Battery charging and discharging by using a bi-directional transistor

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 bi-directional pass element coupled between the first output and the second output, wherein the bi-directional pass element conducts a charging current in a first direction to the second output during charging of the battery, wherein the bi-directional pass element conducts a discharging current in a second direction from the second output during discharging of the battery, the bi-directional pass element becoming at least a partially enhanced switch to provide a low-impedance path from second output to the first output during discharging of the battery, and wherein the bi-directional pass element varies the charging current based at least in part on the system load; and

circuitry that is configured to automatically use the power from the Universal Serial Bus power interface when the AC Adapter is not active;

a charging controller configured to regulate the charging current of the bi-directional pass element based on the current flow from the Universal Serial Bus power interface when the Universal Serial Bus power interface is providing power to the system load, wherein the charging controller varies the charging current of the bi-directional pass element so that the combination of the power provided to the system load and the charging current provided to the battery does not exceed a maximum allowed current from the Universal Serial Bus power interface.

2. The battery charger of claim 1 , wherein the bi-directional pass element is a P-channel enhancement mode MOSFET.

3. The battery charger of claim 2 , wherein the P-channel enhancement mode MOSFET comprises a configurable body contact.

4. The battery charger of claim 1 , further comprising a comparator coupled across the bi-directional pass element to sense the voltage polarity of the bi-directional pass element and to connect a body contact accordingly.

5. The battery charger of claim 1 , further comprising a switching diode coupled across the bi-directional pass element to assist in a transient response of the battery.

6. The battery charger of claim 5 , wherein the bi-directional pass element comprises a body contact that connects to a channel terminal with a relatively higher voltage during a shutdown mode to prevent current flow in a body diode and to disconnect the battery.

7. The battery charger of claim 1 , further comprising a bi-directional pass element driver that controls a gate voltage with respect to a body terminal of the bi-directional pass element to control the level of the charging current or the discharging current.

8. The battery charger of claim 1 , 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; and

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

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

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

a first bypass transistor coupled across the first isolation circuit;

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; 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.

10. The battery charger of claim 1 , wherein a primary power source is provided by the AC adapter and a secondary power source is provided by the Universal Serial Bus power interface.

11. The battery charger of claim 1 , further comprising a current limiter coupled between the Universal Serial Bus power interface and the second input to ensure that a supply current is less than a predetermined level.

12. The battery charger of claim 1 , wherein the charging controller automatically enters a discharge mode when a supply current exceeds a predefined level.

13. The battery charger of claim 1 , further comprising a dual input source selector connected to the first input and the second input, wherein the dual input source selector selectively couples the DC power from the AC adapter or the DC power from the Universal Serial Bus power interface, the dual input source selector configured to automatically disconnect the DC power from the Universal Serial Bus power interface when the DC power from the AC adapter is available.

14. The battery charger of claim 1 , wherein the charging controller linearly regulates charging current and limits charging current to ensure that a supply current is less than a reference level.

15. The battery charger of claim 14 , wherein the reference level is selectable from a plurality of predefined limits.

16. The battery charger of claim 1 , wherein the bi-directional pass element varies the discharging current based at least in part on the system load.

17. The battery charger of claim 1 , wherein the bi-directional pass element allows the discharging current to flow from the battery when a voltage of the system load is less than a voltage of the battery.