Systems and methods for universal serial bus (USB) power delivery with multiple charging ports
Systems and methods for universal serial bus (USB) power delivery with multiple charging ports or connectors to charge multiple electronic devices. The systems include a power supply having converter(s) that converts an input voltage to different output voltages and outputs; charging ports electrically coupled to the power supply outputs; and a controller electrically coupled to the power supply and the charging ports or connectors. Each of the charging ports is configured to connect to and provide an output voltage selected from the different output voltages to an electronic device. The controller communicates or publishes information regarding the different output voltage levels that can be provided by the power supply to the electronic devices; receives voltage levels selected by the electronic devices via the charging ports; and controls the power supply to provide the selected voltages to the first and second device, respectively.
1. A universal serial bus (USB) charging system configured to charge a plurality of electronic devices, the USB charging system comprising:
a power supply including a plurality of power converters and a plurality of power supply outputs electrically coupled to the plurality of power converters, respectively, each of the plurality of power converters configured to convert an input voltage to a plurality of different output voltages;
a plurality of charging ports electrically coupled to the plurality of power supply outputs, respectively, each of the plurality of charging ports configured to connect to, and provide an output voltage selected from the plurality of different output voltages to, an electronic device;
a controller in electrical communication with the power supply and the plurality of charging ports, the controller comprising:
one or more processors;
a single master controller in electrical communication with the plurality of charging ports; and
a memory having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to:
communicate information regarding the plurality of different output voltages from the single master controller to first and second electronic devices via respective first and second charging ports of the plurality of charging ports;
receive, via the respective first and second charging ports, information regarding first and second output voltages selected from the plurality of different output voltages by the respective first and second electronic devices; and
control the power supply to provide the selected first output voltage to the first electronic device and to provide the selected second output voltage to the second electronic device; and
a first power delivery (PD) controller integrated circuit (IC) and a second PD controller IC, the first and second PD controller ICs electrically coupled to the single master controller and configured to selectively disable transmission of electrical energy to corresponding charging ports,
wherein the first PD controller IC is not directly connected with the second PD controller IC.
2. The USB charging system of claim 1 , wherein the controller communicates a first set of output voltages to the first electronic device and communicates a second set of output voltages to the second electronic device, wherein the first set is different from the second set.
3. The USB charging system of claim 2 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the controller to:
determine the first and second sets of output voltages based on at least one parameter associated with the first and second electronic devices, respectively.
4. The USB charging system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of charging ports are USB Type-C charging ports.
5. The USB charging system of claim 3 , wherein the at least one parameter is at least one of the current being drawn by each of the first and second electronic devices, the charge levels of each of the first and second electronic devices, the period over which each of the first and second electronic devices have been charged by the USB charging system, and the priority level of each of the first and second electronic devices.
6. The USB charging system of claim 5 , wherein the priority level is determined based on the order in which the first and second electronic devices are connected to the USB charging system.
7. The USB charging system of claim 5 , further comprising a current sense resister coupled to each of the first and second charging ports,
wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to measure voltage across each of the current sense resistors and determine a charge level of each of the first and second electronic devices based on the measured voltages.
8. The USB charging system of claim 5 , wherein the controller determines a first set of output voltages that includes an output voltage greater than the output voltages in the second set of output voltages, if the first electronic device has the lower charge level than the second electronic device.
9. The USB charging system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sets of output voltages are determined based on total power that can be provided by the USB charging system.
10. The USB charging system of claim 1 , wherein the single master controller is configured to independently control the first and second PD controller ICs.