Detachable computing system having bi-directional power flow

• US 10,203,736 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2013
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Lam, Hue, Uan-Zo-Li, Alexander, Leung, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sharief, Mohammed J
• Application Number:
  US14/128,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20140268556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,055 Days
• Field of Search: 320128, 320137, 36167955
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1669 Detachable keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/189 Power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence

Abstract

A computing system may include a base portion to receive one or more first batteries, and a tablet portion having one or more electronic components and the tablet portion to receive one or more second batteries. The tablet portion may be configured to be coupled to and detached from the base portion. The computing system may also include circuitry to control a supply of voltage to one or more electronic components of the tablet portion from one or more first batteries at the base portion and from one or more second batteries at the tablet portion.

Claims

1. A computing system comprising:

a base portion to receive one or more first batteries;

a tablet portion having a tablet controller, a power rail, and one or more electronic components, the power rail to provide a voltage to the one or more electronic components, the tablet portion to receive one or more second batteries, and the tablet portion configured to be coupled to and detached from the base portion; and

means for controlling supply of voltage to one or more electronic components of the tablet portion from the one or more first batteries at the base portion and from the one or more second batteries at the tablet portion, wherein the means for controlling supply of voltage includes the tablet controller and a plurality of switches to control supply of voltage from the one or more first batteries at the base portion and to control supply of voltage from the one or more second batteries at the tablet portion,

wherein a first set of the plurality of switches are coupled in series at the tablet portion between an input to the tablet portion and the power rail of the tablet portion to provide the supply of voltage to the tablet portion based on at least one control from the tablet controller,

wherein at least one of the plurality of switches, other than the first set of the plurality of switches, is coupled at the tablet portion between the power rail of the tablet portion and the base portion to provide a supply of voltage to the base portion based on at least one control signal from the tablet controller, and

wherein the means for controlling supply of voltage is to control charging of the one or more second batteries at the tablet portion from the one or more batteries at the base portion through the first set of the plurality of switches coupled in series at the tablet portion, and

wherein the means for controlling supply of voltage is to control supply of the voltage from an alternate current (AC) adapter to the one or more electronic components of the tablet portion, wherein the voltage from the AC adapter is to be directly connected at the input to the tablet portion and at an end of the first set of the plurality of switches.

2. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the input to the tablet portion is a part of a docking connector to couple the tablet portion to the base portion.

3. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the means for controlling supply of voltage is to control supply of voltage to the one or more electronic components of the tablet portion from the one or more first batteries at the base portion through the first set of the plurality of switches coupled in series at the tablet portion and, at a same time, from the one or more second batteries at the tablet portion.

4. The computing system of claim 3, wherein the means for controlling supply of voltage is to control the supply of voltage from the one or more first batteries at the base portion and from the one or more second batteries at the tablet portion when at least the tablet portion is in a turbo mode.

5. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the means for controlling supply of voltage is to control charging of the one or more first batteries at the base portion by the one or more second batteries at the tablet portion.

6. The computing system of claim 1, wherein when the tablet portion is not docked to the base portion, then the input to the tablet portion and the first set of the plurality of switches is to receive an input voltage from an external AC device via the AC adapter, and when the base portion is docked to the tablet portion, then the input to the tablet portion and the first set of the plurality of switches is to receive an input voltage from the base portion.

7. A computing system comprising:

a base portion to receive one or more first batteries;

a tablet portion having a tablet controller, a power rail, and one or more electronic components, the power rail to provide a voltage to the one or more electronic components, the tablet portion to receive one or more second batteries, and the tablet portion configured to be coupled to and detached from the base portion; and

means for controlling charging of the one or more first batteries at the base portion from the one or more second batteries at the tablet portion through at least one switch at the tablet portion based on at least one control signal to the at least one switch, wherein the means for controlling charging includes the tablet controller to control charging the one or more second batteries at the tablet portion from the one or more first batteries at the base portion through at least two of a plurality of switches coupled in series between an input to the tablet portion from the base portion and the power rail of the tablet portion based on at least one control signal to one of the at least two of the plurality of switches,

wherein the means for controlling charging is to control supply of the voltage from an alternate current (AC) adapter to the one or more electronic components of the tablet portion, wherein the voltage from the AC adapter is to be directly connected at the input to the tablet portion and at an end of the plurality of switches.

8. The computing system of claim 7, wherein the one or more second batteries at the tablet portion are to charge the one or more first batteries at the base portion when the computing system is not electrically coupled to the AC adapter.

9. The computing system of claim 7, wherein when the tablet portion is not docked to the base portion, then the input to the tablet portion and the at least two of the plurality of switches is to receive an input voltage from an external AC device via the AC adapter, and when the base portion is docked to the tablet portion, then the input to the tablet portion and the at least two of the plurality of switches is to receive an input voltage from the base portion.

10. A computing system comprising:

a base portion to receive one or more first batteries;

a tablet portion having a tablet controller, a power rail, and one or more electronic components, the power rail to provide a voltage to the one or more electronic components, the tablet portion to receive one or more second batteries, and the tablet portion configured to be coupled to and detached from the base portion; and

a circuitry to control supply of voltage to one or more electronic components of the tablet portion from the one or more first batteries at the base portion and from the one or more second batteries at the tablet portion, wherein the circuitry includes the tablet controller and a plurality of switches to control supply of voltage from the one or more first batteries at the base portion and to control supply of voltage from the one or more second batteries at the tablet portion,

wherein a first set of the plurality of switches are coupled in series between an input to the tablet portion and the power rail of the tablet portion to provide supply of voltage to the tablet portion based on at least one control signal from the tablet controller,

wherein at least one of the plurality of switches, other than the first set of the plurality of switches, is coupled at the tablet portion between the power rail of the tablet portion and the base portion to provide supply of voltage to the base portion based on at least one control signal from the tablet controller, and

wherein the circuitry is to control charging the one or more second batteries at the tablet portion from the one or more first batteries at the base portion through the first set of the plurality of switches coupled in series between the input to the tablet portion and the power rail of the tablet portion, and

wherein the circuitry is to control supply of the voltage from an alternate current (AC) adapter to the one or more electronic components of the tablet portion, wherein the voltage from the AC adapter is to be directly connected at the input to the tablet portion and at an end of the first set of the plurality of switches.

11. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the input to the tablet portion is part of a docking connector to couple the tablet portion to the base portion.

12. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the circuitry is to control supply of voltage to the one or more electronic components of the tablet portion from the one or more first batteries at the base portion and, at a same time, from the one or more second batteries at the tablet portion through the first set of the plurality of switches coupled in series.

13. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the circuitry is to control the supply of voltage from the one or more first batteries at the base portion and from the one or more second batteries at the tablet portion when at least the tablet portion is in a turbo mode.

14. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the circuitry is to control charging of the one or more first batteries at the base portion by the one or more second batteries at the tablet portion.

15. A computing system comprising:

a base portion to receive one or more first batteries;

a tablet portion having a power rail and one or more electronic components, the power rail to provide a voltage to the one or more electronic components, the tablet portion to receive one or more second batteries, and the tablet portion configured to be coupled to and detached from the base portion;

a first circuitry to control charging of the one or more first batteries at the base portion from the one or more second batteries at the tablet portion through at least one switch at the tablet portion based on at least one control signal to the at least one switch;

a second circuitry to control charging of the one or more second batteries at the tablet portion from the one or more first batteries at the base portion through at least two of a plurality of switches coupled in series between an input to the tablet portion from the base portion and the power rail of the tablet portion based on at least one control signal to one of the at least two of the plurality of switches; and

a third circuitry to control supply of the voltage from an alternate current (AC) adapter to the one or more electronic components of the tablet portion, wherein the voltage from the AC adapter is to be directly connected at the input to the tablet portion and at an end of the plurality of switches.

16. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the one or more second batteries at the tablet portion are to charge the one or more first batteries at the base portion when the computing system is not electrically coupled to the alternate current (AC) adapter.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a logic, at least a portion of which is hardware, the logic to;

control circuitry to supply voltage to one or more electronic components of a tablet portion of a detachable computing system from one or more first batteries of a base portion and from one or more second batteries of the tablet portion, and the logic includes a tablet controller at the tablet portion and a plurality of switches to supply voltage from the one or more first batteries at the base portion and to supply voltage from the one or more second batteries at the tablet portion,

wherein a first set of the plurality of switches are coupled in series at the tablet portion between an input to the tablet portion and a power rail of the tablet portion to supply voltage to the tablet portion based on at least one control signal from the tablet controller,

wherein at least one of the plurality of switches, other than the first set of the plurality of switches, is coupled at the tablet portion between the power rail of the tablet portion and the base portion to supply voltage to the base portion based on at least one control signal from the tablet controller, and

wherein the logic is to control circuitry to control supply of voltage to the one or more electronic components of the tablet portion from the one or more first batteries at the base portion, through the first set of the plurality of switches coupled in series at the tablet portion; and

wherein the logic is to control circuitry to control supply of voltage from an alternate current (AC) adapter to the one or more electronic components of the tablet portion, wherein the voltage from the AC adapter is to be directly connected at the input to the tablet portion and at an end of the first set of the plurality of switches.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the input to the tablet portion is part of a docking connector to couple the tablet portion to the base portion.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the logic is to control circuitry to control supply of voltage to the one or more electronic components of the tablet portion from the one or more first batteries at the base portion, through the first set of the plurality of switches coupled in series at the tablet portion, and, at a same time, from the one or more second batteries at the tablet portion.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the logic is to control circuitry to supply voltage to the one or more electronic components of the tablet portion from the one or more first batteries at the base portion and from the one or more second batteries at the tablet portion when at least the tablet portion is in a turbo mode.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the logic is to control circuitry to control charging of the one or more first batteries at the base portion by the one or more second batteries at the tablet portion.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a logic, at least a portion of which is hardware, the logic to;

control circuitry to supply voltage from one or more first batteries at a base portion of a detachable computing system to one or more second batteries in a tablet portion of the detachable computing system,

wherein the logic is to control circuitry to control charging of the one or more first batteries at the base portion by the one or more second batteries at the tablet portion through at least one switch at the tablet portion based on at least one control signal to the at least one switch, and

wherein the logic is to control charging of the one or more second batteries at the tablet portion from the one or more first batteries at the base portion through at least two of a plurality of switches coupled in series between an input to the tablet portion from the base portion and a power rail of the tablet portion based on at least one control signal to one of the at least two of the plurality of switches coupled in series, and

wherein the logic is to control supply of voltage from an alternate current (AC) adapter to the tablet portion, wherein the voltage from the AC adapter is to be directly connected at the input to the tablet portion and at an end of the plurality of switches.