Combining power from a battery and an AC-DC converter of a power storage adapter

• US 10,181,731 B1
• Filed: 06/23/2017
• Issued: 01/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Sultenfuss, Andrew Thomas, Thompson, Richard Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Dole, Timothy J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kyaw, Htet Z
• Application Number:
  US15/631,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20180375341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 363 78, 323280, 323234, 320103, 320104, 320111, 320128, 320132, 320134, 320137, 320138, 320141, 320145, 320149, 307 43- 46, 307 48, 307 64- 66, 307 80- 81, 307 85, 307 86, 361 90
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6675 with built-in power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/065 with built-in electric apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/28 using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode to produce the intermediate ac

Abstract

An external power storage adapter (PSA) may supply electrical power to a portable information handling system or other power consuming device. The power storage adapter may include an AC-DC converter, a battery, and intelligent power management functionality. A PSA controller may cause a PSA battery management unit to combine electrical power supplied by the AC-DC converter and electrical power supplied by the battery in order to supply enough electrical power for the information handling system to operate in a particular operating mode. The power storage adapter may output power to a port of the portable information handling system, such as a USB Type-C port, over a variable power bus. The maximum power supply capacity of the power storage adapter, when the battery is at least partially charged, may be greater than the maximum power supply capacity of the AC-DC converter alone.

Claims

1. A power storage adapter (PSA), comprising:

a port for coupling the power storage adapter to a variable power bus;

a battery;

an AC-DC converter having a maximum power supply capacity;

a battery management unit comprising an adjustable DC-DC voltage converter to adjust an output voltage of the battery to a desired output voltage; and

a PSA controller, wherein the PSA controller comprises circuitry to, when the AC-DC converter is coupled to AC line power and a power consuming device is coupled to the power storage adapter over the variable power bus through the port;

determine a first power level at which electrical power will be consumed by the power consuming device when operating in a particular operating mode of a plurality of operating modes, each operating mode having respective performance or power consumption characteristics;

determine that the first power level exceeds the maximum power supply capacity of the AC-DC converter;

provide an indication to the battery management unit that electrical power supplied by the AC-DC converter and electrical power supplied by the battery are to be supplied simultaneously to the power consuming device, wherein a combined output power equal to a sum of electrical power supplied by the AC-DC converter and electrical power supplied by the battery is greater than or equal to the first power level;

wherein the battery management unit comprises circuitry to;

generate the combined output power in response to receiving the indication; and

supply the combined output power to the power consuming device over the variable power bus.

2. The power storage adapter of claim 1, wherein the combined output power is sufficient to charge an internal battery of the power consuming device.

3. The power storage adapter of claim 1, wherein the combined output power is sufficient to fully charge an internal battery of the power consuming device faster than the internal battery can be charged when electrical power supplied to the power consuming device by the power storage adapter is sourced from the AC-DC convertor alone.

4. The power storage adapter of claim 1, wherein the particular operating mode is a high performance operating mode in which the power consuming device consumes electrical power at the first power level, the first power level being greater than a respective power level at which the power consuming device consumes electrical power in one or more other operating modes.

5. The power storage adapter of claim 1, wherein a maximum power supply capacity of the power storage adapter, when the battery is at least partially charged, is greater than the maximum power supply capacity of the AC-DC converter alone.

6. The power storage adapter of claim 1, wherein the battery has sufficient charge to allow the power storage adapter to supply the combined output power for a period of time during which the power consuming device operates in the particular operating mode.

7. The power storage adapter of claim 1, wherein to supply the combined output power to the power consuming device over the variable power bus, the battery management unit includes a DC-DC converter comprising circuitry to adjust an initial output voltage of the battery to a desired output voltage.

8. The power storage adapter of claim 1, wherein:

the variable power bus comprises power connections for electrically coupling components to each other and a communication link for exchanging information between electrically coupled components; and

the PSA controller circuitry is further to advertise to the power consuming device over the communication link, when the battery is at least partially charged, a maximum power supply capacity for the power storage adapter that is greater than the maximum power supply capacity of the AC-DC converter alone.

9. The power storage adapter of claim 1, wherein:

the PSA controller utilizes a universal serial bus (USB) power delivery protocol layer for communicating with and supplying electrical power to the power consuming device over the variable power bus;

the port is a USB Type-C port; and

the PSA controller circuitry is further to;

establish a power delivery contract to supply electrical power to the power consuming device at the first power level.

10. The power storage adapter of claim 1, wherein the PSA controller circuitry comprises:

a processor; and

a memory storing program instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform;

the determining of the first power level;

the determining that the first power level exceeds the maximum power supply capacity of the AC-DC converter; and

the providing of the indication to the battery management unit that electrical power supplied by the AC-DC converter and electrical power supplied by the battery are to be supplied simultaneously to the power consuming device.

11. A method for supplying electrical power to a power consuming device, comprising:

when an AC-DC converter within a power storage adapter (PSA) is coupled to AC line power and a power consuming device is coupled to the power storage adapter over a variable power bus;

determining a first power level at which electrical power will be consumed by the power consuming device when operating in a particular operating mode of a plurality of operating modes, each operating mode having respective performance or power consumption characteristics;

determining that the first power level exceeds a maximum power supply capacity of the AC-DC converter;

providing an indication to a battery management unit within the power storage adapter that electrical power supplied by the AC-DC converter and electrical power supplied by a battery within the power storage adapter are to be supplied simultaneously to the power consuming device, wherein a combined output power equal to a sum of electrical power supplied by the AC-DC converter and electrical power supplied by the battery is greater than or equal to the first power level;

generating the combined output power in response to receiving the indication; and

supplying the combined output power to the power consuming device over the variable power bus.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the combined output power is sufficient to fully charge an internal battery of the power consuming device faster than the internal battery can be charged when electrical power supplied by the power storage adapter to the information handling system is sourced from the AC-DC convertor alone.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the particular operating mode is a high performance operating mode in which the power consuming device consumes power at the first power level, the first power level being greater than a respective power level at which the power consuming device consumes power in one or more other operating modes; and

a maximum power supply capacity of the power storage adapter, when the battery is at least partially charged, is greater than the maximum power supply capacity of the AC-DC converter alone.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the power consuming device operates in the particular operating mode for a period of time sufficient to perform a specific task; and

the method further comprises;

supplying the combined output power for at least the period of time during which the power consuming device operates in the particular operating mode.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein supplying the combined output power to the power consuming device over the variable power bus comprises adjusting an initial output voltage of the battery to a desired output voltage.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

the power storage adapter advertising to the power consuming device over a communication link between the power storage adapter and the power consuming device, when the battery is at least partially charged, a maximum power supply capacity for the power storage adapter that is greater than the maximum power supply capacity of the AC-DC converter alone.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining that the power consuming device is operating in the particular operating mode, wherein determining that the power consuming device is operating in the particular operating mode comprises at least one of;

monitoring a power draw of the power consuming device;

receiving an indication of a request to enter the particular operating mode; and

receiving a request for electrical power to be supplied at the first power level.

18. A system, comprising:

an information handling system including a port for coupling the information handling system to a variable power bus; and

a power storage adapter (PSA) comprising;

a port for coupling the power storage adapter to the information handling system over the variable power bus;

a battery;

an AC-DC converter having a maximum power supply capacity;

a battery management unit comprising an adjustable DC-DC voltage converter to adjust an output voltage of the battery to a desired output voltage; and

a PSA controller, wherein the PSA controller comprises circuitry to, when the AC-DC converter is coupled to AC line power and the information handling system is coupled to the power storage adapter over the variable power bus through the port;

determine a first power level at which electrical power will be consumed by the information handling system when operating in a particular operating mode of a plurality of operating modes, each operating mode having respective performance or power consumption characteristics;

determine that the first power level exceeds the maximum power supply capacity of the AC-DC converter;

provide an indication to the battery management unit that electrical power supplied by the AC-DC converter and electrical power supplied by the battery are to be supplied simultaneously to the information handling system, wherein a combined output power equal to a sum of electrical power supplied by the AC-DC converter and electrical power supplied by the battery is greater than or equal to the first power level;

wherein the battery management unit comprises circuitry to;

generate the combined output power in response to receiving the indication; and

supply the combined output power to the power consuming device over the variable power bus.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein a maximum power supply capacity of the power storage adapter, when the battery is at least partially charged, is greater than the maximum power supply capacity of the AC-DC converter alone.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein;

the information handling system operates in the particular operating mode for a period of time sufficient to perform a specific task; and

the battery has sufficient charge to allow the power storage adapter to supply the combined output power for at least the period of time during which the information handling system operates in the particular operating mode.