Information handling system selective local and remote charger control

• US 10,142,117 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2016
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Pelissier, Gerald R., Turchin, III, Kevin M., Knepper, Lawrence E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thienvu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sun, Pinping
• Application Number:
  US15/095,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20170295028A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements

Abstract

A portable information handling system selectively accepts power transferred from an external device through a port, such as USB TYPE C™ port, with one of a first or second power configuration. The first power configuration accepts power regulated by a charger of an external device and routed directly to a system bus and battery of the portable information handling system. The second power configuration accepts power regulated by an internal charger of the portable information handling system, such as a narrow voltage direct current charger.

Claims

1. A portable information handling system comprising:

a housing;

a processor disposed in the housing and operable to execute instructions to process information;

a memory disposed in the housing and interfaced with the processor, the memory operable to store the information;

a port disposed at the housing and operable to accept an external cable;

a port controller interfaced with the port and operable to communicate with one or more external devices through the external cable;

a charger interfaced with the port and operable to accept power provided to the port and convert the power to a system voltage;

a switch interfaced with the port to selectively direct the power from the port to one of either the charger or a system bus; and

a power manager interfaced with the port controller and the switch, the power manager comprising one or more processing components executing instructions stored in non-transitory memory to selectively direct the power with the switch based at least in part on information communicated with the one or more external devices through the port;

wherein the information communicated with the one or more external devices comprises an identifier of the information handling system associated with power sink capabilities of the information handling system.

2. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the switch comprises a multiplexer that selectively interfaces one of plural ports with one of the charger and the system bus.

3. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the charger comprises a narrow voltage direct current charger.

4. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the information communicated with the one or more external devices comprises an identifier of the one or more external devices associated with power source capabilities of the external device.

5. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the information communicated from the one or more external devices comprises an available power capacity of the one or more external devices to provide the power to the port.

6. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the power manager selectively directs power based in part on a charge state of a battery integrated in the information handling system.

7. An information handling system power system comprising:

a battery;

a port operable to interface with an external power supply;

a charger operable to convert power received from the external power supply to an internal power supply voltage;

a switch operable to selectively connect the external power supply with one of the charger or the battery; and

a power manager comprising one or more processing components executing instructions stored in non-transitory memory and interfaced with the switch to select a connection to the charger or the battery based at least in part on information communicated with the external power supply;

wherein the information communicated with the external power supply comprises an identifier associated with the power transfer characteristics of the charger.

8. The portable information handling system power system of claim 7 wherein the power manager comprises firmware executing on a port controller.

9. The portable information handling system power system of claim 7 wherein the power manager is further operable to:

establish power transfer to the battery with a direct connection of the external power supply; and

selectively reconfigure the power transfer through the charger based upon one or more predetermined conditions.

10. The portable information handling system power system of claim 7 wherein the port comprises a Type C port.

11. The portable information handling system power system of claim 7 wherein the charger comprises a narrow voltage direct current charger.

12. A portable information handling system comprising:

a housing;

a processor disposed in the housing and operable to execute instructions to process information;

a memory disposed in the housing and interfaced with the processor, the memory operable to store the information;

a port disposed at the housing and operable to accept an external cable;

a port controller interfaced with the port and operable to communicate with one or more external devices through the external cable;

a charger interfaced with the port and operable to accept power provided to the port and convert the power to a system voltage;

a switch interfaced with the port to selectively direct the power from the port to one of either the charger or a system bus; and

a power manager interfaced with the port controller and the switch, the power manager comprising one or more processing components executing instructions stored in non-transitory memory to selectively direct the power with the switch based at least in part on information communicated with the one or more external devices through the port;

wherein the power manager selectively directs power based in part on a charge state of a battery integrated in the information handling system.

13. The portable information handling system of claim 12 wherein the switch comprises a multiplexer that selectively interfaces one of plural ports with one of the charger and the system bus.

14. The portable information handling system of claim 12 wherein the charger comprises a narrow voltage direct current charger.

15. The portable information handling system of claim 12 wherein the information communicated with the one or more external devices comprises an identifier of the one or more external devices associated with power source capabilities of the external device.

16. The portable information handling system of claim 12 wherein the information communicated from the one or more external devices comprises an available power capacity of the one or more external devices to provide the power to the port.