APPARATUS, METHOD, AND PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR POWERING A DEVICE USING A USB CONNECTION

• US 20170366028A1
• Filed: 06/20/2016
• Published: 12/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nicholson, John Weldon, Kelso, Scott Edwards, Matteson, Jason A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,079,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements

Abstract

Apparatuses, methods, and program products are disclosed for powering a device using a universal serial bus (“USB”) connection. One apparatus includes a processor, and a memory that stores code executable by the processor. The code is executable by the processor to: detect a USB connection between a first device and a second device; determine to provide power between the first device and the second device via the USB connection based on information transmitted between the first device and the second device; select a direction to provide power between the first device and the second device based on the information transmitted between the first device and the second device; and control power to be provided between the first device and the second device after determining to provide power and selecting the direction to provide power.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory that stores code executable by the processor to;

detect a universal serial bus (“

USB”

) connection between a first information handling device and a second information handling device;

determine to provide power between the first information handling device and the second information handling device via the USB connection based on information transmitted between the first information handling device and the second information handling device, wherein the information transmitted between the first information handling device and the second information handling device comprises information selected from the group consisting of a battery level, a remaining time of operation, a type of power source, a running application, an efficiency, a battery cycle count, a warranted cycle count, and a priority;

select a direction to provide power between the first information handling device and the second information handling device based on the information transmitted between the first information handling device and the second information handling device; and

control power to be provided between the first information handling device and the second information handling device after determining to provide power and selecting the direction to provide power.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the code executable by the processor determines to provide power between the first information handling device and the second information handling device via the USB connection by detecting a low battery level of the first information handling device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the code executable by the processor determines to provide power between the first information handling device and the second information handling device via the USB connection by determining charging requirements of the first information handling device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the code executable by the processor selects to provide power in the direction from the first information handling device to the second information handling device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the code executable by the processor selects to provide power in the direction from the second information handling device to the first information handling device.

6. A method comprising:

detecting, by use of a processor, a universal serial bus (“

USB”

) connection between a first information handling device and a second information handling device;

determining to provide power between the first information handling device and the second information handling device via the USB connection based on information transmitted between the first information handling device and the second information handling device, wherein the information transmitted between the first information handling device and the second information handling device comprises information selected from the group consisting of a battery level, a remaining time of operation, a type of power source, a running application, an efficiency, a battery cycle count, a warranted cycle count, and a priority;

selecting a direction to provide power between the first information handling device and the second information handling device based on the information transmitted between the first information handling device and the second information handling device; and

controlling power to be provided between the first information handling device and the second information handling device after determining to provide power and selecting the direction to provide power.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining to provide power between the first information handling device and the second information handling device via the USB connection comprises detecting a low battery level of the first information handling device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein determining to provide power between the first information handling device and the second information handling device via the USB connection comprises detecting a low estimated remaining time of operation of the first information handling device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein determining to provide power between the first information handling device and the second information handling device via the USB connection comprises determining the type of power source of the first information handling device.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein determining to provide power between the first information handling device and the second information handling device via the USB connection comprises determining the running application on the first information handling device.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein determining to provide power between the first information handling device and the second information handling device via the USB connection comprises determining the efficiency of the first information handling device.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein determining to provide power between the first information handling device and the second information handling device via the USB connection comprises determining the battery cycle count and the warranted cycle count of the first information handling device.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein determining to provide power between the first information handling device and the second information handling device via the USB connection comprises determining a priority difference between the first information handling device and the second information handling device.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein determining to provide power between the first information handling device and the second information handling device via the USB connection comprises determining charging requirements of the first information handling device.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein selecting the direction to provide power between the first information handling device and the second information handling device comprises selecting to provide power in the direction from the first information handling device to the second information handling device.

16. The method of claim 6, wherein selecting the direction to provide power between the first information handling device and the second information handling device comprises selecting to provide power in the direction from the second information handling device to the first information handling device.

17. The method of claim 6, wherein controlling power to be provided between the first information handling device and the second information handling device comprises configuring the first and second information handling devices for providing power.

18. The method of claim 6, wherein determining to provide power between the first information handling device and the second information handling device via the USB connection comprises determining conditional criteria for providing power between the first information handling device and the second information handling device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein determining the conditional criteria for providing power between the first information handling device and the second information handling device comprises determining an action to be performed on the first information handling device before the second information handling device will provide power to the first information handling device.

20. A program product comprising a computer readable storage medium that stores code executable by a processor, the executable code comprising code to perform:

detecting a universal serial bus (“

USB”

) connection between a first information handling device and a second information handling device;

determining to provide power between the first information handling device and the second information handling device via the USB connection based on information transmitted between the first information handling device and the second information handling device, wherein the information transmitted between the first information handling device and the second information handling device comprises information selected from the group consisting of a battery level, a remaining time of operation, a type of power source, a running application, an efficiency, a battery cycle count, a warranted cycle count, and a priority;

selecting a direction to provide power between the first information handling device and the second information handling device based on the information transmitted between the first information handling device and the second information handling device; and

controlling power to be provided between the first information handling device and the second information handling device after determining to provide power and selecting the direction to provide power.