CN-121986431-A - Power converter, controller, and charging circuitry and method

Abstract

Power converters, controllers, and charging circuitry and methods are provided. In one example, a power converter for use with a programmable power supply circuit includes a charging circuit and a battery. The charging circuit is configured to be coupled to the programmable power supply circuit. The programmable power supply circuit is configured to provide a regulated DC input voltage. The charging circuit includes a DC-DC converter configured to be coupled to the programmable power supply circuit and configured to convert the regulated DC input voltage to a system output voltage at the node. The battery is coupled to the dc-dc converter and is configured to charge or discharge indirectly or directly via the node. The charging circuit further includes a charging transistor coupled in series between the dc-dc converter and the battery via a node and configured to enable or disable charging or discharging of the battery.

Inventors

• David giuliano
• Ibrahim Saizan
• Andrew Borha

Assignees

• 株式会社村田制作所

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20240807

Priority Date

20230808

Claims (20)

1. 1. A power converter for use with a programmable power supply circuit configured to provide a regulated DC input voltage, the power converter comprising: A battery configured to be directly or indirectly charged or discharged via a node, and A charging circuit, the charging circuit comprising: A first DC-DC converter coupled to the battery, wherein the first DC-DC converter is configured to be coupled to the programmable power supply circuit and configured to convert the regulated DC input voltage to a system output voltage at the node, and A charger transistor coupled in series between the first dc-dc converter and the battery via the node and configured to enable or disable charging or discharging of the battery.
2. 2. The power converter of claim 1, further comprising: A boost converter or a charge pump converter coupled between the battery and the node.
3. 3. The power converter of claim 1, further comprising: A switching device coupled in parallel with the charger transistor and configured to bypass the charger transistor when the switching device is closed.
4. 4. A power converter for use with a programmable power supply circuit configured to provide a regulated DC input voltage, the power converter comprising: A battery configured to be directly or indirectly charged or discharged via a node, and A charging circuit, comprising: A first DC-DC converter coupled to the battery, wherein the first DC-DC converter is configured to be coupled to the programmable power supply circuit and configured to convert the regulated DC input voltage to a system output voltage at the node, and A boost converter or a charge pump converter coupled between the battery and the node.
5. 5. The power converter of claim 4 wherein the charging circuit further comprises a second dc-dc converter configured to be coupled in series between the programmable power supply circuit and the battery.
6. 6. A method for charging and discharging a battery, the method comprising: Converting, during a first period of time, a regulated DC input voltage to a system output voltage at a node by a first DC-DC converter electrically coupled to the battery and the programmable power supply circuit; Charging the battery directly or indirectly via the node during a charging period of the first period based on the system output voltage, and During a second period, discharging the battery to provide the system output voltage via the node, Wherein the regulated DC input voltage is output by the programmable power supply circuit during the first period.
7. 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising: charging or discharging of the battery is enabled or disabled via a charger transistor electrically coupled in series between the first dc-dc converter and the battery via the node.
8. 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising: during the charging period or the second period, a switching device electrically coupled in parallel with the charger transistor is closed to bypass the charger transistor.
9. 9. The method of claim 7, further comprising: the first and second dc-dc converters are operated simultaneously to provide the system output voltage at the node, the second dc-dc converter being electrically coupled in series between the programmable power supply circuit and the battery.
10. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein operating the first and second dc-dc converters comprises: Converting, by the second dc-dc converter, a battery voltage output by the battery to a first voltage during the second period of time, and The first voltage is regulated by the first dc-dc converter to provide the system output voltage.
11. 11. The method of claim 9, wherein operating the first and second dc-dc converters comprises: Regulating and providing the system output voltage by the first DC-DC converter in response to the regulated DC input voltage from the programmable power supply circuit during the charging period, and A charging voltage is provided to the battery by the second DC-DC converter in response to the regulated DC input voltage from the programmable power supply circuit.
12. 12. The method of claim 9 wherein one of the first or second dc-dc converters is a non-regulated converter.
13. 13. The method of claim 9 wherein the charger transistor is electrically coupled between the first dc-dc converter and the second dc-dc converter.
14. 14. The method of claim 9 wherein the first dc-dc converter and the second dc-dc converter are electrically coupled in parallel.
15. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: During the charging period, a switching device electrically coupled in parallel with the charger transistor is closed to bypass the charger transistor.
16. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: during the second period, the switching device is closed to bypass the charger transistor to provide the system output voltage from the battery.
17. 17. A method for charging and discharging a battery, the method comprising: During a charging period of a first period, charging a battery electrically coupled to a programmable power supply circuit by a first dc-dc converter electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit at a node based on a system output voltage by performing a voltage conversion between the system output voltage and a battery voltage of the battery, and During a second period, discharging the battery to provide the system output voltage via the node, Wherein the system output voltage is a regulated DC voltage output by the programmable power supply circuit at the node during the first period.
18. 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: charging or discharging of the battery is enabled or disabled via a charger transistor electrically coupled in series between the first dc-dc converter and the battery via the node.
19. 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising: during the charging period or the second period, a first switching device electrically coupled in parallel with the charger transistor is closed to bypass the charger transistor.
20. 20. The method of claim 18, further comprising: During the charging period or the second period, a second switching device electrically coupled in parallel with the first dc-dc converter is closed to enable direct charging or discharging between the battery and the node.

Description

Power converter, controller, and charging circuitry and method Technical Field Cross Reference to Related Applications The present application is and claims priority and benefit from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/792,528, filed on 1 month 8 of 2024, which is in turn filed on 23 months 2 of 2024, ser. No. 18/585,075, which is in turn filed on 8 months 8 of 2023, and which is in turn part of the serial application Ser. No. 18/446,462, which is in turn filed on 8 months 8 of 2023, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The present disclosure relates generally to power electronics and, more particularly, to power converters, controllers, and charging circuitry and methods, for example. Background Today, many electronic products, such as mobile computing devices and/or communication products (e.g., smartphones, notebook computers, ultrabook computers, tablet devices, etc.), may support a variety of charging schemes. For example, some electronic devices may enable a high-speed charging function, use relatively high output power to quickly charge a battery in the electronic device to provide a better user experience, or enable a maintenance charging mode, use low output power to extend battery life and avoid battery degradation. To support charging schemes for different applications or system conditions, the battery charger needs to dynamically adjust the output voltage and/or current in response to commands from the electronic product. Therefore, it has become a key challenge in this field to design high efficiency power conversion circuits, improve charging capability and circuit design flexibility, and meet the power requirements of different electronic products. Disclosure of Invention Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a power converter for use with a programmable power supply circuit. In some embodiments, the power converter includes a charging circuit and a battery. The charging circuit is electrically coupled to a programmable power supply circuit configured to provide a regulated DC input voltage. The charging circuit includes a first DC-DC converter electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit and configured to convert the regulated DC input voltage to a system output voltage at the output node. The battery is electrically coupled to the first dc-dc converter and is configured to charge or discharge indirectly or directly via the output node. The charging circuit further includes a charger transistor electrically coupled in series between the first dc-dc converter and the battery via an output node and configured to enable or disable charging or discharging of the battery. In some embodiments, the power converter includes a charging circuit and a battery. The charging circuit is electrically coupled to a programmable power supply circuit configured to provide a regulated DC input voltage. The charging circuit includes a first DC-DC converter electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit and configured to convert the regulated DC input voltage to a system output voltage at the output node. The battery is electrically coupled to the first dc-dc converter and is configured to charge or discharge indirectly or directly via the output node. The charging circuit also includes a second dc-dc converter electrically coupled in series between the programmable power supply circuit and the battery. One of the first dc-dc converter and the second dc-dc converter is a non-regulated converter. In some embodiments, the power converter includes a charging circuit and a battery. The charging circuit is electrically coupled to a programmable power supply circuit configured to provide a regulated DC input voltage. The charging circuit includes a first DC-DC converter electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit and configured to convert the regulated DC input voltage to a system output voltage at the output node. The battery is electrically coupled to the first dc-dc converter and is configured to charge or discharge indirectly or directly via the output node. The charging circuit further includes a second dc-dc converter electrically coupled in series between the programmable power supply circuit and the battery, and the first dc-dc converter and the second dc-dc converter are configured to operate simultaneously. In some embodiments, the power converter includes a charging circuit and a battery. The charging circuit is electrically coupled to a programmable power supply circuit configured to provide a regulated DC input voltage. The charging circuit includes a first DC-DC converter electrically coupled to the programmable power supply circuit and configured to convert the regulated DC input voltage to a system output voltage at the output node. The battery is electrically coupled to the first dc-dc converter and is configured to charge or discharge indirectly or directly via the output node. The charging circuit also includes