SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING POWER THROUGH A REVERSE LOCAL DATA TRANSFER CONNECTION

• US 20130007336A1
• Filed: 07/01/2011
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: CHUN, EE WEN, Por, Choon Gun
• Granted Patent: US 8,788,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/316
• 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 2213/0042 Universal serial bus [USB]

Abstract

A power source device supplies power to a host for charging a finite power source of the host. The power is supplied through an interface connecting the host device. The interface may be a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable or another type of local connection cable.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a controller to set a first circuit path between a finite power source and a connector based on a condition, wherein the condition is to include detection of a connection of an interface between the connector and a port of a host and wherein the finite power source is to output power to the interface along the first circuit path.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connector is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector and the port is a USB port.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is to generate a first control signal to set the first circuit path, the first control signal to change a state of a switch to allow power to pass from the finite power source through the connector when coupled to the interface.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a converter to convert power output from the finite power source from a first level to a second level compatible with the interface.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is to set a second circuit path to charge the finite power source based on power received from the interface.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the finite power source is a battery.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a mobile communication device or an electronic book device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a battery pack which excludes circuitry for performing network communications and multimedia functions.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the finite power source and the connector.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a host controller to set a first circuit path between a host port and a finite power source based on a condition, wherein the condition is to include detection of a connection of an interface between the port and a connector of a device and wherein power from the interface is to pass along the first circuit path to charge a battery.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the port is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port and the connector is a USB connector.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the host controller is to change a state of a first switch to allow power to pass along the first circuit path to the battery.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the host controller is to control a selector to allow power from a primary power source to charge the battery when the connection between the port and connector is terminated.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the host controller is to change the state of the first switch and change a state of a second switch to allow power from the primary power source to flow along a second circuit path, and wherein the second circuit path is to provide power to the device.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the host controller is to change the state of the first switch and to change the state of the second switch when a signal is received indicating that a battery of the device is to be charged.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is a computer.

17. A method comprising:

detecting connection of an interface between a device and a host; and

setting a first circuit path in the device based on detection of the connection,

wherein power from a finite power source is output to the interface through a connector of the device along the first circuit path, the power to pass through the interface to be used to charge a battery of the host.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the device is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) device and the host is a USB host.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein setting the first circuit path includes:

generating a first control signal to set the first circuit path,

wherein the first control signal is to change a state of a switch to allow power to pass from the finite power source to the interface along the first circuit path.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the controller is to set a second circuit path to charge the finite power source based on power received from the interface.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the finite power source is a battery.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the device is a mobile communication device.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the device is an electronic book device.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the device is battery pack which excludes circuitry for performing network communications and multimedia functions.

25. A method comprising:

detecting connection of an interface between a host and a device; and

setting a first circuit path in the host based on detection of the connection,

wherein power from the interface is transferred to a battery along the first circuit path, the power supplied from a finite power source of the device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the port is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port and the connector is a USB connector.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the finite power source is a battery.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the host is a computer and the device is a mobile communication device.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the host is a computer and the device is an electronic book device.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the host is a computer and the device is a computer.