Patent · US Expired

Automatic charging device via a universal serial bus and method of operating the same

US6798173B2 · kind B2 · utility

44Cited by
5References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 21, 2001
Grant dateSep 28, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 12, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F1/266
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The invention provides an automatic charging device via a USB and method of operating the same. The charging device comprises: a battery charger; an indicator; an USB interface; and a charging controller. The method of operating the charging device comprises the steps of: establishing a connection between the USB interface and the host system; providing a charging controller in the host system, wherein the charging controller obtains appropriate current from the bus-power through the connection; providing a battery charger electrically connecting the USB interface to electrify a battery; transferring data through the USB interface and electrifying a battery by the battery charger; continually adjusting the current of the bus-power to meet a maximum load current of the USB by the charging controller; showing the current of the bus-power and the rate of progress of the battery charger by an indicator in the host system; and determining whether the battery is fully charged or not, either terminating the charge as the battery is fully charged and decreasing the current to meet a minimum load current of the USB or repeating the steps of adjusting the current of the bus-power.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.