USB Power Delivery Controller Sharing

• US 20150378409A1
• Filed: 06/27/2014
• Published: 12/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Dunstan, Robert, Nge, Chee Lim
• Granted Patent: US 9,766,674 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40039 Details regarding the setting of the power status of a node according to activity on the bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40045 Details regarding the feeding of energy to the node from the bus
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A system for sharing a power delivery controller is described herein. The system includes a plurality of ports and a power delivery controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of ports. The power delivery controller is to send a first message to a particular port of the plurality of ports and remain connected to the particular port and enable power delivery to the particular port in response to a particular return message from the port.

Claims

1. A system for sharing a power delivery controller, comprising:

a plurality of ports; and

a power delivery controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of ports, and the power delivery controller is to;

send a first message to a particular port of the plurality of ports; and

remain connected to the particular port and enable power delivery to the particular port in response to a particular return message from the port.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ports is connected to a cable.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ports is connected to a plurality of devices.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the return message is a GoodCRC message.

5. The system of claim 1;

wherein the return message is a Request message.

6. The system of claim 1, comprising a plurality of dead battery (DB) modules corresponding to each of the plurality of ports, wherein each DB module is to enable charging of the system.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the DB modules are to emulate a minimal portion of a USB PD controller to support dead battery operation.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein a second power delivery controller is communicatively coupled to the plurality of ports, and the power delivery controller or the second power delivery controller are connected to the particular port.

9. A method for sharing a power delivery controller, comprising:

polling a plurality of Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports;

sending a first message to each port of the plurality of USB ports; and

coupling to a port of the plurality of ports in response to a return message from the port, wherein power is delivered to the port.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of ports is a group of ports connected to a plurality of cables.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of ports is a group of ports connected to a device plurality of devices.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the return message is a GoodCRC message.

13. The method of claim 9;

wherein the return message is a Request message.

14. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising code to direct a processor to:

send a first message to a particular port of a plurality of ports; and

couple to the particular port of the plurality of ports in response to a return message from the port;

deliver power to the particular port.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the processor is a power delivery controller.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the processor is a power delivery controller and the power delivery controller is to send a message to the plurality of ports, and couple with a port in response to a device requesting power at the port.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the plurality of ports is a group of ports connected to a plurality of cables.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the plurality of ports is a group of ports connected to a plurality of devices.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the return message is a GoodCRC message.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 14;

wherein the return message is a Request message.

21. An apparatus for sharing a power delivery controller, comprising:

a power delivery controller communicatively coupled to a Universal Serial Bus port, wherein the USB port corresponds to an unpowered module and the unpowered module is to;

receive a small voltage from a device to restore power delivery communications capability of a system in response to no voltage being detected; and

output a bit stream to the device using the small voltage until the system is ready to resume normal power delivery communications.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the bit stream is output to the device from the unpowered module until a battery of the system is charged.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the bit stream is a repeating bit pattern.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the unpowered module is to emulate a minimal portion of the power delivery controller to support a dead battery operation.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the unpowered module is to emulate a minimal portion of the power delivery controller to support a dead battery operation, and the minimal portion is a twenty-three megahertz source used to generate the bit stream.