Device to be charged and charging method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10916951-B2
Application number	US-201916701264-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2019
Priority date	Oct 12, 2016
Publication date	Feb 9, 2021
Grant date	Feb 9, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a device to be charged and a charging method. The device to be charged includes: a charging interface; a first charging circuit, coupled with the charging interface, configured to receive an output voltage and an output current of an adapter via the charging interface and to directly apply the output voltage and the output current of the adapter to both ends of a plurality of battery cells coupled in series in the device to be charged, so as to perform a direct charging on the plurality of battery cells. With the present disclosure, heat generated in the charging process can be reduced while ensuring the charging speed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device to be charged, comprising:
a charging interface;
a first charging circuit, coupled with the charging interface, configured to receive an output voltage and an output current of an adapter via the charging interface and to apply the output voltage and the output current of the adapter to both ends of a plurality of battery cells coupled in series in the device to be charged, so as to charge the plurality of battery cells; and
a second charging circuit, comprising a step-up circuit, the step-up circuit having both ends coupled with the charging interface and the plurality of battery cells and configured to receive the output voltage of the adapter via the charging interface, to step up the output voltage of the adapter to a second voltage and to apply the second voltage to the both ends of the plurality of battery cells so as to charge the plurality of battery cells, wherein the output voltage of the adapter received by the second charging circuit is less than a total voltage of the plurality of battery cells, and the second voltage is greater than the total voltage of the plurality of battery cells,
wherein the adapter supports a first charging mode and a second charging mode, a charging speed of the adapter in the second charging mode is greater than that of the adapter in the first charging mode, the adapter charges the plurality of battery cells via the second charging circuit in the first charging mode, and charges the plurality of battery cells via the first charging circuit in the second charging mode.

2. The device to be charged according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an equalization circuit, coupled with the plurality of battery cells, and configured to equalize voltages of respective battery cells of the plurality of battery cells.

3. The device to be charged according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of battery cells comprise a first battery cell and a second battery cell, and the equalization circuit is configured to transfer electric quantity between the first battery cell and the second battery cell in an electromagnetic coupling manner.

4. The device to be charged according to claim 3 , wherein the equalization circuit comprises a first circuit and a second circuit, the first circuit is coupled with the first battery cell, and the second circuit is coupled with the first battery cell and the second battery cell respectively;
wherein when the first circuit is switched on, the first circuit is configured to couple energy outputted by the first battery cell to the second circuit in an electromagnetic coupling manner, such that the second circuit generates a first charging current based on the energy from the first circuit, and charges the first battery cell and the second battery cell with the first charging current.

5. The device to be charged according to claim 4 , wherein the equalization circuit further comprises a third circuit, and the third circuit is coupled with the second battery cell;
wherein when the third circuit is switched on, the third circuit is configured to couple energy outputted by the second battery cell to the second circuit in an electromagnetic coupling manner, such that the second circuit generates a second charging current based on the energy from the third circuit, and charges the first battery cell and the second battery cell with the second charging current.

6. The device to be charged according to claim 3 , wherein the equalization circuit comprises one circuit and another circuit, the one circuit is coupled with the first battery cell and the second battery cell respectively, and the another circuit is coupled with the first battery cell;
wherein when both the one circuit and the another circuit are switched on, the one circuit is configured to couple energy outputted by the first battery cell and the second battery cell to the another circuit in an electromagnetic coupling manner, such that the another circuit generates a second charging current based on the energy from the one circuit, and charges the first battery cell with the second charging current.

7. The device to be charged according to claim 6 , wherein the equalization circuit further comprises a still another circuit, and the still another circuit is coupled with the second battery cell;
wherein when both the one circuit and the still another circuit are switched on, the one circuit is configured to couple energy outputted by the first battery cell and the second battery cell to the still another circuit in an electromagnetic coupling manner, such that the still another circuit generates a third charging current based on the energy from the one circuit, and charges the second battery cell with the third charging current.

8. The device to be charged according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a power supply circuit, having an input end coupled with both ends of an arbitrary battery cell in the plurality of battery cells, and configured to supply power for elements in the device to be charged based on a voltage of the arbitrary battery cell.

9. The device to be charged according to claim 1 , wherein the output current outputted by the adapter and received by the first charging circuit is a pulsating direct current, an alternating current or a constant direct current.

10. The device to be charged according to claim 1 , wherein the output voltage outputted by the adapter and received by the first charging circuit via the charging interface is a voltage outputted by the adapter in a constant current mode, and the output current outputted by the adapter and received by the first charging circuit via the charging interface is a current outputted by the adapter in the constant current mode.

11. The device to be charged according to claim 1 , wherein the output voltage of the adapter received by the second charging circuit is 5V.

12. The device to be charged according to claim 1 , wherein the charging interface comprises a data wire, the device to be charged further comprises a control unit, and the control unit is configured to perform a bidirectional communication with the adapter via the data wire to control an output of the adapter in the second charging mode.

13. The device to be charged according to claim 12 , wherein when the control unit performs the bidirectional communication with the adapter via the data wire to control the output of the adapter in the second charging mode,
the control unit is configured to perform the bidirectional communication with the adapter to negotiate about a charging mode between the adapter and the device to be charged.

14. The device to be charged according to claim 13 , wherein when the control unit performs the bidirectional communication with the adapter to negotiate about the charging mode between the adapter and the device to be charged, the control unit is configured to:
receive a first instruction sent by the adapter, in which the first instruction is configured to query the device to be charged whether to operate in the second charging mode;
send a reply instruction of the first instruction to the adapter, in which the reply instruction of the first instruction is configured to indicate whether the device to be charged agrees to operate in the second charging mode;
control the adapter to charge the plurality of battery cells via the first charging circuit when the device to be charged agrees to operate in the second charging mode.

15. The device to be charged according to claim 12 , wherein when the control unit performs the bidirectional communication with the adapter via the data wire to control the output of the adapter in the seco

Assignees

• Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp Ltd

Inventors

• Zhang Jialiang
• Tian Chen
• Zhang Jun
• Chen Shebiao
• Wan Shiming
• Li Jiada

Classifications

• H02J7/663

  using battery or load disconnect circuits (H02J9/002 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J7/94

  in response to battery current · 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

• H02J7/865

  Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply (H02J7/50 takes precedence) · CPC title