PEER TO PEER POWER MANAGEMENT

• US 20110302430A1
• Filed: 06/08/2010
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: BOSS, Gregory J., JONES, Andrew R., KANGAS, P. Daniel, MCCONNELL, Kevin C., MOORE, John E. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,954,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/310
• 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: 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: H01R 29/00 Coupling parts for selective co-operation with a counterpart in different ways to establish different circuits, e.g. for voltage selection, for series-parallel selection, programmable connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements

Abstract

A system and methods for delivering power to a multitude of portable electronic devices is provided. More specifically, the system and methods provide for powering different portable electronic devices through a central charging device. The method of delivering a power supply to a plurality of portable electronic devices includes determining a power requirement for each of the portable computing devices and supplying the power requirement to each of the portable computing devices in a daisy chain configuration using a central power device.

Claims

1. A method of delivering a power supply to a plurality of portable computing devices, comprising determining a power requirement for each of the portable computing devices and supplying the power requirement to each of the portable computing devices in a daisy chain configuration using a central power device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is provided by communicating the power requirement through a communication link.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the communicating is through wireless communication.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the communicating is through a power cord connecting any of the portable computing devices to the central power device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the central power device looks up power requirements for each of the portable computing devices in response to a communication.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing a look-up table to determine the power requirement of each of the plurality of the portable computing devices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the portable computing devices linked in the daisy chain configuration provides power to a subsequent portable computing device in the daisy chain configuration.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the portable computing devices regulates its power requirements received from the central power device through a voltage regulator.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is performed by accessing an internal or external database to determine power requirements for each of the portable computing devices.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising discovering a type of portable computing device based on an identification received from the portable computing devices through a communication link and using the identification to determine the power requirement.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a service provider, on a subscription, advertising, and/or fee basis, provides information for the power requirements for each of the portable computing devices.

12. A system of delivering power to a plurality of portable computing devices, comprising:

a central power device having a power cord for connecting to a power source; and

a plurality of power cords, each having an adapter which is configured to connect to one of the portable computing devices and the central power device in a daisy chain fashion.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein a power cord of the plurality of power cords supports each of the portable computing devices with a specific range of voltage requirements.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein a power cord of the plurality of power cords each supports the portable computing devices with a specific range of voltage requirements.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the portable computing devices include internal voltage regulators that accept a specified voltage and passes excess through its output port to down stream portable computing devices.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the central power device includes a control module configured to receive information from the plurality of computing devices and use this information to determine a power requirement.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the control module accesses an internal or external database to determine the power requirement.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising a communication link integrated into the plurality of power cords.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the power cords include a power tip structured for a specific voltage requirement.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein all of the plurality of computing devices connected to a subsequent computing device in the daisy chain configuration includes a power receptacle and a receptor power port to provide power for each subsequent computing device in the daisy chain configuration.

21. A system comprising a database containing data associated with one or more power requirements of a plurality of different types of electronic devices, and at least one of a hardware and software component for determining the power requirements for the any of the different types of electronic devices and providing the information to a central power device for powering the electronic devices in a daisy chain configuration.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising at least one power cord structured for:

at least one output cable that supports the electronic devices with a specific range of voltage requirements;

multiple output cables that each supports the electronic devices with a specific range of voltage requirements; and

a single output cable with a range of voltage capabilities that supports the electronic devices with internal voltage regulators that accept a specified voltage and passes the excess through its output port to down stream portable computing devices.

23. A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer program product includes at least one component to determine power requirements for any of plurality of types of portable computing devices to be supplied by a central power device in a daisy chain configuration.

24. A method for deploying a system of delivering a power supply to a plurality of portable computing devices, comprising providing a computer infrastructure operable to:

determine a power requirement for each of the portable computing devices and supply the power requirement to each of the portable computing devices in a daisy chain configuration using a central power device.