English:
[0002] The portable computer generally includes a battery charger that receives power from the AC power source and directs that power to the rechargeable battery as needed. When the battery is being recharged, the battery charger tends to dissipate quite a bit of power (e.g., 3-4 Watts), depending on the battery charge status and the charge acceptance capability. This power is generally dissipated as heat energy that increases the temperature within the portable computer. An increase in the internal temperature of the portable computer may lead to a decrease in device reliability and potential device failure. Furthermore, the battery charger tends to have a large footprint on the printed circuit board (e.g., the motherboard) of the portable computer. This increases the size of the portable computer and/or takes space away from other components.
[0003] In addition to the heat dissipation issues, as conventional portable computers become more demanding of power, conventional AC adapters become more likely to experience an overload which may lead to failure of the adapter. Failure of the AC adapter may cause a relatively instant power loss to the portable computer, possibly resulting in loss or corruption of data.
[0004] Accordingly, improved portable computer and AC adapter designs are necessary to improve the reliability and performance of portable computers.
[0005] Figure 1 illustrates a generic portable computer power scheme.
[0006] Figure 2 illustrates a portable computer power scheme in accordance with the invention.
[0007] Figure 3 illustrates a first conventional power scheme for a portable computer and an AC power adapter.
[0008] Figure 4 illustrates one implementation of a power scheme for a portable computer and its associated AC power adapter in accordance with the invention.
[0009] Figure 5 illustrates a second conventional power scheme for a portable computer and an AC power adapter.
[0010] Figure 6 illustrates another implementation of a power scheme for a portable computer and its associated AC power adapter in accordance with the invention.
[0011] Figure 7 illustrates an implementation of an AC adapter in communication with a portable computer to address or prevent overload problems.
[0012] Described herein are systems and methods of providing power to a portable computer and increasing its reliability and performance. In the following description, various aspects of the illustrative implementations will be described using terms commonly employed by those skilled in the art to convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced with only some of the described aspects. For purposes of explanation, specific numbers, materials and configurations are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the illustrative implementations. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details. In other instances, well-known features are omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the illustrative implementations.
[0013] Various operations will be described as multiple discrete operations, in turn, in a manner that is most helpful in understanding the present invention, however, the order of description should not be construed to imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent. In particular, these operations need not be performed in the order of presentation.
[0014] Figure 1 illustrates a generic portable computer power scheme. A portable computer system 100 is shown having a system load 102. The system load 102 represents the power demands of the portable computer 100 from components that include, but are not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU), a hard disk drive, a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a CD-ROM drive, a DVD drive, a keyboard, a mouse, a monitor, a wireless communications device or platform, as well as other components that are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. An alternating current (AC) adapter 104 receives power from an AC power source (not shown), such as a standard electrical outlet, and provides that power to the portable computer 100 to supply the power demands of the system load 102. The power is also supplied to a battery changer 106 that uses the power to recharge one or more on-board batteries 108. The batteries 108 provide power to the portable computer 100 when an AC power source is unavailable.
[0015] As described above, the battery charger 106 often dissipates a substantial amount of heat energy when it is charging the batteries 108. This heat dissipation increases the internal temperature of the portable computer 100 and therefore decreases the reliability and stability of the portable computer 100. In addition, the battery charger 106 has a large footprint that takes up space within the portable computer 100 that may be used to house other components or that may be eliminated to reduce the size of the portable computer 100.
[0016] Therefore, in accordance with an implementation of the invention, Figure 2 illustrates a power scheme for a portable computer 200 that addresses these drawbacks. The portable computer 200 utilizes a novel power adapter 202 that houses both an AC power adapter 202A, such as an AC power adapter circuit, and a battery charger 202B, such as a battery charger circuit. The portable computer 200 still houses the on-board batteries 108 but no longer houses its own battery charger 106.
[0017] The implementation shown in Figure 2 is possible because the battery charger 106 can only operate if the AC adapter 104 is connected and in use. The battery charger 106 needs power from the AC adapter 104 to charge the batteries 108. When the AC adapter 104 is not connected and the portable computer 100 is being powered by the batteries 108, the battery charger 106 serves no function. Since the battery charger 106 can only be used with the AC adapter 104, moving the battery charger 106 outside the portable computer 100 and coupling it to the AC adapter 104 does not hinder the performance of the portable computer 100.
[0018] With the battery charger 202B housed in the novel power adapter 202, the heat dissipation is moved outside of the portable computer 200. This increases the reliability and stability of the portable computer 200. This also allows the heat to dissipate more quickly since the heat will not be trapped within the body of the portable computer 200. Additionally, surface area within the portable computer 200 that was previously consumed by the battery charger 106 now becomes available to other components. Alternatively, the portable computer 200 may have a smaller form factor with the removal of the battery charger 106.
[0019] Figure 3 illustrates a first conventional power scheme for a portable computer 300 and an AC power adapter 302. This first conventional power scheme is used by portable computers with multi-battery pack support, for instance, one battery pack 308 in the main portable computer system 300 and a second battery pack (not shown) in a device-bay, such as a DVD-drive bay or a floppy disk drive bay. As shown, the AC power adapter 302 sources power to a battery charger 304 and a power path switch 306. The battery charger 304 is used to recharge on-board batteries 308 via a charger path switch 310. The charger path switch 310 is used in multi-battery pack systems to provide a mechanism by which the battery packs can be isolated from each other, from the AC power adapter 302, from the battery charger 304, or from the rest of the portable computer 300.
[0020] The power path switch 306 is used to direct the flow of power within the portable computer 300. For instance, the power path switch 306 may direct power from the AC power adapter 302 to the system load 102 via a DC/DC converter 312. Alternately, the power path switch 306 may direct power from the batteries 308 to the system load 102 via the DC/DC converter 312. Figure 3 also illustrates a VDC node that denotes the main power bus that supplies power to the system 300.
[0021] The portable computer 300 further includes a system management controller (SMC) 314. The SMC 314 has many functions that are well known in the art. For instance, the SMC 314 can communicate with the batteries 308 (e.g., via a smart battery specification such as SMBus) to gather information such as whether the batteries 308 need to be recharged and how much capacity or run time is left in the batteries. The SMC 314 can use this information to help the portable computer 300 determine where power should be directed and which power sources to use.
[0022] In the conventional power scheme shown of Figure 3, when the AC power adapter 302 is connected, power is directed from the AC adapter 302 to both the battery charger 304 and the power path switch 306 where the power may be supplied to the system load 102. If the batteries 308 need to be recharged, the battery charger 304 can supply power to the batteries 308. In systems that have multi-battery pack support, the battery charger 304 can also supply power to a second battery that is docked in a device-bay.
[0023] The battery charger 304 in the conventional power scheme shown in Figure 3 suffers from the same drawbacks of the system 100 shown in Figure 1. Namely, the battery charger 304 dissipates a substantial amount of heat while it is supplying power to the batteries 308 and/or the battery in the device-bay. For example, the battery charger 304 may dissipate three to four watts of power while it is recharging the batteries. The battery charger 304 also has a sizable footprint within the portable computer 300. Finally, the battery charger 304 can only be used when the AC adapter 302 is connected. When the AC power adapter 302 is not connected, the battery charger 304 serves no function.
[0024] Figure 4 illustrates a novel power scheme for a portable computer 400 and its associated power adapter 402 that is designed in accordance with an implementation of the invention. The power scheme of Figure 4 is for use in portable computers based on the first conventional power scheme described in Figure 3.
[0025] The portable computer 400 utilizes a novel power adapter 402 that houses both an AC power adapter 402 A and a battery charger 402B. The portable computer 400 still houses on-board batteries 308 but no longer houses the battery charger 304. The portable computer 400 may also house a battery pack (not shown) in a device-bay. Again, this implementation is possible because the battery charger cannot be used without the AC adapter 402 being connected. As such, moving the battery charger outside of the portable computer 400 and housing it with the AC adapter 402A does not hinder the performance of the portable computer 400.
[0026] With the battery charger 402B housed in the novel power adapter 402, heat dissipation is moved outside of the portable computer 400, thereby increasing the reliability and stability of the portable computer 400. The heat may dissipate more quickly in this design. Additionally, the footprint within the portable computer 400 previously consumed by the battery charger 304 becomes available to either house other components or to decrease the form factor of the computer 400.
[0027] As shown in Figure 4, the novel power adapter 402 has two traces back to the portable computer 400. A first trace 404 is a power supply line to provide power to address the system load 102. For instance, this may be a normal 19 volt input that conventional portable computers use. A second trace 406 is a power supply line that is the output of the battery charger 402B and provides power to the batteries 308 for recharging. Although not shown, another trace may be included between the novel power adapter 402 and the portable computer 400 for grounding purposes.
[0028] Figure 5 illustrates a second conventional power scheme for a portable computer 500 and an AC power adapter 502. This second conventional power scheme is known in the art as a "narrow VDC" (NVDC) scheme, which is a design technique to reduce the voltage range of the VDC node. In known power schemes, the AC adapter delivers power in at a voltage that typically ranges up to approximately 19 volts. This voltage range is then provided on the VDC node. In an NVDC power scheme, however, the voltage range is reduced down prior to being delivered to the VDC node. In one implementation, for instance, the power range may be reduced down to about 9 to 12.6 volts. The NVDC power scheme reduces design complexity because the voltage range can be reduced to match the voltage range being used by the components within a portable computer. For example, a generic lithium-ion battery pack with a 3-series configuration/stack operates in the 9 to 12.6 voltage range, so the NVDC power scheme can reduce the incoming voltage range down to 9 to 12.6 volts. Future components or battery packs may operate at different voltage ranges, and as such, the NVDC power scheme may reduce the incoming voltage range down to the appropriate voltage range. The NVDC power scheme also improves the performance of the various DC-DC converters 312 in the portable computer 500.
[0029] The NVDC power scheme is implemented using a system charger/voltage regulator (SCVR) 504, shown in Figure 5. The up to approximately 19 volts of the AC power adapter 502 is isolated from the portable computer 500 by the SCVR 504 so its voltage never reaches the VDC node. The SCVR 504 acts as a gateway that receives the higher input voltage from the AC power adapter 502 (i.e., 19 volts) and then regulates that power down to a lower voltage output (i.e., 9 to 12.6 volts). The SCVR 504 then directs that power to components of the portable computer 500. As such, the VDC node voltage range is only 9 to 12.6 volts.
[0030] In addition to regulating the incoming voltage, the SCVR 504 may function as the battery charger 304 described above. The SCVR 504 can therefore direct power to recharge the on-board batteries 308 when receiving power from the AC power adapter 502. The SCVR 504 also delivers power to the DC/DC converters 312 where the power is used to address the system load 102.
[0031] The SCVR 504 in the NVDC power scheme shown in Figure 5 suffers from the same drawbacks of the system 100 shown in Figure 1 and the system 300 shown in Figure 3. The SCVR 504 dissipates a substantial amount of heat while it is performing all of its functions, such as regulating down the voltage, supplying power to the system load 102, and supplying power to the batteries 308. For example, the SCVR 504 may dissipate five to eight watts of power while carrying out these functions. The SCVR 504 has a sizable footprint inside the portable computer 500. And as described above, the SCVR 504 can only be used when the AC adapter 502 is connected. When the AC power adapter 502 is not connected, the SCVR 504 serves no function.
[0032] Figure 6 illustrates a novel power scheme for a portable computer 600 and its associated power adapter 602 that is designed in accordance with an implementation of the invention. The power scheme of Figure 6 is for use in portable computers based on the NVDC power scheme described in Figure 5.
[0033] The portable computer 600 utilizes a novel power adapter 602 that houses both an AC power adapter 602 A and an SCVR 602B. The portable computer 600 still houses on-board batteries 308 but no longer houses the SCVR 504. Once again, this implementation is possible because the SCVR 602B can only be used if the AC power adapter 602A is also in use. As such, moving the SCVR 602B outside of the portable computer 600 and housing it with the AC adapter 602A does not hinder the performance of the portable computer 600.
[0034] With the SCVR 602B housed in the novel power adapter 602, heat dissipation is moved outside of the portable computer 600, thereby increasing the reliability and stability of the portable computer 600. The heat may dissipate more quickly in this design. Additionally, the footprint within the portable computer 600 previously consumed by the SCVR 504 becomes available to either house other components or to decrease the form factor of the computer 600.
[0035] As shown in Figure 6, the novel power adapter 602 includes a trace 604 back to the portable computer 600. This trace 604 is a power supply line that provides the 9 to 12.6 volt input that portable computers using an NVDC power scheme use. The trace 604 from the SCVR 602B provides power to address the system load 102 and provides power to the batteries 308 for recharging. Power from the AC adapter 602A is provided only to the SCVR 602B for voltage regulation. The AC adapter 602 A does not supply power to the portable computer 600 directly. In one implementation, a trace 606 may also be included to couple the SCVR 602B to the SMC 314. Although not shown, another trace may be included between the novel power adapter 602 and the portable computer 600 for grounding purposes.
[0036] It has been observed that power ratings for AC adapters are rising because of the higher power demands of conventional portable computer systems due to ever increasing system loads and from the need to recharge battery packs. This results in even greater heat dissipation within a conventional portable computer system that uses an on-board battery charger. If the AC adapter cannot meet the increasing power demand, the AC adapter may overload and/or fail.
[0037] To address this issue, Figure 7 illustrates an implementation of the invention consisting of a power adapter 700 that is in communication with a portable computer system 702 to address or prevent overload problems. The power adapter 700 is an AC adapter as described above. The portable computer system 702 includes a battery charger 704 that may be mounted within the portable computer 702. In alternate implementations, the battery charger 704 may be housed within the power adapter 700, similar to implementations of the invention described above. The system 702 also includes an SMC 706.
[0038] In this implementation, an adapter overload (ADP_OL) signal line 708 is provided that couples the power adapter 700 to the portable computer 702 through, for instance, the battery charger 704. An adapter down (ADP_DOWN) signal line 710 is also provided that couples the battery charger 704 to the SMC 706.
[0039] When the power adapter 700 determines that the power demand of the portable computer 702 is too great and an overload of the power adapter 700 is occurring or is imminent, the power adapter 700 can send an "ADP_OL" signal to the battery charger 704 over the signal line 708. The battery charger 704 may then shut down the battery charging circuit to reduce the power demand from the power adapter 700. This action alone may avert a potential overload of the power adapter 700.
[0040] The battery charger 704 may also send a "ADP_DOWN" signal to the SMC 706 over the signal line 710. The SMC 706 may then take action to protect the portable computer 702 as it deems necessary. In one implementation, the SMC 706 may isolate the output of the power adapter 700 from the portable computer 702 using, for instance, an adapter isolation circuit 712. In further implementations, the SMC 706 or other components within the portable computer 702 may take further steps towards reducing the load on the battery charger 704, including but not limited to reducing display brightness setting, reducing the CPU speed, entering a sleep or hibernation mode, shutting down wireless communications, or shutting down unnecessary peripherals. The portable computer 702 may continue to operate using the batteries 108 and may undergo a sequential shut down method to preserve data prior to a complete shut down.
[0041] In some implementations, the "ADP-OL" signal on line 708 may be a bidirectional signal, thereby allowing the portable computer 702 to send data to the power adapter 700. In an implementation, the portable computer 702 may communicate its desired voltage level and the power adapter 700 may adjust its output voltage. Once this voltage level is acknowledged and met by the power adapter 700, if the voltage level delivered by the power adapter 700 changes from the desired voltage level, the portable computer 702 may determine that a power issue has developed within the power adapter 700, for instance broken wires or an imminent overload. The portable computer 702 may decide to isolate the output of the power adapter 700 and perform a safe sequential shut down prior to a complete power adapter 700 malfunction.
[0042] The implementations described with reference to Figure 7 provide a method by which the power adapter 700 may communicate with the portable computer 702 to alert the portable computer 702 of possible power delivery issues, such as an overload of the power adapter 700. This provides the portable computer 702 with an opportunity to perform a sequential and safe shut down prior to the corruption or loss of data.
[0043] The above description of illustrated implementations of the invention, including what is described in the Abstract, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. While specific implementations of, and examples for, the invention are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize.
[0044] These modifications may be made to the invention in light of the above detailed description. The terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific implementations disclosed in the specification and the claims. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be determined entirely by the following claims, which are to be construed in accordance with established doctrines of claim interpretation.

中文:
[0002]【0002】便携式计算机通常包括电池充电器,其接收来自AC电源的功率,并根据需要将该功率引导到可充电电池。当给电池再充电时,电池充电器总是消耗相当多的功率(如,3-4瓦),这取决于电池充电状态和充电接受能力。该功率通常作为热能消耗,该热能又增加了便携式计算机内的温度。便携式计算机内部温度的增加可以导致设备可靠性降低并且导致潜在的设备故障。此外,电池充电器往往在便携式计算机的印刷电路板(如,主板)上具有大的覆盖面积。这增加了便携式计算机的尺寸和/或占用了其它部件的空间。
[0003]【0003】除了散热问题,随着常规便携式计算机变得越来越需要功率,常规AC适配器也变得越来越可能发生过载,这会导致适配器出现故障。AC适配器的故障可能给便携式计算机带来瞬时功率损耗,这可能造成数据丢失或损坏。
[0004]【0004】因此,需要改善的便携式计算机和AC适配器的设计以提高便携式计算机的可靠性和性能。
[0005]【0005】图1说明了通用便携式计算机的电源方案;
[0006]【0006】图2说明了根据本发明的便携式计算机的电源方案;
[0007]【0007】图3说明了用于便携式计算机和AC电源适配器的第一常规电源方案;
[0008]【0008】图4说明了根据本发明的用于便携式计算机及其附属AC电源适配器的电源方案的一个实施例;
[0009]【0009】图5说明了用于便携式计算机和AC电源适配器的第二常规电源方案;
[0010]【0010】图6说明了根据本发明的用于便携式计算机及其附属AC电源适配器的电源方案的另一实施例;以及
[0011]【0011】图7说明了AC适配器与便携式计算机通信以解决或避免过载问题的实施例。
[0012]【0012】此处描述的是用于为便携式计算机供电并增加其可靠性和性能的系统和方法。在下面的描述中,将使用本领域技术人员在向本领域其他技术人员传达他们工作内容时通常采用的术语来描述示例性实施例的各个方面。然而,对本领域技术人员而言显而易见的是,本发明可以在只有一些所描述方面的情况下实施。出于说明目的,阐述了具体的数量、材料和配置,以便充分理解示例性实施例。然而,对本领域技术人员而言显而易见的是,本发明可以在没有具体细节的情况下实施。在其它实例中,省略或简化了公知的特征,以免混淆所述示例性实施例。
[0013]【0013】利用最有助于理解本发明的方式,依次将各个操作描述为多个离散的操作,然而,不应该将描述的顺序解释为暗含这些操作的顺序一定是相关的。尤其是,这些操作不必按照提出的顺序进行。
[0014]【0014】图1说明了通用便携式计算机的电源方案。所示的便携式计算机100具有系统负载102。系统负载102代表便携式计算机100的各个部件的功率需量,所述部件包括但并不限于:中央处理单元(CPU)、硬盘驱动器、随机存取存储器(RAM)、只读存储器(ROM)、CD-ROM驱动器、DVD驱动器、键盘、鼠标、监视器、无线通信设备或平台、以及本领域普通技术人员所公知的其它部件。交流(AC)适配器104从例如标准电插座等AC电源(未示出)接收功率,并且将该功率提供给便携式计算机100,以供应系统负载102的功率需量。功率还供应给电池充电器106,其使用该功率为一个或多个机载电池108充电。在AC电源无法使用时,电池108向便携式计算机100提供功率。
[0015]【0015】如上所述,电池充电器106在对电池108进行充电时往往消耗大量的热能。该散热增加了便携式计算机100的内部温度,并由此降低了便携式计算机100的可靠性和稳定性。另外,电池充电器106具有大的覆盖面积,其占据了便携式计算机100内的可用于容纳其它部件的空间,或者占据了可以去掉以减小便携式计算机100的尺寸的空间。
[0016]【0016】因此,根据本发明的实施例,图2说明了用于便携式计算机200的解决这些缺陷的电源方案。便携式计算机200利用新型的电源适配器202,其容纳了AC电源适配器202A(例如AC电源适配器电路)和电池充电器202B(例如电池充电器电路)。便携式计算机200还容纳了机载电池108,但不再容纳其自己的电池充电器106。
[0017]【0017】图2所示的实施例是可行的,这是因为电池充电器106仅在AC适配器104连接并且使用的条件下工作。电池充电器106需要来自AC适配器104的功率,以便对电池108充电。当AC适配器104没有连接并且便携式计算机100正由电池108供电时,电池充电器106不起作用。由于电池充电器106只能与AC适配器104一起使用,因此将电池充电器106移到便携式计算机100的外部并将其耦合到AC适配器104并不妨碍便携式计算机100的性能。
[0018]【0018】在电池充电器202B容纳在新型电源适配器202中的情况下,散热被移到便携式计算机200的外部。这增加了便携式计算机200的可靠性和稳定性。由于热量没有被限制在便携式计算机200的壳体内,因此这也能够使热量更快速地消散。另外,便携式计算机200内先前由电池充电器106占用的表面区域现在变成可用于其它部件。或者,便携式计算机200在除去电池充电器106后可以具有更小的形状系数。
[0019]【0019】图3说明了用于便携式计算机300和AC电源适配器302的第一常规电源方案。具有多电池组托架的便携式计算机使用该第一常规电源方案,例如,主便携式计算机系统300中的一个电池组308以及诸如DVD驱动器插架或软盘驱动器插架等设备插架(device-bay)中的第二电池组(未示出)。如图所示,AC电源适配器302向电池充电器304和功率通道开关306提供功率。电池充电器304用于经由充电器通道开关310对机载电池308进行充电。充电器通道开关310用在多电池组系统中,以提供一种可以将电池组彼此隔离以及将电池组与AC电源适配器302、与电池充电器304或与便携式计算机300的其余部分隔离的机制。
[0020]【0020】功率通道开关306用于引导便携式计算机300内的功率流动。例如,功率通道开关306可以引导功率从AC电源适配器302经由DC/DC变换器312到系统负载102。或者,功率通道开关306可以引导功率从电池308经由DC/DC变换器312到系统负载102。图3还说明了表示向系统300供应功率的主电源母线的VDC节点。
[0021]【0021】便携式计算机300进一步包括系统管理控制器(SMC)314。SMC 314具有许多本领域公知的功能。例如,SMC 314能够与电池308通信(如,借助于诸如SMBus等智能电池规范),以便收集例如电池308是否需要充电以及电池剩余多少容量或运行时间的信息。SMC 314能够使用该信息以帮助便携式计算机300确定应该将功率引导到哪里以及使用哪个电源。
[0022]【0022】在图3所示的常规电源方案中,当AC电源适配器302连接时,将功率从AC适配器302引导到电池充电器304和功率通道开关306,在此可以向系统负载102供应功率。如果电池308需要充电,那么电池充电器304能够向电池308供应功率。在具有多电池组托架的系统中,电池充电器304还能够向位于设备插架中的第二电池供应功率。
[0023]【0023】图3所示常规电源方案中的电池充电器304遭受与图1所示系统100相同的缺陷。即,电池充电器304在向电池308和/或设备插件中的电池供应功率的同时散发了大量的热。例如,电池充电器304在对电池进行充电的同时可能消耗三到四瓦的功率。电池充电器304在便携式计算机300内也具有相当大的覆盖面积。最后,电池充电器304只能够在AC适配器302连接时使用。当AC电源适配器302没有连接时,电池充电器304不起作用。
[0024]【0024】图4说明了一种根据本发明实施例设计的用于便携式计算机400及其附属电源适配器402的新型电源方案。图4的电源方案用于基于图3所述的第一常规电源方案的便携式计算机。
[0025]【0025】便携式计算机400采用了一种新型电源适配器402,该电源适配器402容纳有AC电源适配器402A和电池充电器402B。便携式计算机400还容纳有机载电池308但不再容纳电池充电器304。便携式计算机400还可以在设备插架中容纳电池组(未示出)。而且,该实施例是可行的,这是因为电池充电器在AC适配器402没有连接的情况下不能使用。同样地,将电池充电器移到便携式计算机400的外部并与AC适配器402A容纳在一起并不妨碍便携式计算机400的性能。
[0026]【0026】在将电池充电器402B容纳在新型电源适配器402的情况下,散热被移到便携式计算机400的外部,因此增加了便携式计算机400的可靠性和稳定性。在该设计中,热量可以更快地消散。另外,便携式计算机400内先前由电池充电器304占用的覆盖面积变成可用于容纳其它部件,或者用于降低计算机400的形状系数。
[0027]【0027】如图4所示,新型电源适配器402具有两条返回便携式计算机400的线路(trace)。第一线路404是为系统负载102提供功率的供电线路。例如,这可以是常规便携式计算机使用的正常19伏输入。第二线路406是供电线路,其是电池充电器402B的输出并向电池308提供用于充电的功率。虽然未示出,但是另一条线路可以包括在新型电源适配器402和便携式计算机400之间,以用于接地。
[0028]【0028】图5说明了用于便携式计算机500和AC电源适配器502的第二常规电源方案。该第二常规电源方案在本领域中称为“窄VDC”(NVDC)方案,这是一种用于降低VDC节点的电压范围的设计技术。在公知的电源方案中,AC适配器以典型在大约19伏以下范围内的电压传递功率。然后,将该电压范围提供在VDC节点上。然而,在NVDC电源方案中,该电压范围在传递到VDC节点前降低了。例如,在一个实施例中,电源范围可以降低到大约9到12.6伏。因为电压范围能够降低以与便携式计算机内的部件正在使用的电压范围相匹配,所以NVDC电源方案降低了设计的复杂性。例如,具有3个串联布置/层叠的通用锂离子电池组在9到12.6的电压范围内工作,因而NVDC电源方案能够将输入电压范围降低到9到12.6伏。将来的部件或电池组可以在不同的电压范围内工作,NVDC电源方案同样可以将输入电压范围降低到适当的电压范围。NVDC电源方案还改进了便携式计算机500中的各种DC-DC变换器312的性能。
[0029]【0029】NVDC电源方案是利用系统充电器/电压调节器(SCVR)504来实现的,如图5所示。AC电源适配器502的大约等于19伏的电压通过SCVR 504与便携式计算机500隔离,因此其电压永远不会到达VDC节点。SCVR 504作为从AC电源适配器502接收较高输入电压(即,19伏)的入口,然后将功率调节到较低的电压输出(即,9到12.6伏)。然后,SCVR 504将该功率引导到便携式计算机500的部件。同样,VDC节点的电压范围只是9到12.6伏。
[0030]【0030】除了调节输入电压之外,SCVR 504还起上述电池充电器304的作用。因此,SCVR 504能够引导功率,以在接收到来自AC电源适配器502的功率时对机载电池308进行充电。SCVR 504还传递功率到DC/DC变换器312,在此功率用于为系统负载102供电。
[0031]【003 1】图5所示的NVDC电源方案中的SCVR 504遭受与图1所示系统100和图3所示系统300相同的缺陷。SCVR 504在执行其所有功能(例如,调低电压、向系统负载102供应功率以及向电池308供应功率)的同时散发了大量的热。例如,SCVR 504在执行这些功能的同时可能消耗五到八瓦的功率。SCVR 504在便携式计算机500内具有相当大的覆盖面积。并且如上所述,SCVR 504只能在AC适配器502连接时使用。当AC电源适配器502没有连接时,SCVR 504不起作用。
[0032]【0032】图6说明了一种根据本发明实施例设计的用于便携式计算机600及其附属电源适配器602的新型电源方案。图6的电源方案用于基于图5所述的NVDC电源方案的便携式计算机。
[0033]【0033】便携式计算机600采用了一种新型电源适配器602,该电源适配器602容纳有AC电源适配器602A和SCVR 602B。便携式计算机600还容纳有机载电池308但不再容纳SCVR 504。再次,该实施例是可行的,这是因为SCVR 602B只能在AC电源适配器602A也在使用的情况下使用。同样地,将SCVR 602B移到便携式计算机600的外部并将其与AC适配器602A容纳在一起并不妨碍便携式计算机600的性能。
[0034]【0034】在将SCVR 602B容纳在新型电源适配器602的情况下,散热被移到便携式计算机600的外部,因此增加了便携式计算机600的可靠性和稳定性。在该设计中,热量可以更快地消散。另外,便携式计算机600内先前由SCVR 504占用的覆盖面积变成可用于容纳其它部件,或者用于降低计算机600的形状系数。
[0035]【0035】如图6所示,新型电源适配器602包括返回便携式计算机600的线路604。该线路604是供电线路,其提供了采用NVDC电源方案的便携式计算机使用的9到12.6伏的输入。来自SCVR 602B的线路604为系统负载102提供功率,并向电池308提供用于进行充电的功率。来自AC适配器602A的功率只提供给SCVR 602B,以进于电压调节。AC适配器602A并不直接向便携式计算机600供应功率。在一个实施例中,还可以包括线路606,以将SCVR 602B耦合到SMC 314。虽然未示出,但是另一条线路可以包括在新型电源适配器602和便携式计算机600之间,以用于接地。
[0036]【0036】已经注意到,因为常规便携式计算机系统由于不断增加的系统负载和需要对电池组进行充电而造成的越来越高的功率需量,因此AC适配器的额定功率正不断升高。这导致使用机载电池充电器的常规便携式计算机系统内的散热甚至更大。如果AC适配器不能满足不断增加的功率需量,那么AC适配器可能过载和/或发生故障。AC适配器过载,加之由于增加的散热而增加的内部温度可以使便携式计算机系统变得更不可靠并且可能导致系统故障。
[0037]【0037】为了解决该问题,图7举例说明了本发明的一种实施例,其包括与便携式计算机系统702通信以解决或避免过载问题的电源适配器700。电源适配器700是如上所述的AC适配器。便携式计算机系统702包括电池充电器704,其安装在便携式计算机702内。在可选实施例中,类似于本发明上述的实施例,电池充电器704可以容纳在电源适配器700内。系统702还包括SMC 706。
[0038]【0038】在该实施例中,提供了适配器过载(ADP_OL)信号线708,其通过例如电池充电器704将电源适配器700耦合到便携式计算机702。还提供了适配器关闭(ADP_DOWN)信号线710,其将电池充电器704耦合到SMC 706。
[0039]【0039】当电源适配器700确定便携式计算机702的功率需量过大并且电源适配器700的过载已发生或即将发生时,电源适配器700可以通过信号线708将“ADP_OL”信号发送到电池充电器704。然后,电池充电器704可以关闭电池充电电路,以降低对电源适配器700的功率需量。这个动作仅仅可以防止电源适配器700的潜在过载。
[0040]【0040】电池充电器704还可以在信号线710上发送“ADP_DOWN”信号到SMC 706。然后,SMC 706在认为必要时可以采取行动保护便携式计算机702。在一个实施例中,SMC 706可以利用例如适配器隔离电路712,以使电源适配器700的输出与便携式计算机702隔离。在另一个实施例中,SMC 706或便携式计算机702内的其它部件可以为降低电池充电器704上的负载而采取进一步措施,包括但不局限于:降低显示器亮度设置、降低CPU速度、进入睡眠或休眠模式、关闭无线通信或者关闭不必要的外围设备。便携式计算机702可以使用电池108继续操作,并且可以采取顺序关闭方法以在完全关闭前保存数据。
[0041]【0041】在一些实施例中,线708上的“ADP_OL”信号可以是双向信号,从而允许便携式计算机702向电源适配器700发送数据。在实施例中,便携式计算机702可以传送它所期望的电压电平,并且电源适配器700可以调节它的输出电压。一旦电源适配器700确认并满足了该电压电平,那么如果电源适配器700传递的电压电平不同于所期望的电压电平,则便携式计算机702可以确定:该电源适配器700内已经出现了功率问题,例如断线或即将过载。便携式计算机702可以决定隔离电源适配器700的输出,并在电源适配器700彻底失效前进行安全的顺序关闭。
[0042]【0042】参考图7所述的实施例提出了一种方法,电源适配器700可以利用该方法与便携式计算机702通信,以警告便携式计算机702可能发生的功率传递问题,例如电源适配器700的过载。这为便携式计算机702提供了在数据损坏或丢失前执行顺序安全关闭的机会。
[0043]【0043】本发明示例性实施例的上述说明(包括摘要中的描述)并不是要穷尽本发明或将本发明限制为所公开的精确形式。尽管为了说明在此公开了本发明的具体实施例和实例,但是相关领域技术人员应该意识到,在本发明的范围内可以进行各种等效修改。
[0044]【0044】根据上面的详细描述,可以对本发明做出这些修改。下列权利要求中使用的术语不应理解为要将本发明限制为说明书和权利要求中所公开的具体实施例。相反,本发明的范围将完全由下列权利要求确定,其中将根据解释权利要求所建立的教条来理解所述下列权利要求。