Method, system and device for communication based power sharing

• US 8,271,806 B1
• Filed: 03/20/2007
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Chow, Nelson, XIAO, Browley
• Primary Examiner(s): REHMAN, MOHAMMED H
• Application Number:
  US11/688,832
• Time in Patent Office: 2,009 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300
• US Class Current: 713/300
• 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 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• 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: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

We describe an example system and method of power sharing that includes communicating a power status of each of a plurality of devices on a network to a rest of the plurality of devices connected to the network and sharing power between the plurality of devices responsive to the communicating.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

communicating a power status of each of a plurality of power-consuming devices to all other ones of the plurality of power-consuming devices connected to a network such that each of the plurality of power-consuming devices receives the power statuses of all the other ones of the plurality of power-consuming devices, wherein the plurality of power-consuming devices includes at least three power-consuming devices, a first device of the at least three power-consuming devices configured to provide power to other devices of the at least three power-consuming devices responsive to the power statuses of the other devices of the at least three power-consuming devices; and

each processing portion of each of the plurality of power-consuming devices devising a power strategy plan to negotiate sharing power between the plurality of power-consuming devices responsive to the communicating;

wherein;

devising the power strategy plan includes when the first device of the at least three power-consuming devices has an excess amount of power and is designated to transmit a limited amount of the excess amount of power to charge two or more devices of the at least three power-consuming devices, negotiating a power sharing strategy between the two or more devices such that each of a second device and a third device receives a certain percentage of the limited amount of the excess amount of power.

2. The method of claim 1 where communicating the power status of each of the plurality of power-consuming devices includes communicating a charge level of each of the plurality of power-consuming devices and where sharing power is responsive to a request from one of the plurality of power-consuming devices.

3. The method of claim 2 comprising:

connecting an external power supply to the network; and

recharging each power-consuming device of the plurality of power-consuming devices using the external power supply responsive to the communicating the charge level.

4. The method of claim 1 where communicating the power status of each of the plurality of power-consuming devices includes communicating a power requirement of each of the plurality of power-consuming devices.

5. The method of claim 1 where sharing power includes sharing power for a duration of time responsive to the devising the power sharing strategy.

6. A system comprising:

a first power-consuming device including a first power storage device;

a second power-consuming device including a second power storage device; and

a third power-consuming device including a third power storage device;

where the first and the second power-consuming devices are configured to communicate a power status of the first and the second power-consuming devices to the third power-consuming device;

where the first and the third power-consuming devices are configured to communicate a power status of the first and third power-consuming devices to the second power-consuming device;

where the second and the third power-consuming devices are configured to communicate the power status of the second and the third power-consuming devices to the first power-consuming devices;

where the first power-consuming device is configured to provide power from the first storage device to one or more of the second storage device and the third storage device responsive to the power statuses of the first, the second, and the third power-consuming devices; and

each of the first, the second, and the third power-consuming devices are configured to devise a power strategy plan to negotiate sharing power when the first power-consuming device has an excess amount of power and is designated to transmit a limited amount of the excess amount of power to charge the second power-consuming device and the third power-consuming device, the second power-consuming device and the third power-consuming device configured to negotiate a power sharing strategy such that each of the second power-consuming device and the third power-consuming device receives a certain percentage of the limited amount of the excess amount of power.

7. The system of claim 6

where the first power-consuming device is configured to provide a first amount of power to the second storage device and a second amount of power to the third storage device;

and

where the first power-consuming device is configured to determine the first amount of power and the second amount of power responsive to the power statuses of the first, the second, and the third power-consuming devices.

8. The system of claim 6 comprising an external power supply configured to provide power simultaneously to the first and the second power-consuming devices.

9. The system of claim 8 where the external power supply is connected to only one of the first, the second, or the third power-consuming device, or a link connecting the first and the second power-consuming devices, a link connecting the second and the third power-consuming devices, or a link connecting the first and the third power-consuming devices.

10. A system for use with a network, the system comprising:

three or more power-consuming devices each comprising a processing portion configured to;

receive a power status of each power-consuming device of the three or more power-consuming devices connected to the network;

devise a power sharing strategy to negotiate sharing power responsive to the power status of each power-consuming device of the three or more power-consuming devices; and

share power with at least one other of the power-consuming devices connected to the network responsive to the power sharing strategy, wherein

when a first power-consuming device has an excess amount of power and is designated to transmit a limited amount of the excess amount of power to charge two or more of the three or more power-consuming devices, the processing portions of each of a second and a third power-consuming devices devise a power sharing strategy between the second power-consuming device and the third power-consuming device such that each of the second power-consuming device and the third power-consuming device receives a certain percentage of the limited amount of the excess amount of power.

11. The system of claim 10 where the power sharing strategy includes devising the amount of power each power-consuming device of the power-consuming devices shares with the at least one other of the power-consuming devices.

12. The system of claim 10 where the power sharing strategy ensures that a charge level of each of the power-consuming devices do not fall below a threshold value.

13. The system of claim 10 where the power sharing strategy ensures that each of the power-consuming devices have substantially sufficient power to operate.

14. The system of claim 10 where a single external power supply connected to the network supplies power to each of the power-consuming devices.

15. The system of claim 10 comprising an external power supply configured to provide power simultaneously to each of the power-consuming devices.