US 11,456,669 B2Granted

Voltage supply to a load and battery

AssigneeApple Inc.

InventorsJeffrey M. Alves, Peng Wu, Yehonatan Perez, Kisun Lee, Philip Juang

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Implementations described and claimed herein provide systems and methods for supplying voltage to a load and battery. In one implementation, a first regulated DC-to-DC converter is electrically connected to a first energy source to down convert a first voltage supplied by the first energy source. A load is electrically connected to the first regulated DC-to-DC converter to receive the down converted first voltage. A second regulated DC-to-DC converter is electrically connected to the first regulated DC-to-DC converter to regulate the down converted first voltage to a second voltage. A second power source is electrically connected to the second regulated DC-to-DC converter to charge the second power source using the second voltage, and the second power source is switchably connectable to the load.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus comprising:

a first regulated DC-to-DC converter electrically connected to a first energy source to down convert a first voltage supplied by the first energy source into a down converted first voltage, wherein the first energy source is connected in series with the first regulated DC-to-DC converter;
a load electrically connected to the first regulated DC-to-DC converter to receive the down converted first voltage, wherein the received down converted first voltage is DC voltage;
a second regulated DC-to-DC converter electrically connected in series to the first regulated DC-to-DC converter to regulate the down converted first voltage to a second voltage;
and
a second energy source electrically connected to the second regulated DC-to-DC converter to charge the second energy source using the second voltage, the second energy source switchably connectable to the load to provide the load with DC voltage, wherein the second energy source is connected in series with the second regulated DC-to-DC converter.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/988,006Filed 7 Aug 2020 · continuation in part
Priority: 30 Sep 2015
Published: US 2020/0366205 A119 Nov 2020
Granted: 27 Sep 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

H02M 3/156
Using semiconductor devices only: with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
B60L 3/003
Detecting, eliminating, remedying or compensating for drive train abnormalities, e.g. failures within the drive train: relating to inverters
B60L 58/20
Of two or more battery modules: having different nominal voltages
H02M 3/00
Conversion of dc power input into dc power output

Family

Application62/235,129Us provisional application · filed 30 Sep 2015
PCT/US2016/053093Parent of this continuation · filed 22 Sep 2016
Application16/012,118Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 19 Jun 2018
US 2020/0366205 A1Pre-grant publication · published 19 Nov 2020
US 10,737,586 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application15/764,438Parent of this continuation
Application16/012,118Parent of this continuation
US 2018/0301986 A1Published application
US 11,456,669 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.