US 11,387,666 B2 · Dual stage battery charger

Abstract

A dual stage power converter and a method for charging an energy storage device are presented. The dual stage power converter has a first stage and a second stage arranged in series. A first stage has a voltage divider circuit with a flying capacitor to convert an input voltage at an input of the dual stage power converter into a smaller, intermediate voltage at an intermediate node of the dual stage power converter. A second stage has a voltage regulator circuit to receive said intermediate voltage for regulating, using a feedback loop, an output voltage at an output of the dual stage power converter. The described dual stage power converter enables a reduction of the switching power losses in the voltage regulator circuit and a reduction of the resistive power losses within an external cable connecting the dual stage power converter with an external wall adapter.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A dual stage power converter for charging an energy storage device, the dual stage power converter comprising:

a first stage comprising a voltage divider circuit with a flying capacitor configured to, during a first charging phase, convert an input voltage at an input of the dual stage power converter into a smaller, intermediate voltage at an intermediate node of the dual stage power converter;
and
a second stage comprising a voltage regulator circuit configured to receive said intermediate voltage for regulating, using a feedback loop, an output voltage at an output of the dual stage power converter,
wherein the dual stage power converter further comprises an input voltage setting unit configured
to instruct, during the first charging phase, an external power source to provide a first input voltage to the input of the dual stage power converter, and
to instruct, during a second charging phase, the external power source to provide a second input voltage to the input of the dual stage power converter, wherein the first input voltage is larger than the second input voltage.

3 more elements

A method of operating a dual stage power converter for charging an energy storage device, the dual stage power converter comprising a first stage and a second stage, the method comprising:

converting, by a voltage divider circuit with a flying capacitor of the first stage, during a first charging phase, an input voltage at an input of the dual stage power converter into a smaller, intermediate voltage at an intermediate node of the dual stage power converter;
receiving, by a voltage regulator circuit of the second stage, said intermediate voltage;
and
regulating, by the voltage regulator circuit of the second stage, using a feedback loop, an output voltage at an output of the dual stage power converter,
wherein the method further comprises:
instructing, by an input voltage setting unit, during the first charging phase, an external power source to provide a first input voltage to the input of the dual stage power converter, and
instructing, by the input voltage setting unit, during a second charging phase, the external power source to provide a second input voltage to the input of the dual stage power converter,
wherein the first input voltage is larger than the second input voltage.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Dual stage battery charger

Life of this patent

Dual stage battery charger

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20