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Method and apparatus for programmably adjusting output voltage of a battery charger
| Details |
Inventors: Blanc, James J.; Gurries, Mark C.;
Assignee: Apple Computer Inc. (Cupertino, CA)
Primary Examiner: Tso; Edward
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Liu; Richard C.
An apparatus for programmably adjusting output voltage of a constant-voltage battery charger is disclosed. The present invention includes a power circuit for generating an output voltage for charging batteries. This power circuit generates this output voltage as a function of an incoming power source and an incoming error signal. The invention further includes a controller for providing a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal operating at a pre-determined frequency. This PWM signal controls the effective divider ratio of a voltage divider network which is implemented, among other things, for generating the error signal to be fed to the power circuit. The present invention varies the effective divider ratio by programmably applying the pulse width modulated signal from the controller. As a result, the output voltage from the power circuit can be varied to optimally charge batteries of differing types and technologies. |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION It would be desirable and therefore an object for the present invention to provide an battery charging apparatus to allow more than one battery type to be used in a given electronic device without compromising either safety or battery runtime.
It is another object for the present invention to allow for battery charging upgradability if a new battery technology is developed after an incorporating electronic device has already been introduced to the market.
An important consequence of the aforementioned objects is the flexibility in battery type and technology selection, in device manufacturing logistics and in device product availability.
Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part, will be obvious from the description or may be learned by practice of the invention.
To achieve the foregoing objects, and in accordance with the purpose of the invention as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a charging apparatus for programmably varying its output voltage for a constant-voltage battery charging operation by dynamically adjusting the effective divider ratio of a typical resistive voltage divider network which is implemented as a part of the feedback control for the charging apparatus.
One aspect of the present invention includes the use of a controller for providing a control signal, for example, a pulse width modulated (PWM) output signal to control the output voltage of the charging apparatus ranging between a minimum and a maximum value.
Another aspect of the invention includes a transistive element, for example, a MOSFET, disposed in series with a resistive control element and both of which are placed in electrical parallel with one of the resistive elements in the voltage divider network; more specifically, both of which are placed in a manner that one end of this serial combination connects to an electrical ground.
Yet another aspect of the present invention discloses the controller being a microcontroller which is adapted for switching the transistive element ON and OFF as a function of the control signal coming from the microcontroller and operating at a predetermined frequency
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