Method and apparatus for charging a battery using multiple charging sources

A method of operating a battery charger having a main charging source and an auxiliary charging source, comprising:

• detecting a battery being electrically connected to the battery charger;
• determining that the battery can be charged with a charging current greater than can be supplied by the main charging source alone;
• in response to determining that the battery can be charged with a charging current greater than can be supplied by the main charging source alone, enabling the auxiliary charging source to source an auxiliary current to the rechargeable battery;
• and
• in response to enabling the auxiliary charging source, increasing a current provided by the main charging source until either a maximum total current of the main charging source and the auxiliary charging source, a maximum battery voltage, or a maximum current of the main charging source is reached.

A battery charger, comprising:

• a main charging source coupled to a charging interface to provide a main charging current to a rechargeable battery;
• an auxiliary charging source that selectively provides an auxiliary charge current to the rechargeable battery in addition to the main charging current;
• and
• a charge controller operably coupled to the main charging source that controls the charging current, the charge controller further coupled to the auxiliary charging source to enable or disable the auxiliary charging source, wherein the charge controller detects connection to a rechargeable battery and enables the auxiliary charging source to provide the auxiliary charge current to the rechargeable battery if rechargeable battery can be recharged with a current that is greater than a maximum current that can be supplied by the main charging source.