Adapter and method for charging control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10411494-B2
Application number	US-201715560911-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2017
Priority date	Feb 5, 2016
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

An adapter and a method for charging control are disclosed. The adapter includes a power conversion unit, a voltage feedback unit, a current feedback unit, and a power adjustment unit. The power adjustment unit includes an input end coupled to an output end of the voltage feedback unit to an output end of the current feedback unit, and an output end coupled to the power conversion unit. The power adjustment unit is used to receive the voltage feedback signal and the current feedback signal, and stabilize the output voltage and output current of the adapter when the voltage feedback signal indicates that the output voltage of the adapter has reached the target voltage or the current feedback signal indicates the output current of the adapter has reached the target current.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An adapter, comprising:
a power conversion unit, configured to convert an input alternating current (AC) to obtain an output voltage and an output current of the adapter;
a voltage feedback unit, having an input end coupled to the power conversion unit, and configured to detect the output voltage of the adapter to generate a voltage feedback signal, the voltage feedback signal being configured to indicate whether the output voltage of the adapter reaches a target voltage;
a current feedback unit, having an input end coupled to the power conversion unit, and configured to detect the output current of the adapter to generate a current feedback signal, the current feedback signal being configured to indicate whether the output current of the adapter reaches a target current; and
a power adjustment unit, having an input end coupled to an output end of the voltage feedback unit and to an output end of the current feedback unit, and an output end coupled to the power conversion unit, the power adjustment unit being configured to receive the voltage feedback signal and the current feedback signal and stabilize the output voltage and the output current of the adapter when the voltage feedback signal indicates the output voltage of the adapter has reached the target voltage or when the current feedback signal indicates the output current of the adapter has reached the target current;
wherein the adapter is operable in a first charging mode and a second charging mode, and a charging speed of a device to be charged by the adapter in the second charging mode is faster than in the first charging mode, and wherein the adapter comprises a control unit that performs two-way communication with the device to be charged, when the adapter is connected with the device to be charged, to control an output of the adapter in the second charging mode;
wherein performing, by the control unit, the two-way communication with the device to be charged to control the output of the adapter in the second charging mode comprises:
performing, by the control unit, the two-way communication with the device to be charged to negotiate a charging mode between the adapter and the device to be charged.

2. The adapter of claim 1 , further comprising a first adjustment unit coupled to the voltage feedback unit to adjust a value of the target voltage.

3. The adapter of claim 2 , wherein the voltage feedback unit comprises:
a voltage sampling unit, having an input end coupled to the power conversion unit, and configured to sample the output voltage of the adapter to obtain a first voltage; and
a voltage comparison unit, having an input end coupled to an output end of the voltage sampling unit, and configured to compare the first voltage against a first reference voltage and generate the voltage feedback signal based on the comparison between the first voltage and the first reference voltage;
wherein the first adjustment unit is coupled to the voltage comparison unit to supply the first reference voltage to the voltage comparison unit and is configured to adjust the first reference voltage in order to adjust the value of the target voltage.

4. The adapter of claim 3 , wherein the first adjustment unit comprises a control unit, and a first digital-to-analog converter (DAC) having an input end coupled to the control unit and an output end coupled to the voltage comparison unit such that the control unit is operative to adjust the first reference voltage through the first DAC.

5. The adapter of claim 3 , wherein the voltage comparison unit comprises a first operational amplifier (op-amp) having a reversed-phase input end configured to receive the first voltage, an in-phase input end configured to receive the first reference voltage, and an output end configured to generate the voltage feedback signal.

6. The adapter of claim 2 , wherein the adapter is operable in a first charging mode and a second charging mode, and the first adjustment unit is operative to adjust the value of the target voltage based on the first charging mode or the second charging mode currently used by the adapter.

7. The adapter of claim 1 , further comprising a second adjustment unit coupled to the current feedback unit to adjust a current value of the target current.

8. The adapter of claim 7 , wherein the current feedback unit comprises:
a current sampling unit, having an input end coupled to the power conversion unit, and configured to sample the output current of the adapter to obtain a second voltage, the second voltage being configured to indicate a magnitude of the output current of the adapter; and
a current comparison unit, having an input end coupled to an output end of the current sampling unit, and configured to compare the second voltage against a second reference voltage and generate the current feedback signal based on the comparison between the second voltage and the second reference voltage;
wherein the second adjustment unit is coupled to the current comparison unit to supply the second reference voltage to the current comparison unit and configured to adjust the second reference voltage in order to adjust the current value of the target current.

9. The adapter of claim 8 , wherein the second adjustment unit comprises a control unit and a second digital-to-analog converter (DAC) having an input end coupled to the control unit and an output end coupled to the current comparison unit such that the control unit is operative to adjust the second reference voltage through the second DAC.

10. The adapter of claim 8 , wherein the current comparison unit comprises a second operational amplifier (op-amp) having a reversed-phase input end configured to receive the second voltage, an in-phase input end configured to receive the second reference voltage, and an output end configured to generate the current feedback signal.

11. The adapter of claim 8 , wherein the adapter is operable in a first charging mode and a second charging mode, and the second adjustment unit is operative to adjust the current value of the target current based on the first charging mode or the second charging mode currently used by the adapter.

12. The adapter of claim 1 , wherein the adapter is operable in a first charging mode which is a constant-voltage mode, and, in the constant-voltage mode, the target voltage is a voltage corresponding to the constant-voltage mode and the target current is the maximum current the adapter allows to output in the constant-voltage mode; and
the power adjustment unit is configured to adjust the output voltage of the adapter to the voltage corresponding to the constant-voltage mode based on the voltage feedback signal, and configured to control the output current of the adapter to not exceed the maximum current the adapter allows to output in the constant-voltage mode when the current feedback signal indicates the output current of the adapter has reached the maximum current.

13. The adapter of claim 12 , wherein the power conversion unit comprises a primary rectification unit, a transformer, a secondary rectification unit, and a secondary filter unit, wherein the primary rectification unit is configured to directly output a voltage of a pulsating waveform to the transformer.

14. The adapter of claim 13 , wherein the maximum current the adapter allows to output in the constant-voltage mode is determined based on capacity of one or more capacitors in the secondary filter unit.

15. The adapter of claim 1 , wherein the adapter is operable in a second charging mode which is a constant-current mode, and in the constant-current mode, the target voltage is the max

Assignees

• Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp Ltd

Inventors

• Tian Chen
• Zhang Jialiang

Classifications

• H02J7/825

  Detection of fully charged condition · CPC title

• H02J7/585

  Sequential battery discharge in systems with a plurality of batteries · CPC title

• H02J7/448

  using switches, contacts or markings, e.g. optical, magnetic or barcode · CPC title

• H02J7/70

  characterised by the mechanical construction · CPC title

• H02J7/62

  against overcurrent · CPC title