INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD

• US 20130162198A1
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Published: 06/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: YOKOTA, Ryuhei, UCHIDA, Katsuhiro
• Application Number:
  US13/724,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20130162198A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/107
• 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: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00718 in response to charge current gradient

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus, which is capable of charging batteries of a plurality of portable devices, includes ports, a current detector and a power supply controller. The plurality of portable devices are detachably attached to the ports. The current detector detects a current drawn to each of the plurality of portable devices when the plurality of portable devices are attached to the ports. The power supply controller prevents a current of a first threshold or more from being drawn to a first portable device other than a predetermined number of portable devices among the plurality of portable devices, when the current drawn to each of the predetermined number of portable devices is the first threshold or more.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus capable of charging batteries of a plurality of portable devices, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of ports configured to be attached to the plurality of portable devices;

a current detector configured to detect a current drawn by each of the plurality of portable devices when the plurality of portable devices are attached to the plurality of ports; and

a power supply controller configured to prevent a current of a first threshold or more from being supplied to an additional portable device when a number of portable devices, each having the current drawn equal to or greater than the first threshold, reaches a first number.

2. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a status setting module configured to set each of the plurality of ports in either a first status or a second status, wherein in the first status, a maximum current drawn to a portable device is equal to or greater than the first threshold, and in the second status, the maximum current is smaller than the first threshold,

wherein the power supply controller is configured to set a first port of the plurality of ports in the second status when the current drawn to each of the first number of portable devices is equal to or greater than the first threshold, wherein the additional portable device is attached to the first port.

3. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power supply controller is configured to interrupt a current drawn to a first portable device of the plurality of portable devices when the current drawn to the first portable device is greater than a second threshold, and to prevent the current of the first threshold or more from being drawn to the additional portable device when the current drawn to each of the first number of portable devices is equal to or greater than the first threshold and is equal to or smaller than the second threshold.

4. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first number is determined based on power which the information processing apparatus is capable of supplying to the plurality of portable devices.

5. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ports comprise a port configured to support Universal Serial Bus standards.

6. A control method of controlling an operation of an information processing apparatus capable of charging batteries of a plurality of portable devices, the method comprising:

detecting a current drawn to each of the plurality of portable devices when the plurality of portable devices are attached to a plurality of ports provided in the information processing apparatus; and

preventing a current of a first threshold or more from being supplied to an additional portable device when a number of portable devices, each having the current drawn equal to or greater than the first threshold, reaches a first number.

7. The control method of claim 6, further comprising setting each of the plurality of ports in either a first status or a second status, wherein in the first status, a maximum current drawn to a portable device is equal to or greater than the first threshold, and in the second status, the maximum current is smaller than the first threshold,

wherein the preventing comprises setting a first port of the plurality of ports in the second status when the current drawn to each of the first number of portable devices is equal to or greater than the first threshold, wherein the additional portable device is attached to the first port.