Systems and methods for Universal Serial Bus (USB) power delivery with multiple charging ports

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12074464-B2
Application number	US-201917268935-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2019
Priority date	Sep 18, 2018
Publication date	Aug 27, 2024
Grant date	Aug 27, 2024

Abstract

A universal serial bus (USB) charging system includes a power supply including a plurality of power converters and a plurality of power supply outputs electrically coupled to the plurality of power converters, respectively. Each of the plurality of power converters is configured to convert an input voltage to a plurality of output voltages. A plurality of charging ports are electrically connected with the plurality of power supply outputs, respectively. Each of the plurality of charging ports is configured to provide an output voltage selected from the plurality of output voltages to an electronic device. A logic circuit is in electrical communication with the power supply and the plurality of charging ports. The logic circuit is configured to provide direct feedback to the power supply to output a particular output voltage of the plurality of output voltages to the plurality of charging ports.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A universal serial bus (USB) charging system, comprising:
a power supply including a plurality of power converters, the plurality of power converters connected electrically parallel to one another and a plurality of power supply outputs electrically coupled to the plurality of power converters, respectively, each of the plurality of power converters configured to convert an input voltage to a plurality of output voltages;
a plurality of charging ports electrically connected with the plurality of power supply outputs, respectively, each of the plurality of charging ports configured to provide an output voltage selected from the plurality of output voltages to an electronic device; and
a logic circuit in electrical communication with the power supply and the plurality of charging ports, the logic circuit configured to provide direct feedback to the power supply to output a particular output voltage of the plurality of output voltages to the plurality of charging ports.

2. The USB charging system of claim 1 , wherein a first power converter of the plurality of power converters is configured to simultaneously output a first output voltage different from a second output voltage output by a second power converter of the plurality of power converters.

3. The USB charging system of claim 1 , wherein voltages of the plurality of output voltages range from substantially 5 volts to substantially 20 volts.

4. The USB charging system of claim 1 , wherein the logic circuit comprises a first power delivery (PD) controller integrated circuit (IC) and a second PD controller IC, the first PD controller IC electrically connected with a first charging port of the plurality of charging ports and the second PD controller IC electrically connected with a second charging port of the plurality of charging ports.

5. The USB charging system of claim 4 , wherein the first PD controller IC is in electrical communication with the second PD controller IC.

6. The USB charging system of claim 1 , further comprising a thermistor electrically connected with at least one charging port of the plurality of charging ports, the thermistor configured to reduce power delivery to the at least one charging port of the plurality of charging ports in response to a temperature exceeding a first predetermined threshold.

7. The USB charging system of claim 6 , wherein the reduced power delivery to the at least one charging port of the plurality of charging ports is maintained at an above-zero level until a temperature of the charging port is reduced below a second predetermined threshold.

8. A method for charging a plurality of electronic devices using a USB charging system, the method comprising:
providing AC power from a power source to an AC/DC converter;
receiving, at the AC/DC converter, the AC power from the power source, the AC/DC converter including a plurality of power converters, the plurality of power converters connected electrically parallel to one another and a plurality of power supply outputs electrically coupled to the plurality of power converters, respectively, each of the plurality of power converters configured to convert the AC power to a plurality of different DC output voltages;
receiving, at the AC/DC converter, direct feedback from a logic circuit in direct electrical communication with the AC/DC converter, and outputting a particular DC output voltage from the AC/DC converter in response to the direct feedback received, the logic circuit in electrical communication with a plurality of charging ports; and
delivering the particular DC output voltage to each of the plurality of electronic devices respectively connected with each of the plurality of charging ports.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein a first power converter of the plurality of power converters simultaneously outputs a first output voltage different from a second output voltage output by a second power converter of the plurality of power converters.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of output voltages range from substantially 5 volts to substantially 20 volts.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the logic circuit comprises a first power delivery (PD) controller integrated circuit (IC) and a second PD controller IC, the first PD controller IC electrically connected with a first charging port of the plurality of charging ports and the second PD controller IC electrically connected with a second charging port of the plurality of charging ports.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first PD controller IC is in electrical communication with the second PD controller IC.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising a thermistor electrically connected with at least one charging port of the plurality of charging ports, the thermistor configured to reduce power delivery to the at least one charging port of the plurality of charging ports in response to a temperature exceeding a first predetermined threshold.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the reduced power delivery to the at least one charging port of the plurality of charging ports is maintained at an above-zero level until a temperature of the charging port is reduced below a second predetermined threshold.

15. A universal serial bus (USB) charging system, comprising:
a power supply including a plurality of power converters and a plurality of power supply outputs electrically coupled to the plurality of power converters, respectively, each of the plurality of power converters configured to convert an input voltage to a plurality of output voltages;
a plurality of charging ports electrically connected with the plurality of power supply outputs, respectively, each of the plurality of charging ports configured to provide an output voltage selected from the plurality of output voltages to an electronic device; and
a logic circuit in electrical communication with the power supply and the plurality of charging ports, the logic circuit configured to provide direct feedback to the power supply to output a particular output voltage of the plurality of output voltages to the plurality of charging ports,
wherein the plurality of charging ports comprises:
a USB Type-A charging port and a USB Type-C charging port, wherein the output voltages of the USB Type-A charging port and the USB Type-C charging port differ from one another;
a voltage regulator in electrical communication with the power supply and the USB Type-A charging port, the voltage regulator configured to maintain the output voltage provided by the USB Type-A charging port; and
a switch in electrical communication with the power supply and the USB Type-A charging port, the switch configured to bypass the voltage regulator;
wherein the logic circuit is in electrical communication with the voltage regulator and the switch, the logic circuit configured to enable or disable the voltage regulator by opening or closing the switch.

16. The USB charging system of claim 15 , wherein the USB Type-A charging port output voltage is a fixed output voltage, and wherein the USB Type-C charging port output voltage is a variable output voltage.

17. The USB charging system of claim 15 , wherein the voltage regulator is a linear voltage regulator or a DC-DC converter.

18. A universal serial bus (USB) charging system, comprising:
a power supply including a plurality of power converters and a plurality of power supply outputs electrically coupled to the plurality of power converters, respectively, each of the plurality of power converters configured to convert an input voltage to a plural

Assignees

• Leviton Manufacturing Co
• Leviton Manufacturing Co

Inventors

• Jahan A M Sarwar
• Papismedov Levan
• Weiss Benjamin R
• Jansen Ronald
• Thomas Desiree
• Randall William
• Sanghvi Ankit Milan

Classifications

• H02J7/94

  in response to battery current · CPC title

• H02J7/975

  in response to temperature · 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

• H02J7/56

  Active balancing, e.g. using capacitor-based, inductor-based or DC-DC converters · CPC title