Universal serial bus hub

• US 10,530,108 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2017
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FSP Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: FSP Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Liu, Chia-Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Duc M
• Application Number:
  US15/805,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20180131148A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• 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 13/4081 Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0042 Universal serial bus [USB]
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/005 Intermediate parts for distributing signals
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/02 Intermediate parts for distributing energy to two or more circuits in parallel, e.g. splitter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/92

Abstract

An USB hub including a power input port, a main power converting circuit, a first and a second type-C USB ports, and a first and a second power converting circuits is provided. The power input port receives an input power. The main power converting circuit converts the input power into a main power. The first and the second power converting circuits receive the main power respectively, and are coupled to the first and the second type-C USB ports respectively. The first and the second power converting circuits respectively obtain a first and a second operation power information of a first and a second external electronic devices, and respectively generate and provide a first and a second operating powers required by the first and the second external electronic devices for normal operation according to the first and the second operation power information.

Claims

1. An universal serial bus (USB) hub, comprising:

a power input port, configured to receive an input power;

a main power converting circuit, coupled between the power input port and a power bus, and configured to perform power conversion to the input power and output a main power to the power bus accordingly;

a first and a second type-C USB ports, respectively connected to a first and a second external electronic devices to perform data transmission or power transmission; and

a first and a second power converting circuits, respectively connected to the power bus to receive the main power, and respectively coupled to the first and the second type-C USB ports, wherein the first and the second power converting circuits respectively obtain a first and a second operation power information of the first and the second external electronic devices, and respectively generate and provide a first and a second operation powers required for normal operation of the first and the second external electronic devices according to the first and the second operation power information,

wherein the first power converting circuit comprises;

a first detecting unit, obtaining the first operation power information;

a first control unit, electrically connected to the first detecting unit, and outputting a first control signal according to the first operation power information; and

a first power converting unit, electrically connected to the first control unit, and generating the first operation power according to the first control signal,

wherein when the input power is zero and the first external electronic device is an energy storage device, the first detecting unit outputs a discharge information, the first control unit outputs a power supply control signal according to the discharge information, and the first power converting unit generates a substitution power for substituting the main power to the power bus according to the power supply control signal.

2. The USB hub as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first control unit is a stepless control voltage chip.

3. The USB hub as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second power converting circuit comprises:

a second detecting unit, obtaining the second operation power information;

a second control unit, electrically connected to the second detecting unit, and outputting a second control signal according to the second operation power information; and

a second power converting unit, electrically connected to the second control unit, and generating the second operation power according to the second control signal.

4. The USB hub as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second power converting circuit comprises:

a second detecting unit, obtaining the second operation power information;

a second control unit, electrically connected to the second detecting unit, and outputting a second control signal according to the second operation power information; and

a second power converting unit, electrically connected to the second control unit, and generating the second operation power according to the second control signal.

5. The USB hub as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second control unit is a stepless control voltage chip.

6. The USB hub as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second control unit is a stepless control voltage chip.

7. The USB hub as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first detecting unit is connected to the second detecting unit, the first detecting unit and the second detecting unit determine the first detecting unit or the second detecting unit as a management unit according to a plugging sequence of the first and the second external electronic devices respectively connected to the first and the second type-C USB ports, and the first or the second power converting unit corresponding to the management unit supplies the first or the second operation power in priority.

8. The USB hub as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first detecting unit is connected to the second detecting unit, the first detecting unit and the second detecting unit determine the first detecting unit or the second detecting unit as a management unit according to a plugging sequence of the first and the second external electronic devices respectively connected to the first and the second type-C USB ports, and the first or the second power converting unit corresponding to the management unit supplies the first or the second operation power in priority.

9. The USB hub as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first detecting unit is connected to the second detecting unit, the first detecting unit and the second detecting unit determine the first detecting unit or the second detecting unit as a management unit according to a priority sequence corresponding to the first and the second external electronic devices, wherein the first or the second power converting unit corresponding to the management unit supplies the first or the second operation power in priority.

10. The USB hub as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first detecting unit is connected to the second detecting unit, the first detecting unit and the second detecting unit determine the first detecting unit or the second detecting unit as a management unit according to a priority sequence corresponding to the first and the second external electronic devices, wherein the first or the second power converting unit corresponding to the management unit supplies the first or the second operation power in priority.

11. The USB hub as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a user interface, connected to the first detecting unit and the second detecting unit, for providing a user to select the first detecting unit or the second detecting unit as the management unit, wherein the first or the second power converting unit corresponding to the management unit supplies the first or the second operation power in priority.

12. The USB hub as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

a user interface, connected to the first detecting unit and the second detecting unit, for providing a user to select the first detecting unit or the second detecting unit as the management unit, wherein the first or the second power converting unit corresponding to the management unit supplies the first or the second operation power in priority.