Patent ID: 8237414

Claim:
A multi-mode charger, comprising: mode blocks respectively associated with modes of operation; a switch module configured to couple a selected one of the mode blocks to a Universal Serial Bus (“USB”) and to decouple the mode blocks remaining from the USB; a first mode of the modes of operation being a pass through mode; in the pass through mode, the switch module configured to couple a USB controller to the USB for data transfer; a second mode of the modes of operation being a first charging mode; in the first charging mode, the switch module configured to couple a first mode block of the mode blocks to the USB, the first mode block being associated with the first charging mode; a third mode of the modes of operation being a second charging mode; in the second charging mode, the switch module configured to couple a second mode block of the mode blocks to the USB, the second mode block being associated with the second charging mode; the first charging mode and the second charging mode being different from one another; control circuitry for controlling distribution of power to the USB responsive to a selected mode of operation of the modes of operation; and the control circuitry further configured to detect when a peripheral device is coupled to the USB; wherein: the USB includes a USB connector; a data plus node and a data minus node of the USB are respectively connected to a first switch and a second switch of pairs of switches of the switch module for operation in the selected mode of operation of the modes of operation; the data plus node and the data minus node are respectively coupled to associated nodes of the USB controller via a first switch and a second switch of a first pair of the pairs of switches of the switch module in the pass through mode; the data plus node and the data minus node are respectively coupled to the first switch and the second switch of a second pair of the pairs of switches of the switch module in the first charging mode; and the data plus node and the data minus node are respectively coupled to the first switch and the second switch of a third pair of the pairs of switches of the switch module in the second charging mode.