Patent Publication Number: US-2015061574-A1

Title: Charger

Description:
FIELD 
     The subject matter herein generally relates to chargers, and particularly to a charger for a portable electronic device. 
     BACKGROUND 
     When power of an electronic device (e.g. a mobile phone or tablet computer) is exhausted, a charger may recharge the electronic device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Implementations of the present technology will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figure, wherein: 
       The figure is a circuit view of one embodiment of a charger. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts have been exaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the present disclosure. 
     Several definitions that apply throughout this disclosure will now be presented. 
     The term “coupled” is defined as connected, whether directly or indirectly through intervening components, and is not necessarily limited to physical connections. The connection can be such that the objects are permanently connected or releasably connected. The term “substantially” is defined to be essentially conforming to the particular dimension, shape or other word that substantially modifies, such that the component need not be exact. For example, substantially cylindrical means that the object resembles a cylinder, but can have one or more deviations from a true cylinder. The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in the so-described combination, group, series and the like. 
     In the present disclosure, “module,” refers to logic embodied in hardware or firmware, or to a collection of software instructions, written in a program language. In one embodiment, the program language can be Java, C, or assembly. One or more software instructions in the modules can be embedded in firmware, such as in an EPROM. The modules described herein can be implemented as either software and/or hardware modules and can be stored in any type of non-transitory computer-readable media or storage medium. Non-limiting examples of a non-transitory computer-readable medium include CDs, DVDs, flash memory, and hard disk drives. 
     The present disclosure is described in relation to a charger. 
     The figure is circuit view of one embodiment of a charger  100 . The charger  100  is configured to charge a first device and a second device. In one embodiment, the first device can be a mobile phone, and a second device can be a tablet computer. 
     The charger  100  includes a current output unit  10 , an identification unit  20 , a control unit  30 , and a switching unit  40 . 
     The current output unit  10  is configured to output current. Specifically, the current output unit  10  outputs an initial current before the first device and the second device are identified. Additionally, the current output unit  10  outputs a first charging current or a second charging current according to the one of the first device and the second device which is identified by the identification unit  20 . 
     The identification unit  20  is configured to identify which one of the first device and the second device is electrically connected thereto, and output identification signals accordingly. The identification unit  20  includes a charging port J, a first diode D 01 , and a second diode D 02 . The first device or the second device can be coupled to the charging port J for obtaining current from the charger  100 . An anode of the first diode D 01  is coupled to the current output unit  10 , and a cathode of first diode D 01  is coupled to the charging port J. An anode of the second diode D 02  is coupled to the current output unit  10 , and a cathode of second diode D 02  is coupled to the charging port J. 
     Generally, an impedance of the first device is different from an impedance of the second device. When the first device is coupled to the charging port J, the charging port J triggers a first voltage drop signal corresponding to the impedance of the first device. When the second device is coupled to the charging port J, the charging port J triggers a second voltage drop signal corresponding to the impedance of the second device. 
     The control unit  30  is coupled to the current output unit  10 , the identification unit  20 , and the switching unit  40 . The control unit  30  is configured to control the current output unit  10  and the switching unit  40  based on the first voltage drop signal and the second voltage drop signal. The control unit  30  includes a processor U 1  and a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller U 2  coupled to the processor U 1  and the current output unit  10 . The processor U 1  is coupled to the charging port J to receive the first voltage drop signal and the second voltage drop signal. When the first voltage drop signal is received, the processor U 1  outputs a first command to the PWM controller U 2 , and then the PWM controller U 2  controls the current output unit  10  to output the first charging current. When the second voltage drop signal is received, the processor U 1  outputs a second command to the PWM controller U 2 , and then the PWM controller U 2  controls the current output unit  10  to output second first charging current. 
     The processor U 1  includes a first output pin  01  and a second output pin  02 . The first output pin  01  is coupled to the switching unit  40 , to output a first control signal to the switching unit  40  according to the first voltage drop signal. The second output pin  02  is coupled to the switching unit  40 , to output a second control signal to the switching unit  40  according to the second voltage drop signal. 
     The switching unit  40  is directed by the processor U 1  to provide a first charging path and a second charging path between the current output unit  10  and the charging port J. The switching unit  40  includes a first thyristor D 1 , a second thyristor D 2 , a third thyristor D 3 , a fourth thyristor D 4 , a magnet M, a coil C, an elastic sheet S, a first contact pin T 1 , a second contact pin T 2 , a first spring E 1 , and a second spring E 2 . The first thyristor D 1  and the third thyristor D 3  are electronically connected between the current output unit  10  and ground in series. The second thyristor D 2  and the fourth thyristor D 4  are electronically connected between the current output unit  10  and ground in series, and are jointly parallel to the first thyristor D 1  and the third thyristor D 3 . Each of the first thyristor D 1 , the second thyristor D 2 , the third thyristor D 3 , and the fourth thyristor D 4  includes an anode A, a cathode K, and a gate G. The gates G of the first thyristor D 1  and the fourth thyristor D 4  are electronically connected to the first output pin O 1 . Thus, the first thyristor D 1  and the fourth thyristor D 4  can be turned on by the first control signal output from the first output pin O 1 . The gates G of the second thyristor D 2  and the third thyristor D 3  are electronically connected to the second output pin O 2 . Thus, the second thyristor D 2  and the third thyristor D 3  can be turned on by the second control signal output from the second output pin O 2 . 
     The coil C is coiled on the magnet M. A first end of the coil C is electronically connected between the cathode K of the first thyristor D 1  and the anode A of the third thyristor D 3 , and a second end of the coil C is electronically connected between the cathode K of the second thyristor D 2  and the anode A of the fourth thyristor D 4 . The first contact pin T 1  is electronically connected between the cathode of the first diode D 01  and the charging port J, and the second contact pin T 2  is electronically connected between the cathode of the second diode D 02  and the charging port J. The elastic sheet S is substantially an L-shaped magnetic sheet, a first end of the elastic sheet S is electronically connected to the current output unit  10 , and a second end of the elastic sheet S is adjacent to the magnet M, and is positioned between the first contact pin T 1  and the second contact pin T 2 . 
     The first spring E 1  and the second spring E 2  are positioned opposite to each other. The first spring E 1  is mechanically coupled to the first contact pin T 1  and the charging port J, and is coupled to the elastic sheet S via an insulation wire. The second spring E 2  is mechanically coupled to the second contact pin T 2  and the charging port J, and is coupled to the elastic sheet S via an insulation wire. Thus, the elastic sheet S can be steadily positioned between the first contact pin T 1  and the second contact pin T through the first spring E 1  and the second E 2 . In other embodiments, the elastic sheet S can be positioned by other mechanisms, and thus the first spring E 1  and the second spring E 2  can be omitted. 
     In use, when the first device or the second device is coupled to the charging port J, the current output unit  10  outputs the initial current to instantaneously charge the first device or the second device. 
     If the first device is identified, the charging port J triggers the first voltage drop signal. The processor U 1  receives the first voltage drop signal, and accordingly outputs a first command to the PWM controller U 2 . Thus, the PWM controller U 2  controls the current output unit  10  to output the first charging current. In addition, the first output pin O 1  outputs the first control signal to turn on the first thyristor D 1  and the fourth thyristor D 4 , and then the coil C receives the first charging current via the first thyristor D 1  and the fourth thyristor D 4 . In this embodiment, a winding direction of the coil C relative to the magnet M to allow the magnet M to attract the elastic sheet S. Thus, the elastic sheet S contacts the first contact pin T 1 . Therefore, the current output unit  10 , the elastic sheet S, the first contact pin T 1 , and the charging port J form the first current path to allow the first device to obtain the first charging current form the current output unit  10 . 
     If the second device is identified, the charging port J triggers the second voltage drop signal. The processor U 1  receives the second voltage drop signal, and accordingly outputs a second command to the PWM controller U 2 . Thus, the PWM controller U 2  controls the current output unit  10  to output the second charging current. In addition, the second output pin O 2  outputs the second control signal to turn on the second thyristor D 2  and the third thyristor D 3 , and then the coil C receives the second charging current via the second thyristor D 2  and the third thyristor D 3 . In this embodiment, a winding direction of the coil C relative to the magnet M to allow the magnet M to repel the elastic sheet S. Thus, the elastic sheet S contacts the second contact pin T 2 . Therefore, the current output unit  10 , the elastic sheet S, the first contact pin T 1 , and the charging port J form the second current path to allow the second device to obtain the second charging current form the current output unit  10 . 
     When no device is coupled to the charging port J, the first thyristor D 1 , the second thyristor D 2 , the third thyristor D 3 , and the fourth thyristor D 4  are turned off by the control unit  30 . Thus, the coil C cannot receive current, and the elastic sheet S contacts neither the first contact pin T 1  nor the second contact pin T 2 . 
     In summary, the identification unit identifies the first device and the second device, and respectively provides a first voltage drop signal and a second voltage drop signal to the control unit  30 . The control unit  30  controls the current output unit  10  to output the first charging current and the second charging current, and also controls the switching unit  40  to establish the first current path and the second path. Thus, the first device can obtain the first charging current from the first current path, and the second device can obtain the second charging current from the second current path. Since the charger  100  can be compatible with the first device and the second device, thus, the charger  100  is both convenient and efficient. 
     The embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Many details are often found in the art such as the other features of a charger. Therefore, many such details are neither shown nor described. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present technology have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the detail, including in matters of shape, size and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure up to, and including the full extent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims. It will therefore be appreciated that the embodiments described above may be modified within the scope of the claims.