Information handling system docking with coordinated power and data communication

• US 9,304,545 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2013
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Ramirez, Ernesto, Critz, Christian L, Quinn, Liam B, O'Neal, Sean P
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberly, Eric
• Application Number:
  US13/962,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20150046624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/409 Mechanical coupling back panels H05K7/1438

Abstract

A docking station connects through a docking port and docking cable with an information handling system to support communication between the information handling system and docking station peripherals. On initial interface, one data lane of the docking port establishes a temporary management interface, such as an I2C management bus, to configure the docking station. After configuration, a docking manager, virtual wireless access point and power block cooperate to assign data lanes of the docking port and wireless communication resources to information transfer and power transfer functions based upon processing and communication tasks performed at the information handling system.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a housing;

a processor disposed in the housing, the processor operable to execute instructions for processing information;

memory disposed in the housing, the memory interfaced with the processor and operable to store the instructions and information;

an embedded controller disposed in the housing, the embedded controller interfaced with the processor and operable to manage interactions with external devices;

a docking manager disposed in the housing, the docking manager interfaced with the embedded controller and operable to manage interactions with an external docking station through a docking port; and

a docking port disposed in the housing, the docking port in electrical communication with the docking manager and having plural data lanes, the docking manager operable to adapt the data lanes to a protocol selected from plural protocols;

wherein the docking manager is further operable to initialize the docking station to assign the predetermined protocols to the data lanes, the docking manager in response to detection of a docking cable at the docking port automatically configuring one or more of the data lanes as a management link, communicating the predetermined protocols to the external docking station through the management link, and freeing the management link for use with the predetermined protocols after the communicating the predetermined protocols.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:

a docking station separate from the housing, the docking station having a docking manager and a docking port with plural data lanes; and

a docking cable operable to connect to the docking station docking port and the housing docking port;

wherein the docking station manager is operable to automatically configure one or more of the data lanes as the management link to accept the predetermined protocols.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein:

the predetermined protocols comprise a serial data protocol and an uncompressed visual information protocol; and

the management link comprises an I2C link.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined protocols comprise a power transmission protocol for providing power through one or more data lanes.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:

one or more wireless interfaces operable to wirelessly communicate information through one or more wireless protocols; and

one or more docking station configurations stored in the memory including at least one docking station configuration having a wireless protocol;

wherein the docking station manager is further operable to detect the docking station having the docking station configuration by communicating through the wireless protocol before a cable connects to the docking port and to apply the docking station configuration based upon a wireless communication.

6. The information handling system of claim 5 wherein detection of the docking station with the wireless protocol disables configuration of the management link.

7. The information handling system of claim 5 wherein the wireless communication comprises a Bluetooth pairing.

8. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the docking manager is further operable to initialize the docking station to assign wireless communication protocols for communication of information between peripheral devices associated with the docking station and one or more wireless interfaces disposed in the housing.

9. A method for interfacing an information handling system with a docking station, the method comprising:

detecting insertion of a docking connector into a docking port of the information handling system;

in response to detecting, configuring one or more of plural data lanes of the docking port as a management link;

communicating data lane configuration settings from an embedded controller of the information handling system through the management link to a docking station; and

applying the data lane configuration settings to configure the data lanes to communicate information according to a protocol selected from plural protocols.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein applying the data lane configuration settings further comprises re-configuring the management link to one of the plural protocols as defined by the data lane configuration settings.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

detecting the information handling system with a wireless interface associated with the docking station before the detecting insertion;

in response to the detecting with a wireless interface, applying the data lane configurations to configure the data lanes before the connecting.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the management link comprises an I2C link and the plural protocols comprise a display protocol and a data protocol.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

communicating wireless interface configurations of the information handling system and docking station through the management interface; and

applying the wireless interface configurations to establish wireless interfaces between the information handling system and wireless peripherals associated with the docking station.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the wireless interface configurations comprise a peer-to-peer interface of the docking station and a portable telephone information handling system.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the plural protocols comprise a power protocol for proving power across one or more of the data lanes.

16. An embedded controller comprising:

a processing resources operable to execute instructions;

memory operable to store instructions;

firmware instructions stored in the memory and operable to execute on the processing resource to;

detect a connection of a docking station connector to a docking port;

in response to detecting a connection, configure a data lane of the docking station connector as a management interface;

send data lane configuration settings from the memory to a docking station; and

configure data lanes of the docking station connector according to the data lane configuration settings including re-configuration of the data lane having the management interface.

17. The embedded controller of claim 16 further comprising firmware instructions stored in the memory and operable to execute on the processing resource to automatically configure a wireless network component to interface with a docking station wireless network component in response to detecting a connection of the docking station manager.

18. The embedded controller of claim 16 further comprising firmware instructions stored in the memory and operable to execute on the processing resource to:

receive an indication of a wireless network detected by a wireless networking component, the wireless network associated with the docking station;

in response to receiving the indication of a wireless network, retrieving wireless configuration settings for the docking station; and

applying the wireless configuration settings to configure wireless network communications by the wireless networking component with the docking station.

19. The embedded controller of claim 16 wherein the management interface comprises an SMBus and the data lane configuration settings comprise a display serial interface and a data serial interface.

20. The embedded controller of claim 16 wherein the data lane configuration settings comprise a power transfer configuration of one or more data lanes.