Selector circuit for power management in multiple battery systems

Claim 2

A controller for a selector circuit configured to select among a DC power source and a plurality of batteries for an electronic device, said controller comprising: a selector output circuit configured to provide selector output signals that control selection among said DC power source and said plurality of batteries, said selector output circuit providing said selector output signals in response to a power management unit (PMU) output signal from a PMU configured to run a power management routine; and a first comparator, said first comparator configured to compare a first signal representative of a voltage level of said DC power source with a first threshold level and provide a DC source enable signal representative of a difference between said first signal and said first threshold level, said selector output circuit providing selector output signals to select said DC source and deselect said plurality of batteries if said DC source enable signal indicates said voltage level of said DC source is greater than said first threshold level.

Claim 3

The controller of claim 1 , wherein said PMU output signal represents a desired selection of at least one of said plurality of batteries, and said selector output circuit provides selector output signals to select said DC source and deselect said plurality of batteries if said DC source enable signal indicates said voltage level of said DC source is greater than said first threshold level, thereby overriding said PMU output signal.

Claim 4

The controller of claim 1 , further comprising a second comparator configured to compare said first signal representative of said voltage level of said DC power source with a second threshold level and provide a second output signal, said second threshold level greater than said first threshold level, said controller further configured to also enable charging of at least one of said plurality of batteries if said PMU output signal is representative of a use of at least one of said plurality of batteries and said second output signal is representative of said voltage level of said DC power source being greater than said second threshold level.

Claim 5

A controller for a selector circuit configured to select among a DC power source and a plurality of batteries for an electronic device, said controller comprising: a selector output circuit configured to provide selector output signals that control selection among said DC power source and said plurality of batteries, said selector output circuit providing said selector output signals in response to a power management unit (PMU) output signal from a PMU configured to run a power management routine; and a power crisis circuit, said power crises circuit configured to accept an input signal based on said PMU output signal and provide a diode mode signal upon detection of a power crises condition, said selector output circuit responsive to said diode mode signal to select each of said DC power source and said plurality of batteries such that said DC power source and each of said plurality of batteries is coupled in series to an associated diode thereby permitting only one of said DC power source or said plurality of batteries with a voltage level higher than a remainder of said power sources to supply said electronic device.

Claim 6

A controller for a selector circuit configured to select among a DC power source and a plurality of batteries for an electronic device, said controller comprising: a selector output circuit configured to provide selector output signals that control selection among said DC power source and said plurality of batteries, said selector output circuit providing said selector output signals in response to a power management unit (PMU) output signal from a PMU configured to run a power management routine; and a power crisis circuit, said power crises circuit configured to accept an input signal based on said PMU output signal and provide a diode mode signal upon detection of a power crises condition, said selector output circuit responsive to said diode mode signal to select each of said DC power source and said plurality of batteries such that said DC power source and each of said plurality of batteries is coupled in series to an associated diode thereby permitting only one of said DC power source or said plurality of batteries with a voltage level higher than a remainder of said power sources to supply said electronic device.

Claim 7

The controller of claim 4 , wherein a system check signal representative of a voltage level of said electronic device less than a minimum voltage threshold level represents one said power crisis condition.

Claim 8

The controller of claim 4 , wherein said selector output circuit provides an alert signal upon detection of said power crisis condition.

Claim 9

The controller of claim 4 , wherein said controller deactivates said diode mode signal upon detection of said power crises condition being remedied.

Claim 10

The controller of claim 7 , wherein a system check signal representative of a voltage level of said electronic device less than a minimum voltage threshold level represents one said power crisis condition, and wherein said system check signal representative of said voltage level of said electronic device greater than said minimum voltage threshold level represents said one power crises condition being remedied.

Claim 11

The controller of claim 8 , wherein said controller comprises a third comparator configured to compare a third signal representative of a voltage level of said electronic device with a third signal representative of said minimum voltage threshold level and provide said system check signal representative of a difference between said voltage level of said electronic device and said minimum voltage threshold level.

Claim 12

An electronic device that may be powered by one or more of a plurality of rechargeable batteries or a DC power source, said electronic device comprising: a power management unit configured to run a power management routine; a charging circuit configured to control charging of said plurality of rechargeable batteries; and a selector circuit configured to select at least one of said DC source and said plurality of batteries in response to a power management unit (PMU) output signal from said PMU, said selector circuit further comprising a first comparator, said first comparator configured to compare a first signal representative of a voltage level of said DC power source with a first threshold level and provide a DC source enable signal representative of a difference between said first signal and said first threshold level, said selector circuit providing selector output signals to select said DC source and deselect said plurality of batteries if said DC source enable signal indicates said voltage level of said DC source is greater than said first threshold level.

Claim 13

An electronic device that may be powered by one or more of a plurality of rechargeable batteries or a DC power source, said electronic device comprising: a power management unit configured to run a power management routine; a charging circuit configured to control charging of said plurality of rechargeable batteries; and a selector circuit configured to select at least one of said DC source and said plurality of batteries in response to a power management unit (PMU) output signal from said PMU, said selector circuit further comprising a first comparator, said first comparator configured to compare a first signal representative of a voltage level of said DC power source with a first threshold level and provide a DC source enable signal representative of a difference between said first signal and said first threshold level, said selector circuit providing selector output signals to select said DC source and deselect said plurality of batteries if said DC source enable signal indicates said voltage level of said DC source is greater than said first threshold level.

Claim 14

The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein said PMU output signal represents a desired selection of at least one of said plurality of batteries, and said selector circuit provides selector output signals to select said DC source and deselect said plurality of batteries if said DC source enable signal indicates said voltage level of said DC source is greater than said first threshold level, thereby overriding said PMU output signal.

Claim 15

The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein said selector circuit further comprising a second comparator configured to compare said first signal representative of said voltage level of said DC power source with a second threshold level and provide a second output signal, said second threshold level greater than said first threshold level, said selector circuit further configured to also enable charging of at least one of said plurality of batteries if said PMU output signal is representative of a use of at least one of said plurality of batteries and said second output signal is representative of said voltage level of said DC power source being greater than said second threshold level.

Claim 16

An electronic device that may be powered by one or more of a plurality of rechargeable batteries or a DC power source, said electronic device comprising: a power management unit configured to run a power management routine; a charging circuit configured to control charging of said plurality of rechargeable batteries; and a selector circuit configured to select at least one of said DC source and said plurality of batteries in response to a power management unit (PMU) output signal from said PMU, wherein said selector circuit comprises a power crisis circuit and a selector output circuit, said power crises circuit configured to accept an input signal based on said PMU output signal and provide a diode mode signal upon detection of a power crises condition, said selector output circuit responsive to said diode mode signal to select each of said DC power source and said plurality of batteries such that said DC power source and each of said plurality of batteries is coupled in series to an associated diode thereby permitting only one of said DC power source or said plurality of batteries with a voltage level higher than a remainder of said power sources to supply said electronic device.

Claim 17

An electronic device that may be powered by one or more of a plurality of rechargeable batteries or a DC power source, said electronic device comprising: a power management unit configured to run a power management routine; a charging circuit configured to control charging of said plurality of rechargeable batteries; and a selector circuit configured to select at least one of said DC source and said plurality of batteries in response to a power management unit (PMU) output signal from said PMU, wherein said selector circuit comprises a power crisis circuit and a selector output circuit, said power crises circuit configured to accept an input signal based on said PMU output signal and provide a diode mode signal upon detection of a power crises condition, said selector output circuit responsive to said diode mode signal to select each of said DC power source and said plurality of batteries such that said DC power source and each of said plurality of batteries is coupled in series to an associated diode thereby permitting only one of said DC power source or said plurality of batteries with a voltage level higher than a remainder of said power sources to supply said electronic device.

Claim 18

The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein a system check signal representative of a voltage level of said electronic device less than a minimum voltage threshold level represents one said power crisis condition.

Claim 19

The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein said selector output circuit provides an alert signal upon detection of said power crisis condition.

Claim 20

The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein said selector output circuit deactivates said diode mode signal upon detection of said power crises condition being remedied.

Claim 21

The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein a system check signal representative of a voltage level of said electronic device less than a minimum voltage threshold level represents one said power crisis condition, and wherein said system check signal representative of said voltage level of said electronic device greater than said minimum voltage threshold levels represents said one power crises condition being remedied.

Claim 22

The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein said selector circuit comprises a third comparator configured to compare a third signal representative of a voltage level of said electronic device with a third signal representative of said minimum voltage threshold level and provide said system check signal representative of a difference between said voltage level of said electronic device and said minimum voltage threshold level.