Techniques to route power to a USB host in dead battery condition

• US 9,632,555 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2014
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Lester, Scot
• Primary Examiner(s): Elamin, M
• Application Number:
  US14/565,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20160163480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• 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 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• 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 1/3253 Power saving in bus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 23/24 with two operating positions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Examples may include routing power between a Universal Serial Bus (USB) host and a USB device. In some examples, the power may be routed from a power source at the USB device while the USB host is in a dead battery condition. Various switches at the USB host may be capable of selectively switching to route power from the power source to provide operating power to circuitry at the USB host.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a USB-PD capable port at a USB host arranged to route power to or from a USB device coupled to the USB host through the USB-PD capable port;

a first switch having a single pole, single toggle switch configuration capable of routing a first voltage level from the USB host to the USB device while the first switch is in a closed position;

a second switch having the single pole, single toggle switch configuration capable of routing a second voltage level from the USB host to the USB device while the second switch is in a closed position;

a third switch having a double pole, single toggle switch configuration capable of routing the second voltage level to provide operating power to circuitry at the USB host, a first closed position of the third switch to route the second voltage level from a first power source at the USB device, a second closed position of the third switch to route the second voltage level from a second power source located at or coupled with the USB host; and

a fourth switch having the single pole, single toggle switch configuration that is capable of switching to a closed position if the second voltage level is within a range of voltage levels and the third switch is the first closed position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

A first voltage regulator arranged to receive the first voltage level from the second power source and generate a signal to cause the third switch to be in the second closed position while the second voltage level is being received or to be in the first closed position while the second voltage level is not being received.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the first voltage is one of approximately 12 volts or approximately 20 volts and the second voltage is approximately 5 volts.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, the range of voltage levels is 4.5 volts to 5.5 volts.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the first power source comprises a battery at the USB device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, the second power source comprises a first battery located at the USB host or an external power source coupled with the USB host.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, the external power source comprising a second battery or a power outlet arranged as a fixed power source.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

a USB-PD controller arranged to operate in compliance with one or more USB specifications including the Universal Serial Bus Power Delivery specification, the USB-PD controller capable of controlling the first and the second switches to route the first or the second voltage levels to the USB device arranged as a USB-PD consumer.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, the USB-PD controller capable of maintaining the second switch in an open position during a dead battery condition that includes the USB-PD consumer device providing operating power from the first power source to the circuitry at the USB host.

10. A method implemented at a universal serial bus (USB) host comprising:

receiving, at a first switch, a first signal from a voltage regulator indicating whether power at a first voltage level is being received by the voltage regulator from a first power source located at or coupled to the USB host;

selecting a first closed position of the first switch based on the first signal indicating that power at the first voltage level is not being received by the voltage regulator;

receiving, at a second switch, power at a second voltage level from a second power source located at a USB device coupled to the USB host through a USB power delivery (USB-PD) capable port at the USB host;

closing the second switch based on the power at the second voltage level falling within a range of voltage levels; and

routing the power at the second voltage level from the second power source through the closed second switch to provide operating power to circuitry at the USB host.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising:

receiving, at the first switch, a second signal from the voltage regulator indicating whether power at the first voltage level is being received by the voltage regulator from the first power source;

selecting a second closed position of the first switch based on the second signal indicating that power at the first voltage level is being received by the voltage regulator; and

routing power at the first voltage level outputted from the voltage regulator through the first switch in the second closed position to provide operating power to the circuitry at the USB host.

12. The method of claim 10, the first voltage is one of approximately 12 volts or approximately 20 volts and the second voltage is approximately 5 volts.

13. The method of claim 12, the range of voltage levels is 4.5 volts to 5.5 volts.

14. The method of claim 10, the second power source comprises a battery at the USB device.

15. The method of claim 10, the second power source comprises a first battery located at the USB host or an external power source coupled with the USB host.

16. The method of claim 15, the external power source comprising a second battery or a power outlet arranged as a fixed power source.

17. The method of claim 10, comprising the USB host and the USB device arranged to operate in compliance with one or more USB specifications including the Universal Serial Bus Power Delivery specification, the USB host arranged as a USB-PD provider and the USB device arranged as a USB-PD consumer while power at the first voltage level is received by the voltage regulator.

18. The method of claim 17, the USB host arranged as a USB-PD consumer and the USB device arranged as a USB-PD consumer while power at the second voltage level is received from the second power source located at the USB device.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a processor circuit for a controller at a universal serial bus (USB) host arranged to route power to or from a USB device coupled to the USB host through a USB power delivery (USB-PD) capable port;

a high voltage component for execution by the processor circuit to control a first switch having a single pole, single toggle switch configuration that is capable of routing a first voltage level from a first power source located at or coupled with the USB host to the USB device while the first switch is in a closed position; and

a low voltage component for execution by the processor circuit to control a second switch having the single pole, single toggle switch configuration that is capable of routing a second voltage level from the USB host to the USB device while the second switch is in a closed position, the low voltage component capable of maintaining the second switch in an open position during a dead battery condition that includes a second power source at the USB device providing operating power at the second voltage level to circuitry at the USB host through third and fourth switches.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, the third switch having a double pole, single toggle switch configuration that includes a first closed position to route the second voltage level from the first power source to the circuitry at the USB host and a second closed position to route the second voltage level from the second power source located at or coupled with the USB host, the third switch capable of switching to the second closed position following the USB host exiting the dead battery condition.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, the fourth switch having the single pole, single toggle switch configuration that is capable of switching to a closed position if the second voltage level routed from the first power source is within a range of voltage levels and the third switch is in the first closed position, the fourth switch in the closed position capable of routing the second voltage level to the circuitry at the USB host to provide the operating power.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, the first voltage is one of approximately 12 volts or approximately 20 volts and the second voltage is approximately 5 volts.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, the range of voltage levels is 4.5 volts to 5.5 volts.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, the second power source comprises a battery at the USB device.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, the controller arranged to operate in compliance with one or more USB specifications including the Universal Serial Bus Power Delivery specification, the controller capable of controlling the first and the second switches to route the first or the second voltage levels to the USB device arranged as a USB-PD consumer.