Power adapter charging modification based on a feedback loop

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9748782-B1
Application number	US-201514594512-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 12, 2015
Priority date	Jan 12, 2015
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

A power brick includes a power module configured to convert AC to DC, an interface coupled to a computing device and configured to communicate with the computing device, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive a modified power setting and at least one modified error threshold value via the interface, control a modification of a power setting associated with the power module, and control a modification of a protection value of the power brick based on the at least one modified error threshold value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power brick comprising:
a power module configured to convert AC to DC;
an interface coupled to a computing device and configured to communicate with the computing device; and
a controller configured to:
receive a modified power setting and at least one modified error threshold value associated with the computer device via the interface,
control a modification of a power setting associated with the power module, and
control a modification of a protection value of the power brick based on the at least one modified error threshold value.

2. The power brick of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to transmit at least one default error threshold value associated with the power brick to the computing device via the interface.

3. The power brick of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to use a Biphase Mark Coding (BMC) scheme when communicating with the computing device via the interface.

4. The power brick of claim 1 , further comprising:
a detector configured to monitor at least one of temperature, power, current or voltage associated with the power brick and configured to communicate at least one of the temperature, the power, the current and the voltage to the controller, wherein the controller is further configured to reduce a power output of the power brick upon determining at least one of the temperature, the power, the current and the voltage exceeds a corresponding modified error threshold value.

5. The power brick of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes:
a power disconnect module configured to reduce a power output of the power brick, and
a local error module configured to determine at least one of a temperature, a power, a current and a voltage of the power brick exceeds a corresponding threshold and upon determining the at least one of temperature, power, current and voltage of the power brick exceeds the corresponding threshold communicate an instruction to the power disconnect module to reduce the power output.

6. The power brick of claim 1 , wherein
the power setting exceeds a rated power setting of the power brick, and
the at least one modified error threshold value is based on enabling the power brick to output power that exceeds the rated power setting.

7. The power brick of claim 1 , wherein
the interface is associated with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) protocol,
the USB protocol defines a plurality of contacts configured to form the at least two data paths, and
one of the plurality of contacts is configured as a control path.

8. The power brick of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to reset the protection value of the power brick to a default value upon determining the computing device has been disconnected from the power brick.

9. A method comprising:
receiving a power setting and at least one modified error threshold value associated with a computer device;
controlling a modification of a power setting associated with a power brick based on the power setting; and
controlling a modification of a protection value of the power brick based on the at least one modified error threshold value.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
monitoring at least one of a temperature, a power, a current and a voltage associated with the power brick; and
reducing a power output of the power brick upon determining at least one of the temperature, the power, the current and the voltage exceeds a corresponding modified error threshold value.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
monitoring at least one of a temperature, a power, a current and a voltage associated with the power brick; and
communicating at least one of the temperature, the power, the current and the voltage to the computing device communicatively coupled to the power brick.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving a modified power setting by the power brick; and
reducing a power output of the power brick based on the modified power setting.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein
the power setting exceeds a rated power setting of the power brick, and
the at least one modified error threshold value is based on enabling the power brick to output power that exceeds the rated power setting.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising resetting the protection value of the power brick to a default value upon determining the computing device has been disconnected from the power brick.

15. A computing device comprising:
an interface coupled to a power brick and configured to communicate with the power brick; and
a controller configured to:
determine a power setting associated with providing power to the computing device,
determine at least one modified error threshold value for the power brick based on the power setting, and
control communicating the power setting and the at least one modified error threshold value to the power brick via the interface.

16. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to receive at least one default error threshold value associated with the power brick via the interface.

17. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to use a Biphase Mark Coding (BMC) scheme when communicating with the power brick via the interface.

18. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the controller includes:
a charge disconnect module configured to reduce a power input to a battery, and
a local error module configured to determine at least one of a temperature, a power, a current and a voltage associated with charging the battery exceeds a corresponding threshold and upon determining the at least one of temperature, power, current and voltage exceeds the corresponding threshold communicate an instruction to the charge disconnect module to reduce the power input.

19. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
receive at least one of a temperature, a power, a current and a voltage of the power brick,
determine at least one of the temperature, the power, the current and the voltage exceeds a corresponding modified error threshold value,
generate a modified power setting, and
communicate the modified power setting to the power brick via the interface.

20. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein
the interface is associated with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) protocol,
the USB protocol defines a plurality of contacts configured to form the at least two data paths, and
one of the plurality of contacts is configured as a control path.

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Sheng Honggang
• Hayter Mark D
• Chng Choon Ping

Classifications

• H02J7/42

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

• H02J7/865

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

• H02J7/65

  against overtemperature · CPC title

• H02J7/64

  against overvoltage · CPC title

• H02J7/62

  against overcurrent · CPC title