Charging device and charging method
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
InventorYutaka Horie
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
According to one embodiment, a controller changes, when a charging state transitions from a first state of charging a first battery by using a power from an external power supply to a second state of charging the first battery by using a power from the second battery and if rated power of the external power supply and the rated discharge power of the second battery are different from each other, an upper limit of an input current to a charging circuit to a value corresponding to the rated discharge power of the second battery.
Claims14
A charging device configured to charge a first battery by using power from an AC adaptor or a second battery, the charging device comprising:
- a contact configured to input power from the AC adaptor;
- a charging circuit connected to the contact and the first battery and configured to input the power from the AC adaptor or the power from the second battery and supply the first battery with a charging current according to the input power, a charging state of the charging circuit comprising a first state of charging the first battery by using the power from the AC adaptor and a second state of charging the first battery by using the power from the second battery;
- and
- a controller connected to the charging circuit and configured to receive data indicating rated discharge power of the second battery, wherein
- the controller is further configured, when the charging state of the charging circuit is the second state and the rated discharge power of the second battery is less than the rated power of the AC adaptor, to decrease an upper limit of an input current to the charging circuit, and
- the controller is further configured, when the charging state of the charging circuit is the second state and the rated discharge power of the second battery is greater than the rated power of the AC adaptor, to increase the upper limit of the input current to the charging circuit.
A charging method configured to charge a first battery by using power from an AC adaptor or a second battery, the charging method comprising:
- receiving, by a charging device, power from the AC adaptor or power from the second battery;
- supplying the first battery with a charging current according to power received by the charging device;
- receiving data indicating rated discharge power of the second battery;
- decreasing an upper limit of an input current to the charging circuit when the first battery is charged by using the power from the external power supply and the rated discharge power of the second battery is less than rated power of the AC adaptor;
- and
- increasing the upper limit of the input current to the charging circuit when the first battery is charged by using the power from the external power supply and the rated discharge power of the second battery is greater than the rated power of the AC adaptor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.