Patent Document

(a) TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention is generally related to charging devices, and more particularly to a charging device capable of distributing different amounts of charging currents to the connected electronic devices. 
       (b) DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
       [0002]    As there are more and more portable electronic devices, people are forced to carry more and more charging devices due to the lack of standard. Recently, the USB port has become a common charging interface. However, there are still some disadvantages. 
         [0003]    Firstly, if the overall current consumption from multiple charged devices exceeds a threshold, some over-current protection mechanism is activated to stop the charging operation. 
         [0004]    Secondly, the threshold limits the maximum charging current and cannot be expanded further. 
         [0005]    Thirdly, only a very limited number of devices could be charged and cannot be expanded further. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Therefore, a major objective of the present invention is to obviate the shortcoming that a newly added electronic device cannot be charged without unplugging some already-connected electronic devices; because all connected devices including the newly added device consume current that is over the product specification of the charging device. 
         [0007]    To achieve the objective, a charging device according to the present invention contains a connection unit, a measurement unit, an identification unit, a processing unit, a power unit, and a current distribution unit. The connection unit connects a number of electronic devices. The identification unit identifies the identification data or electrical characteristics of the electronic devices connected to the connection unit. The measurement unit measures the amounts of charging currents provided by the connection unit to the electronic devices. The processing unit, based on the identification data and individual current measurement, determines appropriate charging mode data compatible to the electronic devices, records the current charging modes of the electronic devices as individual registration data, and issues current distribution command in accordance with the charging mode data, registration information, and preset charging policy data. The current distribution unit, following the charging policy data, conducts charging to the electronic devices and the total current consumption will not exceed a preset maximum current amount. When a charging current varies, the processing unit automatically adjusts the charging modes to the electronic devices according to the registration information so as to achieve automatic current distribution. 
         [0008]    Additionally, the charging device contains a communication interface unit connected to the processing unit for cascading another charging device. The cascading charging devices, in accordance with the communication protocol of the communication interface units, jointly determines a master-slave hierarchy for expanding the amount of charging current and the number of electronic devices that could be charged. 
         [0009]    With the foregoing structure, the charging device of the present invention is able to obviate the shortcoming that the maximum charging current is limited and cannot be expanded further. 
         [0010]    With the foregoing structure, the charging device of the present invention is able to obviate another shortcoming that only a very limited number of devices could be fully charged and some are half charged and some are wait to be charged and cannot be expanded further. 
         [0011]    The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts. 
         [0012]    Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a functional block diagram showing a charging device according an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is another functional block diagram showing a charging device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2   a  is a first partially enlarged functional block diagram showing the charging device of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 2   b  is a second partially enlarged functional block diagram showing the charging device of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 2   c  is a third partially enlarged functional block diagram showing the charging device of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is yet another functional block diagram showing a charging device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 3   a  is a first partially enlarged functional block diagram showing the charging device of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 3   b  is a second partially enlarged functional block diagram showing the charging device of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 3   c  is a third partially enlarged functional block diagram showing the charging device of  FIG. 3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0022]    The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 
         [0023]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , a charging device according to an embodiment of the present invention contains a connection unit  10 , a measurement unit  12 , an identification unit  11 , a processing unit  13 , a display unit  16 , a current distribution unit  15 , a communication interface unit  17 , at least an external connection element  171  and a cascading element  172 . 
         [0024]    The connection unit  10  contains at least a device connection element  101  for connecting at least an electronic device  2 . The measurement unit  12  is connected to the connection unit  10  and measures the real-time current amount provided by the connection unit  10  to the electronic devices  2 . The identification unit  11  is also connected to the connection unit  10  and identifies each electronic device  2 &#39;s identification data of preset electrical characteristics. 
         [0025]    The connection unit  10 , the identification unit  11 , and the measurement unit  12  are all connected to the processing unit  13 , which contains a first data element  131 , a second data element  132 , a third data element  133 , and a control element  134 . The first data element  131  stores the charging mode data for various electronic devices  2 , which involves the amount of charging current and related control method under fast charging mode, slow charging mode, charging under usage mode, and wait-for-charging mode for various electronic devise  2 . The second data element  132  stores the data for a number of charging policies, each involving the parameters for the charging modes, weighting factors or priorities, and cascading time sequence. The third data element  133  stores registration information for various electronic devices  2  individually. The registration information of the third data element  133  is parameterized from the charging policies and is recorded with the measurement results made by the measurement unit  12  for various electronic devices individually. The control element  134  receives the identification data, locates the corresponding charging mode data by the recorded registration information, and issues a current distribution command in accordance with the corresponding charging policy in real time. 
         [0026]    The current distribution unit  15  is connected between the processing unit  13  and the connection unit  10 , and is also connected to a power unit  14  which provides the charging current. The power unit  14  contains a power connection element  141  connected to a power source  4  and a power conversion element  142  connected between the power connection element  141  and the current distribution unit  15 . The power conversion element  142  transforms the electricity received by the power connection element  141  from the power source  4  into appropriate forms for the device connection elements  101 . The current distribution unit  15 , following the current distribution command, conducts charging to the electronic devices  2 , and the total charging current is controlled to be within a maximum current amount. 
         [0027]    The display unit  16  contains a number of display elements  161  connected to the processing unit  13 . Depending on the current registration information, the display elements  161  show the charging modes of the various device connection elements  101 . 
         [0028]    The communication interface unit  17 , configured with a communication protocol, is connected to the processing unit  13  and at least an external connection element  171 . Each external connection element  171  provides information such as its charging mode data and communication protocol etc. The control element  134  of each charging device  1  therefore is able to compare the charging mode data and program versions, automatically updates charging mode data and program code of a new version into those of the latest, and establishes a master-slave charging current distribution mechanism. An external connection element  171  could be connected to a computer  3  and transmits the real-time charging mode data and measured data for each electronic device  2  to the computer  3 . The communication interface unit  17  could be further connected to a cascading element  172  which is in turn connected an external connection element  171  of another identically-structured charging device  1 . The charging devices  1  jointly determine a master-slave hierarchy following the communication protocol and distribute the charging currents of the charging devices  1  to the various device connection elements  101 . A number of application scenarios of the charging device  1  are described as follows. 
         [0029]    In the first scenario as shown in  FIG. 1 , an electronic device  2 + is newly connected to the connection unit  10 , in addition to the already connected electronic devices  2  under charging. The processing unit  13  determines if the maximum current amount would be exceeded. If yes, according to the charging policy data, including the parameters for the charging modes, weighting factors or priorities, and cascading time sequence, the processing unit  13  issues a current distribution current conforming to the current amounts and control methods of various electronic devices  2  and  2 + under the fast charging, slow charging, and wait-for-charging modes so that all connected electronic device  2 + could be charged at different times without exceeding the maximum current amount. 
         [0030]    In the second scenario as shown in  FIG. 2 , as well as  FIGS. 2   a ,  2   b , and  2   c  which are partially enlarged diagrams, an additional charging device  1 + is cascaded to already-cascaded charging devices  1 . As illustrated, the power units  14  of the charging devices  1  and  1 + are electrically connected together. Each charging device  1  or  1 + has a communication interface unit  17 , configured with a communication protocol and connected to the processing unit  13  and the current distribution unit  15 . The communication interface unit  17  is connected to at least an external connection element  171 . Each external connection element  171  provides information such as its charging mode data and communication protocol etc. so that the control element  134  is able to compare the charging mode data and program versions, and automatically updates charging mode data and program version into those of the latest. The communication interface unit  17  could be further connected to a cascading element  172  which is in turn connected an external connection element  171  of the newly added charging device  1 +. The charging devices  1  and  1 + jointly determine a master-slave hierarchy and distribute the charging currents of the charging devices  1  to the various device connection elements  101 . When the charging device  1 + is cascaded, the master-slave relationship with other charging devices  1  is determined first by their program versions. The one with the older version is updated to the new version following the communication protocol. If the charging devices  1  and  1 + have identical program version, the master-slave relationship is determined by their cascading time sequence or charging current capability or number of charging connection port. Then, the processing unit  13  of a master charging device  1 , according to the charging policy data which includes the parameters for the charging modes, weighting factors or priorities, and cascading time sequence, issues a current distribution current conforming to the current amounts and control methods of various electronic devices  2  under the fast charging, slow charging, and wait-for-charging modes. The charging currents from all charging devices  1  and  1 + are altogether distributed among the electronic devices  2 . As such, the number of device connection elements  101  is expanded and all electronic devices  2  are distributed with an appropriate amount of charging current. 
         [0031]    In the third scenario as shown in  FIG. 3 , as well as  FIGS. 3   a ,  3   b , and  3   c  which are partially enlarged diagrams, a computer  3  is connected to one of a number of cascaded charging devices  1 . As illustrated, the power units  14  of the charging devices  1  are electrically connected together. Each charging device  1  has a communication interface unit  17 , configured with a communication protocol and connected to the processing unit  13 . The communication interface unit  17  is connected to at least an external connection element  171  which is in turn connected to the identification unit  11 . An external connection element  171  could be connected to a computer  3  and transmits the charging mode data and real-time measured data for each electronic device  2  to the computer  3 . 
         [0032]    While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Technology Category: 5