# US 2021/0083501 A1 · Parallel Charging > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0083501 A1 - Document ID: US20210083501A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/025,789 - Filed: 2020-09-18 - Published: 2021-03-18 - Earliest claimed: 2019-09-18 - Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Applicants: Qualcomm Incorporated - Inventors: Cheong Kun; Chunping Song; Guoyong Guo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210083501A1 ## CPC - H02J 7/94: in response to battery current - H02J 7/80: including monitoring or indicating arrangements - H02J 50/00: Circuit arrangements or systems for wireless supply or distribution of electric power - H02J 2207/20: Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter - H02J 2207/40: adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY ## Abstract An apparatus is disclosed for parallel charging of at least one power storage unit. In example implementations, an apparatus includes a charging system. The charging system includes a first charger having a first current path and a second charger having a second current path. The charging system also includes a charging controller coupled to the first current path. The charging system further includes an indication path coupled between the second current path and the charging controller. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for parallel charging, the apparatus comprising: a charging system comprising: a first charger comprising a first current path; a second charger comprising a second current path; a charging controller coupled to the first current path; and an indication path coupled between the second current path and the charging controller. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the first charger comprises a buck converter; and the second charger comprises a charge pump. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the indication path comprises a second indication path; the charging system comprises a first indication path; and the charging controller is coupled to the first current path via the first indication path. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the charging system comprises: an indication signal combiner that is coupled: between the first indication path and the charging controller; and between the second indication path and the charging controller. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the indication signal combiner is configured to: accept an indication signal of a current flowing through the first current path; accept an indication signal of a current flowing through the second current path; combine the indication signal of the current flowing through the first current path and the indication signal of the current flowing through the second current path to produce a combined indication signal; and provide the combined indication signal to the charging controller. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein: the combined indication signal is responsive to a magnitude of the current flowing through the first current path and a magnitude of the current flowing through the second current path; and the charging controller is configured to control at least one switching parameter of the first charger based on the combined indication signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein: the charging system comprises: a third charger comprising a third current path; and a third indication path coupled between the third current path and the indication signal combiner; and the indication signal combiner is configured to: accept an indication signal of a current flowing through the third current path; and combine the indication signal of the current flowing through the first current path, the indication signal of the current flowing through the second current path, and the indication signal of the current flowing through the third current path to produce the combined indication signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the charging controller is: separate from the first charger and separate from the second charger; or integrated with the first charger and separate from the second charger. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the charging controller is configured to control operation of at least the first charger based on a current flowing through the first current path and a current flowing through the second current path. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the second charger comprises a current sensor, the current sensor coupled between the second current path and the indication path. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein: the current sensor is configured to provide, to the charging controller via the indication path, an indication signal indicative of a current flowing through the second current path; and the charging controller is configured to control a combined current of the charging system based on the indication signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein: the current comprises at least one of an input current or a charging current; and the combined current comprises at least one of a combined input current or a combined charging current. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising: at least one power storage unit; and at least one power source adapter, wherein the second current path comprises at least one of: a second input-current path coupled to the at least one power source adapter; or a second charging-current path coupled to the at least one power storage unit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein: the current sensor of the second charger comprises a second current sensor; and the first charger comprises a first current sensor, the first current sensor coupled between the first current path and the charging controller. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein: the current comprises a second current; the indication signal comprises a second indication signal of the second current sensor; the first current sensor is configured to provide, to the charging controller, a first indication signal indicative of a first current flowing through the first current path; and the charging controller is configured to control the combined current of the charging system based on the first indication signal and the second indication signal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the charging system comprises: an indication signal combiner coupled to the indication path, the indication signal combiner configured to: combine at least the first indication signal and the second indication signal to produce a combined indication signal; and provide the combined indication signal to the charging controller. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a first printed circuit board comprising the first charger; and a second printed circuit board comprising the second charger. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: at least one power storage unit coupled to the charging system, wherein the charging system is configured to charge the at least one power storage unit. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising: a display screen coupled to the at least one power storage unit; and a processor coupled to the at least one power storage unit, the processor operatively coupled to the display screen and configured to present one or more graphical images on the display screen, wherein the at least one power storage unit is configured to provide power to the display screen and the processor. ### Claim 20 An apparatus for charging at least one power storage unit, the apparatus comprising: a first charger comprising means for propagating a first current; a second charger comprising means for propagating a second current; first means for indicating the first current; second means for indicating the second current; means for generating a combined indication signal responsive to the first means for indicating and the second means for indicating; and means for controlling a charging of the at least one power storage unit based on the combined indication signal. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for controlling comprises at least one of: means for regulating at least one charging current to provide constant-current charging; means for regulating at least one input current to protect at least one power source adapter; or means for regulating a voltage corresponding to the power storage unit. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the second means for indicating the second current comprises: means for sensing the second current to produce a second indication signal; and means for propagating the second indication signal to the means for generating. ### Claim 23 A method for operating a charging system, the method comprising: obtaining a first indication signal indicative of a first current flowing through a first current path of a first charger; obtaining a second indication signal indicative of a second current flowing through a second current path of a second charger; combining the first indication signal and the second indication signal to produce a combined indication signal; and controlling the charging system based on the combined indication signal. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the controlling comprises: adjusting a combined current based on the combined indication signal, the combined current corresponding to at least the first current and the second current. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein the adjusting comprises at least one of: adjusting the first current to maintain the combined current substantially within a target range for the combined current; or adjusting the first current to counteract a change to the second current. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the obtaining the second indication signal comprises: sensing the second current at the second current path of the second charger to produce a sensed second current; and propagating the sensed second current as the second indication signal from the second current path to an indication signal combiner. ### Claim 27 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the controlling comprises: adjusting at least one switching parameter of the first charger based on the combined indication signal. ### Claim 28 An apparatus for parallel charging, the apparatus comprising: a charging system comprising: a charging voltage node; a buck charger comprising a current path; a charge pump charger comprising a current path, the current path of the charge pump charger coupled to the charging voltage node; a charging controller coupled to the current path of the buck charger; and an indication path coupled between the charging controller and the current path of the charge pump charger, the indication path configured to provide an indication of a current flowing though the current path of the charge pump charger. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The apparatus of claim 28, wherein: the charge pump charger comprises a current sensor, the current sensor coupled between the current path of the charge pump charger and the indication path. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) The apparatus of claim 28, wherein at least one of: the current path of the buck charger comprises an input-current path, and the current path of the charge pump charger comprises an input-current path; or the current path of the buck charger comprises a charging-current path, and the current path of the charge pump charger comprises a charging-current path.