# US 12,191,685 B2 · Power system configurations for wireless charging > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,191,685 B2 - Document ID: US12191685B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/447,488 - Filed: 2021-09-13 - Published: 2023-01-05 - Granted: 2025-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 2021-06-30 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Weiyun Chen; Di Zhao - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12191685B2 ## CPC - H02J 7/575: {Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit} - H02M 3/158: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load - H02J 7/52: for charge balancing, e.g. equalisation of charge between batteries - H02J 7/56: Active balancing, e.g. using capacitor-based, inductor-based or DC-DC converters - H02J 50/10: using inductive coupling - H02J 50/12: of the resonant type - H02M 1/009: {having two or more independently controlled outputs (for DC-DC converter with intermediate AC H02M3/33561)} - H02J 7/82: Control of state of charge [SOC] - H02J 2207/20: Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter - H02M 1/0095: {Hybrid converter topologies, e.g. NPC mixed with flying capacitor, thyristor converter mixed with MMC or charge pump mixed with buck} - H02M 3/07: using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode {, e.g. charge pumps} - H02M 3/1582: {Buck-boost converters (H02M3/1584 takes precedence)} - H02M 7/4837: {Flying capacitor converters} - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) ## Abstract A battery powered electronic device can include a wireless power system configured to receive power from a wireless power transmitter, a converter coupled to the wireless power system that converts a voltage from the wireless power system to a battery charging voltage, a battery comprising at least two cells, a power management unit that delivers power from one or more of the at least two cells to one or more subsystems of the electronic device, and a plurality of switching devices connecting the at least two cells, the converter, and the power management unit. The plurality of switching devices can be arranged so that a first switching configuration connects the cells in series for charging from the converter and a second switching configuration connects the cells in parallel for delivering power to the power management unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A battery powered electronic device comprising: a wireless power system configured to receive power from a wireless power transmitter; a converter coupled to the wireless power system that converts a voltage from the wireless power system to a battery charging voltage; a battery comprising at least two cells; a power management unit that delivers power from one or more of the at least two cells to one or more subsystems of the battery powered electronic device; and a plurality of switching devices connecting the at least two cells, the converter, and the power management unit, wherein the plurality of switching devices are arranged so that a first switching configuration connects the cells in series for charging from the converter and a second switching configuration connects the cells in parallel for delivering power to the power management unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The battery powered electronic device of claim 1 wherein the wireless power system is further configured to deliver power from the battery powered electronic device to another device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The battery powered electronic device of claim 2 wherein the converter is a bi-directional three level buck boost converter. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The battery powered electronic device of claim 1 wherein: the plurality of switching devices comprises a ladder of four switches connected between an output of the converter and ground; a first cell of the at least two cells has a first terminal connected to a junction of an output of the converter and a first switch of the four switches and a second terminal connected to a junction between a third and fourth of the four switches; and a second cell of the at least two cells has a first terminal connected to a junction of a second switch and a third switch of the four switches and a second terminal connected to ground. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The battery powered electronic device of claim 4 wherein the power management unit is coupled to the junction of the second switch and the third switch. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The battery powered electronic device of claim 1 further comprising a balancer circuit coupled to a first of the at least two cells and a second of the at least two cells that operates to equalize state of charge as between the cells. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The battery powered electronic device of claim 6 wherein the balancer circuit comprises two coupled inductors and two switches in a flyback configuration. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The battery powered electronic device of claim 6 wherein the balancer circuit comprises: a charge transfer capacitor; a first switch pair arranged to permit power transfer between the first cell to the charge transfer capacitor; and a second switch pair arranged to permit power transfer between the second cell and the charge transfer capacitor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The battery powered electronic device of claim 1 wherein the at least two cells have the same capacity. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The battery powered electronic device of claim 1 wherein the at least two cells have the same chemistry. ### Claim 11 An electronic device comprising: a battery comprising at least two cells; a wireless power system configured to receive power from a wireless power transmitter and to deliver power to another device; a bidirectional converter coupled to the wireless power system, the bidirectional converter being configured to: in a first operating mode, receive a voltage from the wireless power system and convert it to a battery charging voltage; and in a second operating mode, receive a battery voltage and convert it to a voltage supplied to the wireless power system; a power management unit that delivers power from at least one of the cells to one or more subsystems of the electronic device; and a switching circuit having a first switching state that connects the cells in series for charging from the bidirectional converter and a second switching state that connects the cells in parallel for delivering power to the power management unit and the wireless power system. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The electronic device of claim 11 further comprising a balancer circuit coupled to a first of the at least two cells and a second of the at least two cells that operates to equalize state of charge as between the cells. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The electronic device of claim 12 wherein the balancer circuit operates continuously. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The electronic device of claim 12 wherein the balancer circuit operates responsive to a state of charge imbalance between the cells reaching a threshold.