Abstract:
A method, an apparatus and a system for reducing charge time. The method includes determining a current is below a current threshold and a voltage is below a voltage threshold, and based on the determination, terminating an adapter from charging a charge cell.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a method and apparatus for reducing charge time. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    It is desirable for a device to have a short charge time, for example, battery charge time. It is also desirable to maximize power delivered from an adapter, which may reduce battery charge time. When an adapter is heavily loaded, its output voltage drops. A significant drop in voltage is utilized to determine when the adapter is either removed or is not supplying desired charge. However, despite such a voltage drop, the adapter may be operating within valid operating conditions. Thus, using the voltage drop as the sole indicator for such a determination is misleading. 
         [0005]    Therefore, there is a need for a method and/or apparatus for determining that the adapter is not functioning within a valid operating condition. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method, an apparatus and a system for reducing charge time. The method includes determining a current is below a current threshold and a voltage is below a voltage threshold, and based on the determination, terminating an adapter from charging a charge cell. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is an embodiment of an apparatus for reducing charge time; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is an embodiment of a flow diagram depicting a method for reducing charge time; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is another embodiment of a flow diagram depicting a method for reducing charge time; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is an embodiment of a block diagram depicting a system for reducing charge time. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    Described herein is an embodiment for reducing charge time. More specifically, described herein is an apparatus and a method of detecting an adapter is not functioning within valid conditions. 
         [0013]    For example, when an adapter is heavily loaded its output voltage will drop. In some embodiment, a voltage drop is determined using a threshold, for example, ˜100 mV of the battery. If the voltage drops below the threshold, the adapter is determined to have been removed or cannot supply the desired current. Charge may then be terminated or may enter SLEEP mode. In one embodiment, the adapter is set to adapter removed mode. 
         [0014]    However, such an approach is misleading because despite the drop in voltage below the threshold, the adapter may be functioning within valid conditions. For example, there could be a case where 100 mV is a valid operating condition for the adapter. 
         [0015]    Hence, proposed herein is an embodiment that utilizes both a voltage and a current threshold to detect an adapter functioning within invalid conditions. In such an embodiment, when both the voltage and current threshold are met, the charge is then terminated, enter SLEEP mode, etc. For example SN2400 (Tigris) requires the input voltage drops to within 100 mV of the battery and the input current drops below 50 mA before indicating adapter removal or SLEEP mode. 
         [0016]    Hence, a second condition which measures the input current before indicating adapter removal resolves the adapter removal problem. In such an embodiment, the current threshold is in addition to the voltage threshold. 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is an embodiment of an apparatus  100  for reducing charge time, for example, battery charge time. The apparatus  100  includes a current comparator  102 , a voltage comparator  104 , an OR gate  106  and a regulator  108 . The current comparator  102 , coupled to the OR gate  106 , determines if the current is below a current threshold. The current comparator  102  is shown in  FIG. 1  to be an amplifier; however, any current comparator may be utilized to determine the relationship between an input current and a current threshold. The voltage comparator  104 , coupled to the OR gate  106 , determines if the input voltage dropped below a voltage threshold. The voltage comparator  104  is shown in  FIG. 1  to be an amplifier; however, any voltage comparator may be utilized to determine the relationship between an input voltage and a voltage threshold. If either is true, the OR gate  106  is set high. The OR gate  106  is coupled to the regulator  108 . In one embodiment, the regulator  108  is enabled if either the input voltage is above some threshold or the input current is above some threshold, the regulator is disabled if both conditions are false. In another embodiment, such a regulator may not be utilized. The apparatus  100  performs operations, such as, method  200  and method  300 , described herein below. 
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is an embodiment of a flow diagram depicting a method  200  for reducing charge time, for example, battery charge time. The method  200  starts at step  202  and proceeds to step  204 . At step  204 , the method  200  determines if the current is below a current threshold. If the current is below a threshold, the method  200  proceeds to step  208 ; otherwise, the method  200  proceeds to step  206 . At step  206 , the method  200  continues its current charge mode and returns to step  204 . At step  208 , the method  200  determines if the voltage is below a voltage threshold. If the voltage is below a threshold, the method  200  proceeds to step  210 ; otherwise, the method  200  returns to step  204 . At step  210 , the method  200  determines that the adapter is experiencing trouble and the method  200  takes the relevant action, for example, disconnect the adapter, set a system/device to SLEEP mode, etc. From step  210 , the method  200  proceeds to step  212 . The method  200  ends at step  212 . 
         [0019]      FIG. 3  is another embodiment of a flow diagram depicting a method  300  for reducing charge time, for example, battery charge time. The method  300  starts at step  302  and proceeds to step  304 . At step  304 , the method  300  determines if the voltage is below a voltage threshold. If the voltage is below a threshold, the method  300  proceeds to step  308 ; otherwise, the method  300  proceeds to step  306 . At step  306 , the method  300  continues its current charge mode and returns to step  304 . At step  308 , the method  300  determines if the current is below a current threshold. If the current is below a threshold, the method  300  proceeds to step  310 ; otherwise, the method  300  returns to step  304 . At step  310 , the method  300  determines that the adapter is experiencing trouble and the method  300  takes the relevant action, for example, disconnect the adapter, set a system/device to SLEEP mode, etc. From step  310 , the method  300  proceeds to step  312 . The method  300  ends at step  312 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 4  is an embodiment of a block diagram depicting a system  400  for reducing charge time. The system  400  includes an adaptor  402 , a charge module  404 , and a charge cell  406 . The adapter  402  provides charge to the charge cell  410 . The charge module  404  performs a method for reducing charge time, for example, method  200  of  FIG. 2  and method  300  of  FIG. 3 . The charge cell is any source that provides charge to a device, such as, a battery, charge cell, etc. 
         [0021]    While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.