A switching power converter is provided with an overvoltage protection circuit that monitors the differential data signal voltages in a data interface such as a USB data interface powering a load device to detect soft short conditions.

A switching power converter is provided with an overvoltage protection circuit that monitors the differential data signal voltages in a data interface such as a USB data interface powering a load device to detect soft short conditions.

A battery with at least two battery cells, which are connected by at least one electric connection element to one another, and a superordinate control device. Each of the battery cells is provided with at least one galvanic element, a battery cell housing for accommodating the galvanic element, at least one sensor device for detecting a physical and/or chemical feature of the battery cell, and a communication device for communicating with the superordinate device. The superordinate device is adapted to control an energy flow in at least one of the battery cells and/or from at least one of the battery cells as a function of the physical and/or chemical features of the battery cell. The invention further also relates to a motor vehicle with such a battery.

A method for charging a lithium ion secondary battery of the present invention includes a first step and a second step. In the first step, A, B, and C satisfy the relationship A>B and B<C, where A represents an average charging current value in the range where a charge rate of the lithium ion secondary battery is 0% or more and less than 40%, B represents an average charging current value in the range where the charge rate is 40% or more and 60% or less, and C represents an average charging current value in the range where the charge rate is more than 60%. In the first step, the ratio of C.sub.MAX to C.sub.MIN (C.sub.MAX/C.sub.MIN) is 1.01 to 3.00, where C.sub.MAX represents the maximum value of the charging current value and C.sub.MIN represents the minimum value of the charging current value.

The present disclosure includes a method of charging a battery. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving, in a battery charging circuit on an electronic device, an input voltage having a first voltage value from an external power source. The battery charger is configured to produce a charge current having a first current value into the battery. The input current limit and/or duty cycle of the charger is monitored. Control signals may be generated to increase the first voltage value of the input voltage if either (i) the input current limit is activated or (ii) the duty cycle reaches a maximum duty cycle. The charger also receives signals indicating a temperature inside the electronic device and generates control signals to decrease the value of the input voltage when the temperature increases above a threshold temperature.

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method for managing wiredly and wirelessly charging at least one of a fixed, portable and wearable computing and communications device. The method may comprise wirelessly charging a first of the at least one of fixed, portable and wearable computing and communications device serving as sink consuming power, when subjected to charging, using a wireless receiver detachably coupled to a smart adaptor subsystem via a first pair of magnetic connectors, detachably magnetically coupling a USB cable via second and third pairs of magnetic connectors correspondingly to a second of the at least one of fixed, portable and wearable computing and communications device serving as source supplying power, when subjected to charging, and the smart adaptor subsystem for facilitating wiredly charging the first of the at least one of fixed, portable and wearable computing and communications device, upon detachably magnetically coupling the USB cable, generating a cable detection signal using at least one of the wireless receiver and smart adaptor subsystem, upon successfully detecting the USB cable, generating an enable signal facilitating initiation of the smart adaptor subsystem using at least one of the wireless receiver and smart adaptor subsystem and upon generating the enable signal, automatically disabling the wireless receiver using the smart adaptor subsystem, thereby facilitating wiredly charging the first of the at least one of fixed, portable and wearable computing and communications device.

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method for managing wiredly and wirelessly charging at least one of a fixed, portable and wearable computing and communications device. The method may comprise wirelessly charging a first of the at least one of fixed, portable and wearable computing and communications device serving as sink consuming power, when subjected to charging, using a wireless receiver detachably coupled to a smart adaptor subsystem via a first pair of magnetic connectors, detachably magnetically coupling a USB cable via second and third pairs of magnetic connectors correspondingly to a second of the at least one of fixed, portable and wearable computing and communications device serving as source supplying power, when subjected to charging, and the smart adaptor subsystem for facilitating wiredly charging the first of the at least one of fixed, portable and wearable computing and communications device, upon detachably magnetically coupling the USB cable, generating a cable detection signal using at least one of the wireless receiver and smart adaptor subsystem, upon successfully detecting the USB cable, generating an enable signal facilitating initiation of the smart adaptor subsystem using at least one of the wireless receiver and smart adaptor subsystem and upon generating the enable signal, automatically disabling the wireless receiver using the smart adaptor subsystem, thereby facilitating wiredly charging the first of the at least one of fixed, portable and wearable computing and communications device.

Provided are a power supply conversion device and a charging control method. The device includes: a transformer; a first rectifier circuit connected to a primary winding of the transformer used for converting a received alternating current into a first direct current, a voltage value of the first direct current being a first direct-current voltage, and the transformer used for converting the first direct-current voltage into a second direct-current voltage; a voltage converter connected to a secondary winding of the transformer and used for converting the second direct-current voltage to output a constant direct-current voltage or a pulsating direct-current voltage; and a controller connected to the first rectifier circuit and the voltage converter and used for controlling the voltage converter to selectably output the constant direct-current voltage or the pulsating direct-current voltage according to a desired charging mode of a device to be charged connected to the power supply conversion device.

Provided are a power supply conversion device and a charging control method. The device includes: a transformer; a first rectifier circuit connected to a primary winding of the transformer used for converting a received alternating current into a first direct current, a voltage value of the first direct current being a first direct-current voltage, and the transformer used for converting the first direct-current voltage into a second direct-current voltage; a voltage converter connected to a secondary winding of the transformer and used for converting the second direct-current voltage to output a constant direct-current voltage or a pulsating direct-current voltage; and a controller connected to the first rectifier circuit and the voltage converter and used for controlling the voltage converter to selectably output the constant direct-current voltage or the pulsating direct-current voltage according to a desired charging mode of a device to be charged connected to the power supply conversion device.

A battery pack and charger platform including a voltage coupling circuit comprising an input that receives an input voltage and an output that sends an output voltage, a voltage monitoring circuit having an input coupled to the voltage coupling circuit output and an output, and a power source having an input coupled to the voltage monitoring circuit output, the power source input receives an input voltage representative of a charge instruction.