CONTROL METHOD, EXTENSION DEVICE, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20180032118A1
• Filed: 07/06/2017
• Published: 02/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Client Computing Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: SHIMURA, Tatsuya, MORITA, Akira, HAYASHI, Taketoshi
• Application Number:
  US15/642,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20180032118A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• 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 1/3212 Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4068 Electrical coupling
• 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: G06F 2213/0042 Universal serial bus [USB]

Abstract

A control method executed by a processor included in an extension device, the control method includes executing power supply to another device via a connector using a battery provided in the extension device while power supply to the extension device is not executed; stopping power supply to the other device when it is detected that a terminal device coupled to the extension device and different from the another device is turned on, or that the terminal device turned on is coupled to the extension device; and starting power supply to the extension device while power supply to the other device is stopped.

Claims

1. A control method executed by a processor included in an extension device, the control method comprising:

executing power supply to another device via a connector using a battery provided in the extension device while power supply to the extension device is not executed;

stopping power supply to the other device when it is detected that a terminal device coupled to the extension device and different from the another device is turned on, or that the terminal device turned on is coupled to the extension device; and

starting power supply to the extension device while power supply to the other device is stopped.

2. The control method according to claim 1, further comprising

restarting power supply to the other device when power supply to the extension device is started.

3. The control method according to claim 2, further comprising

receiving, from the terminal device while power supply to the other device is executed, a notification indicating that the terminal device is turned on, or that the terminal device turned on is coupled to the extension device.

4. The control method according to claim 1,

wherein the stopping includes stopping output of power from a power circuit by transmitting a first signal to the power circuit.

5. The control method according to claim 4,

wherein the extension device includes a relay device connected between the terminal device and the other device, and

the executing of power supply to the other device includes controlling the relay device not to be activated by transmitting a second signal to the relay device.

6. The control method according to claim 5,

wherein the relay device is a switching hub or a switch.

7. The control method according to claim 1,

wherein the connector is a universal serial bus (USB) connector.

8. An extension device comprising:

a connector; and

a processor coupled to the connector and configured to;

execute power supply to another device via a connector using a battery provided in the extension device while power supply to the extension device is not executed;

stop power supply to the other device when it is detected that a terminal device coupled to the extension device and different from the another device is turned on, or that the terminal device turned on is coupled to the extension device; and

start power supply to the extension device while power supply to the other device is stopped.

9. The extension device according to claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to

restart power supply to the other device when power supply to the extension device is started.

10. The extension device according to claim 9,

wherein the processor is configured to receive, from the terminal device while power supply to the other device is executed, a notification indicating that the terminal device is turned on, or that the terminal device turned on is coupled to the extension device.

11. The extension device according to claim 8,

wherein the processor is configured to stop output of power from a power circuit by transmitting a first signal to the power circuit.

12. The extension device according to claim 11,

wherein the extension device includes a relay device connected between the terminal device and the other device, and

the executing of power supply to the other device includes controlling the relay device not to be activated by transmitting a second signal to the relay device.

13. The extension device according to claim 12,

wherein the relay device is a switching hub or a switch.

14. The extension device according to claim 8,

wherein the connector is a universal serial bus (USB) connector.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program that causes a processor included in an extension device to execute a process, the process comprising:

executing power supply to another device via a connector using a battery provided in the extension device while power supply to the extension device is not executed;

stopping power supply to the other device when it is detected that a terminal device coupled to the extension device and different from the another device is turned on, or that the terminal device turned on is coupled to the extension device; and

starting power supply to the extension device while power supply to the other device is stopped.