Charging device

Abstract

There is provided a charging device which can rapidly charge, with a single charger, portable devices of a plurality of charging specifications. A plurality of available power indicating circuits included in a USB module 10 notify, through a data line, a portable device coupled to the charging device of a signal indicating suppliable amount of current. A CPU 4 obtains, from a portable device coupled thereto, information identifying the portable device, at the time of adjustment. A memory 6 has a table stored therein, for a plurality of portable devices, defining a correspondence between information identifying a portable device and an available power indicating circuit. Referring to the table based on the obtained information, the CPU 4 selects an available power indicating circuit and, at the time of actual operation, activates only the selected available power indicating circuit.

1 - 5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . A method for charging a portable device via a universal serial bus of a charging device, the method comprising:
 supplying current to a portable device from a power supply of the charging device through a voltage bus (VBUS);   measuring the amount of current supplied to the portable device though the voltage bus (VBUS);   notifying the portable device coupled to the charging device of a signal indicating suppliable amount of current;   obtaining information identifying the portable device at a control unit coupled to the portable device;   selecting an available power indicating circuit based on the obtained information by referring to a previously stored table which defines, for a plurality of portable devices, correspondence between information identifying the portable devices and available power indicating circuits, and   activating only the selected available power indicating circuit at a time of actual operation,   wherein, when the control unit does not obtain from a portable device coupled thereto information identifying the portable device, or when an available power indicating circuit corresponding to information identifying the portable device is not defined in the table, the control unit activates the available power indicating circuits one by one, causes a measurement unit to measure the amount of current supplied to the portable device through a voltage bus (VBUS), stores a measurement result in a storage unit, selects, by referring to the storage unit, an available power indicating circuit exhibiting a maximum current supply amount, and activates only the selected available power indicating circuit at a time of actual operation.   
     
     
         7 . The charging method according to  claim 6 , further comprising setting, in the power supply unit, a limit value for the amount of current supplied through the voltage bus (VBUS) in accordance with an available power indicating circuit to be activated. 
     
     
         8 . The charging device according to  claim 6 , further comprising:
 setting one or more limit values for the amount of current supplied through the voltage bus (VBUS) in accordance with an available power indicating circuit to be activated at a time of adjustment;   measuring the amount of current to be supplied to the portable device under respective limit values;   storing a measurement result in the storage unit;   selecting an available power indicating circuit exhibiting the maximum current supply amount and a limit value for amount of current to be supplied;   activating only the selected available power indicating circuit at a time of actual operation; and   setting, in the power supply unit, the limit value for the amount of current to be supplied.   
     
     
         9 . A method for charging a portable device via a universal serial bus of a charging device, the method comprising:
 supplying current to a portable device coupled through a voltage bus (VBUS);   measuring the amount of current supplied to the portable device through the voltage bus (VBUS);   notifying the portable device coupled to the charging device of a signal indicating suppliable amount of current, the notifying being done through a data line by a plurality of available power indicating circuits, each circuit having different current supplying ability;   at the time of adjustment, activating through a control unit the available power indicating circuits one by one, measuring the amount of current supplied to the portable device, and storing in a storage unit a measurement result;   selecting, by referring to the storage unit, an available power indicating circuit exhibiting a maximum current supply amount; and   activating only the selected available power indicating circuit at a time of actual operation,   wherein, at the time of adjustment, the control unit does not obtain from a portable device information identifying the portable device.