Communications for power delivery solutions

• US 10,088,884 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2015
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Jaramillo, Kenneth, Vemula, Madan Mohan Reddy, Murari, Sharad, Kulkarni, Abhijeet Chandrakant, Tiruchi Natarajan, Krishnan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phil
• Application Number:
  US14/921,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20170115711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0042 Universal serial bus [USB]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40045 Details regarding the feeding of energy to the node from the bus

Abstract

A protocol can specifie a power-sourcing voltage range that indicates power sourcing capabilities. Additional power sourcing capabilities can be communicated using voltage variations within the power-sourcing voltage range. A power-sourcing device can provide power to an external power-sinking device over a wired connection containing a plurality of wires. A voltage control circuit can be configured to drive a voltage over a wire of the plurality of wires. Processing circuitry can communicate, using the voltage control circuit, first power-sourcing capabilities to the external power-sinking device by setting the voltage over the wire to a value within the power-sourcing voltage range. The processing circuitry can also communicate, using the voltage control circuit, the additional power sourcing capabilities of the power-sourcing device using voltage variations on the wire, the voltage variations maintaining voltage on the wire within the power-sourcing voltage range.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use with a protocol that specifies a power-sourcing voltage range that indicates power sourcing capabilities and for communicating additional power sourcing capabilities using voltage variations within the power-sourcing voltage range, the apparatus comprising:

a power-sourcing device configured to provide power to an external power-sinking device over a wired connection containing a plurality of wires, the power-sourcing device including;

a voltage control circuit configured to drive a voltage over a wire of the plurality of wires; and

processing circuitry configured to;

communicate to the external power-sinking device, using the voltage control circuit, first power-sourcing capabilities to the external power-sinking device by setting the voltage over the wire to a value within the power-sourcing voltage range specified by the protocol; and

communicate encoded data to the external power-sinking device, using the voltage control circuit, the encoded data indicating the additional power sourcing capabilities of the power-sourcing device and generated by varying the voltage over the wire to varying voltage values, the voltage variations maintaining voltage on the wire within the power-sourcing voltage range specified by the protocol.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to sense current capabilities of a cable connecting the power-sourcing device to the external power-sinking device and to set the power-sourcing capabilities of the power-sourcing device in response to the current capabilities of the cable.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to receive an indication of power-sourcing capabilities of the power-sourcing device and set the power provided to the power-sinking device in response to the indication of power-sourcing capabilities.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to generate the encoded data using biphase mark coding to generate a packet that communicates to the power-sinking device, the power-sourcing capabilities of the power-sourcing device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to communicate a subsequent packet that indicates a change to the power-sourcing capabilities of the power-sourcing device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power-sourcing device is compliant with Universal Serial Bus Type C.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the power-sourcing voltage range corresponds to a voltage range specified for USB type C and 3 Amperes of power-sourcing capability.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the wire of the plurality of wires is a configuration channel (CC) line.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the voltage control circuit is configured to produce the voltage variations on the wire by driving the wire to two voltages within the power-sourcing voltage range.

10. An apparatus for use with a protocol that specifies a power-sourcing voltage range that indicates power-sourcing capabilities and for communicating additional power-sourcing capabilities using voltage variations within the power-sourcing voltage range, the apparatus comprising:

a power-sinking device configured to receive power from an external power-sourcing device over a wired connection containing a plurality of wires, the power-sinking device including;

a voltage circuit configured to detect a voltage that is provided over the plurality of wires; and

processing circuitry configured to;

determine power-sourcing capabilities of the external power-sourcing device based upon the detected voltage being within the power-sourcing voltage range specified by the protocol; and

responsive to receipt of data encoded by the power-sourcing device using voltage variations on the wire, determine the additional power-sourcing capabilities of the power-sourcing device by decoding the encoded data, the voltage variations maintaining voltage on the wire within the power-sourcing voltage ranges specified by the protocol.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processing circuit is configured to decode the data according to biphase mark coding that includes packets that include data specifying the power-sourcing capabilities of the power-sourcing device.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

receive an overcurrent condition in response to detecting a change in a monitored voltage resulting from a transition from a first current mode to a second current mode greater than a predetermined current; and

adjust a current drawn by a load of the power-sinking device.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the power-sinking device is compliant with Universal Serial Bus Type C.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the packets include a preamble portion, a start of packet portion and an end of packet portion and wherein the start of packet portion includes a synchronization pattern that specifies the power-sourcing capabilities of the power-sourcing device.

15. A method for use with a protocol that specifies a power-sourcing voltage range that indicates power sourcing capabilities and for communicating additional power sourcing capabilities using voltage variations within the power-sourcing voltage range, the method comprising:

providing, from a power-sourcing device, power to an external power-sinking device over a wired connection containing a plurality of wires;

driving, using a voltage control circuit of the power-sourcing device, a voltage over a wire of the plurality of wires;

communicating, using the voltage control circuit and without negotiating power delivery parameters, first power-sourcing capabilities to the external power sinking device by setting the voltage over the wire to a value within the power-sourcing voltage range; and

communicating encoded data to the power-sinking device, using the voltage control circuit, the encoded data indicating the additional power sourcing capabilities of the power-sourcing device and generated using voltage variations on the wire, the voltage variations maintaining voltage on the wire within the power-sourcing voltage range.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the driving, using the voltage control circuit of the power-sourcing device, a voltage over a wire of the plurality of wires includes setting a pull-up value on the wire.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the driving, using the voltage control circuit of the power-sourcing device, a voltage over a wire of the plurality of wires includes enabling a particular current-source on the wire.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the communicating, using the voltage control circuit, the additional power sourcing capabilities includes encoding data using biphase mark coding.

19. An apparatus for use with a protocol that specifies a power-sourcing voltage range that indicates power sourcing capabilities and for communicating additional power sourcing capabilities using voltage variations within the power-sourcing voltage range, the apparatus comprising:

a power-sourcing device configured to provide power to an external power-sinking device over a wired connection containing a plurality of wires, the power-sourcing device including;

a voltage control circuit configured to drive a voltage over a wire of the plurality of wires; and

processing circuitry configured to;

communicate, using the voltage control circuit, first power-sourcing capabilities to the external power-sinking device by setting the voltage over the wire to a value within the power-sourcing voltage range; and

communicate encoded data to the power-sinking device, using the voltage control circuit, the encoded data indicating the additional power sourcing capabilities of the power-sourcing device and generated by varying the voltage over the wire to varying voltage values, the voltage variations maintaining voltage on the wire within the power-sourcing voltage range, the varying voltage levels including a first voltage range that indicates a current standard and a second voltage range that indicates a first current capability.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the varying voltage levels further includes a third voltage range that indicates a second current capability, wherein each of the voltage ranges include a voltage value that is greater than 0V and less than 5V.