Power level switching circuit for a dual port adapter

• US 9,948,094 B1
• Filed: 01/07/2015
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Sheng, Honggang, Chng, Choon Ping
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yeshaw, Esayas
• Application Number:
  US14/591,484
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/08 Three-wire systems; Systems having more than three wires

Abstract

A power brick includes a first port configured to provide power to a first computing device, a second port configured to provide power to a second computing device, a first switch coupled to the first port and configured to select one of a first power configuration and a second power configuration based on a load associated with the second port, and a second switch coupled to the second port and configured to select one of the first power configuration and the second power configuration based on the load associated with the second port.

Claims

1. A power brick comprising:

a first port configured to provide power to a first computing device;

a second port configured to provide power to a second computing device;

a first switch coupled to the first port and configured to select one of a first resistor configuration and a second resistor configuration based on a current draw of a load associated with the second computing device coupled to the second port; and

a second switch coupled to the second port and configured to select one of the first resistor configuration and the second resistor configuration based on the current draw of the load associated with the second computing device coupled to the second port.

2. The power brick of claim 1, wherein the load associated with the second port is detected as a current on a return path from the second computing device.

3. The power brick of claim 1, wherein

the first switch is configured to select the first resistor configuration in a default state, and

the second switch is configured to select the second resistor configuration in the default state.

4. The power brick of claim 1, wherein

the first switch includes a transistor configured to select between the first resistor configuration and the second resistor configuration based on a current associated with the load associated with the second port.

5. The power brick of claim 1, wherein

the second switch includes a transistor configured to select between the first resistor configuration and the second resistor configuration based on a current associated with the load associated with the second port.

6. The power brick of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor configured to amplify a current associated with the load associated with the second port,

generate a voltage based on the amplified current,

compare the voltage to a reference voltage, and

output a comparison current based on the comparison of the voltage to the reference voltage.

7. The power brick of claim 1, wherein the first resistor configuration and the second resistor configuration generate different power outputs.

8. The power brick of claim 1, wherein the first resistor configuration and the second resistor configuration generate a same voltage output and a different current output.

9. The power brick of claim 1, wherein

the first port includes a first serial interface, and

the second port includes a second serial interface,

an output current for the first port is determined based on a current associated with a configuration contact of the first serial interface, and

an output current for the second port is determined based on a current associated with a configuration contact of the second serial interface.

10. A method comprising:

providing a first power based on a first resistor configuration to a first computing device via a first port of a power brick;

providing a second power based on a second resistor configuration to a second computing device via a second port of a power brick;

switching the first port of the power brick to the second power based on a current draw of a load associated with the second computing device coupled to the second port; and

switching the second port of the power brick to the first power based on the current draw of the load associated with the second computing device coupled to the second port.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the load associated with the second port is detected as a current on a return path from the second computing device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

selecting the first power for the first port in a default state, and

selecting the second power for the second port in the default state.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein switching the first port includes using a transistor configured to select between the first resistor configuration and the second resistor configuration based on a current associated with the load associated with the second port.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein switching the second port includes using a transistor configured to select between the first resistor configuration and the second resistor configuration based on a current associated with the load associated with the second port.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

amplifying a current associated with the load associated with the second port,

generating a voltage based on the amplified current,

comparing the voltage to a reference voltage, and

outputting a comparison current based on the comparison of the voltage to the reference voltage.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the first resistor configuration and the second resistor configuration generate different power outputs.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein

the first port includes a first serial interface, and

the second port includes a second serial interface,

an output current for the first port is determined based on a current associated with a configuration contact of the first serial interface, and

an output current for the second port is determined based on a current associated with a configuration contact of the second serial interface.

18. A power brick comprising:

a first port configured to provide power to a first computing device;

a second port configured to provide power to a second computing device; and

a power module configured to selectively provide one of two power settings to the first port and the second port based on a current draw of a load associated with the second computing device coupled to the second port, the two power settings being based on a resistor configuration.

19. The power brick of claim 18, wherein the load associated with the second port is detected as a current on a return path from the second computing device.

20. The power brick of claim 18, wherein

the power module includes a first switch configured to select a first resistor configuration in a default state, and

the power module includes a second switch configured to select a second resistor configuration in the default state.