Abstract:
According to one disclosed embodiment, a smart charging system includes a power conversion unit having a communication module and a charging integrated circuit that can convert mains power into a managed charging power used to charge any of several electronic devices. In one embodiment, a power conversion unit can manage a charging process by communicating with a connected electronic device and exchanging a charge profile representing ideal characteristics of the charging power. In one embodiment, an electronic device receives a charge from a power conversion unit through a wired power conduit. In another embodiment, an electronic device receives a charge from a power conversion unit through a wireless power conduit. In one embodiment, the smart charging system includes a battery usable to charge an electronic device when a mains adapter of the smart charging system is not powered.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is based on and claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/336,846, filed on Jan. 26, 2010, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is generally in the field of electronic devices and systems. More particularly, the present invention is in the field of delivery of power to electronic devices and systems. 
     2. Background Art 
     The use of battery operated electronic devices continues to proliferate into all aspects of daily life, from the commonplace laptop to all the innovative accessories designed for convenient use of portable electronic devices. As demand for these devices has expanded, so has the demand for higher reliability, efficiency and convenience with respect to both the manufacturing and the operating life of the devices. 
     Conventional power supplies used to charge battery operated electronic devices are typically inefficient and unconfigurable, mainly to reduce manufacturing cost, but also because general safety and liability concerns steer manufacturers towards designing their power supplies to be physically differentiated from product to product so as to limit the risk of damage due to incompatible voltage and current specifications. Because each matched power supply is typically designed to serve only a very limited market for a limited amount of time (e.g., the life of a single product), little effort is invested into designing high efficiency and reliability into each iteration of the generic power supply. Further, the lack of interchangeability typically leads to consumers having multiple collections of conventional power supplies at home, at work, and even in their car, for example. 
     Thus, there is a need to overcome the drawbacks and deficiencies in the art by providing a charging system that can be readily adapted to charge electronic devices efficiently, reliably and conveniently. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a smart charging system and related method, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a modular view of a smart charging system, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a modular view of a smart charging system, according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a modular view of a smart charging system, according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  shows a flowchart illustrating steps taken to implement a method for charging an electronic device, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a smart charging system and related method. The following description contains specific information pertaining to the implementation of the present invention. One skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention may be implemented in a manner different from that specifically discussed in the present application. Moreover, some of the specific details of the invention are not discussed in order not to obscure the invention. 
     The drawings in the present application and their accompanying detailed description are directed to merely exemplary embodiments of the invention. To maintain brevity, other embodiments of the present invention are not specifically described in the present application and are not specifically illustrated by the present drawings. It should be understood that unless noted otherwise, like or corresponding elements among the figures may be indicated by like or corresponding reference numerals. Moreover, the drawings and illustrations in the present application are generally not to scale, and are not intended to correspond to actual relative dimensions. 
     Conventional charging systems suffer from many inefficiencies tied to their inability to be used universally. For example, at the end of the life of a typical electronic device, its charging system is often simply thrown away because it is incompatible with other electronic devices. Knowing this, manufactures typically build their charging systems as cheaply as possible, and instead rely on secondary power regulation schemes built into the electronic devices themselves to refine the supplied power. This almost invariably produces undesirable, life-shortening heat or other damaging effects within the electronic devices, which compounds the overall material waste, especially over multiple product iterations. With respect to electrical inefficiency, not only do the secondary power regulation schemes waste a substantial amount of energy during charging (e.g., sometimes doubling the wasted power during charging), the associated charging logic and sensing circuitry often draws enough power from the battery of the electronic device to significantly reduce the charge life of a typical battery operated electronic device. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a modular view of a smart charging system, according to one embodiment of the present invention, that is capable of overcoming the drawbacks and deficiencies of the conventional art. Smart charging system  100 , in  FIG. 1 , includes power conversion unit (PCU)  110 , electronic device  120  and wired power conduit  116 . According to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , PCU  110  can be configured to connect to a mains alternating current (AC) power line through a standard wall mounted electrical socket, using mains adapter  111 , and to charge electronic device  120  using wired power conduit  116 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , wired power conduit  116  can be connected to PCU  110  through connector  117 , which may be a fixed connection or a detachable modular connection, such as through a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface plug-in connector, for example. Wired power conduit  116  can connect PCU  110  to electronic device  120  through modular connector  118 , which may be a mini-USB connector, for example, or any modular connector suitable for providing an interface between wired power conduit  116  and an electronic device or system being charged. Wired power conduit  116  can serve as a power transfer connection between PCU  110  and electronic device  120  and can be used to transfer power to electronic device  120  to operate electronic device  120  and/or charge battery  122  of electronic device  120 . 
     It is noted that although the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  represents PCU  110  in combination with a particular electronic device, e.g., electronic device  120 , that representation is provided merely as an example. More generally, PCU  110  may be used to manage delivery of power for charging and/or operation for various individual electronic devices and/or systems, each requiring its own specific charging parameters. Alternatively, PCU  110  may be a dedicated device configured to manage charging for a specific electronic device or system. In any implementation, however, PCU  110  is configured to support a communication channel between itself and the electronic device or system to which it is connected. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , according to the present embodiment of smart charging system  100 , PCU  110  includes communication module  112 , battery  113  and charging integrated circuit (IC)  114 . Communication module  112  can be configured to send and receive charging parameters between electronic device  120  and charging IC  114  over a communication channel established between PCU  110  and electronic device  120 . In embodiments such as that shown in  FIG. 1 , in which power is transferred from PCU  110  to electronic device  120  over a wired connection, e.g., wired power conduit  116 , the wired connection may also provide a communication channel for transfer of charging parameters. Communication module  112  can also be configured to support a separate wireless communication channel to electronic device  120 , such as through a Bluetooth, Bluetooth LE, WiFi, Near Field Communication (NFC), or other suitable wireless communication protocol, for example, either in addition or as an alternative to a wired communication channel over wired power conduit  116 . Additionally, although communication module  112  is depicted as separate from charging IC  114  in  FIG. 1 , it should be understood that in other embodiments, the above functionality of communication module  112  may be provided by an appropriately configured charging IC acting alone. 
     Charging IC  114  may comprise, for example, a microcontroller having multiple digital and analog input/output ports coupled to, for example, communication module  112  and a programmable variable power supply, as known in the art, and can be configured to use charging parameters received from electronic device  120  to manage various operating characteristics of the charging power delivered to electronic device  120 . Depending on the detail of the information transmitted by electronic device  120 , charging IC  114  can also be configured to monitor the charging power characteristics of PCU  110  for feedback on the progress of charging, for example, a battery (e.g., battery  122  of electronic device  120 ). 
     In one example, the presence of communication module  112  and charging IC  114  can enable charging IC  114  to set a current and/or voltage limit on power delivered to electronic device  120 . Charging IC  114  can be configured to determine such limits by consulting a charging parameter such as, for example, a charging profile received from electronic device  120  over a communication channel. A charging profile may comprise, for example, an initial peak current level, a subsequent peak voltage level, and a cut-off minimum current level, each used in various procedural phases of safely charging a battery (e.g., battery  122  of device  120 ) as is known in the art. By monitoring the charging power characteristics of PCU  110  and consulting a charging profile that contains the current and voltage levels for phases of charging battery  122 , charging IC  114  can determine an appropriate charging power to deliver to electronic device  120  in order to safely and efficiently charge battery  122 . Moreover, charging IC  114  can combine the power monitoring information with a charging profile to estimate a capacity level for battery  122  by, for example, comparing the existing charging current to a cut-off minimum current level. 
     In another example, charging IC  114  can determine an appropriate charging power by consulting a periodically updated charging state of battery  122  as well as information contained in a charging profile for battery  122 , both being charging parameters transmitted by electronic device  120 . In addition to the information described above, or in the alternative, a charging profile may comprise safety and maintenance protocols, such as instructions imposing current and voltage limits in the event that battery  122  exceeds its particular maximum temperature or charge ratings while being charged, or instructions for varying current and voltage supplied to battery  122  over a period of time to recondition battery  122 , for example. Furthermore, a charging profile may comprise battery design characteristics such as, for example, a designed capacity, a number of electrochemical cells, a manufacturer, and a chemistry of the relevant battery, as is known in the art. A charging state, in contrast, may comprise, for example, an existing capacity level, a manufacturing date, an existing temperature, and/or a target charge time (e.g., a time by which battery  122  should be fully charged), for example. 
     In this example, charging IC  114  can determine an appropriate charging power to deliver to electronic device by using information in a transmitted charging state and charging profile to construct a safe and efficient charging strategy for battery  122 . For instance, although electronic device  120  may indicate that battery  122  is able to be fast-charged at a power level beyond the capacity of PCU  110 , charging IC  114  can select an operating mode (e.g., a particular charging strategy) that minimizes the time to a full charge for battery  122  yet does not exceed the power capacity of PCU  110 . To illustrate further, if, for example, a charging state indicates that the existing battery temperature is greater than the maximum temperature rating (e.g., a rating transmitted as part of a charging profile), charging IC  114  may disconnect power to electronic device  120 . Alternatively, if a charging state additionally indicates that a target charge time is many hours away, charging IC  114  may apply a safe mode until the existing battery temperature of battery  122  drops below its maximum temperature rating, and then proceed with a safe and efficient charging strategy, as explained above. Such a safe mode can comprise, for example, a standardized output voltage expected at an initial power connection (e.g., before any communication takes place), such as a nominal 5 V, coupled with a minimal peak current level, such as 5-10 mA or 100-500 mA, for example, depending upon the particular implementation environment. In any event, the peak current setting is suitably, selected so as to be small enough to preclude any electrical damage yet be sufficient to power, for example, a connected electronic device&#39;s standardized communication circuitry. 
     In a third example, instead of charging IC  114  determining an appropriate charging power for electronic device  120  through consultation of, for example, a charging profile and a charging state, electronic device  120  may simply provide charging IC  114  a charging parameter comprising, for example, a particular desired voltage level. In this operating mode, electronic device  120  only transmits its desired charging power characteristics, e.g., current and/or voltage levels, to charging IC  114  and not an extensive charging profile, as described above. As a safety measure, charging IC  114  can be configured to monitor both the charging power characteristics and the communication link with electronic device  120 , and in the event of a power spike or a failure in communication, can apply a safe mode or disconnect electronic device  120  completely until the undesirable status is resolved (e.g., by reestablishing a communication link). 
     The above described functionality allows PCU  110  to be used to charge any electronic device capable of transmitting charging parameters to charging IC  114 , which enables smart charging system  100  to reduce the need for a separate conventional charger per electronic device. Also, the above features allow PCU  110  to offload charging logic, sensing and power regulation circuitry from electronic device  120 , which may decrease the manufacturing cost of electronic device  120  as well as the power needs of and the waste heat generated in electronic device  120  during charging, as explained above. Further, because PCU  110  can be used with multiple devices and multiple generations of devices, there is an incentive for manufacturers to build higher efficiency and reliability into embodiments of the present invention than with conventional matched power supplies, which can, especially in the aggregate, substantially decrease waste of electrical and material resources. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , PCU  110  may additionally comprise battery  113 . Although the term “battery” is conventionally used to refer to a collection of electrochemical cells used to store electrical power, the term, as used above and below, additionally includes any chargeable device configured to store electrical power, such as, for example, a voltage regulated capacitor. Battery  113  can therefore comprise, for example, any chargeable power storage device, and can be configured to power PCU  110  when mains adapter  111  is unpowered. Charging IC  114 , in addition to having the features described above, can also be configured to charge battery  113  when mains adapter  111  is powered. As shown in  FIG. 1 , battery  113  can be configured to power PCU  110 , thereby enabling all the power management and charging features described above with respect to PCU  110 , communication module  112  and charging IC  114  when a connection to a power mains is impossible or inconvenient. Moreover, battery  113  may allow smart charging system  100  to be temporarily portable, which can allow PCU  110  to charge or power electronic device  120  during, for example, extended travel, up to the capacity of battery  113 . Therefore, battery  113  can be configured to allow PCU  110  to act as a portable supplemental or secondary power source for electronic device  120 . 
     Although not shown in  FIG. 1 , it is noted that PCU  110  may include various status indicators used to communicate, for example, an active communication link with electronic device  120 , an applied safe mode, or the percentage capacity of battery  122  of electronic device  120  (e.g., a “fuel gauge” indicator). Each status indicator can comprise, for example, a single light emitting diode (LED) or series of LEDs, where each status indicator may be operated by charging IC  114 , as known in the art. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an example of a smart charging system, according to the present inventive principles, which utilizes a wireless connection to charge an electronic device. Smart charging system  200  includes PCU  210 , which is configured to draw power through mains adapter  211  and comprises communication module  212  and charging IC  214 . Also shown in  FIG. 2  is electronic device  220  having battery  222 . PCU  210 , communication module  212 , charging IC  214 , mains adapter  211 , electronic device  220  and battery  222  correspond respectively to PCU  110 , communication module  112 , charging IC  114 , mains adapter  111 , electronic device  120  and battery  122 , in  FIG. 1 . Likewise, each of the advantageous features enabled by use of communication module  112  and charging IC  114  of PCU  110 , as described above, can also be enabled by use of communication module  212  and charging IC  214  of PCU  210 . Although smart charging system  200  lacks a battery analogous to battery  113  of smart charging system  100  of  FIG. 1 , it is understood that PCU  210  can be alternatively configured with a similar battery having all the same features and benefits as those discussed with respect to battery  113 , above. 
     According to the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , power transfer and communication are implemented wirelessly. Power may be transferred from PCU  210  to electronic device  220  through wireless power conduit  216  by inductive coupling, or resonant inductive coupling, for example, as known in the art. In one embodiment, communication module  212  can be configured to use wireless power conduit  216  as a wireless communication channel. Communication module  212  can also be configured to support any suitable wireless communication link independent of the inductive link used for power transfer, such as a Bluetooth, Bluetooth LE, WiFi, or NFC mediated link, for example, either in addition to or as an alternative to a wireless communication channel established over wireless power conduit  216 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a further example of a smart charging system, according to the present inventive principles, which provides a portable electronic device  320  having a relatively large charge storage capacity, represented as battery  313 , that can be used as a portable supplemental or secondary power source for electronic device  330 . Smart charging system  300  includes portable electronic device  320 , which can comprise PCU  310  including communication module  312  and charging IC  314 , and, as shown in  FIG. 3 , can be configured to draw power from battery  313 . Also shown in  FIG. 3  is electronic device  330  having battery  332  connected to portable electronic device  320  through wired power conduit  316  and modular connectors  318   a  and  318   b . PCU  310 , communication module  312 , battery  313 , charging IC  314 , electronic device  330 , battery  332 , wired power conduit  316  and modular connectors  318   a  and  318   b  correspond respectively to PCU  110 , communication module  112 , battery  113 , charging IC  114 , electronic device  120 , battery  122 , wired power conduit  116  and modular connector  118 , in  FIG. 1 . Likewise, each of the advantageous features enabled by use of communication module  112 , battery  113  and charging IC  114  of PCU  110 , as described above, can also be enabled by use of communication module  312 , battery  313  and charging IC  314  of portable electronic device  320 , but with respect to connected electronic device  330 , as explained more fully below. 
     In embodiments such as smart charging system  300  shown in  FIG. 3 , in which portable electronic device  320  serves as a portable supplemental or secondary power source for electronic device  330 , charging IC  314  can be configured to maximize the charge life of smart charging system  300  by supplying only enough power for electronic device  330  to function, for example, rather than attempting to charge battery  332 . Alternatively, charging IC  314  can be configured to charge battery  332  in order to, for example, allow electronic device  330  to be used independently of portable electronic device  320 . As with charging IC  114  of PCU  110  above, charging IC  314  of PCU  310  can also be configured to charge battery  313  using power supplied by, for example, a power mains adapter (not shown in  FIG. 3 ). 
       FIG. 4  shows a flowchart illustrating a method for charging an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Certain details and features have been left out of flowchart  400  that are apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art. For example, a step may consist of one or more substeps or may involve specialized equipment or materials, as known in the art. Steps  401  through  403  indicated in flowchart  400  are sufficient to describe one embodiment of the present invention; however, other embodiments of the invention may make use of steps different from those shown in flowchart  400 . 
     Referring now to step  401  of the method embodied in  FIG. 4 , step  401  of flowchart  400  comprises detecting a connection between an electronic device and a PCU. The electronic device may be, for example, any chargeable electronic device. The PCU can comprise a communication module and a charging IC, and can be configured to draw power from a mains adapter, such as the PCUs described above. The detected connection may be over a wired or wireless power conduit, a wired or wireless communication channel, or any combination of those, and can be detected, for example, through a cooperative effort between the communication module and the charging IC, or by the charging IC alone through a change in, for example, a measured output impedance of the PCU. 
     Continuing with step  402  in  FIG. 4 , step  402  of flowchart  400  comprises attempting to establish a communication link between the electronic device and the PCU. Upon detection of a connection, as described in step  401 , the communication module of the PCU may attempt to communicate with the connected electronic device by, for example, sending a query over a wired or wireless communication channel. The communication module may initiate the attempt itself, for example, or may do so at the request of the charging IC. 
     Moving now to step  403  in  FIG. 4 , step  403  of flowchart  400  comprises using the information gathered from the communication attempt performed in step  402  to select an operating mode for the charging IC that optimizes charging the electronic device. Information gathered from the attempt may include, for example, a charging profile, a charging state, a requested charging power characteristic (e.g., a current and/or voltage limit), or a target charge time. Optimizing charging the electronic device may include, but is not limited to, modifying the charging power to conform to a specific charging parameter or simply disconnecting the electronic device from the PCU. 
     For instance, in the event that the electronic device does not or cannot communicate with the PCU, the charging IC may choose to either disconnect the electronic device entirely or, for example, apply a safe mode, as described above, to the connection to the electronic device. If, alternatively, the electronic device communicates a particular target charge time, for example, the charging IC may choose to disconnect the device completely for some period of time, rather than apply a safe mode, or choose to use a relatively low charging power over a longer period of time (e.g., a trickle charge, as known in the art), for example, in order to maximize the overall efficiency of the system while the electronic device is connected. As can be seen, the operating mode selection process allows the charging IC to maximize the efficiency of the system while taking into account information assembled from the attempted communication, thereby optimizing charging the electronic device. 
     Therefore, by providing a smart charging system having the ability to communicate with connected electronic devices, and also having the ability to programmatically adjust a charging power in response to those communications, the present inventive concepts provide a smart charging system that can significantly reduce waste, both in the form of material resources as well as electrical energy, by being capable of conveniently and efficiently charging a wide variety of electronic devices. Further, by being able to adjust a charging power to meet the requirements of many different electronic devices, the present inventive concepts also allow battery operated electronic devices to be manufactured without charging logic, sensing, and power regulation circuitry, thereby extending their operating lifetime (e.g., by reducing waste heat generated in their internal circuitry) while reducing their overall manufacturing cost. 
     From the above description of the invention it is manifest that various techniques can be used for implementing the concepts of the present invention without departing from its scope. Moreover, while the invention has been described with specific reference to certain embodiments, a person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention. Thus, the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. It should also be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described herein but is capable of many rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions without departing from the scope of the invention.