Abstract: A system for charging a battery includes an adapter, and a charger coupled to receive power from the adapter, and to provide a charging current to the battery. The charger includes a power stage with a charge pump to provide the charging current, and a feedback circuit to provide a feedback signal to the adapter. The power stage can be one of: an adjustable current source with voltage clamp, and an adjustable voltage source with current clamp. The charge pump can be implemented as a voltage divider, so that an input adapter current is multiplied by a pre-defined divider ratio to provide the charging current. The charge pump can be one of: single-phase; and multi-phase.

Abstract: A system for charging a battery includes an adapter, and a charger coupled to receive power from the adapter, and to provide a charging current to the battery. The charger includes a power stage with a charge pump to provide the charging current, and a feedback circuit to provide a feedback signal to the adapter. The power stage can be one of: an adjustable current source with voltage clamp, and an adjustable voltage source with current clamp. The charge pump can be implemented as a voltage divider, so that an input adapter current is multiplied by a pre-defined divider ratio to provide the charging current. The charge pump can be one of: single-phase; and multi-phase.

Abstract: A system for charging a battery includes an adapter, and a charger coupled to receive power from the adapter, and to provide a charging current to the battery. The charger includes a power stage with a charge pump to provide the charging current, and a feedback circuit to provide a feedback signal to the adapter. The power stage can be one of: an adjustable current source with voltage clamp, and an adjustable voltage source with current clamp. The charge pump can be implemented as a voltage divider, so that an input adapter current is multiplied by a pre-defined divider ratio to provide the charging current. The charge pump can be one of: single-phase; and multi-phase.

Abstract: A power supply system includes a rechargeable battery to deliver a supply current to a load and a circuit to limit a discharge current when the rechargeable battery is supplying power to the load. The power supply system may further include an integrator for integrating a discharge voltage representing the discharge current that exceeds a predetermined limit, a pulse-width-modulation (PWM) circuit for producing a control signal having a PWM duty cycle representing the discharge voltage, and a driver circuit for delivering the supply current to said load according to said control signal. In one embodiment, a digital register is used to set the battery discharging current limit, in another embodiment an analog circuit is used to set the battery discharging current limit, and in yet another embodiment or a combination of the digital register and analog circuit is used to set the battery discharging current limit.

Abstract: A method includes detecting removal or depletion of a power supply associated with a powered device. The powered device is configured to receive power from a power adapter via a narrow-voltage direct current/direct current (NVDC) charger and from the power supply. The method also includes, in response to the detection, disabling a dynamic power management function of the NVDC charger. The method further includes monitoring input current or input power provided to the powered device by the NVDC charger and determining if the input current or input power exceeds a threshold. In addition, the method includes, if the input current or input power exceeds the threshold, triggering a throttling of an operating clock frequency of the powered device. The method could also include (i) disabling a specified mode of operation and turning on a voltage regulator of the NVDC charger in response to the detection and (ii) providing over-voltage protection.

Abstract: Methods, electronic devices and USB charger apparatus are presented for fast USB charging, in which a high voltage master of the device detects a connected high voltage charger and selectively connects a current circuit to source or sink a current to or from one USB cable data signal conductor while providing a non-zero voltage to the other USB cable data signal conductor to configure the charger apparatus to provide charging power at a particular high voltage level above a nominal voltage level.

Abstract: A power supply system includes a rechargeable battery to deliver a supply current to a load and a circuit to limit a discharge current when the rechargeable battery is supplying power to the load. The power supply system may further include an integrator for integrating a discharge voltage representing the discharge current that exceeds a predetermined limit, a pulse-width-modulation (PWM) circuit for producing a control signal having a PWM duty cycle representing the discharge voltage, and a driver circuit for delivering the supply current to said load according to said control signal. In one embodiment, a digital register is used to set the battery discharging current limit, in another embodiment an analog circuit is used to set the battery discharging current limit, and in yet another embodiment or a combination of the digital register and analog circuit is used to set the battery discharging current limit.

Abstract: A power supply system includes a rechargeable battery to deliver a supply current to a load and a circuit to limit a discharge current when the rechargeable battery is supplying power to the load. The power supply system may further include an integrator for integrating a discharge voltage representing the discharge current that exceeds a predetermined limit, a pulse-width-modulation (PWM) circuit for producing a control signal having a PWM duty cycle representing the discharge voltage, and a driver circuit for delivering the supply current to said load according to said control signal. In one embodiment, a digital register is used to set the battery discharging current limit, in another embodiment an analog circuit is used to set the battery discharging current limit, and in yet another embodiment or a combination of the digital register and analog circuit is used to set the battery discharging current limit.

Abstract: Methods, electronic devices and USB charger apparatus are presented for fast USB charging, in which a high voltage master of the device detects a connected high voltage charger and selectively connects a current circuit to source or sink a current to or from one USB cable data signal conductor while providing a non-zero voltage to the other USB cable data signal conductor to configure the charger apparatus to provide charging power at a particular high voltage level above a nominal voltage level.

Abstract: A method includes detecting removal or depletion of a power supply associated with a powered device. The powered device is configured to receive power from a power adapter via a narrow-voltage direct current/direct current (NVDC) charger and from the power supply. The method also includes, in response to the detection, disabling a dynamic power management function of the NVDC charger. The method further includes monitoring input current or input power provided to the powered device by the NVDC charger and determining if the input current or input power exceeds a threshold. In addition, the method includes, if the input current or input power exceeds the threshold, triggering a throttling of an operating clock frequency of the powered device. The method could also include (i) disabling a specified mode of operation and turning on a voltage regulator of the NVDC charger in response to the detection and (ii) providing over-voltage protection.

Abstract: Monitoring a state of a rechargeable battery involves repeatedly obtaining at least one measured value related to the battery during discharge of the battery; repeatedly calculating the state of the battery during discharge of the battery based on a previously calculated state of the battery, the measured value and at least one parameter of the battery; before the state of the battery passes a threshold value, updating the parameter of the battery at a first rate; after the state of the battery passes the threshold value, updating the parameter of the battery at a second rate, faster than the first rate; and correcting the state of the battery in response to each update of the parameter.

Abstract: An embodiment of a power-supply controller includes a signal combiner and a control circuit. The signal combiner is operable to generate a combined feedback signal from sense and output feedback signals that are respectively derived from a sense signal and a regulated output signal, and the signal combiner is operable to receive the sense signal from a sense circuit that is operable to generate the sense signal while a current is flowing through an inductor and while a switch that is disposed between the inductor and an input voltage has a first state. The sense signal generated by the sense circuit is related to the current, and the switch and the inductor are operable to generate the regulated output signal. The control circuit is coupled to the signal combiner and is operable to cause the switch to have a second state for a predetermined time in response to the combined feedback signal having a predetermined relationship to a reference signal.

Abstract: A power supply system includes a rechargeable battery to deliver a supply current to a load and a circuit to limit a discharge current when the rechargeable battery is supplying power to the load. The power supply system may further include an integrator for integrating a discharge voltage representing the discharge current that exceeds a predetermined limit, a pulse-width-modulation (PWM) circuit for producing a control signal having a PWM duty cycle representing the discharge voltage, and a driver circuit for delivering the supply current to said load according to said control signal. In one embodiment, a digital register is used to set the battery discharging current limit, in another embodiment an analog circuit is used to set the battery discharging current limit, and in yet another embodiment or a combination of the digital register and analog circuit is used to set the battery discharging current limit.

Abstract: A power supply system and method for operating same. The power supply system is connectable to receive power from an adapter and supply power to a load. The power supply system includes a rechargeable battery, a buck mode circuit, and a boost mode circuit. A switching circuit switches between the buck mode circuit and boost mode circuit for supplying power to the load. If the power required by the load reaches a first predetermined level related to an adapter overload condition for a first predetermined time, the switching circuit disconnects said buck mode circuit from the load and connects the rechargeable battery and the boost mode circuit to said load. The first predetermined level may be established by a first predetermined percent of the current of a dynamic power management level established by the load, which is related to a power level below that which can be provided by the adapter.

Abstract: Monitoring a state of a rechargeable battery involves repeatedly obtaining at least one measured value related to the battery during discharge of the battery; repeatedly calculating the state of the battery during discharge of the battery based on a previously calculated state of the battery, the measured value and at least one parameter of the battery; before the state of the battery passes a threshold value, updating the parameter of the battery at a first rate; after the state of the battery passes the threshold value, updating the parameter of the battery at a second rate, faster than the first rate; and correcting the state of the battery in response to each update of the parameter.

Abstract: Various systems and methods for determining micro-shorts are disclosed. For example, some embodiments of the present invention provide battery systems including a determination of potential micro-shorts based on rate of change of state of charge. Such battery systems include: a battery, a processor, and a computer readable medium. The computer readable medium includes instructions executable by the processor to: determine a rate of change of the state of charge of the battery; compare the rate of change of the state of charge of the battery against a threshold; and indicate a potential failure where the result of the comparison is beyond the threshold.

Abstract: Various systems and methods for determining potential battery failure are disclosed. For example, some embodiments of the present invention provide battery systems that include a battery, an embedded processor and a computer readable medium. The computer readable medium includes instructions executable by the embedded processor to measure at least one characteristic of the battery; to calculate a rate of change of internal impedance of the battery based at least in part on the at least one characteristic of the battery; and to determine a potential failure condition based on the rate of change of internal impedance of the battery.

Abstract: An embodiment of a power-supply controller includes a signal combiner and a control circuit. The signal combiner is operable to generate a combined feedback signal from sense and output feedback signals that are respectively derived from a sense signal and a regulated output signal, and the signal combiner is operable to receive the sense signal from a sense circuit that is operable to generate the sense signal while a current is flowing through an inductor and while a switch that is disposed between the inductor and an input voltage has a first state. The sense signal generated by the sense circuit is related to the current, and the switch and the inductor are operable to generate the regulated output signal. The control circuit is coupled to the signal combiner and is operable to cause the switch to have a second state for a predetermined time in response to the combined feedback signal having a predetermined relationship to a reference signal.

Abstract: A processor executes a program to calculate values of the internal resistance R of a battery and updates a database of parameters defining the dependence of internal resistance on the battery state of charge (SOC) and temperature. The database is utilized to obtain the information needed to make accurate remaining run-time calculations. The processor may also execute a program to effectuate entry of a database into memory representative of characteristics of the battery including values of measured open circuit voltages (OCV) of the battery and determinations of “starting SOC” values that correspond to the most recently measured values of OCV after the battery has stabilized. The processor may also execute programs to determine the present SOC of the battery, the present battery capacity, and the remaining run-time of the device powered by the battery.

Abstract: A constant-on-time power-supply controller includes an adder and a control circuit. The adder generates a sum of a sense voltage and a regulated output voltage generated by a filter inductor. The sense voltage is generated by a sense circuit that sources a current to the filter inductor while the inductor is uncoupled from an input voltage, and the sense voltage is related to the current. The control circuit couples the filter inductor to the input voltage for a predetermined time in response to the sum having a predetermined relationship to a reference voltage. Such a power-supply controller may yield a relatively tight regulation of the output voltage even with a power supply having with a low-ESR filter capacitor, and may do so with little or no additional compensation circuitry as compared to prior controllers and with no additional pin on the power-supply-controller chip.