power control unit 220. The switch 222 for switching things is connected. The DC voltage of the node 223 is input to the regulator 226, the charging circuit 228, the DC / DC converter of the DC / DC converter 234 and the LCD panel 250, and the DC / AC inverter 252. do. The regulator 226 supplies the power supply voltage of the microcontroller 230 constantly.

The microcontroller 230 operates by a power source provided from the regulator 226 and controls the power control unit 224, the charging circuit 228, and the DC / DC converter 234. The microcontroller 230 controls the charging of the battery 220 according to the information on the chemical characteristics of the battery 220, the charge / discharge state, the dead cell (dead cell), etc. provided from the battery detection circuit 232. Outputs a signal for the charging circuit 232.

The battery 220 typically includes nickel cadmium (Ni-Cd), nickel metal hydride (Ni_MH), lithium ion (Li-Ion) battery cells, and the like, and is charged by the battery charging circuit 228.

In view of the conditions of use of a portable computer system, there are two types of battery charging methods, a run and charging method and a run or charging method. The former charges the battery with or without the system. On the other hand, the latter allows the battery to be selectively charged according to whether or not the system is used. If the system is in use, the battery is not charged and only when the system is not used.

Referring again to FIG. 5A, the DC / DC converter 234 receives various DC power supplies (eg, 3.3V, 5V, 12V, etc.) required by the portable computer system from the AC adapter 110 or the battery pack 220. The DC power supplies obtained and obtained are system units equipped with a central processing unit (CPU), video circuits, audio circuits, various disk drives (HDD, FDD, CD-ROM drive), various storage devices, and the like. 236).

The DC / DC converter and the DC / AC inverter 252 of the LCD panel 250 convert the DC voltage input from the AC adapter 110 or the battery pack 220 into an AC voltage having a high voltage (for example, about 500V). It is provided as a cold cathode fluorescent lamp of the liquid crystal display (LCD) panel 256.

When power is supplied from the AC adapter 110 to the portable computer system 200, the system is powered by the AC adapter 110 power. In addition, the battery 220 is charged by the control of the microcontroller 130. The blocking diode D11 prevents a current charged in the battery 220 from flowing into the charging circuit 228 and being discharged. The blocking diode D12 prevents power input from the AC adapter 110 to be directly input to the battery 220.

Portable computer systems are designed to be lightweight and compact for easy portability, making it difficult to configure devices to perform full multimedia functions such as CD-ROM drives and stereo audio support, such as desktop top computers. It is a docking station (not shown) for extending functionality that provides a complete multimedia function for such a portable computer system and provides a connection terminal with a peripheral device.

A cable manager or port replicator (not shown) can mount / remove peripherals to and from the computers by integrating all connectors of peripherals that connect to computers that are frequently moved, such as portable computers. This eliminates the inconvenience of having to connect / disconnect the connectors of the peripheral devices to the computers. The cable manager provides the convenience of connecting / disconnecting peripheral devices to / from a computer in one operation.

When the docking station or port replicator is mounted on the portable computer 200, the adapter 110 is connected to the docking station or port replicator. The portable computer 200 is powered through the two devices.

When the docking station is mounted as shown in FIG. 5B, the portable computer system 200 receives power from the power supply 112 of the docking station. The internal circuit configuration of the computer system 100 is the same as that shown in FIG. 5A.

5C illustrates a case where the port replicator is mounted on the portable computer system 200. In this case, the computer system 200 operates by receiving power from the power supply unit 114 of the port replicator. The internal circuit configuration of the computer system 100 is the same as that shown in FIG. 5A.

6 is a block diagram illustrating an internal circuit configuration when an external battery pack is mounted in the portable computer system. As shown in FIG. 6, the circuit configuration of the portable computer system 200 is the same as that shown in FIGS. 5A-5B.

The external battery pack 300 is composed of a battery 330, a charging circuit 320 for providing a charging current to the battery 330 and diodes (D3, D4, D5), the connector of the portable computer 200 Connector 302 for connecting with 260. The diode D4 prevents a current charged in the external battery 330 from flowing into the charging circuit 320 and being discharged. Diodes D3 and D5 prevent discharge from the main battery 220 to the external battery pack 300.

7 is a diagram illustrating that the AC adapter is built in the external battery pack of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, the AC adapter 410 is built-in inside the external battery pack 400. The external battery pack 400 having the AC adapter 410 has the same components as the external battery shown in FIG. 6.

8 illustrates a battery pack mounted inside a portable computer system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the battery 220 mounted in the portable computer 200 includes, for example, four lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries in series. The battery voltage is 14.4V.

14.4V * 1.65Ah = 23.76Wh ≒ 24Wh

The battery 220 is charged and discharged through the battery connector 221.

9 illustrates a battery pack mounted external to a portable computer system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 9, the battery 330 of the external battery pack 300 is configured of, for example, 4 * 4 or 16 lithium ion batteries. The battery voltage is 14.4V.

14.4V * 1.65Ah * 4 = 95.04Wh ≒ 96Wh

That is, the use time of the external battery is 6 hours 20 minutes longer than the use time of the internal battery (1 hour 40 minutes). Therefore, when the internal battery 220 and the external battery 330 are both mounted and used, the total time that the portable computer can be used is eight hours.

The external battery pack 300 includes a charging circuit 320. Reference numeral 308 denotes a DC jack and is connected to an AC adapter connected to an external battery pack. The battery pack 300 is charged / discharged through the battery connector 301 connected to the connector 302.

The battery 220 mounted in the computer system 200 uses a battery having a small capacity so as to be portable and light in weight. The battery 220 may be charged only when the power of the computer 200 is turned off by a run-or-charging method. The computer 200 may be charged quickly when the power is turned off. On the other hand, in order to quickly charge the external battery pack 300, the capacity of the sub AC adapter 310 may be sufficiently large. In addition, the external battery pack 300 can be charged regardless of the power supply state of the computer 200, thereby adding convenience of use.

10 is a diagram illustrating an AC adapter connected to a portable computer system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. AC adapter 110 shown in the figure is a low-capacity (20 ~ 30W, 19V, 1 ~ 1.5A) adapter consisting of an AC cable and adapter, DC cable integrally.

11 is a diagram illustrating an AC adapter connected to an external battery pack mounted in a portable computer system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the AC adapter 310 has a form in which the AC connector 310b associated with the AC cable 310a is detachable from the adapter 310c. The AC adapter 310c is connected to the external battery pack 300 through a DC plug 310e connected to the end of the DC cable 310b.

The AC adapter 310 has a higher capacity (50 to 60 W, 19 V, 2.5 to 3.2 A) than the integrated AC adapter 110.

The external battery pack 300 may receive power from the high capacity adapter 310 as described above, supply power to the system, and charge the main battery 220 and the external battery 330. In the charging of the two batteries, first, power input from the AC adapter 310 is supplied with more current to the main battery 220 through the connectors 302 and 260. After the charging operation of the main battery 220 is completed, a large amount of current is supplied to the external battery 330 to perform the charging operation of the external battery 330. The charging current control is performed by a microcontroller (not shown) embedded in the microcontroller 130 of the portable computer 200 and the charging circuit 330 of the battery pack.

The following table shows the power supply to the portable computer 200 from the power supply of the main adapter 110 or the docking station, the port replicator, when the main battery 220 is mounted, and from the adapter 310 and the main The battery charging method, the charging time, and the time when the portable computer can be used as the battery when the battery 220 and the external battery 330 are mounted are shown.

Charging method Charge time usage time Capacity City Main adapter and main battery Run or charging 2 hours 1 hour 40 minutes 0.8 to 1 C Docking station and main battery Run and charging 2 hours 1 hour 40 minutes 0.8 to 1 C Port Replicator and Main Battery Run and charging 2 hours 1 hour 40 minutes 0.8 to 1 C Sub-adapter, external battery and main battery MB: Run and charging 2 hours MB: 1 hour 40 minutes OB: 6 hours 20 minutes Total 8 hours MB: 0.8 ~ 1.0COB: 0.3 ~ 0.5C OB slow charging when charging MB 10 hours OB fast charging at the end of MB charge 3 ~ 3.5 hours

In the table, MB denotes the main battery 220 and OB denotes the external battery 330. The external battery pack 300 is mounted on the portable computer 200, and the main battery 220 is charged regardless of the operating state of the portable computer 200 when power is supplied from the sub-adapter 310. When the main battery 220 is being charged, the amount of current supplied to the external battery 330 is small and thus charged slowly. When the charging operation of the main battery 220 is completed, the amount of current supplied to the external battery 330 is increased to be charged quickly. When the external battery pack 300 is mounted and power is supplied from the sub AC adapter 310, power supply from the main adapter 110, the docking station 112, or the port replicator 114 is meaningless.

Although the present invention has been described in detail with respect to a portable computer system as a portable electronic system, the same effect occurs in a portable system such as a video camcorder, a model apparatus or a portable telephone. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the portable computer system, but should be set by the matter described in the claims.

According to the present invention as described above, the use time of the portable electronic system is extended in the state that the external power can not be supplied by receiving power from the external battery pack as well as the battery mounted inside the portable electronic system.

Claims (4)

In a portable electronic system, A housing in which an electronic circuit is disposed; A first adapter converting an AC input voltage into a stable DC voltage and providing the system to the system; A first battery mounted inside the housing and connected to the electronic circuit to supply power to the system; A first connector disposed inside the housing and connected to the electronic circuit and exposed to the outside of the housing; Means for supplying power to said computer system, said second connector having a second connector coupled with said first connector, coupled to an outer surface of said housing, The power supply means, A second adapter converting an AC input voltage into a stable DC voltage and providing the system and the power supply means; A second battery for powering the system; And charging means for receiving power from the second adapter and supplying charging power to the second battery. And when the power supply means is mounted to the system and no power is supplied from the first adapter, the system is powered from the power supply means. The method of claim 1, The system, And charging means for charging the first battery by receiving power from the first and second adapters. The method of claim 1, The first adapter is an integrated low capacity adapter, And the second adapter is a detachable high capacity adapter. The method of claim 1, The first connector is arranged to be exposed to the rear of the housing, The power supply device includes a cradle located at the bottom of the housing; A jaw portion integrally formed from the rear end of the cradle, the second connector disposed, and positioned outside the rear surface of the housing; The power supply is coupled to the housing from a rearward direction of the housing, the supports being formed integrally from both sides of the cradle, respectively, and located on the exterior of both sides of the housing. And the connector supports the housing when the connector is engaged.