Electronic device and charging control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10763676-B2
Application number	US-201816207523-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2018
Priority date	Jun 29, 2018
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an electronic device includes a power delivery controller and an embedded controller. The power delivery controller supplies a first signal to the embedded controller when reception of a power from an external device is started, and supplies a second signal to the embedded controller when a first value of the power from the external device is changed. The embedded controller acquires first data from the power delivery controller when the first signal is supplied in an activation time, acquires a second value of the power to be received from the external device from a power circuit, and acquires second data from the power delivery controller when the first value indicated by the first data is different from the second value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device operable with a battery, the electronic device comprising:
a connector connectable with a cable enabling data transfer and power transfer;
a power delivery controller that controls power transfer between the electronic device and an external device connected to the electronic device via the connector;
a power charge/discharge circuit that controls charging and discharging of the battery; and
an embedded controller that communicates with the power delivery controller and the power charge/discharge circuit, and charges the battery with a power received from the external device, wherein
the power delivery controller
supplies a first interrupt signal to the embedded controller to cause the embedded controller to acquire first status data including a first power reception condition, when reception of the power from the external device is started, and
supplies a second interrupt signal to the embedded controller to cause the embedded controller to acquire second status data including a second power reception condition, when a first voltage value of the power to be received from the external device is changed by communicating with the external device, and

the embedded controller
acquires the first status data from the power delivery controller, when the first interrupt signal from the power delivery controller is supplied in an activation time,
acquires a second voltage value of the power to be received from the external device from the power charge/discharge circuit, after a process associated with the first interrupt signal is completed, and
acquires the second status data from the power delivery controller, when the first voltage value indicated by the first status data is different from the second voltage value.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a DC/DC convertor,
wherein
the power received from the external device is input into the power charge/discharge circuit without passing through the DC/DC converter in a state that the voltage value is unconverted, and
the power received from the external device is input into the embedded controller with passing through the DC/DC converter in a state that the voltage value is converted.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the embedded controller
allows charging of the battery with the power received from the external device, when the voltage value of the power received from the external device is greater than or equal to a threshold value, and
disallows charging of the battery with the power received from the external device, when the voltage value of the power received from the external device is less than the threshold value.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 ,
wherein the embedded controller
notifies approval of charging of the battery with the power received from the external device to the power charge/discharge circuit, when the voltage value indicated by the second status data acquired from the power delivery controller is greater than or equal to the threshold value, and
notifies disapproval of charging of the battery with the power received from the external device to the power charge/discharge circuit, when the voltage value indicated by the second status data is less than the threshold value.

5. The electronic device of claim 3 ,
wherein the power delivery controller changes the voltage value of the power received from the external device to be greater than or equal to the threshold value, when the voltage value is less than the threshold value.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 ,
wherein the power delivery controller selects any one from voltage values of the power able to be supplied by the external device, based on data indicative of power transmission performance of the external device sent from the external device.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the embedded controller completes the process associated with the first interrupt signal by initializing a register in which the first interrupt signal is stored.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the connector comprises a universal serial bus (USB) Type-C standard connector.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 ,
wherein the power delivery controller comprises a controller conforming to Power Delivery defined by the USB Type-C standard.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 ,
wherein the power delivery controller communicates with the external device through a CC line defined by the USB Type-C standard.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the embedded controller communicates with the power delivery controller and the power charge/discharge circuit through an I 2 C bus.

12. A charging control method of an electronic device operable with a battery,
the electronic device comprising a power delivery controller and an embedded controller,
the power delivery controller controlling power transfer between the electronic device and an external device connected to the electronic device,
the embedded controller causing a power charge/discharge circuit to charge the battery with a power received from the external device,
the method comprising:
supplying, by the power delivery controller, a first interrupt signal to the embedded controller to cause the embedded controller to acquire first status data including a first power reception condition, when the power delivery controller starts receiving the power from the external device;
supplying, by the power delivery controller, a second interrupt signal to the embedded controller to cause the embedded controller to acquire second status data including a second power reception condition, when a first voltage value of the power to be received from the external device is changed by communicating with the external device;
acquiring, by the embedded controller, the first status data from the power delivery controller, when the first interrupt signal from the power delivery controller is supplied in an activation time;
acquiring, by the embedded controller, a second voltage value of the power to be received from the external device from the power charge/discharge circuit, after a process associated with the first interrupt signal is completed; and
acquiring, by the embedded controller, the second status data from the power delivery controller, when the first voltage value indicated by the first status data is different from the second voltage value.

13. The charging control method of claim 12 , further comprising:
allowing, by the embedded controller, charging of the battery with the power received from the external device, when the voltage value of the power received from the external device is greater than or equal to a threshold value; and
disallowing, by the embedded controller, charging of the battery with the power received from the external device, when the voltage value of the power received from the external device is less than the threshold value.

14. The charging control method of claim 13 , further comprising:
notifying, by the embedded controller, approval of charging of the battery with the power received from the external device to the power charge/discharge circuit, when the voltage value indicated by the second status data acquired from the power delivery controller is greater than or equal to the threshold value; and
notifying, by the embedded controller, disapproval of charging of the battery with the power received from the external device to the power charge/discharge circuit, when the voltage value indicated by the second status data is less than the threshold value.

15. The charging control met

Assignees

• Toshiba Client Solutions Co Ltd

Inventors

• Uchida Katsuhiro

Classifications

• H02J7/685

  using connection detecting circuits (H02J7/68 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J7/42

  with electronic devices having internal batteries, e.g. mobile phones · CPC title

• H02J7/933

  the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters · CPC title

• H02J7/751

  concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries · CPC title

• H02J7/445

  in response to measured battery parameters, e.g. voltage, current or temperature profile · CPC title