HOST CONTROLLER INTERFACE FOR UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS (USB) POWER DELIVERY

• US 20140208134A1
• Filed: 01/21/2014
• Published: 07/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: WATERS, Deric, WATERS, Bill
• Application Number:
  US14/160,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20140208134A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/310
• 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 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An apparatus, comprising a system management bus configured to communicate with a USB PDC, and a processor coupled to the system management bus and configured to send a power delivery configuration to the PDC, wherein the power delivery configuration comprises voltage and current settings, and receive a power delivery status from the PDC. Also disclosed is an apparatus comprising a power bus interface configured to communicate with a USB port partner, a system management bus interface configured to communicate with a host, and a processor coupled to the power bus interface and the system management bus interface, wherein the processor is configured to receive, via the system management bus interface, a power delivery configuration from the host, generate a power capability message based on the power delivery configuration, and send, via the power bus interface, the power capability message to the USB port partner.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a system management bus configured to communicate with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Power Delivery Controller (PDC); and

a processor coupled to the system management bus and configured to;

send a power delivery configuration to the PDC, wherein the power delivery configuration comprises voltage and current settings; and

receive a power delivery status from the PDC, wherein the power delivery status comprises a power capability of a USB port partner.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the voltage and the current settings are voltage and current consumption requirements.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the voltage and the current settings are voltage and current provisioning capabilities.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power delivery configuration further comprises a power delivery role configuration, and wherein the power delivery role configuration comprises a power consumer role, a power provider role, a power consumer/provider (C/P) role, or a power provider/consumer (P/C) role.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power delivery configuration further comprises a USB receptacle type, a USB receptacle current rating, an automatic power delivery role swap mode, an automatic power delivery role swap initiation mode, a Built in Self-Test (BIST) mode, or combinations thereof.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein in the power delivery configuration further comprises power delivery negotiation parameters, and wherein the power delivery negotiation parameters comprise a USB suspend capability, a USB communication capability, a higher power requirement, or combinations thereof.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to send a power delivery command to the PDC, and wherein the power delivery command instructs the PDC to:

request the power delivery capability of the USB port partner;

stop performing power delivery operations;

disconnect from a first power source;

connect to a second power source;

perform a cable-type detection;

perform the power delivery operations irrespective of a result returned from the cable-type defection, or combinations thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the power delivery command further instructs the PDC to:

negotiate for an increase in voltage supply with the USB port partner;

request the USB port partner to draw a minimum current, or combinations thereof.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the power delivery command further comprises a role swap command, and wherein the role swap command instructs the PDC to:

initiate a role swap process with the USB port partner;

stop performing power provider operations;

start performing power consumer operations;

stop performing the power consumer operations; and

start performing the power provider operations.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

send an event configuration to the PDC to register for a notification of an event, wherein the event comprises a hard reset event, an excessive voltage drop event, a power delivery negotiation update event, a message received event, or combinations thereof; and

receive an event notification from the PDC when the event occurs.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus further comprises a sub-system bus configured to communicate with a plurality of sub-systems, wherein the message received event comprises a request from the USB port partner to draw a minimum current, and wherein the processor is further configured to instruct the sub-systems to draw less current.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a power bus interface configured to communicate with a universal serial bus (USB) port partner;

a system management bus interface configured to communicate with a host; and

a processor coupled to the power bus interface and the system management bus interface, wherein the processor is configured to;

receive, via the system management bus interface, a power delivery configuration from the host, wherein the power delivery configuration comprises voltage and current settings;

generate a power capability message based on the power delivery configuration; and

send, via the power bus interface, the power capability message to the USB port partner.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus further comprises a non-volatile memory, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, via the system management bus interface, a power delivery configuration store command from the host; and

store the power delivery configuration to the non-volatile memory in response to the power delivery configuration store command.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, via the power management bus interface, a power delivery message from the USB port partner, wherein the power delivery message comprises a power capability of the USB port partner; and

send, via the system management bus interface, the power delivery message to the host.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, via the system management bus interface, a notification request of a power delivery status, wherein the notification request comprises a USB plug detection notification request; and

send, via the system management bus interface, the power delivery status to the host, wherein the power delivery status comprises a USB plug detection status.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus comprises a power switch interface coupled to a plurality of power switches, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, via the system management bus interface, a power delivery command from the host, wherein the power delivery command comprises a power delivery command;

disable a first power switch of the plurality of power switches in response to the power delivery command; and

enable a second power switch of the plurality of power switches in response to the power delivery command.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the power delivery command further comprises a role swap command, wherein the processor is further configured to initiate a role swap process with the USB port partner according to the role swap command, and wherein the role swap process comprises a power provider to power consumer role swap process or a power consumer to power provider role swap process.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

enter a low power mode, wherein the low power mode is at least lower than a normal operational mode;

wake up from the low power mode; and

send, via the system management interface bus, a wake up status, to the host after waking up from the low power mode.

19. A method for interfacing with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Power Delivery controller (PDC) via a system management bus, wherein the method comprises:

sending a power delivery configuration to the PDC, wherein the power delivery configuration comprises voltage and current settings;

sending a power delivery command to the PDC, wherein the power delivery command instructs the PDC to send a first power delivery message to a USB port partner of the PDC;

sending a power delivery event configuration to the PDC;

receiving a power delivery event from the PDC; and

receiving a second power delivery message of the USB port partner from the PDC, wherein the second power delivery message comprises a power capability of the USB port partner.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first power delivery message comprises a hard reset request, wherein the power delivery status comprises a hard reset status indicating an occurrence of the hard reset event at the PDC, and wherein the power delivery command further comprises:

a first role swap command that instructs the PDC to swap role from a power provider to a power consumer; and

a second role swap command that instructs the PDC to swap role from the power provider to the power consumer.