Power adapter identification

• US 7,028,202 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2002
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Rudolph, Daniel C, Bausch, James F, Long, Michael D, Massey, Paul G
• Primary Examiner(s): BUTLER, DENNIS
• Application Number:
  US10/202,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20040018774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,357 Days
• Field of Search: 713300-320, 713/340, 439/488, 439/491, 439/517, 439/620
• US Class Current: 713/340
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6616 with resistor
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/06 for computer periphery
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 29/00 Coupling parts for selective co-operation with a counterpart in different ways to establish different circuits, e.g. for voltage selection, for series-parallel selection, programmable connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/065 with built-in electric apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/0512 Connections to an additional grounding conductor

Abstract

Apparatus and methods associated with power adapter identification are described. In one embodiment the apparatus includes an adapter plug having at least two contacts and at least one circuit component connected to the at least two contacts.

Claims

1. An adapter, comprising:

a power conversion apparatus including a housing, an input and an output;

an adapter plug, wired directly to the power conversion apparatus output, including a positive contact, a ground contact and an ID contact; and

at least one circuit component, located within the housing or the adapter plug, and connected to the ID contact and to one of the positive contact and the ground contact.

2. An adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one circuit component is carried by the adapter plug.

3. An adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one circuit component is connected to the ID contact and the ground contact.

4. An adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least two contacts are carried by a male connector.

5. An adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least two contacts are carried by a female connector.

6. An adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one circuit component comprises a resistor.

7. An electronic device, comprising:

an apparatus that consumes power;

a power receptacle, operably connected to the apparatus that consumes power, including a positive contact, a ground contact and an ID contact; and

a power control system, operably connected to the ID contact and one of the positive contact and the ground contacts, that measures a circuit component value between the ID contact and one of the positive contact and the ground contact.

8. An electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the power control system reduces power consumption of the apparatus that consumes power in response to a measurement of a predetermined circuit component value.

9. An electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the power control system measures a circuit component value between the ID contact and the ground contact.

10. An electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least two contacts are carried by a male connector.

11. An electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least two contacts are carried by a female connector.

12. An electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the circuit component value comprises resistance.

13. A method of operating an electronic device that is connected to a power adapter that includes an integral adapter plug, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring a circuit component value of a circuit component located in the adapter plug; and

reducing power consumption in response to a measurement of a predetermined circuit component value.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the adapter plug includes a positive contact, a ground contact and an ID contact and the step of measuring a circuit component value comprises measuring a circuit component value between the ID contact and one of the positive contact and the ground contact.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the step of reducing power consumption in response to a measurement of a predetermined circuit component value comprises altering at least one of a CPU operation, a battery charging function, a disk drive operation and display operation in response to a measurement of a predetermined circuit component value.

16. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the circuit component value comprises resistance.

17. A system, comprising:

an adapter including a power conversion apparatus having a housing, an input and an output, an adapter plug wired directly to the power conversion apparatus output and having a positive contact, a ground contact and an ID contact, and at least one circuit component located within one of the housing and the adapter plug and connected to the ID contact and to one of the positive contact and the ground contact; and

an electronic device including a power receptacle having a positive contact, a ground contact and an ID contact and a power control system that measures the circuit component value of the at least one circuit component between the ID contact and one of the positive contact and the ground contact.

18. A system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the at least one circuit component is carried by the adapter plug.

19. A system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the power control system reduces electronic device power consumption in response to a measurement of a predetermined circuit component value.

20. A system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the at least one circuit component comprises a resistor.

21. A conversion device for use with an electronic device including a power receptacle with positive and ground contacts arranged in predetermined relation to one another and an adapter including an adapter plug with positive, ground and ID contacts arranged in predetermined relation to one another, the conversion device comprising:

an electronic device-side plug including positive and ground contacts arranged such that they mate with the power receptacle positive and ground contacts when the electronic device-side plug is connected to the power receptacle; and

an adapter-side receptacle including positive and ground contacts arranged such that they mate with the adapter plug positive and ground contacts, and are in spaced relation to the adapter plug ID contact, when the adapter-side receptacle is connected to the adapter plug.

22. A conversion device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the electronic device-side plug positive contact is electrically connected to the adapter-side receptacle positive contact and the electronic device-side plug ground contact is electrically connected to the adapter-side receptacle ground contact.

23. A conversion device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the electronic device-side plug positive and ground contacts and the adapter-side receptacle positive and ground contacts are mounted in a single molded housing.

24. A conversion device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the adapter-side receptacle comprises a female plug.

25. A conversion device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the electronic device-side plug comprises a female plug.

26. A conversion device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the adapter-side receptacle does not include an ID contact.

27. A power dongle, comprising:

an electronic device-side plug including positive, ground and ID contacts;

an adapter-side receptacle including positive, ground and ID contacts respectively electrically connected to the electronic device-side plug positive, ground and ID contacts; and

at least one circuit component connected to the electronic device-side plug ID contact and to the adapter-side receptacle ID contact.

28. A power dongle as claimed in claim 27, further comprising:

a power cord including a positive line electrically connected to at least one of the positive contacts and a ground line electrically connected to at least one of the ground contacts.

29. A power dongle as claimed in claim 27, wherein the electronic device-side plug positive, ground and ID contacts and the adapter-side receptacle positive, ground and ID contacts are mounted in a single molded housing.

30. A power dongle as claimed in claim 27, wherein the adapter-side receptacle comprises a male plug.

31. A power dongle as claimed in claim 27, wherein the electronic device-side plug comprises a female plug.

32. A power dongle as claimed in claim 27, wherein the at least one circuit component comprises a resistor.

33. A power dongle as claimed in claim 27, wherein the adapter-side receptacle positive, ground and ID contacts are respectively electrically connected to the electronic device-side plug positive, ground and ID contacts such that adapter-side receptacle can receive an adapter plug.

34. An electronic device, comprising:

an apparatus that consumes power; and

a power dongle, operably connected to the apparatus that consumes power, including an electronic device-side plug having positive, ground and ID contacts, an adapter-side receptacle having positive, ground and ID contacts respectively electrically connected to the electronic device-side plug positive, ground and ID contacts, and at least one circuit component connected to the electronic device-side plug ID contact and to the adapter-side receptacle ID contact.

35. An electronic device as claimed in claim 34, further comprising:

a power cord including a positive line electrically connected to at least one of the positive contacts and a ground line electrically connected to at least one of the ground contacts.

36. An electronic device as claimed in claim 34, wherein the apparatus that consumes power comprises image processing circuitry.

37. An electronic device as claimed in claim 34, wherein the electronic device-side plug positive, ground and ID contacts and the adapter-side receptacle positive, ground and ID contacts are mounted in a single molded housing.

38. An electronic device as claimed in claim 34, wherein the adapter-side receptacle comprises a male plug.

39. An electronic device as claimed in claim 34, wherein the electronic device-side plug comprises a female plug.

40. An electronic device as claimed in claim 34, wherein the at least one circuit component comprises a resistor.

41. An electronic device as claimed in claim 34, wherein the adapter-side receptacle positive, ground and ID contacts are respectively electrically connected to the electronic device-side plug positive, ground and ID contacts such that adapter-side receptacle can receive an adapter plug.

42. A system, comprising:

an adapter including a power conversion apparatus having an input and an output, an adapter plug associated with the power conversion apparatus output and having at least two contacts, and at least one circuit component connected to the at least two contacts;

a first electronic device including a power receptacle having at least two contacts; and

a second electronic device including a power dongle with an electronic device-side plug having at least two contacts configured to mate with the first electronic device power receptacle, an adapter-side receptacle having at least two contacts configured to mate with the adapter plug, and at least one circuit component connected to one of the contacts on the electronic device-side plug and one of the contacts on the adapter-side receptacle.

43. A system as claimed in claim 42, wherein

the adapter plug includes positive, ground and ID contacts;

the first electronic device power receptacle includes positive, ground and ID contacts;

the dongle electronic device-side plug includes positive, ground and ID contacts; and

the dongle adapter-side receptacle includes positive, ground and ID contacts respectively electrically connected to the electronic device-side plug positive, ground and ID contacts.

44. A system as claimed in claim 43, wherein

the at least one adapter circuit component is connected to the ID contact and one of the positive contact and the ground contact on the adapter plug;

and

the at least one power dongle circuit component is connected to the adapter-side receptacle ID contact and the electronic device-side plug ID contact.

45. A system as claimed in claim 42, wherein the first electronic device includes a power control system that measures the circuit component value of the at least one adapter circuit component and the dongle circuit component.

46. A system as claimed in claim 42, wherein the at least one adapter circuit component is carried by the adapter plug.

47. A system as claimed in claim 42, wherein the at least one adapter circuit component comprises a resistor.

48. A system as claimed in claim 42, wherein the at least one power dongle circuit component comprises a resistor.

49. A power dongle, comprising:

an adapter-side receptacle including at least two contacts;

an electronic device-side plug including at least two contacts respectively electrically connected to the at least two contacts on the adapter-side receptacle such that adapter-side receptacle can receive an adapter plug; and

at least one circuit component connected to the at least two contacts on the electronic device-side plug.

50. A power dongle as claimed in claim 49, wherein the at least one circuit component is carried by the electronic device-side plug.

51. A power dongle as claimed in claim 49, wherein the at least two contacts on the adapter-side receptacle comprise positive and ground contacts, the at least two contacts on the electronic device-side plug comprise positive, ground and ID contacts, and the at least one circuit component is connected to the electronic device-side plug ID contact and to one of the electronic device-side plug positive and ground contacts.

52. A power dongle as claimed in claim 49, wherein the adapter-side receptacle is connected to the electronic device-side plug by a cord.

53. A power dongle as claimed in claim 49, wherein at least one of the adapter-side receptacle contacts is carried by a male connector.

54. A power dongle as claimed in claim 49, wherein at least one of the electronic device-side plug contacts is carried by a female connector.

55. A power dongle as claimed in claim 49, wherein the at least one circuit component comprises a resistor.

56. A system, comprising:

a power dongle including an adapter-side receptacle having at least two contacts, an electronic device-side plug having at least two contacts respectively electrically connected to the at least two contacts on the adapter-side receptacle such that adapter-side receptacle can receive an adapter plug, and at least one circuit component connected to the at least two contacts on the electronic device-side plug; and

an electronic device including a power receptacle having at least two contacts and a power control system that measures the circuit component value of the at least one circuit component.

57. A system as claimed in claim 56, wherein the at least one circuit component is carried by the electronic device-side plug.

58. A system as claimed in claim 56, wherein the at least two electronic device-side plug contacts comprise a positive contact, a ground contact and an ID contact and the at least one circuit component is connected to the ID contact and one of the positive contact and the ground contact.

59. A system as claimed in claim 56, wherein the power control system reduces electronic device power consumption in response to a measurement of a predetermined circuit component value.

60. A system as claimed in claim 56, further comprising:

an adapter including an adapter plug having two contacts.

61. A system as claimed in claim 56, wherein the at least one circuit component comprises a resistor.

62. A method of operating an electronic device that is connected to a power dongle, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring a circuit component value associated with the power dongle; and

reducing power consumption in response to a measurement of a predetermined circuit component value.

63. A method as claimed in claim 62, wherein the power dongle includes an electronic device-side plug and the step of measuring a circuit component value associated with the power dongle comprises measuring a circuit component value associated with the electronic device-side plug.

64. A method as claimed in claim 63, wherein the electronic device-side plug includes a positive contact, a ground contact and an ID contact and the step of measuring a circuit component value associated with the electronic device-side plug comprises measuring a circuit component value between the ID contact and one of the positive contact and the ground contact.

65. A method as claimed in claim 62, wherein the step of reducing power consumption in response to a measurement of a predetermined circuit component value comprises altering at least one of a CPU operation, a battery charging function, a disk drive operation and display operation in response to a measurement of a predetermined circuit component value.

66. A method as claimed in claim 62, wherein the circuit component value comprises resistance.