Systems and methods for universal serial bus (USB) power delivery with multiple charging ports

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12119701-B2
Application number	US-202117177100-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2021
Priority date	Sep 18, 2018
Publication date	Oct 15, 2024
Grant date	Oct 15, 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 provides 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 provides direct feedback to the power supply to output a particular output voltage of the plurality of output voltages to the plurality of charging ports and regulates a temperature of 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 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;
a temperature sensor; 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, the logic circuit configured to regulate a wattage delivered to two or more charging ports of the plurality of charging ports,
wherein the logic circuit is in electrical communication with the temperature sensor and the logic circuit is configured to detect a temperature of the two or more charging ports of the plurality of charging ports and reduce a wattage delivered to a particular charging port of the plurality of charging ports if a temperature detected in the particular charging port of the plurality of charging ports exceeds a predetermined threshold.

2. The USB charging system of claim 1 , wherein a maximum wattage deliverable to each charging port of the plurality of charging ports is from about 1 watt to about 100 watts.

3. The USB charging system of clam 1 , wherein the plurality of charging ports includes a USB Type-A port, or a USB Type-C port.

4. The USB charging system of claim 1 , further including a thermistor connected with one or more of a first power delivery (PD) controller integrated circuit (IC) or a second PD controller IC of the logic circuit, the thermistor configured to transmit temperature data of the USB charging system thereto, the thermistor being in communication with a charging port of the plurality of charging ports.

5. The USB charging system of claim 1 , wherein the reduced wattage delivered to the particular charging port of the plurality of charging ports is maintained at an above-zero level until a temperature of the particular charging port of the plurality of charging ports is reduced below a second predetermined threshold.

6. 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.

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

8. A universal serial bus (USB) charging system, comprising:
a power supply including a 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;
a temperature sensor; 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, the logic circuit configured to regulate a wattage delivered to two or more charging ports of the plurality of charging ports,
wherein the logic circuit is in electrical communication with the temperature sensor and the logic circuit is configured to detect a current drawn by the two or more charging ports of the plurality of charging ports and reduce a current drawn by a particular charging port of the plurality of charging ports if a temperature detected in the particular charging port of the plurality of charging ports exceeds a predetermined threshold.

9. The USB charging system of claim 8 , wherein a maximum wattage deliverable to each charging port of the plurality of charging ports is from about 1 watt to about 100 watts.

10. The USB charging system of clam 8 , wherein the plurality of charging ports includes a USB Type-A port, a USB Type-C port, or a Line-Voltage port.

11. The USB charging system of claim 8 , further including a current sensor electrically connected with at least one charging port of the plurality of charging ports, the current sensor configured to collect current data for the at least one charging port of the plurality of charging ports and communicate the current data to the logic circuit.

12. The USB charging system of claim 8 , wherein the reduced wattage delivered to the particular charging port of the plurality of charging ports is maintained at an above-zero level until a current of the particular charging port of the plurality of charging ports is reduced below a second predetermined threshold.

13. The USB charging system of claim 8 , wherein a first power converter of the plurality of power converters is configured to simultaneously output a first output voltage with a second output voltage output by a second power converter of the plurality of power converters.

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

15. A universal serial bus (USB) charging system, comprising:
a power supply including a 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;
a temperature sensor;
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, the logic circuit configured to regulate a wattage delivered to two or more charging ports of the plurality of charging ports,
wherein the logic circuit is in electrical communication with the temperature sensor and the logic circuit is configured to detect a temperature of the two or more charging ports of the plurality of charging ports and reduce a wattage delivered to a particular charging port of the plurality of charging ports if a temperature detected in the particular charg

Assignees

• Leviton Manufacturing Co

Inventors

• Sanghvi Ankit Milan
• Weiss Benjamin R
• Srinivasan Mahesh
• Jansen Ronald
• Kamor Michael
• Randall William

Classifications

• H02J7/751

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

• H02J7/50

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H02J7/975 Primary

  in response to temperature · CPC title

• H02J7/82

  Control of state of charge [SOC] · CPC title

• H02J7/685

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