Linearly regulated battery charger

1. A battery charger comprising:

a first input configured to accept DC power from an AC adapter;

a second input configured to accept DC power from a Universal Serial Bus power interface;

a first output configured to provide power to a system load;

a second output configured for connection to a battery;

a first isolation circuit coupled between the first input and the first output to prevent current flow in a reverse direction to the first input;

a second isolation circuit and a current sensing circuit coupled in series between the second input and the first output, wherein the second isolation circuit is connected in parallel with the first isolation circuit to the first output, and wherein the second isolation circuit prevents current flow in a reverse direction to the second input, and the current sensing circuit measures the current flow from the Universal Serial Bus power interface, wherein the current sensor is not coupled to the AC adapter;

a pass element coupled between the first output and the second output, wherein the pass element conducts a charging current in a first direction to the second output during charging of the battery; and

a charging controller configured to linearly regulate the charging current of the pass element based on the current flow from the Universal Serial Bus power interface measured by the current sensing circuit, and wherein the current sensing circuit does not measure the current flow from the AC adapter.

2. The battery charger of claim 1 , wherein the charging controller reduces the charging current in response to an increase in current to the system load when the current flow from the Universal Serial Bus power interface exceeds a predefined current threshold.

3. The battery charger of claim 1 , further comprising a current limiting circuit coupled between the Universal Serial Bus power interface and the second input.

4. The battery charger of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first bypass transistor coupled across the first isolation circuit; and

a second bypass transistor coupled across the second isolation circuit, wherein the first bypass transistor and the second bypass transistor are selectively enabled to couple an output of the AC adapter or an output of the Universal Serial Bus power interface to the first output.

5. The battery charger of claim 4 , wherein the second bypass transistor is automatically disabled when power is detected at the first input.

6. The battery charger of claim 1 , wherein the first isolation circuit comprises a first diode with an anode coupled to the first input and a cathode coupled to the first output while the second isolation circuit comprises a second diode with an anode coupled to the second input and a cathode coupled to the first output.

7. The battery charger of claim 1 , wherein the pass element is a series-connected transistor configured to additionally conduct current in a second direction from the second output to the first output during discharging of the battery.

8. The battery charger of claim 7 , wherein discharging of the battery occurs when voltage at the second output is greater than voltage at the first output.

9. The battery charger of claim 7 , wherein discharging of the battery occurs in response to a discharge command.

10. A battery controller comprising:

a pass element coupled between a system power terminal and a battery terminal, wherein the system power terminal is alternately connected to DC power from an AC power source and DC power from a Universal Serial Bus power interface;

a current sensor coupled in series between the DC power source and the system power terminal to measure a supply current from the Universal Serial Bus power interface, wherein the current sensor is not coupled to the AC power source;

a battery control loop that senses a voltage difference between the system power terminal and the battery terminal, wherein the battery control loop outputs a feedback control signal based on the voltage difference; and

a pass element driver that accepts the feedback control signal, wherein the pass element driver linearly regulates current conducted by the pass element using the feedback control signal, wherein the pass element driver linearly regulates the charging current based on the current flow from the Universal Serial Bus power interface measured by the current sensing circuit, and wherein the current sensing circuit does not measure current from the AC power source.

11. The battery controller of claim 10 , wherein the pass element is a P-channel enhancement mode MOSFET with a source terminal coupled to the system power terminal and a drain terminal coupled to the battery terminal.

12. The battery controller of claim 10 , wherein the pass element is a MOSFET with a configurable body contact.

13. The battery controller of claim 12 , wherein the configurable body contact is coupled to the system power terminal during a charging mode and to the battery terminal during a discharging mode.

14. The battery controller of claim 12 , wherein the configurable body contact is coupled to a transistor terminal with a relatively higher voltage during a shutdown mode to prevent current flow in a body diode and thereby fully disconnecting the battery terminal from the system power terminal.

15. The battery controller of claim 12 , further comprising a comparator with inputs coupled across the MOSFET to sense a voltage polarity of the MOSFET to generate an output to control connections of the configurable body contact.

16. The battery controller of claim 10 , wherein power is selectively provided to the system power terminal by an AC adapter or the Universal Serial Bus power interface.

17. The battery controller of claim 16 , further comprising:

a current sensor that outputs a current sense voltage indicative of the level of current supplied by the Universal Serial Bus power interface to the system power terminal; and

an error amplifier that compares the current sense voltage to a reference level and overrides the feedback control signal to reduce the current conducted by the pass element when the current sense voltage exceeds the reference level.

18. The battery controller of claim 10 , further comprising a switching diode coupled across the pass element to improve battery response during a discharging mode, wherein the switching diode is inactive during a charging mode.