Power delivery based on temperature and other factors in a power storage adapter

• US 10,488,906 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2017
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2017
• 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): Derose, Volvick
• Application Number:
  US15/716,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20190094937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• 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 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• 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 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A power storage adapter may use a method for power delivery based on temperature and other factors. In particular, when electrical power is being supplied to a portable information handling system, a temperature of the power storage adapter may increase. Power storage adapter may reduce the electrical power being supplied to the portable information handling system based on the temperature to prevent the power storage adapter from potentially overheating.

Claims

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

a first PSA port;

a PSA battery; and

a controller having access to memory media storing instructions executable by the controller to;

establish a first power delivery contract to supply a first electrical power from the power storage adapter to a first electronic device coupled to the power storage adapter at the first PSA port, wherein an alternating (AC) line power source and the PSA battery provide the first electrical power;

measure temperatures of the power storage adapter, including recording a first temperature at a first time and a second temperature at a second time after the first time;

determine a first rate of temperature change based on the first temperature, the second temperature, and a first time period given between the first time and the second time; and

when the second temperature exceeds a first temperature threshold and the first rate of temperature change exceeds a first rate threshold;

determine that the PSA battery has a battery capacity above a threshold; and

in response to determining that the PSA battery has a battery capacity above a threshold, supply a second electrical power to supply the first electronic device from the power storage adapter by reducing a portion of the first electrical power provided by the AC line power source such that a remaining portion of the second electrical power is provided by the PSA battery, the second electrical power less than the first electrical power.

2. The power storage adapter of claim 1, wherein the instructions to supply the second electrical power further comprise instructions to:

discontinue supplying the first electrical power at the first PSA port; and

establish a second power delivery contract to supply the second electrical power from the power storage adapter to the first electronic device.

3. The power storage adapter of claim 1, wherein the instructions to supply the second electrical power further comprise instructions to:

send a request to the first electronic device via the first PSA port, the request indicating that the first electronic device is being supplied with the second electrical power.

4. The power storage adapter of claim 3, further comprising instructions to:

send the request prior to supplying the second electrical power, wherein the request indicates that the first electronic device is supplied with at most the second electrical power.

5. The power storage adapter of claim 3, wherein the PSA controller utilizes a universal serial bus (USB) power delivery protocol layer for communication with the first electronic device.

6. The power storage adapter of claim 1, further comprising instructions to:

when the second temperature exceeds a second temperature threshold and the first rate of temperature change exceeds a second rate threshold, wherein the second temperature threshold is greater than the first temperature threshold and the second rate threshold is greater than the first rate threshold;

measure a third temperature at a third time after the second time, wherein a second time period given between the second time and the third time is less than the first time period.

7. The power storage adapter of claim 1, further comprising:

a second PSA port supplying third electrical power to a second electronic device.

8. The power storage adapter of claim 1, wherein the temperature includes at least one of:

an internal temperature of the power storage adapter;

an ambient temperature of the power storage adapter;

an AC temperature of an AC section of the power storage adapter; and

a battery temperature of the PSA battery.

9. The power storage adapter of claim 1, wherein the first PSA port is a USB Type-C port.

10. A method, comprising:

establishing a first power delivery contract to supply a first electrical power from a power storage adapter to a first electronic device coupled to the power storage adapter at a first PSA port of the power storage adapter, wherein an alternating (AC) line power source and a PSA battery provide the first electrical power;

measuring temperatures of the power storage adapter, including recording a first temperature at a first time and a second temperature at a second time after the first time;

determining a first rate of temperature change based on the first temperature, the second temperature, and a first time period given between the first time and the second time; and

when the second temperature exceeds a first temperature threshold and the first rate of temperature change exceeds a first rate threshold;

determining that the PSA battery has a battery capacity above a threshold, and

supplying a second electrical power to supply the first electronic device from the power storage adapter by reducing a portion of the first electrical power provided by the AC line power source such that a remaining portion of the second electrical power is provided by the PSA battery, the second electrical power less than the first electrical power.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

discontinuing supplying the first electrical power at the first PSA port; and

establishing a second power delivery contract to supply the second electrical power from the power storage adapter to the first electronic device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

sending a request to the first electronic device via the first PSA port, the request indicating that the first electronic device is being supplied with the second electrical power.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

sending the request prior to supplying the second electrical power, wherein the request indicates that the first electronic device is supplied with at most the second electrical power.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the PSA controller utilizes a USB power delivery protocol layer for communication with the first electronic device.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

when the second temperature exceeds a second temperature threshold and the first rate of temperature change exceeds a second rate threshold, wherein the second temperature threshold is greater than the first temperature threshold and the second rate threshold is greater than the first rate threshold,

measuring a third temperature at a third time after the second time, wherein a second time period given between the second time and the third time is less than the first time period.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

a second PSA port of the power storage adapter supplying third electrical power to a second electronic device.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the temperature includes at least one of:

an internal temperature of the power storage adapter;

an ambient temperature of the power storage adapter;

an AC temperature of an AC section of the power storage adapter; and

a battery temperature of the PSA battery.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the first PSA port is a USB Type-C port.