Method for adapter over-current-protection (OCP) protection and user warning

• US 10,355,505 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2014
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Montero, Adolfo S., Wang, Chung-Wei, Yeh, Jih-Peng
• Primary Examiner(s): Derose, Volvick
• Application Number:
  US14/202,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20150253830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,954 Days
• Field of Search: 713340
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence

Abstract

A system, method, and computer-readable medium are disclosed for detecting when a lower power adapter is coupled with an information handling system having higher power requirements. More specifically, in certain embodiments, a circuit (such as an embedded controller (EC)) detects an adapter wattage when an adapter plug-in is detected. If a lower wattage power adapter is detected (e.g., a 45 W power adapter), the embedded controller activates a signal (e.g., an AC_DISABLE signal) to stop powering the information handling system from the adapter. In certain embodiments, the information handling system is powered from a battery associated with the information handling system when the power adapter power capacity does not satisfy the power requirements of the information handling system. In certain embodiments, the circuit substantially simultaneously generates a low power warning. In certain embodiments, the adapter wattage may be detected via an adapter identifier (e.g., power supply identifier (PSID) signal) which is provided via a bus such as a single line bus.

Claims

1. A computer-implementable method for detecting whether a power adapter is coupled with an information handling system satisfies certain power requirements of the information handling system, the method comprising:

detecting when a power adapter is coupled to the information handling system;

determining a power adapter power capacity upon detection of coupling of the power adapter to the information handling system;

determining whether the power adapter power capacity satisfies the power requirements of the information handling system; and

,

preventing the power adapter from powering the information handling system when the power adapter power capacity does not satisfy the power requirements of the information handling system via an adapter override circuit, the adapter override circuit being included within the information handling system, the adapter override circuit comprising a power detector control circuit and a switch, the switch of the adapter override circuit being located between the power adapter and power distribution of the information handling system, the power distribution comprising a layer of a printed circuit board, the power detector and control circuit activating a power adapter disable signal when the power adapter power capacity is lower than the power requirements of the information handling system, the power adapter disable signal causing the switch to stop powering the information handling system from the power adapter.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

powering the information handling system from a battery associated with the information handling system when the power adapter power capacity does not satisfy the power requirements of the information handling system, the battery being coupled between the power detector control circuit and the power distribution of the information handling system, the powering the information handling system from the battery being controlled by the power detector control circuit.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a low power warning via the adapter override circuit to inform a user that the power adapter power capacity does not satisfy the power requirements of the information handling system, the low power warning comprising a visual warning to warn the user of an adapter power condition.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the power adapter power capacity is detected via an adapter identifier.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the adapter identifier comprises a power supply identifier (PSID) signal, the PSID signal being provided to the information handling system via a single line bus.

6. A system comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to the processor;

a power supply coupled to the processor and the data bus; and

,

a power protection system, the power protection system detecting whether a power adapter coupled with the information handling system satisfies certain power requirements of the information handling system, the power detection system comprising an adapter override circuit, the power protection system being configured for;

detecting when a power adapter is coupled to the information handling system;

determining a power adapter power capacity upon detection of coupling of the power adapter to the information handling system;

determining whether the power adapter power capacity satisfies the power requirements of the information handling system; and

,

preventing the power adapter from powering the information handling system when the power adapter power capacity does not satisfy the power requirements of the information handling system via the adapter override circuit, the adapter override circuit comprising a power detector control circuit and a switch, the switch of the adapter override circuit being located between the power adapter and power distribution of the information handling system, the power distribution comprising a layer of a printed circuit board, the power detector and control circuit activating a power adapter disable signal when the power adapter power capacity is lower than the power requirements of the information handling system, the power adapter disable signal causing the switch to stop powering the information handling system from the power adapter.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the power protection system is further configured for:

powering the information handling system from a battery associated with the information handling system when the power adapter power capacity does not satisfy the power requirements of the information handling system, the battery being coupled between the power detector control circuit and the power distribution of the information handling system, the powering the information handling system from the battery being controlled by the power detector control circuit.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the power protection system is further configured for:

generating a low power warning via the adapter override circuit to inform a user that the power adapter power capacity does not satisfy the power requirements of the information handling system, the low power warning comprising a visual warning to warn the user of an adapter power condition.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the power adapter power capacity is detected via an adapter identifier.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the adapter identifier comprises a power supply identifier (PSID) signal, the PSID signal being provided to the information handling system via a single line bus.

11. A power protection system, the power protection system detecting whether a power adapter coupled with the information handling system satisfies certain power requirements of the information handling system comprising:

circuitry for detecting when a power adapter is coupled to the information handling system;

circuitry for determining a power adapter power capacity upon detection of coupling of the power adapter to the information handling system;

circuitry for determining whether the power adapter power capacity satisfies the power requirements of the information handling system; and

,

circuitry for preventing the power adapter from powering the information handling system when the power adapter power capacity does not satisfy the power requirements of the information handling system via an adapter override circuit, the adapter override circuit comprising a power detector control circuit and a switch, the adapter override circuit being included within the information handling system, the switch of the adapter override circuit being located between the power adapter and power distribution of the information handling system, the power distribution comprising a layer of a printed circuit board, the power detector and control circuit activating a power adapter disable signal when the power adapter power capacity is lower than the power requirements of the information handling system, the power adapter disable signal causing the switch to stop powering the information handling system from the power adapter.

12. The power protection system of claim 11, further comprising:

powering the information handling system from a battery associated with the information handling system when the power adapter power capacity does not satisfy the power requirements of the information handling system, the battery being coupled between the power detector control circuit and the power distribution of the information handling system, the powering the information handling system from the battery being controlled by the power detector control circuit.

13. The power protection system of claim 11, further comprising:

circuitry for generating a low power warning via the adapter override circuit to inform a user that the power adapter power capacity does not satisfy the power requirements of the information handling system, the low power warning comprising a visual warning to warn the user of an adapter power condition.

14. The power protection system of claim 11, wherein:

the power adapter power capacity is detected via an adapter identifier.

15. The power protection system of claim 14, wherein:

the adapter identifier comprises a power supply identifier (PSID) signal, the PSID signal being provided to the information handling system via a single line bus.