| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20100019752 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENABLING POWER APPLICATIONS OVER A SINGLE COMMUNICATION WIRE PAIR - A system and method for enabling power applications over a single communication wire pair. In one embodiment, a data transformer is provided that has three separate windings. Two of the windings are tied to each other via high frequency pass DC-blocking capacitors, or another suitable element that creates an AC path while providing a DC block, such that the voltage forms on either ends of the DC-blocking capacitors and the signal is sent on the outer legs of each winding. A circuit measures the current draw (I) and injects a current proportional to, but smaller than, I into a third bias cancellation winding. | 01-28-2010 |
| 20100070659 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR OPERATING AND/OR CHARGING A BATTERY POWERED USB DEVICE BASED ON A USB PORT TYPE - Aspects of a method and system for operating and/or charging a battery powered USB device based on a USB port type are provided. In this regard, in a USB device comprising a power management IC and a multi-function IC, a port type detection module in the multi-function IC may determine whether the USB device is attached to a standard host port or a charging port. Additionally, a power source in the power management IC, which may supply power to the port type detection module, may be enabled upon attachment of the USB device to a USB port and disabled subsequent to determination of port type. Also, one or more portions and/or functions of the power management IC may be configured based on the determined port type. Similarly, one or more portions and/or functions of the multi-function IC may be enabled or disabled based on the determined port type. | 03-18-2010 |
| 20110169329 | System and Method for Enabling Power Applications Over a Single Communication Pair - A system and method for enabling power applications over a single communication wire pair. In one embodiment, a data transformer is provided that has three separate windings. Two of the windings are tied to each other via high frequency pass DC-blocking capacitors, or another suitable element that creates an AC path while providing a DC block, such that the voltage forms on either ends of the DC-blocking capacitors and the signal is sent on the outer legs of each winding. A circuit measures the current draw (I) and injects a current proportional to, but smaller than, I into a third bias cancellation winding. | 07-14-2011 |
| 20130227319 | CONTROLLING A CURRENT DRAWN FROM AN ADAPTER BY A COMPUTER SYSTEM - The disclosed embodiments provide an apparatus that controls a current drawn from an adapter by a computer system. During operation, the apparatus senses the current drawn from the adapter using a first current sensor and a second current sensor, wherein a response time of the first current sensor is faster than a response time of the second current sensor. Then, when the current sensed using the first current sensor exceeds a predetermined high-current threshold, the apparatus limits the current drawn from the adapter to a first predetermined current limit. Additionally, when the current sensed using the second current sensor exceeds a predetermined thermal-limit current, the apparatus limits the current drawn from the adapter to the predetermined thermal-limit current. | 08-29-2013 |
| 20130278170 | DETECTION CIRCUIT FOR KEYBOARD CABLE - One embodiment of a display backlight driver integrated circuit can be configured for operation in at least two different ways. A first method transfers data from an EEPROM to hardware registers prior to regular operation. A second method also transfers data from an EEPROM to registers. However, hardware registers can be overwritten with data accepted from a control bus, prior to regular operation. A keyboard driver IC can detect the presence or absence of a cable to an LED. If the cable is absent, the driver IC will not supply power for the LED. One embodiment of a keyboard and display backlight control system can be configured to allow substantially independent operation. | 10-24-2013 |
| 20130278171 | DISPLAY BACKLIGHT DRIVER IC CONFIGURATION - One embodiment of a display backlight driver integrated circuit can be configured for operation in at least two different ways. A first method transfers data from an EEPROM to hardware registers prior to regular operation. A second method also transfers data from an EEPROM to registers. However, hardware registers can be overwritten with data accepted from a control bus, prior to regular operation. A keyboard driver IC can detect the presence or absence of a cable to an LED. If the cable is absent, the driver IC will not supply power for the LED. One embodiment of a keyboard and display backlight control system can be configured to allow substantially independent operation. | 10-24-2013 |
| 20130290743 | POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FOR ACCEPTING ADAPTER AND SOLAR POWER IN ELECTRONIC DEVICES - The disclosed embodiments provide a power management system that supplies power to components in an electronic device. The power management system includes a system microcontroller (SMC) and a charger. During operation, the power management system accepts power from at least one of a power adapter and a solar panel. Next, the power management system supplies the power to components in the electronic device without using a converter circuit between the solar panel and the power management system. | 10-31-2013 |
| 20140103718 | INCREASING THE LIGHT-LOAD EFFICIENCY OF VOLTAGE REGULATORS USING NONLINEAR INDUCTORS WITH CORES OF DIFFERENT MATERIALS - The disclosed embodiments relate to a power supply for a portable electronic device. The power supply includes a power source and a nonlinear inductor. The nonlinear inductor includes a first core and a second core connected in series to the first core, wherein the second core has a higher permeability than the first core. | 04-17-2014 |
| 20140253051 | CHARGING A BATTERY IN A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE - A system and method are described for charging a battery in a portable electronic device wherein the battery is charged using a constant-current, constant-voltage charging process. In described embodiments, a resistance is received for a current loop that includes a charger and the battery. Then, during a constant-current charging phase, a constant current is output from the charger until an output voltage of the charger reaches a target voltage. The target voltage includes a battery target voltage and a compensation voltage based on the received resistance and a charging current. When the output voltage of the charger reaches the target voltage, the charger switches from the constant-current phase to a constant-voltage phase. Then during the constant-voltage phase, the charger outputs the target voltage until the charging current drops below a minimum value at which time the charging process is complete. | 09-11-2014 |
| 20140268900 | POWER SUPPLY WITH CONTINUOUS SPREAD-SPECTRUM SWITCHING SIGNAL - A switched-mode power supply with reduced electromagnetic interference (EMI) is described. This switched-mode power supply includes a modulation circuit that continuously frequency modulates a control signal over a bandwidth associated with a spread-spectrum modulation signal. By frequency modulating the control signal in the switched-mode power supply, spectral content associated with a modulated switching signal is spread evenly over the bandwidth, thereby reducing the EMI. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20150069956 | UNIVERSAL POWER ADAPTER - A charger circuit includes an interface connector that may be coupled to a power adapter that provides an input signal having an input voltage, and a buck-boost converter circuit that may be coupled to a battery having a charging voltage. At a given time, the buck-boost converter circuit operates in a mode in a group of modes based on a control signal, where the group of modes may include at least a buck mode and a boost mode. In particular, the charger circuit includes control logic that generates the control signal based on the charging voltage and a charging capability of the power adapter. Thus, if the charging voltage suitably exceeds the input voltage, the buck-boost converter circuit may operate in the boost mode. However, if the charging voltage is approximately less than or equal to the input voltage, the buck-boost converter circuit may operate in the buck mode. | 03-12-2015 |
| 20150069957 | RECONFIGURABLE COMPENSATOR WITH LARGE-SIGNAL STABILIZING NETWORK - During operation, the DC converter and a DC battery charger controller in a charger circuit transitions from a first error signal to a second error signal for use in charging a battery, wherein the first error signal and the second error signal, respectively, correspond to feedback sources in a plurality of feedback sources with a plurality of feedback sources. Then, the DC converter and a DC battery charger controller selects a gain and an impedance to ground of a damping circuit based on the selected second error signal, where the damping circuit applies the gain and the impedance to ground to the second error signal. Moreover, the DC converter and a DC battery charger controller selects one or more clamping voltages of a voltage-clamping circuit based on the selected second error signal, where the voltage-clamping circuit applies the one or more clamping voltages to an output from the damping circuit. | 03-12-2015 |
| 20150069958 | BATTERY CHARGER WITH BUCK-BOOST OPERATION - A charging circuit includes an interface connector that may be coupled to a power adapter that provides an input voltage, and a buck-boost charging circuit that receives the input voltage and may be coupled to and may provide an output signal to a battery having a charging voltage. For a given input voltage and a given charging voltage, the buck-boost charging circuit operates in one of a group of modes based on a control signal, where the group of modes comprises: a buck mode, a boost mode and a buck-boost mode. In particular, the charging circuit includes control logic that generates the control signal based on the charging voltage and the input voltage. Thus, the buck-boost charging circuit may operate over a continuous range of input voltages and charging voltages. | 03-12-2015 |
