Connector blocking with automatic power management and balancing

• US 7,871,278 B1
• Filed: 12/15/2009
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Steiner, David J., Herring, Dean F., Kangas, P. Daniel, Thomas, Jeff D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; T C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Imas; Vladimir
• Application Number:
  US12/637,986
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 439/136, 439/540.1, 439/911, 200/50.1, 200/50.12, 200/50.13, 200/51.07, 200/51.08, 200/61.7
• US Class Current: 439/136
• 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: 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: Y10S 439/911 Safety, e.g. electrical disconnection required before opening housing

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for managing power to a group of connectors. The individual power limits of the connectors may be selectively increased while still complying with a group power limit. In one embodiment, a group of electronic connectors disposed on a host device each include a power portion and a data portion. A mechanical barrier is moveable into a blocked position for physically blocking at least the power portion of one or more of the electronic connectors while the other electronic connectors in the group remain unblocked. A power controller automatically increases an individual power limit of one or more of the unblocked electronic connectors in response to the mechanical barrier being in the blocked position.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a group of electronic connectors disposed on a host device, each electronic connector including a power portion for carrying electrical power and a data portion for carrying data;

a power supply on the host device for supplying power to the electronic connectors;

a blocking mechanism including a mechanical barrier moveable into a blocked position for physically blocking at least the power portion of one or more of the electronic connectors while the other electronic connectors in the group remain unblocked; and

a power controller configured for controlling power to the group of electronic connectors and for automatically increasing an individual power limit of one or more of the unblocked electronic connectors in response to the mechanical barrier being in the blocked position.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the power controller is configured to dynamically apportion a fixed group power limit among the unblocked electronic connectors.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the power controller is further configured to automatically shut off power to the blocked electronic connectors in response to the moveable barrier being in the blocked position.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the power portion comprises a power receptacle including a plurality of power contacts for receiving a power plug and the data portion comprises a data receptacle having a plurality of data contacts for receiving a data plug.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein each electronic connector is a Powered-USB connector, the power portion is a non-standard USB power portion operable for carrying non-standard USB power signaling, and the data portion is a standard USB data portion operable for carrying standard USB data signaling.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the mechanical barrier is slidably mounted to the host device and slidable into and out of the blocked position.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the mechanical barrier is pivotably mounted to the host device and rotatable into and out of the blocked position.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more mechanical barrier-retention holes on one of the host device and the mechanical barrier; and

one or more mechanical barrier-retention prongs on the other of the host device and the mechanical barrier in positions corresponding to the mechanical barrier-retention holes, wherein the mechanical barrier-retention prongs are configured to releasably snap into the mechanical barrier-retention holes for releasably securing the mechanical barrier in the blocked position.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a threaded hole on the host device; and

a threaded fastener configured for threadedly engaging the threaded hole on the host device for securing the mechanical barrier in the blocked position.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the power controller comprises:

a switch configured to reroute electrical current from one or more of the blocked connectors to one or more of the unblocked connectors in response to the mechanical barrier being moved to the blocked position.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a ground terminal on the host device; and

a metal tab on the mechanical barrier positioned to contact the ground terminal when the mechanical barrier is in the blocked position, wherein contacting the ground terminal generates a control signal to change the state of the switch in response to the control signal.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the switch comprises a field effect transistor.

13. A method, comprising:

providing electrical power to a group of electrical connectors;

blocking one or more of the electrical connectors while the other electronic connectors in the group remain unblocked; and

automatically increasing an individual power limit of one or more of the unblocked electronic connectors in response to the blocking.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

dynamically apportioning a group power limit among the unblocked electronic connectors; and

dynamically enforcing the group power limit by adjusting individual power limits of the unblocked electronic connectors.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

automatically shutting off power to the blocked electronic connectors in response to the blocking.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

carrying non-standard USB power signaling to a non-standard USB power portion of the electronic connectors; and

carrying standard USB signaling to a standard USB portion of the electronic connectors.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the blocking comprises:

moving a mechanical barrier into a blocked position covering at least a power portion of the electronic connectors being blocked.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the mechanical barrier is pivotably mounted to the host device and rotatable into and out of the blocked position.

19. A method, comprising:

enforcing a group power limit on a group of electronic connectors;

enforcing individual power limits on the electronic connectors;

selectively blocking connection to one or more of the electronic connectors; and

dynamically re-apportioning the group power limit among the unblocked connectors.