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US 10,476,287 B2Granted
Bi-directional precharge mechanism for charger circuits
AssigneeIntel IP Corporation
InventorsMarcin Daniel, Marian Hulub
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Some embodiments include apparatus and methods for using a first node to couple to a battery, a second node to couple to a terminal of an interface, and a precharge circuit unit coupled to the first and second nodes. The precharge circuit can operates to cause a first current to flow from the first node to the second node through a transistor of the precharge circuit unit based on first values of voltages at the first and second nodes, and to cause a second current to flow from the second node to the first node through the transistor based on second values of voltages at the first and second nodes.
Claims18
An apparatus comprising:
- a first node to couple to a battery;
- a second node to couple to a terminal of an interface;
- a precharge circuit unit coupled to the first and second nodes to cause a first current to flow from the first node to the second node through a transistor of the precharge circuit unit based on first values of voltages at the first and second nodes and to cause a second current to flow from the second node to the first node through the transistor based on second values of voltages at the first and second nodes;
- wherein the precharge circuit unit includes a selector to form a supply voltage path between the first circuit branch and one of the first and second nodes;
- wherein the precharge circuit unit includes a current mirror circuit, the current mirror circuit including a first circuit branch and a second circuit branch, the second circuit branch including the transistor;
- and
- wherein the precharge circuit unit includes transistors having a voltage rating less than a maximum value of a voltage at the first node and a voltage at the second node.
4 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a first node to couple to a battery;
- a second node to couple to a terminal of an interface;
- a selector including an output node, the selector to select a voltage from one of the first and second nodes to be a voltage at the output node of the selector;
- a current mirror including a first circuit branch and a second circuit branch, the first circuit branch coupled between the output node of the selector and a ground connection, the second circuit branch coupled between the first and second nodes;
- and
- a voltage generator coupled to the output node of the selector to provide a voltage to gates of transistors of the first circuit branch based on the voltage at the output node of the selector.
3 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a first node coupled to a battery;
- a second node coupled to a universal serial bus (USB) connector;
- and
- a charger coupled to the battery and the USB connector, the charger including a precharge circuit unit coupled to the first and second nodes to cause a first current to flow from the first node to the second node through a transistor of the precharge circuit unit based on first values of voltages at the first and second nodes during a first mode of the charger and to cause a second current to flow from the second node to the first node through the transistor based on second values of voltages at the first and second nodes during a second mode of the charger.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- a first node coupled to a battery;
- a second node coupled to a universal serial bus (USB) connector:
- and a charger coupled to the battery and the USB connector, the charger including a precharge circuit unit coupled to the first and second nodes to cause a first current to flow from the first node to the second node through a transistor of the precharge circuit unit based on first values of voltages at the first and second nodes during a first mode of the charger and to cause a second current to flow from the second node to the first node through the transistor based on second values of voltages at the first and second nodes during a second mode of the charger;
- wherein the precharge circuit unit includes a current mirror circuit, the current mirror circuit including a first circuit branch and a second circuit branch, the second circuit branch including the transistor.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.