TW201818630A - Battery charging system with a regulation loop - Google Patents

Abstract

A charging system (100, 200) for a battery (140) of an electronic device is described. The charging system (100, 200) comprises an adapter (110) configured to derive a transfer current at a transfer voltage (121) from a power source. Furthermore, the charging system (100, 200) comprises a battery charger (130) configured to charge a battery (140) of the electronic device with a battery current at a battery voltage (141) using the transfer current at the transfer voltage (121). In addition, the charging system (100, 200) comprises power transmission means configured to transmit the transfer current at the transfer voltage (121) to the battery charger (130). In addition, the charging system (100, 200) comprises communication means configured to transmit feedback information which is indicative of the battery voltage (141) and/or battery current from the battery charger (130) to the adapter (110). The adapter (110) is configured to set the transfer voltage (121) and/or transfer current in dependence of the feedback information.

Description

Battery charging system with regulation loop

The present invention relates to a system and method for charging a battery using a power efficient manner.

High voltage (HV) battery chargers with an input voltage Vin of 20V (volts) typically utilize an inductor-based power converter that achieves a conversion performance of approximately 90% range. This rather inefficient performance is due to the fact that the performance of the inductive buck power converter is optimal for an output voltage Vout that is only slightly lower than the input voltage Vin (i.e., approximately 1 for the conversion ratio Vout/Vin).

The battery or output voltage is typically Vout = 3.6V (ie < 4.2V) and the input voltage Vin from the external power supply (also referred to herein as the conversion voltage) can be as high as 20V (volts). Therefore, the Vin/Vout conversion ratio is quite high, and the efficiency of power conversion is usually lowered. One parameter that affects the efficiency of an inductive buck converter is the switching frequency, where the efficiency of the power converter typically increases when the switching frequency is reduced. On the other hand, a reasonable current surge at a relatively low switching frequency typically requires an inductor with a relatively high inductance. The size of an inductor typically increases as the inductance increases. Therefore, the use of inductors with relatively high inductance is generally not compatible with modern portable electronic devices such as tablet personal computers or smart phones. Therefore, the battery charger of the portable electronic device typically utilizes a relatively low inductance coil, thereby triggering a relatively high switching frequency, and by which the maximum conversion performance can be achieved by limiting the power converter of the battery charger.

The present invention addresses the technical problem of providing power efficiency and small systems for charging electronic device batteries. Technical issues are addressed by independent claims. In addition, the improvement is described in the subsidiary item.

According to one aspect, a charging system for a battery of an electronic device is described. The charging system includes an adapter that constitutes power from the power source to obtain a converted voltage. In particular, the adapter can be configured to take the switching current at the switching voltage. As shown in the example, the power supply can provide AC power at an AC voltage (eg, at 110 V (volts) or 230 V (volts) with an AC frequency of 60 Hz (hertz) or 50 Hz (Hz). On the other hand, the switching voltage is typically a DC voltage (eg, in the range of 10V (volts)), and the switching current is typically a DC current. Likewise, the adapter can include an AC/DC converter for taking power at the DC conversion voltage from the AC power provided by the power source. The adapter may include a wall plug adapter, that is, the adapter may include a power plug for coupling the adapter to a wall outlet, such as a wall outlet for a mains power source.

In addition, the charging system includes a battery charger that constitutes a battery that uses the battery voltage at the battery voltage to charge the battery of the electronic device using the power at the switching voltage, particularly using the switching current at the switching voltage. Similarly, the battery current at the battery voltage is provided at the output of the battery charger. The battery current can be adjusted to a (possibly predetermined) target battery current (eg, to a constant target battery current or a target battery current that adheres to one of the predetermined charging profiles; the target battery current can vary, for example, with temperature, and/or depending on the charge to be charged The history of the battery, and/or depending on previous charging behavior). The regulation of the battery current can be performed via a current regulator in the battery charger or via a current regulator in the power adapter. The battery charger can be implemented as a part of an electronic device. Typically, the adapter and battery charger are implemented as separate physical units, particularly in separate integrated circuits (ICs).

The charging system also includes a power transfer member that constitutes the power to be converted at the switching voltage (ie, the switching current at the switching voltage) to the battery charger. In particular, the power transmission member may include a charging cable, in particular a USB (Universal Serial Bus) charging cable for electrically transmitting power. Alternatively (or in addition), the power transfer component can include a wireless power transfer unit (eg, as part of an adapter) that is configured to generate power using the converted voltage (ie, the switching current at the converted voltage) Electromagnetic charging field. The wireless power transfer unit can include a transmit coil for use for this purpose. Additionally, the power transfer component can include a wireless power receiving unit (eg, as part of a battery charger) that constitutes the power at the converted voltage from the electromagnetic charging field (ie, the switching current at the switching voltage). The wireless power transfer unit can include a receive coil for use for this purpose.

Power transmission components typically exhibit a voltage drop and/or power consumption. Therefore, the switching voltage and/or switching current (ie, the switching power) at the input of the battery charger is typically lower than the switching voltage and/or switching current (ie, the switching power) at the output of the power adapter. The voltage drop and/or power consumption of the power transmission component can be known in advance (eg, through system design), and/or can be transmitted from the battery charger to the power adapter as feedback information. Thus, the power adapter can take into account the voltage drop and/or power consumption of the power transfer component when setting (especially when adjusting) the switching voltage and/or switching current. It should be noted that when the switching current is regulated in the power adapter, any voltage drop in the power transmission member (e.g., cable) is typically automatically compensated. On the other hand, when constructing or setting the upper limit of the switching voltage, the maximum voltage drop at the power transmission member end can be considered. In particular, the switching current can be adjusted such that the switching voltage does not exceed a predetermined maximum switching voltage. The predetermined maximum switching voltage may depend on the voltage drop at the power transmission member end.

Additionally, the charging system includes a communication component that constitutes feedback information indicative of battery voltage and/or battery current from the battery charger to the adapter. In particular, the feedback information may indicate a target battery voltage and/or a target battery current that is provided at the output of the battery charger for charging the battery. The target battery voltage and/or target battery current may be determined via a control unit of the battery charger (eg, based on information regarding the state of charge (SOC) of the battery).

The battery charger can include a transmission communication module that is configured to transmit feedback information through the communication channel. Additionally, the adapter can include a receiver communication module that is configured to receive feedback information via the communication channel. The communication channel can include a charging cable wire for conducting power or switching current at the switching voltage from the adapter to the battery charger. Alternatively (or in addition), the communication channel can include a radio frequency link, such as a Bluetooth link, a WLAN link, a UMTS link, and/or an LTE link.

The adapter constitutes (in particular adjusts) the switching voltage and/or the switching current based on the feedback information. In particular, the adapter can constitute a set (in particular regulated) switching voltage or switching current. Thus, power can be provided to the battery charger such that the performance of the battery charger can be increased (eg, maximized) and/or such that the power consumption of the battery charger can be reduced (eg, minimized). Thus, the power efficiency (and possible scale performance) of the charging system can be provided.

In particular, the adapter can be configured to set (eg, adjust) the switching voltage such that it is used in a battery charger to charge the battery using battery current at the battery voltage (especially at a (constant) target battery voltage ( A voltage conversion ratio (Vin/Vout, that is, the input voltage of the power converter of the battery charger is compared with the output voltage of the power converter) is an integer value equal to or greater than 1. . Therefore, the output voltage is n times smaller than the input voltage. The voltage conversion ratio can also be referred to as a buck conversion ratio, in which the output voltage of the power converter is less than n times the input voltage of the power converter.

Alternatively (or in addition), the adapter can be configured to set (eg, adjust) the switching current so that it is used in a battery charger to charge the battery using battery current at the battery voltage (especially at (variable) battery voltage a (constant) target battery current to charge the battery) a current conversion ratio (Iout / Iin, that is, the battery charger's power converter output current compared to the power converter input current) is equal to or greater than 1 The integer value is n. Therefore, the output current is n times higher than the input current. Therefore, the power efficiency can be further increased. The current conversion ratio can also be referred to as an up-conversion ratio, where the output current of the power converter is n times higher than the input current of the power converter.

The battery charger can include a current regulator that constitutes utilizing power at the switching voltage to regulate the battery current of the rechargeable battery. Alternatively (or in addition), the power adapter can include a current regulator to indirectly regulate the battery current by adjusting a switching current at the output of the power adapter.

The battery charger can include a control unit that constitutes a charging strategy for selecting a rechargeable battery, and a current regulator that is based on the selected charging strategy to control the battery charger and/or at the power adapter end. The charging strategy can, for example, define a target battery current as a function of battery state of charge (SOC). The charging strategy can, for example, be designed to increase (eg, maximize) the life and/or number of battery charging cycles. The control unit can be configured to determine the state of charge (SOC) of the battery (information about it). In addition, the control unit can be configured based on the SOC (and typically based on a predetermined charging strategy) (with information about it) to determine the target battery current. The target battery current can be used by the current regulator to regulate the battery current to the target battery current. This may require setting the battery voltage to a specific value so that the battery current matches the target battery current. The adapter can modify the switching voltage and/or the switching current outlined in the present invention by providing feedback information indicative of the required battery voltage, and/or indicating the target battery current of the adapter, thereby increasing the power of the charging system. efficacy.

In other words, the battery charger can include a control unit that is configured to determine a target battery current. The current regulator (on the battery charger and/or at the power adapter end) can be configured to take the battery voltage based on the target battery current, particularly such that the battery current at the battery charger output matches the target battery current. Therefore, the battery voltage can vary over time. Therefore, the changed feedback information can be provided to the adapter.

The current regulator can include a battery switch and/or a low dropout (LDO) regulator. In addition, the current regulator may exhibit a regulator voltage drop, Vrdrop. The adapter (especially the voltage regulator of the adapter) can be configured to set the switching voltage according to the regulator voltage drop Vrdrop, thereby further increasing the power efficiency of the charging system. For this performance, it is particularly advantageous to reduce Vrdrop to minimize/minimize Vrdop, which is the case when the battery switch is turned off (ie, when the LDO is operating in bypass mode). Once the LDO is adjusted from the Dropout voltage, the power consumption increases and the efficiency decreases. Likewise, it may be advantageous to transfer the task of regulating the battery current to the adapter, which may constitute providing a (conditioned) switching current based on the desired battery current (ie, based on the target battery current). In other words, it is advantageous to move the current regulator from the battery charger to the power adapter. Therefore, the battery charger does not include a current and/or voltage regulator.

The battery charger can include a power converter configured and/or operative to perform a buck conversion of the conversion voltage (at the input of the battery charger) at a buck conversion ratio n, where n is equal to or greater than one. Value. Likewise, the power converter can be constructed and/or operable to perform an up-conversion (at the input of the battery charger) of the switching current with an up-conversion ratio n, where n is an integer value equal to or greater than one. A power converter having this feature can exhibit particularly high conversion performance. This is especially the case for power converters that include or comply with a capacitive power converter. The adapter can be configured to set (in particular adjust) the switching voltage and/or the switching current (at the output of the adapter) according to the buck or up-conversion ratio n. Therefore, the power efficiency of the charging system can be further increased.

The power converter can exhibit a converter voltage drop Vcdrop. The adapter can be configured to set (in particular adjust) the switching voltage and/or the switching current (at the output of the adapter) based on the converter voltage drop Vcdrop, thereby further increasing the power efficiency of the charging system.

As mentioned above, the adapter can include a voltage regulator configured to adjust the switching voltage based on the feedback information, particularly in accordance with the target battery voltage. In particular, the conversion voltage Vin can be adjusted to meet Vin = nx (Vbat + Vcdrop) + Vrdrop, where Vbat is the desired battery voltage (ie, the target battery voltage), where Vcdrop is at the power converter end of the battery charger. The voltage drop, and where Vrdrop is the voltage drop at the end of the power transmission component. Alternatively (or in addition), the switching voltage can be set or adjusted such that (only) the buck conversion of the buck conversion ratio n is utilized, and the battery charger can obtain the (target) battery voltage from the converted voltage, where n is equal to or greater than 1 The integer value.

The adapter may constitute a current rating based on a battery charger, a power converter, a power transmission path (eg, a charging cable or a wireless power transmission device), or a maximum switching current based on a maximum battery current.

Furthermore, the adapter can be configured to provide (in particular to adjust) a constant switching current and thus a set switching voltage. The conversion voltage can be limited to the maximum level, which can be taken from the input voltage rating of the battery charger, or can be determined by multiplying the maximum battery voltage (plus the voltage drop across the power converter) by the conversion ratio n. . This configuration allows the removal of the battery charger (especially the current regulator at the battery charger end) and its losses.

Similarly, the adapter can be configured to set (eg, adjust) the switching current based on the feedback information (especially according to the target battery current) such that the buck converter can be (only) utilized with a buck conversion ratio n, the battery charger can be Converting the voltage to obtain a battery voltage, where n is an integer value equal to or greater than one (so that the output voltage of the converter is n times smaller than the input voltage of the converter); and/or that (up to) the up-conversion of the up-conversion ratio n is utilized In conversion, the battery charger can obtain (target) battery current from the switching current, where n is an integer value equal to or greater than one (so that the output current of the converter is n times larger than the input current of the converter). For this purpose, the adapter can include a current regulator. Therefore, a battery charger without a current regulator can be provided, thereby further increasing the performance of the battery charger. In particular, the energy path in the battery charger (for taking power from the battery charger input to charge the battery at the battery charger output) may include only a power converter having an integer conversion ratio.

The adapter can be configured to regulate the switching voltage such that the switching current does not exceed a predetermined maximum switching current. Alternatively, the adapter can be configured to regulate the switching current such that the switching voltage does not exceed a predetermined maximum switching voltage. The maximum switching current and / or maximum switching voltage can be fixed. Alternatively, the maximum switching current and/or the maximum switching voltage can be set via the communication means using the battery charger. In particular, the feedback information may indicate the maximum switching current and/or the maximum switching voltage.

According to a further aspect, an adapter for a charging system for a battery of a charging electronic device is described. The adapter includes a receiver communication module configured to receive feedback information indicating a battery voltage and/or a battery current to be used for charging the battery (in particular, the feedback information may be indicative of a battery charger) The output provides a target battery voltage for charging the battery, and/or a target battery current). A current regulator corresponding to the battery charger can be used to set the battery current based on a predetermined target battery current. The battery voltage can be varied over time to provide a battery current that is set (eg, adjusted) according to a predetermined target battery current (eg, a constant target battery current). Alternatively (or in addition), the battery current can be adjusted by the adapter.

In addition, the adapter includes a voltage regulator and/or a current regulator configured to obtain power (eg, a switching current) from the power source based on the feedback information. In particular, the switching voltage can be derived from the battery voltage set for the rechargeable battery (ie, based on the target battery voltage). Alternatively (or in addition), the switching current can be derived from the battery current used to charge the battery (ie, based on the target battery current). In view of the fact that the battery voltage and/or battery current can vary over time, the switching voltage and/or battery current can therefore vary over time. In addition, the adapter includes a power transmission interface (eg, a suitable plug or socket) for providing power (eg, switching current) at the converted voltage to a battery through the power transmission member (eg, through a charging cable) The charger is for charging the battery.

In a preferred embodiment, the adapter includes a receiver communication module configured to receive feedback information indicative of a target battery voltage and/or a target battery current for charging the battery. The target battery voltage and/or target battery current may be set by a control unit of a corresponding battery charger of the electronic device. As shown in the example, a (typically constant) target battery current can be set via the control unit before the battery reaches a predetermined state of charge (SOC) (eg, 90%). After the predetermined state of charge (SOC) is reached, a (typically constant) target battery voltage can be set via the control unit to complete charging of the battery (eg, substantially up to 100% SOC).

In addition, the adapter may include a voltage regulator and/or a current regulator configured to obtain a switching current from the power source (eg, from the mains power source) based on the feedback information. In particular, the voltage regulator can adjust the switching voltage based on the target battery voltage (eg, when the control unit of the battery charger sets a constant target battery voltage to request constant voltage charging). Alternatively (or in addition), the current regulator can adjust the switching current based on the target battery current (eg, when the control unit of the battery charger sets a constant target battery current to request a constant current charging).

The voltage regulator can be configured to adjust the switching voltage according to the feedback information (especially according to the target battery voltage), so that the battery of the rechargeable battery is charged only by the step-down conversion of the electronic device (or battery charger) end of the buck conversion ratio n The voltage (at the output of the battery charger) can be adjusted to the target battery voltage, where n is an integer value equal to or greater than one. In particular, the switching voltage can be adjusted to a target switching voltage that is n times the target battery voltage (plus the possible voltage drop at the power transfer component and/or at the power converter end of the battery charger).

The current regulator can constitute a regulation of the switching current according to the feedback information (especially according to the target charging current), so that (up to) the up-conversion of the electronic device (or battery charger) using the up-conversion ratio n, the battery of the rechargeable battery The current (at the output of the battery charger) can be adjusted to the target battery current, where n is an integer value equal to or greater than one. In particular, the switching current can be adjusted to a target switching current that is consistent with the target battery current divided by n (plus the possible current consumed in the battery charger).

Further, the adapter includes a power transmission interface for supplying a switching current at a switching voltage of the power transmission member to the battery charger for charging the battery.

According to another aspect, a battery charger for a battery for charging an electronic device is described. The battery charger includes a power receiving interface (e.g., a suitable plug or socket) for receiving power (e.g., a switching current) at a switching voltage through a power transmitting member (e.g., through a charging cable). Additionally, the battery charger can include a current regulator that constitutes utilizing power at the converted voltage to regulate the battery current of the rechargeable battery. Battery current is provided at the battery voltage. In particular, the current regulator can form a voltage that is set at the output of the current regulator such that the battery can be charged using (eg, constant) battery current. The battery voltage may vary over time. In particular, the battery voltage can vary with the state of charge (SOC) of the battery.

The battery charger can include a transmission communication module that constitutes feedback information indicative of (target) battery voltage and/or (target) battery current through the communication channel. Therefore, a corresponding adapter can utilize the feedback information as the power to provide the converted voltage, wherein the converted voltage can depend on the feedback information (especially depending on the rechargeable battery (eg, at the output of the battery charger) (target) Battery voltage and / or (target) battery current).

In a preferred embodiment, the battery charger includes a power receiving interface for receiving a switching current at a switching voltage through the power transmitting member. Additionally, the battery charger can include a control unit that is configured to determine a target battery current and/or a target battery voltage for charging the battery. In particular, the control unit can constitute information that determines the SOC of the battery. The control unit can then determine the target battery current for charging the battery, and/or the target battery voltage based on the information about the SOC. Information about the battery SOC may include (no-load) battery voltage (ie, the voltage drop at the battery terminal when the battery is not being charged or discharged). Typically, the (idle) battery voltage will increase with increasing the SOC of the battery, thereby providing an accurate SOC indication.

The battery can be charged using a predetermined (empty) battery voltage and/or a constant target battery current up to a predetermined SOC. The battery can then be charged with a constant target battery voltage. Likewise, the control unit can determine the target battery current for charging the battery during the first phase of the charging cycle. Furthermore, the control unit can determine the target battery voltage for charging the battery during the second phase of the charging cycle. The moment of transition from the first phase to the second phase depends on the information about the battery SOC. The feedback information may indicate the moment of transition from the first phase to the second phase.

Additionally, the battery charger can include a power converter (eg, a capacitive power converter). The power converter can be constructed or operable to perform a buck conversion of the buck conversion ratio n at the input of the battery charger (at the input of the battery charger) to provide a battery voltage of the rechargeable battery, where n is an integer value greater than or equal to one. (especially n=2). In other words, the power converter can be set to perform a buck conversion of the buck conversion ratio n of the conversion voltage such that the battery voltage of the rechargeable battery is equal to the conversion voltage divided by n (except for the voltage drop at the power converter terminal).

Alternatively (or in addition), the power converter may be constructed or operable to perform an up-conversion (at the input of the battery charger) of the up-conversion ratio n to provide a battery current for the rechargeable battery, where n is greater than Or an integer value equal to 1. In other words, the power converter can be set to perform an up-conversion of the switching current of the up-conversion ratio n such that the battery current for the rechargeable battery conforms to the switching current multiplied by n. Typically, the power converter performs an (approximate) buck conversion with a (precise) up-conversion. Utilizing integer conversion ratios allows for power conversion of power performance and space performance in a battery charger.

In a preferred embodiment, the battery charger does not include a voltage regulator (for adjusting the battery voltage to the target battery voltage) and/or a current regulator (for adjusting the battery current to the target battery current). Conversely, the battery charger includes a transmission communication module that is configured to transmit feedback information indicative of the target battery voltage and/or the target battery current through the communication channel.

The feedback information may be received by a corresponding power adapter that constitutes a regulated switching voltage based on the target battery voltage and/or that constitutes a regulated switching current based on the target battery current. In particular, during a constant current charging phase, the power adapter can be configured to regulate the switching current (at the output of the power adapter) such that the battery charger can only be operated by performing an up conversion of integer conversion ratio n The switching current draws (constant) the target charging current (at the input of the battery charger). During a constant voltage charging phase, the power adapter can constitute an adjusted switching voltage (at the output of the power adapter) such that the battery charger can be obtained from the switching voltage only by performing a buck conversion of an integer conversion ratio n (constant) target charging voltage (at the input of the battery charger).

Feedback information can be provided (only) when the target battery current, and/or target battery voltage changes. Similarly, the feedback information transmitted from the battery charger to the adapter can be triggered by the control unit of the battery charger. As shown in the example, if the battery charger (eg, by the control unit) decides to change the target battery current for charging the battery, and/or the target battery voltage, the feedback information may be provided to the adapter, wherein the feedback information is provided. Is a request change indicating the target battery current, and/or the target battery voltage. Likewise, the (full) charging cycle of the battery can be controlled via the battery charger (especially by the control unit) using feedback information for selective transmission.

As the battery SOC increases, the adapter may need to substantially increase the switching voltage to adjust the switching current based on a target battery current. To protect components at the power adapter and/or battery charger end, a power adapter (particularly a current regulator) can be configured to regulate the switching current so that the switching voltage does not exceed a predetermined maximum switching voltage. Likewise, adjusting the switching voltage based on the target battery voltage may result in excessive switching current. The adapter (especially the voltage regulator) can be configured to regulate the switching voltage such that the switching current does not exceed a predetermined maximum switching current.

In a further example, the adapter and the battery charger can be configured to provide a closed regulation loop to utilize a voltage regulator and/or a current regulator at the adapter end to regulate the battery voltage at the output of the battery charger and/or Battery current. For this purpose, feedback information can be provided from the battery charger to the adapter either reproducibly or periodically (eg, at a frequency of 1 Hz (hertz), 10 Hz (hertz), 100 Hz (hertz) or higher. The (periodic) feedback information then indicates the (actual) battery voltage and/or (actual) battery current at the battery charger output. The battery charger can include a measurement component for measuring (actual) battery voltage and/or (actual) battery current at the battery charger output.

The voltage regulator and/or current regulator at the adapter side can utilize the feedback information to adapt the switching voltage and/or the switching current so that the (actual) battery voltage and/or (actual) battery current at the output of the battery charger is adjusted to the target Battery voltage and / or target battery current. In particular, a closed loop voltage regulator is provided at the adapter end that sets the switching voltage based on the (actual) battery voltage (especially based on the (actual) battery voltage deviation from the target voltage) (at the output of the adapter) ), thereby providing closed loop voltage regulation of the battery voltage. Or (or in addition) providing a closed loop current regulator at the adapter end that sets the switching current based on the (actual) battery current (especially based on the (actual) battery current deviation from the target current) (at the adapter) The output)), thereby providing closed-loop current regulation of the battery current. By providing closed loop regulation across the adapter and battery charger, the quality of the battery voltage and/or battery current can be further increased (in the case of periodic or repeated transmission of feedback information).

According to a further aspect, a method for utilizing an adapter and a battery charger to charge a battery of an electronic device is described. The adapter and battery charger are separated from each other. The method includes utilizing an adapter to obtain power (eg, switching current) at a switching voltage from a power source. Additionally, the method includes transmitting power (eg, switching current) at the converted voltage from the adapter to the battery charger. Additionally, the method includes utilizing battery current at a battery voltage to charge a battery of the electronic device, wherein the battery current is obtained from the power (eg, switching current) at the converted voltage using the battery charger. The method further includes transmitting feedback information indicating a battery voltage and/or a battery current from the battery charger to the adapter, wherein the switching voltage and/or the switching current are set by the adapter according to the feedback information (special It is adjusted). The feedback information may specifically indicate the target battery voltage and/or target battery current provided at the battery charger output for the rechargeable battery. Similarly, the switching voltage and/or switching current at the output of the adapter can be adjusted based on the target battery voltage and/or target battery current.

It should be noted that the methods and systems including the preferred embodiments as described in the present invention may be used alone or in combination with other methods and systems disclosed herein. Furthermore, the features described in the system relationships also apply to a corresponding method. Furthermore, all aspects of the method and system described in the present invention may be combined arbitrarily. In particular, the features of the scope of the patent application can be combined with each other in any manner.

In the present invention, the term "coupled" or "coupled" means that the electrical components are in electrical communication with one another, whether or not they are directly connected (eg, via wires); or, in some other manner.

As described above, the present invention is a technical problem in which a power and space efficient manner is employed to solve the battery of a charging electronic device. In particular, it is desirable to increase the performance of a charging system (especially a power converter included in a battery charger of a charging system) to 95% or higher to reduce power consumption in an electronic device.

1 shows a block diagram of an example charging system (100), wherein the charging system (100) includes a wall socket adapter (110), a charging cable (120) (eg, a USB cable), and a battery charger. (130). Typically, the battery charger (130) is incorporated in an electronic device, such as a smart phone or a tablet PC (Tablet), to charge the battery (140) of the electronic device. The adapter (110) includes an AC/DC regulator (111) (particularly a voltage regulator) that is constructed from an alternating current (AC) voltage (eg, from, for example, 110V (volts), 220V (volts) ) or 240V (volts) AC mains voltage) produces a direct current (DC) conversion voltage (121)). The DC conversion voltage (121) is a power converter (131) that is supplied to the battery charger (130) via a charging cable (120), wherein the power converter (131) constitutes converting the converted voltage (121) into a system voltage (135). Wherein the system voltage (135) generally conforms to the battery voltage Vbat (141) for the rechargeable battery (140) plus a voltage drop Vcdrop at the end of the charging unit (133) which may or may be a current regulator.

The charging unit (133) (or current regulator) may constitute a predetermined battery current that will (typically vary) the battery voltage (141) to the battery (140) for charging the battery (140). For this purpose, the charging unit (133) may include a battery switch and/or a battery regulator (such as a low drop (LDO) voltage regulator), and current sensing for sensing battery current. member. The charging unit (133) can be controlled by a control unit (134). In particular, the charging unit (133) can be controlled such that battery current can be provided in accordance with a (predetermined) target battery current.

In addition, the charging system (100) includes communication components to allow the battery charger (130) to communicate with the adapter (110). In particular, the communication component allows the battery charger (130) to provide feedback information to the adapter (110). Additionally, the adapter (110) can be configured to adapt the operation of the AC/DC regulator (111) based on the feedback information. The communication component includes a communication module (132) in the battery charger (130) and a corresponding communication module (112) in the adapter (110). The feedback information can be transmitted to the adapter (110) by the communication module (132) of the battery charger (130) through the charging cable (120) (for example, through the communication wire (122) of the charging cable (120)). Module (112). The feedback information can be provided by the control unit (134) of the battery charger (130). The feedback information may indicate or may conform to the battery voltage (141), which is used by the charging unit (133) to charge the battery (140).

Using the two-way communication between the battery charger (130) and the adapter (110), the adapter (110) can notify the battery charger (130) of its capabilities (eg, maximum voltage and/or current) during initial negotiation. The adapter (110) may also send an instruction confirmation received from the battery charger (130) or indicate a communication error (eg, an invalidation command).

As stated previously, the goal of the present invention is to increase (e.g., maximize) the performance of the battery charger (130). For this purpose, the switching voltage (121) (which is also referred to as the input voltage of the battery charger (130)) can be set to just n times the battery voltage Vbat (141) plus the voltage drop at the charging unit (133) Vcdrop And possibly some voltage drop Vpdrop in the power converter (131). This can be achieved by adjusting the voltage at the output of the AC/DC regulator (111) according to the required battery voltage Vbat (141). As shown in Figure 1, communication from the battery charger (130) to the adapter (110) can be accomplished via a wall plug communication using a charging cable (120). In particular, the battery voltage (141) and/or the required switching voltage (121) can be transmitted to the adapter (110) with feedback information. The AC/DC regulator (111) is then operable to provide the required switching voltage (121) to the input of the battery charger (130).

The power converter (131) can include a capacitive power converter. In addition, the power converter (131) can be configured to provide an integer buck conversion ratio n in a power efficient manner, such as when utilizing a suitably designed capacitive power converter. Therefore, after the input voltage (121) is supplied to the power converter (131), it is the desired battery voltage (141) (usually the voltage drop at the power converter (131) and/or the charging unit (133) terminal). At n times, the power converter (131) can operate at the optimum operating point with maximum conversion efficiency.

It should be noted that communication between the battery charger (130) and the adapter (110) is not limited to communication via a charging cable (120) (eg, via a USB cable). As shown in the charging system (200) of Figure 2, wireless communication (222) utilizing a wall outlet adapter (110) can be performed using appropriate wireless communication modules (232, 212). Example wireless communication schemes are Bluetooth, wireless local area network, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Mobile Internet (LTE), and the like.

In addition, it should be noted that the charging system (200) may constitute a wireless power transmission (211) at the end of the adapter (110) and a corresponding wireless power receiver (231) at the end of the battery charger (130) for wireless power. Transmission (221). Wireless power transfer (221) is typically transmitted using inductor power. An example of an inductive power transfer is the Qi standard.

It should be noted that for the case of n = 1, the power converter (131) can be bypassed and/or removed, thereby further increasing the power efficiency of the charging system (100, 200).

Similarly, an integrated capacitive converter can be used in the battery charger (130) to divide the input voltage (121). An integrated capacitive converter can be used in conjunction with a regulation loop to dynamically control the input voltage (121) to just n x (Vbat + Vcdrop). Alternatively (or in addition), a capacitive converter can be used to control the constant current to be supplied to the battery (140). As long as the conversion ratio of the converter is an integer ratio to Vin/Vout, the capacitance converter can achieve high efficiency. A typical implementation can be a 2:1 capacitive converter. Adjustments are not used in the capacitive converter, thereby providing optimum performance of the capacitive converter.

Another advantage of a capacitive converter (131) compared to an inductor based power converter is that the capacitor has a higher energy density of 10-1000 relative to the inductor. Therefore, even if the switching frequency of the capacitance converter (131) is relatively low, the energy storage element used in the capacitance converter (131) can be ultra-small.

The charging system (100, 200) shown in Figures 1 and 2 utilizes an AC/DC regulator (111) of the adapter (110) to regulate the system voltage (135) at the input of the charging unit (133). For this purpose, the feedback information indicating the battery voltage Vbat (141) is provided to the adapter (110) using the communication means. In particular, an integrated circuit (IC) of a battery charger (130) in an electronic device and an AC/DC regulator (111) in an external power supply (ie, in the adapter (110)) may be provided. (closed loop) communication between integrated circuits.

A "closed" loop can be provided at the AC/DC regulator (111) by varying the switching voltage. It should be noted that a higher voltage can also trigger a higher current, which can result in an increase in the voltage drop across the current feed assembly of the charging system (100). Therefore, the switching voltage at the input of the battery charger (130) can be increased to be smaller than the AC/DC regulator (111). In the case of a constant current, the provision of this current by the charging system (100) can be considered as a closed loop. However, in the case of the maximum switching voltage, the current constituted may not always be supplied to the battery charger (130).

Communication can be accomplished via a charging cable (120) in which various techniques can be used, such as VBUS signals, D+/D-signals, and/or communication via Type-C connectors of charging cable (120). Alternatively (or in addition), communication between the charger IC and the regulator IC in the wall plug adapter (110) can be implemented using a wireless connection. A typical application is wireless charging. Use power transmitters (i.e., the use of the adapter (110)) may be a load modulation communication and / or via radio frequency (RF, Radio Frequency) link (Bluetooth (Bluetooth), etc.) implemented via, e.g. Rezence ^TM Specification of wireless charging standards.

The charging system (100, 200) shown in Figures 1 and 2 allows for efficient power conversion even if the Vin/Vout conversion ratio = 2, 3, 4 .... Thus, the switching voltage (121) can be increased, thereby allowing the same power cable (120) to be utilized in the battery charger (130) with high efficiency (eg, 95%) and low power consumption (eg, 50% reduction). Wire/connector) to increase power transfer. Likewise, the charging system (100, 200) allows for the power efficiency of high voltage (HV, High Voltage) battery charging.

As before, the power converter (131) can be removed from the battery charger (130) in the case of a conversion ratio Vin/Vout = 1. Thus, the switching voltage (121) is provided directly to the charging unit (133), which may constitute a regulated battery current for the rechargeable battery (140). In this case, the switching voltage (121) is set by the AC/DC regulator (111) of the adapter (110) to the battery voltage (141) plus the voltage drop across the charging unit (133). Therefore, the power consumption and space requirements of the battery charger (130) can be further reduced.

3 shows a flow diagram of an example method (300) for a battery (140) for charging an electronic device. The battery (140) may include one or more battery cells that may be configured in series and/or in parallel. The battery unit can be implemented, for example, using LiIon technology. The electronic device can include a portable electronic device such as a smart phone or a tablet personal computer. The method (300) can be implemented with an adapter (110) and a battery charger (130), wherein the adapter (110) and the battery charger (130) are typically separated from one another.

The method (300) includes a step (301) of utilizing an adapter (110) to take power from the power source (eg, from a utility power source) at a converted voltage (121). The conversion voltage (121) is a DC voltage, wherein the power supply can provide AC power at the AC voltage; the method (300) further includes: a step (302) of converting the power under the voltage (121) from the adapter (110) Transfer to the battery charger (130) (for example, using a conductive charging cable or using wireless power transfer technology).

Additionally, the method (300) includes a step (303) of charging a battery (140) of the electronic device with a battery current at a battery voltage (141), wherein the battery current is typically a converted voltage from the battery charger (130) ( 121) The power is obtained. In particular, the regulated battery current (eg, adjusted to a constant target battery current) may be provided for charging the battery (140). For this purpose, the battery charger (130) may include a current regulator (referred to herein as a charging unit (133)).

The method (300) further includes a step (304) of transmitting feedback information indicative of the battery voltage (141) from the battery charger (130) to the adapter (110). The adapter (110) then sets the conversion voltage (121) based on the feedback information. In particular, the switching voltage (121) can be adjusted based on the feedback information. As shown in the example, the conversion voltage (121) can be set (eg, adjusted) such that the buck conversion required to obtain the battery voltage (141) in the battery charger (130) is an integer value n equal to or greater than one. In particular, a deviation between a target buck conversion ratio n and an actual buck conversion ratio can be determined. The switching voltage (121) can be set (eg, adjusted) such that the magnitude of the deviation is reduced (eg, minimized). Therefore, the power efficiency of the rechargeable battery can be increased.

As shown in FIG. 3, the process of transmitting the feedback information in step (304) and obtaining the power under the conversion voltage (121) based on the feedback information in step (301) can be repeated in a repeated manner. In particular, a (continuous) regulation loop can be implemented.

4 shows an example system including a power adapter (110); a battery charger (130); and a battery (140) that is to be charged. In the illustrated example, the power adapter (110) includes an AC/DC rectifier (410) and a DC/DC power converter (411) (to form an AC/DC regulator (111)), wherein the DC The /DC power converter (411) constitutes a setting (in particular, regulation) of a switching voltage (121) and/or a switching current supplied via the power transmission member (120). The power transfer component (120) can include a USB cable (particularly a USB Type-C cable (eg, for 3A switching current)). Additionally, the power adapter (110) can include one or more control units (412, 413) for controlling the DC/DC power converter (411).

The battery charger (130) includes a DC/DC power converter (131) (operating at a buck or down conversion ratio n, such as n=2). The battery charger (130) also includes a control unit (134) that can be configured to determine a target battery current and/or a target battery voltage. Additionally, the battery charger (130) can include a current monitor (431) that is configured to sense battery current for charging the battery (140). Additionally, the battery charger (130) can include a metering unit (432) that constitutes information that senses the SOC of the battery (140). Additionally, the battery charger (130) can include an overvoltage protection circuit (433). The UTP (eg D+ and/or D-) port of the USB cable (120) provides feedback information.

It should be noted that the description and drawings are merely illustrative of the principles of the disclosed methods and systems. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced in various embodiments. In addition, all of the examples and specific embodiments described in the present invention are mainly for the purpose of explanation, and the understanding of the principles of the proposed method and system. Furthermore, the description provides the principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof.

100‧‧‧Charging system

110‧‧‧Adapter

111‧‧‧AC/DC regulator

112‧‧‧Communication module

120‧‧‧Charging cable

121‧‧‧Switching voltage

122‧‧‧Communication wires

130‧‧‧Battery Charger

131‧‧‧Power Converter

132‧‧‧Communication Module

133‧‧‧Charging unit

134‧‧‧Control unit

135‧‧‧ system voltage

140‧‧‧Battery

141‧‧‧ battery voltage

200‧‧‧Charging system

211‧‧‧Wireless power transmitter

212‧‧‧Wireless communication module

221‧‧‧Wireless power transmission

222‧‧‧Wireless communication

231‧‧‧Wireless power receiver

232‧‧‧Wireless communication module

300‧‧‧ method

301, 302, 303, 304 ‧ ‧ steps

410‧‧‧AC/DC rectifier

411‧‧‧DC/DC Power Converter

412‧‧‧Control unit

413‧‧‧Control unit

431‧‧‧ Current monitor

432‧‧‧Measuring unit

433‧‧‧Overvoltage protection circuit

The invention is explained below in an exemplary manner with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a block diagram of an example system of a rechargeable battery; Figure 2 shows a block diagram of another example system of a rechargeable battery; Figure 3 shows a rechargeable battery A flowchart of one example method; and FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of another example system of a rechargeable battery.

Claims (16)

A charging system (100, 200) for a battery (140) of an electronic device, wherein the charging system (100, 200) comprises: an adapter (110) constituting a switching voltage (121) obtained from a power source Converting current; a battery charger (130) constituting the switching current under the switching voltage (121), using the battery current under the battery voltage (141) to charge the battery (140) of the electronic device; a transmission component configured to transmit the conversion current under the conversion voltage (121) to the battery charger (130); and a communication component constituting transmission feedback information indicating from the battery charger (130) The battery voltage (141) of the adapter (110) and/or the battery current; wherein the adapter (110) is configured to set the conversion voltage (121) and/or the conversion current according to the feedback information. The charging system (100, 200) of claim 1, wherein - the adapter (110) and the battery charger (130) are implemented as separate physical units, particularly in separate integrated circuits And/or - the battery charger (130) is implemented as part of an electronic device. The charging system (100, 200) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the adapter (110) comprises a voltage regulator (111) configured to adjust the conversion voltage according to the feedback information (121) Thus, using a buck conversion of buck conversion ratio n, where n is an integer value equal to or greater than 1, the battery charger (130) can obtain the battery voltage (141) from the converted voltage (121). The charging system (100, 200) of claim 1, wherein the adapter (110) includes a current regulator (133) configured to adjust the conversion current according to the feedback information such that the up conversion ratio is utilized The up-conversion of n, where n is an integer value equal to or greater than 1, the battery charger (130) can obtain the battery current for charging the battery (140) from the converted voltage (121). The charging system (100, 200) of claim 1, wherein the battery charger (130) includes a control unit (134) configured to determine a target battery current for charging the battery (140) and/or a target battery voltage; and the feedback information indicates the target battery voltage and/or the target battery current. The charging system (100, 200) of claim 1, wherein the battery charger (130) comprises a power converter (131) configured to: utilize a buck conversion ratio n, where n is equal to or greater than An integer value of 1, performing a buck conversion of the conversion voltage (121); and/or using an up-conversion ratio n, where n is an integer value equal to or greater than 1, performing an up-conversion conversion of the conversion current; The connector (110) is configured to set the conversion voltage (121) and/or the conversion current according to the buck or up-conversion ratio n. The charging system (100, 200) of claim 6, wherein the power converter (131) comprises a capacitive power converter. The charging system (100, 200) of any one of claims 6 to 7, wherein the power converter (131) exhibits a converter voltage drop; and the adapter (110) is further configured according to the conversion The voltage drop is set to set the switching voltage (121) and/or the switching current. The charging system (100, 200) of claim 1, wherein the power transmission member comprises: a charging cable (120), in particular a USB charging cable; and/or a wireless power transmission unit, which is configured to be used The conversion current at the voltage (121) is converted to generate an electromagnetic charging field; and a wireless power receiving unit configured to obtain power from the electromagnetic charging field at the converted voltage (121). The charging system (100, 200) of claim 1, wherein the battery charger (130) includes a transmission communication module (132) configured to transmit the feedback information through the communication channel; and the adapter (110) includes a receiver communication module (112) configured to receive the feedback information through the communication channel. The charging system (100, 200) of claim 10, wherein the communication channel comprises: a charging cable (120) wire for converting the switching current under the switching voltage (121) The connector (110) is conducted to the battery charger (130) and/or a wireless power transfer unit; and/or a radio frequency link, such as a Bluetooth link, a WLAN link, a UMTS link, and/or LTE link. The charging system (100, 200) of claim 1, wherein the adapter is configured to: adjust the switching voltage such that the switching current does not exceed a predetermined maximum switching current; or adjust the switching current such that the switching voltage Will not exceed a predetermined maximum conversion voltage. An adapter (110) for charging a battery (140) of a battery (140), wherein the adapter (110) comprises: a receiver communication module (112) configured to receive Feedback information indicating a target battery voltage (141) for charging the battery (140) and/or a target battery current; a voltage regulator (111) and/or a current regulator configured according to the feedback Information is obtained from the power source to obtain a switching current under the switching voltage (121); and a power transmission interface for supplying the switching current under the switching voltage (121) to a battery for charging the battery through the power transmission member (120) Charger (130). The adapter (110) of claim 13, wherein the voltage regulator (111) constitutes adjusting the conversion voltage according to the feedback information such that a buck conversion ratio n is used, wherein n is equal to or greater than 1. Integral value, the battery voltage (141) for the rechargeable battery (140) is adjusted to the target battery voltage (141) by using a step-down conversion at the electronic device end; and/or the current regulator is configured to adjust according to the feedback information The current is converted such that the up-conversion ratio n is used, where n is an integer value equal to or greater than 1, and the battery current for the rechargeable battery (140) is adjusted to the target battery current using the up-conversion at the electronic device end. A battery charger (130) for charging a battery (140) of an electronic device, wherein the battery charger (130) comprises: a power receiving interface for receiving a converted voltage (121) through the power transmitting member (120) Conversion current; a control unit (134) constituting a target battery current for charging the battery (140), and/or a target battery voltage; a power converter (131), which is configured to: utilize buck conversion Performing a buck conversion of the conversion voltage (121) to provide a battery voltage for charging the battery (140), where n is an integer value equal to or greater than 1; and/or performing the conversion using the up-conversion ratio n Upflow conversion of current to provide battery current for charging battery (140), wherein n is an integer value equal to or greater than 1; and a transmission communication module (132) constituting to transmit the indication through the communication channel Feedback information of the battery voltage and/or the target battery current. A method (300) for using an adapter (110) and a battery charger (130) to charge a battery (140) of an electronic device, wherein the adapter (110) and the battery charger (130) are separated from each other The method (300) includes the following steps: In step (301), the converter (110) is used to obtain a conversion current from the power supply (121); and in step (302), the conversion voltage (121) The switching current is transmitted from the adapter (110) to the battery charger; in step (303), the battery (140) of the electronic device is charged by the battery current under the battery voltage (141), wherein the battery The current is obtained from the switching current under the switching voltage (121) by the battery charger (130); and in step (304), the feedback information indicating the battery voltage (141) and/or the battery current is from the The battery charger (130) is transmitted to the adapter (110); wherein the converted voltage (121) and/or the converted current is set by the adapter (110) according to the feedback information.