Information handling system external adapter and battery source

• US 10,483,773 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2016
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Hijazi, Mohammed K., Wood, III, Merle J., Regimbal, Laurent A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Henze-Gongola, David V
• Application Number:
  US15/008,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20170222445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 320114
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• 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: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters

Abstract

A portable information handling system power source has plural separate modules that removeably couple to each other to selectively provide external power from battery and AC power sources. A controller module includes logic to coordinate power transfer to and from an information handling system. An AC-to-DC adapter module couples to the controller module to provide power from an AC power source to the information handling system through the controller module, which coordinates power transfer with the information handling system. A battery power source module couples to the controller module to provide battery power, with the battery charged by power from either the information handling system or the AC-to-DC adapter module.

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

a power controller disposed in the housing and operable to accept external power and provide the external power to the processor, memory and display;

a port interfaced with the power controller and configured to accept a cable having power provided from an external power source;

a controller module separate from and external to the housing, the controller module having a cable configured to couple with the port, the controller module including a power controller circuit operable to coordinate power transfer with the power controller and lacking an integrated power source; and

a power source module separate from and external to the housing, the power source module removeably coupled to the controller module and interfaced with the power controller circuit, the power controller circuit controlling transfer of power between the power source module and the port;

wherein the controller module and power source module each have self-contained housings that removeably couple directly to each other to form a contiguous unit; and

wherein the controller module issues a warning if no external power is available from a power source module.

2. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the power source module comprises a selected one of a battery module and an AC-to-DC adapter module removeably coupled to the controller module.

3. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the power source module comprises a battery module removeably coupled to the controller module and an AC-to-DC adapter module removeably coupled to the battery module, the battery module having one or more integrated batteries to store power, the AC-to-DC adapter converting external AC power to DC power for transfer to the power controller and to charge the battery module.

4. The portable information handling system of claim 3 wherein the power controller circuit comprises a USB power controller and the cable comprises a USB Type C connector.

5. The portable information handling system of claim 4 wherein the AC-to-DC module and the battery module removeably couple to each other with USB Type C connectors.

6. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the controller module cable couples to a battery module and the power controller circuit is further operable to provide power through the cable to charge the battery module.

7. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the power source module comprises plural separate battery modules removeably coupled to each other, each battery module storing power provided by the controller module to the port.

8. The portable information handling system of claim 7 wherein the power source module further comprises an AC-to-DC adapter module removeably coupled to one of the battery modules, the AC-to-DC adapter module providing power through the battery modules and to the port in response to control provided by the controller module.

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

removeably coupling an AC-to-DC adapter self-contained module directly to a controller self-contained module to form a contiguous unit, the controller self-contained module lacking an integrated power source capable of converting AC to DC power or of storing DC power, the AC-to-DC adapter lacking communication interfaces to an information handling system;

applying AC power to the AC-to-DC adapter self-contained module;

converting the AC power to DC power with the AC-to-DC adapter self-contained module;

removeably coupling the controller self-contained module to a portable information handling system;

controlling transfer of the DC power from the AC-to-DC adapter self-contained module to the portable information handling system with the controller self-contained module; and

communicating a lack of the AC-to-DC adapter self-contained module to the portable information handling system from the controller self-contained module if the controller self-contained module couples to the portable information handling system without the AC-to-DC adapted self-contained module.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

removing the AC-to-DC adapter self-contained module from the controller self-contained module; and

removeably coupling a battery self-contained module to the controller self-contained module in place of the AC-to-DC adapter self-contained module, the battery self-contained module and the controller self-contained module forming a contiguous unit; and

controlling transfer of DC power from the battery self-contained module to the portable information handling system with the controller module.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

removeably coupling the AC-to-DC adapter self-contained module to the battery self-contained module;

applying AC power to the AC-to-DC adapter self-contained module;

converting the AC power to DC power with the AC-to-DC adapter self-contained module; and

controlling transfer of the DC power from the AC-to-DC adapter self-contained module to the battery self-contained module and to the portable information handling system with the controller self-contained module.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the controller self-contained module comprises a USB power controller.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising removeably coupling plural battery self-contained modules to each other, the plural battery self-contained modules cooperating to transfer DC power to the controller self-contained module.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

removeably coupling the AC-to-DC adapter self-contained module to one of the plural battery self-contained modules;

applying AC power to the AC-to-DC self-contained adapter module;

converting the AC power to DC power with the AC-to-DC adapter self-contained module; and

controlling transfer of DC power from the AC-to-DC adapter self-contained module to charge the plural battery self-contained modules with the controller self-contained module.

15. A portable information handling system power system comprising:

a power controller integrated in an information handling system and operable to coordinate power transfer with an external power source; and

an external power source having a cable to couple with the information handling system, the external power source having plural separate self-contained modules removeably coupled directly to each other to form a contiguous unit including at least a controller module and a separate power source module, the controller module operable to coordinate power transfer with the power controller for the power source to provide power routed through the controller module to the information handling system, the controller module lacking a capability to provide power unless coupled to a separate power source module, the controller module communicating a lack of a power source module to the power controller;

wherein the power controller issues a warning at the information handling system if the controller module lacks an interface with a power source module.

16. The portable information handling system power system of claim 15 wherein the external power source comprises a battery power source module, the controller module further operable to coordinate charge of the battery power source module with power routed from the information handling system by the power controller.

17. The portable information handling system power system of claim 16 wherein the external power source further comprises a separate AC-to-DC adapter module removeably coupled to the battery power source module, the controller module operable to coordinate power transfer from the AC-to-DC adapter through the battery power source module to the information handling system.

18. The portable information handling system power system of claim 17 wherein the controller module is further operable to coordinate charge of the battery power source module with DC power provided from the AC-to-DC adapter module.

19. The portable information handling system power system of claim 18 wherein the external power source module comprises plural separate battery modules removeably coupled to each other.

20. The portable information handling system power system of claim 18 wherein the external power source separate modules couple to each other with USB Type C connectors.