Charging device with auto-on circuit and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9859725-B2
Application number	US-201314098909-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2013
Priority date	Nov 4, 2013
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

An electronic device having an auto-on circuit is provided. The electronic device can include a charging circuit and a control circuit. The control circuit can cause the charging circuit to deliver energy to an external device. The auto-on circuit, which can include an active circuit, can activate the control circuit in response to one or more trigger input circuits. Each trigger input circuit can actuate a switch and deliver an auto-on signal to the control circuit. The control circuit can then actuate a latch to deliver power to a power input terminal to keep itself powered ON.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
at least one energy storage device configured to operate as a power source to power the electronic device and an external device having a first terminal;
a connector configured to connect the electronic device to the external device, the connector including a second terminal, wherein, when the external device is attached to the connector, the first terminal of the external device is coupled to the second terminal of the connector;
a charging circuit configured to deliver energy from the at least one energy storage device to the external device through the connector;
a control circuit configured to actuate the charging circuit, the control circuit including a signal input terminal and a power input terminal; and
an auto-on circuit configured to automatically detect whether or not the external device is connected to the connector, the auto-on circuit configured to actuate the control circuit when the external device is determined as connected to the connector,
wherein, upon activation of the control circuit, the charging circuit is configured to power up the electronic device and share the energy from the at least one energy storage device with the external device, the auto-on circuit including a plurality of trigger input circuits, a switch, and a latch, each of the plurality of trigger input circuits being connected to the switch and the signal input terminal of the control circuit,
wherein, when any one of the plurality of trigger input circuits transitions to an active state, the activated trigger input circuit is configured to send an auto-on signal to the signal input terminal of the control circuit, and to actuate the switch causing power to be delivered to the power input terminal of the control circuit,
wherein, in response to receiving the auto-on signal, the control circuit is configured to send to a control signal to a control terminal of the latch in order to actuate the latch,
wherein the plurality of trigger input circuits include a first trigger input circuit, and a second trigger input circuit, the first trigger input circuit configured to transition to the active state in response to a resistive loading or capacitive discharge at the second terminal of the connector, the second trigger input circuit configured to transition to the active state in response to an input signal received from the external device,
wherein the first trigger input circuit includes:
a comparator having a first input and a second input;
a first capacitor coupled between the second terminal of the connector and a common node;
a diode having an anode and a cathode;
a second capacitor coupled serially between the diode and the first input of the comparator, the cathode of the diode coupled to the second terminal of the connector, the anode of the diode coupled to the second capacitor;
a resistor coupled between the anode of the diode and an electrical node biased by the at least one energy storage device; and
a resistor divider coupled between the at least one energy storage device and the common node, a central node of the resistor divider coupled to the second input of the comparator.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one energy storage device includes a lithium-ion rechargeable battery.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an operating system; and
an energy-sharing application configured to execute on the operation system, the energy-sharing application configured to provide an option to limit an amount of energy that can be shared with the external device.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is a portable charging device.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the switch is coupled to the at least one energy storage device and the control circuit, the switch configured to switch from a first state in which the switch is open and a second state in the switch is closed when any one of the plurality of trigger input circuits transitions to the active state,
wherein the latch is coupled to the switch and the control circuit.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of trigger input circuits provide both a signaling and powering function for the control circuit.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, when the first trigger input circuit and the second trigger input circuit simultaneously change to the active state, two auto-on signals are delivered to the control circuit.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of trigger input circuits includes a third trigger input circuit, the third trigger input circuit configured to transition to the active state in response to a user control actuator,
wherein the first trigger input circuit, the second trigger input circuit, and the third trigger input circuit are coupled together in an OR configuration.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein after the latch is latched, the activated trigger input circuit is configured to transition back to an inactive state.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein actuation of the switch causes the power to be delivered to the power input terminal of the control circuit to power-on the control circuit for an initial period of time, and, when the control circuit receives the auto-on signal, the control circuit is configured to activate the latch to continue to keep the control circuit powered-on beyond the initial period of time.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the switch and the latch are configured as field effect transistors.

12. An electronic device, comprising:
at least one energy storage device configured to operate as a power source to power the electronic device and an external device having a first terminal;
a connector configured to connect the electronic device with the external device, the connector including a second terminal, wherein, when the external device is attached to the connector, the first terminal of the external device is coupled to the second terminal of the connector;
a charging circuit configured to deliver energy from the at least one energy storage device to the external device through the connector;
a control circuit to actuate the charging circuit, the control circuit including a signal input terminal and a power input terminal; and
an auto-on circuit configured to determine whether the external device is connected to the connector, the auto-on circuit configured to actuate the control circuit when the external device is determined as connected to the connector, the auto-on circuit including a switch, a latch, and a plurality of trigger input circuits including a first trigger input circuit, and a second trigger input circuit, each of the plurality of trigger input circuits being coupled to the switch and the signal input terminal of the control circuit, the switch being coupled to the at least one energy storage device and the power input terminal of the control circuit, the latch being coupled to the control circuit and the at least one energy storage device,
wherein, when any one of the plurality of trigger input circuits transitions to an active state, the activated trigger input circuit is configured to send an auto-on signal to the signal input terminal of the control circuit, and to actuate the switch causing the control circuit to receive power at the power input terminal of the control circuit,
wherein the control circuit, upon detection of the auto-on signal at the signal input terminal and the power at the power input terminal, is configured to send a control signal to a control terminal of the latch in order to actuate the latch to cont

Assignees

• Google Technology Holdings LLC
• Google Technology Holdings LLC

Inventors

• Nowak Daniel
• Kamath Roshan
• Wagner Daniel H

Classifications

• H02J7/82

  Control of state of charge [SOC] · CPC title

• H02J7/80

  including monitoring or indicating arrangements · CPC title

• H02J7/685 Primary

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

• H02J7/342

  The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging (with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/68) · CPC title

• H02J7/0054

  Electricity · mapped topic