Power supplying method and electronic device utilizing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10389152-B2
Application number	US-201715675963-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2017
Priority date	Apr 24, 2017
Publication date	Aug 20, 2019
Grant date	Aug 20, 2019

Abstract

An electronic device includes a main device and an expansion device with an auxiliary battery device. The main device includes a main battery device, a voltage-directing device, a switch device, a first soft-start device, and a comparison device. The voltage-directing device outputs, through an output terminal, the higher of the voltages at a first input terminal and a second input terminal. The first soft-start device is connected to the auxiliary battery device and outputs a voltage to the second input terminal when the main device is connected to the expansion device. The comparison device controls the switch device to enter an off-state when the voltage at the second input terminal is higher than a reference voltage, and controls the switch device to enter an on-state when the voltage at the second input terminal is not higher than the reference voltage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a main device and an expansion device, wherein the main device is detachably connected to the expansion device,
the expansion device comprises an auxiliary battery device,
the main device comprises:
a main battery device;
a voltage-directing device, comprising a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, and configured to output, through the output terminal, a higher one of a voltage at the first input terminal and a voltage at the second input terminal;

a switch device, coupled to the main battery device and the first input terminal;
a first soft-start device, configured to connect to the auxiliary battery device and output a voltage to the second input terminal when the main device is connected to the expansion device; and
a comparison device, configured to receive the voltage at the second input terminal and a reference voltage, control the switch device to enter an off-state when the voltage at the second input terminal is higher than the reference voltage, and control the switch device to enter an on-state when the voltage at the second input terminal is not higher than the reference voltage.

2. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reference voltage is set to a predetermined percentage of a value of the minimum operating voltage of the main device or a rated voltage of the auxiliary battery device.

3. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the voltage-directing device comprises:
a first diode; and
a second diode,
wherein a cathode of the first diode and a cathode of the second diode are coupled to the output terminal, and an anode of the first diode and an anode of the second diode are respectively coupled to the first input terminal and the second input terminal.

4. The electronic device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the main device further comprises a main circuit section, when the voltage at the second input terminal is higher than the reference voltage, the switch device is turned off and the auxiliary battery device supplies power to the main circuit section via the second diode; and when the voltage at the second input terminal is lower than or equal to the reference voltage, the switch device is turned on and the main battery device supplies power to the main circuit section via the first diode.

5. The electronic device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the expansion device further comprises a second soft-start device, connected to the output terminal of the voltage-directing device when the main device is connected to the expansion device, to supply power to the expansion device.

6. An electronic device detachably connected to an expansion device which comprises an auxiliary battery device, comprising:
a main battery device;
a voltage-directing device, comprising a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, and configured to output, through the output terminal, a higher one of a voltage at the first input terminal and a voltage at the second input terminal;
a switch device, coupled to the main battery device and the first input terminal;
a soft-start device, configured to connect the auxiliary battery device and output a voltage to the second input terminal when the electronic device is connected to the expansion device; and
a comparison device, configured to receive the voltage at the second input terminal and a reference voltage, control the switch device to enter an off-state when the voltage at the second input terminal is higher than the reference voltage, and control the switch device to enter an on-state when the voltage at the second input terminal is not higher than the reference voltage.

7. A power supplying method, suitable for a main device and an expansion device of an electronic device, wherein the expansion device comprises an auxiliary battery device, the main device comprises a main battery device, a switch device, a voltage-directing device, a comparison device and a first soft-start device, and the method comprises:
outputting, through an output terminal of the voltage-directing device, a higher one of a voltage at a first input terminal of the voltage-directing device and a voltage at a second input terminal of the voltage-directing device;
using the first soft-start device to connect to the auxiliary battery device and to output a voltage to the second input terminal when the main device is connected to the expansion device;
using the comparison device to control the switch device to enter an off-state when the voltage at the second input terminal is higher than a reference voltage provided to the comparison device; and
using the comparison device to control the switch device to enter an on-state when the voltage at the second input terminal is not higher than the reference voltage.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising:
setting the reference voltage to a predetermined percentage of a value of the minimum operating voltage of the main device or a rated voltage of the auxiliary battery device.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising:
turning off the switch device and using the auxiliary battery device to supply power to a main circuit section of the main device via a second diode of the voltage-directing device when the voltage at the second input terminal is higher than the reference voltage; and
turning on the switch device and using the main battery device to supply power to the main circuit section f the main device via a first diode of the voltage-directing device when the voltage at the second input terminal is lower than or equal to the reference voltage.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising:
connecting a second soft-start device to the output terminal of the voltage-directing device when the main device is connected to the expansion device, to supply power to the expansion device.

Assignees

• Quanta Comp Inc

Inventors

• Kuo Hsin-Chih

Classifications

• H02J1/001

  Hot plugging or unplugging of load or power modules to or from power distribution networks · CPC title

• H02J2207/10

  Control circuit supply, e.g. means for supplying power to the control circuit · CPC title

• H02J1/108

  having arrangements for blocking reverse current flow, e.g. using diodes (H02J1/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J7/36 Primary

  Arrangements using end-cell switching · CPC title

• G06F1/263

  Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC (G06F1/30 takes precedence) · CPC title