Systems and methods for controlling use of power in a computer system

• US 20060174143A1
• Filed: 10/14/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Sawyers, Thomas P., Jeansonne, Jeff K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,526,659 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6616 with resistor
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/065 with built-in electric apparatus

Abstract

In one embodiment, a power adapter comprises a power supply to output power for powering a powered device. The power adapter outputs information indicative of an amount of power output by the power supply for use by the powered device to control the amount of power used by the powered device.

Claims

1. A power adapter comprising:

a power supply to output power for powering a powered device;

wherein the power adapter outputs information indicative of an amount of power output by the power supply for use by the powered device to control the amount of power used by the powered device.

2. The power adapter of claim 1, wherein the powered device comprises at least one of a docking station and a computer.

3. The power adapter of claim 1, wherein the information is communicated to the powered device via an intermediary device.

4. The power adapter of claim 1, wherein the information comprises information indicative of a load current output by the power supply.

5. The power adapter of claim 4, wherein the information indicative of the load current output by the power supply comprises a control signal that is output when the amount of load current output by the power supply exceeds a throttle current threshold.

6. A device comprising:

an interface to receive power from a power adapter;

wherein the device receives information indicative of an amount of power output by the power adapter;

wherein the device uses the information to control an amount of power used by the device.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the power and the information are received from the interface.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the information is received from the power adapter.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein at least one of the power and the information is received from the power adapter via an intermediary device.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein the information is generated by at least one of the power adapter and a docking station.

11. The device of claim 6, wherein the device comprises a computer.

12. The device of claim 6, wherein the information indicative of the amount of power output by the power adapter comprises a control signal that is generated when a load current output by the power adapter exceeds a throttle current threshold.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the device reduces the amount of power used by the device when the control signal is received by the device.

14. An intermediary device comprising:

an adapter interface to couple the intermediary device to a power adapter in order to receive power from the power adapter; and

at least one device interface to couple the intermediary device to a powered device;

wherein at least a portion of the power received from the power adapter is applied to the powered device;

wherein the intermediary device communicates to the powered device information indicative of an amount of power received by the intermediary device from the power adapter, wherein the information is used the powered device to control the amount of power used by the powered device.

15. The intermediary device of claim 14, wherein the intermediary device generates the information indicative of the amount of power received by the intermediary device from the power adapter.

16. The intermediary device of claim 14, wherein the intermediary device receives, from the power adapter, information indicative of an amount of power output by the power adapter, wherein the information indicative of the amount of power received by the intermediary device from the power adapter comprises the information indicative of the amount of power output by the power adapter.

17. The intermediary device of claim 14, wherein the intermediary device comprises a docking station.

18. A power adapter comprising:

a power supply to supply power to at least one powered device; and

a device interface to couple the power adapter to the powered device;

wherein the device interface comprises a terminal at which a resistance indicative of an attribute associated with the power adapter is developed for use by the powered device to identify the attribute associated with the power adapter.

19. The power adapter of claim 18, further comprising a resistor coupled to the terminal.

20. The power adapter of claim 18, wherein the attribute comprises a power rating associated with the power adapter.

21. The power adapter of claim 18, wherein the power adapter outputs information indicative of an amount of power output by the power supply for use by the powered device to control the amount of power used by the powered device.

22. A device comprising:

an interface to receive power from a power adapter;

a terminal on which a resistance within the power adapter is developed when the power adapter is coupled to the device, wherein the resistance is indicative of an attribute associated with the power adapter; and

wherein the device generates information indicative of the attribute associated with the power adapter based on at least the resistance within the power adapter.

23. The device of claim 22, further comprising an identification circuit that comprises:

a first resistor coupled across the terminal and a ground;

a second and third resistors coupled in series across an output voltage of the power adapter and the ground; and

a comparator to output a signal indicative of the difference between a first voltage developed at the terminal and a second voltage developed at a node formed between the second and third resistors;

wherein the information indicative of the attribute associated with the power adapter comprises the signal output by the comparator.

24. The device of claim 22, further comprising an identification circuit that comprises:

a first resistor coupled across the terminal and a ground;

a second, third, and fourth resistors coupled in series across an output voltage of the power adapter and the ground; and

a first comparator to output a first signal indicative of the difference between a first voltage developed at the terminal and a second voltage developed at a first node formed between the second and third resistors;

a second comparator to output a second signal indicative of the difference between the first voltage developed at the terminal and third voltage developed at a second node formed between the third and fourth resistors;

wherein the information indicative of the attribute associated with the power adapter comprises the first signal output by the first comparator and the second signal output by the second comparator.

25. The device of claim 22, wherein:

the power adapter comprises an adapter resistor, wherein the adapter resistor is coupled to the terminal when the power adapter is coupled to the device; and

the device further comprises an identification circuit comprising a device resistor and a capacitor, wherein the identification circuit selectively couples the capacitor to one of the terminal and the device resistor.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the device:

couples the capacitor to the adapter resistor and determines a first time associated with charging the capacitor via the adapter resistor; and

couples the capacitor to the device resistor and determines a second time associated with charging the capacitor via the device resistor.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the information is generated based on the first and second times.

28. The device of claim 26, wherein the information is generated based on a ratio of the first and second times.

29. The device of claim 22, wherein:

the interface comprises a docking station interface to couple the device to docking station;

the device receives the power from the power adapter via the docking station;

the resistance of the power adapter is coupled to the terminal of the device via the docking station; and

the docking station develops a voltage drop associated with the docking station at the terminal of the device.

30. The device of claim 22, wherein:

the device receives second information indicative of an amount of power output by the power adapter;

the device uses the second information to control an amount of power used by the device; and

the second information is received on the terminal.