Method for transmitting and receiving power by using HDMI and device therefor

• US 10,802,558 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2016
• Issued: 10/13/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Jangwoong, Choi, Jingu
• Primary Examiner(s): Pandey, Keshab R
• Application Number:
  US15/745,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20190101966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• 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 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3212 Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level

Abstract

A method for supplying power performed by a power provider device including a plurality of ports according to an embodiment of the present invention may include providing power to a plurality of power consumer devices through the plurality of ports which is connected to the plurality of power consumer devices through an HDMI cable; detecting a connection release between a first power consumer device among the plurality of power consumer devices and a port; detecting a second power consumer device which is provided with insufficient power currently among the plurality of power consumer devices; notifying remaining supply power levels that are available to additionally supply to the second power consumer device; receiving a request of a power level that the second power consumer device is to receive among the remaining supply power levels; and supplying the power additionally to the second power consumer device as much as the requested power level.

Claims

1. A method for supplying power performed by a power provider device including a plurality of ports, the method comprising:

providing power to a plurality of power consumer devices through the plurality of ports which are connected to the plurality of power consumer devices through a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable;

detecting a connection release between a first power consumer device among the plurality of power consumer devices and a port;

based on a power level indicated by a Status and Control Data Channel (SCDC) status flag register being different from a power level indicated by an SCDC configuration flag register, detecting a second power consumer device (i) which is provided with insufficient power currently among the plurality of power consumer devices and (ii) which is a target of the power level indicated by the SCDC configuration flag register;

notifying remaining supply power levels that are available to additionally supply to the second power consumer device;

receiving a request of a power level that the second power consumer device is to receive among the remaining supply power levels; and

supplying the power additionally to the second power consumer device as much as the requested power level.

2. The method for supplying power of claim 1, wherein the second power consumer device which is supplied with insufficient power currently corresponds to a power consumer device which is supplied with power in smaller power level than a power level which is available to receive.

3. The method for supplying power of claim 1, wherein, based on one or more second power consumer devices detected, the supplying the power additionally to the second power consumer device includes:

supplying the power additionally sequentially according to the requested power level by the one or more second power consumer devices.

4. The method for supplying power of claim 1, wherein the remaining supply power level is a same as a power level which has been supplied to the released first power consumer device.

5. The method for supplying power of claim 1, wherein the notifying the remaining supply power levels that are available to additionally supply to the second power consumer device includes:

updating a Status and Control Data Channel (SCDC) update flag register.

6. The method for supplying power of claim 4, wherein the notifying the remaining supply power levels that are available to additionally supply to the second power consumer device further includes:

writing the remaining supply power level that is available to additionally supply in the SCDC status flag register; and

transmitting the written remaining supply power level to the second power consumer device.

7. The method for supplying power of claim 1, wherein the receiving the request of the power level that the second power consumer device is to receive among the remaining supply power levels includes:

receiving an SCDC write message including power level information to be received by the second power consumer device from the second power consumer device; and

writing a power level included in the received SCDC write message in the SCDC configuration flag register.

8. A power provider device for supplying power to a plurality of power consumer devices, the power provider device comprising:

a plurality of ports configured to transmit and receive data, which are connected to a plurality of power consumer devices through a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable;

a power controller configured to control power supply through the HDMI; and

a processor configured to control the plurality of ports and the power controller,

wherein the power provider device is configured to;

supply power to the plurality of power consumer devices through the plurality of ports,

detect a connection release between a first power consumer device among the plurality of power consumer devices and a port,

based on a power level indicated by a Status and Control Data Channel (SCDC) status flag register being different from a power level indicated by an SCDC configuration flag register, detect a second power consumer device (i) which is provided with insufficient power currently among the plurality of power consumer devices and (ii) which is a target of the power level indicated by the SCDC configuration flag register,

notify remaining supply power levels that are available to additionally supply to the second power consumer device,

receive a request of a power level that the second power consumer device is to receive among the remaining supply power levels, and

supply the power additionally to the second power consumer device as much as the requested power level.

9. The power provider device of claim 8, wherein the second power consumer device which is supplied with insufficient power currently corresponds to a power consumer device which is supplied with power in smaller power level than a power level which is available to receive.

10. The power provider device of claim 8, wherein the power provider device is further configured to supply the power additionally sequentially according to the requested power level by one or more second power consumer devices.

11. The power provider device of claim 8, wherein the remaining supply power level is same as a power level which has been supplied to the released first power consumer device.

12. The power provider device of claim 8, wherein the power provider device is further configured to notify the power level that is available to additionally supply to the second power consumer device by updating a Status and Control Data Channel (SCDC) update flag register.

13. The power provider device of claim 12, wherein the power provider device is further configured to:

write the remaining supply power level that is available to additionally supply in the SCDC status flag register, and

transmit the written remaining supply power level to the second power consumer device.

14. The power provider device of claim 8, wherein the power provider device is further configured to:

receive an SCDC write message including power level information that the second power consumer device is going to receive from the second power consumer device, and

write a power level included in the received SCDC write message in the SCDC configuration flag register.