CN1350355A

CN1350355A - Universal serial bus-type automatic charging device and its operating method

Info

Publication number: CN1350355A
Application number: CN 00131666
Authority: CN
Inventors: 许英豪
Original assignee: BenQ Corp
Current assignee: BenQ Corp
Priority date: 2000-10-23
Filing date: 2000-10-23
Publication date: 2002-05-22
Anticipated expiration: 2020-10-23
Also published as: CN1152461C

Abstract

An apparatus for automatic charging using a Universal Serial Bus (USB) and a method for operating the same are provided. The charging device comprises a charger, an indicator, a USB interface and a charging controller. The method comprises establishing a connection between a device USB and a host system USB, using the connection to make a charging controller obtain the maximum current amount currently provided by the host system, starting a charger to charge a battery according to the maximum current amount and displaying the current amount, adjusting the current amount and displaying the current charging amount and the current residual amount of the host system, and ending the charging operation when the battery is charged to saturation and reducing the current amount to the minimum current amount acceptable by USB specification.

Description

Universal serial bar-type automatic chargers and method of operation thereof

The invention relates to a kind of universal serial bus (Universal Serial Bus that utilizes; USB) device and the method for operation of charging automatically, it provides the function of transmitting data and charging simultaneously under the usb compliant of standard, do not have because of the different demands that different charging devices will be provided of voltage, have convenience that carries and the characteristics that increase the battery supplied time.

USB is the technology that develops for the interconnection technique of improving early stage ancillary equipment.Utilize USB can allow the terminal use can have the interface and " heat is inserted " function of " plug and play ".Present USB supports 1.5Mbps (mbit/) and two kinds of message transmission rates of 12Mbps, and individual standardized hardware specification is arranged.For example, among Fig. 1, A type plug is used to be connected to the main frame or the hub (hub) of upstream (upstream), and the Type B plug then is used for the ancillary equipment of downstream (downstream) is connected to the USB device.Therefore, present most mancarried device, for example, and mobile phone, digital still camera, MP3 player etc., all the convenient feature because of USB adopts the coffret of USB as it.But the power consumption of mancarried device is greatly a headachy problem.

The USB interface of using comprises at present: a. transmission data/w external power; B. transmit data/winternal power, wherein, be not used for charging on one side, Yi Bian transmit the USB interface of data.In addition, all utilize the mancarried device of USB as interface, all can use the pin (for example ,+5V and GND) of the A of Fig. 1 and 2 the transmission powers special use in the Type B plug to transmit power, the mode of this kind transmission power is referred to as bus-bar operated type (bus-power).According to a USB system specification, can be connected to the ancillary equipment of 6 levels at most up to 127, but, this specification specifies: a bus-bar operated type hub (hub) can not be connected to another bus-bar operated type hub (hub), its objective is avoid utilizing USB as the mancarried device of interface when connecting ancillary equipment, produce the situation that each device can't be moved because of electricity shortage.Because of this regulation the intrinsic characteristics of above-mentioned USB can't be given full play to.Therefore, on one side,, then can address the above problem Yi Bian transmit the USB interface device of data if can provide and to charge.

Therefore, a purpose of the present invention provides a kind of universal serial bus (USB) device and method of operation thereof of charging automatically utilized, it provides the function of transmitting data and charging simultaneously under the usb compliant of standard, have convenience that carries and the advantage that increases the battery supplied time.This charging device comprises: one in order to the charger with battery charge; One in order to show the indicating device of charging progress (rate of progress); One is communicated with the USB interface of usefulness with ancillary equipment; One charge controller, in order to utilizing the available maximum current flow of a host computer system as power supply source, through this USB interface charge automatically battery to USB specification in this charger portative maximum current flow and present charge volume and estimated current surplus be presented on the state form (status window) of a host system display.This method of operation comprises the following steps: to set up the line of a device USB and a host computer system USB; Utilize the USB line of this foundation to make a charge controller obtain this host computer system available maximum current flow at present; Start this maximum current flow of a charger utilizing as a charge battery and show that present charge volume is on an indicating device of power supply; Adjust the magnitude of current to the USB specification portative maximum current flow of institute of this USB bus-bar power supply and pass through the USB line of this foundation will this present charge volume and a present host computer system electric current surplus be simultaneously displayed on the state form of this host system display; In this battery complete charge operation and the magnitude of current is reduced to the acceptable minimum current amount of a USB specification when saturated of charging of this charger, otherwise, the step of the magnitude of current that this adjustments USB bus-bar powers repeated.

In view of the above, automatic charge device of the present invention and method are to utilize the magnitude of current of laying in the mancarried device to charge through the USB bus-bar, this mode is under USB standard hardware specification, needn't consider the supply voltage problem fully, can be when connecting host computer system through the USB cable, automatically start this charging device, charging simultaneously and transmission data, saving time also increases battery-powered time.

The simple declaration of accompanying drawing

For allow above-mentioned and other purpose of the present invention, feature, can be more apparent with advantage, a preferred embodiment cited below particularly, and conjunction with figs. are described in detail below:

Fig. 1 shows the USB plug of two kinds of standard types;

Fig. 2 shows the schematic diagram of a USB automatic charge device system according to the present invention;

Fig. 3 shows the schematic diagram of another USB automatic charge device according to the present invention; And

Fig. 4 shows the flow chart of a USB automatic charge device method of operation according to the present invention.[symbol description] 1: host computer system, 2,4: charging device, 3,5: lead, 11,24, the 44:USB interface, 12:OS, 13: display, 22,42: charger, 23,43: indicating device, 25,45: controller, 131: state form, 132: dump energy index, 133: the charge volume index.

The detailed description of preferred embodiment

Principal character of the present invention is that device (device) and host computer system are interconnected through USB interface, obtains maximum power (power) that host computer system can supply to device, and device can successfully be charged.Another feature of the present invention is that USB interface is when transmission signals, on one side can transmit, Yi Bian charging, detailed is described as follows.

Owing to can connect nearly 127 devices via USB, therefore, the present invention is distinguished into first embodiment that does not comprise hub (hub) and second embodiment that comprises hub in the connection of device, and wherein, similar elements is to use identical numbering.[first embodiment]

With reference to figure 2, show a USB automatic charge device system embodiment.In Fig. 2, this system comprises: a charging device 2, a host computer system 1 and a USB lead 3.This host computer system 1 further comprises: a usb 11, an operating system 12, the state form 131 in display 13.This charging device 2 further comprises: a charger 22, an indicating device 23, a USB interface 24, a charge controller 25.

As shown in Figure 2, this charging device 2 is in order to charge to battery; This host computer system 1 in order to the existence that detects this charging device 2 and provide power supply to this charging device 2 to charge; And 3 in USB lead is in order to set up the actual line of this host computer system 1 and this charging device.In this host computer system, this usb 11 is the interface of communicating by letter with ancillary equipment as this host computer system, for example, this host computer system utilizes interface 11 to set up the line of communicating by letter through USB lead 3 with this charging device 2 among Fig. 2, this lead 3 can be to meet any lead that the USB service speed requires (for example, 1.5Mbps and 12Mbps) and maximum length restriction (for example, about 5 meters), for example, 1 chi coaxial cable, 5 chi twisted-pair feeders etc.This operating system 12 must be the operating system that can support USB, for example, Windows 98, Mac OS 8 above versions or UNIX or the like, its utilize this USB bus-bar 3 to transmit and control at present an available maximum current flow give this charging device 2 as power supply to charge.When charging, the dump energy index 132 of this host computer system 1 can be presented on these display 13 state forms 131 via USB bus-bar 3 with these charging device 2 present charge volume indexs 133 simultaneously.In this charging device 2, this charger 22 is in order to battery charge.This indicating device 23 is a LCD (LCD), in order to show charging progress (rate of progress).This USB interface 24 is the interfaces of communicating by letter with ancillary equipment as this charging device.This charge controller 25 be in order to utilize host computer system 1 available maximum electric weight as power supply through charge automatically battery in this charger 22 of this USB interface 24, charge to the portative maximum electric weight of a USB specification, the present invention can be transmitted data simultaneously on one side, charging on one side, increase the time of battery supplied, and utilize a computer program that presets that one a present dump energy index 132 and a present charge volume index 133 are shown on display 13 forms 131 of a host computer system 1.[second embodiment]

With reference to figure 3, show another USB automatic charge device system embodiment.In Fig. 2, this system comprises: a charging device 2, a charging device 4, a hub (hub) 51, a host computer system 1, a USB lead 3, an and USB lead 5.

As shown in Figure 3, with second embodiment with can find after first embodiment makes comparisons both unique differences be present embodiment except that directly with this charging device 2 with this host computer system 1 is connected by this USB lead 3, comprise that also this charging device 4 is connected on this host computer system 1 via this hub 51 and this USB lead 5, for example, being connected to host computer system, or but the outside hub of plurality of printers utilization stand alone type is connected to host computer system to built-in hub in display and keyboard.For the purpose of explanation, present embodiment only uses a hub 51 in this configuration.Those skilled in the art all understand, and in fact, so long as in the regulation of 127 of USB devices and 7 levels, a USB can directly connect four devices, and a free-standing outside hub then can connect four to seven devices.

With reference to figure 3, wherein, this is filled put 2 identically by USB lead 3 direct coupling parts with Fig. 2 with this host computer system 1, no longer be repeated in this description at this, only describe in detail with regard to remainder.

Because output/input port (I/O Port) limited amount of USB, the typical case is 4, and therefore, if when having the device that surpasses more than 4 to occur, the mode of above-mentioned direct line is then inapplicable, and at this moment, hub just can be used to dispose the USB networking.In the USB networking that configuration is finished, as Fig. 3, the operating system of host computer system 1 (OS) 12 can detect the line that increases newly automatically, and just host computer system 1 is connected to charging device 4 through lead 5 and HUB 51.After OS 12 detects newly-increased HUB 51 and charging device, can will originally be supplied to the redundant electrical power of charging device 2 to distribute again fully according to the charging demand of each device.The arrangement that distributes is to connect according to institute to install respectively that required total charge volume is big or small to sort required charge volume smaller priority allocation.For example, explain with line 1-2-3 among Fig. 3 and line 1-5-51-4, suppose that host computer system 1 has deposit electric current 3A now, its OS 12 check systems find that charging device 2 needs 1.5A (peace), HUB 51 needs 1A and charging device 4 to need 1.5A, and therefore, OS 12 will give charging device 2 by priority allocation 1.5A, the 1A that reallocates afterwards gives charging device 4 for HUB 51 and 0.5A, and again that it is vacant 1.5A electric current offered charging device 4 after 2 chargings of wait charging device finished.OS 12 at any time in the check system available redundant electrical power improve the service efficiency of system power supply by this so that dynamically do optimized distribution.For example, when charging device 2 chargings finished, when OS 12 discoveries made the electric current of deposit only be left 2A because of increase modulator-demodulator (modem), charging device just can only be assigned to 1A at most 4 this moments.

In fact, no matter at first embodiment or second embodiment, the present invention all can detect USB at any time and respectively install required power supply amount and move optimized resource allocation in view of the above certainly.The associative operation flow process of this two embodiment such as following.[operating process]

With reference to figure 4a and 4b, show the flow process of a USB automatic charge device method of operation according to the present invention.In Fig. 4 a, this method of operation comprises the following steps: to set up the line (S1) of a device USB and a host computer system USB; Utilize the USB line of this foundation to make a charge controller obtain this host computer system available maximum current flow (S2) at present; Start this maximum current flow of a charger utilizing as a charge battery and show present charge volume (S3) on an indicating device of power supply; Adjust the magnitude of current to the USB specification portative maximum current flow of institute of this USB bus-bar power supply and pass through the USB line of this foundation will this present charge volume and a present host computer system dump energy be simultaneously displayed on the state form of this host system display (S4); In this battery complete charge operation and the magnitude of current is reduced to the acceptable minimum current amount of a USB specification when saturated of charging of this charger, otherwise, the step (S5) of the magnitude of current that this adjustments USB bus-bar powers repeated.Above-mentioned detailed description will be shown among Fig. 4 b.

Shown in Fig. 4 b, at first, set up the line (S1) of a device USB and a host computer system USB, for example with cable this device usb connecting port directly or through hub is inserted the usb connecting port 61 of this host computer system indirectly, the OS that is positioned at host computer system understands active detecting to increasing device newly and providing a usb host controller driver to operate 62 to control this line at once.Then, the usb driver 63 that this OS of process provides is set up the USB configuration 64 of this newly-increased device, just, the power supply of this newly-increased USB is set at the bus-bar operated type, so that directly provide when charging required power by host computer system through bus-bar, and the USB line of process foundation is communicated with the magnitude of current 64 to obtain a best with the usb driver of host computer system, in other words, use the power supply of USB bus-bar to obtain the maximum (S2) that can provide as charge power supply from host computer system.(plug in and usb host controller driver and usb driver are connected be activated having set up line, and set USB and use the bus-bar power supply) and obtain the available maximum power supply value of host computer system after, start USB transmission and charger 65, supply the charger battery (S3) that begins to charge with the ceiling capacity that utilizes this USB bus-bar to transmit this host computer system to provide.As far as possible this ceiling capacity is adjusted to the maximum current flow 66 of USB specification.Obtaining charged state from this charger is apparent in this device panel on a LCD display present charge condition at any time and uses this USB line at any time present charged state and the magnitude of current to be sent to host computer system 67 through the USB line, be presented on the state form of display 68 with the system power supply energy state, change speech, the step S4 of Fig. 4 a comprises 66,67 and 68 of Fig. 4 b.When charging to when saturated, notify user 69 and the magnitude of current is reduced to this charging operations 70 of knot after the obtained acceptable minimum current amount of a USB specification of OS, otherwise, repeating step 66,67 and 68.The acceptable minimum current amount of the maximum current flow that above-mentioned this USB specification limited and this USB can be along with type of device that USB connected and quantity and is decided.

Though the present invention is with a preferred embodiment such as above-mentioned open; right its is not that art technology person people will appreciate that, in not breaking away from design of the present invention and scope in order to qualification the present invention; can make and change and revise, so protection scope of the present invention is by appended being as the criterion that claim limited.

Claims

1. A universal serial bus (USB) automatic charging device, used in a USB transmission interface, the USB transmission interface is externally connected to a host system, and the USB transmission interface has a bus power supply to provide the USB transmission interface current, the universal serial bus automatic charging device includes:

A charger electrically connected to the USB transmission interface for charging a battery;

an indicator electrically connected to the host system for displaying the charging progress of the charger;

and

A charging controller, controlled by the host system, is used to adjust the current of the bus power supply to maintain the current of the bus power at the maximum current that can be loaded by a USB specification.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a wire for connecting the USB ports of the charging device and the host system to establish a physical connection.

3. The device of claim 2, the wire being any electrical cable capable of transmitting signals.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the host system further comprises:

an operating system for detecting the presence or absence of the charging device;

a USB interface for communicating with peripheral devices to receive charging progress data from the charging device; and

A status window of the display is used to display the received charging progress data.

5. The device of claim 4, further comprising a battery socket for receiving the battery.

6. A universal serial bus (USB) automatic charging device, used in a USB transmission interface, wherein the USB transmission interface has a bus power supply, in order to provide the power supply of the USB transmission interface, the device and a host system via A hub to connect, the device consists of:

an indicator electrically connected to the host system for displaying the charging state of the charger;

and

A charging controller, controlled by the host system, is used to adjust the current of the bus power supply, so that the current of the bus power supply can be maintained at the maximum current that can be loaded by a USB specification. When the indicator displays the When the battery is fully charged, the charging controller will issue an instruction to reduce the current of the bus power supply to the minimum current that can be loaded by a USB specification, and stop the charger.

7. The device of claim 6, the wire being any electrical cable capable of transmitting information.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the host system further comprises:

a USB interface for communicating with peripheral devices, thereby receiving charging progress data from the charging device; and

9. The device of claim 8, further comprising a battery socket for receiving the battery.

10. A method for automatic charging of a universal serial busbar (USB), which is used in a USB transmission interface, wherein the USB transmission interface has a busbar power supply, the method comprising the following steps:

(a) establishing a connection between the USB transmission interface and a host system;

(b) providing a charge controller, which is installed in the host system, and the established connection can be used to connect the bus power supply with the charge controller to obtain an appropriate current flow of the bus power supply;

(c) providing a charger electrically connected to the USB transmission interface for charging a battery;

(d) Start the transmission operation of the USB transmission interface, and start the charger at the same time, and start the charging operation;

(e) using the charging controller to continuously adjust the current of the bus power supply until it reaches the maximum current that can be loaded by a USB specification;

(f) provide an indicator, set in the host system, to display the current current of the bus power supply and the charging status of the charger;

(g) Judging whether the battery has been fully charged, if the battery is saturated, end the charging operation and reduce the current of the bus power supply to a minimum current acceptable to a USB specification; otherwise, repeat steps (c) to (f).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the maximum current loadable by the USB specification and the minimum current acceptable by the USB specification depend on the type and quantity of devices connected to the USB.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein, the step (a) further comprises: a device inserts the USB connection port of the device directly or indirectly through a hub into the USB connection port of the host system with a cable; The OS in the system actively detects the new device connected to the host system through the established USB connection; configures the USB driver; and configures the charging controller on the USB side of the device to use the USB bus to supply power.