Battery charging circuit and electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8994341-B2
Application number	US-200913375802-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2009
Priority date	Jun 29, 2009
Publication date	Mar 31, 2015
Grant date	Mar 31, 2015

Abstract

A battery charging circuit comprises: a first voltage regulator, wherein the first voltage regulator has a control input designed for reception of a signal generated by a current metering circuit; the current metering circuit; and a terminal for connecting a battery. An electronic device, in particular a mobile device, comprises a battery charging circuit as defined above.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A battery charging circuit comprising:
a current metering circuit;
a voltage regulator, wherein the voltage regulator has a control input designed for reception of a signal generated by the current metering circuit, wherein the battery charging circuit comprises a switch connected in series with the current metering circuit; and
a terminal for connecting a battery.

2. The battery charging circuit, according to claim 1 , wherein the switch is connected in series with the voltage regulator.

3. The battery charging circuit according to claim 2 , wherein the electrical connection between the voltage regulator and the switch comprises an electrical tap for connecting a load.

4. The battery charging circuit, according to claim 1 , wherein the current metering circuit comprises an integration function.

5. The battery charging circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the signal generated by the current metering circuit contains information about at least one of a measured strength of a current and a charge amount.

6. The battery charging circuit according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first comparison circuit to compare a strength of an average current through the current metering circuit with a first predetermined threshold, in order to increase an output target voltage of an output voltage of the voltage regulator, when the strength of the average current measured by the current metering circuit exceeds the first predetermined threshold.

7. The battery charging circuit according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a second comparison circuit to compare a strength of an average current through the current metering circuit with a second predetermined threshold, in order to decrease an output target voltage of an output voltage of the voltage regulator, when the strength of the average current measured by the current metering circuit under-runs the second predetermined threshold.

8. The battery charging circuit according to claim 7 , wherein the first predetermined threshold either has the same height or is by a hysteresis value higher than the second predetermined threshold.

9. The battery charging circuit according to claim 1 , wherein an output of the current metering circuit is connected to the control input of the voltage regulator via at least one of an electrical, an optical, an acoustical, and a radio connection.

10. The battery charging circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the current metering circuit includes only current regulation circuits which employs the voltage regulator for current regulation.

11. The battery charging circuit according to claim 1 , further comprising:
exactly one shunt for measuring a current using a voltage between terminals of the one shunt, wherein the voltage between the terminals of the one shunt is caused by the current to be measured.

12. An electronic device, in particular a mobile device, wherein the electronic device comprises the battery charging circuit according to claim 1 .

13. A battery charging circuit comprising:
a current metering circuit;
a voltage regulator, wherein the voltage regulator has a control input designed for reception of a signal generated by the current metering circuit, wherein the signal generated by the current metering circuit contains information about at least one of a measured strength of a current and a charge amount; and
a terminal for connecting a battery.

14. The battery charging circuit according to claim 13 , wherein the electrical connection between the voltage regulator and a switch comprises an electrical tap for connecting a load.

15. The battery charging circuit of claim 13 , further comprising:
a first comparison circuit to compare a strength of an average current through the current metering circuit with a first predetermined threshold, in order to increase an output target voltage of an output voltage of the voltage regulator, when the strength of the average current measured by the current metering circuit exceeds the first predetermined threshold.

16. The battery charging circuit of claim 15 , further comprising:
a second comparison circuit to compare a strength of an average current through the current metering circuit with a second predetermined threshold, in order to decrease an output target voltage of an output voltage of the voltage regulator, when the strength of the average current measured by the current metering circuit under-runs the second predetermined threshold.

17. The battery charging circuit according to claim 13 , wherein an output of the current metering circuit is connected to the control input of the voltage regulator via at least one of an electrical, an optical, an acoustical, and a radio connection.

18. A method comprising:
receiving, at a control input of a voltage regulator of a battery charging circuit, a signal generated by a current metering circuit, wherein the battery charging circuit includes a terminal to connect to a battery;
comparing, by a first comparison circuit, a strength of an average current through the current metering circuit with a first predetermined threshold; and
increasing an output target voltage of an output voltage of the voltage regulator, in response to the strength of the average current measured by the current metering circuit exceeds the first predetermined threshold.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
comparing, by a second comparison circuit, a strength of an average current through the current metering circuit with a second predetermined threshold; and
decreasing an output target voltage of an output voltage of a voltage regulator, in response to the strength of the average current measured by the current metering circuit under-runs the second predetermined threshold.

20. The method claim 19 , wherein the first predetermined threshold either has the same height or is by a hysteresis value higher than the second predetermined threshold.

Assignees

• Voorwinden Cor
• Crisnaire Alexandre
• Freescale Semiconductor Inc

Inventors

• Voorwinden Cor
• Crisnaire Alexandre

Classifications

• H02J7/865 Primary

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

• H02J7/0068 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic