Patent ID: 11955821
Assignee: O2MICRO INC.
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  Y | IPC H

Claim 19:
20. A method comprising:
managing a first battery and a second battery in a device, wherein said first battery comprises a positive terminal coupled to a connection interface through a first switch, and comprises a negative terminal coupled to a reference terminal, wherein said second battery comprises a positive terminal coupled to said connection interface, and comprises a negative terminal coupled to said reference terminal through a second switch and coupled to said positive terminal of said first battery through a third switch, and wherein said managing comprises:
controlling, using switch control circuitry, said first, second and third switches such that said device selectively operates in a mode of a plurality of modes comprising at least a balancing mode that is operable for balancing voltages of said first and second batteries when there is a difference between said voltages;

wherein said managing further comprises performing a plurality of operations in said balancing mode, said plurality of operations comprising:
turning off said third switch;
turning on said first and second switches; and
controlling a switch of said first and second switches to operate in a linear mode, wherein said linear mode comprises adjusting a charging current from one of said first and second batteries to the other one of said first and second batteries based on a target reference;
wherein said target reference is adjustable according to said difference; and
wherein said adjusting comprises controlling said switch of said first and second switches to increase said charging current if said difference decreases.