Information Handling System Docking with Coordinated Power and Data Communication

• US 20150046622A1
• Filed: 08/08/2013
• Published: 02/12/2015
• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 9,377,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/303
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/364 using independent requests or grants, e.g. using separated request and grant lines
• 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;

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

a docking port disposed in the housing and having plural data lanes, the docking manager operable to adapt the data lines to selected of plural protocols; and

wireless networking resources disposed in the housing and operable to support wireless networking interfaces through one or more wireless protocols;

wherein the docking manager is further operable to coordinate assignment of the wireless networking resources to networking tasks in cooperation with the external docking station.

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 having wireless networking resources;

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

a virtual wireless access point disposed in the docking station and operable to communicate with the information handling system docking manager to assign wireless networking resources of the docking station to tasks associated with the information handling system.

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

plural peripheral devices managed by the docking station, at least some of the plural peripheral devices interfaced with the docking station by cables and at least some the plural peripheral devices interfaced with the docking station by wireless networking resources;

wherein the virtual wireless access point is further operable to selectively assign at least one of the plural peripheral devices to communicate directly with the information handling system wireless networking resources or the docking station wireless networking resources.

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

plural peripheral devices managed by the docking station, at least some of the plural peripheral devices interfaced with the docking station by cables and at least some the plural peripheral devices interfaced with the docking station by wireless networking resources;

wherein the virtual wireless access point is further operable to selectively assign a first of the plural peripheral devices to communicate directly with the information handling system wireless networking resources and a second of the plural peripheral devices to communicate with the information handling system through a cable connecting the information handling system with the docking station.

5. The information handling system of claim 4 wherein:

the first peripheral device comprises a display having a wireless personal area network interface directly with the information handling system; and

the second peripheral device comprises a display having a serial cable interface with the docking station.

6. The information handling system of claim 4 wherein the first and second peripheral devices comprise first and second displays, each of the first and second displays having a wireless personal area network interface and a serial cable interface to the docking station, the virtual wireless access point selectively assigning the first and second displays to communicate with the information handling system through the wireless personal area network interface or serial cable interface based at least upon the refresh rate of image presented at the first and second displays from the information handling system.

7. The information handling system of claim 3 wherein the wireless networking resources support communication through plural wireless protocols having plural wireless channels, the virtual wireless access point further operable to assign wireless channels to the docking station wireless networking resources, the information handling system wireless networking resources and the peripherals managed by the docking station.

8. The information handling system of claim 7 wherein the wireless networking resources comprise 802.1 lad resources.

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

detecting a cable connection between the docking station and the information handling system;

configuring one or more data lanes of the cable connection to communicate peripheral information between the docking station and the information handling system; and

selectively communicating between the information handling system and plural peripherals through the cable and through wireless networking resources based upon assignments of wireless networking resources made by the docking station.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein selectively communicating further comprises:

communicating visual information from the information handling system to a first display through the cable and the docking station for presentation at the first display; and

communicating visual information from the information handling system to a second display directly through a wireless interface between the information handling system and the second display.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein selectively communicating further comprises:

determining an image refresh rate for images presented at the first and second displays; and

assigning the first display to cable-based communication with the information handling system and the second display to wireless-based communication with the information handling system based upon a comparison of the image refresh rate of the first and second displays.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the cable comprises plural data lanes operable to communicate information, at least one of the data lanes selectively configurable to communicate either information or power, the method further comprising selectively communicating between the information handling system and plural peripherals through the cable and through wireless networking resources based upon whether the at least one of the data lanes is configured to communicate information or power.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

interfacing a second information handling system with the docking station through a wireless interface; and

selectively establishing peer-to-peer communication between the information handling systems based upon instructions initiated from the docking station.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the second information handling system comprises a mobile telephone.

15. A docking station comprising:

a housing;

one or more docking ports disposed at the housing, each docking port configured to interface with an information handling system docking connector;

one or more peripheral ports disposed at the housing, each peripheral port configured to interface with a peripheral device;

wireless networking resources disposed in the housing and configured to interface with one or more information handling systems and one or more peripherals through one or more wireless protocols;

a docking manager disposed in the housing and interfaced with the one or more docking ports, the docking manager operable to assign tasks to data lanes of the one or more docking ports for supporting operation of an information handling system; and

a virtual wireless access point disposed in the housing and interfaced with the docking manager, the virtual wireless access point operable to assign wireless communication tasks to the wireless networking resources based upon tasks assigned to the data lanes.

16. The docking station of claim 15 further comprising:

a first display having a wired interface with a first of the plural peripheral ports and a wireless interface with the wireless networking resources; and

a second display having a wired interface with a second of the plural peripheral ports and a wireless interface with the wireless networking resources;

wherein the virtual wireless access point is further operable to selectively assign wireless networking resources and data lanes to communicate display information between an information handling system and the first and second displays based upon one or more predetermined factors.

17. The docking station of claim 16 wherein the predetermined factors comprise the refresh rate of images presented at first and second displays.

18. The docking station of claim 16 wherein the predetermined factors comprise a configuration of one or more data lanes to provide power to the information handling system.

19. The docking station of claim 16 wherein the virtual wireless access point assigns wireless networking resources by directing direct communication of display information from the information handling system to one or more of the first and second displays with wireless networking resources of the information handling system and one or more of the first and second displays.

20. The docking station of claim 15 wherein the virtual wireless access point is further operable to manage transfer of information between first and second information handling systems with the wireless networking resources by establishing peer-to-peer wireless communication between the first and second information handling systems.