System and Method for Powering Docked Portable Information Handling System

• US 20090033287A1
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Sultenfuss, Andrew T., Wood, Merle, Nikazm, Ayedin
• Granted Patent: US 7,683,573 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/137
• 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: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters

Abstract

A portable information handling system powered through a docking station charges an internal battery based on available power sensed at the docking station and communicated to a charger of the information handling system. A dock sensor on the information handling system selectively interfaces a local power sensor if the information handling system is not docked or a docking station sensor if the information handling system is docked. Available power sensed at the docking station is communicated to a battery charger of the information handling system by a differential wire pair interfaced through a docking connector.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a housing;

processing components disposed in the housing and operable to process information;

a docking connector disposed at the housing and operable to couple to a docking station, the docking connector communicating information and power with the docking station;

a power sensor disposed in the housing, the power sensor operable to sense available power;

a charger disposed in the housing and operable to apply power to charge a battery disposed in the housing, the charger interfaced with the power sensor to determine available power for charging the battery; and

a dock sensor associated with the power sensor, the dock sensor operable to determine that the docking connector is receiving power, to receive available power from the docking connector, to remove the interface of the power sensor and the charger and to provide the available power received from the docking connector to the charger in the place of the available power sensed by the power sensor.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the power sensor comprises current sense resistors.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the charger comprises a current sense amplifier.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the dock sensor comprises a MOSFET switch operable to disconnect the power sensor from the charger.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:

a docking station having a docking connector operable to couple to the information handling system docking connector; and

a power sensor disposed in the docking station and operable to sense available power at the docking station, the power sensor interfaced with the charger through the docking connector.

6. The information handling system of claim 5 further comprising a differential wire pair interfacing the docking station power sensor with the charger.

7. The information handling system of claim 6 wherein the differential wire pair comprise the output of current sense resistors from the docking station power sensor.

8. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the dock sensor is further operable to detect a power source coupled directly to the housing and to interface the power sensor and the charger.

9. A method for docking a portable information handling system to a docking station, the method comprising:

sensing power available at the docking station;

communicating the sensed power from the docking station to the information handling system; and

applying the sensed power at the information handling system to determine power applied to charge a battery.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein sensing power available at the docking station further comprises applying power available to the docking station to a current sense resistor circuit.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein communicating the sensed power further comprises communicating the output of the current sense resistor through a differential pair to a charger of the information handling system.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising charging the battery at the information handling system with power supplied from the docking station.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

detecting coupling of the information handling system and the docking station; and

removing an interface between a power sensor of the information handling system and a battery charger in response to the detecting.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein removing an interface between a power sensor of the information handling system further comprises removing a current sense resistor interface from a charger.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein applying the sensed power at an information handling system further comprises interfacing the sensed power in the place of removed current sense resistor interface.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

detecting an uncoupling of the information handling system from the docking station; and

re-establishing the interface between the power sensor of the information handling system and the battery charger.

17. A system for managing power provided from a docking station to a portable information handling system, the system comprising:

a power sensor integrated in the docking station and operable to determine power available at the docking station;

a charger integrated in the portable information handling system and operable to apply the power available to charge a battery integrated in the information handling system within a predetermined power rating; and

an interface from the power sensor through a docking connector to the charger to communicate the power available from the power sensor to the charger.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the interface comprises a differential wire pair.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the power sensor comprises a current sense resistor circuit.

20. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

a power sensor integrated in the information handling system and operable to determine power available from a power source connected to the information handling system; and

a dock sensor integrated in the information handling system and operable to remove an interface between the information handling system power sensor and charger if the information handling system is coupled to the docking station.