Display base wireless charging pad and integrated charger control

• US 10,401,932 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2016
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Kamepalli, Srinivas, Henderson, Gregory L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Prifti, Aurel
• Application Number:
  US15/366,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20180157300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 713340, 713300, 713310, 713322, 307104, 307149
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• 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 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/24 using interrupt G06F13/32 takes precedence

Abstract

A portable information handling system wirelessly charges from a charging pad powered from a source information handling system, such as by power transferred through a USB cable. Configuration information exchanged between the source information handling system and charging pad coordinates the power transfer, including the amount of power transfer and power transfer when the source information handling system is in a powered down state, such as an ACPI S3 or S5 state.

Claims

1. An 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 power supply disposed in the housing and operable to accept external power and convert the external power for powering the processor and memory;

an embedded controller interfaced with the power supply and operable to manage application of power to the processor and memory;

a communication hub supporting one or more communication ports, the one or more communication ports having a data and power interface to interact with an external device through a cable;

an external charging pad interfaced with a communication hub port, the external charging pad having a coil configured to provide wireless power transfer to a portable device resting on the coil; and

a power manager stored in non-transitory memory associated with the embedded controller, the power manager operable to coordinate power transfer from the power supply to the charging pad independent of a power state of the processor and memory, the charging pad transferring the power to an external device.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the power manager dynamically determines power available for transfer to the charging pad based upon information handling system power use and applies the determined power to the charging pad.

3. The information handling system of claim 2 further comprising a user interface presented at a display device, the user interface presenting a charge time for the portable device based upon the determined power.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the power manager monitors power drawn at the charging pad and automatically turns off power to the charging pad at predetermined power draw conditions.

5. The portable information handling system of claim 1 further comprising a portable device detector integrated in the charging pad and operable to detect a portable device on the charging pad, the portable device detector interfaced with the power manager to communicate presence or absence of a portable device on the charging pad.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising an embedded controller integrated in the charging pad and having a power manager stored in non-transitory memory, the charging pad power manager exchanging configuration information with the information handling system power manager to configure power transfer from the charging pad coil.

7. The information handling system of claim 6 wherein the configuration information comprises settings for power transfer.

8. The information handling system of claim 6 wherein the configuration information comprises charge times at which charge power is applied to the charging pad.

9. A method for charging a portable information handling system, the method comprising:

coupling a data cable from an information handling system to a charging pad, the data cable providing power to the charging pad;

quantifying at the information handling system power available for transfer to the charging pad;

exchanging configuration information between the information handling system and charging pad, the configuration information defining power transfer to the charging pad in plural power states of the information handling system;

detecting a portable device disposed on the charging pad; and

in response to the detecting, transferring power from the information handling system through the data cable to the charging pad according to the configuration information and power state, the charging pad transferring the power to the portable information handling system.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

placing a processor of the information handling system in a low power state;

in response to detecting a portable device disposed on the charging pad, sending an interrupt through the data cable to a power manager of the information handling system; and

in response to the interrupt, initiating power transfer through the data cable according to the configuration information while maintaining a processor of the information handling system in the low power state.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

placing a processor of the information handling system in an operational power state;

in response to detecting a portable device disposed on the charging pad, determining a power available for transfer from the information handling system based upon power consumption at the information handling system;

initiating power transfer through the data cable according to the configuration information and the power available for transfer from the information handling system; and

presenting at a display a charge time for the portable device based upon the power available for transfer from the information handling system.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the configuration information comprises a time of day at which power transfer is applied to the charging pad.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein detecting a portable device on the charging pad further comprises detecting an acceleration at the charging pad.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the charging pad is integrated in a stand of the information handling system.

15. An information handling system comprising:

a housing;

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

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

a display integrated in the housing and interfaced with the processor, the display operable to present information as visual images;

a power manager integrated in the housing and operable to apply power to support the processor, memory and display; and

a stand coupled with the housing and configured to hold the display in a viewing position; and

a charging pad integrated in the stand and having a coil to wirelessly charge a portable device;

wherein the power manager coordinates power transfer to the charging pad independent of a power state of the processor and memory by communicating configuration information to the charging pad with the processor in a power up state, storing the configuration information at the charging pad, and referencing the stored configuration information to draw power from the power manager if the processor is in a powered down state, the power drawn for transfer from the charging pad to a portable device.

16. The information handling system of claim 15 further comprising an embedded controller integrated with the charging pad, the power manager and embedded controller exchanging configuration information that defines charging pad operation during processor low power states.

17. The information handling system of claim 16 wherein the configuration information further comprises a time of day for the charging pad to provide charging power.

18. The information handling system of claim 16 further comprising a USB hub interfaced with the power manager, the USB hub providing power to the charging pad.

19. The information handling system of claim 18 wherein the power manager is further operable to determine an available charging power for the charging pad and present a charging time at the display for a portable device detected at the charging pad.

20. The information handling system of claim 18 wherein the charging pad embedded controller detects a portable device placed on the charging pad and, in response to detecting the portable device, issues an interrupt to the power manager to request power without changing a power state of the processor.